Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Mages of Strixhaven

An Unearthed Arcana playtest document for the upcoming Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos hardcover has been released by WotC!

"Become a student of magic in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! This playtest document presents five subclasses for Dungeons & Dragons. Each of these subclasses allows you to play a mage associated with one of the five colleges of Strixhaven, a university of magic. These subclasses are special, with each one being available to more than one class."

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It's 9 pages, and contains five subclasses, one for each the Strixhaven colleges:

• Lorehold College, dedicated to the pursuit of history by conversing with ancient spirits and understanding the whims of time itself
• Prismari College, dedicated to the visual and performing arts and bolstered with the power of the elements
• Quandrix College, dedicated to the study and manipulation of nature’s core mathematic principles
• Silverquill College, dedicated to the magic of words, whether encouraging speeches that uplift allies or piercing wit that derides foes
• Witherbloom College, dedicated to the alchemy of life and death and harnessing the devastating energies of both

 

[Yaarel]

I know it's a bad experience for a player to have their powers taken away. I just dont see why the patron would go along with a deal that one-sided logically. Internally consistent world-building is important to me.

It is a fair question.

For me, the patron just doesnt matter mechanically. Honestly, I dislike the old school DM-bullies-player via deity. I dont want to go near that. I consider it trespassing on the players character concept.

If a player wants to focus on a patron, that would be fine, and I would help make it happen. But I would let the player take the lead for that, similar to the way I let the player take the lead if deciding to create another character who is a spouse. I would be gentle if using the relationship for a plot device.

On the other hand, there are otherworldly mentors, who are part of a Background, and continue to be a useful contact. They are incentives for and heralds of adventures, and sometimes get consulted to overcome a challenge.

In a Scot-esque regional setting, the witches are Fey Warlocks. The awakening of their magical power normally involves an encounter with one of the Fey Elves who are sensitive to humans gaining Sight. These Elves are called Sith. Often a particular Elf guides them thru the ordeal of the magical awakening, and helps the newbie learn how to wield magic, safely and effectively. This Elf is a "patron" but not necessarily powerful. At the same time, the Scot-esque government of the Elves is a monarchy that the Elf Queen presides over. She is a powerful Warlock. I havent statted her but she is either Legend or Epic. Human Warlocks tend to know about her, via the other Elves, so she is available as a narrative resource for adventures.

I havent explored the Faustian Pact archetype. If a player wants a Fiend as a Patron. I would basically consider the Fiend powerless. Heh, the Fiend approaches the character basically to "advertise", in the hopes of the fiendish way of life becoming a thinkable option. If I wanted tension between the Warlock and the Fiend (if the player is into it), the Fiend can grant a valuable magic item to the character. And this magic item only works depending on how happy the Fiend is with the character.

 

[Yaarel]

This is question for Warlock players.

According to the mechanics, the Patron has no say, in the Warlock class features.

The only thing that is debatable, is the Pact Boon, whose wording of "for loyal service", might imply the ability to remove it if unloyal.

Interpreted this way, the DM (not you) controls 1) your Familiar, 2) your Weapon Proficiency, 3) your extra Cantrips.

Are you ok with this?



Keep in mind, "loyal service" can mean many things, depending on who or what you choose as your Patron. If the Patron is the mage college, it might mean "studying diligently".

 

[Parmandur]

This is question for Warlock players.

According to the mechanics, the Patron has no say, in the Warlock class features.

The only thing that is debatable, is the Pact Boon, whose wording of "for loyal service", might imply the ability to remove it if unloyal.

Interpreted this way, the DM (not you) controls 1) your Familiar, 2) your Weapon Proficiency, 3) your extra Cantrips.

Are you ok with this?



Keep in mind, "loyal service" can mean many things, depending on who or what you choose as your Patron. If the Patron is the mage college, it might mean "studying diligently".

Once my wife played a Gnome Warlock who had sold her soul to Satin, the Platonic form of the clothe material. She was under a geas to try and taste and eat exotic cloth materials whenever possible.

 

[Rikka66]

This is question for Warlock players.

According to the mechanics, the Patron has no say, in the Warlock class features.

The only thing that is debatable, is the Pact Boon, whose wording of "for loyal service", might imply the ability to remove it if unloyal.

Interpreted this way, the DM (not you) controls 1) your Familiar, 2) your Weapon Proficiency, 3) your extra Cantrips.

Are you ok with this?



Keep in mind, "loyal service" can mean many things, depending on who or what you choose as your Patron. If the Patron is the mage college, it might mean "studying diligently".

I would want my DM and I to discuss it, but that strikes me as a reasonable halfway point for a player not losing their entire class but still suffering some loss of abilities for upsetting their patron.

Even if a patron couldn't take any abilities from a player, it seems like the familiar would be up to RP.

 

[SkidAce]

Elric gets murdered by his own sword has has his soul sucked out. I don't call that a win.

Its true.

 

[Faolyn]

The only thing that is debatable, is the Pact Boon, whose wording of "for loyal service", might imply the ability to remove it if unloyal.

Interpreted this way, the DM (not you) controls 1) your Familiar, 2) your Weapon Proficiency, 3) your extra Cantrips.

I'm playing a warlock in one of my games, and I just got my pact boon. The DM asked me what it was and then asked if I would hold off using it until he could have my patron physically give it to me, which it did in the next adventure.

 

[Maxperson]

Nope, those are in chronological order, that's why the publication dates are out of order. The Dreamthief's Daughter takes place after Stormbinger.

I've seen multiple chronological orders. Some have it that way and some don't. How does that book describe Elric's resurrection? If it doesn't, why do you think that it's after he died?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I've seen multiple chronological orders. Some have it that way and some don't. How does that book describe Elric's resurrection? If it doesn't, why do you think that it's after he died?

The author says so? It's actually many many years after he died.

 

[Maxperson]

The author says so? It's actually many many years after he died.

Where? I couldn't find that when I Googled. Does he explain how it happened?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Where? I couldn't find that when I Googled. Does he explain how it happened?

Moorcock's view of the nature of reality isn't causal. There are infinite timelines, some of which stuff happened one way, others it happened differently. In DTD there are multiple Elrics, and he walks a (literal) path between infinite multiple realities.

If I remember correctly, some of it is explained in "Quest for Tanelorn" which isn't listed as an Elric story, but Elric features prominently in it. In that one, Elric eat Stormbringer.