Unbalanced Schools of Magic

[Jackissocool]

Why is everything evocation, conjuration, or transmutation? I feel like a number of schools really get screwed for no reason, especially abjuration. The vast majority of defensive spells are transmutation or conjuration. What if I want to play an abjurer? It's meaningless. Transmutation in particular has way too many purposes.
Thoughts?

[Gorbacz]

Mind Blank, Banishment, AMF, GoI, Dismissal, Break Enchantment, Stoneskin, Dimensional Anchor, Nondetection, Dispel Magic...

And that's just core.

[Anonymous Visitor 163 576]

But look at those spells. Dispel Magic does everything, while each transmutation spell is usually for a specific circumstance.

If transmutation had a single spell for transmute a into b, the spell lists would look the same. likewise evocation could be " energy blast " the way it is in GURPS.

I don't think it's a big deal.

[Kydeem de'Morcaine]

The only school I feel is a bit cheated is divination. But many of those spells are so good that I don't think anything 'needs' fixed. I'd just like to see more of them.

[Jackissocool]

Hmm... Well perhaps I reacted a bit to much to the disproportionate number of spells. But transmutation does have a turn anything into anything spell. Polymoprh.

[Set]

Whether or not they are balanced or not (and that's 90% subjective anyway, since many spells are situationally awesome or worthless, depending on the circumstances of an encounter), Abjuration and Divination could sure use some more spells, and some more interesting spells.

Divination spells that opened up an enemies mind to more information than he can process, disorienting or misleading him, or heighten his perception to the point that normal light becomes a blinding glare, and normal conversation becomes thunderously deafening, could be cool.

At the high levels, it could a situation like where Phoenix opened up Jason Wyngarde's mind to the entirety of the universe in the Dark Phoenix Saga, so that he could see everything at once, turning him into a drooling catatonic.

[ShadowcatX]

There's no doubt that the schools are unbalanced. Honestly, though, that's okay. Not everything should be exactly equal with exactly the same number of options and choices. Some things, like an abjurer, are much better as an npc than as a pc. It is, however, still an option, for those pcs who care less about power and more about an idea that they have.

[Richard Leonhart]

I think the divination spells are rather weak, but the school powers are awesome.
Also, why would you want them to be balanced? Is there a class that can take only a few schools ? (I mean prohibited is so weak in PF, you can even get around that double cost with a feat)
I've never encountered a problem with spellschools.

[Set]

A few spells to make Spell Focus (abjuration) or Spell Focus (divination) a bit more useful, could be neat.

Or a change to Spell Focus, to have a different sort of benefit for spells that don't have a save DC, which might be an even better idea...

[Umbral Reaver]

Or:

Spell Focus

When you gain this feat, choose a school of magic and one of the following benefits. This benefit is applied every time you cast a spell of that school. This choice may not be changed.

* +1 to spell DC (this is somewhat equivalent to taking the below option, applied to heighten).
* Reduce the modifier of one metamagic feat applied only to spells of this school by 1. This cannot reduce the metamagic feat's modifier below 0. You may not choose heighten spell. The metamagic feat is chosen when you gain Spell Focus and select this option. It cannot be changed thereafter.
* +1 bunnies or something.

An illusionist might really like to have a free silence on all illusion spells rather than a +1 DC. :P

Greater Spell Focus

Choose one of the above options. The increase to DC stacks. If you choose a metamagic feat, you must select a different metamagic feat.