Strixhaven - A Curriculum of Chaos

K

CREDITS StrixHaven World Designers: Doug Beyer (creative lead), Taylor
Ingvarsson (art director), Jess Lanzillo (creative director), Meris
Lead Designer: Amanda Hamon Mullaley (creative producer), Fox Allison, Annie Sardelis, Emily

Assistant Lead Designers: Jeremy Crawford, James Wyatt Teng, Andrew Valias, James Wyatt, Ari Zirulnik

Art Director: Emi Tanji Project Engineer: Cynda Callaway
Imaging Technicians: Kevin Yee
Designers: Bill Benham, Makenzie De Armas, Dan Dillon, Steve
Prepress Specialist: Jefferson Dunlap
Kenson, T. Alexander Stangroom
D&D STUDIO
Assistant Designers: Sydney Adams, Taymoor Rehman
Rules Developers: Jeremy Crawford, Ben Petrisor Executive Producer: Ray Winninger
Editors: Judy Bauer, Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Cray, lanara Game Design Architects: Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins
Design Manager: Steve Scott
Natividad, Christopher Perkins, F. Wesley Schneider Design Department: Sydney Adams, Judy Bauer, Makenzie De

Graphic Designers: Trystan Falcone, Emi Tanji, Trish Yochum Armas, Dan Dillon, Amanda Hamon, Ari Levitch, Ben Petrisor,
Cover Illustrators: Hydro74, Magali Villeneuve Taymoor Rehman, F. Wesley Schneider, James Wyatt
Cartographers: Francesca Baerald, Sean Macdonald, Mike Schley Art Department Manager: Richard Whitters
Additional Art Directors: Ovidio Cartagena, Taylor Ingvarsson, Kate Principal Art Director: Kate Irwin
Art Department: Trystan Falcone, Emi Tanji, Shawn Wood,
Irwin, Thomas Jenkot, Zack Stella, Sarah Wassell Trish Yochum
Interior Illustrators: Steve Argyle, Jinho Bae, Cristi Balanescu, Mike Senior Producer: Dan Tovar
Producers: Bill Benham, Robert Hawkey, Lea Heleotis
Bierek, Zoltan Boros, Alex Brock, Filip Burburan, Dmitry Burmak, Director of Product Management: Liz Schuh
Product Managers: Natalie Egan, Chris Lindsay, Hilary Ross,
Ekaterina Burmak, Paul Scott Canavan, Manuel Castanon, Jehan Chris Tulach
Choo, Billy Christian, Chris Cold, Justine Cruz, Alayna Danner,
Jonas De Ro, Olga Drebas, Piotr Dura, Jesper Ejsing, Anna Fehr, MARKETING
Tony Foti, Caroline Gariba, Ilse Gort, Johan Grenier, Yeong- Director of Global Brand Marketing: Brian Perry
Hao Han, Josh Hass, Hydro74, Izzy, Tomasz Jedruszek, Jihun, Global Brand Manager: Shelly Mazzanoble
Jason Kang, Igor Kieryluk, Mathias Kollros, Yigit Koroglu, Kekai Senior Marketing Communications Manager: Greg Tito
Community Manager: Brandy Camel
Kotaki, Andrey Kuzinskiy, Luiza Laffitte, Lius Lasahido, Ryan
Alexander Lee, Lie Setiawan, Daniel Ljunggren, Lindsey Look,
Titus Lunter, Howard Lyon, Slawomir Maniak, Antonio Jose
Manzanedo, Joseph Meehan, Viko Menezes, Robson Michel,
Francisco Miyara, Scott Murphy, Marta Nael, Hector Ortiz, Adam
Paquette, Alessandra Pisano, Steve Prescott, Chris Rahn, Jason
Rainville, Andreas Rocha, Denman Rooke, Sean Sevestre, Liiga
Smilshkalne, Bryan Sola, Craig J Spearing, Raymond Swanland,

YWTang, Viktor Titov, Jokubas Uogintas, Randy Vargas, Svetlin
Velinov, Raoul Vitale, Johannes Voss, Sara Winters, Bayard Wu,

Kieran Yanner, Andreas Zafiratos

ON THE COVER ON THE ALT-COVER

Three Strixhaven students find distractions from their studies Hydro74 shows off the Strixhaven star, a symbol of unity and
magical fellowship. The sigils of each of Strixhaven’s five colleges
in Magali Villeneuve’s cover illustration. On the back, a harried adorn the back cover.
Biblioplex assistant tries to tidy the mess.

620D0147000001 EN UK Disclaimer: A degreefrom Strixhaven University does not provide
CA protectionfrom magic missiles,fireballs,freezing spheres, or any
ISBN: 978-0-7869-6744-5 other deleterious effects spellcasters might generate. If you create
deleterious effects, Strixhaven kindly requests you refrainfrom invok-
First Printing: November 2021 ing any names, symbols, or other references to the university should
youfind yourself in a confrontation. Strixhaven University does
987654321 K not take responsibilityfor any injury of any nature sustained in the
course of anything, magical or otherwise.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, the dragon ampersand, Dungeon Master, Player's Handbook , Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide, Strixhaven, Magic: The
Gathering, the planeswalker symbol, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

.All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast The materials described in this statement are protected under the copyright laws of the United

States of America and around the world under international intellectual property treaties. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the materials contained herein or artwork contained
herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

Printed in the USA. ©2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by: Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boeechat 31, 2800 Delemont. CH.

.Represented by: Hasbro. De Entree 240. 1101 EE Amsterdam. NL. Hasbro UK Ltd , P.O. Box 43 Newport, NP19 4YH, UK.

CONTENTS

Welcome to Strixhaven 4 Shuvadri Glintmantle .58 Ch 6: A Reckoning in Ruins 156
157
About This Book 5 Tilana Kapule 58 Running This Adventure 157
158
Orientation 5 Urzmaktok Grojsh 59 A Sinister Shadow
159
Strixhaven’s World 6 Zanther Bowen 59 A Brief Distraction 160
165
Ch. 1: Life on Campus 8 Campus Kerfuffle 60 Arcane Herbology 165
9 Exam: Vegetation Identification 166
Magical Study Running This Adventure 60 172
Campus Overview 44 Clue in the Bayou 173
Lorehold College 13 First Day on Campus . 61 Advance to 9th Level! 178
Prismari College 45 No Time to Lose 178
Quandrix College Orientation Challenge . 66 Into the Badlands
Silverquill College 19 Frog’s the Word This Is Surreal, Isn’t It? 182
Witherbloom College . 70 Ruins of Caerdoon 184
22 Advance to 10th Level! 185
25 Magical Physiologies Confronting Murgaxor 186
187
Exam: Slaadi . 72 .Ch 7: Friends and Foes 188
189
Advance to 2nd Level!.... . 74 Archaic 190
Art Elemental Mascot 191
Ch. 2: Character Options 28 Work Hard, Play Harder . 74 Beledros Witherbloom 192
Brackish Trudge 193
Race Option: Owlin 29 Magical Physiologies Cogwork Archivist 194
Choosing a College Daemogoth 195
Strixhaven Backgrounds 30 Exam: Owlbears Daemogoth Titan 197
197
Lorehold Student 31 Campus Daredevils ' 78 First-Year Student 198
Prismari Student 31 Advance to 3rd Level! 86 Fractal Mascot 198
Quandrix Student 32 Galazeth Prismari 199
Silverquill Student Magical Physiologies Groff 200
Witherbloom Student 33 Inkling Mascot , 201
Feats Exam: Otyughs 86
Strixhaven Initiate 35 Lorehold Apprentice .202
Strixhaven Mascot All the World’s a Stage... 86 Lorehold Pledgemage
Spells 36 ' 92 Lorehold Professor of Chaos .203
Borrowed Knowledge Secrets in Sedgemoor ... ..95 Lorehold Professor of Order .205
36 Mage Hunter .205
Kinetic Jaunt Advance to 4th Level! ..96 Oracle of Strixhaven 206
36 Oriq Blood Mage 206
Silvery Barbs 37 .Ch 4: Hunt for Mage Tower Oriq Recruiter 208
Vortex Warp Pest Mascot 208
Wither and Bloom 32 Running This Adventure „ 97 Prismari Apprentice
Magic Items Prismari Pledgemage .209
Bottle of Boundless Coffee 32 Back in Session „ 98 Prismari Professor of Expression .209
Cuddly Strixhaven Mascot Prismari Professor of Perfection
Lorehold Primer 32 Mascots Everywhere! „ 99 Quandrix Apprentice 210
Prismari Primer 38 211
Quandrix Primer 38 Scrivening and Symbology Quandrix Pledgemage 212
Silverquill Primer 3g Quandrix Professor of Substance 214
Strixhaven Pennant 3g Exam: Glyph of Warding.... 106 Quandrix Professor of Theory 214
Witherbloom Primer 38 Relic Sloth 215
3g Advance to 5th Level! 107 Ruin Grinder 215
39 Shadrix Silverquill 216
39 Party at the Rose Stage 108 Silverquill Apprentice 217
39 Silverquill Pledgemage 218
39 Practice Makes Perfect Ill Silverquill Professor of Radiance 219
39 . 221
39 Scrivening and Symbology Silverquill Professor of Shadow.. . 222
. 223
Exam: Symbol Glyphs 113 Spirit Statue Mascot 223
Strixhaven Campus Guide
Getting Some Air 114 Tanazir Quandrix .224
Velomachus Lorehold
Dangerous Knowledge . 116 Witherbloom Apprentice
Witherbloom Pledgemage
Scrivening and Symbology . 118 Witherbloom Professor of Decay
Exam: Augury .119 Witherbloom Professor of Growth
.121
Tell Us in Song! Appendix: Campus Map.
Battle of Strixhaven

Ch. 3: School Is in Session .. 40 Advance to 6th Level! .123

Running the Adventures 44 .Ch 5: The Magister’s Masquerade...124
43
Strixhaven Tracking Sheet ... Running This Adventure 125

Extracurriculars 44 Cordially Invited 126

Jobs 45 Reception at Bow’s End 127
42
Exams Fate at Furygale 130

Relationships 48 Advanced Arcane History

Fellow Students 50 Exam: Relics 134
51
Aurora Luna Wynterstarr .. Dressing for Success 135

Bhedum Sooviij 54 Party Preparations 138

Cadoras Damellawar 52 Advanced Arcane History

Drazhomir Yarnask 52 Exam: Devices 139

Grayson Wildemere 53 Suspicions 140

Greta Gorunn 53 Fancying Up Footwork 140

Javenesh Stoutclaw 54 Preparing the Hall 141
54
Larine Arneza Advance to 7th Level! 145

Melwythorne 55 Advanced Arcane History

Mina Lee 55 Exam: Unearthed Arcana 145

Nora Ann Wu 55 A Starlit Night 146

Quentillius Antiphiun Melentor III....56 Midnight at Lorehold 149

Rosimyffenbip Wuzfeddlims 52 Aftermath 154

Rubina Larkingdale 57 Advance to 8th Level! 155

HE MISSION OF STRIXHAVEN UNIVERSITY IS TO As a Strixhaven student, you start with a well-
rounded education in a rigorous first-year program.
discover and preserve magical knowledge, to
In your second year, you choose your preferred
disseminate that knowledge from one generation
specialty at one of the five colleges. You can also
to the next, to promote free and open study of
partake in a vibrant campus life, with plenty of clubs
magic in all its forms, and to enhance the lives of people
and other activities. You might even play on one of
throughout the world through the use of magic.
Strixhaven’s prestigious Mage Tower teams and
—Strixhaven mission statement
bask in the adoration of cheering crowds!
A magical world boasts many places where students
can study magic and many sages who take eager COLLEGES OF STRIXHAVEN

learners under their wings. But being accepted to College Description

Strixhaven University is a special honor, the dream Lorehold Explores the past and preserves its lessons

of many young students. Strixhaven is a place of for future generations. Also called the Col-

enlightenment and learning, and both its graduates lege of Archaeomancy.
and its delegates are typically welcomed and re-
Prismari Uses the elements to practice the arts.
spected wherever they go.
Founded seven centuries ago by five ancient drag- Also called the College of Elemental Arts.

ons, Strixhaven is the premier institution of magical Quandrix Focuses on the mathematics of nature.
learning, drawing promising young mages from all
Also called the College of Numeromancy.
—over. Each equipped with its own campus and fac-
Silverquill Teaches the magic of rhetoric, poetry, ora-
ulty, Strixhaven’s five colleges summarized in the
Colleges of Strixhaven table-cover a vast array of tion, and writing. Also called the College of

academic and magical specialties. Eloquence.

Witherbloom Harnesses the forces of life and death.

Also called the College of Essence Studies. -

4 TO STRIXHAVEN

ABOUT THIS BOOK Finally, student characters are part of a school

This book is your guide to life at Strixhaven in DUN- community. They live in university housing, eat in

GEONS & DRAGONS an introduction to the univer- dining halls, and spend the majority of their time on
sity, a guide to creating student characters there, a
campus. They eat, sleep, study, socialize, and adven-
campaign, and a collection of friends and foes.
ture as part of a community of students, faculty, and
Chapter 1 gives an overview of life and study at
Strixhaven. It introduces the main features of the staff. The school is like a town, where a relatively

central campus and each of the five colleges. small cast of characters can play significant roles
over the course of the campaign.
Chapter 2 is your guide to creating a student
IT S AN ACADEMY OF MAGES
character. It introduces the owlin race and five back-
Study at Strixhaven isn’t about learning to be a wiz-
— —grounds one for each college as well as a collec-
ard but about learning to be a historian, an artist, an
tion of feats, spells, and magic items.
Chapters 3-6 provide a campaign meant to ad- —orator, a scientist, or some other profession while

vance characters from 1st to 10th level as they prog- using magic to enhance one’s studies. The univer-
ress through their magical studies. Each chapter sity’s understanding of magic is expansive. Charac-

covers a year’s worth of adventure, so characters ters of any class can study at Strixhaven, whether
begin chapter 3 as lst-level characters and first-year they’re full-fledged spellcasters like wizards, clerics,
and druids; they manage a spell or two thanks to a
students and begin chapter 6 at the start of their
subclass or feat; or they manifest magical abilities
fourth year of studies (at around 8th level). Chapter
that aren’t even spells. (For example, a barbarian
3 includes an overview of the adventures and the
who follows the Path of the Ancestral Guardian, de-
overall campaign arc as well as special rules for
aspects of campus life: exams, relationships, extra- scribed in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, can excel

curriculars, and jobs. in studying history at Lorehold College by virtue of
Chapter 7 is a collection of stat blocks for stu-
.their connection to an ancestral spirit )
dents, faculty, and various creatures on and around
Magic is everywhere on campus. The campus
the Strixhaven campus. Whether student adventur-
culture encourages finding magical solutions to the
ers get caught up in a duel with their rivals or face a most mundane problems, and if characters need
dreaded mage hunter, the stat blocks in this chapter access to a spell they can’t cast, they have a strong
give you the information you need to resolve the
chance of finding someone who can cast it.
situation.
IT S COSMOPOLITAN
ORIENTATION
Strixhaven draws students and faculty from across
The following subsections present three important
facts to keep in mind as you explore these pages and the world and from other realms in the multiverse.

prepare to play or run the book’s campaign. The university’s students and faculty are united by a
desire to learn and include humans, elves, dwarves,
STRIXHAVEN IS A UNIVERSITY owlin (described in chapter 2), ores, trolls, vampires,

This book’s campaign assumes that the player and studious folk of many other origins.

characters are students at Strixhaven University. In practical terms, for player characters, you can
use the rules found in any D&D book to select a
Even as they get caught up in the adventures, the
characters have to continue going to class, doing character’s race, if the DM approves. For nonplayer

homework, and studying for exams. Optional rules characters, you’re as likely to meet a pixie, a dryad,
a giant, a treant, or another fantastical creature on
in chapter 3 reinforce the importance of study in the
campus as you are to meet a Humanoid. The faculty
adventures.
members mentioned in chapter 1 include genasi, tri-
The characters are also subject to the authority
tons, and even a bipedal brown bear.
of the university’s faculty and staff members. Cir- To the faculty and students of Strixhaven, it is un-

cumstances will at times cause player characters remarkable to meet someone who hails from a far-

— —to defy faculty authority and even deans during off land, since almost everyone on campus is from

their adventures, and the threat of detention or even somewhere else. Strixhaven has a place for anyone
who is dedicated to magic-enhanced study.
expulsion might hang over their head.

