Steamforged Games Announces New Dungeons & Dragons Magical School Setting With Miniatures

The makers of the popular Animal Adventures line of miniatures is producing a new series of miniatures based on a magical school setting. Earlier this week, Steamforged Games announced Adventures & Academia: First Class, a new miniatures product that launches a new line of miniatures and RPG products based around a brand new magical school setting. The setting is based around a magical college in which students learn how to become adventurers. As part of the announcement, Steamforged revealed three of the 13 miniatures that will appear in Adventures & Academia: First Class, showing off student versions of a druid and a monk as well as their basset hound professor (a nod to Steamforged's popular Animal Adventures line). All 13 characters in the new set will all have unique backstories and character art to use.

Adventures & Academia is based on a concept from Steamforged sculptor Thomas Lishman, who is best known for sculpting the grotesque Lucien miniature featured in the climactic Critical Role Campaign 2 battle. "A while back, when planning a roleplaying campaign set in a magical school, I noticed there was a real lack of minis out there to represent younger magical characters," Lishman said in a press release announcing the line. "With more young people getting interested in roleplaying games, it seemed strange for their options to be so limited. That immediately sparked an idea that snowballed, and the first First Class concept minis came soon after."

"Because the First Class minis are designed for a wide audience, not only do they need to look great on the tabletop, but they also need to be paintable by people of all experience levels," Lishman continued. "Bold, chunky shapes and striking silhouettes will ensure even newer hobbyists can feel comfortable picking up a paintbrush. From the design of the minis to the magical school setting that inspired them, these characters are designed to inspire — and who knows where the world of Adventures & Academia will go!"

In addition to releasing a number of licensed games based on various video game franchises, Steamforged also has a line of Dungeons & Dragons-compatible RPG products anchored by its Animal Adventure line, which depicts cats, dogs, and other animals as D&D adventurers. An "Epic Encounters" line containing adventures (complete with miniatures) in a box has also proven to be a popular line at hobby stores.

"Adventures & Academia is something Tom and the team have been working on for a while now, and we're all incredibly excited to see where it leads," said Mat Hart, creative director of Steamforged, in the press release. "At Steamforged, our aim is to encourage a creative environment where people feel supported in their ideas and able to try new and adventurous things. Painting Polygons, our sub-brand, gives us the platform to do that, letting us support creative visions and bring ideas to life. It's a genuine pleasure to work with a team full of such talented people!" 

Steamforged will launch a Kickstarter campaign to support Adventures & Academia: First Class, which will start on December 1st. Expect to hear more news about the upcoming miniatures line soon.