Exams

in Arcavios

The characters’ years at Strixhaven are covered by each of this book’s adventures, which focus on the notable and even shocking events that take place at the university. Even though the characters’ studies include the trappings of academic life—attending lectures, participating in labs, reading textbooks—those everyday academic activities mostly take place in the background. The exam rules presented here are thus designed to help the players keep their characters’ studies part of the game.    

Using These Rules

Each of the book’s adventures includes Exams. Each Exam encounter has a Studying phase followed by a Testing phase. In general, a character can approach Studying in any way they desire, with that phase then culminating in a single ability check of their choice. In contrast, Testing requires ability checks using specific skills.     In each phase, resolve the outcome of one character’s ability checks before moving on to another character. (If any characters are studying together, however, resolve their ability checks at the same time. See below for more information.)     Don’t forget to have each player mark the results of an Exam on their tracking sheet!    

Studying Phase

The Studying phase of an Exam represents the characters brushing up on their coursework, prompting sparks of insight when faced with difficult questions, or using mnemonics or other memorization techniques to absorb academic material.     During the Studying phase, each character must succeed on an ability check against a DC noted in the encounter. They can use any ability and skill they wish when making this check, but they can make it only once.     For example, one student might make an Intelligence (History) check to pore over their books, while another student makes a Charisma (Performance) check to create a series of spoken mnemonic devices. A third student might make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to create reminding gestures or practice any physical components that are part of a course, such as the somatic gestures involved in spellcasting.     On a successful check, the character gains one reroll to use during the character’s next Testing phase.    

Pulling an All-Nighter

After pulling an all-nighter, a character gains two rerolls to use during the next Testing phase if the character succeeds on the ability check. Doing so imposes a cost: the character gains 1 level of exhaustion that takes effect at the start of the day of the Exam. This level of exhaustion can’t be removed until after the Exam.    

Studying Together

If two or more characters engage in a group study session, each participating character has advantage on their ability check during the Studying phase.    

Skipping Studying

A character can skip the Studying phase if they wish, forgoing the chance of gaining these rerolls.    

Testing Phase

Once the Studying phase of an Exam is over, have the players record any rerolls their characters receive, then begin the Testing phase.    

Ability Checks

Each Exam’s Testing phase consists of two ability checks, with specifics (including the DC) noted in the encounter. If a character gained any rerolls during the Studying phase, the character can use one reroll when making a Testing ability check, rerolling the check’s d20 and using the new roll.     Each character’s Testing phase has three possible results:     Failed. No successful ability checks means a character failed, having gotten fewer than half the questions correct.     Passed. One successful ability check means a character passed, having gotten half or more of the questions correct, but not all the questions. The character gains one Student Die, explained below.     Aced. Two successful ability checks mean the character aced the Exam, having gotten all the questions correct. The character gains two Student Dice, explained below.    

Cheating

An unscrupulous character can cheat on an Exam. Doing so requires a successful Charisma (Deception) check and a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, both using the DC set for the Exam. If a character cheats, they can’t use any rerolls from their Studying phase.     If the character fails either of these checks, a proctor or other authority figure notices the cheating, and the student fails the exam.     If the Charisma (Deception) and Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks are both successful, the character successfully cheats and aces the Exam.    

Failed Exam

If a character fails an Exam, Strixhaven’s bylaws require them to attend tutoring with a junior faculty member until they achieve at least a passed Exam in a different Exams encounter. This tutoring can be narrated through roleplaying, or you might simply inform the player of this result.     A student who must attend tutoring can’t take part in any Extracurriculars or Jobs until they achieve at least a passed Exam during one of that academic year’s Exam encounters. The character thus loses any benefits from Extracurriculars or Jobs, and their player should indicate this suspension on their tracking sheet.    

Student Dice

A Student Die gained from an Exam is a d4 the player can roll and add to an ability check that the character makes, provided the check uses one of the two skills featured in the Exam. The player can wait until after rolling the d20 before rolling the Student Die, but must do so before you say whether the check succeeds or fails. No more than one Student Die can be rolled per check. After rolling a Student Die, a player can’t roll it again until the character finishes a long rest.     Players should note any Student Dice they gain and the skills those dice can apply to on their tracking sheet.     At the end of each academic year, players lose any Student Dice their characters have earned from an Exam.