Aldermere College of Errant Arts

Welcome, Students

Errant, not erring.

The gates are open and the stairs are steep. Somewhere above you, a bell is ringing for a class nobody remembers scheduling. You are expected.

New here? Sign up for an orientation session.

Your letter has arrived

Read it the way your character would. The notes in the margin answer what it means for you at the table.

Office of Admissions · Aldermere College of Errant Arts

Dear Student,

We are delighted to confirm your place at Aldermere College of Errant Arts, the premier institution of higher magical education, and home to more than three species of fruit bat.

Here, magic is a discipline rather than a birthright. Some of you arrive gifted, most of you will become competent through effort, and all of you will be expected to prove what you have learned by doing it. Our students do not sit exams so much as survive them.

You will reach us through one of nine touchpoints, from Mont-Saint-Michel to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, whichever is most convenient for you.

Your first obligation is Orientation. Bring yourself, a magic focus item of your own design, a transportation device, and optionally, a familiar animal. There, you will learn about the school, your classes, your living situation, and all the opportunities Aldermere offers for a brighter, more magical future.

We look forward to you joining us soon.

Errant, not erring,The Office of Admissions

How a year at Aldermere works

Every student enrolls once, at Orientation. After that, three group projects make a semester, then Final Exams, then a holiday, and the years go on from there.

1
Orientation Session 0 Once per character
Enrollment day. You register, meet your year, and find out which of your talents survive contact with a d4.

At the tableA roughly two hour session that introduces the world, helps you build your character, and teaches you how to play this system (no D&D or other TTRPG experience is required). You make your character with the table, aiming for a well-rounded personality that offers many roleplay opportunities. Each Session 0/Orientation group adds something of its own to the world that all future players have a chance to interact with.
2
Group projects Monthly one-shots
Work with a changing group of students to address a problem on campus and showcase what your character (hopefully) learned in class.

At the tableAbout three hours with a rotating cast based on who signs up when. You'll have a chance to socialize and deepen character relationships before learning about the problem, working towards a solution, and maybe uncovering more than you signed up for. If you as a player have to miss a month, re-run episodes may be available but are not required. Reach out to your GM for more information.
3
The Wrap Up End of every session
Before anyone leaves the room, you make notes on everyone you worked with.

At the tableThe last thing at every table: rate the classmates and faculty you met, and note your Adversity Keys.
4
Final Exam & Holiday Sessions End of each in-game semester
A chance to show your growth then let loose.

At the tableFinal Exams are structured much like group projects but are more complicated, intense problems. During Final Exam sessions, any die explosions are permanent upgrades. Holiday sessions are less structured, more open-ended. You have a chance to explore the world of Aldermere, get to know other PCs and NPCs better, or tie up any loose ends you've gathered through the semester.
5
Declaring a department Freshman year, second semester
Sixteen departments, a few foundational courses in several of them, and eventually a decision. Changing your mind afterwards needs a signature.

At the tableYou choose it on your sheet. Your GM approves any change after that.

What you carry

Everything your character brings to Aldermere, and the rule behind each. Turn a card over to see it.

Try the dice

Every student is issued six dice and no guarantees.

Pick a die and roll it. Roll its maximum and it explodes: roll again and add, for as long as it keeps rolling the maximum. With time to plan, you could take half the die instead of rolling at all.

d6 A d6 rolls 1 to 6. Roll a 6 and see what happens.

The grounds

Gothic towers above, narrow alleys below, a city around it all, and nine ways in.

The college A college nobody remembers founding Mont-Saint-Michel from the outside, the old side streets of Seoul within, and an unknown number of secret passages. Roughly 50,000 students, all of them busy. Read about the college The city Morane The small city that surrounds the university. It's comprised of magical and non-magical folk, and their opinions of the students vary widely. Read about Morane Nine ways in The touchpoints Aldermere sits in an interplanar space, reached through places like the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Ellora Caves and the Hoh Rainforest. See all nine

Sixteen departments

You will take foundational courses across several before declaring one.

Healing & Restorative ArtsThe medical school equivalent: clinical magic, diagnostics, long-term care.

Magical SciencesThe theoretical engine room: the physics, biology and chemistry of how magic works.

History, Theory & PhilosophyWhere magic came from and what it means. Home to the founding-mystery researchers.

Defense, Security & InvestigationProtective and counter-magic, plus forensic work. Always oversubscribed.

Law & GovernanceMagic meets policy, rights and interplanar diplomacy.

Arts & PerformanceMagic as art, and art as magic. One of the largest departments at Aldermere.

Language, Communication & LinguisticsTranslation and dead languages, including the ongoing question of the school motto.

Natural & Environmental StudiesBotanical, ecological and weather-related magic.

Architecture, Design & Spatial ArtsBuilds the enchanted things that last longer than they should.

Commerce & InnovationMagic as industry: trade, invention, infrastructure.

Psychology & Consciousness StudiesMemory, perception, and the ethics of touching a mind.

Education & PedagogyHow magic gets taught, and who is responsible when it shows up early.

Culinary Arts & GastronomyMore academically serious than it sounds, and quietly tied to Potionwork.

Sport & Physical ExcellencePhysical training and magical enhancement, with no faculty consensus on the ethics.

Mathematics, Logic & ProbabilityTreats divination as a rigorous branch of applied math.

Social Practice & CommunityMagic in service of real-world problems. The newest, most debated department.

The Aldermere Library is open

Everything the table has discovered, and a great deal it hasn't: the college, Morane, the people you have met, the creatures you have catalogued and every group project so far. Some shelves open only once you have been there.

Visit the Aldermere Library