University of Magic setting (for Fantasy Craft)

[paddyfool]

So I invented a new setting of sorts for Fantasy Craft, a role-playing game hardly anyone plays anymore, in anticipation of the Spellbound expansion stuck in development hell for years hopefully being due for release this year. Conceptually, it's based on imagining a University of Magic as the setting for a group of adventurous students, although it's morphed lately into imagining the wider world.

Original thread here: https://www.crafty-games.com/forum/i...p?topic=8962.0.

Main question, though: what would you want fleshed out in a University of Magic setting, if you were a player?

[Sam113097]

Sounds like an interesting premise! Hm... what are some features I would like to see if I were a player in the University of Magic?

1. Strong elements of mystery and forbidden/lost knowledge. This can be a good plot hook, and delving into it will let you as a DM show off all the the lore you've crafted for this place.
2. Some sort of spell-crafting system; as a player, I would enjoy working with the DM to come up together with the spells or magic that my player character is learning. I'm not familiar with the Fantasy Craft system, so hopefully that is doable!
3. A fleshed-out nearby town. Harry Potter has the nearby village of Hogsmeade, the Name of the Wind has the town of Imre, etc. As a player, I would love to have a detailed location that I visit often.

[brian 333]

In my D&D setting the Academy of Alchemy and Thaumaturgy is the first attempt at a school of wizardry, and it was created by a grant from the Duke with the explicit purpose of getting a 'Mage Corps' to augment his combat troops.

Formerly, wizards apprenticed to masters, and even hedge wizards were uncommon. The Academy created enough wizards to create a handfull of companies which could be used like siege artillery. Imagine their impact when fifty casters use Magic Missile at once!

Anyway, anyone with potential can exchange six years of military service for two years in the Academy, or ten years of service after four years in the Aademy. Sponsored students are expected to work while at the academy with the more promising students being tasked to gather harder-to-get components or items for the school.

So, the question is, what is the im-game purpose of your school?
Is it a new institution founded on high ambitions and low budget?
Is it an ancient institution full of elitists with attitudes?
Was it founded for pragmatic reasons?
Is it the remnant of a once continent-spanning magocracy?
Is it one department of a school which teaches many fields of study?

Define your school's purpose for existing and you are halfway there.

[Wintermoot]

if you can find any of it, check out the Dutchy of Glantri information from the really old Basic D&D setting of Mystara.

Basically a magical renaissance Italy, but the entire country/city state is built around a Magical University that is the core of the government as well.

Some interesting ideas in there I remember that might be relevant to you.

[paddyfool]

Sounds like an interesting premise! Hm... what are some features I would like to see if I were a player in the University of Magic?

1. Strong elements of mystery and forbidden/lost knowledge. This can be a good plot hook, and delving into it will let you as a DM show off all the the lore you've crafted for this place.
2. Some sort of spell-crafting system; as a player, I would enjoy working with the DM to come up together with the spells or magic that my player character is learning. I'm not familiar with the Fantasy Craft system, so hopefully that is doable!
3. A fleshed-out nearby town. Harry Potter has the nearby village of Hogsmeade, the Name of the Wind has the town of Imre, etc. As a player, I would love to have a detailed location that I visit often.

I have some elements of mystery and forbidden/lost knowledge, but no spell crafting system currently exists in this game. Fleshing out of the surrounding area is still in progress, but the University is very much at the heart of the local town.

So, the question is, what is the in-game purpose of your school?
Is it a new institution founded on high ambitions and low budget?
Is it an ancient institution full of elitists with attitudes?
Was it founded for pragmatic reasons?
Is it the remnant of a once continent-spanning magocracy?
Is it one department of a school which teaches many fields of study?

Define your school's purpose for existing and you are halfway there.

Longstanding university with a history going back a few thousand years, the original home of general purpose spellcraft from more specialised antecedents (where people may study either general purpose spellcraft or any of the eight specialised paths in nine central colleges, with outlying schools of alchemy and assorted more general acadaemia). Definitely its fair share of elitists, was founded by an individual of mysterious origins who somehow managed to bring together users of 8 very different magical traditions in a world that had had to be abandoned by its creator gods for its own safety. It did at one time become the heart of a mageocracy, but those who ousted the mage ruler also came from within the University primarily; they then took control of the University and chose to withdraw from continuing control of the wider world. This history has led to spellcraft being very policed in most other territories, as well as to rival schools being set up within them, often with a military bent.

