Strixhaven, the latest setting in Dungeons and Dragons, introduces a unique feature known as mascots. These mascots are powerful, magical creatures that form a special bond with wizards attending the Strixhaven University. In the context of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition (5e), the Strixhaven mascots serve as familiar-like companions that provide various benefits and abilities to their wizard companions. **The Strixhaven mascots are more than just pets or companions; they are an integral part of a wizard's magical journey at the university.** Each mascot represents one of the five colleges within Strixhaven: Lorehold, Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, and Witherbloom. The mascots embody the core values, themes, and powers of their respective colleges, making them a crucial aspect of each student's magical path.

D&D: Everything We Know About ‘Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos’

With a dragon’s treasure in hand, we look towards the future. Looks like student loans and Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos.

It seems fitting that the upcoming D&D book Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos would come out after Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons– a book all about dragons and the treasure they hoard. The new book will be all about going to wizarding college, and it’ll take a dragon’s hoard to make a dent in any college admissions these days, am I right?

Jokes about crushing debt and waning financial stability aside, the new D&D book looks great.

School’s in Session with Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos

Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos takes place in the premiere school of magic in all the planes: the eponymous Strixhaven College. It originated in Magic: the Gathering, but everything about it feels right at home in the myriad of fantasy worlds in D&D.

Five colleges roughly sum up whether you’re brave, smart, evil, or “also around” and “safe at parties”. Mix that with a little bit of the clique dichotomy of theatre kids, goths, and nerds, and this book is poised to be everything you could want in an academy-based adventure setting.

The College of Strixhaven

As mentioned before, the book takes place in the world of Strixhaven, a magical college with five different “houses”. Students will either be Quandrix, Lorehold, Prismari, Silverquill, or Witherbloom. The book also includes a new kind of bird-person, the Owlin.

The Owlin make for another addition to the growing list of bird-people in D&D. They will likely be proficient with Stealth and fly for 30 feet.

Helping to capture the distinct five-houses feel, there are several new feats, magic items, and spells coming along with Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. There are five new spells, one for each of the five colleges.

The Feats, Spells, & Mascots of Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos

So far, we know one of the spells, Borrowed Knowledge, will allow you to call out to ancient experts to gain temporary proficiency in a skill. These spells will be added to spell lists once the book comes out.

New magical items include a spellbook for each of the five colleges. Like the wizard tomes in Tasha’s Cauldron, they’ll provide augmentations for specific spells. Then there’s the magically cuddly mascot plush toy that’ll give you advantage on saving throws vs. fear.

As for feats, there are the Strixhaven Initiate feats to grant you spells common to whichever Strixhaven College you choose. And they’re a great way to expand spell lists for any class.

Then there’s the Strixhaven Mascot feat, which requires at least 4th level and the Strixhaven Initiate feat. Once you’ve got those, Mascot lets you choose one of Strixhaven’s house mascots as your familiar.

For example, Lorehold has a Spirit Statue. Prismari has an Art Elemental Mascot.

Quandrix proves that they’re the ultimate nerds with the Fractal Mascot, a math equation for a mascot that can totally be your familiar (if that’s your jam). Silverquill has the Inkling mascot, so you finally have a use for those inkling tokens!

And Witherbloom has a pest.

You’ll meet these Mascots over the course of the adventure comprising a bulk of Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos. This adventure is presented over four different mini-adventures. Each adventure lasts about 4-5 sessions and represents roughly the events of a year in the life of a college student.

Over the course of the adventure, you’ll also meet up to 18 different student NPCs that you can befriend. Each has tracked relationship points with each of the player characters, so you can make friends and enemies while you play. There will be several different “relationship encounters” that help you improve or worsen existing friendships, rivalries, and romances.

There’s also a system of extracurricular activities where you can meet some of these NPCs. It’ll also give you special associated skills that you can get a bonus die on. Friendships work the same way, with a connected student giving you bonuses to associated skill checks.

At some point during each adventures there will be exams, and you can win bonus dice for doing well on them.

As far as the adventure itself goes, the four adventures are all meant to be fairly modular (so that they can fit in with your own existing campaign). They will take you from levels 1-10, and the finale is surprisingly high-stakes.

According to Jeremy Crawford, lead rules design for D&D, the bad ending (if the players fail) is potentially one of the most “concretely upsetting endings seen in a 5th edition adventure.” So study hard.

