D&D 5E Strixhaven Twitter Previews

[Dausuul]

That's just an amplification of a very British structure, and not a unique thing to Potter.
There are still vestiges in the Ivys here

I have no doubt there are real-world analogues. J.K. Rowling got her ideas from somewhere.

But I cannot think of any analogues among pre-Potter fantasy wizard schools. Unseen University doesn't have this kind of deep factionalism going on, and UU's wizard sports consist of Extreme Napping and Competitive Eating. The wizards' school at Roke has none of this either, nor does Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The last item is notable because the "Worst Witch" books were precursors to the Potterverse in many ways; but there is nothing resembling the House system and its all-encompassing division of the school, and the closest it comes to Quidditch is broomstick shows at Halloween.

 

[Bolares]

Wizard schools have a long history in fantasy--all the way back to Dracula, and probably further--but Strixhaven's Harry Potter vibe extends well beyond simply being a wizard school:

• The school is divided into long-established factions, each with a legendary founder.
• Each faction is defined by a particular ethos, and recruits students who are drawn to that ethos.
• Virtually everyone joins a faction. They aren't like college fraternities where most students never pledge.
• There is a popular magical sport, played in a stadium, with each faction fielding a team.

Of course, the division into factions, and the association of each faction with an ethos, is very natural for a Magic setting. The color system almost requires it; you'd have trouble creating a wizard school setting in Magic that didn't look at least a bit like a Harry Potter pastiche. But Strixhaven leans into that resemblance hard. The sport of Mage Tower, in particular, is hard to see as anything other than a shout-out to Quidditch.

I don't know... In the Magic set Stryxhaven felt very different from Harry Potter. Sure, I agree with some of your similarities, but to me it has more that differentiates them than that brings them closer.

 

[bedir than]

I have no doubt there are real-world analogues. J.K. Rowling got her ideas from somewhere.

But I cannot think of any analogues among pre-Potter fantasy wizard schools. Unseen University doesn't have this kind of deep factionalism going on, and UU's wizard sports consist of Extreme Napping and Competitive Eating. The wizards' school at Roke has none of this either, nor does Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The last item is notable because the "Worst Witch" books were precursors to the Potterverse in many ways; but there is nothing resembling the House system and its all-encompassing division of the school, and the closest it comes to Quidditch is broomstick shows at Halloween.

Were those British?

 

[Dausuul]

Were those British?

Unseen University: Yes.
Roke: No.
Miss Cackle's Academy: Yes.

And, while we're at it:

Strixhaven: No.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

That's just an amplification of a very British structure, and not a unique thing to Potter.
There are still vestiges in the Ivys here

Sure, but both Strixhaven and Hogwartz seem to organize their schools/houses more by personality/interests than anything else. Which is definitely not how British schools are organized.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Sure, but both Strixhaven and Hogwartz seem to organize their schools/houses more by personality/interests than anything else. Which is definitely not how British schools are organized.

they are normally fairly random in my knowledge.

 

[darjr]

I’d read a Strixhaven novel.

 

[Bolares]

I’d read a Strixhaven novel.

There are some web stories about the MTG set...

MTG Story, Planes and Planeswalker | Magic: The Gathering

Explore the official source of the Magic Multiverse by learning about MTG planes and planeswalkers and catching up with current and past MTG stories.

magic.wizards.com

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Wizarding School - TV Tropes

In ye olden days, people learned skills by being apprenticed to someone, so it was natural to assume that magicians would learn the ropes in the same manner. Then, the modern age saw the rise of public schooling and universities almost completely …

tvtropes.org

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Stryxhaven can't be yet the "Harry-Potter-killer" but it could be in a (far?) future. HP saga has got a closed end, and it is not too easy to create a sequel or spin-off, but Stryxhaven is a open-world, allowing lots of different stories and these with new characters, and with space for potential crossovers with other lines.

 

[Bolares]

Wizarding School - TV Tropes

In ye olden days, people learned skills by being apprenticed to someone, so it was natural to assume that magicians would learn the ropes in the same manner. Then, the modern age saw the rise of public schooling and universities almost completely …

tvtropes.org

---

Stryxhaven can't be yet the "Harry-Potter-killer" but it could be in a (far?) future. HP saga has got a closed end, and it is not too easy to create a sequel or spin-off, but Stryxhaven is a open-world, allowing lots of different stories and these with new characters, and with space for potential crossovers with other lines.

Stryxhaven is reeeaally small in pop culture, and will always be, unless it breaks out of the IP's is tagged onto (D&D and magic). Both the most famous worlds of either D&D (Forgotten Realms) and Magic (Ravnica/Dominaria) are MUCH smaller than harry Potter, so Stryxhaven would need to get A LOT more popular to even make a dent on HP's dominance on the trope