D&D 5E Strixhaven Advise

[WBruce]

Hi,

I am running a campaign where my characters started very young with 12 years old. As we are progressing, I was thinking about a chapter in a University and so I stumbled into Styrixhaven which I've been reading and am almost done. I really don't like it. Since I will be adatpting almost everything to my taste, I was wondering how the Harry Potter theme could impact me.

See, I never watched a Harry Potter movie, and to be honest I don't think I ever will. It's really not my thing. A more mature approach to a university, and specially to magic is what I am looking for instead of Orientation, Frog Race, Prank Quest, Improv Quest, and so on. A lot of this as I feel just relates to a very specific view of what a university is in a particular well known region of the world extensivelly shot in Hollywood movies. You get the idea. This is not in my opinion how university times goes in many, many countries and it's definitely not how I want to portrait it in my game.

There is a big but though. Since I am not sure yet what I will take from Strixhaven and how much I will adapt, I have some concerns about how similar it is to the Harry Potter movies, since my players all watched and enjoyed. I can't tell how much the campaign is similar to Harry Potter because I never watched, but I don't want my players thinking I am DMing D&D Harry Potter Edition in the case I decide to run the Strixhaven Campaign. I did read somewhere that they are very similar.

What do you think?
Can you provide me with some insight in how they are similar if they are at all?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Yaarel]

Hi,

I am running a campaign where my characters started very young with 12 years old. As we are progressing, I was thinking about a chapter in a University and so I stumbled into Styrixhaven which I've been reading and am almost done. I really don't like it. Since I will be adatpting almost everything to my taste, I was wondering how the Harry Potter theme could impact me.

See, I never watched a Harry Potter movie, and to be honest I don't think I ever will. It's really not my thing. A more mature approach to a university, and specially to magic is what I am looking for instead of Orintation, Frog Race, Prank quest and so on. A lot of this as I feel just relates to a very specific view of what a university is in a particular well known region of the world extensivelly shot in Hollywood movies. You get the idea. This is not in my opinion how university times goes in many, many countries and it's definitely not how I want to portrait it in my game.

There is a big but though. Since I am not sure yet what I will take from Strixhaven and how much I will adapt, I have some concerns about how similar it is to the Harry Potter movies, since my players all watched and enjoyed. I can't tell how much the campaign is similar to Harry Potter because I never watched, but I don't want my players thinking I am DMing D&D Harry Potter Edition in the case I decide to run the Strixhaven Campaign. I did read somewhere that they arre very similar.

What do you think?
Can you provide me with some insight in how they are similar if they are at all?

Thanks in advance.

Strixhaven differs from Harry Potter. Strixhaven are adults, even if in a party college. Harry Potter is high school, or more specifically boarding school.

If you know that your players like Harry Potter, I would probably watch it for them, to get an idea of what they enjoy, to make the game more fun for them. The movies take place across years, where the actors start very young and eventually grow up into adults.

Maybe watch the last movies in the series, Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, part 1 and part 2. They are about college age in these.



LOL, I honestly cant think of a movie about college, where everyone is mature, and the movie is still fun.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

They are definitely similar in that they both involve magical schools, but they do not have the same plot beats, nor similar NPCs. Your players will probably make Harry Potter jokes, but Strixhaven does present a different setting and story.

I don't want my players thinking I am DMing D&D Harry Potter Edition in the case I decide to run the Strixhaven Campaign. I did read somewhere that they are very similar.

What do you think?
Can you provide me with some insight in how they are similar if they are at all?

Thanks in advance.

Nor I. The Magicians is more serious, certainly, but even it doesn't take itself that seriously.

In my opinion the greatest college movie remains Real Genius.

LOL, I honestly cant think of a movie about college, where everyone is mature, and the movie is still fun.

 

[WBruce]

Thanks for your input.
I think I am aware of what my players like, we go back long, and well, we have our differences, even though we've been playing ttogether for decades.

I do have a general knowledge of what Harry Potter is about, and I have no interest in magic portraited as something so simple for my campaign, that's all.

The kind of fun we like is unrelated to rescue a silly doll just because of a dare.
I am not pointing fingers, just saying I read many posts saying "if you watched Harry Potter you know everything about Strixhaven campaign" and I don't want to offer my players something that won't challenge them.

But I will carefully consider your point of view.
Thanks again.

 

[Yaarel]

5e can do Potter well.

Spells are by magic wand, verbal, and somatic. The wizard world is the Feywild.