Academy Courses:

General Courses:

1. Nobility:  This course is the very first any student of the Academy attends.  It details all the privileges and duties of nobility in Menzoberranzan as well as the way in which the noble houses function.  In general it includes everything detailed on the Nobles in Menzoberranzan page.  Once students have completed this class for the rest of their time at the Academy they are expected to know everything taught during it as well as the current rankings of every noble house in the city.  Inability to correctly answer questions on these subjects immediately at any time can lead to harsh punishments and extra duties.
2. Lloth Rituals and Ceremonies for Laity:  Every student at the Academy attends this as their second class.  This course details the roll the laity are expected to play in Lloth's various open ceremonies (closed ceremonies are only for clergy) and rituals.  Even future priestesses are expected to learn what laity need to do.  After all, if they don't learn things from the perspective of the common worshipper how can they direct and lead such worshippers in Lloth's service?
3. Lloth Observances, Dictates, and Power for Laity:  A companion to the previous class, this course is the third taken.  It teaches non-clergy their place in Lloth's order and how to advance in her eyes.  Naturally, the power, position, and authority of the noble houses under the matron mothers and Lloth's clergy in general is heavily stressed.
4. Weapon Use:  Not actually a single class, every student is trained in the use of weaponry appropriate to their class(es).  Melee Magthere instructors perform all such training so that students will gain the benefits of their superior knowledge (no game adjustments apply because of this).  Graduates seeking to learn a new weapon may choose to return to the Academy to do so as every type of weapon available in the city is taught here.  Advanced knowledge (specialization) of any weapon is also available to students of Melee Magthere.
5. Flora and Fauna Recognition:  Despite the name, this course is designed around recognizing enemies and dangerous creatures and providing some familiarity with their abilities, limitations, and weaknesses.  Undead, constructs, and extra-planars are all discussed along with more common creatures, from orcs to dragons.  When possible, living representatives are shown to students of the more exotic creatures (possibly through summoning or polymorph magic).
6. Cartography and Map Reading:  Every student arrives able to read and write as well as use drow hand sign so these things do not need to be taught.  The ability to read a map, make a map, and successfully employ a map in navigation is not so common, however, so all students must learn it.  The instructors at Melee Magthere do not concentrate just on 2 dimensional maps, however.  The underdark is a three dimensional world and students are taught to navigate it successfully (with a map) as well as to accurately map where they've been and areas they've observed so anyone can find their way back if need be.  Since nobles lead patrols, this class is considered essential for all students.
7. Survival Basics:  The basics of survival in the underdark, from water, air, and food conservation, to identifying likely areas of life and secure areas to rest in, are taught to all students.  This class is very rudimentary but ensures nobles know a little bit about most everything needed to survive in the underdark.
8. Caravan Route Planning:  With trade becoming more important to more houses, several courses in handling caravans have been added to the curriculum and made mandatory.  The first of these classes simply deals with planning a caravan route based on known dangers of the potential routes, caravan composition, resources, and existing maps.  What may seem a simple course at first glance isn't as speed, competition, risk, spoilage, and similar factors are figured into the route planning along with planning for foraging, limited movement options, and other differences from running a simple patrol.  The real key to this course is familiarizing those who take it with the different things they need to consider that they [probably] aren't familiar with and the kinds of decisions they need to make.  The Cartography and Map Reading class must be completed before this one is taken.
9. Caravan Operations:  How to organize and run a caravan, including the type and size of caravan to run is covered in this course.  Cost is one of the biggest factors considered, of course, but simply how to handle and lead a caravan and what to expect in the way of problems (lamed animals, broken wagon wheels, sickly slaves, etc.) along with alternate methods of dealing with them while attempting to maximize profit are presented.  Again, this course is designed to get the students to realize the differences in a merchant and military operation.  Completion of Caravan Route Planning is required before this course may be taken.
10. Caravan Battle Tactics:  The tactics a caravan uses to defend itself are far different from defending a fortified house compound or commanding a military patrol in battle.  This course deals with methods of handling such battles.  The Caravan Operations course must be completed before this one is begun.
11. Caravan Defense:  Usually taken concurrently with the Caravan battle Tactics course, this companion course is all about planning for the defense of a caravan rather than actually handling things when it is attacked.  Scouts, patrols, magic, traps, sentries, and other details are dealt with in depth.  In general this course deals with how to ensure a student never has to see how much they learned in Caravan Battle Tactics.  The Caravan Operations course must be completed before this one may be taken.
