Class is in session! Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos introduces players to a prestigious school of mages. The book adds five new backgrounds, each representing one of Strixhaven’s colleges. These backgrounds come with the Strixhaven Initiate feat, which allows characters to cast certain cantrips and 1st-level spells, and expand a character's respective class spell list.

Click below to learn about each college's character background and get ideas for building around them:

• Lorehold
• Prismari
• Quandrix
• Silverquill
• Witherbloom

Lorehold

Lorehold College focuses on exploring ancient history and artifacts through magic. Students enrolled in Lorehold will learn to explore archeological sites, channel energy from ancient relics, and call upon historical figures for knowledge.

What does the Lorehold Student background and feat provide?

• The Lorehold Student background provides spellcasters with a number of utility spells like comprehend languages, identify, and speak with dead. These spells will be of help when it comes to identifying artifacts or communicating with spirits.
• The Strixhaven Initiate feat for Lorehold students provides two cantrips from light, sacred flame, and thaumaturgy, as well as one 1st-level spell from either the cleric or wizard spell list.

What type of character would attend Lorehold College?

• Lorehold students value ancient knowledge and secrets above all. This college is a natural fit for any artificer or wizard and can provide a solid foundation for any “knowledge”-based archetype from other classes. Examples of these would include the Mastermind rogue, Path of the Ancestral Guardian barbarian, Knowledge Domain cleric, and College of Lore bard.
• Because the background adds plenty of utility spells to your class spell list, spellcasters who attend Lorehold could be assets to any party outside of combat.

Prismari

Prismari College seeks to combine magic with art. While studying at the College of Elemental Arts, students will learn to express themselves with the fundamental powers of nature. This expression could come in the form of a pyrokinetic dance, a frozen sculpture, or something else.

What does the Prismari Student background and feat provide?

• The Prismari Student background allows characters to express themselves through the elements. The spell list associated with this college offers elemental staples such as chromatic orb, flaming sphere, wall of fire, and cone of cold.
• The Strixhaven Initiate feat for Prismari students includes more elemental spells, allowing characters to choose two cantrips from fire bolt, prestidigitation, and ray of frost. You'll also get to learn a 1st-level spell from the bard or sorcerer spell list.

What type of character would attend Prismari College?

• Prismari students are flashy and passionate. Bards and sorcerers are a natural fit at the College of Elemental Arts. Their spell lists and high Charisma reflect the values sought by Prismari scholars. Other synergistic options for a Prismari student include the Path of the Storm Herald barbarian, Way of the Four Elements monk, and the School of Evocation wizard.
• Prismari students are at their best when they are using powerful, elemental spells. The spells provided in the background and feat are a great starting point, but choosing a class that can make the most out of this playstyle is key. Even if you aren’t planning to go for a full wizard build, a two-level dip into the School of Evocation subclass will provide you the ability to sculpt your area-of-effect spells around party members.

Quandrix

Prospective Quandrix students are concerned with mathematical and theoretical principles, whether man-made or in the natural world. While they study at Quandrix College, students focus on abstract principles of nature, like physics and math, and apply that knowledge to their spellcasting.

What does the Quandrix Student background and feat provide?

• The spells provided in the Quandrix Student background reflect the college’s focus on metaphysical manipulation and mastery of the laws of nature. Enlarge/reduce and haste are among the spells made available for Quandrix students as they both stem from the molecular manipulation of their subject.
• Characters who attend Quandrix College and gain the Strixhaven Initiate feat are allowed to choose two cantrips from between druidcraft, guidance, and mage hand. The 1st-level spell they learn may come from the druid or wizard spell list.

What type of character would attend Quandrix College?

• Students that study at Quandrix College will study arcane and natural theoretical principles. This area of study lends itself to Intelligence-based casters, such as artificers and wizards. Druids might also find themselves drawn to what Quandrix has to offer as they are deeply in tune with nature. Other options that would be a good fit for Quandrix College include the Nature Domain cleric, Oath of the Ancients paladin, and Wild Magic sorcerer.
• The spells provided in the Quandrix Student background and feat focus mainly on buffs. Caster and ranged builds will love the ability to buff a party member while keeping a distance from enemies. If you're opting for a melee-focused Quandrix build, pick up the War Caster feat to help you maintain concentration on spells as you wade into the thick of battle.

Silverquill

Those who study at Silverquill College are quick-witted, sharp-tongued, and charismatic. Courses at the college pertain to linguistics, the written word, and how language and literature work together with the magical arts.

What does the Silverquill Student background and feat provide?

• The Silverquill Student background offers plenty of spells to influence others. Dissonant whispers, compulsion, and dominate person are among the spells available to Silverquill students.
• When a Silverquill student receives the Strixhaven Initiate feat, they'll choose two cantrips from sacred flame, thaumaturgy, and vicious mockery, as well as a 1st-level spell from the bard or cleric spell list.

What type of character would attend Silverquill College?

• Silverquill students focus on the power of words, both magical and otherwise. This certainly lends itself to the bard class but can apply to other archetypes as well. Subclasses that will find themselves at home at the College of Silverquill are most warlocks, School of Enchantment or School of Illusion wizards, Trickery Domain clerics, and Swashbuckler rogues.
• While it might seem like a no-brainer to build a bard when looking to join Silverquill, consider the fact that most of the bard’s best spells are already available as part of the background and feat. Picking up dissonant whispers and vicious mockery will be a massive boon to just about any class, so if you are looking to fully optimize your Silverquill character, choosing the bard class might be against your best interests. Consider a Swashbuckler rogue build that is able to use dissonant whispers against a creature within melee range. If the creature fails their save, the rogue will be able to use their reaction to attack and potentially deal Sneak Attack damage.

Witherbloom

Those studying at Witherbloom College focus on biology and other sciences, as well as the art of healing. Prospective Witherbloom students are those who tend to experiment based on what feels right rather than what a textbook says.

What does the Witherbloom Student background and feat provide?

• Witherbloom students are provided with spells that manipulate the forces of life and death. Staples from the Witherbloom Student background include spells like cure wounds, revivify, and lesser/greater restoration.
• The Strixhaven Initiate feat for Witherbloom students allows you to choose two cantrips from chill touch, druidcraft, and spare the dying, as well as a 1st-level spell from the druid or wizard spell list.

What type of character would attend Witherbloom College?

• Because of its focus on nature, druids make up the majority of the Witherbloom student body. That said, there are plenty of subclasses that will thrive on the college’s focus on life and death. School of Necromancy wizards, most warlock subclasses, Life and Death Domain clerics, and Swarmkeeper rangers will find a home at Witherbloom.
• The spells provided by the Witherbloom Student background are extremely beneficial to parties that are lacking a devoted healer. Cure wounds is always a nice spell to have on hand, and the ability to cast revivify is considered by many parties to be essential. Characters looking to lean into the pseudo-healer build can also pick up the Healer feat, which will provide even more options for a battlefield medic-type build.

How would you build a character attending Strixhaven?

Strixhaven University has a diverse student body, from barbarians studying the ancestral spirits that protect them to wizards delving into the vast troves of knowledge found in the Biblioplex. You don't need to be a spellcaster to attend Strixhaven, but you're bound to pick up a spell or two during your studies there thanks to the backgrounds and feats offered by Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Check below for more previews on what you'll find in Dungeons & Dragons' latest book!

Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his girlfriend, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.