Where will you go for your magical education? Hogwarts or UU

[Dartzap]

Repost from SDn so that others can have their chance

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Just had a random discussion with a mate about this.. thought I'd ask you lot as well Wink

On one hand you have Unseen University, supposedly the Discworlds more powerful establishment.... Or Hogwarts, the UK's wizerding school.

UU will, when you get there, l be at a time of peace under the 'leadership' of Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully, you will be a senior student and have access to Hex and the Thaumic reactor in the Squash court

At Hogwarts you will be there before the events of the Half Blood Prince whilst Dumbledore is alive, you will be a senior student there as well, though i have no clue what advantages that would include Wink

For me, it would have to be UU, I'd not have to live in secrecy. I get to go to Ankh-Morpork through the wall when I want and I get to meet some real 'Hero's' like Rincewind. Very Happy of course I can also get access to the Libary and all the resources that has as well.

You can of course choose some other establishment...

[Ace Pace]

Hogwarts, as before, but also for the social reason, seriously, I didn't notice much comradeship in UU, Hogwarts is a fucking club first, school second.

[Narsil]

I choose other:
Tutelage in Faerun as a Wizard - Arcane Devotee of Mystra, simple reason; the power to do good is not hindered by school rules or an unfriendly narrative. The Unseen University also has rules against sex, you see, and that just puts them very, very, very, very low in my books. Hogwarts has a whole community afraid of someone's name, which is pretty damn stupid.

Alternate to a Wizard; Cleric or Druid.

[SirNitram]

Narsil, could you stay on topic for once?

UU, definately. A great deal safer.

[Shark Bait]

UU definately, its a lot like UT probably and I would deffinately try to become assistant librarian.

[Dartzap]

Narsil, could you stay on topic for once?

UU, definately. A great deal safer.

I did say in the poll he's allowed to suggest others, so he not exactly off topic

[Narsil]

Narsil, could you stay on topic for once?

I could stray back to the topic. But that would suggest that I am off-topic in the first place, as Dartzap has already pointed out.

I find them both to look like vastly unsafe options myself. Death by assassination is considered natural causes for Discworld Wizards, and Hogwarts Wizards drop like flies when Voldemort's about. Therefore; being a member of the Church of Mystra is a much safer option because even if you die there's a chance at resurrection, and your magic is generally controllable and not about to screw up if you've got a Broken Wand or there's a Sourcerer about.

[SirNitram]

It sure as hell looked like two when I posted. *Shrug*

As for thinking Faerun is safer, you're nuts. The current year in-game is the Year Of Rogue Dragons. Flights of hundreds of the beasts are commonplace.

[Narsil]

It sure as hell looked like two when I posted. *Shrug*

As for thinking Faerun is safer, you're nuts. The current year in-game is the Year Of Rogue Dragons. Flights of hundreds of the beasts are commonplace.

*shrugs* Sanity has never been my strong point.

I'm still working off of 1372 in my outdated copy of the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting, unfortunately. Year of Wild Magic. Provided I stick to areas where Mystra's temples are popular and merely study/practice magic; I'll be fine. And I merely need to know Teleport to dodge any dragon encounters easily enough for the following year

[SirNitram]

It sure as hell looked like two when I posted. *Shrug*

As for thinking Faerun is safer, you're nuts. The current year in-game is the Year Of Rogue Dragons. Flights of hundreds of the beasts are commonplace.

*shrugs* Sanity has never been my strong point.

I'm still working off of 1372 in my outdated copy of the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting, unfortunately. Year of Wild Magic. Provided I stick to areas where Mystra's temples are popular and merely study/practice magic; I'll be fine. And I merely need to know Teleport to dodge any dragon encounters easily enough for the following year

Ah, so you instead have to worry about the Shade. And the rising power of Shadow Magic. And...

The Realms is not a nice, safe place to be. That's been the appeal of 3rd Ed.

[Narsil]

Ah, so you instead have to worry about the Shade. And the rising power of Shadow Magic. And...

The Realms is not a nice, safe place to be. That's been the appeal of 3rd Ed.

Oh shut it... And seriously: I don't really hold much truck with safety. I live in Northwest England for god's sake... where we have idiots and fools who go around beating the crap out of people for fun, and in numbers of six or more. At least in Faerun it's legal to properly defend yourself.

And: I can always fall back on the whole Another 'Other' Choice copout and choose that instead. And since I've my own universe to play with; an Astrum Venefici-verse Wizard's schooling would be pretty safe, depending on country. Ireland being the safest, and the Deep South of the USA being a pretty damn unsafe option, since witchcraft is opposed by the Fundies of Astrum Venefici.

As for the power you can wield; depends entirely on what spells you know and how attuned to magic you are. I'll assume for the purposes of this thread that we're allowed at least the base requirement

[SirNitram]

Ah, so you instead have to worry about the Shade. And the rising power of Shadow Magic. And...

The Realms is not a nice, safe place to be. That's been the appeal of 3rd Ed.

Oh shut it... And seriously: I don't really hold much truck with safety. I live in Northwest England for god's sake... where we have idiots and fools who go around beating the crap out of people for fun, and in numbers of six or more. At least in Faerun it's legal to properly defend yourself.

'It's really more of a guideline.' 'Rbbt!'

If you don't care about your own safety, you're just an idiot. I need say no more.

And: I can always fall back on the whole Another 'Other' Choice copout and choose that instead. And since I've my own universe to play with; an Astrum Venefici-verse Wizard's schooling would be pretty safe, depending on country. Ireland being the safest, and the Deep South of the USA being a pretty damn unsafe option, since witchcraft is opposed by the Fundies of Astrum Venefici.