12. Tactics:  The tactics classes are taken during the latter few years of time at the Academy and actually consist of an entire series of courses, not just a single course.  In general the courses cover both large battles with large units and small battles such as individuals or patrols would fight.  The individual courses are:  Employing Mercenaries, Employing Slaves, Mounted Units, Infantry, Missile Units (includes siege weapons), Employing Allies, Unit Formations, Misdirection, Innate Abilities (employing them in battle and on a mass scale), Traps (use on the battlefield as well as handling them when encountered), Terrain Tactics, Spell Tactics, Employing Obstacles (generally mobile obstacles from barricades to caltrops), Stealth and Ambushes (deals with ambushes as a battle and even employing ambushes in the middle of a larger battle), Movement and Maneuver of Large Units, Light (employing light in battle for advantage), Constructs and Summoned Creatures, Patrol Tactics, Camping Tactics (where to set a camp, defenses, etc.), Fortifications and Structures (includes how to build and use simple fortifications from bridges to barricades), and Site Defense and Defenses (defending a site, magical defenses, set defenses, etc.).  In general these courses are designed to deal with the every day world of a drow noble, from going on patrol for days at a time to battling another house (yes, they actually teach how to attack and defend house compounds).
13. Enemy Tactics:  Despite the name these are basically tactics classes like those listed under the heading Tactics but dealing with the tactics of other species from humanoids to beholders and how to overcome them.  Individual courses include:  Lairs, Traps, Leader Identification, Terrain, Light, Handling Enemy Slave Troops, Illusions, Handling Enemies with Allies, Reacting to Enemy Ambushes, Enemy Misdirections, Enemy Fortifications and Constructions, Dealing with Illusions (a course aimed at the svirfneblin), and Enemy Undead, Constructs, and Summoned Creatures.  Despite the mandatory nature of these courses many drow blow them off in a variety of ways (getting an excuse of some kind such as from an instructor at Arach-Tinilith or failing to pay any attention).
14. Practical Patrols:  Real experience patrolling is usually only gained during a student's final year.  All such patrols are led and overseen by instructors from the three schools and usually include a number of slaves for even greater muscle.  Some patrols are "rigged" with special situations such as cave-ins, monsters, fouled air pockets, and so on while other patrols are ensured as much as possible to be uneventful (students need to learn vigilance even when nothing bad happens).  Finally, some patrols are real, entering the dark dominion with no pre-sweep so that instructors will be just as surprised as students about what does or doesn't occur.  Generally anything valuable acquired on such a patrol is taken by the Academy which sells or uses it, though sometimes one of the instructors present (particularly if a priestess of Lloth) will choose to keep some choice item for themself.

Arach-Tinilith:

1. Lloth Rituals and Ceremonies for Priestesses:  The priestess-only continuation of the general course is required for all priestesses and the first course they attend at Arach-Tinilith.
2. Lloth Observances, Dictates, and Power for Priestesses:  The priestess-only continuation of the general course is required for all priestesses and is the second course they attend at Arach-Tinilith.
3. Lloth's Will:  How to determine Lloth's will based on signs and divinations.  Recognizing what are and aren't signs.  This course is required.
4. Secrets of Lloth:  Secrets of Lloth's faith.  This is a required course.
5. Lloth Mysteries:  Things about Lloth's faith that aren't understood but must be taken on faith.  There are far more of these than outsiders would believe.  This is a required course.
6. Power in Lloth:  Mostly this deals with past examples, both successes and failures, of how priestesses (and non-clergy) gained power in Lloth.  Given her chaotic nature this is a long course.  It is required.
7. Power in Lloth's Church:  This is basically a guide to politics for priestesses.  The course focuses primarily on relative personal power in the faith based on position, wealth, ability, and so on.  House politics are expected to be learned from one's matron mother.  This is one of the few courses that also deals with Lloth's witches.  This is a required course.
8. Power in Society:  While nobles and priestesses stand at the top of the official power structure in Menzoberranzan, merchants, wizards, artisans, and the famous all have power as well, some of which can rival or eclipse many priestesses and noble houses.  This course is designed to teach methods of manipulating situations so that priestesses keep the upper hand even when the real power apparently lies with someone else.  While not a recent addition to the curriculum it is an acknowledgement that simply being a priestess or a noble will also give one control of any situation dealing with laity and commoners.  This required course is taught to help ensure that Lloth's faithful maintain real power in the city.
9. Societal Concerns, Restrictions, and Control for Priestesses:  This course teaches a sort of civic awareness for priestesses.  The course is focused on how to control (or manipulate) the society of the city as a whole.  What to worry about, why to worry about it, who to worry about it in regards to, and when to worry about it are all covered in detail along with things not to do (things that will only make the situation worse or will lessen the church's control over the city).  As the non-drow population of the city has increased and the non-drow have become more important and influential this course has been adjusted accordingly.  It is required.
