Interest check - Magic University, rules-lite syst

Misthaven University

An interest check to see if I should invest more effort into this...

At last, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived! We’ve made it to campus, donned our uniforms, and claimed our tomes. Our academic journey at the illustrious Misthaven University begins today! As first-year students, we’ll learn new spells and explore the hallowed halls of the Biblioplex, uncovering the secrets of its labyrinthine stacks. We’ll dive headfirst into the vibrant social scene, from lively debates to wild revelries in our favorite gathering spots.

But whispers of danger lurk in the shadows. Strange happenings creep into the corners of our lives, testing our courage and wits. Will we rise to become the heroes Misthaven needs, protecting our newfound home from unseen threats? Or will these small disturbances grow into a storm that could consume the entire university? The choice is ours—our fate begins now!

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🎯 Our goal
Playing in Misthaven should feel like stepping into a magical adventure and tale of discovery—a coming-of-age saga where young adults embark on a journey to become wizards and witches. It’s a realm where camaraderie, exploration, and bravery lead characters to uncover the hidden secrets of the campus—and the untapped potential within themselves. This is a story of transformation, where each triumph and misstep brings them closer to becoming legendary heroes in a fantasy world.

The game should blend whimsical fun with thrilling adventure, highlighting the dynamic relationships between player characters and a vibrant array of NPCs—enigmatic professors, mischievous fellow students, and the ever-intriguing and unexpected staff members from a magical university. In it, alliances are forged, rivalries spark, and romances blossom, weaving a rich tapestry of personal connections that make every choice and consequence meaningful.

While I’ll be bringing you an overarching adventure plot and interesting NPCs and locations, this experience is meant to be a collaborative one. I’m looking for co-writers and co-creators, not passive spectators. You’ll have opportunities—and perhaps the desire—to create and control other supporting characters (NPCs) and contribute to world-building, all to enrich and deepen the story of your own player character. While optional, this level of engagement is highly encouraged to make the narrative truly unforgettable.

At the very least, if you’re not ready to try to create something new and answer some of my prompts in your own PC's posts, this game may not be for you. But if you are, Misthaven should offer us a journey full of wonder, danger, and heart—a world where magic and mystery await at every turn.

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🧙‍♂️🪄The setting
Our game will take place at the Misthaven University, a place heavily inspired by Hogwarts, Strixhaven and similar places. Besides that, the world is a blank canvas - a generic medieval fantasy world teeming with magic. Eitherway, being accepted to Misthaven University should be a rare and prestigious honor, a dream cherished by countless aspiring mages. Misthaven is not merely a place of study—it is a beacon of enlightenment and scholarship, and its graduates and representatives are widely respected wherever they venture.

For further details, see the Misthaven University thread in the game forums.

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🎲 The Game System and Rules Version
This game uses a rules-light and stripped down version of the Cortex Prime ruleset, without plot points and adapted to our setting. All of our rules are free and available in the game forums. For the roleplaying and storytelling parts, though, common sense and the acceptance principle - when someone in a scene states something before you do, accept it as truth - should be more than enough.

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🎨Character generation
Players will create their characters in a session zero, by answering prompts from the GM, using their creativity and choosing (or rolling) the numerical stats. This will be a story driven creation, where numbers and stats will be secondary. You should focus on creating an interesting character, not on exploring and min-maxing the Cortex Prime rules. You will have the freedom to design your magical student history, desires, personality and background exactly as you envision them—bring your unique creation to life and make them truly your own!

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📆 Game Duration and Post Frequency
This should be a 3-5 posts/week game - daily posts, weekends not included, are preferred. But quality is more important than quantity. It's also understood that life comes first, and holidays may interfere.

If there is enough interest, I will probably open a recruitment thread in mid January.

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💻 Specialized Software and Resources
None.

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👋Who am I?
I've been on Gamers' Plane for more than a year and have DMed some sci-fi and fantasy games. I believe in sharing with the community and most of the games I've DMed are public. The latest two are here and here. Check them out if you wanna!

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📢 Public forum
This game will be public, so people can follow and read our posts, if they want to. Some private notes and closed messages can be used by the GM or the players, especially during chargen and for some controversial parts.

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🐣 Player Experience Requirements
No previous experience with the game rules, PbP or Gamersplane.com are necessary. I'm more than willing to teach and help.

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🎟️ How to Apply
This is just an interest check. I will open a recruitment thread in the future and ping anyone who shows an interest here.

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🏳️‍🌈✅️ Marginalized Groups Welcome
This game is explicitly friendly to LGBT and any other minorities or marginalized groups, owlins, orcs, trolls, vampires and studious folk of many other origins. Please, let us all be fans of each other and all their characters.

