Forgive me for this, but I was thinking of making a Harry Potter based Wizard type class. (Yes I just saw the movie). It did dawn on me that with all the fanboys floating around the Wizard message board, I was sure someone beat me to it. I was right…lol
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=885985 (I can’t link for some reason.) What do you think?
I can’t help but like this class, but I feel like it has some issues. So, of course I thought I would bring this promising class to some of the greatest minds in D&D to see what they could do to it.
The first issues of course is no wand = no spells. I would like the wand to be a key part, but not something that basically makes the pc a commoner. I’m liking the idea of a wand based familiar.
I would as like to see more of a wizard sorcerer mesh. I’m not sure what to do just yet. I’m going to sleep on it. Any ideas?
Fizz
It's really not that bad.
I don't see any problem with a 'Harry Potter' class in general, but my initial action to the class in that thread is unenthusiastic at best. It just doesn't bring anything to the table.
There's a few suggestions I can make, though.
First, in the most recent Dragon, there's a feat called Arcane Focus Item that allows you to craft an item that gives you a number of benefits: Spontaneous metamagic (sorcerers can apply metamagic 3x per day without increasing casting time, wizards can spontaneously sacrifice any spell 3x per day to cast a metamagic version of a lower level spell - either way you need the metamagic feat in question), you can use item creation feats to make the focus into a magic item, and you can use it in place of spell components costing 1gp or less (ala eschew materials). If you lose it, you suffer a -1 to your caster level. That's a good way to cheaply add that flavor to a mage, and you can even give that feat out for free (It's so not unbalancing).
Second, I'd personally like to see something that A) goes AWAY from the 'Vancian' magic system entirely. Psion was a brilliant step away. Warlock was another brilliant step away. I think a wand magic class should also step away; be it spell points, or whatever, it should try for something other than a 'variant' wizard or sorcerer.
Now that you've got me thinking about it, there's a couple of thinks I would throw in the mix... I'll post back when I give it some more formalized thought.
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I'll try to find my notes on the Harry Potter RPG I was working on a while back.
If I remember correctly, your house gave you abbility score bonus, and there were six classes: Strong, Fast, Tough, Smart, Wise, and Charasmatic. Every class had some spellcasting ability, though the Smart had the most and the Tough had the least. Prestige Classes wern't availible until after 7th level, when the character graduated Hogwarts.
Spellcasting worked like psionics with mana points gained at each level. You had to have a focus to cast spells, though there were more foci than wands. Each spell had an elemental discriptor and if you used the right focus, you got bonuses on casting certian spells. The foci were: Wands & Staffs (air), Athames & Swords (fire), Chalices & Bowls (water), and Amulets & Pentacles (earth).
Come on I'm not the only one who likes Harry Potter. Any ideas for the class or about this wizard's thread?
Fizz
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I'd say the warlock could serve as a basis.
Replace access to invocations with access to sorcerer/wizard spells.
Give a set number of spell levels they are capable of learning (maybe level plus intelligence modifier), but they can cast that spell as many times per day as they like. For example - a 2nd level character with a 16 intelligence can know 4 levels of spells (4 first level spells, 2 second level spells, 2 first level and 1 second level, etc). Limit the max spell level known in a way similar to the sorcerer/wizard.
At first level they gain the Arcane Focus Item feat. Without their focus item (the wand) they must succeed at a concentration check with a -4 penalty to cast spells and the DC for those spells suffers a -2 penalty. If they use a wand other than their own, they must make a concentration check (no penalty) and the DC has a -2 penalty.
They gain the Summon Familiar ability at first level as well.
At third level they get a bonus feat that must be either Brew Potion, or Spell Focus in one of the schools.
At 6th level they gain the Silent Spell Feat as a bonus. At 7th level they gain the ability to Teleport (maybe have this permanently replace one of their known spells).
Then maybe space out a few more bonus feats that can be picked from the metamagic and item creation feats (like the wizard).
Anyway, that would be my take.
One of the first things that comes to mind with a wizard/sorcerer based on the Harry Potter novels is the fact that the casting system is intrinsic to the setting.
Young wizards and witches are first taught at the age of 11. They are not allowed to cast spells outside of school until the age of 17. So theoretically if you were to start the campaign at level 1 or even 0, the PCs will in fact be children and will remain so for quite a few levels.
OWLs and NEWTs are also something that you can add to the game to bring the flavor of the Harry Potter world to your own. It is an obstacle that you can have the players roleplay. If you were to go with the idea that one year at Hogwarts equals one level (and given the idea of Cedrick Diggory's reputed ability at 17 that's not too far off), then the PC would have to take his or her OWLs at 5th level before advancing to 6th. This is much like Dragonlance except that the PC is actually much more powerful in this system.