10. Enemies of the Faith:  This required course is taught early in the time a student spends at Arach-Tinilith and occasionally is made a general course before reverting back to a school specific course reserved for priestesses soon after.  While it is sometimes argued that all nobles should learn this information first hand the concensus is more often that Lloth's priestesses dictate who enemies are and how to handle them to others and so only they should attend the course.  This course really deals with threats to the race and the city moreso than the faith (priestesses refer to these as the "open threats").  The dangers posed by svirfneblin, duergar, dwarves, illithids, elves, other drow cities, beholders, and even orc hordes are discussed.
11. Rival Faiths:  This required course is always taught close to the end of a priestess's 9th year at the Academy.  It deals with the threats posed by the faiths of Kiaransalee, Vhaeraun, Eilistraee, and Ghaunadaur specifically but also the roles of Selvetarm and Menzoberra as subservient faiths (lest they grow too powerful).  The hunt for these faiths, recognizing the presence or influence of these faiths and their followers, tactics and stratagems of these faiths, tactics and stratagems to use against these faiths, goals and ethos of these faiths, and minions of the deities are all discussed at length.  These are the "secret threats" that priestesses only discuss among other noble priestesses and priestesses known to have passed the Test.
12. Social Concerns, Restrictions, and Obligations for Laity:  This course is never attended by priestesses and is optional for students of the other schools.  This course takes everything from the perspective of a noble or someone serving in a noble house and how they are to act within the constraints of Menzoberranzan society and Lloth's church.  It naturally reinforces the role of Lloth's clergy and her matron mothers but it also teaches how lay members of the faith and nobles can influence things for the benefit of the church.  This class is commonly attended by those about to undergo the Test, sometimes even by non-nobles who never attended the Academy originally (this requires a matron mother's request, which is always granted).
13. Subjugating Others:  This is a basic course that attempts to teach budding young priestesses how to subjugate others, both drow and non-drow, through methods other than the whip.  Seduction of many sorts (whether for power, wealth, pleasure, or the like) and the personal weaknesses of others are presented in detail.  It is arguable as to whether this required course is a broad success.
14. The Role/Place of Lesser Races in Lloth's Design:  Lloth has something to say about everything and this required course simply proves it.  Slaves aren't all just there for slavery for slavery's sake, each race has a different place under Lloth's will.  Obviously few of these races have a place serving Lloth directly though tolerance of half-drow is a surprising side-effect of this course's teachings.
15. Divinations:  Not required, this course discusses the different divinations priestesses will be able to perform as they gain power including the limitations of each and how best to use them.  Divination through summoning others and compelling an answer is one of the subjects taught.  The class primarily deals with interpreting the results of any divinations used.  This class is not the same as the class taught at Sorcere that is only attended by mages.
16. Spell Research and Developing New Spells:  This is not the same as the course of the same name taught at Sorcere and only attended by mages.  While not required, this is one of the most popular courses offered at Arach-Tinilith and even many matron mothers of powerful houses return to sit in on it for a refresher from time to time.  In addition to the humdrum and mundane aspects, this course discusses divine revelations, "earning" new spells, modifying the spells of other faiths to Lloth's own, following Lloth's will in creating a new spell (rather than merely seeking the effect the priestess desires to create), and similar subjects.  This class is not the same as the one taught at Sorcere and attended by mages.
17. Magical Item Construction:  Another very popular course, this non-required class deals with the creating of priestly magical items including divine inspiration, materials selection, spell imbuing, spell alteration (some spells are "twisted" when placed in a magical item), and limitations of priestly magic in making magical items (essentially dealing with what types of magical items priestesses of Lloth can create and which ones they can't, this portion of the course even deals with differences between clerics and arachne).  This course also discusses methods of recharging charged magical items.  This is one of the few courses that also mentions Lloth's witches, who may be able to create a desired item a priestess can't without having to rely on a mage.  Those wishing to take this course must have first completed the course Item Quality at Sorcere.
18. Unholy Water Production, Uses, Powers, and Benefits:  This required course is an extensive, in-depth look at unholy water.  It dispels myths as well as discussing little known practical powers of unholy water.  Priestesses passing through this class must produce at least one batch of unholy water themselves (thus this course is usually taken late in a student's time at the Academy) in their own font (to do so, students from Sorcere and Melee Magthere are required to attend and participate in the ceremony).  As such every graduate leaves the academy with a prepared unholy water font that they can use to create their own unholy water when they desire.  Details of this process are given on the Magic in Menzoberranzan page.
