Dahlgaard’s Academy
The Academy adds a shared school, Protégés, teaching and practice, and end-game renovation rewards.
Overview
Dahlgaard’s Academy adds a new location and a Protégé to each player’s team. The Academy’s rooms are renovated by contributing Banners. Players can teach tricks to students, send their Protégé to practice, and improve their own repertoire through the Academy system. The module also updates core end-game trick eligibility and Fame caps; use its rulebook alongside the revised core rules.
Setup and compatibility
Add the Academy board, Classroom and Practice Room tiles, Protégé boards and characters, Banners, Academy markers, extra trick markers, Academy Assignment cards and the Academy Special Assignment deck. The Academy rulebook provides separate setup for the standard and Quick Start variants. Arcane Arts and Dawn of Technology both include specific compatibility instructions for the Academy.
For the Dahlgaard’s Heir solo mode, use the Academy rules and the solo rules booklet. The player controls one Magician; the Heir follows its automated turn sequence. If combining with Dawn of Technology, use the expansion’s solo adjustment: the Heir does not build Contraptions or acquire Signature Tricks.
Classroom and Practice Room
Renovate costs 2 AP and requires an available Banner. Choose an empty room, meet its Fame threshold (or pay the difference in Coins), select a Classroom or Practice Room tile of that threshold and place the tile. Place Banners beside the new room: 4 in turns I–II, 3 in III–IV, 2 in V–VI and 1 in VII. When one player places their last Banner, every other player returns one unused Banner to the box.
Practice costs 1/2/3 AP for a Level 1/2/3 Trick. Place its suit’s Academy marker on an empty Practice Room slot. The Trick does not need to meet its component requirements; the room may change its requirements or provide another effect. You may move a Trick between Practice Room slots by practicing it again, or return your marker from a Practice Room at any time. You cannot move a Trick directly from a Classroom to a Practice Room.
Teach costs 1/2/3 AP for a Level 1/2/3 Trick. Put its marker in an empty Classroom slot if you meet its component requirements or it has at least one Trick marker. You may move a Trick from Practice Room to Classroom or between Classrooms, but cannot voluntarily remove it from a Classroom. If Trick and room have the same Fame threshold, take the one-time bonus between the room’s slots. A taught Trick cannot be prepared again; it can still be performed this turn if it has markers. After Performance, remove its remaining Trick markers and collect the modified Classroom yield each turn.
The individual Practice and Classroom tiles change Trick requirements or rewards. Follow the text printed on the selected tile and the Academy player aid.
Protégé
The Protégé joins your crew and can be assigned to the Academy. Secrets acquired through the Academy give the Protégé abilities, and later Secrets can increase its Action Points while also affecting its wage. The Academy’s rulebook describes the precise Learn Secret and Discover New Secrets actions and board placement.
Final scoring
After usual Fame is scored, rank players by the Banners they placed in renovated rooms. In a 2-player game, the player with the most scores 8 Fame. In a 3-player game, first and second score 12 and 6; in a 4-player game, the top three score 15, 10 and 5. A tie receives the lower-ranked reward, and a player with no Banners scores none.
The Academy also clarifies that a Level 3 Trick’s end-game bonus can score if its owner meets the Component requirements or has at least one Trick marker on it. The maximum remains 20 Fame per trick and per applicable end-game category.
Quick Start
The optional Quick Start begins on turn II. Reveal one extra Performance card and draw one Special Assignment in reverse initiative order. Start each player at 8 Fame without the Academy or 6 Fame with it, and give each Components worth 3 Coins and one extra Shard. With the Academy, also place a random Level 1 Classroom tile with no Banners. An Assistant starting Specialist gives 2 additional Coins. This variant can be used with or without the Academy and other expansions; apply any module-specific setup changes.