D&D’s new Strixhaven sourcebook is full of mage school romances

Dungeons & Dragons’ latest offering is a crossover with The Gathering is Magic So called Strixhaven – Curriculum of Chaos. While that particular mash-up might not get your heart racing, it’s very likely that the new relationship mechanics found inside will do the trick. Hooks are now available for breakups and love triangles.

The action starts in chapter 3, titled “School Is In Session,” which is a hefty bit of text that also includes an entire freshman year adventure. A section about relationships is included alongside rules regarding work studies and extracurricular activities. The book’s authors say they’re a great way to “cement friendships, establish rivalries, deepen bonds, and otherwise develop relationships with student NPCs in this book’s adventures.”

[Warning: This story contains light spoilers about Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos.]

All of this is being done in a PG-13 way, mind you, which is the game’s de facto age rating, according to our discussions with Wizards of the Coast over the years. In fact, the relationships section goes from introducing the concept right into a discussion on whether or not they’re even right for the players at your table. They include tips for Dungeon Masters (DMs) who have some players who aren’t really into the idea, and even talks about what to do if someone’s BFF begins to hog the spotlight.

Image by Wizards of the Coast

There’s certainly nothing untoward or racy about any of this, but reading between the lines there’s clearly lots of room to take these mechanics and … min-max things in your favor, let’s say.

It is quite simple. There’s some nuance to be sure, but basically it boils down to: Do a good deed in the role-play with an NPC and score some positive relationship points. Bad deeds will earn you negative points in your relationship. You can get a boon from NPCs if your relationship is positive. Negative territory will make you an NPC’s bane. Greta is, in other words, a chaotic, good dwarf who enjoys hanging out with the Strixhaven Iron-Lifters Society. She and her fellow lifters have an advantage: they can move your heavy items around with ease. Get on her bad side, however, and you’ll find an anvil placed right outside your dorm room door.

You can also make friends with NPCs and become their beloveds by simply rolling a few dice. You will find inspiration every time you rest after you’ve made a friend. The DM will usually give you inspiration on very rare occasions. This allows you to re-roll an attack or save throw and also lets your ability check be rolled again. It is important to get them away from a loved one.

Here’s the full text:

A character who has a Beloved gains Beloved Inspiration each time they take a long rest. Regular Inspiration is the same function as Beloved Inspiration, which can be found in the Player’s Handbook(except that characters can only regain the Beloved Inspiring after each long rest equal or greater than their number of Beloveds.

Practically every character at the first level has a two-point proficiency bonus. To acquire another beloved you must cheat on them as soon as possible. This will allow you to max your Beloved Inspiration stat.

Are you hearing something? Oh yes, it’s sound of your DM chuckling to themselves as they plot the inevitable scene where your unsuspecting boyfriend and girlfriend first meet one another.

How about those with more risky love interests? Well, since this is a teen-friendly game, Wizards puts the kibosh on that early on: “The rules encompass only interactions with student NPCs. Professors, administrators, and other older adults aren’t part of the Relationship rules.”

But hey, that’s what homebrew is for, amiright?