More detailed spiel from a few posts in the original thread, some of which refers to species and game terms that may be unfamiliar:

Spoiler

Show

History of the University

The founder of The University was Elderaan, widely hailed as the first mage. He gathered members of 8 widely diverging traditions from across the world to help in its construction in a remote mountain valley then unknown and unclaimed by any realm of men. On his deathbed, he claimed to be a student from the University's own distant future, thrown back in time. Thus the sobriquet some give it of the University Eternal.

Over thousands of years of its history, the University has outlived all of the realms present at its founding, save for the almost unchanging lands of the elves. Its 8 founding traditions are, in the current structure, housed in 8 separate structures, known as the Colleges, in a ring around a 9th central college of the Mages. Surrounding these are sundry other structures dedicated to other non-magical or magic-adjacent areas of education, from alchemy and the crafting of items magic and mundane to history and combat.

An older iteration of the University lies a few hundred meters beneath, buried beneath the grand geomantic working of a rebellious faculty a few hundred years ago. Ruins of still older University structures are buried deeper or scattered around the surrounding mountains. Its 9 component structures have not all persisted through its history - at times, one or another college has been banished, or marched off to war en masse, or been suborned by religious factions. Once or twice, colleges have even attempted to merge, or one to absorb another... although such endeavours never took for long.

Currently, the University is the owner and ruler of its own little mountain valley, one of a few different small independent principalities and factions in the mountains that have generally been in viewed as too geographically awkward to invade by their larger lowland neighbours for much of history [a bit like real world Switzerland / Liechtenstein / Bhutan etc]. It was not always thus... but we'll get to that. The main larger lowland neighbours are three primarily human nations - the Kingdom of Artesia, the Theocracy of Balinor, and the Stratocracy of Carmandia [or A, B and C for short]. In Artesia, magic use is viewed as the preserve of the part-Elven nobility, and suppressed among the common folk; foreigners using it are not officially prohibited, so long as they neither teach it to the common folk nor disseminate learning materials, but are sure to draw a lot of attention from the authorities. (Also, the University is viewed by the monarchy as theirs by right, which inspires some resentment of it's faculty ... though they lie under a curse not to take it back by force). In Balinor, the Church oversees the use of magic; they also have ways of determining a spellcaster's alignment, and any magic user not Aligned to their pantheon will need special dispensation to be allowed to practice within their borders or face exile at best. And in Carmandia, permission depends on the type and nature of magic; raising the dead, casting mind-affecting magic or summoning demons are all prohibited. Each of these three nations also has their own school or schools of magic, though they tend to be more narrowly focused than the University, and schools of magic among non-humans tend to be narrower still, often focused strongly on their ancestral teachings. Carmandia also has the lead in the study of technology, and is currently the front-runner in the development of gunpowder and other non-magical weaponry.

2000 years ago, when the University was founded in Ancient times, the surrounding realms were many more in number and smaller in size, where there was not unclaimed wilderness. As the University grew, so its surroundings became more civilized, and it slowly disseminated learning and valuable artifacts that led to the progression of its neighbours. At times it was more directly involved; the colleges of Enchantment and of Channeling once shut down to march off en masse to war for a few years when a demonic incursion threatened the lands of the Dwarves and the Drakes. The College of the Reapers once nearly died out entirely when Neodan, a human faculty member, sought to exterminate the orcs and ogres who had traditionally dominated it in old wrath at a raid that had taken the lives of his family and led to his brief enslavement decades before.

The University's ever-increasing involvement in the doings of its neighbours came in late feudal times, when the half-Elven then-head of the University, Archmage Artefar forcefully united their neighbours in a mageocratic empire, suppressing resistance with armies of the undead, golems, and summoned beasts, alongside various novel magewrought creations. Some of these were created by means which are lost in the present day. Seven years later, focused on threats on his land's borders, Artefar lost his life and his realm was toppled from a coup led from within the University itself; his mageocratic capital's central structures were buried deep, and his heirs and followers were forced to flee, going on to found Artesia from the third of his empire they managed to hold onto. Since then, the University has had no single head, being ruled instead by a Council of all the Colleges, and it avoids political entanglements outside of its borders, though it has portals to, and small properties in, many far lands.

