This is my first challenge and I'm always interested in ways to make it better. If something is unclear or can be expanded upon, please let me know! Feel free to modify it but do give credit. If you play this challenge please use the hashtag #ArcaneAcademyChallenge, because I want to see all the great schools that pop up, and the next generations of magic users!
THE SIMS ARCANE ACADEMY CHALLENGE.
A Sims 4 Challenge by IDDKyewD
This isn't so much a challenge as it is just a fun way to play. It's really, really low-stakes and is more about immersion and legacy than trying to win. There are options to make it more difficult which will be noted when appropriate.
REQUIREMENTS
You absolutely must have
The Sims 4: Base Game and
Sims 4: Realm Of Magic installed. The entire challenge is based around it.
It would also be helpful to have
Sims 4: Get Together,
Sims 4: Get To Work,
Sims 4: Seasons,
Sims 4: Vampires and
Sims 4: City Living but it is not required.
STORYLINE
You and the Sages of Glimmerbrook don't see things in the same light. You were permitted to learn the ways of magic, but you wanted to do things your way. The right way. And so, you will create your own school of magical arts and fill it with young minds eager and curious to learn the secrets of magic!
OBJECTIVE
Create one or two Sims that will establish a magic school and teach the next generation of witches and wizards!
START
Create your sim or sims. They can be Young Adult, Adult or Elder. These will eventually be the heads of your school. First, they have to master magic themselves.
PART 1 – MASTER THE ARCANE
Create your sim. They can have any traits and aspirations. They can be any sort of occult sim if you want, even start as a magic user and have the Realm of Magic aspirations.
Move into a large plot of land. Preferably in Glimmerbrook for the aesthetic but it can be whatever world you'd like. This will be the eventual location of your school. For now you can make a small cozy cottage for yourself.
If you're not a Spellcasting Sim already, go through the rigmarole of quests so you may learn magic.
Excellent! You are now a magic user. You decide to experiment with magic and craft a charm that will release you from the small annoying needs of a mortal body.
Go into CAS or Plan Outfits and select a piece of jewelry. Add the jewelry to every outfit. You cannot remove it. Why? Because this is a very special talisman that you have forged through forbidden magics. With it you may make your sim perfect!
This isn’t cheating, it’s magic! Deep, forbidden, arcane magic that the Sages frown upon. But you’re going to do it. Hit CTRL+SHIFT+C. Type TESTINGCHEATS TRUE. Hit enter. You may now apply the following incantations...
- Never Weary (Type traits.equip_trait NeverWeary. Hit Enter.)
- Steel Bladder (Type traits.equip_trait SteelBladder. Hit Enter.)
- Forever Fresh (Type traits.equip_trait ForeverFresh. Hit Enter.)
- Forever Full (Type traits.equip_trait ForeverFull. Hit Enter.)
- You may also turn aging off.
HARD MODE: For a more challenging game, skip this step. You have needs that must be fulfilled, just like every other Sim.
The Sages are horrified by your forbidden curiosities and they will no longer teach you. You have been expelled!
Bonus Gameplay: Make the Sages dislike you. You can make all 3 dislike you, or select one Sage that is amiable toward you.
Before you can establish your own school you must master every spell and potion. You must also reach level 10 in an additional skill. I recommend gardening but it's up to you. Finally, you must reach Rank 5 - Master, in the Spellcasting Rank list.
WIN CONDITIONS- Become a spell caster
- Make your magical talisman (Skip for a hard mode game)
- Learn all potions
- Learn all spells
- Reach level 10 in an additional skill
- Reach rank 5 - Master, in the Spellcasting rank. This is so your teacher can still continue to rise the ranks when they have students, so game play with them isn't a waste of time.
Bonus Gameplay: Beat all 3 sages in a heated magical duel.
You may now move on to PART 2
PART 2 – ESTABLISHING YOUR SCHOOL
You've done it! You're just as powerful as the Sages who turned you away! Now, you must establish your school. There are two ways you can go about this.
Option 1 - You come from wealth and have property that's been in your family for generations.
Build whatever you'd like. Spare no expense. Download from the Gallery if you want. I have made an academy you can
download here .
Option 2 – You have to make due with what you have. Luckily you have 50,000 simoleans. Use them wisely.
Your school must contain the following
- A "classroom" with eight Cauldrons
- A library/study room with eight desks/chairs and an assortment of book shelves.
- A kitchen
- At last two chess sets.