Hell yes! I want to play in this.
Magic school?
Comming of age?
Yes, yes, yes!

Speaking of age: What is the expected age of the students/player characters?

18+. We will play with young adults in their first year of University, not high-school kids. =)

PS: Come to think of it, you can also play with much older characters. In fact, it's never too late to go to university.

I'm interested. The context of a magical university reminds me of a campaign I was in with runekyndig maybe a year ago which ended abruptly without even getting off the ground, and makes me want to revisit the concept of a changeling (in the Eberronian sense) with a focus on the Arcane Eloquence Institute with a penchant for liking secrets (this is probably a 20-40% expy of a previous concept, but I expect it to get a life of its own once I start looking into Misthaven's setting context and other stuff).

Also interested here! A basic concept I've got off the top of my head is that of a naïve homeschooled elf that set out against her parents' wishes. At eighteen years old, she is physically and mentally mature but still considered a child in the eyes of elven society. Thus, when she expressed a desire to leave home and attend university, her parents were quick to reject the idea. They believed she wouldn't be ready to leave for at least a few more decades. Of course, she disagreed, so she secretly sent out applications. Of the acceptance letters that came back, one stood out among them: Misthaven University. Despite her parents forbidding her to go, she packed up and departed for Misthaven. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend such a prestigious university and see what the outside world was like.


If I'm still feeling that idea when (if) the recruitment thread comes around, I'll copy it over, making whatever changes and clarifications needed to comply with the application process.

Thank you. My character will be human and curious, willing to poke at things and bend rules to get answers.
The family name is somewhat tainted by an uncle/older brother who joined the dark side. A stigma to live with and overcome.
Anything else I'll leave to our session zero

I love seeing these kinds of games pop up. A magic university setting has been a dream of mine, including a meatspace attempt at one using Changeling: The Lost. Also, Cortex Prime sounds like a great ruleset for it.

I've joined a bunch of games recently and am unsure how much I've committed to, so I'll reevaluate and keep an eye out when the actual recruitment comes out.

This looks amazing, htech! Like Q, I have a full plate but I'll watch for your recruitment ad. And I have to say, Cortex without PP sounds delicious...

I'm not familiar with Cortex, but the premise is interesting to me.

Thank you everyone for your interest. All of these character concepts are amazing.

I'll keep preparing this game and let you know when the recruitment thread comes up.

Changeling? I didn't expect that :) Genuinely curious to know how you handled Seeming, Kith, Contracts, Glamor, Courts, etc. They seem so tied to the original setting...

Maybe it's because I never had much opportunity to play it. My friends and I read the book briefly before deciding it wasn't for us... The game unabashedly pulls from weighty themes of abuse and trauma so my meatspace RPG group avoided it.

Anyway, do you have any recommendations or lessons learned that I should follow when trying to do the same with Cortex?

Students of various races and magical talents gather in the Arcane Eloquence Institute's lecture chamber for their first day of classes.

Professor Lirien Callavane, a female goliath, strides to the podium, her robes shimmering faintly with protective runes. Standing nearly seven feet tall, her imposing stature and the faintly marbled gray patterns on her skin immediately capture everyone's attention. You were definitely not expecting it. Misthaven University is really a cosmopolitan place. Her voice, when she begins, is calm and resonant.

"Good morning, students, and welcome to Introduction to Magical Ethics. Today, you embark on a journey that will likely challenge everything you think you know—not only about magic, but about yourselves. Ethics is the invisible thread binding all acts of magic. It is the compass that determines whether you wield power as a healer or a tyrant, a creator or a destroyer. But today, I will narrow our focus to one central question—a question that has long divided the scholars of the Arcane Eloquence Institute: What is the purpose of the Charms and Enchantment spells?

Is it, as some of my colleagues argue, a noble art devoted to improving and uplifting others? The eloquent school that inspires unity, sows wisdom, and builds bridges between the fractured corners of our world? Or is it a more pragmatic tool, driven by personal ambition—a means to convince, persuade, and, perhaps, manipulate in the pursuit of one’s own desires?

Before we dive deeper, lets begin with a more mundane skill… Take literature, for example. A beautifully wrought tale might teach moral lessons, comforting and enriching its readers. Yet, is that truly its aim? Or does the author, consciously or unconsciously, seek recognition, profit, and immortality through their words? Can the two be separated? Can self-interest coexist with altruism?

As budding scholars of the arcane, this debate is not merely theoretical. When you cast a spell, every incantation, every gesture, and every intention carries a lot of weight. A simple communication charm meant to diffuse tension could inadvertently reveal secrets. A persuasive enchantment might bolster alliances—or compromise autonomy. Ethics lives at the intersection of your choices and their consequences.

