A Magical University Town

[Neonchameleon]

In War of the Burning Sky, there's a city called Seaquen with a Mages Academy called the Lyceum at the heart. I'm currently running the module there and am fleshing out Seaquen in ways not suggested in the module - as a university town (albeit one overrun by refugees) that's preparing for war. Little details so far (there are others I've forgotten):

• The sewers are the cleanest anywhere despite the complete absence of sewer workers. That's because the tunnels themselves are magic circles, and the inhabitants of the sewers are oozes (which eat almost anything) and rust monsters (which eat anything the oozes can't - and scurry away from the oozes). You thought the local sewers were dangerous?
  • This is also going to fit into the plans for the defence of Seaquen - catapult-launched Black Puddings and Gelatinous Cubes for anti-ship warfare, anyone? Or commando raids to introduce some of the rust monsters to enemy encampments and armouries? Hey, I never said they were sensible mages.
• Biomancers. Just biomancers. "Umm... which gender are they?" "The ones their names would indicate. They've both swapped twice."
• The Corpse Compensation Scheme where you get paid to accept a tattoo that turns you into a zombie after you die. A lot of the militia are accepting this. ("My greatest regret is that I only have one life to lay down for my country." "My body's going to continue serving after I'm dead.")
• The Modern Golem Project. Apparently it takes a fraction of the magic to animate a golem if it only moves at mechanical joints rather than bends stone. Meaning that iron golems, hinges, and ball and socket joints are appearing fast.
• Architecture - thick walls, thin roofs.
• "Rag and bone week" mentioned by a few locals with a shudder.

Any more ideas for such a town?

 

[Gilladian]

Hmmm... is there any form of early electricity? You could have areas of town that were lit by electric light, and now people have figured out how to rig up "shock plates" from electricity.

Or you could have steam power. Small (1-2 person) steam tanks. With flame throwers, or that fire specially shaped flasks of alchemist fire.

Your setup seems like it could include pistols and blunderbusses, too. You might look at the rules in Ptolus if you can get hold of it; they have some neat stuff.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I don't know how clean a magical cities sewers would be, the shear amout of toxic waste would be interesting. Potion by-products, spell componets and other ingredents, plus the waste material of wizards and their pets, we are talking some nasty stuff.

Just saying...mutation!

I can see things like anti-grav plates that have a rail built in, to hold a car in place. The car is loaded with goods or people and pushed, it will have no weight.

Animated objects would be every where.

 

[Dioltach]

Have you considered that a university town, of any kind, will have large numbers of students? And large numbers of students will generally display rowdy behaviour on a regular basis. Note that this is nothing new: even in medieval times, students had a reputation for drunkenness and partying.

Add in the magical element, and I imagine a great deal of chaos would ensue.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If you can find it, the OOP Redhurst Academy of Magic book is fantastic. (It had the bad luck to come out just as the 3E/3.5 transition occured, so no one had money to spend on supplements at that time.) It fleshes out all aspects of a big D&D-style magical university.

If you can't find the actual supplement anywhere, good Google Fu may find you a PDF of the Player's Guide, which is a complete version of the book, but with all of the DM information removed, along with the in-character notes from a villain plotting to bring down the school that are scribbled all over the full version of the book.

 

[Thanael]

+1 to Redhurst.

Link: Redhurst Academy of Magic.

It used to be available on ebay for around $10 (though apparently prices are rising) and the book is really quite gorgeous. The Player's Guide used to be available for free as a 155-page PDF download that presents the full school information, maps, and background but does not include the GM's secrets and the rules. Apparently Matt Forbeck has saved all the downloads here

Reviews were good too.

 

[OnlineDM]

I'm not a Forgotten Realms expert, but I did run one Living Forgotten Realms adventure that took place in the city of Silverymoon in the Luruar region. Silverymoon was described as being a town with a major magical university. There might be some ideas in the Forgotten Realms sources about this town that could be duplicated in Seaquen.

 

[amerigoV]

In War of the Burning Sky, there's a city called Seaquen with a Mages Academy called the Lyceum at the heart....Any more ideas for such a town?

• Just imagine the fraternaty pranks at that college!
• Hippies - the youth always think they are enlightened since they have not actually lived life yet.
• I remember in college evaculation from the chem building when some n00b blew things up. That could result in a fun encounter "well hello Mr. Pit Fiend...."
• Sports. Although wizards are not the best physical specimens, small colleges and acedemies tend to encourage physical well being through sports and clubs (Quiddach ala Harry Potter for some inspiration)
• Hazing could be .... interesting. ("Your Delta Tau Chi Name is...Xvart." "Why?" "Cuz I said it is!"
• There tends to be a Townie vs. College Boy attitude in smaller locals.
  

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

decanter of endless beer
create beer
potion of beer
infinite beer bong
purify beer and more beer
beer endurance, mass
goggles of beer seeing
beer of annihilation
summon beer elemental

 

[Stormonu]

large student body = lots of failed magical experiments/crossbreeds