Harry Potter

Sometimes a whole universe of characters have fairly similar overall powers and "classes". The Wizarding World fits this description – it's in the universe name, Wizarding world. All of the wizards (and witches) that we meet at Hogwarts have a basic backbone of the same powers – some are stronger in some things over others of course, but they are all wizards.

Well we are certainly not going to make every character from that universe a Wizard. Instead we'll focus on those things that set them apart a bit, and choose classes and dedications based on that. It's the methodology we have with the "Spider" characters like Spider-Man and Ghost Spider.

So what is that for Harry Potter? I'd argue it's the wand. That's the throughline for a lot of his story – how his wand has a twin with Voldemort, or the history of the Elder Wand, or how Harry really favors the disarming and reflecting spells over almost any other spell in existence.

If we're going wand, the Thaumaturge is really the only way to go. So we'll start there, add some magic, add a bunch of luck and boom! We've got the ole' scarface himself, The Boy Who Lived.

On the battlefield, Harry uses his wand to Fling Magic at foes, opting to target Basic Reflex saves over AC. The magic fling has some extra effects as well. For one, it can add status effects like slow and persistent damage based on the elemental choice of the wand. Secondly, the wand can be overcharged to increase the damage from d4 to d6. Finally, at higher levels the wand blasts can benefit from the Thaumaturge Exploit Vulnerability, adding up to 11 extra base damage as levels increase.

For min-maxers, it isn't the highest damage a Thaumaturge can do, but it is flavorful. If damage is lacking, throughput can be increased substantially by first letting Harry strike with a sling or other one-handed ranged weapon. Since the wand isn't affected by MAP, it is a very powerful second attack.

But HP purists might forgo the sling and just focus on those wand strikes. And that's fine. The damage is nothing to sniff at.

Outside of combat, Harry uses his not-quite-Hermione-level magic to help the team in a multitude of ways, and his celebrity status can open a lot of doors for the team (good and bad).

Gutsy Halfling

Sometimes I spend time explaining the ancestry choice for characters. I can't do it this time. It's just vibes. I can't explain it.

I'll try to go a bit deeper: Harry is a bit of a little stinker, with more luck than anything else most of the time. Plus he's kind of short.

The Halfling heritage gets all of that right – the mischief, the size and (importantly) the luck. Halfling Luck, which allows Harry to reroll a skill check or saving throw once per day, is just the kind of thing he needs to get out of all those jams he gets himself into.

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Academic

Okay, maybe Harry isn't the *best* student Hogwarts has ever had. But being a student is a huge part of what makes Harry Potter tick. I mean, if it wasn't for Hogwarts, it would just be 7 books about a kid living under the stairs and maybe talking to a snake now and then.

The background doesn't give the Charisma boost we're looking for, but a Wisdom boost is good for perception, which Harry needs to track down clues and solve mysteries at school that are way too dangerous for his age bracket.

We also get a free extra Skill Training, and Acedemia Lore.

Thaumaturge - Wand Implement

Obviously, there is a Pathfinder class called *Wizard*. But I think you'll agree, just as obviously, it doesn't fit Harry Potter.

Yes, Harry casts spells. Yes, he learns spells. The similarities end there. Harry – unlike, say, Dumbledore – treats his spellcasting as somewhat secondary compared to uncovering the clues, mysteries and esoteric tidbits of information about the Wizarding World. Often he bests his enemies not through sheer spellpower, but by learning a weakness or other vulnerability in their approach.

And nine times out of ten, he uses his wand to disarm their wand.

The combination of these traits is available in a neat little package in Pathfinder, in the Thaumaturge class. There, Harry can focus on flinging magic with his wand, while using his unflinching curiosity to learn more and more about the obstacles and foes he is up against, weakening them for himself and allies.

Of course, he wouldn't be complete without SOME spellcasting. To that end, we add a Sorcerer Dedication and follow it through Master Sorcery Spellcasting. Why not a Wizard dedication? That would be great, but Sorcerer spellcasting uses the same Charisma key attribute as the Thaumaturge, so it wins by default. And honestly, the wizarding in Harry Potter is kind of Pathfinder sorceryesque anyway.

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Despite paying more attention to the mysteries of the school, and straight up dropping out in his Sr. Year, Harry learned enough at Hogwarts to be legendarily skilled in Arcana, Occultism and Esoteric Lore.

Plus, owing to his incredible celebrity status, he is also legendary in Diplomacy. Hard to blend in as someone who wasn't fatefully entwined with a dark wizard when you have a giant lightning bolt scar.

Legendary: Arcana, Diplomacy, Lore: Esoteric, Occultism

Master: -

Expert: Acrobatics

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