D&D 5E Strixhaven: Orientation

WotC has released an overview of the upcoming Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos, as adventurers of levels 1-10 uncover a plot against the university. Teased are activities like tavern games, a magical frog race, an improv festival, and other social encounters. You can also take exams to improve your skills, join clubs, or get jobs.

Also included is a bestiary of over 40 new creatures.

The Bibloplex contains most of the information in the multiverse. Plenty of other locations fill the book, such as Captain Dapplewing's Manor, a mansion built for the university professors. One adventure has the PCs breaking into the manor. Another adventure involves the main Strixhaven student sport, Mage Tower.

 

[Yaarel]

Are 18 year olds adults, or just big kids let off the parental leash?

I consider 20 the start of adulthood.

16 to 19 is "young adult".

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

With stuff like Decent into Avernus and Out of the Abyss, it's not as if the adolescent edgelord demographic has been ignored.

Yes but... in an imaginary scale in which Mork Borg is at one extreme, D&D is placing more and more on the opposite.
My personal taste is for The One Ring 2.

 

[Oofta]

Well, spellcasters doesn't mean just wizard. In the magic set there are clerics, warlocks, shamans, druids... I think the DnD set will not limit you to just spellcasters, but will give you chances to sprinkle magic in non caster characters too.

But not monks, barbarians, most fighters or rogues, not really paladins. Not even sure how clerics, druids or even warlocks fit. If bards don't fit at least that will make some people happy.

Seems like a school for wizards and maybe sorcerers from what I've seen. Too much Harry Potter, not enough D&D's mixed group with different people and classes with different but complementary strengths and roles.

It's not the student theme I don't like, it's the extreme limitations on what can be played. Not everyone wants to play a PC that relies primarily on magic.

 

[Yaarel]

I have played in a campaign that was set in a school for adventurers and we had a lot of fun. However it looks like this particular school is only spellcasters which to me could be quite limiting. I like playing PCs that have limited or no magic, I wonder how they would fit into this setting, if at all? Not everyone wants to play a wizard.

Nonmages might be part of the college town, like friends from the tavern and so on.

 

[Bolares]

But not monks, barbarians, most fighters or rogues, not really paladins. Not even sure how clerics, druids or even warlocks fit. If bards don't fit at least that will make some people happy.

Seems like a school for wizards and maybe sorcerers from what I've seen. Too much Harry Potter, not enough D&D's mixed group with different people and classes with different but complementary strengths and roles.

It's not the student theme I don't like, it's the extreme limitations on what can be played. Not everyone wants to play a PC that relies primarily on magic.

I think you don't get what Stryxhaven is. It's not only a school were you learn potions or defense against the dark arts. There is heavy focus on archology, math, various arts.... Its not a MAGIC university, but a magic UNIVERSITY. There is space for every class in the game, even if you have to do some reflavouing here and there.

 

[Yaarel]

But not monks, barbarians, most fighters or rogues, not really paladins. Not even sure how clerics, druids or even warlocks fit. If bards don't fit at least that will make some people happy.

Seems like a school for wizards and maybe sorcerers from what I've seen. Too much Harry Potter, not enough D&D's mixed group with different people and classes with different but complementary strengths and roles.

It's not the student theme I don't like, it's the extreme limitations on what can be played. Not everyone wants to play a PC that relies primarily on magic.

For me, "mages" are anyone who uses magic, including part-casters, like Paladin, Ranger, Psi Knight, Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster, as well as Mercy Monk, Totem Barbarian, etcetera.

 

[Oofta]

I think you don't get what Stryxhaven is. It's not only a school were you learn potions or defense against the dark arts. There is heavy focus on archology, math, various arts.... Its not a MAGIC university, but a magic UNIVERSITY. There is space for every class in the game, even if you have to do some reflavouing here and there.

I'm just going by what's been presented so far. All of the artwork and descriptions have been very wizard/sorcerer oriented.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this just isn't the book for me. Not the end of the world.

P.S. @Yaarel, I get what you're saying, but I don't want to play the flunky janitor who gets to hang out with the cool kids.

 

[Yaarel]

I'm just going by what's been presented so far. All of the artwork and descriptions have been very wizard/sorcerer oriented.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this just isn't the book for me. Not the end of the world.

P.S. @Yaarel, I get what you're saying, but I don't want to play the flunky janitor who gets to hang out with the cool kids.

Heh, it is more like the rich business owner who goes to all the parties. The nonmages will be important in their own right. Some might be attending their own military officer training. Or they are police rookies.

 

[darjr]

I do!

 

[Yaarel]

I do!

Heh. For some reason I had flashes of Future Man.