1st Level Wizard vs Hogwards Student

[Kitsune]

I note comparision between a High Powered D&D Wizard against a High Powered Harry Potter Wizard. Let us go on the low side. We have a D&D Part of low level, they have the choice between a first year Hogwarts Student or a First Level Wizard (Just Wizard and not elves or another race with other skills), I think many parties would choose a first year Hogwards student. If you assume that a First level D&D wizard takes four years, there is no comparison at all between a Fourth year student and a D&D First level Wizard.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Magic Missile = dead or incapacitated 4th year student

[Alyrium Denryle]

I am sorry, but burning hands is a deadly spell... catches people on fire it does...

[Kitsune]

Magic Missile = dead or incapacitated 4th year student

Did I say a direct fight, no, I said who woudl be more useful in a party. I question if one magic missile will take down a single human..it is doubtful actually. A fourth years has mastered very good TK and can do it more than once per day. Many of them have mastered stunning spells and several other useful magics.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Magic Missile = dead or incapacitated 4th year student

Did I say a direct fight, no, I said who woudl be more useful in a party. I question if one magic missile will take down a single human..it is doubtful actually. A fourth years has mastered very good TK and can do it more than once per day. Many of them have mastered stunning spells and several other useful magics.

Well, since parties generally run around dungeons hacking up goblins and looting treasure, I'd prefer the Magic Missiles. And an average adult human has 2 HP, a Magic Missile does 1-4 damage.

[Kitsune]

I am sorry, but burning hands is a deadly spell... catches people on fire it does...

Well, I note they did increase the damge but again, they can only cast it once per day. Also, it only has a range of 10 feet, the stun jinx can be done at a much greater range than that. I also believe I rememebr an exingish enchantment in harry potter so while the D&D party is bithich at their mage for casting a burning hands, the HP student will be putting the whole part out.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Ok... Even first level utility spells are handy however... Tensers floating disk for instance...

[LadyTevar]

Ok... Even first level utility spells are handy however... Tensers floating disk for instance...

there's other tricks a 1st lvl D&D wiz can do...

Cantrip: Sneeze!
Cantrip: Vomit!
Cantrip: Fumble
Cantrip: MageHand

As the Hogsworth student is sneezing/vomiting, and fumbling with his wand, the D&D wiz picks the wand out of his grasp. No wand, no Hogsworth wizard. Unlike the D&D mage, who just uses hands/voice and components.

[Jadeite]

Well, since parties generally run around dungeons hacking up goblins and looting treasure, I'd prefer the Magic Missiles. And an average adult human has 2 HP, a Magic Missile does 1-4 damage.

Actually, a Magic Missile does between 2-5 damage. Its a 1d4+1.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Well, since parties generally run around dungeons hacking up goblins and looting treasure, I'd prefer the Magic Missiles. And an average adult human has 2 HP, a Magic Missile does 1-4 damage.

Actually, a Magic Missile does between 2-5 damage. Its a 1d4+1.

Damn, I'm rusty.

[Yogi]

The Potter-verse wizards have an advantage in that they don't seem to expend lots of energy in casting their magic. Even Harry's massive Patronim spell didn't seem to drain him. Therefore, in any long fight, the Potter-verse wizard wins out.

However, a first year student will know at MOST two really useful spells, more like one. That's not a lot to do in combat. Out of combat, he is more likely to know a wide variety of utiltiy spells which can be of great asset. A fourth year will know lots more magic.

In a party, with people around to keep the wizard alive, a Potter-verse wizard can sit behind the fighters and toss disabling spells to its heart's content. A lot of its spells are quite useful, and the fact that he has problems dishing out direct damage is countered by the fact that there are fighters who are happy to do the job for him. Overall, the presence of large amounts of utility spells and disabling spells, as well as the abiltiy to cast any spell he knows, as much as he wants, makes the Potter-verse wizard a better team player.

[Darth Gojira]

The Potter-verse wizards have an advantage in that they don't seem to expend lots of energy in casting their magic. Even Harry's massive Patronim spell didn't seem to drain him. Therefore, in any long fight, the Potter-verse wizard wins out.

However, a first year student will know at MOST two really useful spells, more like one. That's not a lot to do in combat. Out of combat, he is more likely to know a wide variety of utiltiy spells which can be of great asset. A fourth year will know lots more magic.

In a party, with people around to keep the wizard alive, a Potter-verse wizard can sit behind the fighters and toss disabling spells to its heart's content. A lot of its spells are quite useful, and the fact that he has problems dishing out direct damage is countered by the fact that there are fighters who are happy to do the job for him. Overall, the presence of large amounts of utility spells and disabling spells, as well as the abiltiy to cast any spell he knows, as much as he wants, makes the Potter-verse wizard a better team player.

It KO'd him, or was that because of the Nazgul clones, er I mean Dementors?

[Ghost Rider]

It took him a while to form it.

It was the Nazzghul wannabes that put him down for a bit.

The thing is...that most students I doubt face someone who may not be particularly skilled at magic...but does have a good array of offensive killing spells.

