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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jfdlsjfd" data-source="post: 8497862" data-attributes="member: 42856">Academic life is structured around choosing two of the five fields of study, and levels in these fields depends on adventuring level. It advances as the characters take "downtime activities" to study, improving field level by up to +2, cram when you fall behind (to study both fields at the same time) at the cost of fatigue. Raising this level gives benefits (feat, skill bonus.). The rest of the chapter is dedicated to other students.Two remarks:1. The benefits are enticing (free kewl powerz) but it's hard to get them. The standard DC by level as advised by the book make it going from 14 (at level 0)  to 40 (at level 20). While I can see specialized characters succeeding often, it's by no mean easy to keep up with your studies. Cramming can help, but are you ready to spend a whole level fatigued (even if the skill check is very easy)?2. The students (and staff) are detailed and loveable. They are interacted with naturally (ie, there is no specific rule handling them) and there is enough information for the GM to run them. However, that's a pretty small cast for a university, especially one that gather students from the whole world. Sure, the other students can be kept in the background, there are two dormitory building, apparently having enough to house 30 at best (there is also a mention of an unmarked on the map so far "star dormitory", so maybe 50) students. That's a class, not a university, especially if students are supposed to be divided into 5 fields of studies. I'd certainly emphasize the selectiveness of the school. The PCs must have a patron to enlist, so they'd need someone to vouch for them. But that's still very low to create a "campus-like atmosphere".The second part of the adventure intertwine that with a series of fetch quests, a jousting opportunity, participating in a ritual... mixed with NPCs student involvement. And then a ceremony that ends up with a giant fight against insects. Seems sound at this stage and reinforce the idea that they are part of class -- I tend to imagine more a high school class than a university class when reading the adventure. Of course, it's because our own university experience is in the age of mass access to university, but even in the middle age a worldwide institution attracted more than a thousand student... In a few places former tasks got the PCs knowledge useful to ease their challenge and that's good. Maybe more of that should be possible, it reinforce the interest of those extracurricular activities.The last part of the adventure is devoted to looking into the bug's origin by investigating tunnels; The PCs are at a real risk and it's well managed by a believable plot exposition. It ends, however, strangely with a big fight (and the heroes assisting a teacher to repel very strong opponents). I am not sure it will fit the pacing correctly. It might work better as an in medias res introduction to the next adventure, or done differently... maybe stalling griffons until the visitors they protect run for cover/teacher's assistance? The trainer seem to be awfully underlevelled for being in the best wizard academy in the world and not cast a high level spell to begin with (he doesn't have better than 2nd level spells, the most offensive of which is Glitterdust...) It's also strange that wards powerful enough to disintegrate inadvertantly a 1st year student throwing a tamper don't do anything to protect visitors from being eaten by monsters.All in all, I think the adventure can be used with very few modifications. THB it evokes more high school experience than university, the setting is appropriately tropical and it's reminded often enough to be imparted to the GM preparing the story - rice and sweet potatoes, no fries. Will it fit with the transition to the next book or will my fear about the quick advancement in responsabilities be right?Note: at the end of the story, PCs are supposed to reach level 4. They have one downtime opportunity in chapter 1, 1 (up to 3 at the GM's determination) in chapter 2, and none in the third chapter. That's 2-4 study opportunity to succeed 6 study checks if you want to keep up with both your primary and secondary field. One would need both the GM to be generous AND two criticals to keep the pace with their studies.</blockquote>

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