Ah, another peice of crap I should have remembered to stamp out in the rules. 'I invoke my unpublished made up stuff which is inherently superior in all ways!'

As for the power you can wield; depends entirely on what spells you know and how attuned to magic you are. I'll assume for the purposes of this thread that we're allowed at least the base requirement

UU has computers, telegraph, and pizza.

[Narsil]

Ah, another peice of crap I should have remembered to stamp out in the rules. 'I invoke my unpublished made up stuff which is inherently superior in all ways!'

Unpublished doesn't make it any less valid for a subjective choice. And 'made up' is hardly what I'd call it as I've been working on bits and pieces of its concept for just over a year now.

As for 'inherently superior'; you see, that's where you're incorrect. An Astrum Venefici Wizard is pretty damn weak, all things considered, as the magic is rather limited, and making it do anything else than exactly what it says on the tin is rather difficult, as is creating a different spell with a different tin. Wizards are in fact the inferior magic users of my universe with Weavers and Arcanists being top-dogs... but they're Faeries and Elves only, and they are rather rare.

UU has computers, telegraph, and pizza.

Well, Astrum Venefici's setting takes place in a time which typically depends on the story I'm focusing on, and the time period it uses. So... it has technology loosely equal to ours, save for medical technology which is made somewhat better by healing spells and the like.

[SirNitram]

Ah, another peice of crap I should have remembered to stamp out in the rules. 'I invoke my unpublished made up stuff which is inherently superior in all ways!'

Unpublished doesn't make it any less valid for a subjective choice. And 'made up' is hardly what I'd call it as I've been working on bits and pieces of its concept for just over a year now.

I really don't care. An unpublisher source is anything you claim it to be, and thus it's a stupid, infantile tactic, and as the moderator of this forum, I intend to ban it's use here.

[Narsil]

Ah, another peice of crap I should have remembered to stamp out in the rules. 'I invoke my unpublished made up stuff which is inherently superior in all ways!'

Unpublished doesn't make it any less valid for a subjective choice. And 'made up' is hardly what I'd call it as I've been working on bits and pieces of its concept for just over a year now.

I really don't care. An unpublisher source is anything you claim it to be, and thus it's a stupid, infantile tactic, and as the moderator of this forum, I intend to ban it's use here.

If you insist upon a published universe, then I'd have to choose something akin to either the Forgotten Realms, or possible coercion into the Unseen University... provided I was allowed about every poison antedote in existance, and a physical protection spell.

[SirNitram]

If you insist upon a published universe, then I'd have to choose something akin to either the Forgotten Realms, or possible coercion into the Unseen University... provided I was allowed about every poison antedote in existance, and a physical protection spell.

Have you actually read Discworld? The Faculty poison and assassinate each other(Except now Ridcully's here, they don't dare), the students don't.

[Narsil]

If you insist upon a published universe, then I'd have to choose something akin to either the Forgotten Realms, or possible coercion into the Unseen University... provided I was allowed about every poison antedote in existance, and a physical protection spell.

Have you actually read Discworld? The Faculty poison and assassinate each other(Except now Ridcully's here, they don't dare), the students don't.

I got that impression from Sourcery. If Ridcully has changed that; then off to UU we go... I just need to make sure that I don't have eight children at some point. Seriously. Not only would they be murder to name and the eighth will be a Sourcerer; they'd also be quite a handful for any parent and anyone who does have eight children is probably on the road to either; A: Godhood or B: The Loony Bin.

[Batman]

Dude, Sourcery is ancient. UU may not be sedate by a long shot-there's always some stupid git who labels some dangerous button 'Do not press. Under any circumstances.EVER' and we all know what a wizard's natural reaction to that is, and you can always count on the guys from the High Energy Magic department to make things interesting-but since Ridcully took over the internal struggles of UU remain firmly verbal.
Of course, Ridcully himself may accidentally shoot you with his crossbow if you're not careful.

[SirNitram]

Of course, Ridcully himself may accidentally shoot you with his crossbow if you're not careful.

While undoutably true, this is really only a danger if you're the Bursar.

Besides, among the first lessons are heavy defenses against other wizards and against the Things.

[LadyTevar]

At least Hogwarts actually *has* classes. Most of the things I've read about UU is the faculty finding ways *not* to teach classes.

[Batman]

At least Hogwarts actually *has* classes. Most of the things I've read about UU is the faculty finding ways *not* to teach classes.

Given the quality of the faculty the students probably learn more that way.

[Narsil]

At least Hogwarts actually *has* classes. Most of the things I've read about UU is the faculty finding ways *not* to teach classes.

Hogwarts' classes aren't all that effective in my opinion. There was only Barty Crouch Jr, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Whossname Potionsmaster from Half-Blood Prince and Remus Lupin capable of actually teaching anything, and a few of those lasted only a year or were exposed as villains.

[Lindar]

Mystics University because i can't go anywhere else... the studnets would kill me if i left lol.

[Ace Pace]

At least Hogwarts actually *has* classes. Most of the things I've read about UU is the faculty finding ways *not* to teach classes.

Hogwarts' classes aren't all that effective in my opinion. There was only Barty Crouch Jr, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Whossname Potionsmaster from Half-Blood Prince and Remus Lupin capable of actually teaching anything, and a few of those lasted only a year or were exposed as villains.

Did you actully read the books? Barty Crouch Jr?!

[Cynical Cat]

Of the magical universities that come to mind, the one at Stardock Island in Raymond Feist's Midkemia universe sounds the best. A good education and a low chance of death.

As for Faerun, the things about the 3rd edition that really appealed to me was the return of Bane, the end of the Retreat, and the Dwarven population rebound.