Enrolling in the University

So, one of my player’s caracter is a leech with a fondness for learning. One of his long-time goals is to learn alchemy at the Charterhall University.
I told him that he needed three lines of stash to meet the monthly fees. He just got them and he’s ready to enroll.

But I’m a little short on ideas there. What kind of situations could I bring narratively and mechanically ?
I already had a scene with his mentor telling him she got one of her discoveries stolen by a professor but that’s all I have in mind.

What do you think ?

My thoughts:

  1. The Leech should be able to learn alchemical formulas quicker - he has access to experts and books. This will balance the next idea.
  2. He is going to have rough time balancing his crime career and obligation as a student, together with hiding his criminal life. You can give him a personal 8-segment project clock called “Expelled from University”, starting half filled. Fill it when you see it appropriate and when downtime starts. Let the player reduce ticks by spending downtime or coin (bribes, despite not being ethical, are a last resort).

From there, the narrative should flow if your player wants to roleplay. To create tension, don’t be soft and make the Leech life harsh - deadlines, examinations, rumors about his crimes, competitions between students, etc.

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This seems like too much. 3 lines of stash is quite a lot of money for monthly fee. Aside from that, the suggestions from OpenAbyss are fantastic.

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I think Charterhall is worth writing up as it’s own faction (Tier III Strong maybe?) with their own allies, enemies, and agendas. Admission to university could look like an advanced permission move (from page 235). Perhaps it grants him improved results on research downtime actions, a new contact, or if he really impresses the administration, sway over the faction itself.

But even if you don’t do any of that, there should be a whole new world of scores that open up to him (smuggling ghosts to spectrology professors, hawking spark and dream smoke to university students, stealing ancient artifacts locked up in Morlan Hall, or recruiting cultists for the Burned King, depending on their crew type). I’d make a charge of 6, 12, or 18 score ideas and during downtime roll on it. Then tell him that in class he learned about some new opportunities!

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Take a look at Sean Nittner’s “Dosvol Academia” supplement for ideas on how factions and characters in Charterhall can generate drama for the PCs.

The PC could also transition their vice into “Obligation: University Studies” to keep the fiction of their stash investment present without becoming unnecessarily punitive by requiring other mechanics…

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Thanks for all your great ideas. I think I’ll go with bits from all of them.
I’ll really delve into the RP opportunities and create a whole microcosm.
You were all a great help, thanks again :grinning: