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AntiTrust
2012-06-27, 05:18 PM
So I'm taking the variant idea that in order to get into prestige classes certain rp elements must also be completed. A friend's wizard character wants to join the mages of the arcane order so as part of that he must first pass a written exam to enter the college of which the order is part of. I'm trying to come up with questions that prospective students would be required to know, but aren't so obscure as to baffle my player entirely. Any ideas?

Prime32
2012-06-27, 06:15 PM
So do you want to reward trivia knowledge or creativity? I.e. Do you want them to know that the material component for a fireball spell is bat guano and sulphur, or would they be asked to describe magical procedures you made up and pass if it sounds cool?

AntiTrust
2012-06-27, 06:53 PM
I was thinking of questions like, name all primary schools of magic.

Name all sub-schools of the illusion school

Can a fireball successfully counter a maximized fireball

DracoDei
2012-06-28, 07:21 AM
Can you describe your player's level of experience better?

prufock
2012-06-28, 07:35 AM
I was thinking of questions like, name all primary schools of magic.

Name all sub-schools of the illusion school

Can a fireball successfully counter a maximized fireball

To be honest, these seem more like entrance questions to become a wizard. A PrC should have much more difficult questions. In fact, I probably wouldn't even do a written test, but a series of practical exams that test both knowledge AND creativity. IE, get through this labyrinth using only spells of X school. These would sort of be mini-adventures in themselves, though, and might leave the other players doing nothing unless you work around that. Give them things to do while the test is going on.

Keep in mind that you're testing player knowledge with a written test, too, not character knowledge. No wizard worth his salt doesn't know the 8 schools of magic; the player might not, though, depending on his level of experience with the game.

Yitzi
2012-06-28, 10:52 AM
As prufock said, if it requires 6 levels of wizard, then that indicates the entrance exam would really be something that it takes years of magical study to know.

AntiTrust
2012-06-28, 05:27 PM
Thanks for the replies so far. The player must first be accepted into the college before he can petition it to join the mages of the arcane order prc so these questions are simply for entry into the college. Also the player isn't near the college so the college will be sending him an entrance exam, some magics on it help prevent cheating and provide a means of sending it back to the college

Prime32
2012-06-28, 06:12 PM
What's the college's political situation? Because they might want to make sure they don't grant someone Spellpool access who will abuse it. Tests might then be tests of character and loyalty.

AntiTrust
2012-06-28, 06:20 PM
What's the college's political situation? Because they might want to make sure they don't grant someone Spellpool access who will abuse it. Tests might then be tests of character and loyalty.

Passing the exam to get into the college won't grant him access to the spell pool. All I'm looking for is entrance questions suitable to get into the college. I've already got rp stuff planned out for when he actually visits the college and tries to get into the order, but first he's got to get accepted into the college.

Grimsage Matt
2012-06-28, 09:43 PM
Should be at least four parts.

Part 1) Magical history. Famous magical figures, some knowledge (History) and (arcana) checks in order to research the awnsers. Things like that.

Part 2) Basic magical Theory. Some spellcraft checks, intelligence checks, have to know the underpinning mechanics of a few spells.

Part 3) Something to test understanding between forms of magic. Such as Arcane, Shadow, Binding, and Truenaming or Psionics.

Part 4) A "Practical portion" in the form of a special scroll. It teleports them to a maze that has one part for each of the schools of magic. In each section of the maze, they may only use that school of magic to find the next section of the maze.

This look good?

AntiTrust
2012-06-28, 09:45 PM
Should be at least four parts.

Part 1) Magical history. Famous magical figures, some knowledge (History) and (arcana) checks in order to research the awnsers. Things like that.

Part 2) Basic magical Theory. Some spellcraft checks, intelligence checks, have to know the underpinning mechanics of a few spells.

Part 3) Something to test understanding between forms of magic. Such as Arcane, Shadow, Binding, and Truenaming or Psionics.

Part 4) A "Practical portion" in the form of a special scroll. It teleports them to a maze that has one part for each of the schools of magic. In each section of the maze, they may only use that school of magic to find the next section of the maze.

This look good?

All excellent ideas, thank you

Grimsage Matt
2012-06-28, 09:48 PM
maze idea partially stolen and expanded from pufocks idea.

Just made it a 8 part maze, becuse unless it's a specialist College, they'd probobly want you to know a genernal selection of spells, right?

Deepbluediver
2012-06-28, 10:04 PM
Rather than a straight test, if you REALLY want to make it seem like a magic school, give the player an essay assignment to do between sessions. Something like: "Research and write an original treatsie on a non-traditional form of magic, including history, mechanics, strengths and weaknesses, and notable users."
Then let the player write up a page or so based on shadow magic, truename magic, incarnum magic, psionics, spelltheieves, or virtually anything else non-core related. Or even let them make something up entirely original. Depending on how much you like role-play, it doesnt have to be accurate or academic sounding, just intersting to read.


IE, get through this labyrinth using only spells of X school. These would sort of be mini-adventures in themselves, though, and might leave the other players doing nothing unless you work around that. Give them things to do while the test is going on.

I've seen something like this done before; our group was trying to work out way into the cities criminal element, so the rogue applied for membership to the thieves guild. He had to make it through an obstacle course testing all the usual rogue skills (skill checks for move silently, hide, balance, sleight of hand, etc) and some light combat making good use of sneak attack at the end.
The key is to keep it short, under 10 minutes I would think, or come up with some way for the other players to help out from the sidelines.

Alternatively, find a way to work a practical test into the group's regular adventures. Maybe something like, the arcane order gives your wizard player a pendant he must wear with him on his next adventure, which will allow the order to observe him in action. The pendant (or other magic item) could have any number of helpful or harmful magical effects to test the player; it might randomly make spells of a certain school not work, it could randomly turn invisible or move short distances (like for instance, into the rogues backpack :smallbiggrin:), it could attract monsters or get stolen and need to be retrieved. Lots of fun to be had.