Making The Burrwood Institute.

[Agrippa]

I'm posting this in the workshop because I don't where else to post it.

I've been thinking about what an adventurer's school might look like. Who would it's founder be, why would it be founded, who would it, what exactly would it teach and who would teach there. This is still very much in the preliminary stage so I'd welcome any suggestions. The photo links are for NPCs inspired by the characters, not said characters themselves.

Headmaster/Superintendent
Inspiration Professor Trevor Bruttenholm
Image

Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-beginner level
Inspiration Ashley J. Williams
Image

Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-advanced level
Inspiration Baron Klaus Wulfenbach
Image

Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-beginner level
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.
Image

Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-advanced level
Inspiration Baron Klaus Wulfenbach
Image

Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-beginner level

Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-advanced level
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.
Image

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-beginner level
Inspiration Stern Whip of Industry
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Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (melee weapons-based)-advanced level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-beginner level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (unarmed)-advanced level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-beginner level

Supernatural Martial Arts Instructor (fire arms-based)-advanced level

Occult Lore/Ritual Magic
Inspiration Cordelia Goode
Image and John Constantine Image

Potion making/Alchemy
Inspiration Egg Shen
Image and Cordelia Goode Image

Sorcery (spells fueled by the caster's personal energy and power drawn from other sources)
Inspiration Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden
Image

Formulaic Magic

Archaeology
Inspiration Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.
Image

Stealth

Subterfuge, Interpersonal Skills, Guile and Tactics
Inspiration Michael Westen
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Artifice
Inspiration Cinematic Tony Stark/Iron Man
Image and Baron Klaus Wulfenbach Image

Architecture

Medicine

Chemistry

Physics

Wilderness Survival

Advanced Mathematics

Logic, Critical and Lateral Thinking

Athletics

Navigation and Orienteering

Linguistics

Geography

Cultural Studies

Journalism
Inspiration: This crazed bastard. Image

As a useful note, the differences between ritualism, sorcery and formulaic magic come mostly in casting time. Rituals typically take several minutes, if not hours, while spells (sorcery and formulae) are cast more quickly and have more immediate effects. Also rituals benefit from multiple casters and in some cases may be performed by laymen, anyone can dabble in ritualism. Spells require some sort of fundamental training or affinity to use even the most basic of them.

[Scott Anderson]

I'm confused. For what purpose would such a school exist, and how many students would realistically go there? Wouldn't most people who could afford higher ed go to specialty schools?

There seems to be no niche for such a school in a default medieval fantasy world.

[Agrippa]

I should note that this is for a more modern setting than most fantasy. On top of that not all students of this school become actual adventurers. Some become occult investigators, detectives, soldiers or elite guards. This institute even serves as an officer training for the surrounding municipalities' law enforcement agencies. I'd alos make the academy relatively new, having been established within life of it's youngest professors.

As for the big, red, axe-wielding guy, I'll base him off Exalted's Stern Whip of Industry. Basically he's a golem made from magical red jade, melted and cast into a large man-like shape and infused with the soul of a righteous and willing warrior. He acts as a defender and the weak, especially exploited laborers, a slayer of supernatural evil and friend of workers the world over. The war golem's magical construction grants him easier use of supernatural combat styles than the mere mortals he teaches.

[Scott Anderson]

Okay, so this is more like a modern university than a guild. It stands to reason that more people would have the money to attend or to send someone to attend.

Something of this scale would probably be under the purview of the national government- the Royal Academy of The Natural Philosophies or something.

In a realm where expansionism, colonialism, and/or militarism was prized, it would be natural for such a school to exist and thrive.

[Agrippa]

That's pretty close to what I'm talking about. It's basic purpose is the education of young adults in both pure and applied sciences, the liberal arts, occult studies and the means to combat evil in all its forms. This school has developed a great deal of political clout over the years, allowing them to recruit students of almost any background or social status. Think of them as the Men of Letters, but publicly known, less exclusive and without the snobbery. As a point of fact, one the university's professors a witch queen who folded the membership of her own coven into school.

If you want to know who all the currently chosen professors are expies of I'll gladly give links to them.

[Agrippa]

Headmaster - Based off of Professor Trevor Bruttenholm

Advanced Melee/Unarmed/Artifice - Based off of Baron Wulfenbach

Beginner Supernatural Melee - Based off of the Stern Whip of Industry

Occult Lore/Ritual Magic and Potionry/Alchemy - Based off of Cordelia Goode

Sorcery/Inherent Magic: Based off of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden

[Agrippa]

I've added in a few suggestions from my Giant in the Playground thread. They're up right now.

[Agrippa]

A while ago I started working on this project with a friend of mine offline as well. Right now we're working on names for this academy separately with the intent on going through the list of potential names and picking out the best one. I'm kind of stumped right now. Maybe something along the lines of calling it Whitewall Academy, for one one of it's founders. Nothing else I can think of sounds right.

[Agrippa]

I've decided that this school needs a teacher to inspire and instruct the students in the search for the Truth. To be uncompromising in the face of authority and it's abuses. That it's the duty of a good muck-raking journalist to wire up his or her own brain and gut and reproductive organs into one frightening machine to aim at the world like their own meat gun or attack womb. That's real journalism!

[Agrippa]

Instead I'd like some help fleshing out the Burrwood Institue faculty. So here's my idea, anyone who wants to can take one of the staff and flesh them out a bit more. I'll take up to six teachers, give each of them fitting title, like "witch queen", "theistic Communist elemental golem paladin", "warrior engineer" or "dodgy street occultist/detective", maybe with alignment listings. You then pick one character to work on. You can then come up with more about that character, including a name.