19. Construct Creation:  See the course of the same name listed under Sorcere.
20. Summonings, Bindings, and Compulsions:  This non-required course is not the same as the course of the same name taught at Sorcere.  This course deals with the magics priestesses can use to summon and bind creatures, whether extra-planars, the dead, or even prime material creatures.  Different spells allowed to clerics and arachne are discussed along with proper summoning circles, testing summoning circles with lesser creatures, the powers and limitations of a summoning (and a summoned creature), and compelling service or cooperation from a summoned creature.  Note that compelling a yochlol or other servant of Lloth is strictly forbidden by the faith and this is made very clear to students.  This is another course that even powerful matron mothers often sit in on for a refresher.
21. Advanced Wardings of the Faith:  This is a follow-on class taught to the Warding course given at Sorcere but this one is attended only by students of Arach-Tinilith.  This course deals with the effects, powers, and defenses of holy places of Lloth and, despite the course name, of other faiths.  Students are taught how their power is enhanced in a temple of Lloth (or shrine, or special holy site) as well as how it may be negatively impacted in an area controlled by another faith.  As well, this course discusses the actual wardings specific to the faith and its holy sites and known wardings and defenses of the holy sites of other faiths (the tentacles that come out of many of Ghaunadaur's altars and attempt to drag intruders to his domain are a highlight).  This course is required.  Students must first complete the Wardings course at Sorcere before attending this course.
22. The Planes:  This course is taught in conjunction with instructors from Sorcere.  While the Masters of Sorcere provide the introduction and teach mainly about the workings of the inner planes, ethereal plane, astral plane, and plane of shadow, the instructors of Arach-Tinilith follow with in depth discussion of all the outer planes as well as the religious import of each of the planes (including the planes the masters of Sorcere already touched on).  The power and place of the positive and negative material planes, especially as regards undead and life energy is focused on as well.  This course is required for all students of Arach-Tinilith but is optional for students of Sorcere.
23. Advanced Potion Brewing:  This is not the same as the course listed for Sorcere and only attended by mages.  It is a follow on to the course Potion Basics taught at Sorcere, however.  In addition to going into priest specific potion brewing requirements and formulae, students do not complete this course until they've successfully produced their own potion.  The potion taught is a lesser version of the potion of magic resistance that requires powdered clay golem (only about a handful) as the prime ingredient (the usual formula requires Rakshasa blood or the tears from a beholder's main eye, reports from other drow cities state that thrym extracted from a remorhaz also works well) and only produces 2-40% MR.  Alchemists from Sorcere are on hand to assist in the actual potion preparation and production.  This course is not required.
24. The Test:  This course is specifically designed to help students visual Lloth's Test early on in their careers so they may better understand what Lloth expects.  The physical, mental, and spiritual rigors of the Test are covered in some detail though they are necessarily broad since every Test is different to some degree.  This course is required for all senior students of Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith but may not be reattended once a student graduates.
25. Scroll Reading:  This course is required for all students of Arach-Tinilith and consists of teaching students to read the magical script of clerical scrolls.  This course must be taken before a student takes the Scribing Scrolls course at Sorcere.

Melee Magthere:

1. Engineering:  This course is optional for all Academy students but is most often taken by warriors.  Since the house defenses usually fall under the house weaponsmaster and the structural integrity of the house's walls are a part of that most warriors need to become acquainted with principles of engineering.  Additionally such knowledge helps them plan attacks on enemy positions, whether noble houses or tribal lairs.  This course is an introduction, however, and doesn't grant the NWP.
2. Advanced Engineering:  Students taking this optional, extended course must have first completed the Engineering class.  Those who complete the advanced class gain the engineering NWP.
3. Structural Assessments:  This optional course is an abbreviated version of Advanced Engineering concentrating specifically on determining the strength of various permanent, temporary (or hasty), and natural structures.  Students must have completed the Engineering course to attend this one.  Many fighters who have just become their house's weaponmaster return to the Academy to attend this course, either as a refresher or for the first time.
4. Geology:  Despite its name this course really deals with the properties of various types of stone and how it affects construction, mining, prospecting, and similar activities.  Those who attend the Mining or Advanced Engineering course will cover everything this course does in greater detail.
5. Mining:  This optional, extensive course deals with all aspects of mining and prospecting.  It is taken by only a few nobles but a number of those serving in a noble house that has mining interests do take it.  Completing this course grants the mining NWP.
6. Light Propagation, Reflection, and Refraction:  Given the utter darkness of the underdark, this is an extremely useful course for drow leaders to take.  It helps them determine the effects of their own illuminations as well as determining the sources of other illuminations they encounter.  The course goes into some detail on common sources of illumination from common spells to fire to glowing mosses and fungi.  It also deals with how light acts in and when entering, leaving, or passing through water, glass, and crystal.  In addition to covering visible light, the course deals with infrared radiation as well.  This course is entirely optional but is heavily attended by students from all three schools.
