Course ideas for Wizarding Academy

[Ahnehnois]

Characters don't have to be born with high ability scores. Unless you're trying to say that they pop out of the womb already with 18 Int or 16 Str?

I think they pop out of the womb with their adult ability scores already determined, not achieved. Certainly their Con is well established by the time they are teenagers.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

d20 Modern is probably the only system I've seen with "child rules". Children get -3 Strength/Con and -1 to other stats. IIRC this is for children 12-17, but maybe it was actually children less than 12!

Nature versus nurture and all that. I don't think most wizards are going to turn out to be adventurers. Most wizards would probably have low Con, but you only see wizards with high Con because almost noone publishes wizard NPCs that aren't going to face the PCs in combat.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I could see a Phys Ed department serving the needs of would-be adventuring wizards. Not everyone becomes an academician or courtly Mage- some go out and do stuff. So courses in basic rope use, climbing, aerobics, riding, weight training, and even weapon training would be offered.

Not that those classes would be large, mind you.

In smaller lands, The Academy might teach all things- like a modern university- because that would be the only way to have a broad enough enrollment base to take in enough money to maintain the required facilities. So Magery might be but one department among many.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Nature versus nurture and all that. I don't think most wizards are going to turn out to be adventurers. Most wizards would probably have low Con, but you only see wizards with high Con because almost noone publishes wizard NPCs that aren't going to face the PCs in combat.

Maybe. I do think that there would be some selectivity there. RL doctoral programs require a lot of hours, and people burn out a lot. They thus tend to select healthy people (or against unhealthy people). I would think some Con would usually, but not always, be required to make it through a wizard college.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Maybe. I do think that there would be some selectivity there. RL doctoral programs require a lot of hours, and people burn out a lot. They thus tend to select healthy people (or against unhealthy people). I would think some Con would usually, but not always, be required to make it through a wizard college.

I agree with this, but would like to note most academic doctoral programs don't teach a physical component (beyond what is required for the program, anyway).

Of course, "my" stereotypical wizard is already getting on in years and frail; maybe they had higher Con in their youth.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I agree with this, but would like to note most academic doctoral programs don't teach a physical component (beyond what is required for the program, anyway).

Of course, "my" stereotypical wizard is already getting on in years and frail; maybe they had higher Con in their youth.

However, most institutions that offer doctorates also have Phys-Ed facilities and classes available to enrolees.

 

[ImperatorK]

I think they pop out of the womb with their adult ability scores already determined, not achieved. Certainly their Con is well established by the time they are teenagers.

So you're saying that it doesn't matter what the character was doing before becoming an adult/teenager, because his ability scores are already "imprinted" onto his very being from birth? It doesn't matter if as a kid he was training to become a warrior or studying to be a mage, he has his scores determined? Sorry, but that's not how it works. Sure, natural talent/predisposition (similar to racial bonuses) helps and some rare characters can be natural geniuses or something, but that's more an exception than a rule.

 

[Ahnehnois]

So you're saying that it doesn't matter what the character was doing before becoming an adult/teenager, because his ability scores are already "imprinted" onto his very being from birth?

Yes.

From a narrative perspective "heroes are born, not made" is pretty much classic fantasy.

From a simulation perspective, regardless of whether you believe DNA exists in D&D or not, I think ability scores are pretty clearly something you inherit. With regards to old age, everyone accumulates modifiers the same way; you don't lose your strength any slower if you train well. That is, I don't think D&D has captured the idea of genomics that well. Why would young age be any different? I think your adult ability scores are basically your best overall potential, and then you throw some standard age modifiers for any non-adult.

And yes, that is largely how it works. I don't think that Arthur could ever be as good a wizard as Merlin, even if he really tried. Nor could Muhammad Ali have been a nuclear physicist, even if he really tried. (Nor could various smart/magic-y guys succeed at fighting). Talent matters. In a D&D context, wizards are wizards because they were born smart and then trained; they are not smart because they trained as wizards.

[Note: sorry for tangent; others please don't forget to respond to OP]

 

[ImperatorK]

From a simulation perspective, regardless of whether you believe DNA exists in D&D or not, I think ability scores are pretty clearly something you inherit.

You inherit potential.

I think your adult ability scores are basically your best overall potential, and then you throw some standard age modifiers for any non-adult.

Except they're not, because you can improve them over levels and with some classes.

And yes, that is largely how it works. I don't think that Arthur could ever be as good a wizard as Merlin, even if he really tried. Nor could Muhammad Ali have been a nuclear physicist, even if he really tried. (Nor could various smart/magic-y guys succeed at fighting). Talent matters. In a D&D context, wizards are wizards because they were born smart and then trained; they are not smart because they trained as wizards.

Yeah...

Unless stated otherwise in rules or lore, it is assumed things in D&D work like in real world. In RW you are rarely born a genius or master athlete.

And that's all I have to say to this, because, well it's off-topic and we clearly disagree on some fundamental stuff.

 

[Manbearcat]

Presumably, Wizards don't just "know stuff" as their trade. Lots of people know lots of stuff. Forbidden and esoteric lore would not be enough lest all sages, academics and learned folks would be practiced Wizards.

I would think that the art of Spellcraft would involve some severely intensive training on the physical aspects of spellcasting. (1) Like a professional guitar player, I would assume that wizards would possess (naturally and from practice) extreme finger and wrist dexterity as performing many spells likely requires the wizard to knit their fingers/contort their hands into complex postures and then transition from complex posture to complex posture with perfect precision. (2) Then there is probably vocals training to properly pronounce complex, arcane syllables and produce odd inflections while transitioning to other complex sounds/words that again require perfect precision. (3) Finally, you have implement training that would again have a martial aspect.

So arcane and forbidden lore? Naturally. But there is a plenty of narrative space (and sensibly so) whereby a graduating spellcaster is just as likely to be separated from their dismissed peers due to their acute motor skills/high functionality and small muscle dexterity as they are by their "knowing more stuff than those guys".

Tangentially, that brings up a question (which I've pondered more than once) why spellcasting mechanics automagically assume perfect execution of the (what must be) extraordinarily complex, martial gestures and vocal intonations/incantations yet its culturally accepted that PCs have to make that fairly mundane climb/jump check or fail that martial effort.