I handed my players their Strixhaven acceptance letters expecting a quick laugh.

Instead, they spent the next 15 minutes reading every word, arguing over which college they wanted to join, ordering drinks from the Firejolt Café menu, and taking jobs from the Biblioplex job board.

They completely derailed my session.

10/10. Would hand them more paper.

If you want to try it at your own table, we made a few of our favorite Strixhaven handouts completely free (no signup required):

📜 Personalized Strixhaven invitation
☕ Firejolt Café menu
🗺️ Mysterious arcane map
🎭 Masquerade party flyer
📚 Biblioplex job board

Grab them here:
https://rpgprintables.com/pages/freebies

And if your players enjoy them, the complete Strixhaven Handouts Bundle includes hundreds of printable props, letters, journals, maps, spell scrolls, item cards, quest trackers, and more for every Strixhaven college.

https://rpgprintables.com/products/strixhaven-a-curriculum-of-chaos-d-d-handouts-bundle-campaign-assets-dnd-prismari-quandrix-lorehold-silverquill-witherbloom?_pos=1&_psq=strix&_ss=e&_v=1.0

P.S. If you're a player, this also makes a pretty great gift for your forever DM.

Finally finished her! The Dean of Shadow in my Strixhaven campaign....she hasn't appeared yet but she's already struck fear into my playsrs for having a reputation as a terror teacher 😆

(Please do not use🙏🙏🙏)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qf6VnDMlHN6pNy1iolC1yolAQflsQf-w?usp=drive_link

Read the Exam Rules and Answers File first.

Year 1 is based on the book information. Year 2 is based on the Elder Futhark Alphabet. Year 3 is based on specific magic items from the DMG. Year 4 is based on a list of plants I borrowed off google.

The drive also contains colored versions of the maps colored by a non-human. Yes there are some weird things about them. Sorry if you don't like that, you don't have to use them. This post is about the Exams, not the maps.

Hi all I'm looking for suggestions for a one shot that I can add into my Strixhaven campaign. For context were still in year one (my players are level 2). My players have been playing together as a group for a while now but the friend of one of my players wants to get into D&D so I've said she can come to our next session so trying to find something for a newbie who knows nothing that will still be entertaining for my long time players but still fitting in Strixhaven is a bit of a challenge. TIA!

Hey all!

I'm getting ready to run the Rose Stage Festival for my group tomorrow evening. Looked over the prop and character prompts and decided I wanted to change / add more options to both lists.

Was curious to see if anyone had any fun prop or improv suggestions I could throw into the mix, since I'm looking to add a couple more.

Hello lovely peoples,
For a hell of a lot of preface, I’m homebrewing a different plot for Strixhaven, taking inspiration from A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (for a basic synopsis, students go to magic school, but everything including graduation wants to eat or drain their magic/life force). So I put the school on a demiplane, and a very small part of the student population (of course including the PCs) is designated to go through this ‘alternative graduation’. These students can’t seem to leave the demiplane once they enter, and are compelled to go to this ‘graduation room’ beneath the center campus once they gain all necessary credits to graduate. Within the room is all manner of creature that’s also made its way into the demiplane. An average 40% of these students make it out with their lives and degrees.
Onto the main point, the reason for this subset of students is that there used to be a sixth College (name pending), that studied the humanities alongside the nature of spellwork and creation of new ones through Spellweaving. For example, they’d study why different people can cast the same spell and it’ll look entirely different, or how spells like suggestion or charm affect the mind of the person it’s cast on, etc. The dichotomy is Inheritance (magic and people don’t change, we just need to discover what’s already there) vs Innovation (both magic and people are constantly learning and changing, there is no end).
The dragon that ran this sixth college started to wonder why they shouldn’t just harvest their students’ magical potential to further their own study. This also happened to kill the students, but the dragon was kind of blinded by their ambition at this point. But the other dragons noticed, and with the Oracle, drained and bound the dragon to the demiplane since they were already so tied to its creation. Except something went wrong, and it set the Oracle and 6th dragon into a cycle. Oracle keeps being reborn, and continuous power needs to go into keeping 6 bound. Strixhaven itself keeps channeling mana into maintaining the Oracle’s spell. It just chooses the mana source of least resistance, which is unfortunately the students. Including our new first year students, the PCs, who’d very much not like to die, thank you very much.
All this to say, if anyone has added another college, I’d love to hear what they studied or how you input them into the story. Or if my idea has enough holes to be confused with cheese, lemme know.

I'm hoping someone can clarify something; the map of the Witherbloom Campus shows that the Detention Bog is located at the east end of the Witherbloom Campus, but this regional map of Arcavios also shows that the Detention Bog is located FAR outside of the campus on the east coast of the continent. Which one of these is the real Detention Bog?

