POLL: What is the best mage school?

i'm thinking conjurer is the best, because diviners don't have any major spells and they haven't got many eather...

Artea Silverheart

[Zoratorak]

divination is very important.... once someone cast invisibility or improve invisibilty... you helpless unless you can "imagine where he is"

for me NECRO RULEZ- skeleton warriors make the best companions

If you don't have a cleric in your group, necromancy is probably best, but otherwise you'll definitely want conjuration. Mirror image, shadow door, mislead and simulacrum are all too good to pass up in true sight's stead.

Before BGII the illusionist was very useful because he could have a 19 intelligence, was least likely to fail in writing a spell, and only lost out on necromancy, the smallest of the schools.

You mean a gnome illusionist, right? Gnomes can get nineteen intelligence. But necromancy is a fairly powerful school.

I think before Baldurs Gate II the best school you could be was either an enchanter or invoker, the only drawback was that both of these schools wouldn't get the other ones spells. In Baldurs Gate I sleep was the most effective spell at the start of the game and then confusion was at the end. I'd say that an Invoker gets really good blasty spells which I enjoy to use in Baldurs Gate II so I'd say that school is one of the best.

[Rikard T'Aranaxz]

Necromanmcy was very weak BG1 but that all changes with abi dlzims Horrrit wilting and death spell finger of death and many many more
divination spells are often very weak and useless
i even thing true sight isn't a divination spell but i'm not sure about that
if it wouldn't be a divination spell
one doesn't need detect invisiblity

True sight's divination. That and wizard's eye are the only two worthwhile divination spells. Anyway, necromancy's opposite is illusion - illusion is a far more useful school, that's why conjurer is a popular specialist mage class.

[Aurum]

Conjurer is cool, equal that abjurer, so I think.

[Memnoch]

At the lower levels Evocation gives you access to fireballs, lightning bolts, war wizard spells. The Simbul of Aglarond is a 30th level Evoker. But at upper levels it's a toss-up between conjuration and necromancy. For proof, look no further than Thay, where the Zulkir of Necromancy, Szass Tam, has reigned supreme for centuries. Larloch the Shadowking, 46th level Netherese lich, and the highest-level wizard in Toril, also a Necromancer.

Anyone know if Elminster's a specialist mage or a general mage?