‘Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos’ is due out November 16th. Happy Adventuring!

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Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and on occasion eats sandwiches. You can ask him about either at [email protected]

All the new Magic Items in Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos Explained

The newest expansion for Dungeons & Dragons has arrived. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is a brand-new adventure set in a magical college. Strixhaven being a location that’s originally from Magic: The Gathering, this new adventure sees players experience the life of a student. You’ll be able to take tests, work on the campus and interact with other students residing at Strixhaven too. But there’ll also be new monsters to fight and more dungeons to explore as well.

While there’s a lot that this expansion adds to the base game of Dungeons & Dragons, today we’ll be focusing on the new magic items. Each magic item introduced in this expansion comes with a powerful ability that could help you out of a tricky situation. They can be purchased from the campus for varying amounts of gold and range from quite cheap to a little expensive. But anyway, there’s a lot to get through so let’s jump right into it.

The mascots embody the core values, themes, and powers of their respective colleges, making them a crucial aspect of each student's magical path. **When a wizard chooses a college, they also gain access to the abilities and benefits granted by that college's mascot.** For example, a wizard joining the Quandrix college gains a Quandrix mascot, which represents the connection to the power of math and nature.

Bottle of Boundless Coffee

The Bottle of Boundless Coffee is something I think we all wish we had. This bottle, unsurprisingly, holds warm coffee that never runs out. No other liquid can be placed inside the bottle, it only accepts coffee. Each time you want to drink from the bottle you’ll need to roll a d20. If you manage to roll a 1, the bottle will refuse to dispense coffee for the next hour. It also comes with the rule that you must drink directly from the bottle. Pouring into another container will just cause the coffee to vanish. Players can purchase the Bottle of Boundless Coffee for 100 gp.

This mascot can take the form of a giant snail, a jellyfish, or any other creature associated with Quandrix. **The mascots in Strixhaven provide additional benefits and abilities to their wizard companions.** These benefits include advantage on certain skill checks, bonus to saving throws, additional spellcasting options, and unique magical abilities. The specific benefits and abilities granted by the mascots may vary depending on the college and the level of the wizard. **The Strixhaven mascots are more than just mechanical bonuses; they contribute to the overall roleplaying experience and define the character's magical journey.** The bond between a wizard and their mascot is a deep and meaningful relationship. The mascots become companions, sources of inspiration, and allies in the face of challenges. They can aid in roleplaying interactions, provide insights into quests and lore, and even act as vehicles for storytelling moments. **Overall, the Strixhaven mascots in Dungeons and Dragons 5e add depth and richness to the game, allowing players to explore the unique magic and themes of the Strixhaven setting.** They offer mechanical benefits and abilities while also providing opportunities for character development and storytelling. Whether it's choosing a mascot to align with a college or delving into the lore surrounding these magical creatures, the Strixhaven mascots open up a new realm of possibilities for players and Dungeon Masters alike..

Reviews for "Creating a Strixhaven Mascot Arcana: Spellcasting Options for D&D Magic Users"

1. John - 1 star

I was really disappointed with the Strixhaven mascot in 5e. The design felt lackluster and uninspired. It looked like a generic owl with no distinctive or interesting features. Additionally, the abilities and powers of the mascot were underwhelming. It didn't offer any unique or exciting gameplay mechanics. Overall, I found it to be a forgettable addition to the game and I wouldn't recommend it to others.

2. Sarah - 2 stars

As a long-time player of 5e, I was excited to try out the Strixhaven mascot. However, I found it to be quite underwhelming. The artwork was okay, but nothing extraordinary. Moreover, the mascot's abilities didn't live up to my expectations. It felt weak and didn't provide any significant advantage in combat or role-playing situations. In my opinion, there are much better options available for players looking for a compelling and powerful mascot in 5e.

3. David - 2 stars

I was really hoping for something unique and intriguing with the Strixhaven mascot, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The design felt generic and resembled other owl-themed creatures in the game. The abilities were also disappointing, as they didn't offer any new mechanics or interesting gameplay choices. Overall, I found the Strixhaven mascot to be a missed opportunity and would advise players to consider other options for mascots in their campaigns.

Navigating the Strixhaven Mascots' Spells and Abilities: A Primer for D&D Players