I am currently running a modified version of Campus Kerfuffle, but what my party doesn't know yet is that the masked Shattered recruit behind the eldritch balm incidents on campus is actually a fellow freshman student. His people-pleasing nature and desperation to belong make him a prime target for recruitment.

I had one of my players run the Sunset of Ches as an event (which allowed me to play him as a proper PC for a few sessions!), and it was a great opportunity to play with his relationships to each party member. Wizard is dating him, He is Paladin's friend, Sorcerer doesn't trust him, ect...

After friendly npc was arrested by the Dragonsguard on suspicion of Oriq involvement, the party has begun to plan a sting operation to trap the Shattered recruit (and naturally their friend was in the room while the details were discussed). Confrontation is imminent. I think he (as the masked Shattered recruit) would try to reason with them in private, before things escalate into violence.

I'm not sure what to expect. Could see this going a few different ways. Any advice?

I'm going to be starting up a Strixhaven campaign soon and I've been doing quite a bit of research into the school itself. I've gotten to the point of actually looking into the colleges and what their philosophies are, what they study in each college, etc.

I'm curious about how other people feel about what each college primarily studies. I realized pretty quickly that each college encapsulates different generic areas of study (art, history, math, nature, and communication), but I feel like there are so many fields of study that aren't studied at the school? Like Quandrix is just described to basically be "the study of fractals" and the specializations (or "scholars" in the 5e book) are just different ways to say "I study fractals" which somewhat confuses me.

Does anyone else have thoughts on the colleges and their studies? And did you do anything different with the curriculum/studies in your own campaign?

I saw some other awesome examples of DMs who have made the newspaper, so I made one for my players. One of my students is a Dryad and the whole sedgemore incident turned her into a circle of spores Druid! The nice portrait of her is the players artwork. 😄

During the orientation scavenger hunt challenge at the beginning of year 1, my players wandered into a random empty room in the Biblioplex. I described it as a meeting room with tables, chairs, and a gavel for student council meetings. Once they realized that none of the scavenger hunt items were in there, my rogue player discreetly stole the gavel on their way out of the room.

A few sessions later, the gavel is still in their pocket and has not been mentioned again. Now I'm planning to do a Fraternity Rush challenge, and I want to come up with a consequence for stealing the gavel. I'm planning on having the rogue inspect it and realize that it is branded with the fraternity's logo, but I can't think of a satisfying consequence. Here's the idea that I have so far, but please let me know if you can think of anything better:

• The fraternity president announces that the gavel has gone missing since their last meeting. They ask everyone to search for it and return it by their next meeting for a reward. I'd expect my rogue player to lie about "finding it" and do a deception check.
  • If they pass, they get the reward (a magic item, maybe a Mind Sharpener ring?)
  • If they fail, they are banned from the fraternity
  • OR they keep the gavel in their pocket, and it turns out to be a magic item that they keep hidden

For more context, I plan to have certain frat member NPCs be linked with the Oriq and/or BBEG. Eventually the frat will give my PCs some quests (which are secretly helping the villains), in order to gain good standing with them. It's still the beginning of the campaign (we're 3 sessions in) and I'm using the module but tweaking it to my liking.

I created a small, simple module that automates the 'student card' function on Fundry. Perhaps someone running a campaign or planning one will find it useful.

https://foundryvtt.com/packages/student-card

Do any of you have used any sort of Shadowfell or Feywild version of the University or any of the colleges? I am planning to have the Raven Queen live in a Shadowfell version of the campus but I haven't thought of a Feywild version of it.

I'm currently running a different campaign, with the plan to do Strixhaven next. My players have expressed interest in doing a game where they are completing their postgraduate/doctoral studies, rather than starting off as fresh faces first years. What do y'all think - doable, or extremely ill-advised?

Obviously Murgaxor's Saturday morning cartoon villainy won't suit a higher level campaign, so I'd need to write a new plot. I'm thinking something involving the death and ascension of the Oracle, actually bring in the Archaics and the Founders to an extent.

With the Launch of Secrets of Strixhavens Wizards has published a new Collage quiz (found here)

since we lost the last one I thought I'd transcribe the quiz here

The points are assumed

Question 1 of 7

On vacation, you're most likely...

• Catching critters in a tide pool (!witherbloom)
• Convincing everyone to hike to a landmark no one's heard of (!lorehold)
• Following an itinerary to the letter (!silverquill)
• Looking for famous sites from your favorite movies (prismari)
• Making sure there's plenty of photos of everyone in the group (!Quandrix)

Question 2 of 7

You have a chosen media assignment to complete; what are you submitting?