WELCOME TO STRIXHAVEN 5

STRIXHAVEN S WORLD a place of great magic, such as the site of a great

Strixhaven bills itself as “the premier institution of mage’s birth or the location of a time-lost spell.

—magical learning in the world,” but the question that Other folk believe these arches are connected with

raises for your campaign is this which world? the archaics in some way (see “Archaics and the Or-
acle” below). Some students have even seen an arch
In the multiverse of the MAGIC: THE GATHERING
Trading Card Game, Strixhaven is located on a come to life with magic in an archaic’s presence.
world called Arcavios, which (according to legend)
Both snarls and star arches are subjects of magi-
formed from the collision or merging of two other cal research for students and faculty at Strixhaven,
who also study wild and dead magic zones, floating
worlds. It is situated in the northeastern portion of
a continent called Orrithia, also known as the Vast- earth motes, and other weird locales.

lands, which is populated by a tremendous variety FOUNDER DRAGONS

of peoples. Strixhaven University was founded by five ancient

For the purposes of D&D, though, you can place dragons who, according to legend, hatched from the

Strixhaven wherever it best fits the needs of your magical energy of the newborn world of Arcavios.

campaign. It could be in a world of your own cre- These Founder Dragons were among the first to
ation, in a published D&D setting (such as the For- master magic, and they realized that only through

gotten Realms or Eberron), in the planar cosmopo- disciplined study would magic be safe in the hands
lis of Sigil, or in an interplanar nexus that allows it
of other peoples. They founded Strixhaven to fa-
to draw students from across the Material Plane or
cilitate that study and established the five colleges
the entire multiverse. based on the magic that each dragon mastered, as

Whatever world you decide to place Strixhaven in, summarized in the Founder Dragons table.
To this day, the Founder Dragons roam the world.
three elements of the wider world of Arcavios might
They no longer associate directly with Strixhaven,
have some impact on adventures in the school.
preferring to let the deans of the colleges speak in
SNARLS AND STAR ARCHES
their stead. The dragons’ knowledge is vast, but
As described in the Player’s Handbook, magic their tempers can prove short. Mages seek them out
suffuses all existence in the worlds of D&D. In the only to learn the most elusive secrets. The dragons’
stat blocks are presented in chapter 7.
Forgotten Realms, scholars describe the fabric of
FOUNDER DRAGONS
magic as a Weave that allows spellcasters to inter-
act with the world’s underlying magical reality. In College Founder

Arcavios, that fabric is knotted and tangled in some Lorehold Velomachus Lorehold

locations, creating a phenomenon called snarls. At Prismari Galazeth Prismari

these places, spells can be amplified or distorted Quandrix Tanazir Quandrix
in unpredictable ways. This phenomenon matters
Silverquill Shadrix Silverquill
for Strixhaven because a luminous snarl is situated
at the very heart of campus, located in the Hall of Witherbloom Beledros Witherbloom
Oracles in the university’s monumental library, the
ARCHAICS AND THE ORACLE
Biblioplex.
Similarly, gravity-defying arch shapes appear The Oracle of Strixhaven is the wisest and most ac-

throughout the world of Arcavios and, in particular, complished mage in the world of Arcavios, selected

tower over the Biblioplex. These star arches are by the Founder Dragons. The Oracle’s lifelong task

made from spokes of natural materials that float is to ensure that magic is used to help people and

in an arch shape, with a precise inner curve and not twisted to evil ends. To be the Oracle, one must

a rough and irregular outer arch. They can stand understand fundamental truths about the nature of

straight or lie at an angle, and they can be small or magic, know and wield hundreds of spells, and pos-
sess impeccable judgment and virtue.
enormous, whole or broken, grown over or mysteri-
ously clean. Their irregular spokes evoke the radiat- Mysteriously linked to the Oracle, archaics are
ing lines of a shining star. wise, giant, long-lived beings with an innate talent
for magic. They can be seen striding through the
The star arches are a mystery left over from the wilds, exploring sources of magic with their many

birth of the world. In most cases, the arches simply arms or contemplating existence through their
“eye,” which functions as a magical focus of some
—float inexplicably silent, immovable, and inert. But

many people report seeing an arch appear to them

at a critical juncture in their lives, helping them un-

derstand a lesson or answer a burning question in

their mind. Some scholars believe each arch marks

6 WELCOME TO STRIXHAVEN

STRIXHAVEN UNIVERSITY, WITH THE (CENTER) BIBLIOPLEXSURROUNDED BY (TOP)
SILVERQUILLAND (GOING CLOCKWISE) QUANDRIX, WITHERBLOOM, PRISMARI, AND LOREHOLD

kind. Scholars seek out archaics for their vast soul and its fragmented memories coalesce into a

knowledge of history and magic, but archaics tend —creature a newborn archaic. Every archaic alive

to communicate in obscure allusions and cryptic today was born at the dawn of time from the mind

metaphors. of someone who has lived and died (or who will

Few know that archaics’ existence is linked to a one day live and die) as an Oracle. Archaics speak

time-warping phenomenon involving the Oracle. in cryptic allegories not only to tease and test the
eager minds of young mages, but also to cleverly
When an Oracle dies, their mind and spirit is swept
sidestep time paradoxes.
off to the distant past, drawn backward through
Stat blocks for archaics appear in chapter 7, along-
time toward the intense magical power that brought
side that of the current Oracle, whose name isJadzi.
the world into being. Splinters of that Oracle’s

WELCOME TO STRIXHAVEN 7



CHAPTER 1

LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

S TRIXHAVEN UNIVERSITY SPARKLES WITH FACULTY
the enthusiasm of its students and faculty,
as they study, debate about, and experi- The faculty members of Strixhaven are mages and
ment with magic in its varied forms. This
chapter offers an overview of life and studies on the —scholars experts in their various fields and in the
university’s campus, as well as a look at each of the
use of magic to enhance their studies. They are
five colleges where students explore different modes dedicated to their research and to educating genera-
tions of mage-students who follow in their footsteps.
of magical study.
Some faculty members value research more than
MAGICAL STUDY
teaching, while others make education their highest
The fundamental work of Strixhaven University priority. But all find some balance between the two.

is the application of magic to academic study. Stu- INSTRUCTORS
Strixhaven’s faculty begin their careers as instruc-
dents and faculty aren’t limited to magical topics
tors, focusing primarily on teaching classes and
alone; they pursue studies in every facet of exis- crafting curriculum, while the school administration

—tence-magical or otherwise applying magic to evaluates their performance. At the end of a provi-

whatever they study. At Strixhaven, historians call sional period, which can last from one to several

the spirits of the dead to aid their lessons about the years, an instructor is elevated to the rank of profes-
sor or let go.
past, and arcano-biologists use necromancy to pull
PROFESSORS
at life and coax out death when teaching about the Professors who have distinguished themselves

natural world. Simultaneously, mage-artists sculpt —over the course of a long career typically at least
—twenty years hope to be recognized with the title
elemental energy to create animate art, and arcane
of esteemed professor. This honor is bestowed in
symbologists teach students how to recognize and
recognition of groundbreaking research as well as
understand the magical glyphs they encounter.
exceptional teaching.
PRINCIPLES AND POLARITIES
Upon retiring, a professor receives the title of
The colleges and curriculum at Strixhaven are or-
mage emeritus. Mages emeriti are held in high es-
ganized around the idea of philosophical principles
teem and welcomed to campus as guest lecturers.
joined in concordant opposition. Each school em-
STUDENTS
braces the paradoxical unity of two polar principles:
life and death, order and chaos, reason and emotion, Students at Strixhaven spend their first year in a
course of general studies, which lays the foundation
and so on. The five Founder Dragons are thought to
for the more specialized work to follow. During this
embody the coexistence of these principles, while year, they wear a uniform of black, white, and gray.
They’re encouraged to study broadly so that they be-
the ten deans of the colleges stand for the individual come acquainted with a wide range of disciplines.

principles distinguished from their opposites. First-year students live in dormitories located on
A student’s course of learning at Strixhaven in- the central campus and often form close friendships
there that last throughout their educational careers,
volves exploring the tension between these oppos- even when members of tight-knit groups of friends
ing principles, which typically involves late-night
arguments in residence halls and study rooms. The join different colleges in their second year. A few

university’s teaching philosophy is built on the idea students continue to live on central campus after

that exploring opposites leads to an understanding choosing a college, particularly if they pursue exten-

of a greater whole. Most people believe that only a sive studies in multiple colleges or work as resident

being with the wisdom (and long life) of the Founder advisers to first-year students. But most students
move to dormitories located on their chosen col-
Dragons or the archaics can truly master both lege’s campus in their second year.
halves of a school’s dichotomy, but a mage must

learn at least the rudiments of those halves. A Strix-

haven graduate is expected to leave the university
prepared to argue the fundamental issues of their

school’s philosophies.

CHAPTER 1 LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN 9

CHOOSING A COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

-Before starting their second year of studies, stu The day-to-day functioning of Strixhaven relies on

—dents choose one of the five colleges Lorehold, hundreds of laborers, clerks, coaches, administra-
—Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, or Witherbloom to tors, and others. These personnel include folk like

be their academic home for the remainder of their Mavinda Sharpbeak, the kindly owlin guidance

education. From this point, students wear uniforms counselor who takes first-year students under her

featuring the colors of their college, though these wing, and Gyome, the troll chef of Witherbloom

outfits aren’t as unvarying as the first-year garb. College. In addition to legions of people who devote

Two Counselors. Upon choosing a college, a their lives to the university’s operations, numerous

student is assigned two professors to serve as coun- —automatons and artificial life-forms various kinds
selors to help the student plan a course of studies.
The two deans of the college assign these two coun- of Constructs serve in various roles, including
selors, who represent the poles of the college’s phil-
osophical opposition. By design, the two counselors — .campus guides and library assistants

tend to offer conflicting advice, forcing the student All these operations are managed by an admin-

.to navigate opposing principles For example, a istration overseen by the ten deans, two in each

student pursuing historical studies in Lorehold Col- college. Each dean is an esteemed professor who

lege might have one counselor who focuses on the embraces one side of their school’s philosophical

unpredictable, war-filled chaos of historical reality dichotomy. The deans, like the professors who serve
-as counselors to students, view it as their role to dis
and another who dwells on the idea of an orderly
agree with each other and guide the college by way
progression toward an ideal. The former might
of their arguments. Furthermore, rivalries among
encourage the student to choose courses based on the deans only exacerbate this combative attitude.

gut feeling, to delve into the military aspects of an When the argumentative deans fail to chart a co-

issue, and to supplement their academic studies herent course for Strixhaven, the Founder Dragons

with some practical martial training. The other are occasionally forced to intervene. They don’t

counselor, meanwhile, might offer several ordered, step in directly, but a director known as the Voice of
the Founders currently an imposing man named
rational proposals for course selection, focus on the
— —Taiva speaks on the dragons’ behalf.
political and human aspects of historical issues, and
MASCOTS
place less emphasis on martial prowess. The stu-
—Each of Strixhaven’s five colleges has a mascot a
dent must then navigate this conflicting advice and
small creature associated with the magic of the
chart their own course.
school and often found wandering their respec-
Course of Study. Some students, having chosen
tive campuses. Witherbloom’s mascots, pests, are
a college, spend virtually all their remaining school naturally found in the world around the campus.

years on that campus and study with those profes- The other colleges’ mascots are brought into being

sors, diving into their preferred area of study and through magic. The Strixhaven Mascots table lists

related fields. Other students take as many as a -the mascots by college. Each of these mascots is de

third of their classes in other colleges, continuing tailed in chapter 7.

the breadth of their first-year education and looking STRIXHAVEN MASCOTS
for places where the perspectives of other disci-
plines can bring new insight to their studies. Both College Mascot
approaches are encouraged at the university.
Lorehold Spirit Statue Mascot
AFTER STRIXHAVEN
Prismari Art Elemental Mascot
A student’s course of study at Strixhaven lasts at
Quandrix Fractal Mascot
least four years but allows for advanced study for
Silverquill Inkling Mascot
several years beyond that time frame. Most stu-
Witherbloom Pest Mascot
dents eventually graduate, though, and they walk a
The five kinds of mascots act as companions for
variety of paths after leaving the university. Many
students and faculty, sometimes serving as willing
return to whatever home they came from, putting
subjects for experiments or demonstrations, and
what they have learned to use in their communities.
Some mages travel the multiverse in search of ev- occasionally even helping out in a duel or a more

er-greater magic, continuing their research in some serious combat situation. Most notably, mascots

form beyond the confines of an academic program. are also playing pieces of sorts in the Strixhaven
sport of Mage Tower, described in more detail in
A few alumni return to Strixhaven, sooner or later,
chapter 4.
as instructors themselves, and a small, select num-

ber join the Dragonsguard, an elite force of mages

who work with the Founder Dragons.

10 CHAPTER | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

CAMPUS OVERVIEW dictable: they aren’t necessarily open all the time,
they don’t always lead to the same places, and some
Strixhaven occupies hundreds of acres, spread out
require complicated conditions or keys to open.
over six campuses. Each of the university’s five col-
CENTRAL CAMPUS
leges has its own campus, and the central campus,
— —The central campus shown on map 1.1 is the
home to the Biblioplex and Strixhaven Stadium,
heart of Strixhaven. Its extensive grounds include
serves as a hub for university life.See the appendix residence halls for first-year students, dining halls,
or the poster map for a view of the entire university. administration buildings, classrooms and laborato-
ries (mostly used for first-year classes and interdisci-
Well-maintained roads connect the six campuses, plinary studies), and space for social gatherings.

—and walking from one to another can take a half- Two of the sites on map 1.1 are described else-

hour or more. Regular shuttles large carriages where in the book: Aerojaunt Field (see chapter 4)

—drawn by horselike automata run on an hourly and Captain Dappiewing’s Manor (see chapter 3).

schedule between a station near the Biblioplex and THE BIBLIOPLEX
each of the satellite campuses, making the journey The center of Strixhaven is the Biblioplex, the uni-

in about 15 minutes. In addition, each campus has versity’s main library. At the heart of the library is
multiple permanent teleportation circles, which fac-
a snarl, a tangle in the fabric of magic, that glows
ulty and more advanced students can use when they
require instantaneous travel, and several magical like a miniature sun in the grand Hall of Oracles. A

portals exist as well.These portals can be unpre- star arch called the Dawnbow curves across the sky
above the library, marking its location as a center of

mystic learning.

