Strixhaven Review

[Sparky McDibben]

https://www.enworld.org/threads/strixhaven-a-curriculum-of-chaos-first-party-review.700336/

This is my first first-party review, and probably my last. @animorte...gird thy loins, my friend.

[Kane0]

Sweet! Do you have a little list of bookmarks or links to all your reviews in the one place?

[animorte]

https://www.enworld.org/threads/strixhaven-a-curriculum-of-chaos-first-party-review.700336/

This is my first first-party review, and probably my last. @animorte...gird thy loins, my friend.
Yes, bring on the pain!!! :smallbiggrin:

I'm aware it's got some issues and hasn't been widely accepted for a reason. It just tickles that HP fandom in my heart, so it's easy to overlook. :smalltongue:

[Brookshw]

You did it, you crazy bastard, you actually did it!

[Sparky McDibben]

Sweet! Do you have a little list of bookmarks or links to all your reviews in the one place?

I currently do not, although that's probably something I should get to work on!


Yes, bring on the pain!!! :smallbiggrin:

I'm aware it's got some issues and hasn't been widely accepted for a reason. It just tickles that HP fandom in my heart, so it's easy to overlook. :smalltongue:

Yeah, I just didn't want to come across like I was crapping all over this thing you love. I love the world of Harry Potter, too, but I don't think this is a good translation of it. You'd need something completely different.


You did it, you crazy bastard, you actually did it!

I keep my promises, even when they spike my blood pressure thirty psi. :D

[Sparky McDibben]

Updated through midpoint of chapter 3!

[animorte]

Some time this weekend I'll pull out my book and read along, let you know what I think. :smallsmile:

[Brookshw]

Updated through midpoint of chapter 3!

Re: the plushies, I got those for my kids once, little magnet sides that stick inside clothing and the plushie rides on the outside of the clothes. Pretty sure my kids never got it, immediately the magnets were lost, plushies soon after. Also iirc, the oldest was 4 at the time. Maybe that's the target age range?

[Sparky McDibben]

Some time this weekend I'll pull out my book and read along, let you know what I think. :smallsmile:

I look forward to your feedback, friend!


Re: the plushies, I got those for my kids once, little magnet sides that stick inside clothing and the plushie rides on the outside of the clothes. Pretty sure my kids never got it, immediately the magnets were lost, plushies soon after. Also iirc, the oldest was 4 at the time. Maybe that's the target age range?

I doubt it; all the art portrays adults.

[Brookshw]

I doubt it; all the art portrays adults.

Okay, well, I'm out of excuses for them. It's dumb, not mind shattering, more banged shin on the coffee table style.

[J-H]

I'm enjoying the review so far, thanks.

[Beelzebub1111]

I think you make a good point about the infantilizing. It's like it was written for highschool (The wizard prom springs to mind as an example) and then later rewritten for college because the people were squeamish about having adventurers being specifically about adolescents.

[Sparky McDibben]

Okay, well, I'm out of excuses for them. It's dumb, not mind shattering, more banged shin on the coffee table style.

Yep, it just feels like the 57th self-own in a book full of self-owns, so it kind of irritates me.


I'm enjoying the review so far, thanks.

Thanks! Negative reviews are exhausting to write, so you guys enjoying them means a lot.


I think you make a good point about the infantilizing. It's like it was written for highschool (The wizard prom springs to mind as an example) and then later rewritten for college because the people were squeamish about having adventurers being specifically about adolescents.

Yes, that's been raised a few times. I think that holds water for a bit, but it's still kind of annoying that they screwed up their own aesthetics that badly.

Anyway, the reviews been updated through the end of the adventure! Have fun!

[Beelzebub1111]

One thing that gets me is how it expects players to not investigate the weirdness that's going on and in the final chapter investigate the weirdness that's going on only to be given no answers until the answers that are handed to them on a platter by NPCs. That last chapter should be "The faculty is clearly compromised and the pcs can't trust them to handle things, you are on your own" and have the PCs deal with the issue themselves.

Does the book say what it has the players doing between school years? do they go home? It says they "get bacK" but where do they "get back" from?

[Sparky McDibben]

Does the book say what it has the players doing between school years? do they go home? It says they "get bacK" but where do they "get back" from?

Nope, but that's a gimme for adventure anthology material. Drag and drop from Journeys To The Radiant Citadel, Tales from the Yawning Portal, Keys from the Golden Vault, Candlekeep Mysteries, etc.

Alright, folks, that's that review finished off! I hope it's been entertaining and informative, and that you found it useful. If you have any questions, please drop them here or feel free to DM me.

Thanks!

[Beelzebub1111]

Good review. you highlighted a problem that I have with more recent 5e statblocks. They don't make for very interesting fights and nowhere is it more apparent than the Giff from the spelljammer book. They are a sack of hp with two attacks. It feels so very lazy and makes combats really boring. Even if they manage to get off their one cool thing they can do, what else is there?