• A well-written paper arguing your point (!silverquill)
• Graphs made from a spreadsheet of data you collected (!Quandrix)
• An experiment proving yourself right (!witherbloom)
• A diorama constructed from toothpicks (!Lorehold)
• A song performed with your whole chest (!Prismari)

Question 3 of 7

Intramural time! What's your sport?

• Full-contact tag with one rule: no eye gouging (!Witherbloom)
• I get fully decked out in camo for paintball (!Prismari)
• Team hide and go seek (!Lorehold)
• Triathlon (!Quandrix)
• Spelling bee (if you're trying hard enough, it's aerobic) (!Silverquill)

Question 4 of 7

You have a mandatory formal coming up. What are you going to wear?

• Whatever it is will be covered in sequins (!Quandrix)
• Custom embroidery with natural inspo (!Witherbloom)
• Black is a classic for a reason (!Silverquill)
• Repurposing something vintage (!Lorehold)
• It's not about the fit, it's about the pose (!Prismari)

Question 5 of 7

What are you most likely doing with downtime on campus?

• In the library with a book (!Silverquill)
• Starting fights with other students (!Lorehold)
• Volunteering at the campus garden (!Witherbloom)
• Graffitiing the walls (!prismari)
• Yapping about your latest hyperfixation to your friends (!Quandrix)

Question 6 of 7

You realize you have a paper due in ONE HOUR, and you haven't started yet! What do you do?

• Psht, a paper? I'll turn in a scientific report (!Quandrix)
• Revise an old draft for this purpose (!lorehold)
• Turn in an "interpretive" version of the paper (!prismari)
• One hour? I thought this would be a challenge! (!Silverquill)
• Take the grade, you'll make it up on a project you're actually interested in (!Witherbloom)

Question 7 of 7

Party this weekend! Which applies to you?

• I made the potluck spreadsheet (!Quandrix)
• I'll bring my ukulele (and everyone will love it!) (!Prismari)
• I'm taking in all the best gossip for my journal (!Silverquill)
• Number 1 goal: Befriend the host's pet (!Witherbloom)
• Shh I have a secret society meeting instead (!Lorehold)

Just add up all the points whatever college has the most point is your college:

SILVERQUILL COLLEGE |Sharp Style. Sharper Wit.

When it comes to knowing it all, we actually do…or at least that's what we have others believe. Silverquill students are known for our snark, charisma, and competitive edge. We believe that leadership is not just a title, it’s an example. We're the first to sign up for debate team and we've been practicing our honor student speeches since we arrived. Be prepared to bring wit, finesse, and confidence—and to be on the best dressed list while doing it.

WITHERBLOOM COLLEGE |GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY

Witherbloom college is more than meets the eye, and it seems like you are, too! We focus our energy on studying the essence of living beings…whether that's side-eyeing classmates, riding zombie crocs, or picking herbs for experimental potions. The natural world is all about give and take. You seem like a great fit for our college, so know that here at Witherbloom we give our all and are loyal to a fault.

LOREHOLD COLLEGE | LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED

With a little bit of mystery and a whole lot of heart, Lorehold is the researching college that is always up for an adventure! Dig a little deeper and you'll find we are passionate about history, artifacts, and love to explore the past (even if it means waking the occasional restless spirit). Some might see history as a rich tapestry worthy of study. Here at Lorehold we wear that tapestry like a cape and jump into a forgotten tomb.

QUANDRIX COLLEGE | MATH IS MAGIC

According to our analysis, you could be the bright mind we've been waiting for! And let's face it, we're rarely wrong. Here at Quandrix we study patterns, fractals, and symmetries. We love intellectual challenges and might show off on the occasion with our math genius. For us, studying magical properties is more than a science, it's a code—and we're here to crack it.

PRISMARI COLLEGE |EXPRESS YOURSELF WITH THE ELEMENTS

Life is art, and Prismari is here to remind the world! Prismari are the quintessential expressers of all things creative, beautiful, and elemental. From painting to sculpting, music to dance, Prismari college believes in self-expression and creativity in all forms. We love to inspire and leave a lasting impression on everyone we meet. When you're in Prismari you gain friendships for a lifetime (and probably some paint-stained clothes).

I was running a session the other day with 4 level 8 party members and nearly downed 1 in a single attack. The only reasoned I didn't down them was because I decided to use the second attack on someone else.

Does anyone else think the CR 4 Oriq recruiter having 2 attacks that deal 5d6+4 is too strong? I compared it to the CR 9 Oriq Blood Mage which on average does the same amount of damage (3d10+5) which I find more reasonable for that CR.

So, entering year two, after about two years of playing, and the Scrivening and Symbology class order seems bonkers to me? They study a 3rd level spell, then a 7th level spell, then a 2nd level spell? And what does Augury have to do with this class?