7. Mirrors, Mirroring, and Mirror Effects:  Called simply "reflections" by students at Sorcere, this optional course is a follow on to the previous course listed.  That course must be completed before this course is taken.  This course deals specifically with the uses of reflecting light and the tricks it can play.  In depth discussions and practical demonstrations of illuminating and darkening areas through the use of mirrors, blinding foes, tricking foes, and even optical illusions similar to those performed by earth's stage magicians are all covered.  This course is not very popular and is almost entirely attended by warriors as the students of Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith sneer at "the petty club swingers, trying to fake real magic".
8. Noise Distortion, Propagation, and Distance:  The sound-based analog to the light course given above, this class is also optional for all Academy students and very well attended.  This course is based around identifying the locations where noises originate from and determining how any noise you produce will travel (and where it will travel).  Vibrations in the stone are not dealt with in this course, just the propagation of discernible sound waves.
9. Echoes and Ampitheaters:  It is uncertain why this follow on class to the previously listed class is separate other than that's the way it's always been.  This class is optional and students must have completed the previous class to enter this one.  This course deals with odd effects of sounds from ampitheaters that will magnify a whisper to a shout, to echoes that can be heard for miles, to caverns where a person can speak on one side of the cavern and be heard on the other side but not by creatures in between.  Students are taken to natural and magically formed areas that demonstrate a number of these unusual effects.
10. Signaling:  This well attended course requires completion of the courses on light and noise propagation first.  Completing this course not only teaches the student a large number of signal patterns from special signals to signal "languages" similar to semaphore and more code but also different methods of sending and receiving signals and intercepting and interpreting signals used by others.  Completion of this course grants the signaling NWP.
11. Pressure:  This poorly attended optional class discusses pressure changes, differences, effects, and the like.  Both liquid and gas pressure are discussed along with the effects of sudden pressure changes in enclosed spaces (in particular due to spell casting or mining--such as when hitting a gas pocket).  Heat and magic are the primary methods of altering pressure discussed in the course (other than simply releasing the pressure).
12. Fire:  This simply titled course is required for all Melee Magthere students and is optional for those of the other schools, though most mages in particular choose to attend.  This course deals with methods of starting fires, directing fires, controlling fires, putting fires out, the secondary effects of fires (including heat, smoke, and oxygen consumption), how fires spread, the dangers of fire in any area, from the middle of Menzoberranzan to isolated caves and tunnels in the wild underdark, what is flammable, how to use fire as a weapon, and how to defend against fire (including how to prevent anyone using it against you or your possessions/area).  Fire can be a deadly killer in the underdark to both users, targets, and others and is one of the greatest equalizers between a small force and a large one (and against a magically equipped force and one that isn't) because it has so many and varied effects.  Completing the course makes this quite evident.
13. Mud and Muck:  This simply titled optional course is not very popular.  Essentially it deals with the problems and uses of mud and muck.  Types of mud and muck from mud pits to quicksand to offal and slime covered rock are all covered in detail as well as the differences between them and hazards they present.  A number of simple traps using mud and muck are presented as well.
14. Camouflage and Concealment:  This optional course discusses methods of camouflaging people, equipment, structures, positions, large forces, and habitable areas as well as the difficulties involved with each.  Magic is mentioned frequently but as is appropriate to a course taught at Melee Magthere, alternatives are presented.  In addition to camouflaging oneself the abilities of piwafwi and chameleon powers of races like the svirfneblin and troglodytes are discussed in detail.
15. Gases and Air Quality:  Detecting unusual gases through smell, alterations in flame color and brightness, altered animal, plant, and fungal behavior, and even metal reactions can be critical to survival in the underdark and this class deals with exactly those things.  The class also teaches how to estimate air supply in a sealed area, methods of conserving air, detecting sources of fresh air (and other gases, actually), and how to alter air circulation in an area (primarily how to improve it by using sources of heat and cold).  This class is not required but is moderately popular among students from all three schools.
16. Water Quality and Liquids:  This is the water version of Gases and Air Quality.  The course deals with the appearance, properties, and sources of alternate liquids that might be encountered in the underdark either naturally, as waste from a mine or settlement, or even as a trap of defense.  It also deals with water quality, natural contaminants, and how to determine what the quality of a source of water is as well as what contaminants it may possess.  Methods of obtaining pure water even with a contaminated source are demonstrated (boiling, condensation, and straining are the primary methods).  This course is optional but is popular with students of Melee Magthere and to a lesser extent Sorcere.
17. "Camping" in the Dark Dominion:  This optional course is well attended by Melee Magthere students but few others.  The course deals with locating, selecting, establishing, and defending a temporary camp in the wild underdark.  The entire point of the course is to teach the techniques for creating a secure camp for a patrol in wild territory.