History of the wider world, and the origins of species

In the beginning, Krista and Yan sang the world into being. They formed land, sea and mountains out of the formless void, and then they created the first people. First, Krista bright forth the Giants; then Yan bright forth Ogres. Their singing then drew the attention of fae children, who joined them in the singing, creating altered offshoots of the Ogres themselves, Trolls and Oni and Merrow all. Then Krista brought forth a smaller creation, Humans; Yan bright forth Orcs in reflection of them, and the Fae took some of the human stock and shrank them still further, crafting the Pech. Krista and Yan's last creations were the Dwarves and the Goblins, respectively, with Yan crafting the Goblins partly in dark reflection of the Pech that the Fae had formed; while the Fae children wandered in the woods for a time, awakening the Rootwalkers; only to then find themselves drawn into the world further by the very song they sang, and became the first Elves as they forgot much of what they were.

Or at least, that is roughly the lorekeepers of the elves tell it. The giants claim that they themselves were among the first builders of the world, labouring above it under the guidance of the creators while the ogres born alongside them generally lazed rather than laboured beneath. But both roughly agree on the order of how the species emerged. The Dwarves tell of how one among Krista's high ranking servants took them aside and taught them of the crafting of things of glory, while the Ogres say they learned of how to make death itself their servant from one of Yan's followers, who was forced to reach them necromancy as a punishment from Yan after he murdered one of their number. Still others among the servants of both Krista and Yan taught those they viewed as receptive to their message among many species, but particularly the humans and orcs, of how to summon their kind.

Once all of these species were created, Krista and Yan departed. Many of the oldest stories say they sealed off the world from their own domain, to protect it from something worse; although the realms of their Angelic and Fiendish servants were never as completely closed off. Opinions differ on whether or not they were truly satisfied with their creation.

Later, more Fae came to this world, to seek their lost brethren. However, some found the Rootwalkers first, and taught them the ways of dominion over nature and minds; and others found the goblins first, and taught them of trickery. But when at last they found the Elves they were saddened to see what had become of their kin, and few stayed in this world for long.

Later still, the Drakes and the Saurians arrived, from planes beyond. For them, this world was a refuge; the Drakes had formerly been residents of the outskirts of many elemental planes, from which different drakes had drawn different characteristics, and the Saurians had been residents of another world that they had slowly been losing to an aquatic species who were taking their land by means of having opened a portal to the plane of elemental water. Both were conveyed here by the ancient Dragons, who had also noticed the forming of this hidden world, in anticipation of the coming of something terrible to the planes these dragons ruled domains within. With them, they brought the knowledge of how to channel the power of the elemental planes themselves. However, the most powerful of the ancient Dragons did not follow them, too proud to abandon their own territory without a fight. Nothing more has been heard of them since.

These days the Saurians mainly live either as seafarers or in a chain of Islands a little way off the main continent of the setting. The Drakes meanwhile are split societally between the younger or weaker members, who are in a perpetual chain of migration between fishing or hunting locations, and more senior members who have laid claim to the prime nesting grounds, many of them in the same chain of Islands as the Saurians.

Finally, the Unborn marched out of the deep places in the earth, fully formed, not long before the founding of the university itself. Nobody knows who made them, but the Unborn themselves, who from the first time the other species encountered them wielded strange powers of prophecy, say that their creator is not yet born.

A brief description of the 9 colleges and a few other major bodies

Central college [aka The College of Mages / Elderaan's college / "For people who can't make up their minds"]
Though they say there were no generalist mages of any note before Elderaan founded the University, now these are to be found everywhere and they play a central role in investigating all the points where the other schools of magic meet. Since Elderaan's own species is uncertain - according to the old records, he was coy on the subject, but made use of shape changing spells extensively to explore many cultures as one of their own - no one species can truly lay claim to this as being of their heritage, though the practices of all have contributed to it. The current chair of this college is unoccupied, with a power struggle in place between a few different factions.

If playing in Ancient times (shortly after the University's founding), this should be the second most diverse College in Species but predominantly Human, gradually diversifying further over subsequent eras, as do the other Colleges.

College of Channeling [aka The College of Elementalists / "Those people who keep blowing things up and mucking up the weather"]
They say the first channellers were the Drakes, and they are more represented here than in any of the other colleges, with the roof particularly well equipped for landing and take-off; this practice has since been widely adopted by all other species, and the current chair of the college is a Fire Brave; many of the world's militaries are keen to send people here for training and to recruit from those who find their way here.

