D&D 5E Strixhaven: Orientation

WotC has released an overview of the upcoming Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos, as adventurers of levels 1-10 uncover a plot against the university. Teased are activities like tavern games, a magical frog race, an improv festival, and other social encounters. You can also take exams to improve your skills, join clubs, or get jobs.

Also included is a bestiary of over 40 new creatures.

The Bibloplex contains most of the information in the multiverse. Plenty of other locations fill the book, such as Captain Dapplewing's Manor, a mansion built for the university professors. One adventure has the PCs breaking into the manor. Another adventure involves the main Strixhaven student sport, Mage Tower.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In some commonwealth countries (including the UK) College can start at 6th form (Year 12) so 16 - 18 yrs old, which maybe where the overlap is.

In Renascence Europe, students typically started at university aged 14 or 15. People grew up faster back then.

But I may I site the Doctor in the House novels/movies/70s TV series about medical students (18-23+) behaving in a not particularly mature fashion.

The story follows the fortunes of Simon Sparrow, starting as a new medical student at the fictional St Swithin's Hospital in London. His five years of student life, involving drinking, dating women, and falling foul of the rigid hospital authorities, provide many humorous incidents.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

heh sounds quaint
but not for me

Quaint is a kind way of putting it.

Horrifically twee is what I would have gone with.

Please note actual Harry Potter is so twee it's basically a war crime so it's unsurprising. If I'm going to do a magic school I want something that's more like Naomi Novik's recent A Deadly Education/The Last Graduate, rather than stuff that emulates some of the worst aspects of HP.

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

View attachment 146362

Really, can't go beyond this... sorry

 

[NotAYakk]

No, nothing like Harry Potter at all. These adult wizards are just very, very childish even though they're attending University. It's just a coincidence that as adults there's a coming of age story, childish hi-jinks, and a plot against the school that only the children, er um, adult students can resolve.

Have you been to university?

Undergraduate hi-jinks are quite often way more "childish" than anything 10 year olds actually do.

 

[Bolares]

Really, can't go beyond this... sorry

what do you mean?

 

[Oofta]

I have played in a campaign that was set in a school for adventurers and we had a lot of fun. However it looks like this particular school is only spellcasters which to me could be quite limiting. I like playing PCs that have limited or no magic, I wonder how they would fit into this setting, if at all? Not everyone wants to play a wizard.

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

what do you mean?

That I really can't try to rise some interest in a product with that illustration inside. Does not mean that it is bad, but is like asking me to follow a netflix teen show... This is so far from my fantasy taste that it is impossible for me to cope with. But it is absolutely a subjective point of view and not a comment above the quality of the product, obvioulsy.
If I can hazard a general and more subjective comment, I remember that when I was child many DnD illustration were capturing my imagination for the adult and prohibited flavour... i was fascinated by dnd because it seemed to me a mature game, something definitely different from the kids garbage I was sourrounded. Maybe WOTC do not want to use this kind of approach in selling their products.

 

[Bolares]

I have played in a campaign that was set in a school for adventurers and we had a lot of fun. However it looks like this particular school is only spellcasters which to me could be quite limiting. I like playing PCs that have limited or no magic, I wonder how they would fit into this setting, if at all? Not everyone wants to play a wizard.

Well, spellcasters doesn't mean just wizard. In the magic set there are clerics, warlocks, shamans, druids... I think the DnD set will not limit you to just spellcasters, but will give you chances to sprinkle magic in non caster characters too.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

If I can hazard a general and more subjective comment, I remember that when I was child many DnD illustration were capturing my imagination for the adult and prohibited flavour... i was fascinated by dnd because it seemed to me a mature game, something definitely different from the kids garbage I was sourrounded. Maybe WOTC do not want to use this kind of approach in selling their products.

With stuff like Decent into Avernus and Out of the Abyss, it's not as if the adolescent edgelord demographic has been ignored.

 

[Bolares]

With stuff like Decent into Avernus and Out of the Abyss, it's not as if the adolescent edgelord demographic has been ignored.

Yeah, I don't get how a ballroom scene is so disruptive to the imagery of D&D. I thought it was a pretty common trope of fantasy.