Divination is bad.

[Demure]

"Well, yeah, Moonlighter, I could have told you that."

No, I mean, really bad.

I'll get into some specifics here.

True Strike is good, if you're using touch attack spells or someone who uses their melee attack, so I don't think it needs to be adjusted too much. For your average wizard though, it's ignorable because it's self only and you don't even have the weapon proficiency to make good use of it.

Identify is not even useful but I understand why it is the way it is with how the server was designed with lore checks in mind. Not a big deal. Just don't take the spell.

See Invisibility is fine as it is. With GSF: Divination it's plenty lengthy for what you need it to do. If there's one spell from the entire school I'm satisfied with I guess it's this.

Conversely...

Clairaudience/Clairvoyance is bad. Real bad. Even with the EFU specific changes.

Here's the duration with two feats invested:

[hide=GSF Divination, Level 9]

[/hide]

+15Spot/Listen for 4 minutes, and 5/1 DR. With two feats invested. For a Circle 3 slot. Compare that with Amplify, a first circle bard spell that gives +20 listen for 1/round level on a Circle 1 slot.

With THREE feats invested, and extended, it's almost useful... having...

[hide=GSF Divination, Level 9, Extended Spell]

[/hide]

A 7 minute, 58 second duration for a Circle IV slot. For 15 Spot/Listen, and 5/1 DR. For it to be even halfway decent, you have to give up a casting of one of the following spells:

• Bestow Curse
• Ennervation
• Evard's Black Tentacles
• Ice Storm
• Improved Invisibility
• Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm
• Lesser Spell breach
• Minor Globe of Invulnerability
• PHK
• Polymorph Self
• Stoneskin (10/+5 DR for 1 turn/level)
• Summon Creature IV
• Wall of Fire

Won't even touch Find Traps or Remove Blindness/Deafness. They too are ultimately so weak that they're a waste of a slot. I could touch on Scrying, except I haven't gotten to use it at all because it's apparently so powerful that you have to find an incredibly rare object or placeable to find it, and if they're out there they're not plainly labeled. Arcane Eye was removed too, apparently it was bugged? Or was it just OP, or what?

With those out of the way it brings us to the worst of the absolute worst:

Feeblemind now renders a PC brain dead (disabled) if intelligence is reduced below 3. Feeblemind has been changed to drain all three of intelligence, charisma and wisdom

Not only does this spell not stack with itself (no multiple casts to reduce someone to 3 intelligence and achieve the desired effect), but the disable on the 'braindead effect' should you miraculously manage to land it lasts for as long as the spell does. 1 round per 2 levels. At level 9 that is 4 rounds. You get a shorter 'stun' that Color Spray that I don't think manages to quite convey the 'braindead' status of an enemy. That is if you manage to land it, and get a sufficiently big roll on someone with sufficiently weak stats. Quite possibly the worst spell in the game?

Some positive changes are definitely in order, I think. Even if you have to make them specific to selecting the Divination school at the beginning. Otherwise, I guess just don't roll Diviner wizards.

[Stranger]

Identify is amazing! I take it on all of my wizards, but first level spells are cheap and being a diviner doesn't somehow improve its utility.

I'd like to underscore the point made with Feeblemind. It strikes me as unsalvageably useless, let alone for its tier. It is unlikely to wipe the spellbook of any dedicated caster, and mechanically cannot if they've buffed the pertinent ability score. It is very simple to counter this pitiful effect, as well, with the typical protections from mind spells or a potion of lesser restoration.

[Apocryphal Misconceptions]

Braindead means the PC target is Subdued or killed depending on your PvP settings.

It should also stack multiple casts, like Enervation.

There's also Scrying, which profits from GSF for more than one reason. A dedicated Diviner will sooner receive some perks here than others I imagine.

That being said: Divination is terrible. Don't pick it if you don't want to deal with it, heh. Hopefully in the future it can receive some more quirky love.

[Adhesive]

A consideration:

SF: Div offers +1 spot/caster level
GSF: Div offers +1 listen/caster level
Arcane Defense offers +1 search/caster level

A more passive approach to a buff, but offers RP opportunities outside of combat/spells. A Div wizard/sorc should be sufficiently spooky enough to unnerve those who rely on subtly.

[Pentaxius]

Feeblemind is blocked by pfa, it is mind-affecting. It's plainly awful, even worst than cone of cold.

But then again I don't agree with the general fatalism. Making feeblemind viable would just require pulling up one script and editing one line.

 I would make the effect 1. Permanent and 2. Removable by restoration, not the lesser version. No stacking, still mind-affecting.

This way the spell would become in fact, a potent rp tool for interrogation, manipulation or other purposes - becoming genuinely interesting and mechanically viable.

[Howlando]

In general I don't like the argument that all spells schools should be equivalent and must resist the temptation to go off on another cranky "back in my day diviners didn't get any perks at all and people LIKED it," HOWEVER -

It is intended for feeblemind to stack and subdue or paralyze somehow when stats are brought below 3.

We'll see what can be done!

[Valo56]

I played a diviner cleric a while ago who could go on long patrols through the Forgotten Forest with one or maybe two C/C spells, and extended see invisibility was amazing. The durations aren't as terrible as portrayed but certainly are unsuitable for quests (and especially DM quests).

I do however feel that Feeblemind as a DIVINATION spell is very odd, and it should not be the focus of attention to Diviners. It falls more in the realm of Enchantment and it's most likely just Bioware being weird again that it's a divination spell (probably because they realized there would be no point in divination foci otherwise).

For players with Specialization in Divination, it would be nice if the duration of C&C could be brought up to 1 minute/level. This brings it up on par with Blur and rather than providing spell immunity it gives ample spot/listen, allowing these characters to be on par with rogues and rangers in terms of stealth - which makes perfect sense. I do not view this as being in any way overpowering.

Furthermore, bonuses of some sort against illusion magics for specialized diviners would be a welcome addition. Perhaps lowering the spot/listen bonus of C/C and instead providing immunity to Color Spray and a moderate bonus against fear (to resist PhK). This may be taking it too far, however.

Access to the Portal Domain power (int based instead, though) while C/C is up may also be worthwhile.

[VanillaPudding]

Wizards do not need +15 spot/listen for minute per level without extend spell. That and see invis are both mostly on par I think.

What I would suggest is -

A custom familiar spell that provides greater sanctuary (somewhat replaces arcane eye, provides protection but still a risk to AOE, etc, and movement is limited to do removal of /c useportal)

Change scrying to utilize waypoints in a way that is similar to teleporting. Scrying would then act like the viewing glass items on said location, maybe even allowed to move slowly with concentration checks. If someone is on the "aoe" if the original effect, they would be able to save vs the spell to detect scrying, and keep the spellcraft check to see WHO is scrying)

Maybe give 1/2 dodge AC for SF / GSF (wizard/sorc only)
 

[Tala]

Feeblemind now subdues when stats are brought below 3.

[Talir]

As a small little additional thing, spell focus divination now gives you access to spreads and meanings of tarot cards. Like the Fortune Teller rogue perk. It has no mechanical benefits.

[Damien]

I still think CC should be given a bump in duration. It lasts such a short time and the spot/listen is hardly worth. Adding it will hardly make you as powerful as the gsf conjuror or any other mage who can utilise blur, invis and II.

On a side note, coming from the horses mouth this has to be the most obnoxiously written post I've read.

[zDark Shadowz]

As a small little additional thing, spell focus divination now gives you access to spreads and meanings of tarot cards. Like the Fortune Teller rogue perk. It has no mechanical benefits.

Awesome.