On making an adventurer academy hub thread.

[Agrippa]

I already posted this on two other sites, but I'll post the idea here to get your responses.

I've been thinking about what an adventurer's school might look like. Who would it's founder be, why would it be founded, when would it be founded, what exactly would it teach and who would teach there. This is still very much in the preliminary stage so I'd welcome any suggestions. The photo links are for NPCs inspired by the characters, not said characters themselves.

Headmaster/Superintendent Inspiration Professor Trevor Bruttenholm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Bruttenholm)
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080713060602/hellboy/images/9/98/Trevor_Bruttenholm.jpg

Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-beginner level Inspiration Ashley J. Williams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Williams)
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/armyofdarkness.jpg


Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-advanced level Inspiration Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Baron_Klaus_Wulfenbach)
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080307095014/girlgenius/images/c/c8/Klausportrait.png


Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-beginner level
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. (http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Indiana_Jones)
http://www.theproducersperspective.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/indy-300x225.jpeg

Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-advanced level
Inspiration Baron Klaus Wulfenbach
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080307095014/girlgenius/images/c/c8/Klausportrait.png

Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-beginner level

Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-advanced level
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.
http://billdesowitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Raiders1.jpg

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-beginner level
Inspiration Stern Whip of Industry
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs7/PRE/f/2006/344/b/8/Exalted_1st_Ed__Stern_by_Zubby.jpg

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-advanced level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-beginner level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-advanced level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-beginner level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-advanced level

Occult Lore/Ritual Magic
Inspiration Cordelia Goode (http://americanhorrorstory.wikia.com/wiki/Cordelia_Foxx)
http://cdn.thewire.com/media/img/upload/wire/2014/01/27/AHS_0224_1/lead_large.jpg and John Constantine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Constantine) http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11112/111125902/3327927-1799324316-JohnC.jpg

Potion making/Alchemy
Inspiration Egg Shen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Trouble_in_Little_China)
http://www.wingkong.net/media/chars/egg/egg4.jpg and Cordelia Goode http://cdn.thewire.com/media/img/upload/wire/2014/01/27/AHS_0224_1/lead_large.jpg

Sorcery (spells fueled by the caster's personal energy and power drawn from other sources)
Inspiration Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden (http://dresdenfiles.wikia.com/wiki/Harry_Dresden)
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/045/7/4/harry_dresden_by_vervex-d4psg9s.jpg

Formulaic Magic

Archaeology
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0FjPCtl8nPY/S7OIHjJ2XfI/AAAAAAAAFp4/tOjYyaUWg38/s1600/professor-jones1.jpg

Stealth

Subterfuge, Interpersonal Skills, Guile and Tactics
Inspiration Michael Westen (http://burnnotice.wikia.com/wiki/Michael_Westen)
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9600000/Michael-Westen-burn-notice-9607712-300-400.jpg

Artifice
Inspiration Cinematic Tony Stark/Iron Man (http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Man)
http://bookriotcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tony-stark.jpg and Baron Klaus Wulfenbach http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080307095014/girlgenius/images/c/c8/Klausportrait.png

Architecture

Medicine

Chemistry

Physics

Wilderness Survival

Advanced Mathematics

Logic, Critical and Lateral Thinking

Athletics

Navigation and Orienteering

Linguistics

Geography

Cultural Studies

Journalism
Inspiration This crazed bastard. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Jerusalem)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spider_Jerusalem_profile.png

As a useful note, the differences between ritualism, sorcery and formulaic magic come mostly in casting time. Rituals typically take several minutes, if not hours, while spells (sorcery and formulae) are cast more quickly and have more immediate effects. Also rituals benefit from multiple casters and in some cases may be performed by laymen, anyone can dabble in ritualism. Spells require some sort of fundamental training or affinity to use even the most basic of them.

I should note that this is for a more modern setting than most fantasy. On top of that not all students of this school become actual adventurers. Some become occult investigators, detectives, soldiers or elite guards. This institute even serves as an officer training for the surrounding municipalities' law enforcement agencies. I'd also make the academy relatively new, having been established within life of it's youngest professors.

As for the big, red, axe-wielding guy, I'll base him off Exalted's Stern Whip of Industry (https://reintegration-protocol.obsidianportal.com/characters/stern-whip-of-industry). Basically he's a golem made from magical red jade, melted and cast into a large man-like shape and infused with the soul of a righteous and willing warrior. He acts as a defender and the weak, especially exploited laborers, a slayer of supernatural evil and friend of workers the world over. The war golem's magical construction grants him easier use of supernatural combat styles than the mere mortals he teaches.

[Agrippa]

Does anyone have ideas for filling open faculty slots, such as what characters to base their holders off of? I'd also like some suggestions for administrative and teaching staff inspirations as well.

[Everyl]

You might want to identify the characters you're referencing and the source material. It would be a lot easier for me to offer suggestions if I had a better feel for the characters you're using for inspiration already, but many of them are unfamiliar to me.

Some of the images are also broken, but that's quite possibly just because of how many domains are blocked on the network I'm viewing this post from.

ETA:
Also, don't forget about more "mundane" subjects that would be important to the life of an adventurer. Wilderness survival, navigation and orienteering, linguistics, geography, cultural studies, and other such things are all skills possessed by real people who had reputations as "adventurers" in the last few centuries, and they'd be important to some degree in most game settings, as well. Also, they'd help the school attract non-adventurer students going into a wide variety of fields.

What's the difference between formulaic and sorcerous magic? You said that ritual magic takes longer and can be a team effort, but didn't offer a distinction between these two. Are you talking about the wizard/sorcerer divide in D&D?

[Beelzebub1111]

Don't forget about general athletics. Running, jumping, climbing, and swimming are important skills.

