I understand that skill checks/ranged are getting readjusted. No more using basic spells to train at 1200 ranks.

What I don't understand is how that's supposed to work with the Necro's current suite of spells.

TM we have covered just fine.
Debilitation we have no Esoteric.
Augmentation - again no Esoteric.
Utility - Devour, which given how it needs you to be injured and a corpse and all that is terrible for training.
Warding is arguably our worse off spellbook, we jump from a basic to an esoteric.

On top of that both Augmentation and Warding spellbooks have nothing but DO-generating spells at the high level. Is it intended that to move Augmentation I have to stand around and cast Kura-Silma repeatedly, and max my DO doing arguably the least outragey thing I could do as a Necromancer?

>>I think the argument that Necros MUST engage in Sorcery and pick up some scroll spells has been made, but requiring we do so for training has always been a thorn in our side.

I don't personally recall that argument ever being made, but sorcery does offer some nice stop-gap measures.

If this was the plan, my only issue with it is that my own experiences have me locking sorcery way before augmentation, mainly because my sorcery is mid 300s and the augmentation is high 400s. It's not that easy to lock those specific magic type skills when your ur-magic driver (in this case, sorcery) is much lower.

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Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.

>>If this was the plan, my only issue with it is that my own experiences have me locking sorcery way before augmentation, mainly because my sorcery is mid 300s and the augmentation is high 400s. It's not that easy to lock those specific magic type skills when your ur-magic driver (in this case, sorcery) is much lower.

This also leaves us in the unenviable position of being forced to spam arm-exploding spells to lock a magic skill.

I realize Necros are 'hard mode' and to a certain extent I'm fine with this. I just think we're treading the line between hardmode and 'everywhere you go and everything you do will be blood and tears, toodles!' when it comes to magic training.

And for the GM's reading: I realize a bunch of balancing is currently being done with 3.1, so this isn't a falling sky thing, more just trying to figure out what balance between training/playability and outrage you guys are aiming for with design given the new 3.1 paradigm.

>>So every guild is looking to have some sort of spell progression that they can follow from ranks 0-1800 in for magic skill (Utility, Augmentation, and Warding especially since these don't require a target). This is a big concern for the players and GM that has not been ironed out yet (and why the 3.1 changes are still in the Test server). Understanding the progression would be difficult at the moment.

I don't think that it's as complex as people as this makes it out to be. You're not going to be looking for new spells like you look for new critters to hunt.

While I agree that people need to be conscious of the fact that, someday, they may have to change what spell they spam cast to learn X, it's not going to be something that happens all that often. I'm still locking warding at 500-something with Manifest Force. At some point I'll probably have to switch over to something harder, but at the same time, it's not like I had to do much thinking/worrying before that someday point.

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Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.