Greatest Fantasy Wizards?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Uhm... no one cited Vecna or Acererak or Fistandantilus.

I don't think they measure up, in most ways, to great fantasy wizards like Gandalf, Ged or Dumbledore, each of whom has power but also a well-rounded personality.

Vecna and Acerak are both Eeeeevil as a personality, with the added wrinkle that Vecna is willing to have dudes with hands for heads serve as his lieutenants instead of Power Word: Killing them out of embarrassment. Fistandantalus is just a goofy facade put on by a dragon whose sophisticated sense of humor is "what if Gandalf, but an idiot?"

 

[Tonguez]

I guess you didn't get the reference

even if Gygax thought he was 5th level, greatness is not a function of level

 

[Sacrosanct]

even if Gygax thought he was 5th level, greatness is not a function of level

Gygax never made a comment about it, that I'm aware of anyway. I was referring to a fan letter in Dragon magazine where the guy went on a rant about Gandalf only being 5th level. I was making a joke.

 

[Blue Orange]

Fistandantalus is just a goofy facade put on by a dragon whose sophisticated sense of humor is "what if Gandalf, but an idiot?"

I hate to be that guy, but...do you mean Fizban?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I hate to be that guy, but...do you mean Fizban?

I guess so! Shows you how long it's been since I've read DL.

 

[Krachek]

Dr Strange. All the way.

 

[R_J_K75]

Gargamel

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Gargamel

I've got a long-running NPC in my campaign based on him. He's a surprisingly good template for a villain, when played straight.

 

[R_J_K75]

I've got a long-running NPC in my campaign based on him. He's a surprisingly good template for a villain, when played straight.

I remember seeing the cartoon in the early 1980s, and that for some reason he always wanted to eat Smurfs but in the end was pretty inept and never succeeded. I do know it was a comic strip long before it was on TV but never read it so I have no comparison to it over the cartoon adaptation.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Not mentioned so far, as far as I've seen:


Rhialto the Marvelous
Pug/Milamber
Sheelba of the Eyeless Face
Baron Mordo
The Wicked Witch of the West
Elric of Melnibone
Thulsa Doom