Basic Wand Combat Rules
(For clarifications, details, reasoning, and optional rules, and an example, look below the core rules)

The Rules:

To attack roll a number of 10-sided dice equal to your year. The difficulty on an attack is 6. This means every die that comes up 6 or higher is a success. The number of times that happens is your "attack successes" To defend roll a number of 10-sided dice equal to your year. The difficulty on a defense is 6. This means every die that comes up 6 or higher is a success. The number of times that happens is your "defense successes" If the number of defense successes you roll is equal to or greater than the number of attack successes the attacker rolls, you defended the attack. If not you were hit. If you are being attacked by more than one person, you may split your defense successes (if you have enough) to count against one attack, and then use the remaining successes to apply to the next attack, and so on. It is the defender's choice which attack to apply defense successes towards first.

Older Characters
For purposes of this system graduate students count as "year" 8
Wizards over age 30 count as "year" 9.

We will not quibble on the numbers more than this.. but if you can get everyone you are playing with to agree you are an effective year 13..or if you think your character should for some reason be casting with a penalty on their year's effectiveness.. more power to you.

Reasonings

This system is designed to keep with the general flow of posting.. which is defend incoming attacks (if any), and attack (or not) yourself.

This system borrows many ideas from White Wolf. If you and your fellow players understand that system and wish to further elaborate on the basics presented here (modified difficulties, botches, etc) feel free.

Restrictions will not be placed on who can know what spells cast by students in the novels, since it is largely a matter of what you say your character happened to study.

Optional Rules:

Dodging:
A character not planning to attack on their turn, but purely defending, may chose to dodge. A dodge is not affected by your year. Everyone rolls 5 dice for their dodge, at a difficulty of 6. This means that for older students defensive spells are as effective (or more effective) than dodging. Dodges were put in place for younger students to stand a chance against older. However if you try to dodge, you may not make an offensive action on that post. (That means not only can you not cast spells, but you can not kick, bite, throw things, etc. Your entire post was spent trying to get out of the way.)

How to use the dice roller:

The three primary things you need to concern yourself with in the dice window are Side, Rolls, and Difficulty. In The Portkey these 3 slots have been highlighted on the dice roller to make them easy to find.

Side
Rolls
Difficulty

In Side you should select "10".
Under Rolls enter your year, which is the number of dice you will be rolling.
Under Difficulty enter the listed difficulty for the action (6 for anything but Unforgivable Curses)
That's it.. now hit Roll.

The dice roll will list your number of successes like this:

ROLL (Yeard10 Diff:6) #,#,#,#, (total of numbers)

Successful (# of successes)

EXAMPLE:

A second year Gryffindor and a second year Hufflepuff are attacking a fifth year Slytherin. The second years posts first.

The Gryffindor casts "Petrificus Totalus" at the Slytherin. He rolls two 10 sided dice at a difficulty of six. So he entered 10 on "Side", 2 for "Rolls", and 6 for Difficulty.
The roll returns:

ROLL (2d10 Diff:6) 2, 8 (10)

Successful (1)

Their attack successes was 1.

The Hufflepuff casts Rictumsempra at the Slytherin. Also being a second year she rolls just like the Gryffindor. Two 10 sided dice at a difficulty of six. So she enters a 10 on "Side", 2 for "Rolls", and 6 for Difficulty.
The roll returns:

ROLL (2d10 Diff:6) 9, 10 (19)

Successful (2)

Their attack successes was 2.

The Slytherin now decides she will try to use a blocking spell. She rolls her defense. Being a fifth year she rolls five 10 sided dice at a difficulty of six. So she enters 10 on Side, 5 for Rolls, and 6 for Difficulty.

ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 2, 3, 10, 3, 10 (28)

Successful (2)

Her attack successes was 2. She decides to apply these first towards the Petrificus Totalus because that is the most debilitating. She uses one attack success to cancel that attack from the Gryffindor. She still has one defense success left. However that 1 is not enough to stop the 2 attack successes of the Hufflepuff. So the Rictumsempra works.
Now the Slytherin casts Furnunculus at the Gryffindor.

Again she rolls five 10 sided dice at a difficulty of six.

ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 2, 9, 9, 5, 4 (29)

Successful (2)

Our poor Slytherin isn't rolling very well (or the numbers wouldn't make a good example!) but even so.. if the Gryffindor wants to try a blocking spell.. they will still only get to roll 2 dice, and both will need to be 6 or above to defend. So instead the Gryffindor decides to use the dodge option. Everyone rolls a dodge the same way. Five d10 at a difficulty of 6:

ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 6, 5, 3, 7, 8 (29)

Successful (3)

So they have 3 defense successes, more than the Slytherin's 2. BUT since they used the dodging option, they can't attack this turn.

