Magic School RP

PREMISE
This setting is based on the animé The Irregular at Magic High School, centered around a school that teaches the disciplines of casting magical spells through the use of high-end technological devices. Because of its reliance on technology, it is set in the near future.

HISTORY
2030 AD: Increasing international tensions reach a peak from the culminating impacts of economic turmoil and irreversible climate change, leading to the eruption of World War III. Though some feared hostilities would bring about the global nuclear holocaust foreshadowed by the previous century's Cold War, the advent of Magitech turned the tides of battles. Eventually boasting destructive powers greater than conventional arms, with none of the far-reaching consequences, magic became the new weapon of choice for all major powers on the global theater. Between the war and rising sea levels, the world's population plummeted to 3 billion, witnessing the rapid destruction of virtually every major coastal city in the world.

2050 AD: Human society is on the rise across the globe again, through a speedy recovery from war thanks largely to the same Magitech knowledge and abilities which fueled it. The globe is dominated by a small handful of conglomerated former states, and while they continue to compete for technological and economic advantages over one another, there is peace. Magitech started primarily as a military project, and so remains strongly tied to the governments of the world, but applications for its use span from every day tasks to aiding in nuclear physics, and is just beginning to push into the possibility for mankind to once again reach for the stars. Because of the potential good, and harm, posed by Magitech, its knowledge is guarded and managed by the government, and any school teaching its principles is highly regulated. The schools hold a heavy focus on military application and recruitment, but also serve as the forefront of advancement in all fields of science and industry.

MAGIC & TECHNOLOGY
The origin of Magitech rose from the use of specialized devices which, through the use of complex macros and protocols, augmented the mental capabilities of magic users. Based on the Ancient Magic of old, the technology replaced the material, verbal, and somatic components, interfacing with the mind of the wielder in order to invoke the supernatural powers and mold them to their whims. While non-technological practitioners of Ancient Magic do exist, they are exceedingly rare, and because they still have to make all of the incantations and gestures associated with their craft, their spells are much slower than their modern counterparts, further bogged down by centuries of ritualism.

Using Magitech has two components: the device (tentatively called a Casting Assistance Device, or CAD) and the magic user. An autonomous device cannot initiate spells independently, and a modern magician cannot initialize any spells without such a device. A device must be pre-loaded with programs familiar to the caster in order to be of use. Most casters specialize in formulating their own programs and protocols, even for already-established spells, to optimize between their own preferences and familiarity with their device. It is also commonplace to use the code of other casters, especially for basic magic and routine spells. Data can be transferred between devices with little effort, in most cases, depending on hardware differences. A caster must still be familiar with the code to make use of it, though.

CADs come in all shapes and sizes, and many magicians use several different ones, depending on their needs. For example, a magician might carry a simple palm-held interface for everyday use or academics, and switch to a CAD integrated with a weapon for combat purposes. Firearm-modeled CADs are very popular for military purposes, and CADs modeled after or integrated into jewelry are boasted by elite socialites. They can come in any shape and size, but always have the same basic components- some form of input method, manual being most common and verbal being considered “old fashioned” for its similarity to the incantations of Ancient Magic, processors and co-processors to execute the code, and internal storage wherein reside the programs. Some CADs are built to be versatile and allow for swappable memory modules, an alternative to requiring multiple devices for varying purposes. These components have their limitations, and a magician's spellcasting will be effected in speed of execution by processing power, and in availability of spells by memory storage. There is a vast range of quality in these components on the market, allowing engineers and casters to customize as their needs require, and their funds allow.

THE SCHOOLS
There are five schools permitted to teach Magitech in the United States of North America (the former USA having absorbed Canada and Mexico after the War), and all are State-run and funded. They reside in Montreal, Philadelphia, St. Louis, New Los Angeles, and Mexico City. Those in Montreal, New Los Angeles, and Mexico City are combined high schools and universities, molding minds from a young age. Entry into any of these schools is obviously restricted, and tends to favor the wealthy and connected. Those unfortunate enough to lack influence can still be admitted on merit, with entry examinations held each year for first year classes in both high school and university levels. Tuition is free at all levels, with the school laying claim to the research conducted by students in its tenure.

Each school is run by a council of administrators, a mix of former teachers and bureaucrats. They see to the major decisions involving the running of the school, and in extreme cases, preside over matters of serious disciplinary infractions. Most of the minor details governing campus policy, event organization, and general discipline matters are left to student-elected councils of their peers. Such students naturally hold significant sway among their follows, and these posts are almost always assumed by those with aristocratic connections themselves.

Courses are available to students according to their entrance exam scores, with higher disciplines limited only to the top half of the student body. Subjects include traditional topics such as Writing, Mathematics, and History, but always in the context of their relevance and application to the use and development of Magitech spells and devices. Other courses focus on the types of magic and the spells they produce, which entails their effects as well as the underlying code necessary to invoke them. Practical courses like engineering and medicine would be among those restricted to the most elite students.

In addition to academics, the schools boast a wide array of extracurricular activities. Magic-inclusive athletics are by far the most numerous, diverse, and popular among students at all levels. Competitions are held year-round within the school's own teams, and the national schools compete against each other annually in an Olympic-style contest of various magical sports.

ETHICS IN MAGIC
As eager as the human race is to explore every avenue presented by the seemingly limitless potential of the return and widespread use of magic in the world, there are some things that most still feel are out of bounds. There are rules and laws to enforce these standards, established and enforced by the government (and, if history is any indication, likely ignored when convenient by the same). Some off-limits branches of magical inquiry include: necromancy, or anything involving the use of dead tissue; germ-warfare, though genetic research is common, encouraged, and often wanders into it; human testing, of any kind, with or without consent, without expressed permission from the school's administration; and the use of illusiory or mind control spells is strictly prohibited on school grounds.