ARCHWAY COMMONS IS A FAVORITE SPOT

MAP 1.1: CENTRAL CAMPUS

Arches welcome inquisitive minds into the library. FIREJOLT CAFE

Inside, almost every surface from the floor to the At the edge of Archway Commons and just outside
the Biblioplex stands the cozy Firejolt Cafe, where
high ceiling is jammed with stacks of books. The students cram both information and caffeine into
themselves before exams. The cafe’s name comes
interior of the Biblioplex is vast, with long hall- from its trademark beverage, which the manager, an

ways, archive chambers tall enough to have their elf mage named Ellina, brews with her fire magic.
own weather, and even pools and moat-passages
The Firejolt has a reputation as a hangout for first-
crossable only by boat. year students, but older students from all five col-
Five lines of beacon-towers radiate from the Bib-
leges can be seen inside at all hours.
lioplex like enormous spokes. These Torches of
Bow’s END TAVERN
Enlightenment stretch out to the five college cam-
puses and beyond, more than a hundred miles into At the western end of the Dawnbow, where it meets
the surrounding countryside. They burn perpetually the ground, stands a smaller university landmark:
with magical flame, symbolizing the path toward Bow’s End Tavern, which serves as a hangout for

learning and an escape from ignorance. older students. Most patrons come for the live mu-

ARCHWAY COMMONS sic, deliciously greasy food, and various potions and

Just south of the Biblioplex, a star arch curves over- beverages. Others come to settle their differences in
wild duels in the lot behind the tavern. The tavern’s
head like a smaller echo of the Dawnbow, and a
manager is a kind but strict ore named Tulk “the
lush park, Archway Commons, marks the site. More
Bulk” Tusktooth.
familiarly called the Commons, the park is a favorite
STRIXHAVEN STADIUM
— —spot for students especially first-years to gather in
The stadium where thousands gather to watch
fair weather or to wander through on dates. Some of students play Mage Tower (and sometimes other

the university’s clubs also use the park to host social sports) is located near Bow’s End Tavern. Chapter 4
offers more information about Mage Tower.
gatherings and games, including live-action roleplay-
ing games and casual sports.

CHAPTER 1 LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

LOREHOLD COLLEGE ORDER AND CHAOS

—Lorehold is the College of Archaeomancy a term Lorehold’s two deans carry the titles Dean of Order
and Dean of Chaos, as order versus chaos encapsu-
that describes the exploration of ancient things
lates the fundamental conflict at the heart of Lore-
through magic. Its mages explore the past by poring
hold’s philosophy. This conflict revolves around the
over archaeological sites, calling forth magical en- forces that underlie and drive history. Is the course
ergy from old tomes, and summoning the spirits of
of time driving toward a well-ordered ideal state
long-dead historical figures. Lorehold mages travel or slowly devolving into chaos? Are deep patterns

far and wide across the world, gathering relics of hidden in historical texts, or is time a series of coin-
bygone ages and learning dead languages to unpack
cidence and happenstance?
the secrets of history.
The perspective of order emphasizes the struc-
STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY
—tures that pull people together law, religion, eco-
Lorehold College is devoted to the study of history, —nomics, education, social class, and so on and how

broadly understood to include the various aspects those structures drive historical events. Order fo-
of culture, behavior, and social relationships that
cuses on systemic changes and the actions of people
shape historical events. Its studies include various
subdivisions of history (military history, social his- collectively.

tory, cultural history), archaeology, anthropology, The perspective of chaos, by contrast, emphasizes

psychology, sociology, religion, and economics. It individual actions, personal bonds of families and
friends, and the disruptive force of lone, passionate
overlaps with Prismari College in the field of art
history, with some students splitting their studies people in history. Scholars of chaos gravitate toward

between the two colleges. Lorehold mages use their —reckless discovery and the spirit of adventure in
magic to unearth secrets and share illumination.
their research of the past the essence and emotion

of history over precision or procedure.

SCHOLARS OF LOREHOLD

The Lorehold Scholars table offers examples of

the scholars in Lorehold College. You may use the

table to randomly determine the scholarly focus of a

Lorehold student or faculty member. The Principle

column notes which side of the order-chaos conflict

LOREHOLD SCHOLARS Plargg believes that history is full of unpredict-
able, war-filled chaos and that his students must
dIO Scholar Principle be ready for anything. He teaches that no rewards

1 Archaeoscribe, chronicling historical Order come without risk, and his excursions typically end

truths for posterity with students heading to the infirmary. He pays lit-
tle attention to Dean Tullus’s work, usually dismiss-
2 Battle medium, strengthening sum- Order ing her attempts to find order in chaos as foolhardy.

moned spirits for use in battles HOFRI GHOSTFORGE
When Hofri (neutral good dwarf Lorehold pro-
3 Chaos scholar, chasing down historical Chaos
fessor of order) first enrolled in Strixhaven, he
anecdotes as a litany of happenstance
believed his future lay with Prismari. A diligent
4 Conservator, preserving ancient spell Order
student, he quickly mastered the technical skills of
knowledge and other relics of the past
art, but his magic left something to be desired. After
5 Dustspeaker, conversing with spirits Chaos
talking with the school’s counselor, Mavinda, Hofri
of the past to learn their storiess
decided to try his luck with Lorehold. It turned out
6 Pastraiser, binding spirits into the Order
he had a natural talent for Lorehold’s spirit magic.
monuments that bear their likeness to
His time at Prismari was hardly wasted, however.
learn about their inspiring deeds
Combining his artistic skill with his keen spiritual
7 Relic reader, divining wisdom from the Order
sense, Hofri could visualize a spirit’s mortal appear-
past from the context of ruin sites
ance and construct a viable statue form for them to
8 Ruin shaman, wielding magic that Chaos
inhabit. No one in Lorehold’s history had previously
helps delve into ancient sites
created a spirit statue from scratch, and Hofri was
9 Tomewielder, summoning fiery magic Chaos offered a professorial position after graduation,

from the words in old writings which he happily accepted.

10 Warsinger, studying the magic used in Chaos OSGIR, THE RECONSTRUCTOR

ancient wars Even by Lorehold standards, Osgir (neutral stone

LOREHOLD FACULTY giant) is obsessed with relics of the past. A profes-

This section describes noteworthy members of the sor of order, he treasures every connection to old
civilizations, whether it’s a magnificent jeweled
Lorehold faculty. Some of them use a Lorehold-
specific stat block from chapter 7. crown or an old shovel. As a student, he constantly

AUGUSTA TULLUS, DEAN OF ORDER spent time in detention for hoarding the best finds
from Lorehold dig sites in his room; he lost count
Augusta Tullus (lawful neutral human Lorehold
of how many times he was sternly told, “History be-
professor of order) is the current Dean of Order. A
longs to us all!”
professor of spirit studies, she has been called the
So, naturally, he mastered the magical art of dupli-
college’s most talented pastraiser. She can conjure cative restoration. Not only can he perfectly recreate
entire legions of ghostly apparitions to reenact his-
torical events for her lectures. an ancient object or device from the smallest scrap,
but he can also produce a second, identical version
Augusta believes that history repeats itself as an for his personal collection. He displays something
orderly progression toward an ideal. In her view, the different every week in his Lorehold office, from a
mistakes of the past can inform the choices of the
mighty sword of demon-slaying to a delicate elven
present, creating a world of peace and order. She music box.

plays things by the book and frowns on students COLWANDATHE BLOODSPILLER
who embark on Dean Plargg’s dangerous field trips.
"Have you met Colwanda yet?” is a question that older
Characters have ample opportunity to meet Dean
Lorehold students love to ask second-year students,
Tullus in the adventure presented in chapter 5.
new to the college. Sooner or later, one professor or
PLARGG, DEAN OF CHAOS another summons this spirit of a notorious stone giant

Plargg (chaotic good ore Lorehold professor of warmonger, ostensibly as a cautionary tale about the
dire fate that befalls a society that loses control of its
chaos) is the current Dean of Chaos. Specializing in
military history, Plargg is known for his perfect re- aggressive impulses. Golwanda plays her role with
relish, doing her best to strike terror into the students
call of historical stories, as well as his potent scroll with her bloodcurdling screams and howls of rage.

magic. Blind himself, he invented a form of magical

embossing called heat lettering, which provides a

tactile way to read texts.

, CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

LOSHEEL, CLOCKWORK SCHOLAR to another, often directly passing the enormous

Losheel (chaotic good loxodon Lorehold profes- stone faces of old statues. Every Lorehold class has
sor of chaos) is a Humanoid resembling a bipedal
a story of some careless student making a misstep
elephant. She proudly admits that she is willing to on one of these bridges or in some particularly
work hard to be as lazy as possible. She turns her
—crumbling section of the ruins, sometimes with
brilliant mind to constructing increasingly efficient
mechanical helpers, with the goal of one day being disastrous consequences and sometimes finding
deliverance when a spirit statue appears from no-
able to do anything she wants without standing up. where to catch the hapless student before they suffer

LOREHOLD CAMPUS serious harm.

— —The Lorehold campus shown on map 1.2 is situ- EFFIGY ROW

ated northwest of the central campus in a region of The heart of the Lorehold campus surrounds a

stark vertical relief. Rugged mesas and steep hills soaring bridge that crosses the chasm of Pillardrop.

rise from a wide plain, and a great chasm holds the The bridge and surrounding pathways are lined

excavated ruins of an ancient settlement. Several with monuments depicting historic figures, includ-

star arches encircle rocky peaks and outcroppings, ing past professors and prominent mage-students,
as well as war heroes and heads of state from
testifying to the powerful magical energy in the vi-
ages past.
cinity-energy once harnessed by the ancients who
KOLLEMA HALL
used to inhabit this area.
Kollema Hall is a grand, multitiered gallery built
PILLARDROP
.into a large outcrop at the end of Effigy Row Here,
Part natural chasm, part archaeological excavation, Lorehold mages gather for large lectures. At the
and part new construction, Pillardrop is a series
of buildings excavated out of cliffs on the Lorehold center of the hall towers a magnificent statue of
Kollema, a wise monastic who was one of the first
.campus Ruins and upgraded halls together are now
Lorehold professors.
used for research, classwork, and housing. Precar- Chapter 5 includes a partial map of Kollema Hall.

ious bridges link one neighborhood of Pillardrop

MAP 1,2: LOREHOLD CAMPUS

CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN 15

PRISMARI COLLEGE The perspective of perfection focuses on tech-
nique, analysis, theory, aesthetics, and universal
Prismari, the College of Elemental Arts, is devoted
to the study and practice of art intertwined with principles. It embraces intellect over emotion,

magic. The mage-students of Prismari wield magic strives to be thought-provoking and reflective, and

in spectacles of creativity: masterpieces of showy, aspires to mastery. Its mages tend to use elemental
forces of cold, water, and wind.
over-the-top magic. They use elemental magic to
The perspective of expression instead empha-
express who they are and how they see the world, sizes the portrayal of personal emotional truths.

—often combining different types of energy fire, Its mages value improvisation, innovation, and
—water, air, earth, lightning, heat, cold in powerful
rule-breaking, and they often favor elemental magic
expressions of conflict and harmony.
using fire, lightning, and earth.
STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY
SCHOLARS OF PRISMARI
Prismari College is dedicated to the arts. Its schol-
ars view art as the fundamental form of self-ex- The Prismari Scholars table offers examples of the

pression and magic as a tool, a medium, and an scholars in Prismari College. You may use the table

inspiration. Prismari studies focus on visual arts to randomly determine the scholarly focus of a Pris-

(including architecture, painting, and sculpture) and mari student or faculty member. The Principle col-

performing arts (such as dance, music, and theater). umn notes which side of the perfection-expression

The curriculum overlaps with Lorehold in the field conflict a scholar more likely aligns with.
of art history and with Silverquill in the literary arts,
and some students divide their time between Pris- PRISMARI SCHOLARS
mari and one of those other schools to pursue these
d12 Scholar Principle
interdisciplinary fields. Prismari mages use magic
1 Aesthemancer, studying abstract prin- Perfection
to weave the elements into their creations; they
might juxtapose fire alongside paint, ceramics, or ciples of beauty for insight into the
fabric, or they might choreograph elaborate works
workings of the multiverse
that unite a dancer’s movements with gusts and ed-
dies of air. 2 Electrovisionary, wielding the forms of Expression

PERFECTION AND EXPRESSION lightning as a paintbrush

Prismari’s two deans carry the titles Dean of Per- 3 Flamesinger, combining fire and music Expression

fection and Dean of Expression, and they often 4 Ceosculptor, using earth and lava in Expression
express the fundamental conflict of their philosophy
volatile emotional displays
—as perfection versus expression or, sometimes, as
5 Heartrager, turning inner creative fire Expression
intellect versus emotion. What is the purpose of art?
into personal strength
Is it to make people think things or make people feel
things? Is it supposed to be carefully thought out or 6 Ice sculptor, crafting ice and cold into Perfection
raw and spontaneous? Is mastery of art a matter of
honing precise techniques to a point of perfection or immersive experiences
of perfectly expressing a raw emotional state? Does
art aspire to express universal truths or intensely 7 Mistmage, shaping cloud, fog, and Perfection
personal ones?
mist into lasting sculptures
OCTAVIA, THE LIVING THESIS
8 Muse channeler, projecting blasts of Expression
Crafted as a graduate’s final project many years ago,
Octavia (a water elemental that looks like an enormous inspiration toward others

octopus) took up residence on campus and never left. 9 Opusmancer, creating magical effects Perfection
on a monumental scale
After all, in its humble opinion, every student deserves
10 Spectacle mage, hurling stormy dis- Expression
the chance to see true art in person. Some say it’s
plays into the sky
incoherent, but really, Octavia is just a very concep-
11 Waterbinder, shaping water into ani- Perfection
tual thinker.
mated elemental forms

12 Zephyrist, weaving wind with dance Perfection

PRISMARI FACULTY

This section describes noteworthy members of the

Prismari faculty. Some of them use a Prismari-spe-

cific stat block from chapter 7. Several of them are
genasi, who are Humanoids touched by the Elemen-
tal Planes.

l6 CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

PRISMARI COLLEGE

UviLDA MlSTCOILER, DEAN OF PERFECTION Nassari believes that true expression comes from

Uvilda Mistcoiler (neutral good genasi Prismari the heart. They encourage their students to treat the

professor of perfection) is the current Dean of Per- entire world as a canvas on which to spread emotion

fection. A master of artistic technique, Uvilda trains and excitement. Nassari takes little heed of Dean

with a range of elements whenever she isn’t focused Mistcoiler’s quiet masterpieces and often feigns for-

on her teaching. She is known for giving students getfulness about Dean Mistcoiler’s very existence.

profoundly insightful feedback, which she tailors VEYRAN, VOICE OF DUALITY

to each individual. After a review, she often offers a In addition to being an accomplished elementalist,
Veyran (chaotic good genasi Prismari professor of
small piece of advice that alters the student’s point perfection) serves as a mentor to many Prismari

—of view and work forever for the better. pledgemages. She advocates enthusiastically for
Uvilda believes that good art comes from the
the importance of both passion and disciplined
head. To her, carefully measured strokes and delib-
technique in any artistic pursuit. If a new student
erate object placement make the difference between
is upset or overwhelmed, she eagerly calls forth
fully realized art and a total mess. If Dean Nassari playful, beautiful elemental creatures to cheer up
interrupts her careful work with bombastic expres-
the student.
sions one more time, Uvilda is prepared to enroll in
ZAFFAI, THUNDER CONDUCTOR
Quandrix to learn how to shrink Nassari.
As soon as Zaffai (chaotic neutral human Prismari
NASSARI, DEAN OF EXPRESSION professor of expression) came of age, his parents
sent him to Strixhaven, assuring him his budding
Nassari (chaotic good genasi Prismari professor musical genius deserved the finest instruction in the

of expression) is the current Dean of Expression. world. (In truth, though he did possess prodigious

Nazzari always want to see art that is bigger, more talent, they were also growing tired of their house
being randomly struck by lightning or engulfed in
radical in concept, and more emotionally powerful.
cyclones whenever he practiced.) Even as he flour-
For their final project as a mage-student, Nassari
famously “turned in” an earthquake, which almost ished as both mage and musician, he discovered a

destroyed three campus buildings. The piece re- new aptitude: conducting.
ceived a standing ovation from the mage-student

—body and a grumpy thumbs down from the campus

construction golems.

CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

In addition to teaching, he serves as Grand CONJUROT HALL
Maestro of Strixhaven’s Orchestra of the Arcane,
an elite extracurricular activity for top Prismari The center of the Prismari campus is Conjurot Hall,

students. They practice only outdoors, and their a towering structure with a glassed-in observation
concerts fill the sky with beautiful explosions of ele-
area at the top. Constantly changing strands of ele-
mental magic.
mental energy encircle the structure. Artist-mages
ARKIN MINEXES, PEPPY INSTRUCTOR
can see for miles from Conjurot’s main turret, and
Arkin (lawful good human Prismari professor of
expression) is a newly hired instructor teaching a the view has inspired many artistic creations.

few courses in choreography and dance ensembles. OPUS WALK
Hundreds of Prismari creations are displayed along
He recently graduated from Strixhaven himself,
and he bubbles with excitement at the prospect of a path that winds through the central campus build-
guiding a new generation of students on the course ings, giving the path its name: Opus Walk. Some

of study he so greatly enjoyed. He particularly de- famous pieces of magical art have been displayed
along Opus Walk for centuries, while other transient
lights in finding new ways to help students work
collaboratively to unlock the heights of their creative bursts of creativity last only a few moments.

potential. FURYGALE

Characters might encounter Instructor Minexes in At the outskirts of the Prismari campus, the aban-
doned creations of thousands of past artist-mages
chapter 6. have coalesced over the years into the notorious

PRISMARI CAMPUS .region of Furygale Roped off by magical wards

— —Southwest of the central campus, the Prismari and warning signs, Furygale is several acres of

campus shown on map 1.3 is situated in a region ever-changing magical energy, gales of ice and wind
of jagged rocks, rugged spires, and intense geother- and fire, and elementals gone rogue. While danger-

mal activity. ous, it also provides a source of wild inspiration,

and it remains a popular spot for students who want

to duel without being interrupted by faculty.

:

18 CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

QUANDRIX COLLEGE SCHOLARS OF QUANDRIX

—Quandrix is the College of Numeromancy a term The Quandrix Scholars table offers examples of

that encompasses the study of patterns, fractals, the scholars in Quandrix College. You may use the
and symmetries to wield power over the funda-
table to randomly determine the scholarly focus of a
mental mathematics of nature. Quandrix mages
Quandrix student or faculty member. The Principle
can summon creatures made of fractals or turn
abstract theories into towering, spiraling patterns. column notes which side of the substance-theory
conflict a scholar more likely aligns with.
They love to expand and multiply; they can increase
QUANDRIX SCHOLARS Principle
their knowledge or size by bending numbers. They Theory
d8 Scholar Substance
—dwell in the overlap between the theoretical and the Theory
1 Abstractor, using magic to stretch the Substance
natural from the fabric of their robes to the nature possibilities of space Theory
of their spells, they make use of repeated elements, Substance
2 Augmenter, making creatures and Theory
-clever symmetries, and surprising geometry to ex things larger Substance

.press the complex truths they study 3 Fractalologist, creating beautiful illu-

STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY sory patterns

The studies undertaken within Quandrix College -4 Mana scholar, studying snarls, ley

include mathematics, physics, logic, statistics, meta- lines, and star arches

physics, and various fields of theoretical magic. Stu- 5 Metamancer, studying metaphysics to
alter reality
dents from the other colleges occasionally delve into
6 Scale druid, manipulating the size of
Quandrix courses to bolster the theoretical under- plants and animals

pinnings of their studies, and Quandrix’s studies of 7 Sequence prophet, studying repeating
nature and Witherbloom’s explorations of practical patterns that bend the mind

biology have some significant overlap. 8 Vivifier, conjuring fractal creatures
based on biological life
SUBSTANCE AND THEORY
QUANDRIX FACULTY
Quandrix’s two deans carry the titles Dean of Sub-
stance and Dean of Theory, reflecting the philosoph- This section describes noteworthy members of
ical division within the college. Is mathematics a
the Quandrix faculty. Some of them use a Quan-
natural force that exists in the universe independent drix-specific stat block from chapter 7.

of the constructs of intelligent minds, or is it a the- KIANNE, DEAN OF SUBSTANCE
Brilliant and eccentric, Dean Kianne (neutral elf
oretical framework created by those who study it?
Is the work of the scholar to discover what is or to Quandrix professor of substance) is one of the pre-
define what could be? eminent mana scholars of the world. She has visited

The perspective of substance emphasizes physical and studied countless bizarre magical phenomena,

reality. In this view, math is embodied in the natural from snarls to star arches to ancient shrines. She

forces of the multiverse, waiting to be discovered loves to share her wild theories with anyone who
by those with the intellectual fortitude to delve into
will listen.
those secrets. Quandrix mages who embrace this
Kianne believes in using mathematics to better
view use magic to bring numerical concepts to life,
understand nature. She places an emphasis on prac-
creating or altering physical reality out of mathe-
tical magic that improves daily life through applied
matical possibility.
calculations. She rolls her eyes at Dean Imbraham’s
The perspective of theory focuses on the abstract
theories, dismissing them as evidence that her fel-
realms of conjecture and possibility. Its scholars
low dean lives in an imaginary world.
view math as a lens through which a mind can un-

derstand the cosmos, not something that exists in-
dependently in the world. Mages who embrace this

perspective use their spells to weave illusions and

.manipulate the fabric of magic itself

CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN 19

Dean Imbraham (neutral owlin Quandrix profes- tery of both of Quandrix’s philosophical perspec-
sor of theory) is stern and shrewd, with a mind as tives. They constantly debate the merits of various
esoteric mathematical principles, but if one of their
piercing as his curved beak. He is known for the
students is in danger, they leap into action in per-
unnerving habit of fully rotating his head around to fect harmony.
address his students, while still rapidly chalking up
DEEKAH , FRACTAL THEORIST
complex theorems and equations on a chalkboard.
Deekah (lawful neutral human Quandrix professor
Imbraham loves numbers more than people or the of theory) sees the world as an endless sequence
of interconnected equations, which to her is the
out-of-doors; some say he hasn’t gone outside cer-
tain chambers of the Quandrix campus in years. most beautiful thing imaginable. She explores new

Imbraham wants nothing more than to crack the theorems by giving them physical form, and her
mysteries of the world through dauntingly complex exquisite geometric creations are thrilling sights

theories. He offers his students standing bounties on campus.
on any of his unsolved equations.
RUXA, PATIENT PROFESSOR
ADRIX AND NEV, TWINCASTERS Ruxa (neutral good Quandrix professor of sub-

The twins Adrix (neutral good triton Quandrix stance) looks like a bipedal brown bear and knows
professor of substance) and Nev (neutral good
triton Quandrix professor of theory) grew up that wild new theories, though exciting, are worth-
literally swimming in magic, in an ocean region less without a deep understanding of the basics.

near a powerful magical snarl. At an early age, they He teaches students of all levels, and even his most

began to see patterns in the tides and currents that experienced pupils benefit from a much deeper un-
eluded even the most esteemed scholars of their
derstanding of the fundamental building blocks of
society. Once, they saved a hundred lives by pre-
the world.
dicting the sudden arrival of a tsunami, despite the

—deceptively calm seas washing away any doubts in

their prowess.

CHAPTER | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

QUANDRIX CAMPUS ESIX, FRACTAL BLOOM

—The Quandrix campus-shown on map 1.4 is situ- Tasked with devising an infinite equation, a group

ated in a coastal area to the northeast of the central of Quandrix students accidentally created Esix, a liv-
campus, surrounded by lush woodland and abun-
ing theorem obsessed with infinity. Over the years,
dant rivers and streams. a few professors have tried to deactivate it, but all
their formulas somehow end up dividing by zero
TORUS HALL and fizzling out. Esix never seems to register these

The central hall of Quandrix campus lies at the would-be threats, as it remains consumed by its own

end of a geometric series of walkways, terminat- calculations.
ing at ascending ramps to the towering building.
inner expanse called the Arithmodrome. From the
Inside, Torus Hall’s architecture is mapped to an
outside, the Arithmodrome looks like a large cube
ever-changing three-dimensional grid, which slowly
evolves. Some Quandrix faculty members insist that of water, ten feet on each side. The inside is an ap-
parently boundless theory-space that suspends the
mage-students shouldn’t linger too long inside the rules of reality. Mages use this space to explore the-
hall, lest its geometry eventually turn itself inside
oretical numerical possibilities.
out while students are still within it.
THE CULTIVARIUM
THE ARITHMODROME
The Cultivarium is an eye-popping, sun-drenched
The Quandrix campus is alive with dynamic garden of spiraling, cyclical plants and fractalized
sculptures made of water behaving in odd ways:
animals. Quandrix faculty members have repeatedly
cube-shaped fountains, arching aqueducts that
taught growth spells in this part of campus, and
flow through the air, towers of solid-seeming water. over the centuries, the area has come to intensify

One water structure holds a secret: a mysterious any growth magic cast within it.

.

CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

SILVERQUILL COLLEGE SCHOLARS OF SILVERQUILL

Silverquill is the College of Eloquence, and its The Silverquill Scholars table offers examples of

—mages—stylish, intimidating, and driven are the scholars in Silverquill College. You may use the

masters of the magic of words. They create spells table to randomly determine the scholarly focus of a
from spoken-word battle poetry or magical mani-
Silverquill student or faculty member. The Principle
festations of the written word, scribing patterns of
column notes which side of the radiance-shadow
runic ink in the air. These mages make for natural
conflict a scholar more likely aligns with.
leaders, fiercely competitive, with a piercing wit and
SILVERQUILL SCHOLARS Principle
a never-second-place attitude. Shadow
d8 Scholar Shadow
STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY Shadow
1 Bantermage, using incisive observa- Radiance
The curriculum of Silverquill College revolves tion to pierce rivals’ confidence
around words, encompassing literature (including Shadow
fiction, essays, drama, and poetry), languages, 2 Duskmage, conjuring inky voids of Radiance
linguistics, oratory, rhetoric, and dramatic perfor- shadow magic Radiance

mance. Students from other colleges often take 3 Inkcaster, summoning living inklings Radiance
to service
Silverquill courses to improve their communication
skills, learning to speak and write more effectively 4 Lumimancer, bringing light to bear on
shameful situations and holding cor-
about their primary field of study. Silverquill and rupt institutions to account

Prismari see overlap in the area of performing arts, 5 Shadewing, forming weapons from
with Silverquill emphasizing verbal performance darkness to slice and stab at foes
and Prismari focusing more on dance and other
6 Silvertongue, bathing others in the
forms of movement. light of inspiring words

RADIANCE AND SHADOW 7 Vainglory, wielding the power of a per-

The two deans of Silverquill are called the Dean fectly crafted compliment to enhance
of Radiance and the Dean of Shadow, highlighting a person’s best qualities

the college’s use of metaphor in describing its philo- 8 Warsinger, stirring hearts through po-
sophical differences. The metaphor of radiance and etic performance and song

shadow takes concrete form in Silverquill magic, SILVERQUILL FACULTY
as students learn to manifest brilliant light or inky
This section describes noteworthy members of the
darkness with their spells. The fundamental argu-
Silverquill faculty. Some of them use a Silverquill-
ment among Silverquill’s scholars centers on the specific stat block from chapter 7.

purpose of communication. Is it to help others or SHAILE TALONROOK, DEAN OF RADIANCE

further a personal agenda? Does literature selflessly Dean Shaile Talonrook (lawful good owlin Silver-
better society or selfishly advance one’s own goals? quill professor of radiance) is a perennially op-

The college’s perspective of radiance envisions timistic orator. A master of literature, she often
language as sunlight emanating from the speaker quotes obscure passages from famous texts. Her
or writer to illuminate others and make the world soul-filling advice and educated references have
been known to make people literally glow.
a brighter place. Mages who embrace this view use
Shaile believes that all people have the potential
— —their language skills and their magic to uplift and for good and wishes to teach her students how to
make the world a better place. She and Dean Lu
empower others, to shine light on the evils of soci- often clash over Silverquill’s curriculum, but the bal-
ety, and to inspire the best in those around them. ance found between them is far more eloquent than

The college’s perspective of shadow focuses on even their words can describe.
the power of language to stab, to expose stinging

truths, and to obfuscate secrets. The magic of

shadow mages often manifests as bolts or blades of
darkness or blotches of flowing ink, and its effects

range from a sting of shame to an assault on the tar-
get’s life energy.

CHAPTER 1 LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

Dean Embrose Lu (lawful neutral human Silver- cruit her, threatening her students’ lives if she didn’t
quill professor of shadow) is a master poet whose
comply. Within an hour, she convinced him to free
.ink magic is merciless Scant with praise and quick
her, abandon his wicked ways, and seek wisdom
with a cutting remark, Dean Lu has seen many
mage-students scrub out of Strixhaven and has from the archaics.

nothing good to say about those who can’t hack it. NILS, DISCIPLINE ENFORCER

A cynic, Embrose believes that most people are Nils (lawful neutral human Silverquill professor of

in it for themselves. He demands his students learn radiance) is an optimist, as he believes in every stu-
how to use language-based magic to “get what they dent’s potential for greatness. However, this outlook
deserve.” While he often argues with Dean Talon-
also means he’s constantly disappointed by their
rook, he holds a deep (if begrudging) respect for suboptimal choices, and he is well known for his

the owlin. strictness and abrupt scoldings.

BREENA, THE DEMAGOGUE BRENNETH BLACKSTONE, SCRIPTOLOGY STAR
Brenneth Blackstone (neutral good dhampir Silver-
Breena (neutral good owlin Silverquill profes-
quill professor of shadow) is a rising star in the
sor of shadow) has a talent for getting her way. If
study of magical writing and symbols. With a
she wants you to do something, you won’t just do
—dynamic lecturing style, this dhampir a partial
—it you’ll be sure it was your idea all along. Her —vampire attracts students from across Strixhaven

students and colleagues alike hang on her every purely for his lessons’ value as performance art. He
word, and in front of a crowd, she’s a powerhouse
of charisma, enhancing her speeches with elegant teaches a course in scrivening and scriptology that
swirls of ink magic. Though she’s an elite mage who
characters take over the course of chapter 4.
can easily hold her own in a fight, Breena prefers to

defeat her foes with words alone.

1 | AT STRIXHAVEN

FAIN, THE BROKER THE ROSE STAGE

Lost an important textbook? Craving some rare del- The Rose Stage is a rotating circular platform on
icacy from home? Need something inconveniently
forbidden? Enter Fain (neutral human Silverquill the Silverquill campus. It has a backdrop of roses
professor of shadow). He has an extensive network
of connections on and off campus, and he can pro- made of magical ink (tributes left by spectators of

—cure just about anything so long as you can afford past performances), which creates excellent acous-
tics. Mage-students meet at the Rose Stage to prac-
his price. tice performances, spar, or engage in honor duels.

