You must put 1 point into ALL the specialization skills before they will
rise properly. Put a few points into the one you want to be your primary
specialization. This is so that it will be the first one to go beyond 50.
The first skill to go beyond 50 becomes your primary specialization, and it
is the only one that will rise beyond 50. If you do not have a point in all
the others to get them started, however, then none of them will rise above
50. They all improve naturally as you cast spells of the appropriate
school, so you need not put more than 1 point into the other schools, only
your selected primary one, so you will ensure that it rises above 50 first.
The specialization skill either reduces casting time or reduces fizzling or
both... I can't remember now what the gm told me precisely--- it was long
ago. Should you change your mind later, though, there is a quest in the
Temple of Solusek Ro whereby you may reset your specializations and begin
again.
As for Research, I have never bothered with practice runes. The materials
for them are a quest in themselves, and I have found it easier to simply
keep research maxed at your guildhouse with one of the trainers for your
class. It gets expensive, though---it is costing me about 8 plat per point
now, but money isn't nearly the problem that collecting those runes is. I
have only had a few failures in research, and they are due to luck. I had
research maxed, and still failed 3 times to create one of the level 24
spells, and this when I was level 29! I then tried to make a level 34 spell
and succeeded on the first try. It's just a matter of luck. Just save all
the runes you find and ask others to do so as well, and then try a spell
when you are sure you have maxed your research for your level. Good luck.
> From: "Nat Russo" <nrusso@...>
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Just got lvl 20 the other day and am wondering about Specialization. I
> dumped as many points as I could into "Specialization:Evocation", but have
> absolutely no clue as to how it's supposed to work. What does it do?
Does
> it improve with use? What exactly needs to be used to improve it? etc...
>
> On another note, when I got to lvl 16, I dumped a point into Research.
Then
> at lvl 20 I dumped a bunch more points into research. I just tried
> researching a lvl 16 spell (pillar of fire, I believe) at lvl 20, and
failed
> miserably. How exactly do you practice this skill without needing a
MASSIVE
> collection of Runes?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Olatan Ossur 20th Wizard on Solusek Ro
> ++++++++++++++++++
> + Olatan Ossur +
> + 20th Wizard +
> + Solusek Ro +
> ++++++++++++++++++
>
> >