As for that system, I'll submit another post. For some reason the internet likes to swollow long posts that I write.
And with just a little conversion, Allips make excellent Dementors!
Personally, while this is tangential, Ive always wanted to make a "word" based caster class, where you learn words that when combined make effects. Truenamers are close but not quite what I had in mind. I always thought the epic spellcasting system of making a spellcraft DC check was really interesting, and could make for a cool standard casting system if streamlined correctly.
That sounds great, love the idea of Harry potter in D&D. But you would have to do some changes to the spell lists, they seem to do fairly high level spells really early on. What about learning spells?
Just got the book as well!!!
If you are dead certain that you wish to play a Potterverse game, I think D&D is the worst system you could use. I would really reccommend Ars Magica. Ars Magica fourth edition is available as a free download here:
Go to Atlas games.
The D&D level system is an awkward way to simulate the type of magic portrayed in the Harry Potter series. Ars magica has spells, but also rules for improvised magic. The entire system is built around the wizard, and there is no attempt to castrate casters to fit the game balance of a miniatures wargame.
no hitpoints. injuries give modifiers.
bjornaer-animagus
tremere-Slytherin
hermes-Gryffindor
The magic item creation rules are way better too.
There are rules for making a covenant that could easily and elegantly model a Hogwarts or Beauxbatons.
why force a system to do what it was not designed to do when there is a much closer alternative.
Possibly. During the first year they were able to cast Knock, Levitate, and Hold Person. Although you could say that it was mostly Hermione who did Knock and Hold Person. She simply used Mending (a cantrip) to fix Harry's glasses.
And as I said earlier my long post with the class features was eaten up by the internet.
Since characters would be in Hogwarts for the first 7 levels, sorcerer familiars would have to start out bieng rats, owls, toads, and cats.
While I would like to try a Harry Potter rpg, I was think more of making a magic user for the D&D world based of Harry Potter. Then I found the thread on Wizards board which I took a liking to, but thought it needed something.
I'm thinking of giving it arcane focus in all schools but if there wand is every lost they would take massive penalties. I'm also playing with the idea of let them turn into one normal domesticated animal of medium or small size.
Fizz
The Animagus would have to be a prestige class. Not all wizards are animagi, but all animagi are wizards.
Hmmm,
A D&D appropriate Harry Potter style class -
Well I would build it more along the along the lines of Warlock than a wizard or sorceror as one of the most apealling aspects of the Potter series wizards, is that they seem to be able to use their abilities any number of times provided they remember the words.
GRADUATE OF THE ARCANE SCIENCES
BAB and saves as a wizard.
In order to use their magical abilties graduates require a focusing device - typically this device is a wand - but can be a staff, ring, amulet, etc. At creation the character is assumed to possess such a device. If this device is broken or lost the character cannot utilize his magical abilties. These devices can be enchanted as wands or miscelleneous magic items. If a focus is lost or broken it has to be replaced - this takes 1000 xp, and requires one week, and 500 gp.
When the focus device is in hand the graduate is treated as though he possesses the eschew components feat.
Can throw an energy blast as a warlock:
1d6 at 1st level
2d6 at 3rd
3d6 at 6th
4d6 at 9th
5d6 at 12th
6d6 at 15th
7d6 at 18th
In addition to inflicting damage these blasts can be used to stun, a stun attempt also requires a ranged touch attack, but unlike normal blast attacks attempts to stun allow a reflex save, the DC is 10 +1 per level + the graduate's charisma bonus. If successful the target is stunned for 1 round per 5 caster levels. Only creatures of equal casters level (plus his charisma bonus) or lower can be stunned.
Blast attacks can also be used to disarm (same rules as melee attacks).
In addition to these blasts the graduate gains a small number of spells and spell like abilties:
Level 1 - one cantrip as an at will spell like ability
Level 5 - one cantrip as an at will spell like ability
Level 10 - two cantrips as an at will spell like abilities
Level 15 - two cantrips as an at will spell like abilities
Level 20 - three cantrips as an at will spell like abilities
Starting at 3 level a graduate gains spells per day as a wizard. Graduates use spellbooks exactly as wizards (thus a 3rd level graduate would gain spells as a 1st level wizard).
Graduates can take healing spells as if they were arcane spells one level higher than listed for a cleric (thus CLW would be a 2nd level spell).
Well something along those lines anyway...hope that helps
BTW I think animagus and parseltongue are more class specific feats rather than PrC abilities.