18. Rock Formations:  This optional course is aimed at teaching students the various types of natural rock formations, how they are formed, and what that means about an area.  The main reasons for this course are to be able to separate magically altered and carefully worked stone from natural formations and to help those in the underdark be able to locate water and possible additional caves and tunnels.  The course is poorly attended.
19. Rock Types:  This optional course teaches recognition of the different types of rock and their properties as it pertains to the wild underdark.  Such recognition is designed to aid students in determining what types of creatures might potentially be in the area and where their lairs might be as well as the potential for additional passages and other rock formations.  This course is poorly attended.
20. Rock Strata:  This optional course is poorly attended.  The aim of the course is to help students understand the geological history of the area by looking at the different lairs of the rock.  It is primarily designed to teach them how to use such information to locate additional caves, passages, rivers, and other formations.
21. Precious Minerals:  This optional course is very popular, particularly with students from Melee Magthere.  It deals with identifying precious minerals of all sorts in their natural state in the underdark.  Most who take it are hoping to get lucky and find a lode of ore somewhere in the underdark that will bring them favor and wealth.  Anyone that has completed the Mining course has already been taught all this information in far greater depth than it is gone through here.
22. Scents and Odors:  This optional course is moderately popular, particularly with students of Melee Magthere and Sorcere.  Detecting and identifying scents is a key method of determining what creatures live in any particular area of the underdark as well as how active they are and how many there are.  Different types of offal, musks, fungal spores, and rot and decay will generate different types of odors and this course attempts to teach sensitivity to sudden changes in odor as well as identification of the odors encountered.  Identifying where certain odors likely originated from and and what they indicate is the final step, naturally.  Those seeking proficiency in animal lore must complete this course.
23. Sound Identification:  This optional course is popular with students from all the schools.  The course deals with attempting to identify what made any particular sound.  The source may be geological, natural (such as water), machinery (e.g., a mill), or a creature.  This course must be completed by those seeking proficiency in animal lore or animal noise.  Before a student may take this course they must first complete the Noise Distortion, Propagation, and Distance course.
24. Swimming:  This optional course teaches the swimming NWP.  The course is relatively popular.  All members of House Hunzrin are required to take this course due to the amount of time they spend on and around Lake Donigarten.
25. Rudders and Steering:  This optional, unpopular course teaches the various methods of steering and handling small boats.  It is highly recommended that those who wish to take this course and the Paddling, Poling, and Rowing course first take this course.  If both courses are completed, with this one being taken first, the person has learned the boating NWP.
26. Paddling, Poling, and Rowing:  This poorly attended optional course teaches the various methods of propelling a small boat of any type through the water.  Those who take this course and have not already had the Rudders and Steering course will only be taught the most basic things about rowing and paddling and will concentrate on poling rafts.
27. Three Dimensional Navigation:  Though this moderately popular optional course doesn't rely solely on maps, students must have already completed the general Cartography and Map Reading course in order to take this one.  This is an in depth course in navigating in two and three dimensional environments, both with and without a map.  Those who complete this course have learned the subterranean navigation NWP.
28. Tracking, Trail Signs, and Trail Markings:  This popular, optional course is required for any student attempting to join the hunter class.  The course concentrates primarily on methods of tracking in all terrain but also deals with common trail markings and rune signs used by various races (duergar, derro, drow, dwarves, orcs, etc.) and how to properly mark one's own trail either openly or secretly.  Students that complete this course have learned the tracking NWP (unless they are going to be a hunter in which case this course has simply taught them the basics of one of their eventual class skills).

Sorcere:

1. Potion Basics:  This course is taught primarily by the alchemists employed by Sorcere.  Covers all the basics of potion brewing from ingredient storage, ingredient preparation, lab familiarity (what each item in a lab is and what its use is), and even how to go about developing potential new potion recipes.  This course is general to both mages and priestesses and is required for students of both Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith.
2. Advanced Potion Brewing:  This course is not the same as that taught in Arach-Tinilith for priestesses only.  It is a follow on course to Potion Basics for mages.  It deals with magic-user specific concerns in brewing potions including magic-user specific ingredients and formulae.  Before this course is over each student produces a full strength potion of extra-healing that is sold to help fund the Academy (the Masters of Sorcere keep several imprisoned trolls to provide blood for these potions).  This course is taught by both a Master of Sorcere and several alchemists together.  At some times in the past this course has been required for all students of Sorcere but that is currently not true.