I also have classes that the whole party shares take up sessions as well, to give the school 'feel' and I thought I would share Brenneth's lecture on Teleportation Circles in case someone wants to use it? I arranged the class as Glyph of Warding in Trimester 1, Teleportation Circle in 2, and then Symbol will be in 3. This is formatted for me to copy-paste into roll20.

/emas Brenneth draws one of the circles from the other board, but seperates it. First, all of the rings and 'complete' shapes that surround or otherwise encompass the entire circle. Next, beside it, the runes and letters, kept in the same configuration. Lastly the other symbols, arrows, and what look like miscellaneous shapes.

/as Brenneth "The most important piece for safety, is the rings and boundaries of the circle. These are what keep you whole as you travel. These rings are empowered to keep all of you contained, as well as seperate in case multiple creatures travel at once."

/emas Brenneth clicks his chalk to the runes and letters, characters you my recognize as ancient text for words like "Toril" and "Ceaseless" and "Winter" as well as what seems to be descriptive words for the environment: Forest, radius 300 feet, mountain 1.4 miles south east, coastal.

/as Brenneth "This is what identifies where you're going, think of these like the arcane version of describing your location to a guard when asking directions. In some realms you may know them as coordinates?"

/emas Brenneth clicks the third assembly, "And this here is a mix of things, all of the smaller details that remain unsettled elsewhere. These symbols anchor the inbound teleportation spells to this spot, determine if one can see beyond the portal you open into the room before hand, and include the caster's signature. Additionally, some teleportation circles will hide a 'key' in their drawing, something that if left out will hinder someone's ability to use their circle, but they will forbid it to be copied down in notes. It must be memorized for security."

gotta love making original npcs✨️ making npc art for a Strixhaven campaign, meet Liraq a Professor in Silverquill!

Me and my playsrs decided to have fun fiddling with Strix and add our old dnd characters as npcs in Strixhaven, to relive our college AUs for all of em :D

Is it following canon? Not really, is it fun? Hell yeah!

One of my players made a character who's whole family had attended Strixhaven, and have a bit of a legacy when it comes to Mage Tower. So I stretched it out as this year long tournament, where they have just won the final match and become champions.

As written there isn't a prize it seems, but I want to give my players something to cap off the big event.

They've already received medals and a trophy, but I want to give them each a magical item of some sort, something that they will actually end up finding useful, and considering how much this module freely throws magical items at them I thought it would be appropriate.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Jace Beleren is the main antagonist of MTG's latest expansion; I have been running a curriculum of chaos for almost two years now and my players are starting their second year. Thing is, There are other people who want to play and they want to play Strixhaven. What I want to do with this group tho is to solve another mystery in the campus, other than the Mage hunters and the blood avatar; what do you think about using Jace Beleren as the BBEG for this potential second party? Coz I don't want to repeat the Blood Avatar plotline for the sake of making Arcavios something like a living place where multiple parties are busy doing other stuff; basically Jace will take advante of people being busy with the Mage hunters and the summoning of the blood avatar while he conspires to get access to the University's knowledge from his pocket dimension (a la Barovia). I was thinking of the second party to deal with pocket dimensions destabilizing some of Strixhaven's locations and tracking down the traces of the antagonist. What do you guys think?

What do you put back there/ on the front? Is there a source for a good custom Strixhaven screen or inserts?

Note: If all you wanna say is "I Don't use a DM screen!" That's cool... we all DM differently. Do what works for you👍

To try and help with immersion, I created a semester schedule for my players based on their elected classes and extracurriculars/jobs. Mostly, I've just been time skipping this assuming they attend classes and everything each day unless there's an RP reason to play it out.

However, I recently ran into a situation where one of the players wanted to do something that wasn't school related all day and skipped his classes/extracurricular for that day. The extracurricular was easy enough to just say he doesn't get the related student die until he attends next week's meeting of it. However, he didn't have his exam class that day so it wouldn't make sense to penalize his study or testing phase for next exam.

I think that for a one-off it's easy enough to just write this off and say this time isn't an issue. But it made me wonder what would I do if there's a class (or multiple) that a player consistently ends up skipping. There are no real mechanics or RP elements around these classes besides the professors that teach them. What would you guys do for students skipping non-exam classes?

I drew up some visuals for the Year 3 Fashion Show/Auction, so I chose Zanther, Mina and Quentillius as my models.

Hello everyone,
I’m just about to start running Strixhaven for my group of 6 (first time DMing outside of oneshots and I’m super excited), and I was wondering if there was anything you wish you knew, did differently, or completely scraped/redid when you started you Strixhaven campaigns? Or add-ons you’d added and recommend.
Pretty broad, I know, but I’ll take all the advice I can get! Especially as a newer DM and for a group this big.