From most of Rowlings work's unless special attention is given an average student knows a few utility spells.

[Steven Snyder]

I note comparision between a High Powered D&D Wizard against a High Powered Harry Potter Wizard. Let us go on the low side. We have a D&D Part of low level, they have the choice between a first year Hogwarts Student or a First Level Wizard (Just Wizard and not elves or another race with other skills), I think many parties would choose a first year Hogwards student. If you assume that a First level D&D wizard takes four years, there is no comparison at all between a Fourth year student and a D&D First level Wizard.

So we are pitting an 11 year old student, against a combat mage that is at least 17 years old?

Wow, that's fair.

[Kitsune]

So we are pitting an 11 year old student, against a combat mage that is at least 17 years old?
Wow, that's fair.

Yes, in gerneral I would prefer a magic wielder with the flexibility of a (end of the year) first year Hogwarts student than a "first level' D&D Mage. The situation using an end of term fourth years student, there is not comparison at all.

[Ted C]

Interesting observation...

While the students didn't accomplish much, magic wise, in their first year, Hermione was brewing potions in her second year. In 3rd Ed D&D, it would take at least a level 3 wizard to produce the "Change Self" potion that Hermione Granger mixed in "The Chamber of Secrets".

In his second year, both Harry and Draco Malfoy were able to throw low-power magic bolts at each other, and Draco was apparently able to cast a "Monster Summoning" spell to call up a cobra.

Second year students at Hogwarts are doing things that D&D wizards only do after they've got a few adventures under their belts.

[Straha]

The real advantage, I think, that Hogwarts has over AD&D is that a Rowling wizard can cast any spell that they have been given the incantation, and wand movement for (with the exception of more difficult spells). AD&D wizzies on the other hand need time to learn spells, are limited by their skill level, and need to prepare the spells before they can cast them.

[Exonerate]

I think a shield charm would not be beyond the capabilities of a first year (Esp somebody good, like Hermione)

They could petrify... There was a spell for flames Hermione also used.

[The Drunkard Kid]

Yeah, but those flames weren't really dangerous except to a plant that was extremely susceptable to it. OTOH, Potterverse wizards are easily able to repair simple, non-magical artifacts (at least) with a simple Reparo spell, so a low level D&D party will never have to worry about having shattered weapons, armor or items until they start stocking the magical goods...

[The Dark]

Interesting observation...

While the students didn't accomplish much, magic wise, in their first year, Hermione was brewing potions in her second year. In 3rd Ed D&D, it would take at least a level 3 wizard to produce the "Change Self" potion that Hermione Granger mixed in "The Chamber of Secrets".

Right, to have the Brew Potion feat. I'd forgotten what level that was when thinking over the movies (I gave my PHB to a friend)

In his second year, both Harry and Draco Malfoy were able to throw low-power magic bolts at each other, and Draco was apparently able to cast a "Monster Summoning" spell to call up a cobra.

The magic bolts could be the 1st level spell "Magic Missile," or even a variation on the 0-level spell "Ray of Frost" (since it appears to require the aim of the wand, suggesting a ranged touch attack). The cobra could be a "Monster Summoning I," which I believe is also a 1st level spell.

Second year students at Hogwarts are doing things that D&D wizards only do after they've got a few adventures under their belts.

The potion is the only thing I saw that was beyond a first level mage's capability. Given that the focus appears to be much different (Harry et al apparently didn't know a "Feather Fall" equivalent in their first year, though they did know "Knock"), it does appear that each year is roughly equivalent to a level of Wizard in D&D, with more focus on the old "Miscellaneous" spell category, as opposed to "Offensive" or "Defensive."

[Exonerate]

Yeah, but those flames weren't really dangerous except to a plant that was extremely susceptable to it. OTOH, Potterverse wizards are easily able to repair simple, non-magical artifacts (at least) with a simple Reparo spell, so a low level D&D party will never have to worry about having shattered weapons, armor or items until they start stocking the magical goods...

And the people who happen to be wearing clothes, since it seems to burn quite a bit. It worked on Snape, although he put it out.

[Vendetta]

[The potion is the only thing I saw that was beyond a first level mage's capability.

That and the ability to cast more than one spell a day, anyway.

(Oh, and in the first book Hermione can already cast Hold Person)

[Slayen]

Id take the DnD wizard. Why? Because they can gain a great deal more power in much shorter timeframe than a Hogwarts student.

[jinx]

I also take the D&D wizard, since the average Hogwarts student appears to be a whiney little brat.

[The Yosemite Bear]

mind you a hogwart's student is no match for an arduin "Wand/Staff" wisard from arduin. That was their limitation being that they could only do magic using their wands or staves (Each one had to be coustom made and cold only hold X amount of energy and took lots of resources to build) they could then easilly cast any AD&D spell, no fatiuge no memorization, just remeber that the wand you start with only has the energy to cast 1+lvd10 spell levels and it costs more to build a new one then it does for the fighter to buy a full suit of armour)