Help with Wizard Refuge?

[RangerWickett]

It's the beginning of a new campaign. In my setting, a huge world-spanning empire just had its emperor assassinated by a group of magic-users, so a huge scourge against all disloyal magic-users is underway. Imperial inquisitors, specialized in antimagic, hunt down and kill any magic-user who does not pledge loyalty to the empire, hoping to prevent a full revolution.

In a remote region of the empire, seldom patrolled, an old mage school has sent out couriers to try to gather as many fugitive magic-users under its banner, to form a resistance and hopefully survive an eventual imperial assault. The PCs are traveling there, and from there I'll guide them along to the main plot(s) of the campaign, but I want to make the school a vibrant, interesting place they'll want to return to over the course of the campaign.

Here's what I already have. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

The town of Seaquen is located on an isthmus about 15 miles wide that bridges a huge northern and large southern continent. Originally a fishing village of about 500 locals, the town grew when a foreigner, Simeon Gohanach, decided to found a magic school in the town. The area was isolated from the dangers of the empire, and the locals were generally friendly and unafraid of sorcery. Within a decade, the school had grown to have over 20 instructors and nearly 200 students.

To the north of Seaquen, as the isthmus slowly widens, is a fairly large forest, stretching about 20 miles northward. Beyond that, the terrain changes to a bog along the east and west coast, with flat floodplains in the interior. Once you get about 50 miles north of Seaquen, the 'isthmus' is too wide to really be called an isthmus, and the terrain changes to rolling plains as you approach the nearest sub-kingdom within the Empire.

To the south the terrain is rocky, with mild vulcanism and some steam vents. Despite the harsh conditions, this is where most of the locals live, because of the great mining potential. Whenever foreigners do come to visit, the locals trade large supplies of ore, plus various fine metal jewelry. The area of vulcanism only extends about 30 miles southward, after which the isthmus widens and the terrain turns to hilly forest.

The vulcanism is actually caused because the isthmus is over a fault line, where two tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart, but the vulcanism inexorably pours out fresh rock to make the isthmus grow. We're not talking volcanoes here, just a few small rifts where lava pours out every once in ahilw.

brb

 

[LostSoul]

Not that this really helps flesh out the main base, but it would make a cool adventure if the PCs got to watch or experience the Last Stand of a well-known wizard.

One way to make the PCs want to go back there is to offer bonuses for eah one, tailored to their character.

 

[fba827]

At the school, their research facility/area (or at least a good sized-portion of it) would more than be specialized research into anti-scrying/detection spells/items and/or offensive stuff for providing a strong defense. This is there base so they will want to be prepared to defend it (from being found quickly) and then with magical means if it comes to it.

A few backup weapons (wht magic enchantments) in case their enemies come with multiple dispells, etc. to combat them

there should also be check points of some kind so that not just anyone is walking around there. At least some way of making sure they aren't being raided by the empires mage-hunters (or whomever)...

with the prevelance of magic concentrated in one area (and lots of it generated by people who do not totally understand the craft) there could be an area of wild magic near by or at least some unintended experiment results running around (the result of a summoning spell or something like that)...

To get players highly interested/involved, any caster could concievably be asked to join. It does not need to be a rigerous joining, but just "are you with us? We'll offer you resources and comradery -- or against us?" that sort of thing. If you offer some wonderment (maybe additional/cheaper spell or item research) or something, they may be tempted to join - thus being involved.

i'm rambling, i know, not totally sure what you need plus it's late but i hope something in there helps some what


PS. I like the setup!

 

[Celebrim]

The principal teaching areas of the school are clustered together in a seemingly haphazard fashion on the side of an extremely steep slope (75 degrees) of a large hill (roughly 1200' vertical elevation above the surrounding area. The whole school gives the appearance of preparing to slide down the slope, and students are prone to thinking that the entire school is made of staircases.

The school is run much as one would expect a self sufficient monestary, with a fratery, dormitories, a chapel, a buttery, workshops of every sort, an extensive library, a scriptorium, and large numbers of retreats for contemplation and study. Unique to such a facility are of course various chambers specially dedicated to various forms of conjuring and sorcery. There are a number of small walled courtyards containing gardens and even occasionally a fountain. Various minerets and small towers are reserved for the exclusive retreat of the more senior members of the faculty. The complex is walled, or else relies on the steep slopes of the hill, the high placement of windows, and the thickness of the walls for security.

Rumor has it that worked into the side of the hill, safe from the prying eyes of eavesdroppers and junior students are secret laboratories, armories, mortuaries, and catacombs.

Below the university proper is a large communal garden which supplies the university with foodstuffs. Labor is believed to focus the mind, and students for the the first seven years (seven through fourteen) spend most of thier time learning the discipline of hard work rather than magic. Also carrying for the garden are various failed wizards, certain magically maimed individuals unable to perform powerful magic, other individuals the college feels obligated to care for, and certain individuals who earned the ire of a faculty member are serving an extended punishment. It is often difficult to determine who falls into what category, and questions about the past or fratenizing with any of the laborers is strongly discouraged.

At the pinacle of the hill is an ancient cluster of stones, believed to predate the university and the subject of much rumor. Students are expressly forbidden from ascending to the height, but senior faculty members are known on certain astrologically auspicious occasions to ascend to the height for secret rites.

Defenses for the university are varied. In addition to roughly 20 faculty members of 9th-17th level, and perhaps twice that number of lesser mages, and perhaps four times that number of apprentices, there are known to be extensive magical wards about the place. Students are strongly cautioned not to try teleporting, moving about invisibly, or scrying anywhere in the campus except in areas designated for those purposes. More than one student is known to have died horribly for failing to heed those guidelines.

The steepness of the slope and the broad view of the easiest approaches makes it difficult to move an army to the sactuary of the school. Wizards would likely block off critical areas with walls of stone, disintigrate bridges and staircases and other act to make progress through the school difficult. It should not at all be surprising if a large number of magical creatures are found to be charmed or bound to service of the school. These could include invisible stalkers, tasked geneii, golems, and various undead. A number of the gargoyles decorating the school are known to the students to be real, and have on occasion been used to retrieve errant students out after curfew. It is not impossible that the school could call on the services of one or more liches of very high level enterred in secret chambers beneath the school.

If attacked in force, the faculty will probably respond by summoning a large number of elementals and directing them in mass against the thier foes. A number of items for augmenting summoning and extending its duration are known to be in possession of the school. The spell guards and wards will almost certainly be employed on any portion of the school which is breached.

Stealthy attack is somewhat easier, especially against students in the fields, but it is likely that the faculty would employ various kinds of divination to foresee such attacks. Also, they would rely on sympathetic townsfolk in the nearest villages to ferry word of any unusual visitors approaching the school. Would be assassines might also find some of the abilities of the non-apprentice laborers in the fields startling to say the least, as not everyone is who they appear to be.

As noone that hasn't evidenced some magical ability is generally allowed into the school (there are a few exceptions made by senior faculty members for unusual reasons but all of these are long known and certain it would take the most unusual circumstances before the rule would be relaxed again in such a time of crisis), the biggest danger the school might face would be betrayal from within and this is much harder to protect against.

 

[blargney]

An inch of lead?

Would an inch of lead prevent scrying? It seems to block most other divinations. You could even argue that it works like a Farraday cage, so they could have windows in the lead!

Incidentally, I've got a thread in this forum about a magical school in which I'm planning on running a campaign. The link is in my signature.

I would strongly recommend St. John's College of Abjuration to anyone who wants to run a magical school. It's very heavy on Abjuration, so this would be good for a school that is big on defence.

Hope this helps!
-blarg