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evisiron
2008-02-21, 10:58 PM
Greetings.

For an upcoming DnD campaign I was considering this as an idea. The concept would be to have the characters start after 'graduating' from a Hero Academy, which would have trained them for the past several years in how to be an adventurer. Think Hogwarts meets the Xavier institute in a DnD setting (which has both been show in Oots oddly enough - Prof X in the Start of Darkness if you were wondering).

The players are new to the system, and I have some decent experience DM-ing in the past, so I felt this would be a good way of starting the players off. I can sum up the lessons so they know general DnD protocol, such as setting sentries and checking for traps. It also gives a good reason for them working together (assembled by school to be a functioning group) and a source of NPCs who can assign 'missions', at least until they are famous enough to strike off on their own.

I had the rough idea of having a different section for the different classes and different lessons etc. I was considering the Academy in Fable as a template, though this would be on a slightly larger scale.

So, are there any thoughts, opinions, tips or previous experience with this kind of stuff? Good idea or bad idea?

Zincorium
2008-02-21, 11:01 PM
You should at least take a look at the Sigil Prep (http://www.sigilprep.com/index.htm) setting, it's essentially a college set in the planescape universe (mostly) and it's free. If nothing else it will give you some ideas on how to organize it and what sort of details you should invent beforehand. Warning: somewhat silly.

Khanderas
2008-02-22, 08:00 AM
This setting seems alot like Fable. Might wanna take a point or two from there (such as the classic-perhaps-cliché, killed mentor and rivaling team)

Mr. Friendly
2008-02-22, 08:09 AM
I would start with them actually *in* school, not graduated. That way you have an excuse to do things like "fight the test dummies" and other staples of the "tutorial" system.

I had at one point considered running (for 3.5) a campaign based around the Bleak Academy in Greyhawk. Think evil, emo high school :smallbiggrin:

Still the fluff on the place was cool. It taught people to be assassins, necromancers, black guards, etc. Basically every evil PrC was there.

PMDM
2008-02-22, 09:29 AM
I find the campus buildings are the crunchiest part of Sigil Prep. They really help you decide what courses to offer, and what diplomas are necessary at your school.

its_all_ogre
2008-02-22, 11:06 AM
use their final 'exam' being a practical demonstration of their skills. a tester dungeon, much like old computer games.
this enables you to throw any kind of challenge you can possibly think of without it appearing contrived. of course it is contrived, but in an ic way!