Age: 13 (0-level, 2 hp+con bonus, see below)
Minimum Intelligence: 16 (15 in conditional admit)
Demonstrate the ability to cast one spell (cantrip).
Interview with the School. (Role=play/first adventure)
Ability Scores
Ability Scores are rolled per normal; 3d6 in order*. (Considering 2d6+3 for Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution).
I will allow the highest ability to be placed in Intelligence without penalty.
Each year the student will get 1 point to place in an ability of their choice. Max is 18.
According to the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, humans with an Intelligence ability of 16 or more knows at least 4 languages. Common, Alignment and two others. These two (or more) additional languages will be learned in the school. Typically students learn Elven and Draconic. Other, more exotic languages can be learned by 3rd and 4th-year students.
Cantrips
I will have a universal system for learning cantrips. If so, then the first spell the students know might be a Cantrip.
Students can take seven courses per year and one over the summer.
First Year Classes
Physical Conditioning I: Each morning will begin with exercise and other physical conditioning training. Often a wizard will be required to stand in a magic circle for hours on end chanting. Weak in the body is as dangerous as weak in the will here. Students enrolled (mandatory for First Years) will have the full amount of hp for their Hit Die per Level (typically 4 + con bonus).
Herbs and their Properties: Necessary for material component understanding and a prerequisite for Alchemy and Magical Theory and Thought II.
Magical Theory and Thought I: Double course. Topics cover why and how magic works.
Ecclesiastic Studies I: The nature of gods and the planes. Required for First years, optional after that.
Elvish I: Learning to speak, read and understand the major dialects of Elvish.
Mathematics: Necessary for advanced Magic Theory and Alchemy.
End of the first year they are 1st level and know 1 1st level spell.
Summer Apprenticeships
Here students can get practical application knowledge. Internships are on a first come, first served basis though faculty can also make placements.
Second Year Classes
PCII: Students continue their physical conditioning classes.
Intermediate Herbology: Plants helpful and harmful.
Ecclesiastics II: Advanced topics including the nature of Immortality, transmigration of the soul and the nature of undead. Required for Ecclesiastic and Necromancy students.
Magical Theory and Thought II: The nature of arcane magic, the use of material components. Discussion and case studies of the works of famous, but esoteric wizards.
Creatures I: The three textbooks affectionately called Monster Manual, Fiend Folio and Creature Catalog.
Draconic I: Learning to speak, write and understand the major dialects of Draconic.
Elvish II: Elvish and it's relationship to magic are covered.
Survey and Seminar: (half term) Covers the Colleges of the school and their disciplines.
Elective: (half term) First Elective choice.
End of the second year they are 2nd level and know 2 1st level spells.
Third Year Classes
Third Year is the year they take their specialization. These will depend on which "Colleges" I create.
Ecclesiastics III & Magical Theory and Thought III: This combine double class covers the natures of gods, deities, and spell granting powers including demon lords, Dukes of Hell and the Fey Lords.
PCIII: Advanced finger conditioning. Known by fourth years as "the days of pain".
Draconic II: Learning to recognize and speak the "vulgar" dialects of Draconic.
Elvish III: Conversational High Elvish and Sylvan Elvish are covered in depth.
Creatures II: Exploration of the major works including the Ecologies.
End of the third year they are 3rd level and know 2 1st level spells and 1 2nd level spell.
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Year Classes
These will be in the student's major area of study.
Courses that continue but are not required at this point are Ecclesiastics, Magical Theory & Thought, Draconic, and Elvish.
End of the fourth year they are 4th level and know 2 1st level spells and 2 2nd level spells.
End of the fifth year they are 5th level and know 2 1st level spells, 2 2nd level spells, and 1 3rd level spell.
End of the sixth year they are 6th level and know 2 1st level spells, 2 2nd level spells, and 2 3rd level spells.
Fields of Study (so far)
Alchemy
Bardic Magic
Dragonolgy/Dragonmancy
Necromancy
High Witchcraft
I might add more. I think I am going to need a good "Basic Era" Alchemist class and a better Bard. So far I am not 100% on any of the Bards I have seen so far.
Part of the plan is to use any and all the magic books I have in my collection, I have a lot of fun stuff and this would be a good chance to use them.
With all the games I worked on over the years I figure I have written somewhere near 800 new spells. Might be fun to use all of that in one game.
6 comments:
2d6+3? I'm always puzzled by Gamers that think Magic Users are automatically "candy asses;" sickly, weak and a klutz. I don't buy into that stereotype.
I agree with Mystic Scholar!
I know Gandalf was extremely high level but he was tough and could swing a sword with the best of them!
I am keeping as is for now. Having done this for years in D&D and other games it works fine. I pretty did the exact same thing in BESM/TRi-Stat (on the Body stat) for years.
Also 2d6+3 gives you a range of 5 to 15, an average of 10 (10.5). This is the same as normal humans. So they are not "frail" they are average.
And Gandalf was a deity...well, an angel/demi-god anyway.
These are children. Few children of 13+ are as strong as adults. It has nothing to do with being spell-casters. If a 13-year-old gets into a fight with an adult in their prime I think it would be pretty exceptional circumstances for the 13-year-old to win (yes, a strong child could beat a weak adult - the two bell-curves overlap but their centres should be offset).
In my standard D&D game I've been toying with breaking stats into 7-year chunks (as a way of determining character history). The first lot of d6s represent the child's genetics and early years; the next d6s would be childhood proper, from 8-13; the 3rd d6 would represent what the child was doing in its teens (apprenticeship, going into a monastery etc). If you're playing characters up through a Hogwartsy-style school system, perhaps the way to simulate them being kids is to have 2d6 in order as base stats, then every 'year' of school let them roll a d6 and distribute the pips as they like between their stats. Six years of school means 6 more rolls so you still get 6x 3d6 and by the time they leave (at 19?) they have their full adult stats.
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