STUDENTS
For the combined schools, high school runs from Grade 1 to Grade 4, progressing from there to the university level. A high school freshman may be as young as 13 years old, and most graduate into the university level by the age of 18. University students come from all age groups, from those who came up immediately through school, to the older adults returning to continue their education later in life. The majority of students on a given campus normally leans toward the younger end of the spectrum, since picking up new skills and knowledge is usually most effective the earlier they are in life. Young prodigies, undertaking studies well beyond their years, are uncommon, but not altogether unheard of. Skipping a grade or two is rather common, as those with special talent in spellcraft can quickly surpass their less endowed classmates.

Each university is the only such place to learn magic in its region, so includes every level of the education hierarchy, from freshman to doctoral candidate, as well as incorporating additional tiers for specialized research projects (especially for military applications).

As previously mentioned, there is an inherent hierarchy among the students, based on their affluence and their test scores. New students are often most harshly judged for their entrance scores, and have an uphill battle in proving themselves to the other students. While grades for specific subjects and courses are not posted publicly, a generalized assessment score in basic aptitudes is made available to all students. Even with high scores in their coursework, a student from a less wealthy family still faces more discrimination than their aristocratic counterparts. This sense of elitism has persisted since the school's inception, despite efforts by the student council to curtail such bias and mistreatment over the years.

CHARACTER BASICS
When making a character for this setting, there are a number of things to keep in mind. As this is primarily based on your typical high school RP, player characters should be students. Faculty and instructors are best left as NPC devices. Scenes will almost always take place on campus, but not during classes. The focus is to be on the social aspects of the students' lives rather than strictly their academics. Naturally, students talk and help each other out with school topics at times, but scenes should be in the context of their interactions rather than the subject matter itself.

The ability to use magic at all is an uncommon, and therefore a highly sought-after commodity. A natural knack is required to perform it at all, and since the entire system relies heavily on the use of programming and specialized hardware, it also carries with it a high standard of intelligence at even a basic level. One might be able to coast by on talent or ability alone, but only someone with both will succeed.

On to the minimum requirements. An image and/or physical description is vital for all of the players to visualize the events as they unfold. All students will require the use of at least one CAD, which can be as generic or tailored as desired. As it is a crucial component to the concept, it is just as important as the character's physical description. Though not absolutely necessary, a prepared list of spells that are loaded on to the device can serve as a ready reference when their use comes up. This particular aspect of the RP is not intended to be harshly regulated, so it is also acceptable to declare such things on-the-fly as need arises.

A rundown of a student's general goals at the school also help to place them in the setting, and again need not be explicit or overly specific. For example, a student may be studying toward a medical profession, and this would inform everyone interacting with them as to what sort of courses they are taking, without having to come up with a complete course schedule themselves.

Finally, a brief background is helpful to flesh out a character's backstory, and also contribute to placing them in the setting. If a student is from a well-off family, or not, for example, this will have an impact on their interactions with other students, as described above.

Rev A - Updates
WEST AMERICAN MAGIC SCHOOL CAMPUS
The largest of the five schools, the West school has the most students, and therefore the most amenities and facilities available on campus. In addition to the access to the best engineering and research labs, the campus also includes housing for students of all ages in their state-of-the-art dormitories. An assortment of shops and eateries are scattered across the campus as well, providing numerous options for students to acquire food and necessary commodities. Top of the line athletic complexes outline the campus, several with full stadium seating for their regular events. The most prominent and prestigious of the campus structures is the National Library, home to the largest repository of magitech texts and research in the country.

STUDENTS
Students are identified by their homeroom designation, a number denoting their grade level, and a letter indicating their rank in the class as a whole. The numbers start at 1 for high school freshman, continuing up through university level, which reaches 8 for doctorate studies, and ends at 9 for post-doctoral research. The class rankings mean less the further along you are, but are considered crucial to the course young students will take in the future. For example, Class 1A are freshmen at the top of their class, and Class 3E would be juniors at the bottom of theirs.

The aptitude scores which summarize a student's ability, and thus their rank among their peers, are: Quickness – speed of code execution;  Accuracy – ability to direct magic as desired; Potency – power behind their spells; Well – spell casting stamina; and finally Knowledge – tested performance on fundamental concepts, not specific subjects. They are rated on a scale of 1-100, based on the tests taken for each aptitude. A student's rank is set by the total of these scores, so that there is no preferential bias for or against any single discipline. As mentioned before, this ranking determines their placement in their class, as well as their homeroom. The 1-25 percentile are in group E of their class, 26-50 are in D, 51-75 are in C, 76-89 are in B, and 90-100 are in A.

CHARACTER BASICS
A critical factor in determining a student's status at the school are their aptitude scores, as described above: quickness, accuracy, potency, well, and knowledge. These scores, along with class and homeroom designation, clearly defines a student's rank among their peers- for better, or for worse.

Rev B - Correction
STUDENTS
The aptitude scores which summarize a student's ability, and thus their rank among their peers, are: Quickness – speed of code execution;  Accuracy – ability to direct magic as desired; Potency – power behind their spells; Well – spell casting stamina; and finally Knowledge – tested performance on fundamental concepts, not specific subjects. They are rated on a scale of 1-100, based on the tests taken for each aptitude. A student's rank is set by the total of these scores, so that there is no preferential bias for or against any single discipline. As mentioned before, this ranking determines their placement in their class, as well as their homeroom. The 5-125 scores are in group E of their class, 126-250 are in D, 251-375 are in C, 376-445 are in B, and 446-500 are in A.