Larloch is the clearest answer in a published ranking: a September 2008 article in Dragon #367 calls him “the most powerful of Faerûn’s mighty wizards.” That is a direct, attributable superlative—not a definitive ranking for every edition or era, and not proof of who would win a fight.
Why Larloch is the clearest answer
In “Epic Faerûn,” published in September 2008, Dragon #367 describes Larloch as “the most powerful of Faerûn’s mighty wizards.” The article, by Richard Baker, then names the Seven Sisters and Elminster among other epic figures. This is the strongest direct ranking in the sources available here because it explicitly identifies Larloch as the most powerful wizard.
The wording matters: it is a statement from a particular article, published in 2008. It does not establish a universal ranking that applies to every version of the Forgotten Realms, nor does it describe the rules or circumstances of a contest. Read “Epic Faerûn” in Dragon #367.
How Larloch compares with Elminster and Szass Tam
Larloch is the only one of these three for whom the cited material supplies an explicit “most powerful” superlative. The newer reference descriptions establish that Elminster and Szass Tam are formidable and influential, but they do not rank either above or below Larloch.
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| Figure | What the cited material establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Larloch | Dragon #367 (September 2008) calls him “the most powerful of Faerûn’s mighty wizards.” | A current, edition-neutral ranking or the outcome of a fight. |
| Elminster | The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide glossary describes him as a powerful, ancient archmage and one of Mystra’s Chosen. | A direct comparison with Larloch or Szass Tam. |
| Szass Tam | The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide glossary describes him as a powerful lich and necromancer who leads the Red Wizards, with agents and schemes spanning centuries. | A direct ranking against Larloch or Elminster. |
The 2024 glossary descriptions are useful for character stature, not for settling a head-to-head comparison. See the Dungeon Master’s Guide glossary on D&D Beyond.
Does “most powerful” mean strongest in a duel?
Not necessarily. The cited superlative gives a reputation-based ranking, but the sources here do not provide a shared scoring system, quantified magical statistics, or a direct duel between Larloch and the other candidates. Political reach, magical knowledge, personal combat ability, and influence are different measures of power; the available descriptions do not combine them into one ranking.
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So if the question means “Who does a published source explicitly call the most powerful wizard?”, the answer is Larloch. If it means “Who would win in a particular fight?” the cited evidence does not establish a winner.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to make of newer accounts of Szass Tam
D&D Beyond’s August 12, 2026 overview of Szass Tam discusses his history across editions and other media, while cautioning that some events it covers “have not been made canonical in D&D 5.5e.” It offers useful context about Tam, but that broad historical coverage is not a new ranking of him against Larloch. Read D&D Beyond’s Szass Tam overview.
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