3. Spell Research and Developing New Spells:  This is not the same as the course of the same name taught at Arach-Tinilith and only attended by priestesses.  This course goes into detail about how to research new spells including using existing spells as guides, developing the desired effect(s) for a spell, potential material components, and developing alternate forms of a spell.  Researching existing spells and ensuring one's research is consistent with a power level of spell that the researcher can actually cast (and thus develop) are also components of this course.  One thing that's stressed in this course is the need to develop truly viably useful spells.  An example of the fireball spell that requires two days to cast and requires a 1000 gpv ruby is passed to the entire class to look over as a negative example.  The spell is more expensive than the common version and only useful for scribing on scrolls or placing in magical items, however, its usefulness in developing a more streamlined version of the spell (for instance the common form listed in the PHB) is also discussed, proving that not all spell research that results in a real spell is a waste.  This course is necessarily much more rigorous and time consuming than the course of the same name taught at Arach-Tinilith since clerical spells are so often gained due to sudden insights and rarely through research.  This course is considered the basis of all magic-user skills and is taken very early in a student's career.  Many students choose to develop one or more of their own unique cantrips while at the Academy after completing this course.  It is required.
4. Deciphering Magical Script:  This is the most basic course taught at Sorcere and is required for all its students.  Quite simply it teaches students to decipher magical script so they can start learning cantrips (remember, they don't have access to read magic as a shortcut yet).  As soon as they can decipher magical scripts they are given their first spellbook to fill with cantrips and begin learning to form magical script by copying a single cantrip from a scroll (this is always the exterminate cantrip) into their new spellbook.  They prove success by memorizing and casting their new cantrip (thus having learned it).  Success means they've completed this course and can begin choosing other courses to take at Sorcere.
5. Scribing Scrolls:  Since there is no particular difference between scroll production for clerics and magic-users, this course is required to be attended by students of both Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith.  It is taught at Sorcere since most of the course has to do with preparing the necessary magical inks and that portion is taught by Sorcere's alchemists.  The course is headed jointly by a Master of Sorcere and one of Arach-Tinilith's instructors, though the instructor from Arach-Tinilith almost always never shows up at any point during the course.  Priestesses must complete the Scroll Reading course taught at Arach-Tinilith before they attend this course.
6. Spell Components:  This course is required for all students of Sorcere and is optional for students of Arach-Tinilith, most of whom choose not to take it since it is felt that the principles taught here have almost no basis in clerical magic.  This course covers the mystical properties of various components and their relationship to specific spells and spell casting.  For obvious reasons material spell components are given the most examination.
7. Alternate Spell Components:  This course is optional for students of Sorcere (it is not offered to students of Arach-Tinilith since they would consider it heretical).  Those attending this course must have first completed the Spell Components course.  This course goes into great detail about casting spells through the uses of alternate spell components, whether it is a longer mystical phrase, an added string of gestures, or alternate material components.  Substitute material components for the common versions of spells as well as developing alternate forms with different material components are both gone into in some depth.  Discussion of the vocalize spell is also a prime facet of the course.
8. Materials Properties:  This course is required for students of Sorcere and optional for those of Arach-Tinilith, who usually avoid it since they see it as having limited relevance to clerical spell casting and item creation.  This course deals with the special properties of materials used to make magical items.  While spell components, scroll inks, and potion recipes have their own courses, this one specifically deals with all the properties of various materials and how they relate to creating permanent and charged magical items.  This course is long, in depth, and extensive but not exhaustive.
9. Item Quality:  This course is required for students of Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith.  Quite simply it deals with determining the quality and suitably of an item for the user's special needs.  This is not the same as the appraising NWP.  Everything from incense, to unholy water fonts, to rods and staves meant for enchantment are looked into during the course with numerous positive and [even more] negative examples shown to every student.
10. Item Qualities:  This course is required for all students of Sorcere and is optional for students of Arach-Tinilith.  Those wishing to take it must have first completed both Materials Properties and Item Quality taught at Sorcere.  This course essentially combines the knowledge of those two courses in discussing the design of items meant to be enchanted.  This course is popular with graduates looking for a refresher, especially those that have just become the Head House Wizard or gained the enchant an item spell.
11. Magical Item Construction:  This course is required for all students of Sorcere.  It is not the same as the course of the same name offered at Arach-Tinilith and available only to priestesses.  Students must have completed the Item Qualities course to attend this one.  This course discusses spell imbuing, materials and construction requirements, enchanting hazards, spell twisting (some spells are "twisted" when imbued in certain items), and limitations on items magic-user magic can enchant (in fact it discusses limitations on enchantments a magic-user can create given a specific roster of spells since magic-user don't automatically have access to all MU spells the way clerics have access to all C spells).  This class hints at a number of alternate ways of creating permanent and charged magical items as well as recharging them besides the use of the enchant an item spell.  This course is extremely popular with graduates who have reached 12th level and wish to sit in as a refresher.