SILVERQUILL CAMPUS Faculty members often observe performances at the
Rose Stage, coaching the students in their magical
— —The Silverquill campus shown on map 1.5 is
and rhetorical displays.
located due north of the central Strixhaven campus
THE DRAMARIUM
and looks much like an extension of it. Silverquill is
The Dramarium is a facility where Silverquill stu-
the most urban of the five colleges, with a campus
that features buildings of stately elegance. dents train in fitness, dance, martial arts, and other

GRANDLOFT HALL acts of physical performance. Students can avail

The main Silverquill building is Grandloft Hall, a themselves of the preparation space called the Gray
vast space with shafts of light streaking in from
Room (actually a chain of rooms), which has hair
the enchanted windowpanes far above. Grandloft and makeup salons, voice rehearsal booths, mir-

teems with balconies, loges, booths, daises, and rored rehearsal spaces, and spa facilities. The back

other spaces where orators can perform their craft. of the Dramarium has a special sensory deprivation

Inklings, the college’s mascots, flit around the high chamber for mage-students who want complete si-
lence in which to meditate.
ceiling, and enchanted spotlights automatically fo-
cus on any mage who uses powerful magic.

1.5

CHAPTER 1 | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

WITHERBLOOM COLLEGE SCHOLARS OF WITHERBLOOM

At Witherbloom, the College of Essence Studies, The Witherbloom Scholars table offers examples of
mages draw power from the opposing forces of
the scholars in Witherbloom College. You may use
life and death. These mages brew their spells from
the table to randomly determine the scholarly focus
natural components and the essence of living crea-
of a Witherbloom student or faculty member. The
tures, using that power to heal or harm the living or Principle column notes which side of the growth-de-
cay conflict a scholar more likely aligns with.
to raise or entreat the dead. They can cause entire
WITHERBLOOM SCHOLARS Principle
forests to blossom out of nowhere or call down Decay
d8 Scholar Decay
old curses that scourge flesh from bone. Some Growth
Witherbloom mages defend ecosystems from pollu- 1 Banelock, using concoctions of nox- Growth
tion, while others revel in the power of corruption. Decay
ious ingredients for withering magic Growth
They’re at home riding zombie crocodiles down a Growth
languid river, picking herbs for a potion to treat a 2 Bleed doctor, drain the essence of liv- Decay
disease, brooding over a chorus of swamp frogs, or
ing creatures to fuel sinister spells
summoning fearsome avatars of nature.
3 Boon witch, brewing drafts to em-
STUDIES AND PHILOSOPHY
power the living
The curriculum of Witherbloom College focuses on
4 Boughcaller, summoning creatures
various sciences, revolving around the life sciences. from bogs

Biology, ecology, botany, chemistry, and related 5 Dreadbones, infusing dead tissue with
magic to create Undead servants
sciences combine with the study and manipulation
of the magical energy of the Positive Plane and the 6 Earthcroucher, connecting directly
with the land to power nature magic
Negative Plane, the primal forces of life and death.
7 Leafbinder, using medicinal herbs to
Witherbloom’s curriculum shares some overlap with soothe wounds
Quandrix’s analysis of the mathematical patterns
8 Pestcatcher, harvesting life energy
in nature. from the pests of the bayou

GROWTH AND DECAY WITHERBLOOM FACULTY

The two deans of Witherbloom are traditionally This section describes noteworthy members of

called the Dean of the Root and the Dean of the the Witherbloom faculty. Some of them use a

Vein. These titles are a somewhat abstract way of Witherbloom-specific stat block from chapter 7.
framing the core division in the college’s philoso-
LISETTE, DEAN OF THE ROOT
phy: is growth or decay the driving force in nature?
Dean Lissette (neutral good human Witherbloom
The philosophy of the root (growth) focuses on
professor of growth) is a world-class healer and
life and its irrepressible drive to thrive. This view
herbalist; it’s even said she once cured the Lorehold
celebrates the diversity and adaptability of life-
forms, from the tiniest cells to the most complex founder dragon of a secret illness. Lisette’s classes

networks of living things. The growth philosophy lean more toward demonstration and hands-on ex-

asserts that the urge to survive and reproduce is the perience than lectures. When Lisette speaks, her
words are soft and full of colorful metaphors.
most essential principle in the cosmos. Mages who
Lisette believes in preserving nature and life, and
adopt this view wield positive energy and practice she instills in her students a respect for all living

healing magic. things. While Dean Valentin’s exploitation of living

The philosophy of the vein (decay) focuses on the creatures disgusts her, she also knows she can use

inevitability of death and decay. Its traditional name the results of his cruelty to help future lives.

comes from the prominence of vampires within the VALENTIN, DEAN OF THE VEIN

college, whose conceptions of draining life through Dean Valentin (neutral vampire) is ancient and
drinks the blood of living creatures throughout the
the vein have long proven an important counter-
weight to the growth philosophy of Witherbloom. —bayou. Valentin is a kind of sangromancer he re-

The decay philosophy sees life energy as a resource ceives visions from the blood he consumes, which
to be consumed, rather than a good to be nourished
he uses to learn things about a creature or place.
for its own sake. Mages who adopt this view wield
negative energy and practice necromancy. He has no qualms about exploiting the bayou’s crea-

tures for personal gain.

CHAPTER | LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN

treatment of animals, but that hasn’t stopped her —out getting your hands dirty which is the first thing

from using his discoveries for her research. Tivash (neutral human Witherbloom professor of

WILLOWDUSK, ESSENCE SEER decay) teaches Witherbloom students. Some call

No one knows how old Willowdusk (neutral good the forces he manipulates evil, but he asserts that

.treant) really is This professor of growth claims to power is only as good or evil as how you use it.

be older than Strixhaven itself, and although many VERELDA LANG, ARCANO-BIOLOGIST

suspect that she exaggerates, no one else who has Verelda Lang (chaotic neutral dryad) is a respected
lived long enough to refute her cares to do so. Many Witherbloom professor of growth who teaches in-
years ago, a group of rebellious students got lost in troductory courses in magical physiologies, helping

Detention Bog and took shelter in what turned out students in every college learn about the many un-

to be Willowdusk’s roots. She protected them from usual creatures they’re likely to encounter, whatever
the students’ field of study. Her research extends
a pack of hungry groffs and shepherded them back to the vital functions of fractal creatures and other

to Widdershins Hall, offering a lecture on proper artificial life-forms, leading her to teach courses at
Quandrix College as well.
herb-gathering practices during the journey.
Characters have multiple opportunities to study
Her lessons proved so effective that she was asked with Professor Lang in chapters 3 and 6.

to stay as a professor. She loves passing on her
knowledge of medicinal herbs, pest mascot culti-

vation, and dissection techniques to generations of
new students, and she almost always has a pot of

tea brewing.

CHAPTER | STRIXHAVEN

YEDORA, GRAVE GARDENER swamp creatures: bats, crocodilian monsters, zom-
bified animals, lumbering beasts called brackish
Yedora (neutral treant) is the head groundskeeper trudges, and canine creatures called groffs (brack-

and unofficial undertaker of Strixhaven. Students ish trudges and groffs are described in chapter 7).
Sedgemoor is an excellent place to find pest mas-
and graduates often wish to spend their afterlife at
cots, herbs, spider silk, fungi, and other ingredients
their beloved university, and she honors that wish.
for potions and spells.
Each tree she plants represents the essence of a
fallen mage, and she remembers them all by name. Characters have the opportunity to explore

GYOME, MASTER CHEF Sedgemoor in chapter 3.

Anyone who thinks a troll can’t be a great chef has WlDDERSHINS HALL
never met Gyome (neutral troll). He combines local
ingredients with flavors from his homeland into an The center of the Witherbloom campus is Widdersh-
ever-changing menu of delicacies. Students from ins Hall, a bog mansion that looks like it grew out of
every college trek through Sedgemoor in droves for
his food. The only complaint he ever receives is that Sedgemoor itself. Widdershins is a network of inter-

he gives out unreasonably large portions. connected wooden pods, with planked walkways

WlTHERBLOOM CAMPUS leading out of it like tendrils. The hall has a cozy
inner chamber where students gather for classwork.
—Witherbloom’s campus—shown on map 1.6 is
DETENTION BOG
tucked away in a wide bayou to the southeast of
Strixhaven’s central campus. Wiltroot Hall is de- A stinking, thoroughly unpleasant marshland lies
scribed in chapter 4.
adjacent to Sedgemoor: the Detention Bog. Wither-
SEDGEMOOR
bloom faculty members send misbehaving students
Sedgemoor, the bayou area that encompasses to this bog as punishment, but it’s also an excellent
the Witherbloom campus, is known for a range of
place to gather herbs for certain cures and curses.
The adventure presented in chapter 6 offers char-

acters the opportunity to enter this bog.

MAP

CHAPTER LIFE AT STRIXHAVEN



CHARACTER OPTIONS

HE CAMPUS OF STRIXHAVEN DRAWS A CREATURE TYPE

student body from across the world—or Every creature in D&D, including every player char-
acter, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the
many worlds. With your DM’s permission,
you can create just about any Strixhaven type of creature they are. Most player characters,
character you can imagine, drawing on player char- including owlin, are of the Humanoid type. Creature

acter rules from the Player’s Handbook and other types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in
D&D books. This chapter adds to that wealth of op- the game affect creatures of certain types in differ-

tions with the material in the following sections: ent ways. For example, the text of the cure wounds

“Race Option” presents the owlin, a character race spell specifies that the spell doesn’t work on a crea-

option perfect for playing an owl-like student. ture that has the Construct type.

“Choosing a College” gives advice on building a LIFE SPAN

character for adventuring in Strixhaven. The typical life span of a player character in D&D
is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t
“Strixhaven Backgrounds” presents a background meet a violent end on an adventure.
option for each Strixhaven college, linking a char-
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
acter to one of the five colleges.
Player characters, including owlin, typically fall into
“Feats” offers Strixhaven-themed feats for use with the same ranges of height and weight that humans

A Curriculum of Chaos and other adventures. have in our world. If you’d like to determine your

“Spells” reveals some spells that were developed at character’s height or weight randomly, consult the

the university. Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s
Handbook , and choose the row in the table that best
“Magic Items” collects magic items that Strixhaven represents the build you imagine for your character.

students might acquire on their adventures. OWLIN

RACE OPTION Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin
come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and
The owlin is a race option for player characters in fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms
and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings
Strixhaven and other D&D settings. that extend from their back and shoulders.

CREATING YOUR CHARACTER Like owls, owlin are graced with feathers that
make no sound when they move or fly, making it
If you create an owlin character, follow these addi-
easy for them to sneak up on you in the library.
tional rules during character creation. Your owlin character might be nocturnal. Or per-

ABILITY SCORE INCREASES haps your character is simply prone to rise later,

When determining your character’s ability scores, embodying the common nickname of night owl.
increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a dif-
ferent score by 1, or increase three different scores OWLIN TRAITS

by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method You have the following racial traits.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the

point buy. size when you select this race.

The “Quick Build” section for your character’s Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.

class offers suggestions on which scores to in- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120
crease. You’re free to follow those suggestions or
feet of yourself as if it were bright light and in dark-
to ignore them. Whichever scores you decide to in-
ness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in
crease, none of the scores can be raised above 20.
that darkness only as shades of gray.
LANGUAGES

Your character can speak, read, and write Common
and one other language that you and your DM agree

is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Hand-

book offers a list of widespread languages to choose
from. The DM is free to add or remove languages

from that list for a particular campaign.

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

Flight. Thanks to your wings, you have a flying A STRIXHAVEN PARTY

speed equal to your walking speed. You can’t use If you’re starting a Strixhaven campaign with the intro-
ductory adventure in chapter 3, that adventure gives all
this flying speed if you’re wearing medium or the advice you need to bring a party of characters to-
gether. The adventure assumes that the characters are
heavy armor.
first-year students who are participating in orientation
Silent Feathers. You have proficiency in the
Stealth skill. activities together.

CHOOSING A COLLEGE If you start the campaign at higher level, using one of
the adventures in later chapters of this book (or an ad-
At Strixhaven, students choose their colleges at the venture of your DM’s creation), give some thought to

start of their second year. But even during a charac- what has brought your characters together as a group.

ter’s first year, you make college-related decisions The easiest explanation is that you met as first-year

for your character, such as a background choice. students, perhaps living in the same residence hall or
taking the same classes, or united by a common extra-
From the start, your character is making decisions
curricular interest.
that will lead to their eventual college choice.
It’s also possible that your characters are just meet-
Chapter 1 describes each of the colleges. How do
you decide which of these colleges is right for your ing for the first time. The events of the adventure
character? Consider these approaches: might throw you together more or less at random. You

• Read the college descriptions in chapter 1, and could all be taking the same class, you might be work-
choose the college that appeals to you. ing the same campus job, or you could be introduced

• Read the descriptions of backgrounds and feats by mutual friends.
in this chapter. If one of them catches your eye,
choose that college. .

• If you have access to MAGIC: THE GATHERING
cards from the Strixhaven set, find a card that ap-
peals to you and build that character.

3 0 CHAPTER 2 CHARACTER OPTIONS

STRIXHAVEN BACKGROUNDS BUILDING A LOREHOLD CHARACTER

This section presents five backgrounds that you can Any class or subclass that deals with knowledge of
choose to reflect your character’s studies preparing
the past can be a good fit in Lorehold. Bards thrive
to enter one of Strixhaven’s colleges. You aren’t
in Lorehold, and wizards (particularly those of the
limited to these backgrounds in a Strixhaven cam- School of Divination) are numerous among its stu-
paign; they’re just one way you can choose to dive
deeply into your character’s college affiliation. dents. Clerics (often with the Knowledge or Light

If you do choose one of these backgrounds, you domains) are also quite common.
For a more unusual take on a Lorehold student,
can assume that your life to this point has been con-
you could consider playing a barbarian with a pri-
sumed by the education that has made enrolling at
Strixhaven possible for you, and you might not have mal connection to the past (perhaps adopting the
much experience of the world beyond that prepara-
Path of the Ancestral Guardian from Xanathar’s
—tory work. You’re ready to excel as a student and
Guide to Everything ) or a paladin whose Oath of the
that, in turn, will prepare you to excel at whatever
Ancients gives a concrete link to history.
path comes after graduation. Suggested Characteristics. Methodical histo-

LOREHOLD STUDENT rians and daring adventurers alike can be found

You have spent your youth preparing to be a student among the ranks of Lorehold college. The Lorehold
of Lorehold College, reading every book on the col-
lege’s recommended reading list for prospective stu- Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits

dents. Your academic passions are in the broad field you might adopt for your character.
of history. You might dream of using magic to con-
LOREHOLD PERSONALITY TRAITS
tact great historical figures or your own ancestors or
d6 Personality Trait
of recreating the mighty magic of a distant age.
1 I thrive on esoteric lore. The more obscure the his-
Skill Proficiencies: History, Religion
Languages: Two of your choice torical references I can include in everyday conver-
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a
sation, the better.
hammer, a hooded lantern, a tinderbox, a tome
of history, a school uniform, and a pouch con- 2 By searching for these lost artifacts, I hope to find
taining 15 gp
who I really am along the way.
FEATURE: LOREHOLD INITIATE
3 I can barely go a minute without talking about my
You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat (presented later
research. I have so much knowledge in my head,
in the chapter) and must choose Lorehold within it.
and it needs to be let out somewhere!
In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact
Magic feature, the spells on the Lorehold Spells 4 The spirits of the dead are so much more interest-
table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting ing to talk with than living classmates.

class. (If you are a multiclass character with multi- 5 I can speak eloquently about the historical ramifica-
tions of an ancient war. But ask me to add two-digit
ple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)
numbers together, and I ’m a mess.
LOREHOLD SPELLS 6 In the end, it’s all just entropy. Everything falls

Spell Level Spells apart someday.

