Choosing Courses

Requirements and the classes that would fulfill them. I can send you an excel document if that would help.

Abracadabra Curriculum

The majority of Abracadabra students choose to take only four classes and a few extracurricular clubs every summer and use their free time to meet teens like them from all over the world and take advantage of what the campus has to offer.

If you wish to be considered for an Honorary Armageddon Diploma (HAD) you must go above and beyond giving up most of your free time. You must chose a basic, intermediate, or advanced area of study and submit a recommendation from that teacher. Although not mandatory, the majority of HADs go to students with recommendations from internships.

Most students attend Abracadabra for five summers, from the summer before freshman year to the summer after senior year, but typical HAD applicants spend the fifth summer at an Armageddon approved internship.

Cores: Of the eight core classes offered, you must take six, including General Magic and Reading Spells in order to be considered for a HAD.

General Magic. Room I. Period 3. Also Period 4 on odd years. Mr. Schoenbach.

No Prerequisites.

This class will cover the basics from the sixteen classifications of magic to the   species associated with them. No magic will be used in this course.

Reading Spells. Room IV. Period 3. Also Period 4 on even years. Mr. Schiano.

No Prerequisites.

While not comprehensive, this course introduces several languages that spells are commonly written in and how to make an educated guess about a spell’s intentions even if you cannot read every word. No magic will be used in this course.

Magical History. Room VI. Period 6. Also Period 2 on even years. Mr. Telse.

No Prerequisites.

An overview of all key events that have shaped the arcane world over the last thousand years, with emphasis on the last hundred years. No magic will be used in this course.

Spell Compose. Room VI. Period 7. Also Period 1 on odd years. Mr. Barneson.

No Prerequisites.

There is much more to writing spells than making them rhyme, and even rhyming is trickier than you’d think it would be. Words have double meanings you may not know. If you’re not careful, a poorly worded spell could rip someone’s head off instead of making them tear up. No magic will be used in this course.

Magical Law. Room II. Period 1. Also Period 6 on odd years. Mrs. Carney.

No Prerequisites.

An overview of laws that are relevant to our students, as well as an explanation of the current bills and acts concerning Halvs. No magic will be used in this course.

Interpret Prophecy. Room VII. Period 2. Also period 7 on even years. Ms. Orasi.

No Prerequisites.

Don’t be concerned if you are prophesied to die. All mortals die eventually. If you can’t understand a prophesy properly, you may as well have never read it. No magic will be used in this course.

Magical Theory. Room IV. Period 1. Also Period 5 on even years. Mr. Olsthoorn.

No Prerequisites.

How does magic work? Why is it kept hidden from the mundane world? These questions and more will be answered, or at least given possible answers. No one knows without a doubt how and why magic functions. No magic will be used in this course.

Balancing Spells. Room III. Period 5. Also Period 2 on odd years. Mr. Pistachio.

No Prerequisites.

If you do not balance a spell properly you could end up with a room full of ectoplasm or a too small amount of product or worse. No magic will be used in this course.

Electives: To be considered for a HAD, you must take a language or literature elective, a mundane elective, a science or math elective, an elective related to your area of study, and two more electives. Electives require teacher's permission to take.

Acting. Room VII. Period 1. Mrs. Toye.

Put on a production of a Shakespearian tragedy, including the scenes hidden from the mundane world.

Algebra. Room I. Period 6. Mr. Tugenberg.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

Anatomy. Room VII*. Period 1. Ms. Guerin.

Learn how the bodies of mystical beasts differs from mundane creatures.

Bestiary. Room VII*. Period 6. Ms. Guerin.

Learn the different species of the arcane world: from extinct to missing to everyday gremlins.

Biology. Room VII*. Period 7. Ms. Morte.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

Botany. Room V. Period 6. Ms. Morte.

Learn the difference between mundane, poisonous, and plants with arcane properties.

Calculus. Room II. Period 5 on even years. Mr. Tugenberg.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

Chemistry. Room IV. Period 7. Mr. Bliss.

Learn how the arcane elements fit into the periodic table.

Communication. Room II. Period 7. Mr. Letts.

With so many different races it is confusing to initiate communication properly.

Debate. Room VII. Period 5. Mr. Letts.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

Draconic. Room III. Period 7. Mr. Elbourne.

The dragons may be gone, but their tomes, artwork, and orally passed down songs are full of beautiful draconic.

Economics. Room II. Period 5 on odd years. Mr. Tugenberg.

An overview of mundane economics, supplemented by an analysis of the arcane market’s barter and favor system.

Etiquette. Room I. Period 5. Mrs. Toye.

The arcane world is full of intricate cultures backed by centuries of belief. Learn how to not step on the wrong troll’s toes.

Geometry. Room III. Period 6. Mrs. Pasinna.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

History of Justice. Room II. Period 6 on even years. Mrs. Carney.

An overview of famous curses: why and on whom they were used, whether or not this was morally right, and if and how the curses were broken.

Literature. Room VI. Period 1 on even years. Mr. Barneson.

Read and discuss the classics of the arcane world, which are oddly similar to the classics of the mundane world.

Mundane History. Room VI. Period 2 on odd years. Mr. Telse.

Equivalent to the mundane class.

New Language. Room I. Period 4 on even years. Mr. Schoenbach.

In this age of advanced technology and globalization, a new language of codes and symbols has developed around new groups and classifications of magic.

Old Language. Room IV. Period 4 on odd years. Mr. Schiano.

Since the beginning of time this language has been used to inscribe properties into artifacts and so much more. Learn how to read the few hundred words that have been translated so far.

Philosophy. Room II. Period 2. Mr. Elbourne.

Equivalent to mundane cla*s.

