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Morgrave University campaigns

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
master_verhoffin
May 26, 2008 14:30:19 After browsing through Sharn: CoT for about the thousandth time, an interesting idea for a campaign popped into my head. A campaign where all the players are students, teachers, or employees of Morgrave University. Such a campaign could easily expand past the walls of the University itself, with adventures in Sharn and Xen'drik both easily possible. Sharn itself has so much possible material for campaigns involving the University, from simply trying to find a buyer for relics to expeditions in the depths of the Cogs to discover Old Sharn. And Xen'drik is an obvious locale for adventures and expeditions of all kinds.

With that said, what classes would be best for such a campaign? Rogues have the classic Indiana Jones-style feel, but nothing else is striking me as immediately obvious. Maybe wizard for professors (diviners especially), with expert for NPCs?

Feel free to post your thoughts/comments on such a campaign, ideas for classes and prestige classes for players, and adventure ideas. I'll be posting a few of my own once I iron out the details.
#2
vegetalss4
May 26, 2008 14:47:44 you could also use bard for an professor with an indiana jones feel
and figthers as hired guards and also Rangers as "those people who know an area and helps other people through them but whose name i can not remember"
#3
johnnyarkham
May 26, 2008 15:36:29 That's brilliant! You could get aspects of Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, and a metric ton of assorted campus horror flicks all rolled into one! lol
Good stuff man
#4
grafster
May 28, 2008 3:23:41 This would be very cool.
I've basically worked Morgrave (weird Morgrave student groups, occasional lecturers who adventure) into every game I've run.

Even KotS.

To my mind almost any class -could- work, especially in 4e where you tend to see higher degrees of compentency in a specific field. A mid-level fighter who dropped a feat into Dungeoneering could be an adjunct lecturer on geology, zoo-ology of the weird (aberration knowledge) or something similar.
And most of the the other classes have at least one knowledge skill available.
#5
Alas
May 28, 2008 10:43:17 You should also consider how Morgrave U deals with rituals, as a slew of formerly mage-only effects are now available to people with enough time and money. Rituals will return a little bit of power to sages, I think, making it easier to be a seer and expert without also being an adventurer. For the academic campaign, this means the PCs still have the incentive to go out into the field-- their dean may have superior (exposition) knowledge about the Mortar and Pestle of Sora Kell, but only the PCs have the spellpower to actually go retrieve it.

As for academic standing and university politics, you might consider setting up one of those "organization affiliation" tables that popped up late in 3.5. They should convert to 4e with little fuss, since they're based largely on actions rather than class features. (In fact, wasn't their an affiliation table for the Wayfinder Institute or something?)
#6
skrap-san
May 28, 2008 15:26:10
In fact, wasn't their an affiliation table for the Wayfinder Institute or something?

Now I don't remember if there was a specific one for the wayfinder institute. But I do remember one for the various intel organisations in the five nations books, and for the dragonmarked houses in the dragonmarked book. So if you get inspired by those it should not be that hard.
#7
octaviusiii
May 31, 2008 2:25:12 One thing to remember is that RL professors take graduate students on expeditions all the time. There are also study abroad programs, off-campus summer courses, and the like. In Eberron all that could happen, including (perhaps) some competition from another of the universities, as Morgrave isn't really seen as 'academically rigorous'.

In 3.5, rogues are really flexible. They don't even have to be Indy-types, either. With their skill options, they could just as easily be a face or an academic as your classic swashbuckling, Chaotically-aligned brigand with the heart of gold.

Adventure idea: My character is an adjunct professor in the School of Theology that has just returned from Xendrik with eight newly-discovered ancient giant texts of philosophy and theology and books full of notes and diaries of the expedition. He wants to take some students back with him to the safer areas to study the ruins. If you make my character an NPC and the PCs the students, you could have a grand ol' time fighting unforseen battles and grabbing details on ancient magics.