1st Comprehend Languages, Identify Lorehold Trinkets. When you make your char-

2nd Borrowed Knowledge (in this book), acter, you may roll once on the Lorehold Trinkets

Locate Object table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s
Handbook, for your starting trinket.
3rd Speak with Dead, Spirit Guardians
LOREHOLD TRINKETS
4th Arcane Eye, Stone Shape
d6 Trinket
5th Flame Strike, Legend Lore
1 A map made of concentric circles that can be ro-
Consider customizing how your spells look when tated around the page
you cast them. Your Lorehold spells might create
2 A puzzle box bedecked with amber
displays of golden light. You might use a tome or a
3 A dented brass compass with a red needle
scroll as a spellcasting focus, and your spell effects
might reflect the appearance of the reference books 4 The head of a broken statue that houses the con-
you study. sciousness of a snarky sage

5 A sheet of parchment embossed with tactile letter-

ing, glowing red

6 A broken dagger with a wavy blade and a serpen-

tine hilt

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS 31

PRISMARI STUDENT PRISMARI SPELLS

You are an artist, and you have been preparing to Spell Level Spells
hone your craft according to the traditions of Pris-
1st Chromatic Orb, Thunderwave
—mari College. Whatever your medium sculpture,
2nd Flaming Sphere, KineticJaunt (in this book)
dance, paint, music, drama, architecture, or any 3rd Haste, Water Walk
4th Freedom of Movement , Wall of Fire
—other field you have grand visions of bringing your 5th Cone of Cold, Conjure Elemental

art to life in a fusion of magic and creativity. Consider customizing how your spells look when
you cast them. You might wield your Prismari spells
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument —with dynamic, gestural movement as much dance

or artisan’s tools as somatic component. Even a blast of fire in your
Languages: One of your choice hands is a sculpted work of art; elemental forces
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a set make grand designs as you hurl spells. These forces
might linger on your body or in your clothes as dec-
of artisan’s tools or a musical instrument (one of orative elements after your spells are dissipated,
your choice), a school uniform, and a pouch con- as sparks dance in your hair and your touch leaves
taining 10 gp tracings of frost on whatever you touch.

FEATURE: PRISMARI INITIATE BUILDING A PRISMARI CHARACTER

You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat (presented later Any class or subclass that wields elemental forces
of cold, fire, lightning, and wind can be a good fit in
in the chapter) and must choose Prismari within it.
Prismari. Druids and sorcerers are common in Pris-
In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact
Magic feature, the spells on the Prismari Spells mari, and wizards who study the Schools of Evo-
table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting cation or Transmutation are also well represented.

class. (If you are a multiclass character with multi-

ple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

CHAPTER | CHARACTER OPTIONS

Clerics aren’t very common in this school, but some QUANDRIX STUDENT
with the Tempest domain end up here.
In preparation to become a student of Quandrix Col-
Beyond the ranks of traditional spellcasters, Lo- lege, you have spent years working through the col-
rehold students also include monks who follow the
Way of the Four Elements. Some acrobatic rogues lege’s math problems for prospective students. Your
and fighters (including those who emulate the ar-
chetype of the Eldritch Knight) also delight in the interests concentrate on the mathematical princi-
ples and patterns found in the natural world. You
athleticism of Prismari performance. might lean more toward mathematics or physics, or
Suggested Characteristics. Though the curric- you delve into more abstract studies of metaphysics,

ulum of Prismari College attracts many outgoing arcana, or logic.
and driven artists, the school has no shortage of
shy scholars and lackadaisical blowhards among Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools
its ranks. The Prismari Personality Traits table Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, an
suggests a variety of traits you might adopt for your
abacus, a book of arcane theory, a school uniform,
character. and a pouch containing 15 gp

PRISMARI PERSONALITY TRAITS FEATURE: QUANDRIX INITIATE

d6 Personality Trait You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat (presented later

1 I’m the life of the party, and I expect everyone’s at- in the chapter) and must choose Quandrix within it.

tention when I walk into a room. In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact
Magic feature, the spells on the Quandrix Spells
2 Two weeks ago, I was enthralled with my latest table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting

project. Now, I think it’s garbage and deserves to class. (If you are a multiclass character with multi-
be destroyed. ple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)

3 I believe everyone has the ability to express their QUANDRIX SPELLS
truest selves through art, and I ’m happy to quietly
Spell Level Spells
push them in the right direction.
1st Entangle, Guiding Bolt
4 Everyone is a critic, and I work to win them all over.
2nd Enlarge/ Reduce, Vortex Warp (in this book)
5 I’m beset with such an overwhelming sense of
3rd Aura of Vitality, Haste
ennui regarding my art. Nothing quite captures my
attention anymore. 4th Control Water, Freedom of Movement

6 Instead of confronting my negative emotions, I 5th Circle of Power, Passwall

channel them into explosive artistic displays. Consider customizing how your spells look when
you cast them. Your Quandrix spells might manifest
Prismari Trinkets. When you make your char- amid kaleidoscopic swirls of fractal patterns, ampli-
fying the tiniest movements of your somatic compo-
acter, you may roll once on the Prismari Trinkets
nents. When your magic creates or alters creatures,
table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s
Handbook , for your starting trinket. it might briefly surround the targets with shimmer-
ing fractal designs or tessellated patterns.
PRISMARI TRINKETS
BUILDING A QUANDRIX CHARACTER
d6 Trinket
Any spellcasting class or subclass can work well
1 A pair of rose-tinted glasses with glittery frames
for a Quandrix character. Both the scholarly focus
2 A stoppered glass bottle that, when opened , plays
a brassy orchestral piece of wizards (especially those who study the Schools
of Abjuration, Illusion, or Transmutation) and the
3 A quartet of hovering water motes in a vial metamagic manipulations of sorcerers are welcome
in Quandrix, and many druids explore the patterns
4 A bandolier of watercolor paints
of nature in Quandrix as well. A few clerics, particu-
5 A tiara capped with a crystal that crackles with
harmless lightning larly those with the Knowledge or Nature domains,

6 An iridescent quill study in Quandrix as well.

Aside from traditional spellcasters, a few charac-

ters of other classes find homes in Quandrix. Some

fighters, monks, rangers, and rogues study here,

using Quandrix principles to train their minds.

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

Suggested Characteristics. With subjects rang- Quandrix Trinkets. When you make your char-

ing from the physical and tangible to the paradox- acter, you may roll once on the Quandrix Trinkets
ical and strange, the student body of Quandrix
table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s
College includes an eclectic mix of individuals. The Handbook, for your starting trinket.

Quandrix Personality Traits table suggests a variety QUANDRIX TRINKETS

of traits you might adopt for your character. d6 Trinket
1 A small succulent in a dodecahedral clay pot
QUANDRIX PERSONALITY TRAITS 2 A blue knit hat that looks a bit like a bottle folding

d6 Personality Trait in on itself
3 A model hypercube carved from green crystal,
1 When I find a subject I’m interested in, I won’t stop
showcasing the fourth dimension
studying until I know everything about it. It keeps 4 A crumpled test on the theory of gravity manipula-
me up at night.
2 I hope this all makes sense to me one day. Until tion, with a failing grade on the front and the name

then, I’m going to keep faking it. of a famous Quandrix professor
5 A blue tetrahedron that, when tapped twice, proj-
3 Equations and patterns come naturally to my mind.
I wish friendship came just as easily. ects a recording of an old mathematics lecture
6 A round bread roll cut so that someone could
4 I believe I’m always the smartest person in the
spread butter on both halves without ever lifting
room. And I’ll prove it, even if no one asks me to. the knife

5 If these classes have taught me anything, it’s that
reality is a lie, and nothing matters. So why bother?

6 Before I graduate, I want to achieve something

mathematically impossible. I must leave a legacy!

34 CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

SlLVERQUILL STUDENT A number of both paladins and rogues attend Sil-
verquill College as well, highlighting the diversity of
You have spent years practicing your writing and
the student body.
oration in the hope of becoming a student of Sil-
verquill College. Your studies focus on language, Suggested Characteristics. With the college’s

literature, and the power of words, both magical and intense standards looming over them, Silverquill

otherwise. The metaphorical power of words to illu- students range from cocky and cutthroat to over-
whelmed perfectionists. The Silverquill Personality
minate or conceal is joined with the literal ability of
Traits table suggests a variety of traits you might
magic to do the same in your academic pursuits. adopt for your character.

Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Persuasion SILVERQUILL PERSONALITY TRAITS
Languages: Two of your choice
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a d6 Personality Trait

book of poetry, a school uniform, and a pouch con- 1 I ’ll say whatever I need to in order to maintain my
high social status.
taining 15 gp
2 I prefer saying the blunt truth over a pretty lie, and
FEATURE: SILVERQUILL INITIATE I don’t particularly care whose feelings I hurt.

You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat (presented later 3 I believe that uplifting my peers is the best way to
succeed.
in the chapter) and must choose Silverquill within it.
4 I ’ve mastered the art of using humor as a defense,
In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact and I always have a charming joke ready.
Magic feature, the spells on the Silverquill Spells
table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting 5 I always wait before speaking, analyzing the situa-

class. (If you are a multiclass character with multi- tion for whichever angle is most advantageous to
ple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.) my goals.

SILVERQUILL SPELLS 6 No one knows about the all-nighters I’ve pulled to

Spell Level Spells keep my magic looking effortless, and I’m going to
keep it that way.
1st Dissonant Whispers,
Silverquill Trinkets. When you make your char-
Silvery Barbs (in this book)
acter, you may roll once on the Silverquill Trinkets
2nd Calm Emotions, Darkness
table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s
3rd Beacon of Hope, Daylight Handbook, for your starting trinket.

4th Compulsion, Confusion SILVERQUILL TRINKETS

5th Dominate Person, Rary's Telepathic Bond d6 Trinket

Consider customizing how your spells look when 1 A black leather notebook filled with half-finished

you cast them. Your Silverquill spells might be ac- poems

companied by visual effects resembling splotches of 2 A set of flashcards detailing different colloquial-
ink or radiating ripples of golden light. Any auditory
effects of your spells often sound like amplified isms and their meanings
echoes of your own voice speaking the spells’ verbal
3 A canteen that makes any liquid drunk from it taste
—components even amid the crash of lightning or a sweet

fiery eruption. 4 A forged permission slip granting access to the
special archives of Strixhaven’s libraries
BUILDING A SILVERQUILL CHARACTER
5 A stylish silver pin that references a famous series
Many bards find a home in Silverquill, putting the of novels about warlocks
power of their voices to use with Silverquill magic.
Wizards (especially those who study the Schools of 6 A stack of small pieces of parchment, each en-
Illusion and Enchantment) are common in Silver- chanted to stick to whatever surface it’s pressed
against and peel off easily
quill, as are warlocks. Clerics with the Divine Do-

mains of Light and Trickery also fit in well among

the mages of Silverquill.

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

WlTHERBLOOM STUDENT Suggested Characteristics. Students of Wither-

You filled your childhood with rudimentary alchem- bloom College are equally likely to be found picking
ical experiments, all in the hope of becoming a stu- herbs for a healing tincture or riding zombified
dent of Witherbloom College. The life sciences are swamp beasts through the bayou. The Witherbloom
the focus of your reading, which include biology and Personality Traits table suggests a variety of traits

necromancy. Brewing strange concoctions with me- you might adopt for your character.

dicinal properties, exploring the anatomies of mon- WITHERBLOOM PERSONALITY TRAITS
sters, and cataloging swamp flora are the kinds of
d6 Personality Trait
studies you might pursue at Witherbloom College. 1 I love brewing up a new recipe, even if some might

Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival be repulsed by my choice of ingredients. Or the
Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit final product. Or both.
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, a 2 My fashion sense is like my garden: withered ,
black, and weird.
book about plant identification, an iron pot, an
herbalism kit, a school uniform, and a pouch con- 3 I’m going to befriend every single monster in this
taining 15 gp
swamp if it’s the last thing I do.
FEATURE: WITHERBLOOM INITIATE
4 Everything in this world dies eventually. The ques-
You gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat (presented tion is, what will you do with the time you have left?
later in the chapter) and must choose Witherbloom
5 I know we just met, but when you die, may I have
within it.
your bones? For research.
In addition, if you have the Spellcasting or Pact 6 Don’t interrupt me; I ’m brooding.
Magic feature, the spells on the Witherbloom Spells
table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting Witherbloom Trinkets. When you make your
class. (If you are a multiclass character with multi-
ple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.) character, you may roll once on the Witherbloom
Trinkets table, instead of on the Trinkets table in the
WITHERBLOOM SPELLS
Player’s Handbook , for your starting trinket.
Spell Level Spells
WITHERBLOOM TRINKETS
1st Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds
d6 Trinket
2nd Lesser Restoration, 1 A black bird-shaped mask, trimmed with glowing

Wither and Bloom (in this book) green thread
2 A set of rabbit bones
3rd Revivify, Vampiric Touch 3 A pair of thick knee-high waders, stained with muck

4th Blight , Death Ward and moss
4 A slimy green tentacle, which occasionally wriggles
5th Antilife Shell, Greater Restoration 5 A notebook containing waterproof paper

Consider customizing how your spells look when 6 A necklace of five small vials, each filled with lumi-
you cast them. Your Witherbloom spells might rely
on material components or a spellcasting focus nescent white liquid
drawn from the swamp environment of Wither-
bloom, and your spells might take on an appearance FEATS

suggesting those natural elements. Spectral shapes This section introduces feats that give your char-
acter benefits associated with the colleges of Strix-
of swamp animals or plants might form amid your haven. These feats are available to you whenever
you normally choose a feat, and they follow the feat
spell effects.
rules in the Player’s Handbook.
BUILDING A WITHERBLOOM CHARACTER
FEAT DESCRIPTIONS
Druids and warlocks make up most of Wither-
These feats are presented in alphabetical order.
bloom’s student body. A few wizards (mostly those
STRIXHAVEN INITIATE
who study the School of Necromancy) and clerics
(including those with the Divine Domains of Life or You have studied some magical theory and have
Nature) also find their home in Witherbloom. learned a few spells associated with Strixhaven
University.
A number of rangers and barbarians study at
Witherbloom as well, and some rogues learn how
to create and use poisons during their studies at

this college.

36 CHAPTER | CHARACTER OPTIONS

Choose one of Strixhaven’s colleges: Lorehold, SPELLS

Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, or Witherbloom. Created at Strixhaven, the spells presented in this
section are available to the backgrounds offered in
You learn two cantrips and one lst-level spell based
this chapter. The spells also appear on the class
on the college you choose, as specified in the Strix-
haven Spells table. spell lists indicated in the Spells table below.

You can cast the chosen lst-level spell without a SPELLS

spell slot, and you must finish a long rest before you Level Spell School Class
1st Silvery Barbs
can cast it in this way again. You can also cast the 2nd Enchantment Bard, Sorcerer,
2nd Borrowed
spell using any spell slots you have. 2nd Knowledge Wizard
2nd
Your spellcasting ability for this feat’s spells is In- KineticJaunt Divination Bard, Cleric,

telligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (choose when you Vortex Warp

select this feat). Wither and
Bloom
STRIXHAVEN SPELLS Warlock, Wizard

College Cantrips 1st-Level Spell Transmutation Artificer * Bard,
Sorcerer, Wizard

Lorehold Choose two from Choose one 1st- Conjuration Artificer *
level cleric or wizard Sorcerer, Wizard
light, sacred flame, and
thaumaturgy. spell. Necromancy Druid, Sorcerer,

Prismari Choose two from fire Choose one lst- Wizard
Quandrix
bolt, prestidigitation, level bard or sor- *The artificer class appears in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
cerer spell. and Eberron: Risingfrom the Last War.
and ray of frost.
Choose one lst- SPELL DESCRIPTIONS
Choose two from druid- These spells are presented in alphabetical order.
level druid or wizard
craft, guidance, and
mage hand. spell.