- A garden
- An observatory
- A microscope
- A bedroom for the teacher/s
- Identical dorm rooms with 2 beds so students can room mate, one dresser, 2 sitting surfaces, and a personal bathroom with a shower, sink, mirror and toilet. Students may personalize their room in small ways like posters and photos on the wall, add a throw rug, little things like that. All personal items must return to the student's inventory upon graduation.
- Electronics such as televisions and computers are optional, depending on if you’re a modern school or enjoy a more historical mood.
Name your school whatever you'd like and give it whatever traits you'd like. If you have the appropriate game packs, you may give the lot traits that can be helpful such as Great Soil, Study Spot or Penny Pixies.
You may now move on to PART 3
PART 3 – THE STUDENT BODY
Now, it's time to enroll your first class of students! Make whatever sims you'd like and add them to the household, or add Townies, or download from the Gallery. You may have up to seven students, or as few as one. It feels more like a school with a full household though so I recommend that.
Your students may be any age from teen to elder. They can be any gender. I went with Young Adult all-girls school but it's whatever you fancy. They can have school uniforms or not.
Take them all to The Magic Realm and go through the Rite of Ascension so they may become magic users. Give each student an identical talisman that your teacher sim wears, and grant the traits to each student sim like you did to the teacher sim. I find it's easiest to do this two student sims at a time.
In order to graduate, each student must master potions, learn every spell and reach level 10 in at least one skill. They must also acquire a broom, a familiar and a wand.
A student may acquire a wand after they…
- they have learned one spell
- they have learned one potion.
They may acquire a broom after they…
- they have learned two spells
- they have learned two potions
- they have reached rank 2 - Neophyte, in the spellcasting rank list.
They may acquire their familiar after they…
- they have learned three spells
- they have learned three potions.
- they have reached rank 3 - Acolyte in the spellcasting rank list.
Bonus Gameplay: If you have
Get Together, use the Teacher Sim to make a group consisting of them and all students. Set the club activities to potion making, and anything else you want. Use the club perks to buff other skills.
DO NOT make Spellcasting a club activity because it will cause your magic sims to constantly cast Inferniate and set things on fire. Trust me.
You want to be a good teacher, and they can't be studying all the time, so on occasion the class goes on field trips!
- Go to Sylvan Glade. It's a good place to up your fishing skill and also foraging is good here as well.
- Go to the mine. That one's kind of complicated as you need a Sim with 10 handiness.
- Go to the bluffs and look out for Emily the sea monster.
- If you have expansion packs like Island Living or Jungle Stuff, explore the secrets there.
GRADUATION CONDITIONSAll students must
- Reach Rank 4 - Adept in the spellcasting rank list.
- Have learned all spells.
- Have learned all potions.
- Have one additional skill at level 10
- Have a wand
- Have a broom
- Have a familiar
- Attended at least one field trip
- Take a selfie to put on the wall of the school to keep track of students throughout the years.
Bonus Win Conditions: - Students must defeat the teacher in a magical duel.
- If you have Seasons, everyone must have a successful Winterfest or Harvestfest.
One student may stay behind after graduation and become a teacher but you may only have no more than two teachers in the school. The new teacher MUST reach Rank 5 - Master, if they are to become a teacher.
HARD MODE:- All students must have either the Spellcraft & Sorcery or Purveyor of Potions aspirations. After all, they’ve enrolled in your school for that very reason, right? They must complete Milestone 3.
- Students must reach Rank 5 - Master, of the Spellcasting rank list.
- All students must graduate at the same time. If one student is held back, they're all held back.
- Students must graduate within a "A Year". Since time is fickle in the Sims, you can decide what A Year is. It's not clear, even with Seasons. 22 days seems like a safe bet.
- Students do not have the talisman. This means they're at the whim of their biological needs like food and sleep.
- Do not use Clubs.
- If you have the expansions, give your school lot traits that make the game more difficult, like Gremlins, Quake Zone, or Haunted.
- Classes are on a schedule. Everyone practices potions from 8am until 11:30am, then a break/lunch, until 1pm, then everyone practices magic until 3pm, then free time until the next day. Weekends are optional.
PART 4 – ENDING A CHAPTER AND BEGINNING ANEW
Your students have graduated! They're out in the world, being the best magic users they can be. Under your guidance, they have thrived and you have established yourself as a prestigious school of magical arts.
As a new year dawns upon the school, new students walk through the doors for another year of magic and mischief.
Welcome, once more, to your Arcane Academy!