If playing in Ancient times, this college should be predominantly made up of Drakes and Saurians.

College of Conjuration [aka The College of Creation and Changes / "Probably the greatest threat to the fabric of reality in the whole university"]

Giants and Elves are divided on who were the first Conjurors. Some say there were two distinct traditions originally, that later merged into one. This college has a lot to offer those who would seek the world in fundamental ways, and also serves as the main nexus of teleportation to a number of distant lands and realms; the current chair is an Unborn.

If playing in Ancient times, this College should be predominantly made up of Giants who follow what they call the "Way of the Gods" with a scattering of Elves practicing the "Songs of Creation and Travel".

College of Enchantment [aka The College of Nature / "Bunch of animal lovers and healers... when they aren't trying to take over your mind"]
It is said the Rootwalkers were the first to teach much of this college's teachings to the Elves and the Pechs, but it also became very widespread. Healing is ever in demand. The current chair is officially a Rootwalker, the oldest of any of the college chairs, although he is fairly hands off so far as the day to day running of the place is concerned, so long as there are no major disciplinary breaches.

If playing in Ancient times, this college should be primarily made up of Rootwalkers, Elves and Pechs.

College of Preservation [aka The College of Runes and Wards / "The college most likely to start a war"]
This College drew most strongly on old Dwarven traditions. Like the College of Channellers, it often draws military attention. The current chair is a Saurian.

If playing in Ancient times, this college should primarily be made up of Dwarves

College of Prophecy [aka The Otherworldly College / "The college most likely to cause a demonic incursion"]
This College drew on knowledge disseminated to many species by both Celestial and Infernal forces seeking to push their respective agendas upon the world and counter each others actions; the current chair is a Human.

If playing in Ancient times, this should be the most diverse and the most internally fractious College.

College of the Reaper [aka The College of Death and Undeath / "The college most likely to cause a zombie apocalypse"]
Necromancy seems to have sprung up among individuals with a fear of death in many cultures, but the Ogres were the first to really develop its use, and employ armies of the undead. This is easily the most feared of the colleges, and currently one of the most keen on tightly policing the actions of its own members. The current chair is a Drake.

If playing in Ancient times, this College should be predominantly made up of Ogres and Orcs with a few outcasts of other Species.

College of the Seers [aka The College of Artifice / "Golem crafters and soothsayers"]
This College was founded by the Unborn, from knowledge that they learned from their original creators, thought by many to be a Species long vanished... although some Unborn philosophers say instead that the first Unborn is yet to be created, the first Seer is not yet born, and that the future is the past. The current chair is a Goblin.

If playing in Ancient times, this College should be primarily made up the Unborn themselves, mostly but not all with bodies of non-metallic types.


College of Tricksters [aka The College of Illusions / "A wretched give of scum and ... Ooh, pretty lights"]
This College was founded by the Goblins, who according to their mythology stole the medical secrets of the Trickster from one of the high Fae who otherwise would have taught them to the ungrateful Elves. The current chair of this College mimics Elderaan's practice of frequently changing or disguising his or her shape and apparent Species to conceal their origins, also refuses to disclose even their gender or real name, and a persistent rumour suggests that their own original form is something particularly hideous.

If playing in Ancient times, this College should be predominantly a Goblin warren.[/I]

The Houses of Keepers
(Teachers of crafting magic and mundane, as well as all non-magical, non-martial subjects; the head of this House sits with the chairs of the 9 Colleges on the governing body of the University and has a tiebreaking role on evenly split votes due to absences or abstentions).

The Ordo
(Military order primarily made up of non-spellcasters devoted to both protecting and policing the University; the head of the Ordo sits on the board in a non-voting role but enjoys fairly free reign to act in the University's defence).

if you can find any of it, check out the Dutchy of Glantri information from the really old Basic D&D setting of Mystara.

Basically a magical renaissance Italy, but the entire country/city state is built around a Magical University that is the core of the government as well.

Some interesting ideas in there I remember that might be relevant to you.

Sounds interesting!

[paddyfool]

One thing I'm struggling with is that I'd like the setting to be much more arcane than divine in terms of the power balance, and I was thinking of going down an unreliable narrator basis in terms of creation myths and absent gods... but equally I don't want to deny players options on the divine side. Tempted to crib from Eberron's way of handling this. Any other suggestions?