Silverquill Choose two from sacred Choose one lst- BORROWED KNOWLEDGE
fame, thaumaturgy, level bard or cleric 2nd-Level Divination
-Wither
and vicious mockery. spell. Casting Time:1 action
bloom Range: Self
Choose two from chill Choose one lst- Components: V, S, M (a book worth at least 25 gp)
touch, druidcraft, and Duration: 1 hour
level druid or wizard
spare the dying. spell. You draw on knowledge from spirits of the past.
Choose one skill in which you lack proficiency. For
STRIXHAVEN MASCOT
the spell’s duration, you have proficiency in the cho-
Prerequisite: 4th Level, Strixhaven Initiate Feat
sen skill. The spell ends early if you cast it again.
You have learned how to summon a Strixhaven
mascot to assist you, granting you these benefits: KINETIC JAUNT

• You can cast the find familiar spell as a ritual. 2nd-Level Transmutation
Your familiar can take the form of the mascot
associated with the college you chose for the Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Strixhaven Initiate feat: a spirit statue mascot Range: Self
(Lorehold), an art elemental mascot (Prismari), Components: S
a fractal mascot (Quandrix), an inkling mascot Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

(Silverquill), or a pest mascot (Witherbloom). Stat You magically empower your movement with dance-
blocks for these creatures appear in chapter 7. like steps, giving yourself the following benefits for

• When you take the Attack action on your turn, you the duration:
can forgo one attack to allow your mascot familiar
to make one attack of its own with its reaction. • Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
• You don’t provoke opportunity attacks.
• If your mascot familiar is within 60 feet of you,
you can teleport as an action, swapping places • You can move through the space of another crea-

with the familiar. If your destination space is too ture, and it doesn’t count as difficult terrain. If you

small for you to occupy, the teleportation fails and end your turn in another creature’s space, you are

is wasted. Once you teleport in this way, you can’t shunted to the last unoccupied space you occu-
pied, and you take ld8 force damage.
do so again until you finish a long rest, unless
you expend a spell slot of 2nd level or higher to

do it again.

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

SILVERY BARBS and regain a number of hit points equal to the roll

lst-Level Enchantment plus your spellcasting ability modifier.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell us-
Casting Time:1 reaction, which you take when a
creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself ing a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage
succeeds on an attack roll, an ability check, or a increases by ld6 for each slot above 2nd, and the
saving throw number of Hit Dice that can be spent and added
to the healing roll increases by one for each slot
Range: 60 feet
Components: V above 2nd.
Duration: Instantaneous
MAGIC ITEMS
You magically distract the triggering creature and
turn its momentary uncertainty into encouragement This section presents some magic items that are
for another creature. The triggering creature must
created at Strixhaven. These items, along with a few
reroll the d20 and use the lower roll.
from the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), can be
You can then choose a different creature you can
purchased on campus using the prices in the Magic
see within range (you can choose yourself). The
Items for Sale table.
chosen creature has advantage on the next attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within 1 MAGIC ITEMS FOR SALE

minute. A creature can be empowered by only one Item Rarity Cost
use of this spell at a time.
Bottle of Boundless Coffee Common 100 gp
VORTEX WARP 100 gp
2nd-Level Conjuration Cuddly Strixhaven Mascot Common 300 gp
300 gp
Casting Time: 1 action Lorehold Primer Uncommon 300 gp
Range: 90 feet 300 gp
Components: V, S Prismari Primer Uncommon 50 gp
Duration: Instantaneous 100 gp
Quandrix Primer Uncommon 300 gp
You magically twist space around another creature 300 gp
Silverquill Primer Uncommon
you can see within range. The target must succeed
Spell Scroll (lst-Level Spell; DMG) Common
on a Constitution saving throw (the target can
choose to fail), or the target is teleported to an unoc- Strixhaven Pennant Common
cupied space of your choice that you can see within
range. The chosen space must be on a surface or in Weapon, +1 ( DMG ) Uncommon
a liquid that can support the target without the tar-
Witherbloom Primer Uncommon
get having to squeeze.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell us- MAGIC ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

ing a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the range of These items are presented in alphabetical order.
the spell increases by 30 feet for each slot level
BOTTLE OF BOUNDLESS COFFEE
above 2nd.
Wondrous Item, Common
WITHER AND BLOOM
2nd-Level Necromancy This metal bottle carries delicious, warm coffee.
The bottle comes with a stopper, which is attached
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet to the bottle by a little chain. Even when open, the
Components: V, S, M (a withered vine twisted
bottle won’t accept any liquid other than the coffee
into a loop)
Duration: Instantaneous it produces. The coffee inside is always comfortably

You invoke both death and life upon a 10-foot-radius warm, and none of the heat can be felt through
sphere centered on a point within range. Each crea- the bottle.
ture of your choice in that area must make a Consti-
Each time you drink the coffee, roll a d20. On a
tution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on
a failed save, or half as much damage on a success- 1, the bottle refuses to dispense coffee for the next

ful one. Nonmagical vegetation in that area withers. hour. If you pour coffee from the bottle, rather than

In addition, one creature of your choice in that drinking from it, the coffee vanishes the moment it
area can spend and roll one of its unspent Hit Dice
leaves the bottle.

CUDDLY STRIXHAVEN MASCOT

Wondrous Item, Common

Representing one of the mascots of Strixhaven, this

.soft, Tiny, magic toy is perfect for cuddling If you

press it to your arm, shoulder, or leg as an action,
the toy stays attached there for 1 hour or until you

use an action to remove it.

2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS

This toy can also be used to fight off fear. When In addition, if you study the primer at the end of
you make a saving throw to avoid or end the fright- a long rest, you can choose one lst-level spell from

ened condition on yourself, you can give yourself the druid or wizard spell list. Before you finish your

advantage on the roll if the toy is on your person. next long rest, you can cast the chosen spell once

You must decide to do so before rolling the d20. If without a spell slot if you are holding the primer.
the save succeeds, you can’t use the toy in this way
Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your choice
again until you finish a long rest. of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

LOREHOLD PRIMER SILVERQUILL PRIMER
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement
by a Spellcaster)
by a Spellcaster)
The Lorehold Primer is a magic textbook created
The Silverquill Primer is a magic textbook created
at Strixhaven’s Lorehold College. The primer has 3 at Strixhaven’s Silverquill College. The primer has
3 charges, and it regains ld3 expended charges
charges, and it regains ld3 expended charges daily
daily at dawn. If you make a Charisma (Intimi-
at dawn. If you make an Intelligence (History) or
dation) or a Charisma (Persuasion) check while
an Intelligence (Religion) check while holding the holding the primer, you can expend 1 charge to give
primer, you can expend 1 charge to give yourself yourself a ld4 bonus to the check, immediately after
a ld4 bonus to the check, immediately after you
you roll the d20.
roll the d20.
In addition, if you study the primer at the end of
In addition, if you study the primer at the end of a long rest, you can choose one lst-level spell from

a long rest, you can choose one lst-level spell from the bard or cleric spell list. Before you finish your
the cleric or wizard spell list. Before you finish your
next long rest, you can cast the chosen spell once
next long rest, you can cast the chosen spell once without a spell slot if you are holding the primer.
without a spell slot if you are holding the primer. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your choice
Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your choice
of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
STRIXHAVEN PENNANT
PRISMARI PRIMER Wondrous Item, Common
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement
by a Spellcaster) This magic pennant bears the symbol of Strixhaven
or one of its colleges: Lorehold, Prismari, Quandrix,
The Prismari Primer is a magic textbook created
at Strixhaven’s Prismari College. The primer has 3 Silverquill, or Witherbloom. While you wave the
charges, and it regains ld3 expended charges daily
at dawn. If you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or a pennant, the symbol on it glitters, and the pennant
Charisma (Performance) check while holding the sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light
primer, you can expend 1 charge to give yourself
a ld4 bonus to the check, immediately after you for an additional 10 feet.
roll the d20.
WITHERBLOOM PRIMER
In addition, if you study the primer at the end of
a long rest, you can choose one lst-level spell from Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement
the bard or sorcerer spell list. Before you finish your
next long rest, you can cast the chosen spell once by a Spellcaster)

without a spell slot if you are holding the primer. The Witherbloom Primer is a magic textbook cre-

Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your choice ated at Strixhaven’s Witherbloom College. The
primer has 3 charges, and it regains ld3 expended
of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. charges daily at dawn. If you make an Intelligence
(Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check while holding
QUANDRIX PRIMER the primer, you can expend 1 charge to give yourself
Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement a ld4 bonus to the check, immediately after you

by a Spellcaster) roll the d20.

The Quandrix Primer is a magic textbook created In addition, if you study the primer at the end of
a long rest, you can choose one lst-level spell from
at Strixhaven’s Quandrix College. The primer has
the druid or wizard spell list. Before you finish your
3 charges, and it regains ld3 expended charges
next long rest, you can cast the chosen spell once
daily at dawn. If you make an Intelligence (Arcana)
without a spell slot if you are holding the primer.
or an Intelligence (Nature) check while holding the
primer, you can expend 1 charge to give yourself Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your choice
a ld4 bonus to the check, immediately after you
roll the d20. of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

CHAPTER 2 | CHARACTER OPTIONS



SCHOOL Is IN SESSION

T HE FOLLOWING FOUR CHAPTERS PRESENT A STRIXHAVEN CAMPAIGN
a series of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adven-
tures optimized for four to six characters. If you run these adventures as a campaign, one
Each adventure takes place on and around villain is behind the chaos on campus: the bul-
the Strixhaven campus. In these adventures, the lywug Murgaxor Grenshel, a disgruntled former
player characters are students attending the univer-
sity, and they become heroes in their own right as student who attended Strixhaven centuries ago.
they navigate plots, overcome monsters, and thwart
dangers that arise in each adventure. —Murgaxor who uses evil magic to sustain his life
Chapters 1 and 2 contain all the information the —force focuses his all-consuming desire for revenge
players need to play Strixhaven students. Each ad-
venture takes place over the course of one academic on destroying Strixhaven University.
year. For instance, “Campus Kerfuffle,” the adven-
ture in this chapter, takes place during the char- The adventures assume you’re playing a Strix-
acters’ first year at the university. “Hunt for Mage
Tower,” in chapter 4, takes place during the charac- haven campaign, and each adventure provides in-
ters’ second year at the university, and so on. The formation about how Murgaxor’s influence corrupts
adventures can be run consecutively as a campaign and warps creatures and places on campus. The
or individually, as described below. end of each adventure provides information that

RUNNING THE ADVENTURES foreshadows or sets up the events of the next adven-
ture. The characters ultimately confront Murgaxor
To run these adventures, you need the fifth edition
in chapter 6, where the villain is described in detail.
core rulebooks: the Player’s Handbook, the Dun-
CHARACTER CREATION
geon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.
Before starting any of this book’s adventures, con-
Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be sult chapter 2 for guidance on making Strixhaven

read aloud or paraphrased for the players when their characters and uniting those characters in a group.

characters first arrive at a location or under a specific CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT

circumstance, as described in the text. In these adventures, the characters receive experi-

When a creature’s name appears in bold type, ence points for achieving story milestones, rather

that’s a visual cue pointing you to its stat block. In than for defeating monsters. Each adventure tells

other words, when you see a name in bold type, you you when the characters advance to the next level.
should get the creature’s stat block ready because
STANDALONE ADVENTURES
you’re going to need it soon. If the stat block appears
in chapter 7, the text tells you. Otherwise, you can Rather than playing the four adventures as a cam-
find the stat block in the Monster Manual.
paign, you can run them as standalone adventures.
Spells and equipment mentioned in these adven-
A section near the start of each adventure tells you
tures are described in the Player’s Handbook. If an
how to use the adventure in this way.
adventure doesn’t describe a magic item, you can
find the magic item’s description in the Dungeon If you run any of these adventures separately, you
should ask the players to create characters of the ap-
Master’s Guide. propriate starting level for the adventure, as shown

in the Adventure Levels table.

ADVENTURE LEVELS Starting Level Chapter

Adventure 1st 3
Campus Kerfuffle 4th 4
Hunt for Mage Tower 6th 5
The Magister’s Masquerade 8th 6
A Reckoning in Ruins

fi

3 | SCHOOL IS IN SESSION 41

START OF A TO

.

RELATIONSHIPS POSTER MAP
The poster map is meant to be shared with the play-
If you run chapter 4, 5, or 6 as a standalone adven- ers. One side shows the Strixhaven University cam-

ture, you should ask each player to choose at least pus, with a focus on the central campus and the five
one student to be a Friend, a Beloved, or a Rival,
as described in the Relationship rules later in this surrounding colleges. The other side of the poster

.chapter The Starting Relationship Points table lists shows detailed maps of key campus locations, some

the number of points a character has at the start of which the characters visit in multiple adventures.

with the chosen Friend, Beloved, or Rival. THE PASSAGE OF TIME

STARTING RELATIONSHIP POINTS Each adventure in this book takes place over the
course of an academic year, which is no longer than
Person Relationship Points
a calendar year. The adventures include events, but
Friend 2 those events aren’t the entire extent of the charac-
ters’ experience on campus that year. Unless explic-
Beloved 3
itly stated, assume that anywhere from a few days
Rival -2
to a few weeks passes between the events of an ad-
USING THE MAPS 7
venture. You can decide how quickly the year passes
This book contains a number of interior maps and is
accompanied by a poster map, all of which will aid and work with your players to decide what else they

you as you run these adventures. get up to. You can conduct roleplaying scenes with

INTERIOR MAPS the characters’ fellow students, taking into account
Maps in the book primarily depict areas for the
their Friends, Rivals, and Beloveds. You might also
characters to explore or areas where combat is
narratively describe developments in their courses
likely to occur. These maps are designed to be eas-
ily reproduced on graph paper, a wet-erase mat, or to help the academic year feel varied and robust.

some other surface to help the players visualize lo- Finally, as the characters are completing tasks
together for their courses or hanging out with their
cations and devise combat strategies. You can alter fellow students, consider challenging them with

a map’s features as you see fit. random monster encounters that crop up on cam-
pus. These encounters might be truly random, or
On interior maps, an arrow on a slope or staircase they could be unexpected side-effects of the more

.points in the ascending direction When elevation .significant events unfolding in the adventure Each
chapter includes a table tailored for that adventure.
numbers appear on a map, a plus sign indicates a
rise of the indicated number of feet, while a minus

sign indicates a depression.

CHAPTER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

STRIXHAVEN OPTING OUT OF THESE RULES
TRACKING SHEET
The rules for Extracurriculars, Jobs, Exams, and Rela-
The sections on the following pages give special
tionships combine with the adventures in this book to
rules for certain aspects of university life. Players
enhance the flavor of life at a university of magic.
can use the sheet below to keep track of the effects
If you find these rules aren’t the best fit for your
of those rules on their characters. Each player group, you can run this book’s adventures without
those rules, simply narrating the effects of related en-
should have a copy to use during the course of the
adventures. The tracking sheet includes the fol- counters without using rules to resolve them.
lowing parts:
character participates in an Extracurricular, they
Relationships. The player notes here the names of gain a positive or negative Relationship Point with

each student NPC with whom their character has its associated student NPC.

a Relationship. The player should track how many Job. The player should note their character’s job, if
any. Remind the player that while their charac-
Relationship Points their character has with each
NPC; whether that NPC is a Friend, a Rival, or a ter holds a job, the character gains a positive or
negative Relationship Point with its associated
Beloved; whether that NPC confers Beloved Inspi- student coworker, whom they should also note on

ration; and that NPC’s Bond Boon or Bond Bane, this sheet.
Student Dice. The player should track the Student
whichever is applicable.
Dice their character has from passing Exams and
Report Cards. This section includes places to track
from Extracurriculars. They should also note the
the results of each Exam.
skills their character can expend the Student Dice
Extracurriculars. The player notes the Extracur-
riculars in which their character is participating. on. They should check the “d4” box whenever they

The player should also note each Extracurricular’s gain a Student Die, and they should erase the
NPC member. Remind players that while their
check mark when they expend the die.
&
MEMORIES '
STRIXHAVEN

RELATIONSHIPS

Name Points Relationship Inspiration Boon / Bane

REPORT CARDS EXTRACURRICULARS

1 2 '
#1
#1 '

3 #2 Name d4 Skills Member
Rerolls d
YEAR 3 Skills #3 Skills
Skills Rerolls d4
i YEAR JOB

#2 #i . Nature

#3 NO TIME Skills Employer
Rerolls d4s Rerolls d4s

GRADUATION Coworker

CHAPTER 3 | SCHOOL IS IN SESSION ,3

EXTRACURRICULARS new adventure. Typically, joining an Extracurricular

—Extracurriculars the campus clubs and societies in between academic years isn’t eventful. Players
—students can join are a key part of student life at should note the changes on their tracking sheet.