12. Wardings:  This course is taught solely by the Masters of Sorcere but is required for students of both Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith.  The course discusses coming types of wardings, methods of warding areas, objects, and individuals, warding materials (such as lead and gorgon's blood to block scrying), and warding spells.  An early introduction to drow waymarker runes is even provided.  Summoning circle type wardings that can be used more generally are also discussed.  The main point of this course is to ensure students realize there are innumerable methods of warding and that not all are easy to recognize or breach.
13. Construct Creation:  This course is optional for students of both Arach-Tinilith and Sorcere.  The construction, nature, development, uses, general limitations, and enchanting of a construct as well as the basic properties of many basic types of constructs are dealt with in this course taught jointly by Masters of Sorcere and instructors from Arach-Tinilith.  At the very end of the course students from Arach-Tinilith break away to receive instruction specific to clerics on types and powers of clerical constructs while magic-users spend a much longer time discussing the even greater variety of constructs they can create.  In this final discussion specific weaknesses and strengths of each specific type of construct are discussed.
14. Summonings, Bindings, and Compulsions:  This course is one of the most frequently attended by graduates returning for a refresher.  Ths course deals with the most common summoning spells, risks of summonings, proper summoning circles and testing summoning circles, battle field summoning (such as with a monster summoning spell), binding and compelling summoned creatures (and spells to do so), the limitations of various summons and summoned creatures, and the use of summoned creatures in other spells (such as distance distortion) and magical items (particularly in creating intelligent items).  This course is not required.
15. The Planes:  See the course of the same name listed under Arach-Tinilith.
16. Divinations:  This is not the same as the course of the same name taught at Arach-Tinilith and attended only by priestesses.  This course discusses the various magic-user divination spells including the limitations of each and how best to use them.  The course focuses on interpreting results, limitations of various divination spells and how to determine the limitations of a new (to the caster) divination spell based on its casting, and properly formulating questions to get the answer desired.  Divination through summoning others and compelling an answer is one of the subjects taught.  This class is optional.
17. Sources of Mystical Power:  This highly theoretical class is entirely optional and only offered to students of Sorcere for obvious reasons.  This class discusses certain magical items that amplify or grant power as well as magical lay lines, nodes of magical power, drawing power from creatures, and the planes as a source of magical power.  Most students observe that it is the rarest and potentially least powerful sources that have the most definite knowledge while the sources of power of most spells and magical items is unknown or merely suspected.  This is also the only course the Academy that deals with theories of combining magical power with faerzress radiation besides a few specific cases known to work discussed in other classes (such as the creation of float chests).  Known spells used to tap these sources of mystical power are notoriously absent from the course discussions.
18. Limits of Magic:  This optional class is offered only to mages and is sneered at by priestesses who say the only restrictions on their power are those Lloth chooses to impose.  This courses discusses both vaguely and in detail the known and presumed limitations of the magic magic-users can access through spells, rituals, and constructs (whether items, runes, or the like).  Students that take this class are usually more interested in the opposite:  what is magic proven to be able to do.
19. Illusions:  This class is optional.  Those who choose to take the class must already know at least one illusion cantrip (or spell for senior students that are already 1st level).  Common illusion cantrips are footfall, groan, hide, moan, palm, rattle, and thump.  This course deals with using illusions effectively, most importantly in making them seem real and so be believable. Both positive illusions (something seems to be there that isn't) and negative illusions (hiding something that is really there) are covered.  Since this class is about employing illusions and not battling them (there's an entire required course on them all students must attend) or the powers of the illusion/phantasm school of magic this is really a tactics class and as such is offered only to somewhat senior students.
20. Alchemy:  This extended course essentially teaches everything one needs to know in order to gain the NWP of alchemy.  It is optional for students of Sorcere and Arach-Tinilith.
21. Games and Puzzles:  This optional class is open to all students of the Academy.  Those who attend usually compete with each other to see who can do the best.  Problems like the Tower of Hanoi, three dimensional mazes, two dimensional and three dimensional puzzles to create simple shapes (a pyramid, a square, a triangle, etc.) with only geometric pieces, passing too large objects from one container to another, and other mental twisters are presented and worked by students.  While this all seems like fun and games it isn't.  All the Academy's instructors believe in mental agility but most especially the Masters of Sorcere.  The ability to quickly come up with unusual solutions to unusual problems is a matter of survival for mages in drow society where magical duels, assassinations, and the unforseen dangers of treachery and patrolling the wilds can quickly kill an unarmored, poorly armed magic-user without an entire church to back him up or grant him authority.
22. Diffraction and Distortion:  This course is a follow on to the Light Propagation, Reflection, and Refraction course listed under Melee Magthere.  It is optional and open to all Academy students but has the most usefulness to students at Sorcere where the diffraction and distortion effects of water and certain crystals can be very important for use in certain spells and to generate certain effects.  The course covers different methods of producing different kinds of distortions and diffracting light as well as the types of distortions that can be created.