University of Magical Arts
Across the whole of the Flanaess, the rich and the humble alike dream of sending their children to Greyhawk's prestigious University of Magical Arts. Rightly considered the finest training institution of the arcane arts on the continent, the university accepts applicants based on merit and potential magical aptitude, paying little heed to such meaningless trifles as social class, race, or familial connections. Both wizards and sorcerers are accepted, though many of the more traditional instructors favour wizardly hopefuls, finding it easier to confer magical teachings through rote study of arcane formulae than to guide a would-be sorcerer through the process of tapping her inherent potential for magic through far less tangible means.
Unlike many other universities, the College of Magic does not often keep students for three or four years in a row. It is far more likely that a student will study here for one, or perhaps two years, and then embark on the road to adventure for a while. After the student has earned some money and learned a little about the real world, he might come back to spend a year at the college before going on the road again.
During that time, the would-be arcanists study the fundamentals of magical theory. Graduates of this strict regimen, during which no spells are actually taught, liken the process to a test of endurance—a weeding out of dilettantes and those who lack the discipline required to channel arcane magic appropriately. The college expels students only under the most dire circumstances (theft of a magical treasure from the vaults, destroying university lore, and murder top the short list of exile offenses). Nearly every student who leaves the university does so by her own volition (the longest apprenticeship on record was that of Bandul the Keen, an indolent lout who dithered at the lowest levels of the college for 27 years before accepting a position as a minor functionary in Hardby’s unremarkable guild). If an apprentice leaves the university for any reason, she may never return to it unless she does so as an accomplished mage.
Students reaching the end of their apprenticeship are encouraged to leave the school and “explore the world”. Such encouragement has led some of the more staunch magical guilds and institutions of the Flanaess to coin the term “Greyhawk Method” to signify an intellectual pursuit tainted by commercial or foolhardy concerns. Such paragons decry the university as a training ground for base mercenaries, which many professors view as a kind of unintentional endorsement.
Admission to the college requires the sponsorship of another wizard, approval by a board of tutors, and an initial admission fee of 100 gp. Older wizards often foot the bill, gaining the apprentice’s services for the length of his or her initial studies. Training fees for more experienced arcanists vary, and sometimes involve quests of magical lore retrieval rather than cash transactions. Members of all the common races can be found in the university, though by far the bulk of students come from Greyhawk or the surrounding region.
Type
University / Educational complex
Parent Location
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