Which is more powerful? And is there a reason to do a specialist mage class?

<font color="lightblue">Sorcerer is potentially more powerful, but only if you choose the right spells for your playing style.
Yes, there`s a reason to be a specialist mage - extra spell slots.
Choose a school of magic that you never use, and be it`s opposition specialist for the best mage you can play. [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

I'll take a specialist mage over a sorcerer any day of the week.

While this is all supposition, and would love to test out my level 38 necromancer against a comparable sorcerer on gamespy - the mage's ability to respond to so many different assaults, and to attack in so many different ways will trump the sorcerer's spellcasting abilities.

Once the mage discovers what spells the sorcerer is using, the mage will be able to throw up defenses for those particular spells, and attack in ways that bypass the sorcerer's defenses. The sorcerer is not nearly so flexible.

For facing the scripted enemies in the game, however, the specialist mage's advantage is lessened because the enemies do not adapt like a real person could.

<font color="gold">IMO, the Sorcerer is by far more powerful, because of his spellsystem. Read here to see my more in-debth opinion of them. [img]smile.gif[/img] </font>

Sorcerer is the undisputed champion .. you can say -no- all you want, but it has been discussed and proven endlessly that the sorcerer is the ultimate powerhouse. A mage means nothing compared to the power a sorcerer can produce.

Specialist mage's gain one xtra spellslot for every lvl, at the cost of not being able to cast any spells from their opposite school.

I would like to see this tested out in practice. Anyone up for a battle on gamespy - mages versus sorcerers?

Ohh, man..only if I didn't uninstall Bg2, I would have fought someone with my sorcerer..well if any of you do, tell us who prevails [img]smile.gif[/img]

Hehehe, if you have TOB installed use the Wild Mage [img]smile.gif[/img]
They are so fun.

<font color="lightblue">Who is more powerful ??
It depends on what you`re trying to do.
In a situation that calls on being able to cast alot of spells, a Sorcerer is by far the best. But if instead you need to be able to adapt, a Mage is potentially better.
A sorcerer can`t use up all their spells, change them round, then Wish -> Rest or Spelltrap to be a completely different opponent. A mage can`t choose on-the-fly which spells to use.

It depends on what you`re doing, it depends on how you play. Just don`t send your Mage or Sorcerer out into melee... </font>

The reason a sorcerer is so incredibly superior to any mage is their versatility ... the ability to cast any spell they know at any time.
This is what gives them the upperhand at higher levels, using the wish-tactic .. as well as Dundee's [PRATI®-tactic]™.

A sorcerer can cast Project Image as much times as he has lvl 7 spells, but the project Image can then cast any other lvl 7 spell he knows too.
A mage doesnt have that little trick, he has to memorize as much PI's as he wants to cast, which means his PI wont be able to cast any other lvl 7 spell than PI.
So a sorcerer can cast more PI's than a mage, and a sorcerer's PI 'll be more effective than the mage's.

Then there's the Wish-rest option. Cast lvl 9 wish, and hope for the rest until healed-option.

Again the sorcerer comes out victorious, since he can potentially cast Wish as often as his slots allow him, to get the rest untill healed-option ... WITHOUT losing the potential of casting other lvl 9 spells.
A sorcerer is therefore a safer bet, and will be much more destructive in the end.
The only way a mage has a reasonable change for the rest until healed-option, is if he spends all his lvl 9 slots on them ---> no more other lvl 9 spells.

And you're just lucky Dundee hasnt said anything yet ... he'd rip you apart with arguments, numbers and vicious looking smilies [img]tongue.gif[/img]