Hi!
I’m currently running Curse of the Crimson Throne and one of my players is a Gnome Illusionist who recently arrived in Korvosa (a few months ago).
In the “Guide to Korvosa” it says that gnomes receive frequent invitations to join the Acadamae, “either as students or faculty, regardless of the number of times they decline or their lack of magical ability” and that “all four of the illusion instructors in the school are gnomes”.
So… in some point, I guess the Player should receive and invitation to join the Acadamae. From what I've read, the Acadamae has closed its doors due to the troubles in Korvosa and I think it's going to remain closed for the entire campaign (I haven't read the full book yet), but I'm still curious:
• I understand there is an entry test, then 3 years of servitude, 7 years of training and then the final exam to graduate. But to graduate you need to summon an imp, so you should be at least lvl 7, but there is a lvl 1 feat called “Acadamae graduate”. The only option that I can think of is using an “Planar Binding Lesser” scroll. What do you think? Do you have any better solution?
• Also, it is said that “the rent for students’ tenement flats and studios are included in their already expensive tuition”, what would you consider an expensive tuition?
• Finally, what lvl would you recommend to be able to apply as a professor? And what salary range would you suggest?
Thank you so much <3
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P.S.: English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. I'm better at reading than writing
You don't have to make the imp your familiar when you graduate (hence why there are so many roaming around free in Korvosa), just summon it properly with a scroll you either made with your instructors help or were otherwise given to prove "hey I can actually read and cast from spell completion items".
I assume you haven't started yet, and are looking for the character to begin the game, in which case they can either pick up the feat you mentioned or take the campaign trait where they were framed and expelled from the school by Gaedren Lamb.
In either case, yes the acadamae will close its doors to all that can't get in on their own (e.g. bypass their wall and basic and undefined wards), which means they should be able to figure out their own way in after the end of book 2 and before they leave Korvosa in book 3. There is also a period where you can open it again after book 1 is over before closing it again for the plague to allow for the character to return for whatever reasons you or the player deems fit (such as teaching or graduating classes).
There is also the Academy of Secrets module you can consider running for them, as they would be the appropriate level when they come back to Korvosa in book 4 to tackle the Deathshead vault, and it fits in perfectly as the politically safe cover for the party to return anyway. In that book it lists all of the deans (and the overseer Toff Ornelos as a level 16 wizard) at around level 9-13. To become a basic lecturer I would say could honestly begin at around level 5-7, which would be perfect for the end of book 1 or 2 if the character keeps strong ties to Academy, and whether he was or wasn't expelled, it could have been years since he was a student there. Of course, there is also a lecturer in the module that is only a single level below his dean (Maganrad Enchanter 10 vs Heresta Tarlan Enchantress 11).
Hope any of this helps and happy to answer any other questions.
That's very helpful! Thank you!
Your English as a second language is above 90% of the people here who have English as a first language…
That being said, I fully closed the doors to the acadamae just to limit the amount of allies my group had in the start. I also liked the foreshadowing of the city on the brink of implosion…