Strixhaven. Using the rules that follow, characters EXTRACURRICULAR BENEFITS

can join Extracurriculars to add flavor to the book’s While a student participates in an Extracurricular,
adventures, gain minor rules benefits, and perhaps they gain a Student Die and a Relationship Point, as

— —more easily befriend or irritate their classmates. explained below.

JOINING AN EXTRACURRICULAR STUDENT DICE

At any point during the book’s adventures, a charac- Each character gains one Student Die for each Ex-

ter can gain the benefit of two of the Extracurricu- tracurricular they are participating in. A Student
lars noted below, as described later in this section.
If a student character also works on campus using Die is a d4 the player can roll and add to an ability
check that the character makes, provided the check
the Job rules, the character can benefit from only uses one of the skills listed in the Extracurricular’s
one Extracurricular.
description. The player can wait until after rolling
Characters can gain the benefit from a new Ex-
tracurricular only by joining it at the start of an aca- the d20 before rolling the Student Die, but must do
demic year, which corresponds to the beginning of a so before you say whether the check succeeds or

fails. No more than one Student Die can be rolled

per check. After rolling a Student Die, a player can’t

roll it again until the character finishes a long rest.

RELATIONSHIP POINT

While a student participates in an Extracurricular,
the student gains either a positive or a negative Rela-

tionship Point (the player’s choice) with one student
NPC who is also a member of the Extracurricular
(see the Relationship rules later in this chapter).

QUITTING AN EXTRACURRICULAR

Characters can quit an Extracurricular at any time,

updating their tracking sheet accordingly. When a

student quits an Extracurricular, they immediately
lose its benefits. If a character quits during an ad-
venture, you might want to roleplay the situation,
since NPCs are likely to take an interest in why the

student is leaving.

EXTRACURRICULAR OPTIONS

Student characters can join any of the following Ex-

tracurriculars.

DEAD LANGUAGES SOCIETY

Skills: Athletics, History
Member: Drazhomir Yarnask, Quentillius A.

Melentor III

These linguistics lovers take advantage of Strixhav-
en’s deep repository of tomes written in ancient and
near-extinct languages, teaching themselves these

tongues and often translating their favorite works.

DISTINGUISHED SOCIETY OF FINEARTISTS

Skills: Performance or Sleight of Hand
Member: Cadoras Damellawar, Nora Ann Wu

These painters, sculptors, printmakers, and mosaic
artists gather to create fine works and to discuss the
latest techniques and trends in the world of art.

44 CHAPTER | SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

DRAGONCHESS CLUB LIVE-ACTION ROLEPLAYING GUILD

Skills: Deception, Investigation Skills: Animal Handling, Performance
Member: Cadoras Damellawar, Rosimyffenbip
Member: Bhedum “Rampart” Sooviij,
Tilana Kapule “Rosie” Wuzfeddlims

These experts in the game of dragonchess discuss These storytelling enthusiasts engage in a mix of
the latest in strategy, compete against one another,
and test out homemade variations of game rules. — —strategy and playacting often involving mascots

DRAGONSGUARD HISTORICAL SOCIETY when they enact fantastical narratives that they re-

Skills: Arcana, History solve with special rules.
Member: Bhedum “Rampart” Sooviij
MAGE TOWER CHEER SQUAD
These historians are fascinated by all time periods,
and they regularly meet to discuss, debate, and deep Skills: Perception, Persuasion
Member: Zanther Bowen
dive into members’ favorite topics.
With their coordinated cheers, outfits, and school
FANTASTICAL HORTICULTURE CLUB spirit, these cheerleaders inspire pride in the official

Skills: Nature, Survival Strixhaven University Mage Tower teams.
Member: Urzmaktok Grojsh
PLAYACTORS DRAMA GUILD
These green-thumbed experts love mixing magic
and gardening to create new strains of vegetation, Skills: Arcana, Deception

many of which they cultivate on campus. Member: Quentillius A. Melentor III, Rubina

FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS OF STRIXHAVEN Larkingdale

Skills: Insight, Persuasion These actors work together to create productions of
Member: Grayson Wildemere brilliant stagecraft, often involving new spins on old

These enterprising students discuss business theo- classics as well as displays of magic and music.

ries. They often create small start-ups to sell wares STRIXHAVEN IRON-LIFTERS SOCIETY
and services appealing to students. The funds they
generate fuel the club’s activities. Skills: Athletics, Medicine
Member: Greta Gorunn
INTRAMURAL GYMNASTICS CLUB
These bodybuilders support each other in develop-
Skills: Acrobatics, Performance ing strong muscles and even stronger friendships.
Member: Zanther Bowen
STRIXHAVEN SHOW BAND ASSOCIATION
These graceful gymnasts work to hone their craft,
and they compete against each other in dazzling Skills: Sleight of Hand, Performance
Member: Aurora Luna Wynterstarr, Rubina
floor routines.
Larkingdale
INTRAMURAL SILKBALL CLUB
These music enthusiasts play instruments such as
Skills: Athletics, Intimidation hurdy-gurdies, bagpipes, flutes, and drums, and they
regularly perform rousing concerts.
Member:Javenesh Stoutclaw, Melwythorne, Ti-
STRIXHAVEN STAR
lana Kapule
Skills: Investigation, Insight
These hardy athletes train together and compete in Member: Grayson Wildemere, Mina Lee

the rough-and-tumble Strixhaven game of silkball, These truth seekers and wordsmiths report on cam-
pus news, regularly interviewing important figures
which is played in muddy fields with balls made of and producing the monthly Strixhaven Star newspa-

spider silk. per, which is distributed across the campus.

INTRAMURAL WATER-DANCING CLUB STUDENT-MAGES OF FAITH

Skills: Athletics, Performance Skills: Insight, Religion
Member: Larine Arneza Member: Melwythorne, Shuvadri Glintmantle

These swimming enthusiasts combine their athletic These pious students of many faiths gather to share
skills with the finesse of artists as they choreograph prayers and theological debates and to celebrate one

water dances to the latest popular songs. another’s high holidays.

CHAPTER 3 | SCHOOL IS IN SESSION 4,

JOBS DORMITORIES

Working in gainful employment while at school can Jobs: Cleanup crew member, events assistant, front-
provide a character with a modicum of cash and
help forge connections with student coworkers. desk worker, resident assistant
Coworker: Nora Ann Wu
GETTING OR LOSING A TOB
FIREJOLT CAFE
A character can hold one Job at a time, and they can Jobs: Barista, cashier, cleanup crew member, server

participate in only one Extracurricular while they Coworker: Mina Lee

have a Job. A student can switch Jobs whenever they INTRAMURAL FIELDS

wish, even in the middle of the academic year, as Jobs: Cleanup crew member, crowd manager, equip-

long as they don’t work more than one Job at a time. ment assistant, groundskeeper, referee
At your discretion, switchingJobs in the middle of Coworker: Rosimyffenbip “Rosie” Wuzfeddlims

the year might lead to a roleplaying scenario. STRIXHAVEN PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY

JOB BENEFITS Jobs: Cleanup crew member, general assistant, re-

While a student has a Job, they earn a wage and a freshments expert, stagehand, ticket taker, usher
Coworker: Larine Arneza
Relationship Point, as explained below.
STRIXHAVEN STADIUM
WAGE
A student who works a Job gains 5 gp at the start of Jobs: Cleanup crew member, entertainment assis-

each week that they hold the Job. If a student quits tant, equipment assistant, groundskeeper, refresh-
ments expert, ticket taker, usher
during the academic year, they stop earning this Coworker: Aurora Luna Wynterstarr, Greta Gorunn
money at the end of the week in which they quit.

RELATIONSHIP POINT
While a character works a Job, they gain a positive
or negative Relationship Point (the player’s choice)

with one student NPC at that Job. This represents a

coworker with whom the character is often sched-
uled and with whom they can easily form a connec-
tion (see the Relationship rules later in this chapter).

JOB OPTIONS

Student characters can find work at the places be-

low. A number of possible positions are noted for
each place, along with NPC coworkers.

BIBLIOPLEX

Jobs: Book clerk, book shelver, cafe worker, cleanup

crew member, garden tender, store worker
Coworker: Drazhomir Yarnask

Bow’s END TAVERN
Jobs: Assistant manager, cleanup crew member,

cook, host, server

Coworker:Javenesh Stoutclaw

CAMPUS GROUNDS

Jobs: Graffiti eraser, lawn manicurist, litter re-

triever, sidewalk sweeper, statuary repairer,
trash collector
Coworker: Shuvadri Glintmantle

CAMPUS MAGIC LABS

Jobs: Cleanup crew member, specimen preparer,

volunteer lab partner
Coworker: Urzmaktok Grojsh

CHAPTER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

EXAMS PULLING AN ALL-NIGHTER

The characters’ years at Strixhaven are covered by After pulling an all-nighter, a character gains two
each of this book’s adventures, which focus on the rerolls to use during the next Testing phase if the
notable and even shocking events that take place at
character succeeds on the ability check. Doing so
the university. Even though the characters’ studies imposes a cost: the character gains 1 level of ex-
include the trappings of academic life—attending
lectures, participating in labs, reading textbooks— haustion that takes effect at the start of the day of

those everyday academic activities mostly take place the Exam. This level of exhaustion can’t be removed
until after the Exam.
in the background. The exam rules presented here
STUDYING TOGETHER
are thus designed to help the players keep their
If two or more characters engage in a group study
characters’ studies part of the game. session, each participating character has advantage

USING THESE RULES on their ability check during the Studying phase.

Each of the book’s adventures includes Exams. SKIPPING STUDYING

Though each character might be a member of a dif- A character can skip the Studying phase if they
ferent college at Strixhaven, the adventures assume
wish, forgoing the chance of gaining these rerolls.
that the characters take at least one general educa-
TESTING PHASE
tion or interdisciplinary course together each year.
It is this course that the Exam rules represent. Once the Studying phase of an Exam is over, have
the players record any rerolls their characters re-
Each Exam encounter has a Studying phase fol-
ceive, then begin the Testing phase.
lowed by a Testing phase. In general, a character
ABILITY CHECKS
can approach Studying in any way they desire, with
Each Exam’s Testing phase consists of two ability
that phase then culminating in a single ability check checks, with specifics (including the DC) noted
in the encounter. If a character gained any rerolls
of their choice. In contrast, Testing requires ability during the Studying phase, the character can use
checks using specific skills. one reroll when making a Testing ability check, re-

In each phase, resolve the outcome of one char- rolling the check’s d20 and using the new roll.
acter’s ability checks before moving on to another
Each character’s Testing phase has three possi-
character. (If any characters are studying together, ble results:

however, resolve their ability checks at the same Failed. No successful ability checks means a char-

time. See below for more information.) acter failed, having gotten fewer than half the

Don’t forget to have each player mark the results questions correct.
of an Exam on their tracking sheet!
Passed. One successful ability check means a char-
STUDYING PHASE
acter passed, having gotten half or more of the
The Studying phase of an Exam represents the
characters brushing up on their coursework, questions correct, but not all the questions. The
prompting sparks of insight when faced with diffi- character gains one Student Die, explained below.
Aced. Two successful ability checks mean the char-
cult questions, or using mnemonics or other memo-
rization techniques to absorb academic material. acter aced the Exam, having gotten all the ques-

During the Studying phase, each character must tions correct. The character gains two Student
Dice, explained below.
succeed on an ability check against a DC noted in
CHEATING
the encounter. They can use any ability and skill
An unscrupulous character can cheat on an Exam.
they wish when making this check, but they can Doing so requires a successful Charisma (Decep-

make it only once. tion) check and a successful Dexterity (Sleight of
Hand) check, both using the DC set for the Exam.
For example, one student might make an Intel- If a character cheats, they can’t use any rerolls from
ligence (History) check to pore over their books,
their Studying phase.
while another student makes a Charisma (Perfor-
mance) check to create a series of spoken mne- If the character fails either of these checks, a proc-
monic devices. A third student might make a Dex- tor or other authority figure notices the cheating,

terity (Sleight of Hand) check to create reminding and the student fails the exam.

gestures or practice any physical components that If the Charisma (Deception) and Dexterity (Sleight
of Hand) checks are both successful, the character
are part of a course, such as the somatic gestures successfully cheats and aces the Exam.

involved in spellcasting.

On a successful check, the character gains one re-
roll to use during the character’s next Testing phase.

CHAPTER I SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

If a character fails an Exam, Strixhaven’s bylaws RELATIONSHIPS
require them to attend tutoring with a junior faculty
member until they achieve at least a passed Exam As students, the characters have the opportunity

in a different Exams encounter. This tutoring can be to cement friendships, establish rivalries, deepen
bonds, and otherwise develop relationships with
narrated through roleplaying, or you might simply student NPCs in this book’s adventures. Although
these pursuits could be played out entirely with
inform the player of this result. roleplaying, you can use the following Relationship
rules to reinforce this aspect of the adventures.
A student who must attend tutoring can’t take part
—These rules provide characters with benefits or
in any Extracurriculars or Jobs until they achieve at
drawbacks!—based on their social endeavors, infus-
least a passed Exam during one of that academic
ing their interactions with other students with rules
year’s Exam encounters. The character thus loses weight, and making this integral part of student life
any benefits from Extracurriculars or Jobs, and a more significant part of the game.

their player should indicate this suspension on their The rules encompass only interactions with stu-
tracking sheet.
dent NPCs. Professors, administrators, and other
STUDENT DICE older adults aren’t part of the Relationship rules.

A Student Die gained from an Exam is a d4 the SESSION ZERO
player can roll and add to an ability check that the
character makes, provided the check uses one of the If you’re interested in using these rules in your
two skills featured in the Exam. The player can wait game, consider holding a session zero to introduce
until after rolling the d20 before rolling the Student the rules to the players. Such a session zero allows
Die, but must do so before you say whether the
you to ascertain players’ comfort with these rules.
check succeeds or fails. No more than one Student
Die can be rolled per check. After rolling a Student If some players want to use these rules and other
players don’t, using these rules only for some char-
Die, a player can’t roll it again until the character acters, or not using them at all, doesn’t unbalance

finishes a long rest. these adventures. Similarly, if you are uncomfort-

Players should note any Student Dice they gain able engaging with the roleplaying encounters these
and the skills those dice can apply to on their
tracking sheet. rules describe, we recommend you don’t use them.

At the end of each academic year, players lose If any players exhibit trepidation, err on the side
any Student Dice their characters have earned of caution and don’t use these rules for some or all

from an Exam. of the characters. Characters who use these rules

48 CHAPTER 3 | SCHOOL IS IN SESSION