D&D 5E Strixhaven's Quandrix College of Numeromancy

We've recently seen previews of the Prismari and Silverquill colleges over at Screenrant and Polygon respectively. Now Mashable shares a look at the third of the five colleges, Quandrix, the numerology college (presumably Lorehold and Witherbloom are yet to appear!)

WotC's Amanda Hamon points out that Strixhaven is in the 'opposite direction' to the tone and thematic elements of Harry Potter, citing the movies Pitch Perfect and 10 Things I Hate About You as influences.

Check out the article on Mashable for a ton more info!

D&D 5E - Strixhaven Previews Start to Appear

It's that time in the D&D pre-release publicity phase where previews of the upcoming book start to appear across the web on various sites. It looks like each site is getting a different college to preview -- Screenrant has Prismari, and Polygon has Silverquill, for example. There are 5 colleges...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Strixhaven Has Exams, Jobs, & Extracurricular Activities

It's IGN's turn to preview part of Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos, taking a look at exams, extracurricular guilds, and jobs. An example of an exam includes the Magical Physiologies exam, and a success gives them an advantage when fighting those creatures. The exams have a studying and a...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Strixhaven's Monsters: Groffs, Mage Hunters, & Oriq Recruiters

Gizmodo has a preview of Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos, showing off some of the new monsters in the book. The Oriq Recruiter is an agent of a dark mage cult; a Groff is a canine swamp creature; and a Mage Hunter is a spider-legged drone. The article also talks about trudges, daemogoths, the...

www.enworld.org

 

[Parmandur]

If you want some concrete examples of Americanisms, rather than a vague "how things are organised" I'll start a list of things I've noticed in the previews:

• Pledgemage. Pledges aren't a thing outside the USA.
• Bottle of Boundless Coffee. Beer for European students.
• Bayou. Maybe they also use this word for a swamp in France?

Yeah, I can't remember specifics, because the tropes all clicked for me, but on social media for months Mark Rosewater was getting constant questions on individual cards with non-Americans wondering what they were even about (MtG is big outside the Anglosphere), and Rosewater didn't have much to say beyond "you know, just like everyone experienced in school?" though he got wise that people around the world did not share the designers middle class American experiences.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

If you want some concrete examples of Americanisms, rather than a vague "how things are organised" I'll start a list of things I've noticed in the previews:

• Pledgemage. Pledges aren't a thing outside the USA.
• Bottle of Boundless Coffee. Beer for European students.
• Bayou. Maybe they also use this word for a swamp in France?

Interesting selections. My college (in the US) did not have pledges either, as "greek life" - ie sororities and fraternities as lampooned in Animal House - were against the rules.

My college life was equal parts coffee and beer, and quite a bit of cannabis and other head-altering substances thrown in as well. Notwithstanding its legality in some states of the US, I doubt WotC would have "Tree of Endless Cannabis" (but I may have one in my next campaign!)

Bayou is just not even common in most of the US. It's a very specific type of terrain in Lousiana and Mississippi. Other marshy river-delta type land is probably just called a marsh, or an estuary, or wetlands. (According to Google Translate, the word for swamp or marsh in French is marais)

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

According to Google Translate, the word for swamp or marsh in French is marais)

Yep, marais or marécage.

If I hear someone call a swamp a bayou, it refers to the marshlands of New-Orleans and the environs. It may be closer to a Cajun, Acadian or Creole word rather than French, I think.

 

[Parmandur]

Yep, marais or marécage.

If I hear someone call a swamp a bayou, it refers to the marshlands of New-Orleans and the environs. It may be closer to a Cajun, Acadian or Creole word rather than French, I think.

It is in fact a Native American word:

"sluggish watercourse, outlet of a lake or river," 1766, American English, via Louisiana French, from Choctaw (Muskogean) bayuk "small stream."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Interesting selections.

Not really selections, just all I could find in the stuff they have released. I haven't read the MTG cards, or most of the book.

But for many people, any kind of university life is outside their personal experience.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It is in fact a Native American word:

"sluggish watercourse, outlet of a lake or river," 1766, American English, via Louisiana French, from Choctaw (Muskogean) bayuk "small stream."

So "creek" would be a better translation than "swamp".

 

[Parmandur]

So "creek" would be a better translation than "swamp".

Well, the original meaning. What it means now is the specific environment of the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana where the Cajuns moved to from Acadia.

Because the Magic team likes to adopt an aesthetic for Black magic factions from a specific real world religious tradition whenever they can, but that's an off-topic rant.