Now it is the Hufflepuff's turn.. and the play continues.

What this might look like in RP:
Note that the suggestion is to roll your defense (if making one) before your post, to see if you were hit, and your attack after, since you shouldn't be posting damage anyway, and the attack roll will let the other player know how to respond.

Kimmy (2'nd Year Gryffindor): I said leave him alone!! *She demanded again in outrage, watching helplessly as Melody continued the verbal assault, anger swelling with every tear that ran down the little boy's face. She'd been best friends with Luke practically since she entered Hogwarts, and in all that time she'd never seen him reduced to tears. It was just too much for her to take. She knew she was probably going to live to regret this (she hoped she'd live!) but it was clear nothing she had was going to make the Slytherin back down. Maybe if she could get her by surprise.. her spell had a chance of working, and they could escape before she recovered. Yanking her wand from her sleeve, she cried at the top of her lungs* Petrificus Totalus! *And prayed.* Kimmy (2'nd Year Gryffindor): Comments: Petrificus Totalus Attack Roll ROLL (2d10 Diff:6) 2, 8 (10) Successful (1) Luke (2'nd Year Hufflepuff): *He just wanted to sink into the wall behind him and die. She was systematically tearing at every doubt of his own self worth he'd ever had. He knew it was what she wanted, to reduce him to tears like this, but he couldn't help it as more and more came. He couldn't pull himself together enough to defend verbally, and didn't dare attack her magically. He watched her wand while she berated him, the stick tapping against her arm as though he even needed a reminder not to try anything.. he would never have even thought to attack.. until Kimmy did. That was when the loyalty that characterized Hufflepuffs took over. He was not going to let her get into this rather uneven fight alone, especially not when it was so clearly for his sake. It was something he never would have done on his own, but spurred by the Gryffindor, he too yanked his wand free, and spoke the curse* Rictumsempra! *The tickling charm. He didn't want to hurt her, really. Just get out of this, and hopefully keep her from reciprocating with her own curse.* Luke (2'nd Year Hufflepuff): Comments: Rictumsempra Attack Roll *crosses finger* ROLL (2d10 Diff:6) 9, 10 (19) Successful (2) Melody (5'th Year Slytherin): Comments: Hex Deflection ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 2, 3, 10, 3, 10 (28) Successful (2) Melody (5'th Year Slytherin): ~*It was nice to feel in charge for a change. She spent so much time in the company of those older, and even her own age, that she couldn't compete with in any contest of wills, that watching the stupid little boy crumple before was more satisfying that she'd be likely to ever admit aloud. Besides.. in her mind he'd started it. And the Gryffindor brat would start the violence. Granted her own wand was out, but it had been more for the intimidation factor, for show. She hadn't actually dreamed she'd find herself using it! Still, it was at the ready when one right after another the two curses were shot at her. She managed to deflect the Petrification, but didn't fully turn her attention on the shot from nearly point blank..until it was too late.*~ ~*Managing to keep a grip on her wand, she doubled over, quite possibly laughing harder than she ever had in her life. (She was more the type for vapid, girlish giggles than true mirth.) But there was no way she was going to let two second years best her.. she'd look such the fool. Her taunting of the Hufflepuff would be nothing in comparison to the things her imagination pictured being said by her housemates if things ended here. Through the peals of laughter, her chiming voice managed to form the words*~ Furnunculus.. ~*with her wand mostly leveled at the Gryffindor who'd dared start the hexing. Then she was in hysterics again, and just trying to keep her eyes fixed on them through it.*~ ((Draco cast Serpensortia while affected by tickling charm in COS so I don't think this is a stretch. BTW the Furnunculus curse causes boils to spring up all over those affected.)) Melody (5'th Year Slytherin): Comments: Boils Curse ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 2, 9, 9, 5, 4 (29) Successful (2) Luke (2'nd Year Hufflepuff): ((*nods* Oh I completely I agree. Plus if you wanna pick numbers you still had one blocking success to apply towards the rictumsempra.. so I only succeeded by one.. if that means anything.)) Kimmy (2'nd Year Gryffindor): Comments: dodge! dodge!!!!!! *L* ROLL (5d10 Diff:6) 6, 5, 3, 7, 8 (29) Successful (3) Kimmy (2'nd Year Gryffindor): *Her eyes widened at the incoming blast. Here came the problem with trying to take on people older than yourself.. she was almost certain she couldn't stand up to that. So instead she took advantage of the fact she'd at least been expecting it, and threw herself to the side, narrowly being missed by the curse, and landing half behind a nearby desk.* Luke, let's get out of here!! *She urged, trying to get him to make a run for the door.*

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