Harry Potter Game
- Thread starter Imbasel
- Start date
If you want to keep to d20... Have you looked into Elements of Magic or Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth?
If you utilize EoM:ME (using the D20 Modern system with spells that are skill-based) you can actually create schools of spellcraft. Anyone who attends a Magic Academy could have something akin to the Animism feat in the book (you can perform any type of spell (in theory), but take penalties to those you haven't worked in).
You could then use a School-Based system of advancement. Have your players create a 'Schedule' for their spells, providing for six levels of courses:
Bookish (+3)
Studious (+2)
Attentive (+1)
(Average) (0)
Wandering Mind (-1)
Skiver. (-2).
Each 'year' at your Academy provides for a base 5 for your max DC in a specific discipline. You go through a certain amount of years (this helps you determine your game's power level). You then take an 'exam' at the end of each year to see if you maintain your knowledge at a DC: 10. Each course you pass you gain an additional 'stunt' with that spell type. Fail by a certain amount and you actually suffer a bit on it. Those stunts can be unique benefits to spells you have figured out... You studied hard in Transmutation of Creatures and thus gain a bonus when Transmuting Animals. Or you skived during Defense Against the Dark Arts and you are just horrid at dueling (-2 for your Dueling/Counterspelling checks).
OWL and NEWT passing gives you a bump to your overall DC you can roll for with certain spells, or weakens your Mishaps when you miscast.
A heroic game like the Novels would of course be a 7 year (even if they only got through 6 years they did kind of do a 'study abroad' program
). You could, in theory, gain Stunts and some very high 'step ups' for your spells. The Action Point system would also fit well with crucial moments (Harry burns an Action Point to trigger his Patronus Stunt to make the Patronus charm affect a larger group of Dementors than a normal wizard of his age).
I'm spitballing here, of course... but Modern actually allows for a bit wider range of characters types. Most spells that the average Wizard uses is going to be a Take 10 affair (Molly stirring the pots using a charm pops to mind) so they don't need an enormous amount of Charm skill ranks. In this form you can also have Squibs (Squib has UMD) and Muggles (Straight 6 core races).
You can then also include some of the Arcane Advanced classes from various Modern sources for various individuals (Mundungus would make an excellent Arcane Arranger from Urban Arcana) and create your own Advanced Classes (Arcane Scholar already exists somewhere, but Servant of the Dark, Auror, Arcane Emissary, Herbalist...) and use some of the more mundane classes (Wild Lord is great for Hagrid) for some of your own.
This would provide for a bit more variety between your characters available. I would also suggest the use of 'half-human' or 'humanoid' racial classes (!) so you could have a character who wishes to play a Goblin warrior or a Centaur seer can have a go at it.
I do have to agree with Piratecat's original warning about this being IP for JK Rowling. If you wish you can borrow my own name that I used for a HP style character (the Eaton School) for your Hogwarts... A little obfuscation can help you out
.
Slainte,
-Loonook.
If you utilize EoM:ME (using the D20 Modern system with spells that are skill-based) you can actually create schools of spellcraft. Anyone who attends a Magic Academy could have something akin to the Animism feat in the book (you can perform any type of spell (in theory), but take penalties to those you haven't worked in).
You could then use a School-Based system of advancement. Have your players create a 'Schedule' for their spells, providing for six levels of courses:
Bookish (+3)
Studious (+2)
Attentive (+1)
(Average) (0)
Wandering Mind (-1)
Skiver. (-2).
Each 'year' at your Academy provides for a base 5 for your max DC in a specific discipline. You go through a certain amount of years (this helps you determine your game's power level). You then take an 'exam' at the end of each year to see if you maintain your knowledge at a DC: 10. Each course you pass you gain an additional 'stunt' with that spell type. Fail by a certain amount and you actually suffer a bit on it. Those stunts can be unique benefits to spells you have figured out... You studied hard in Transmutation of Creatures and thus gain a bonus when Transmuting Animals. Or you skived during Defense Against the Dark Arts and you are just horrid at dueling (-2 for your Dueling/Counterspelling checks).
OWL and NEWT passing gives you a bump to your overall DC you can roll for with certain spells, or weakens your Mishaps when you miscast.
A heroic game like the Novels would of course be a 7 year (even if they only got through 6 years they did kind of do a 'study abroad' program
). You could, in theory, gain Stunts and some very high 'step ups' for your spells. The Action Point system would also fit well with crucial moments (Harry burns an Action Point to trigger his Patronus Stunt to make the Patronus charm affect a larger group of Dementors than a normal wizard of his age).I'm spitballing here, of course... but Modern actually allows for a bit wider range of characters types. Most spells that the average Wizard uses is going to be a Take 10 affair (Molly stirring the pots using a charm pops to mind) so they don't need an enormous amount of Charm skill ranks. In this form you can also have Squibs (Squib has UMD) and Muggles (Straight 6 core races).
You can then also include some of the Arcane Advanced classes from various Modern sources for various individuals (Mundungus would make an excellent Arcane Arranger from Urban Arcana) and create your own Advanced Classes (Arcane Scholar already exists somewhere, but Servant of the Dark, Auror, Arcane Emissary, Herbalist...) and use some of the more mundane classes (Wild Lord is great for Hagrid) for some of your own.
This would provide for a bit more variety between your characters available. I would also suggest the use of 'half-human' or 'humanoid' racial classes (!) so you could have a character who wishes to play a Goblin warrior or a Centaur seer can have a go at it.
I do have to agree with Piratecat's original warning about this being IP for JK Rowling. If you wish you can borrow my own name that I used for a HP style character (the Eaton School) for your Hogwarts... A little obfuscation can help you out
.Slainte,
-Loonook.
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