D&D Mage Duel: Gandalf the White vs Merlin

[LuckyBoneDice]

The two greatest mages of all of literature. Both are experts in their craft, but only one can win!


Gandalf the White:

Human Wizard (Diviner) 5/Incantrix 4/Mage of the Arcane Order 1/Arcane Avatar 5/Archmage 5

Merlin:

Human Sorcerer(Fiendish Heritage) 10/Mage of the Arcane Order 1/Arcane Avatar 4/Archmage 5


Feats are optimized to mimic each, as are spells

 

[Dandu]

The first build is better, though neither really accurately portrays the abilities for the wizard it is named after, and both aren't really built that well.

 

[Veven1290]

Gandalf isn't even a human.....probably something closer to a Deva or something similar.

 

[LuckyBoneDice]

Then how would y'all build them

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll just say this- regardless of build, Merlin wins- he cheats.

Gandalf isn't even a human.....probably something closer to a Deva or something similar.

According to certain storytellers, Merlin wasn't human either, at least, not fully so. Some hint or overtly state that he's at least partly "infernal" or "fiendish" (to use D&D terms).

 

[Dandu]

Merlin also remembers the future so... he should know how it turns out.

 

[BENINHB]

Merlin is not a sorcerer. Merlin was a time traveler that brought tech with him that was inexplicable so it was deemed magic.

 

[Runestar]

I don't recall merlin using magic all that much in the novels either. Save for that part where he moves the stonehenge rocks by magic? So he is a master of the unseen hand?

 

[Fifth Element]

You're way off. Gandalf was only a fifth-level magic-user.

 

[Allegro]

Actually, I believe Gandalf was a bard. His main talents lay in inspiring others and diplomacy with the occasional parlor trick thrown in. In the Hobbit he uses an illusion to remain invisible and cause trouble with the trolls. Against the great goblin he also uses his invisibility trick and then snuffs out the magic fire and kills the goblin with a sword. Gandalf later enchants a thrush as an animal messenger to tell Bard how to kill the dragon.

In the Lord of the Rings, he modified the river at the ford and added horses to make it more effective. Gandalf uses magic to increase the size of a fire to fight the wargs on the mountain. Gandalf uses magic to try to hold the portal against the Belrog in the mines. Not to mention, creating light a half dozen times. Gandalf did rekindle hope and belief throughout both stories. His role on a whole was inspirational rather than raw wizard power. All of his powers except the horses at the ford could be explained by the bard spell list.