152 CHAPTER 6 | STARTING POINT: MORGRAVE UNIVERSITY
Starting Point: Morgrave University .........................
Morgrave University is the largest institute of
learning in Breland. While it’s not as prestigious
as Arcanix or the Library of Korranberg,
Morgrave is known for its unorthodox methods
and hands-on style of teaching. If you want to
learn about the history of Sharn, what better
way than to explore the ancient ruins below the
city? Critics say that Morgrave is a college of
tomb robbers, and much of its endowment does
come from the sale of artifacts recovered on its
expeditions.
Morgrave University can be a useful resource
in any style of campaign. It’s an asset for sages
conducting research and a source of potential
patrons. But it can also be the foundation of a
campaign: heroic fantasy seen through the eyes
of students at the university.SETTING THE TONE
A Morgrave campaign is a coming of age story
in a fantasy world. In between delving into ruins
and uncovering demonic schemes, the player
characters need to decide what to do with their
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to wear to the Crystalfall dance. You can play up
the humor in this scenario, but it can be just as
dark as Callestan if you choose.
A Morgrave campaign isn’t driven by material
wealth. Even when you go on expeditions, the
University will lay claim to most of the treasures
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adventures are measured in relationships and in
learning. Can you earn a professor’s trust? Can
you get unrestricted access to the library stacks?
Can you impress that mysterious stranger?
At the DM’s discretion, accomplishing these
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A wizard who has access to the library may be
able to swap one of their known spells at start
of each session. As a simple reward, a character
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on page 264 of the ,]VOMWV5I[\MZ¼[/]QLM.
Another twist that works well with a Morgrave
campaign is to use story-based advancement
instead of standard XP. Level advancement
could be based on time: player characters gain
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Alternately, advancement could be tied to
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long as your professor survives the expedition!
See page 261 of the ,]VOMWV5I[\MZ¼[/]QLMfor
more information.WHY ARE YOU HERE?
As a Morgrave student, you’re not an adventurer
yet. You’ve got talent, but you’re learning.
Consider how your background ties into this.
As a noble, are you an entitled rich kid who
thinks you’re better than everyone else? As an
urchin, did you somehow earn a scholarship,
or are you literally sneaking into your classes?
As a criminal, you could be the daughter
of a Boromar crime boss, or you might be an
entrepreneur selling dreamlily to the nobles. A
charlatan could be a brilliant drama student
or an undercover spy trying to root out enemy
agents in the faculty. If you’re an entertainer
you might be a prodigy whose talent is only just
emerging. A Morgrave story is about coming of
age and unlocking your potential. So think about
your background as a way to set up the person
you’re becoming, as opposed to representing
adventures that you’ve already had.WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Figuring out what you want in life is one of the
main goals of a Morgrave campaign. As wizard
you’ve got remarkable arcane talents. But what
are you going to do with them?
You can establish a grand goal from the
beginning. Perhaps your wizard needs to master
magic to summon and destroy the demon that
killed your parents. The bard is determined to
play on the Grand Stage. The paladin keeps
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