Potterverse Powers analysis

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2003-09-03 11:11am

Now before I start on this, has anyone done it yet? I don't want to spend my day trying to stay up to reset my sleep schedule off midnight watch for something someone has already done.

Smiling Bandit · Post by **Smiling Bandit** » 2003-09-03 11:38am

Well, I once defined the principles, but that was on another board.

If I recall the basics seemed to be:

1) Uncontrolled and usually weaker magical effects without the use of a focusing/enhancing agent. I.E., a Wand.

2) Low energy output.

3) Variety of at-will effects controlled by incantations and motions.

4) No known limitation on use, or the limit is sufficiently high such that even with repeated use of magic the user does not become unusually tired or drained.

5) Some magics are presumably usably by "muggles", making the distinction perhaps less that it seems. Ther is no indication that potion-makng is neccessarily limited to wizards - muggles simply no longer have access to the materials required, but theoretically could follow the directions, and potion-making apparantly requires no direct investment of magical energy. In other words, potions are not like 3rd ed DnD: it requires no personal talent or energy. Similarly, Occlumency is a technique of mental focus and practice, rather than inherent talent. Wizards, however, do not teach any such skill to muggles or squibs, and their use of semi-derogatory terms implies that like their treatment of non-human sentients (And wouldn't I love to take the Word to them!) they do, even if unconsciously, consider other beings less important and valuable.

Considering the relative cultural and political achievments, I have to disagree. I did make a very long and interesting report on the severe flaws in Wizard society, and its significant failure in philosophical, economic, political, and cultural advancement. There are some good things, but they are immensely backward in many areas.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2003-09-03 02:43pm

Incantations are not compulsory, as in Order of the Phoenix a death eater that has been silenced is still able to cast a spell.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2003-09-03 03:55pm

2000AD wrote:Incantations are not compulsory, as in Order of the Phoenix a death eater that has been silenced is still able to cast a spell.

We've known that for a long time, teachers and the Weasleys routinely cast spells with only their wands.

Makes me wonder if really high level wizards even need wands.

Majin Gojira · Post by **Majin Gojira** » 2003-09-03 06:10pm

I've been looking for a unbaiased analysis of their abilities for some time, most of what I find is extremely biased...anyone care to take the challange?

BlackWarMewtwo · Post by **BlackWarMewtwo** » 2003-09-03 07:21pm

1. They have high level artifact creation abilities, IMHO. It seems that all artifact creation is basically putting a copy of ones soul or personality into an inanimate object.

2. Magic without wands involves extreme emotions but has a random effect that generally speaking will "solve" the emotion, if you get what I'm driving at.

Harry gets angry at Marge, Marge blows up like a balloon. Harry's anxious about his hair, his hair grows.

3. I think that the movement of the vocal cords, movement of the wand, mental state of the caster, and verbal words are all important components of any spell casting. I only add the words in because, while spells can be cast while mute, they made a reference to a spell being less effective because the caster was mute.

4. Certain half breeds or other magical creatures seem to be slightly immune. I think it's an endurance thing.

Agent R · Post by **Agent R** » 2003-09-03 09:17pm

For information on their spellcasting, you can look here: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/w_spells.html.

You'll need to look through the essays to find what you want, and I'm terrible at determining bias unless it's blatantly obvious, and I'm not sure just how canon any of these works are.

Smiling Bandit · Post by **Smiling Bandit** » 2003-09-04 12:06pm

We've known that for a long time, teachers and the Weasleys routinely cast spells with only their wands.

Makes me wonder if really high level wizards even need wands.

It may be that some spells require them and others don't. In DnD, most spells demand both Vocal and Somatic (motion) components, but some have other requirements, and some have odd combinations thereof. Dumbledore seems to cast some spells with his wand alone and others with wand and incantation.

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2003-09-04 04:27pm

For some reason this thread gave me the oddest image of my Morrowind character working at Hogwarts (and probably depopulating the forest to sell the animal bits).

I get all warm and fuzzy at the though of Malfoy's daddy getting to meet the enchanted claymore 'Mr. Stabbity'

Smiling Bandit · Post by **Smiling Bandit** » 2003-09-05 09:25am

Blech: almost forgot: In DnD 3rd ed, you can also add metamagic to a spell, which makes it harder to cast but allows you to remove components. So you could cast any spell without using standard material, vocal, or somatic components.

I get all warm and fuzzy at the though of Malfoy's daddy getting to meet the enchanted claymore 'Mr. Stabbity'

Its a claymore... shouldn't it be Mr. Hackity?

personally, I never bothered to enchant things after I picked up four or five major arftifact weapons. When I can already dish out 130 damager a hit...

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2003-09-05 05:39pm

Technically yes but I thought stabbity had a better ring to it

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-09-05 05:46pm

SylasGaunt wrote:Technically yes but I thought stabbity had a better ring to it

Stabbity > Hackity.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2003-09-05 06:40pm

Ender wrote:
2000AD wrote:Incantations are not compulsory, as in Order of the Phoenix a death eater that has been silenced is still able to cast a spell.
We've known that for a long time, teachers and the Weasleys routinely cast spells with only their wands.

Makes me wonder if really high level wizards even need wands.

I think some spells are only possible with a wand. For example, the one for the Voldemort's symbol was said to require a wand.

Also, Quirrell was able to perform a curse that was capbable of killing somebody without his wand...