How to run universities and magic schools in D&D!

[@darksideparty]

i absolutely adore magical university settings so this supplement is so so welcome. I think i would complicated the "week" phase a bit more by having optiononal dnd typical activities or group roleplay scenes where students get the option to skip classes or could take the risk to be tired during class or sth, to do other potentially helpful or more fun stuff but then accordingly making the study dc a bit higher for that week. not every week bc the system here is well thought out, but to change it up a bit in between, that would be very realistic for my uni experience :'D

[@TalesArcane]

Absolutely! This is a good system to start with as your baseline, but it's very bare bones. You'll be able to develop it to work well for your specific players and play styles.

[@Andrew.Downing]

An now its time to run a Fire Emblem: Three Houses campaign.

[@TalesArcane]

I've never played it, do you recommend it? Just looking it up now and I like the vibe of it. I haven't played any good "Academic"-based video games actually

[@Andrew.Downing]

@@TalesArcane if you like both life sims based on a school and tactics combat game it's great. Half the game is spent fighting on a grid and the other is running around as a professor interacting with your students and teaching lessons. What you do during the school phase help level up your student army.

[@QuatarTarandir]

Me who has like five campaigns in my back pocket: Uhhmm, yes, very intereting, (another campaign idea pops into my head)

[@TalesArcane]

Mate, I feel you, I keep buying new prewritten adventures and I've got like five sitting on my shelf I've not played yet 😭

[@QuatarTarandir]

@@TalesArcane Ya, I bought a campaign book for one, and it never got going. It's so hard, especially when you can't find people to commit to it

[@benelder165]

DM: ok you guys have rolled the absolute worst I have ever seen. No learning points at all. So may I present the latest quest... THE HEIST OF THE EXAM ANSWERS!!! 🤣 Really like this mate 5 stars!

[@TalesArcane]

That's exactly how I would love to see it play out 😂 Thank you mate!

[@namelessspook7987]

And now I really don't have an excuse to build a Persona themed game. This cuts out a lot of the base work, as always very well done and easy to digest in a quick video.

[@namelessspook7987]

And as soon as I walked away I realized how the 2d6 method for the exam allows it to be somewhat agnostic. Very clever.

[@TalesArcane]

Thank you! I'm trying to include more non-5E systems in my supplements going forward, make things a bit more adaptable.

[@Ghazrin]

Cool ideas! But what do the players get for passing their exams? Proficiency in a related skill, language, or tool? Something else? What becomes of any unused learning points in excess of what they spend to buy additional exam dice? Do they carry over to the next term, can they be redeemed for something else, or are they just lost?

[@jerradmatthew]

I have the same question. What is the reward or penalty for passing or failing these exams?

[@Something5451]

in strixhaven you gain student die (d4) you can add to the two ability checks associated with each exam, and you lose student die at the end of the academic year.

[@Arcentus]

Your videos are helping me into my first dnd campaign ever! Just did session 0 yesterday

[@TalesArcane]

I'm so happy to hear it! How was your session 0?

[@Arcentus]

@@TalesArcane Went fairly well! Thought I'd be ambitious and try out this new eldritch book as my first campaign setting and the players seemed to like a lot of things so far. I just hope I can improvise my ass off lol

[@TalesArcane]

@@Arcentus Improvisation is where the magic happens, you got this! 💪

[@davidnolanii6705]

Thanks. I needed this for my campaign

[@TalesArcane]

Happy to help, good luck in your games!

[@xavierp7658]

Thank you McLovin. Good stuff as always

[@el_doinko]

Been looking into running a Strixhaven campaign or something similar, I'm deffo checking out the Patreon to peep your work ^^

[@baseupp12]

Question would this work for any class thats not wizard. Like I could see Arcane Trickster, Eldritch Knight and Artificer maybe work in a university setting, but how do I work in a Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Cleric, Druid and even Paladin into a magic university if my players wanna play them because all of those classes dont get their magic by studying really?

[@namelessspook7987]

I feel the how of where they get their magic is irrelevant in this case. All you really need to work on is how they choose to apply and grow it, i.e. the specialization they choose for their class. Play wise you are only focusing on their major more or less. "Magic 101" is still a class they sit in and do the work for off screen, but their exam is focused on their major. Like fencing for a warlock with the pact of the blade, or animal husbandry for a druid focused on wild shape. You're only showing the exciting exam for what the character is driven for. No one cares about watching the track star ace their math test. They want to know how the big race at the end of the term went. Just like how no one is too worried about how the bard is doing with intro to potion making when it's the big recital they have been excited for all term. Anyways, just my unsolicited take on it. Have some fun with it and talk to your players to see what works for both of you in the setting you want to run.

[@TalesArcane]

Remember, it doesn't have to be a "magic" university. The druid might be studying medicine, the bard could be doing a course in poetry or musical performance, the fighter or barbarian might be mastering the physical skills. The magic users who wish to can study magic specifically, but it doesn't need to be mandatory. One of my favourite fantasy universities is the one from The Name of the Wind, in which you can learn anything from magic to medicine.

[@baseupp12]

ok you both actually do have some good points I'm to focused on the Magic University teaching spells sort of like how a wizard levels up, when I could be focusing more on the University part and showcase other facets or classes it may have instead of basic potions or Magic 101 like maybe battle magic (for melee casters), divine magic (paladins and clerics) or even go more into electives or extracurriculars that fit classes better

[@Maiasgameroom]

Currently reading through your compendium and really loving what I'm reading! ☺️ What would you recommend I grab from Strixhaven that would also work well with your compendium? Also, I might have the setting be in Eberron. It has a couple of its own Magic schools and I think this kind of campaign can be really fun!

[@waywardenigma1890]

This is exactly what I needed

[@Carbadonia]

There's a magocracy in my fantasy setting that would benefit from this mechanic structure should I ever get to one day run a game in one of its esteemed academies, though with how simple and workable this mechanic structure is running an academy anywhere in my fantasy setting would be fun!

[@MrBrocLyrain]

Do you have a day job or is it DnD full time now? Love your hooks and info. Great stuff.

[@TalesArcane]

I still have a full time day job at the moment, but I'm hoping to go full time with D&D in the near future, because doing both doesn't really leave time for anything else 😅 Glad you're enjoying the content!

[@kingbaby210]

You’re fucken awesome for this.

[@gamedev_byhobby8872]

At the start, students wouldn't be as compelled to use LPs if they roll well, but what if you give them actual test scores that they accumulate over the semester, assuming you have a few tests and a final important one or many little ones, and as they near the finals they have to manage their scores to actually get a passing grade at the end and get onto the new school year. Now add some tension, a big secondary fight that seems the big boss a few weeks before the finals. They leave exhausted and can't study properly and gain so many LPs. People who got good grades may be fine but what about the C students? (Not American so excuse my grades) Now maybe after the finals there's one or two that are failing but as they face the actual big boss at the end, they're awarded with some extra grade. There's quite a bit more potential outside the repeating study weeks - dnd weeks. Forgive me if it's already written, I just watched the video

[@multiversedm]

This is great. I love to find something I have overlooked or have yet to include. I hope to earn your subscription in return. Thank you.

[@moocow7565]

😎😎😎