In this class, you will learn not only to examine the spells you cast and the words you speak, but also the intentions behind them. You will challenge your assumptions and confront uncomfortable truths. Because make no mistake: magic amplifies everything, and when wielded carelessly, it can cause irreparable harm.

I will start with a question that will frame our first discussion: If we cannot separate self-interest from altruism in others, does that make all acts of magical expression inherently selfish—or inherently selfless?

During this semester, I expect you to think deeply, argue boldly, and, above all, listen to one another. Debate is the lifeblood of the Arcane Eloquence Institute, but so too is understanding."

Professor Callavane steps back, surveying the room with a faint, enigmatic smile, as the hum of animated discussion begins to ripple among the students.

After a couple of minutes, Professor Callavane writes a scenario on the board in neat, flowing script. She then turns to the class and gestures to the scenario with a flick of her wrist, causing it to shimmer with faint golden light.Professor Callavane steps back and addresses the class:

"This exercise will form the foundation of our first discussion. Split into groups and decide your course of action. Consider the ethical implications of each choice and how they reflect your view of magical communication—selfless aid or strategic influence? Be prepared to defend your decision and challenge the arguments of others.

Remember: the goal is not to win, but to uncover the truth as you see it. Now, let us see if Eloquence can illuminate your path forward."

A hand is raised with a question. Mistress, that scenario have already placed one ethnicity burden on our shoulders: That we have to act in this matter and take responsibility for these villagers

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Professor Callavane’s sharp eyes glint with interest as the student speaks, and she lets the room fall quiet before responding.

"An astute observation," she begins. "By presenting you with this scenario, I have indeed made an implicit assumption: that your power and knowledge impose a certain responsibility. But let us examine that assumption together.

Should the wielder of magic—or, in broader terms, the bearer of any extraordinary ability—feel compelled to act when they witness suffering? Or do they have the right to turn away, as any other bystander might? Is responsibility inherently tied to power, or is it something we choose to take on?"

She takes a step forward, scanning the room.

"Perhaps you feel that this burden has been unfairly placed on you. If so, I challenge you to explore why that is. Is it because I have stripped the villagers of their agency in this narrative, reducing them to a problem you must solve? Or is it because you recognize, deep down, that you could act, and that knowledge makes inaction uncomfortable?

Consider also the ethical implications of your refusal. If you choose not to intervene, does that absolve you of responsibility for the consequences? Or does the very fact that you have the ability to make a difference mean that you are, in some way, complicit in what follows? Is responsibility a burden to be avoided—or a privilege of the capable? And how does magic fits into this framework? Does it empower you, or does it create undue expectations?"

Haha, I was just wondering if I would sketch a loose mental framework and change my opinion about whether to jump in, but you're absolutely right that there would be a risk of never ending.

An absolute delight :)

If I may ask, what is the overall setting basis like? I see it was declared a blank canvas medieval fantasy, but from the current chargen thread it became clear that the events are happening in the US of A, and that the internal features of the university hint that it's the Antebellum era at the earliest (and that's a big stretch), but the demographics hint that it's not a Wainscot setting (i.e. not like Hogwarts) either.

So that makes me curious what are the starting points of the canvas, because all those features combined make me not too confident about making conclusions. (I may need to reconsider what to submit as a concept depending on those baseline boundaries.)

In fact, I think @runekyndig is using Forgotten Realms as a reference, but we haven't talked about it yet. It's probably an inconsistent place, we're building it as we go along.

I look forward to inviting you and more players soon to help us create it. =)

Sure, a lot of it is unbuilt, but what setting facts should I take as settled or at least the starting default when thinking what to add/flesh out, and when thinking what sort of characters may 'fit' into this? I.e. what is the basis upon which things are to be built? The little constraints that make creativity more coherent and fruitful?

Not as much Forgotten Realms as common fantasy tropes. Drows are evil, dwarfs drink beer and sing of gold, Orcs are stupid etc etc
My character concept was inspired by the main character in Marked by Magic. The MC is also a half-drow, who had tattoo slapped on her in a young age by a priest of the drow spider goddess. Unfortunatly I didn't like the story and its trope-bingo (here comes powerful love-interest, here is the rival, that MC is forced to work with, etc) so I dropped the book again. But I liked the core concept of starting with a stigma that you couldn't do anything about.

I am creating those contraints for the faculty, rules and the magic, actually... So, for the rest of the world, if you take common fantasy tropes as a baseline and use or twist them, it will surely fit (or be an interesting concept to explore...)