Physics. Room III. Period 2 on even years. Mr. Pistachio.

Equivalent to mundane class.

Prophetic Literature. Room VII. Period 7 on odd years. Ms. Orasi.

Read and discuss the prophecies of Osira and other famous seers.

Psychology. Room I. Period 2. Mrs. Pasinna.

Equivalent to mundane class.

Resistance. Room IV. Period 5 on odd years. Mr. Olsthoorn.

How to resist mind control from both arcane spells and creatures.

Shop. Room V. Period 5. Mr. Bliss.

Build a variety of projects from fairy houses and staffs to orb holders and enchanted doorknobs.

Basic: If you chose a basic for your area of study, you must submit an independent research project and work as a teaching assistant in the relevant class.

Change. Room III. Period 3. Mr. Pistachio.

Prerequisite: Balancing Spells.

Change is quite simply changing one object’s qualities or even changing it into a new object entirely. Only minimal changes are legal for living things such as hair color.

Sight. Room IV. Period 2. Mr. Schiano.

Prerequisite: Reading Spells.

Many arcane artifacts look like mundane objects, but with Sight it is possible to see the colored aura around them and even see what symbol or spell was used.

Counter. Room I. Period 1. Mr. Schoenbach.

Prerequisite: General Magic.

Counter is used to reverse arcane events. Attempt to use Counter on mundane events and Halvs have proven unsuccessful.

Past. Room VI. Period 5. Mr. Telse.

Prerequisite: Magical History.

Past allows the user to view past events associated with a person, object, or place. While it is possible to jump back in time, doing so requires a permit that the council is notoriously reluctant to give out.

Intermediate: If you chose an intermediate for your area of study, you must either submit an independent research project or work as a teaching assistant in the relevant class.

Craft. Room V. Period 2. Mr. Bliss.

Prerequisite: Change & Two of Shop, Chemistry, Physics, Geometry.

Craft generally consists of the creation of objects with magical properties, but can also including inscribing such properties to a mundane object.

Nature. Room V. Period 4. Ms. Morte.

Prerequisite: Change & Two of Botany, Biology, Bestiary, Anatomy.

Nature allows the user to control plant life. Advanced users claim to be able to control the entire earth, but this has never been recorded. Theoretically Nature may be tied in to the lost art of Healing.

Seeming. Room III. Period 4. Mrs. Pasinna.

Prerequisite: Sight & Two of Psychology, Geometry, Acting, Philosophy.

Seeming changes what as object appears to be. The object itself does not change, but temporarily gains the property of being purple or smelling like grapes.

Charm. Room I. Period 7. Mrs. Toye.

Prerequisite: Sight & Two of Acting, Etiquette, Communication, Debate.

Charm is sleight of hand and trickery compared to the other classifications. Charm involves a small amount of telekinesis and enchantment and mainly confusing the conscious mind, whereas the advanced art of Mind can attack the subconscious as well.

Mechanical. Room VII*. Period 3. Mr. Tugenberg.

Prerequisite: Counter & Two of Algebra, Calculus, Economics, Shop.

Mechanical was developed relatively recently with the dawn of technology. Mechanical ties magic in with computers. Its usefulness is unclear as it is still new, but we hope it will lead to artificial sentience.

Power. Room VII. Period 4. Mr. Elbourne.

Prerequisite: Counter & Two of Philosophy, Mundane History, Draconic, Psych-.

Hurl balls of energy. Shock walls into collapsing. Increase the potential of other spells. Power is the raw strength of the arcane classifications and used to be classified as advanced.

Calling. Room VII*. Period 4. Ms. Guerin.

Prerequisite: Past & Two of Communication, Debate, Bestiary, Anatomy.

Calling is used to summon spirits and creatures to you. Theoretically it can be used for teleportation, but the method is unsound and far too dangerous for students.

Speech. Room V. Period 1. Mr. Letts

Prerequisite: Past & Two of Draconic, Old Language, New Language, Etiquette.

Speech is used to communicate with lesser species such as plants and animals and has even been known to work on Halvs or greater than ten percent demonic blood, but there has yet to be a conclusive study proving this.

Advanced: If you chose an advanced for you area of study, you must merely pass the class.

Protection. Room VI. Period 3. Mr. Barneson.

Prerequisite: Spell Composition & Magical Theory & Literature & Craft or Nature   & any Intermediate.

Protection is used for everything from barriers around buildings and stain proofing table clothes to cones of silence and sealing memories.

Mind. Room V. Period 3. Mr. Olsthoorn.

Prerequisite: Magical Theory & Magical Law & Resistance & Seeming or Charm   & any Intermediate.

Mind is generally used as honest communication, but also has the capacity to intrude on other’s thoughts and even erase their memory. Although these actions generally need to be approved by the council and only for extreme situations.

Justice. Room II. Period 4. Mrs. Carney.

Prerequisite: Magical Law & Interpretation of Prophecy & History of Justice &   Mechanical or Power & any Intermediate.

Justice is more than petty curses. Since the beginning of time, Justice has been used to bind oaths and legitimize contracts.

Prophecy. Room VII. Period 6. Ms. Orasi.

Prerequisite: Interpretation of Prophecy & Spell Composition &     Prophetic Literature & Calling or Speech & any Intermediate.

Prophecy includes all methods of predicting the future from pools of water to meditation. Osira’s powerful use of Prophecy bumped it up from an intermediate classification to advanced.

Extra-Curricular:

32 clubs are available for the letter time slots. Which ones the faculty offer each year changes, so you won't be told which are available this summer until we send you your finalized schedule. Note that all non-human and court ordered students must keep a club period open for weekly meetings with an Armageddon representative.

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