I've always loved playing mages in most games I've played. Thus, I like specialists because it gives mages a bit more firepower. Now, is there a generally accepted 'best' specialist, such as the conjurer from Baldur's Gate? If not, from you experience, which is your favorite?

Also, why would anyone pick specialists that have two schools locked off; for example: invokers have both divination and conjuration locked off, while diviners have only conjuration locked off. Why would anyone choose an invoker if you could choose a diviner and have an extra school?

I'd imagine this reply comes far too late to be of any use but in short the answer is no.

Depending on your experience of the game, playstyle and the intended role of said mage, then you can decide which spells you wont need, and work backwards from there. If the wizard will be your only source of arcane casting in the team then it's not a decision to be taken lightly.

If you want to damage the enemy via blasting spells then anything that rules out evocation magic would be foolish and ill never pick a class that rules out illusion for the mirror image spell, though there are numerous examples of this..

In short i'd struggle to advocate picking a specialist mage without a sorc as back-up but if pressed then Diviner is a fairly 'safe' choice as you're only missing on one pretty average school (conjuration) though personally i hate playing without 'web' and 'grease'. Illusionists aren't too painful either. Since i always have a sorc for blasting fools and tend to keep my wiz for control spells i usually go Enchanter/Conjurer and let the sorc worry about the evocation school

And no, there is no reason to ever play evoker over a diviner except for RP purposes, I'm not sure what they were thinking there. Divination may only get three spells but one of them is Executioner's eyes which is a pretty hefty spell for bringing the pain. Axe style.

Umm i dont agree with the first answer, the game is more "action" than any other thing, even Baldur´s Gate have this problem, so imagine Icewind Dale, so i think specialist mages that focus on "attack" spells are better. Only games as Fallout or Arcanum really "prize" you for "non-attack" actions. As long as i remember "non fight spells" are not useful even in Planescape Torment, that is much more RPG than Icewind Dale and even Baldur´s Gate (and this last one it turns more and more action towards the end of Baldur´s Gate II, specially Throne of Baal)

Yeah, I was referring to IWD1, so no sorc there, which is unfortunate seeing as I love them. I figure specialists are the next best thing, but I really really don't want more than one mage in my party.

IN IWD1 I'd take an illusionist. There's no situation in the game where abjuration or necromancy spells are essential, you get better rolls at creation because of 16 dex granted and can take a gnome for 19 int and saving throw bonuses.

what i meant was picking a specialist mage that blocked off spells from the evocation school i.e. Enchanter, Conjurer would be foolish as it's where most of the good attack spells come from.

Also, didnt realise this was for IWD1, i tend to forget this board is for both so aplogoies for that.