Perhaps some professors want to study the ancient history of humans... in Sarlona. Getting in would be difficult, getting out would be even worse and publishing would be a nightmare (pun intended).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 master_verhoffin May 26, 2008 14:30:19	After browsing through Sharn: CoT for about the thousandth time, an interesting idea for a campaign popped into my head. A campaign where all the players are students, teachers, or employees of Morgrave University. Such a campaign could easily expand past the walls of the University itself, with adventures in Sharn and Xen'drik both easily possible. Sharn itself has so much possible material for campaigns involving the University, from simply trying to find a buyer for relics to expeditions in the depths of the Cogs to discover Old Sharn. And Xen'drik is an obvious locale for adventures and expeditions of all kinds. With that said, what classes would be best for such a campaign? Rogues have the classic Indiana Jones-style feel, but nothing else is striking me as immediately obvious. Maybe wizard for professors (diviners especially), with expert for NPCs? Feel free to post your thoughts/comments on such a campaign, ideas for classes and prestige classes for players, and adventure ideas. I'll be posting a few of my own once I iron out the details.
#2 vegetalss4 May 26, 2008 14:47:44	you could also use bard for an professor with an indiana jones feel and figthers as hired guards and also Rangers as "those people who know an area and helps other people through them but whose name i can not remember"
#3 johnnyarkham May 26, 2008 15:36:29	That's brilliant! You could get aspects of Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, and a metric ton of assorted campus horror flicks all rolled into one! lol Good stuff man
#4 grafster May 28, 2008 3:23:41	This would be very cool. I've basically worked Morgrave (weird Morgrave student groups, occasional lecturers who adventure) into every game I've run. Even KotS. To my mind almost any class -could- work, especially in 4e where you tend to see higher degrees of compentency in a specific field. A mid-level fighter who dropped a feat into Dungeoneering could be an adjunct lecturer on geology, zoo-ology of the weird (aberration knowledge) or something similar. And most of the the other classes have at least one knowledge skill available.
#5 Alas May 28, 2008 10:43:17	You should also consider how Morgrave U deals with rituals, as a slew of formerly mage-only effects are now available to people with enough time and money. Rituals will return a little bit of power to sages, I think, making it easier to be a seer and expert without also being an adventurer. For the academic campaign, this means the PCs still have the incentive to go out into the field-- their dean may have superior (exposition) knowledge about the Mortar and Pestle of Sora Kell, but only the PCs have the spellpower to actually go retrieve it. As for academic standing and university politics, you might consider setting up one of those "organization affiliation" tables that popped up late in 3.5. They should convert to 4e with little fuss, since they're based largely on actions rather than class features. (In fact, wasn't their an affiliation table for the Wayfinder Institute or something?)
#6 skrap-san May 28, 2008 15:26:10	In fact, wasn't their an affiliation table for the Wayfinder Institute or something? Now I don't remember if there was a specific one for the wayfinder institute. But I do remember one for the various intel organisations in the five nations books, and for the dragonmarked houses in the dragonmarked book. So if you get inspired by those it should not be that hard.
#7 octaviusiii May 31, 2008 2:25:12	One thing to remember is that RL professors take graduate students on expeditions all the time. There are also study abroad programs, off-campus summer courses, and the like. In Eberron all that could happen, including (perhaps) some competition from another of the universities, as Morgrave isn't really seen as 'academically rigorous'. In 3.5, rogues are really flexible. They don't even have to be Indy-types, either. With their skill options, they could just as easily be a face or an academic as your classic swashbuckling, Chaotically-aligned brigand with the heart of gold. Adventure idea: My character is an adjunct professor in the School of Theology that has just returned from Xendrik with eight newly-discovered ancient giant texts of philosophy and theology and books full of notes and diaries of the expedition. He wants to take some students back with him to the safer areas to study the ruins. If you make my character an NPC and the PCs the students, you could have a grand ol' time fighting unforseen battles and grabbing details on ancient magics. Perhaps some professors want to study the ancient history of humans... in Sarlona. Getting in would be difficult, getting out would be even worse and publishing would be a nightmare (pun intended).