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Now that each guild has two barred schools(I think), I was wondering if there was someway that the "new" barred schools could be added to the guild help files. It would make it much easier for new players/newly created characters to use as a reference when considering which guild to pursue.

I know it lists both barred schools for evocation (somewhat backwards though, it lists which schools cannot cast evocation spells), but it only lists one for the rest of the schools.

Maybe keep the actual Sphere help files as they are(minus the barred schools info) and add them to the specialist help files instead.

i.e. If you typed "help invokers" you would get:

An Invoker is a specialist wizard who specializes in the school of Evocation. This school is the most offensively powerful of all the schools, and Invokers are often referred to as battle mages. Fireballs and Lightning bolts are evocations. Invokers require a high constitution in order to produce the physically draining evocation spells.

* An Invoker cannot cast Conjuration spells greater than First Level spells.
* An Invoker cannot cast an Enchantment spell greater than First Level spells.

Can anyone confirm what the new restrictions are? (I didn't know anything changed!)

If listed here, I can incorporate them into the helpfiles. Thanks!

I've been asking the same question myself, but I cannot seem to find an answer.

In this topic here, several people posted that all specialists have two barred schools, but despite the number of posts, no one seemed to know which:

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=7644&hilit=barred+schools

As far as what can be gleaned from cross-referencing the helpfiles as they are now:

Invokers are barred from Conjuration and Enchantment.

Necromancers are barred from Illusion and Transmutation (transmutation should -if following 2E core- be Enchantment) *shrug*

As I said before, the helpfiles list the information backwards, listing which specialists cannot cast from said Sphere instead of what specialists of said Sphere cannot cast.

Right now, from cross-referencing the helpfiles, I get this list:

Abjurers are barred from Transmutation
Transmuters from Abjuration and Necromancy
Illusionists from Necromancy
Enchanters from Evocation
Invokers from Enchantment and Conjuration
Necromancers from Illusion
Conjurers from Evocation

Would be nice to have these added to the spell sphere helpfiles.

As for whether this is accurate or not, I don't know. To the best of my knowledge it is. The other thread cited stated only what schools the guilds SHOULD be barred from not what they ARE barred from.

Not intending to go off-topic here, though I figured it is related and is worth a mention.

I know that given the complexities of tabletop vs.what can actually can be put into code makes some aspects of D&D impossible to implement... it may be the limited number of spells in some spheres is the reason why barred spheres are currently set for you. I am not sure, though this is what the WoTC 3.5 Core PHB has as far as wizard specialists go:

A specialist wizard can prepare one additional spell of her specialty school per spell level. She also gains a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks to learn the spells of her chosen school. The wizard must choose whether to specialize and, if she does so, choose her specialty at 1st level. At this time, she must also give up two other schools of magic (unless she chooses to specialize in divination), which become her prohibited schools. For instance, if she chooses to specialize in conjuration, she might decide to give up enchantment and necromancy, or evocation and transmutation. A wizard can never give up divination to fulfill this requirement. Spells of of the prohibited school or schools are not available to the wizard, and she can't even cast such spells from scrolls or fire them from wands. She may not change either her specialization or her prohibited schools later.

To me, this seems a much easier way to go about specializing. Have the wizard choose at creation, and also choose their barred schools. If they choose not to specialize, then they are considered a Mage. This way, you will not need to join a guild to have access to spells above 1st level, races who currently do not have guilds that accept them will not have to email to specialize, and even the first level spells of your prohibited schools would be unavailable to you.

Perhaps make joining a guild as a way to gain access to the more advanced spells of your specialization that you cannot learn anywhere else.

It would also take care of some un-IC issues that I have noticed... i.e. all wizards MUST graduate the School of Wonder(a School founded by a good-aligned deity), regardless of alignment to specialize or gain spells past the first level. It seems very unlikely to me that one of an evil nature would be permitted entrance, much less allowed to study there.

This may be a little off the topic, but when starting a new character it says that teiflings are not allowed into any guild but have seen other wise with some characters, would this be a possibility of being looked at?

Namic wrote:This may be a little off the topic, but when starting a new character it says that teiflings are not allowed into any guild but have seen other wise with some characters, would this be a possibility of being looked at?

You're right, Namic. (For wizard tieflings) Thanks for pointing this out. I'll add it to the list of things to fix.