Wizards' starting book

[Strongpoint]

Why wizards have so many conjurations? They are supposed to be generalists, not conjurers with nice utility spells. Also, if they they are generalist why they have access only to 2\3r of schools? Here are current breakdown of schools available

Conjurations - 3 spells
Air - 2 spells
Fire - 1 spell
Hexes - 1 spell
Charms - 1 spell
Translocations - 1 spell
Summonings - 1 spell
Poison - 1 spell
Necromancy - 0 spells
Ice - 0 spells
Earth - 0 spells
Transmutations 0 spells

And now spell by spell

magic dart

Mandatory spell, and IMO it's bad, generalist shouldn't be forced to use one school, but wizards are forced, they have no alternatives for damage dealing (Imps don't count because you don't want to kill pop corn with summons)

Blink Great one, but it's not mandatory like magic dart. Wizards have many other escape tools

Slow It's not bad spell by itself, but why use it as a wizard? To run away? Blink, imps, conjure flame, mephitic cloud are better options. To kite? Why when you have conjure flame? Make opponent weaker? mephitic will neutralize it better. Personally I never bother to learn it as wizard or conjurers, but like it for other casters

repel missiles good spell mid game, but is it needed on early levels where everything that shoots can be neutralized by mephitic?

Call imp Nice, thematic, good, versatile spell

conjure flame Good spell, makes some opponents easy, have a lot of uses

mephitic cloud and that is a problem, the spell is so good, that makes all wizard spells much less useful, anything non poison resistant gets killed with it and wizards have no motivation to use their big toolbox. Anothwer problem that this spell forces you to learn high conjurations for spell success, because usually you don't need air and poison at all

I propose to remove mephitic from wizards and replace it with freeze. Make magic dart not learned at the start, an give no starting conjuration skill. It's a nerf, but wizards have so many good spells and will stay strong

[absolutego]

that's not a nerf, it's premeditated murder.
it's a very good background, and mephitic cloud is certainly strong, but whatever problem there is is with the spell, not the background. that's no reason to leave them with no means to kill stuff beyond a handful of floors.

[LunarHarp]

True wizards could get by without mephitic. I still think they are fine the way they are now though.

[Bim]

not conjurers with nice utility spells.

I would have to say that is EXACTLY what they should be. What else can they be?

Before the 0.9 generalist 'nerf' I would agree with you, but now it is much more difficult to be a generalist and as they have 9 spell schools to train up (including spellcasting) it makes it difficult for them to get any up to a very good level without a lot of focus in one school or another. I agree that they're a strong class though, but as mentioned in another thread by the devs, not all classes and races must be completely equal.

Even so, being a wizard has some downsides. Unless you go for Sif or Veh (or get some very good book finds) then you'll be stuck with pretty underpowered spells for the rest of the game. They also don't have any fighting skills or way to defend themselves other than conj, so to get rid of that would make them quite weak indeed.

Mephitic cloud is getting a lot of flak from people, but I think it's a great spell, almost iconic. It's fun to use and although powerful, this drops off soon after lair for the most part.

[sardonica]

Im more concerned with how conjurers have turned into ice mages.

[smock]

Im more concerned with how conjurers have turned into ice mages.

Yes, but at least most Ice Elementalists seem destined for hybridization. (In background selection should IEs be under Warrior-Mage instead of Mage?)

[snow]

Vehumet should gift the fire/earth conj book. He no longer does and I used to love going fire/earth.

[LunarHarp]

Even so, being a wizard has some downsides. Unless you go for Sif or Veh (or get some very good book finds) then you'll be stuck with pretty underpowered spells for the rest of the game. They also don't have any fighting skills or way to defend themselves other than conj, so to get rid of that would make them quite weak indeed.

Wizards can make good hybrids too, especially if you are a kenku or troll. Or you could play them as a summoner hybrid with call imp. There are lots of possibilities with wizard that don't really rely on conjurations. Although, sif or vehumet or kiku probably is still the best.