Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Mages of Strixhaven

An Unearthed Arcana playtest document for the upcoming Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos hardcover has been released by WotC!

"Become a student of magic in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! This playtest document presents five subclasses for Dungeons & Dragons. Each of these subclasses allows you to play a mage associated with one of the five colleges of Strixhaven, a university of magic. These subclasses are special, with each one being available to more than one class."

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It's 9 pages, and contains five subclasses, one for each the Strixhaven colleges:

• Lorehold College, dedicated to the pursuit of history by conversing with ancient spirits and understanding the whims of time itself
• Prismari College, dedicated to the visual and performing arts and bolstered with the power of the elements
• Quandrix College, dedicated to the study and manipulation of nature’s core mathematic principles
• Silverquill College, dedicated to the magic of words, whether encouraging speeches that uplift allies or piercing wit that derides foes
• Witherbloom College, dedicated to the alchemy of life and death and harnessing the devastating energies of both

 

[Yaarel]

The disenchanters was heavy-handed. I would have told the players that I made mistake and that the items were, currently, disruptive to game balance, and need to be toned down rather than taking them away. If they refused, I would have told them, the choices were toning the items or the campaign was over (I am not going to DM for players, who put powergaming above the good of the campaign)

This DM-player conflict wasnt about powergaming.

In my eyes, the problem was, I made the characters too powerful.

In their eyes, it was about sense of self. These particular players dont really care about powergaming. They cherished these items. They invested in the story of them.

 

[Greg K]

This DM-player conflict wasnt about powergaming.

In my eyes, the problem was, I made the characters too powerful.

In their eyes, it was about sense of self. These particular players dont really care about powergaming. They cherished these items.

On the few occasions that I have handed out items that were overpowered, I have never had players refuse to have the items be toned down to preserve game balance regardless of how attached they were to the items. So, I still see their unwillingness to be related to powergaming, because good players, in my opinion, would have understood. Or, maybe, they would have been more willing if you had asked to tone the items (for now) rather than wanting to take them away

 

[Charlaquin]

I've had DMs force me to change my character class (from thief to fighter) via divine intervention because they didn't feel I was playing a "thief" properly. I've had DMs who have killed PCs because they didn't like the name they gave them. I've seen DMs who hold inherent bias against certain classes (druids, paladins) and create elaborate situations to force them to lose their class status. I've seen DMs have allowed a character option only to revoke it a few sessions later because "it doesn't really fit the world like I thought it would" and force the player to make a new PC.

Truth be told, I'm a little over DMs feeling they can write and rewrite MY PC because they don't like them. The less ability they have to force me into their boxes, the better.

No rules are going to fix DMs who are like this. And DMs who aren’t like this shouldn't be barred from consensually making changes to PCs just because DMs who are like this exist.

 

[Charlaquin]

Actually, it would be cool if Enworld could add the preferred pronoun along with the Forumer Name and Title with the icon.

Since titles are customizable, you could put your pronouns in your title. That’s actually (part of) why I went with “goblin queen” for mine, as it implies gender.

 

[Yaarel]

No rules are going to fix DMs who are like this. And DMs who aren’t like this shouldn't be barred from consensually making changes to PCs just because DMs who are like this exist.

Let me say. If the RULES of the earlier edition told me the DM to not trespass on a player character sheet, that bad experience would never have happened.

The default is, a DM leaves a player character sheet alone.

The DM has some say about what goes into a character sheet. A lineage or class may or may not be helpful to a specific setting, a character may or may not find a particular magic item, and so on. But to remove something from a character sheet that a player has invested in is a big deal, and not worth the risk.

 

[Yaarel]

Since titles are customizable, you could put your pronouns in your title. That’s actually (part of) why I went with “goblin queen” for mine, as it implies gender.

Good idea!

 

[Charlaquin]

The DM has many tools, both carrots and sticks, to narrate an adversarial relation with an NPC. The DM lacks need to violate a players concept of self.

Consensual changes to a character are not violations of character concept.

 

[Charlaquin]

Let me say. If the RULES of the earlier edition told me the DM to not trespass on a player character sheet, that bad experience would never have happened.

Or, you know, if they had said to discuss it with the player.

The default is, a DM leaves a player character sheet alone.

The default is, the players and the DM work it out together.

The DM has some say about what goes into a character sheet. A lineage or class may or may not be helpful to a specific setting, a character may or may not find a particular magic item, and so on. But to remove something from a character sheet that a player has invested in is a big deal, and not worth the risk.

To do so unexpectedly is unacceptable. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with discussing it with the player and coming to a mutually agreeable solution.

 

[Yaarel]

Consensual changes to a character are not violations of character concept.

I agree, but these kinds of consent seem better for more experienced players. The default is best to define a safespace.

 

[Charlaquin]

I agree, but these kinds of consent seem better for more experienced players. The default is best to define a safespace.

Inexperienced players are perfectly capable of knowing what they are and aren’t ok with being changed about their characters.