Also a class for logic, mathematics, and lateral thinking would be a good idea, because apparantly riddles and sliding block puzzles were favored over keys when it comes to locking doors in ruins.

[Agrippa]

You might want to identify the characters you're referencing and the source material. It would be a lot easier for me to offer suggestions if I had a better feel for the characters you're using for inspiration already, but many of them are unfamiliar to me.

Some of the images are also broken, but that's quite possibly just because of how many domains are blocked on the network I'm viewing this post from.

ETA:
Also, don't forget about more "mundane" subjects that would be important to the life of an adventurer. Wilderness survival, navigation and orienteering, linguistics, geography, cultural studies, and other such things are all skills possessed by real people who had reputations as "adventurers" in the last few centuries, and they'd be important to some degree in most game settings, as well. Also, they'd help the school attract non-adventurer students going into a wide variety of fields.

What's the difference between formulaic and sorcerous magic? You said that ritual magic takes longer and can be a team effort, but didn't offer a distinction between these two. Are you talking about the wizard/sorcerer divide in D&D?

I'm adding in the more "mundane" adventuring skills right now. As for spell casting, formulaic magic would be along the lines of D&D-style wizardry, with some notable mechanical changes. It's magic derived from understanding the foundation of reality. In other words, formulaic magic springs from the natural sciences.

Sorcery or witchcraft, depending on what you choose to call it, is more intuitive than intellectual and is based off raw talent rather than scholarship. But sorcery still requires training and discipline to use, just as much as any physical or intellectual skill. Think less in terms of the 3.x D&D sorcerer class and more of a reflavored Wisdom based psion or wilder.

Ritual magic or occultism consists of ceremonies and rites aimed toward bringing about tangible change through mystical powers. Use of ritual magic tends to be much more drawn out and elaborate than other forms of spell casting. Think along the lines of Incantations (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/incantations.htm) from Unearthed Arcana or Green Ronin's True Sorcery in terms of mechanics.

[Agrippa]

I already added in the new positions that Beelzebub1111 suggested. I even gave links to the characters serving inspiration for the academy's staff. I just need some more help fleshing it out with more expy professors.

[Beelzebub1111]

Since this is more of a technical school than a university the sciences like Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics should be prefaced by "Applied" (I.E. Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics). Students are attending the school to get certification to go adventuring, not to research and publish papers on these subjects. Just a thought.

Also, one of the more academic teachers should be based on Giles (http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Rupert_Giles)

[Agrippa]

Since this is more of a technical school than a university the sciences like Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics should be prefaced by "Applied" (I.E. Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics). Students are attending the school to get certification to go adventuring, not to research and publish papers on these subjects. Just a thought.

When I have professors for those science classes I'll worry about editing in the applied part.


Also, one of the more academic teachers should be based on Giles (http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Rupert_Giles)

Oh, forgot about him. Now what should he teach, or at least what should it be called?

[Agrippa]

For additional professors I was thinking about drawing inspiration from Walter Bishop, Det. Robert Goren and DCI John Luther. Placing them would be more difficult.

[Logic]

He is a thought. How about a pair of the teachers of the same subject are related?

Specifically, my idea would to have father and son teach the same subject, but the father character teaches the beginner course because he is more patient than his son, who expects no mistakes whatsoever. The firearms course seem well suited to this setup.

[Agrippa]

A father son, mother daughter or other parent and child team could be promising. I still need some more teacher inspirations.

[Agrippa]

I just posted a new position and professor to go with it.

[Vereshti]

Continuing with Girl Genius characters, Faustus Heterodyne (http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Faustus_Heterodyne) works for Architecture, and Dr. Sun (http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Sun_Jen-djieh) for Medicine.

I also nominate Henry Higgins for Linguistics.

[Agrippa]

School of War (martial arts of all kinds including tactics, strategy and logistics)
classes
Close quarters martial arts
-beginner close quarter weapons-based martial arts
--advanced close quarter weapons-based martial arts
--supernatural close quarter weapons-based martial arts
-beginner unarmed martial arts
--advanced unarmed martial arts
--supernatural martial arts
Missile-based martial arts
-beginner bows
--advanced bows
-beginner crossbows
--advanced crossbows
-beginner slings
--advanced slings
-beginner fire arms
--advanced fire arms
--missile-based supernatural martial arts
Tactics, strategy and logistics

College of Savants and Sorcerers (sorcery, ritual magic, occult lore, potion making, and gramarie (magical engineering))
teachers and classes
-benevolent witch queen and philanthropic heiress, prone to shouting and profanity whenever the Eastern magician sets off fireworks while she's preparing for class
--ritual magic (favoring wards, divination and protection), potion making and some sorcery (favoring healing and plant related magic with control over fire and telekinesis)
-shady street mage with contacts and a dark past, dark present also included
--occult lore and ritual magic (specializing in illusion, summoning and banishing)
-hardboiled elementalist/magical detective
--sorcery (favoring elementalism and utility magic with a little bit of telekinesis), occult lore, ritual magic (specializing in divination, binding and summoning) and investigation
-ancient Asian-like occultist and potion maker with a heart of gold, a mind like a steel trap, a sharp tongue and a storage container's worth of homemade illegal fireworks
--occult lore, ritual magic (focusing on binding, banishing and expelling spirits, breaking and bestowing curses and delayed of conjuring fire and other elements), occult lore, potions making and fireworks manufacturing (unofficial)
-a good natured magical engineer and alchemist who can reshape reality using his understanding of the laws of nature, occasionally while drunk
--magical engineering (focusing on transmutation, creating pocket dimensions, artificially grown life and artificial intelligence)

Natural Philosophy (physical sciences and the study of earthly beasts)

Academy of the Humanities (history, architecture, archaeology and investigative journalism)