Note: this was originally posted on the Calenmir's RPGs blog on June 1, 2026.

Hello, everybody! Just in time for the SHIFT RPG Game Jam 2026, I’ve released Azimuth Academy, which is basically a magic school mini-setting + starter adventure using SHIFT, Hit Point Press’s rules-light TTRPG. In the spirit of the jam, it’s only available on Itch for now, but I will eventually be bringing it to the other places I sell my games.

Some extra details about Azimuth Academy:

• It’s a prestigious all-gender boarding school + university that supports students in studying magic, whether they are studying the history and theory of magic, are practitioners of magic, or are people of magic honing their innate abilities. Regardless of which track they’re on, students also benefit from a rigorous core curriculum that includes courses across the sciences and the arts, and may also choose from a variety of elective.

• Aside from academics, Azimuth’s key values are inclusivity and student safety. Practitioners from all traditions of magic are welcome; the dorms are equipped for students of all shapes and sizes; the cafeteria’s buffet-style meals account for the nutritional needs of all students, staff, and faculty; scholarships are granted to any student facing financial difficulties, and unanticipated access needs are address as promptly as possible. As long as a student is willing to put in the effort, the school will ensure they have an environment conducive to their studies.

• Students nevertheless are constantly inventing new ways to get into trouble, leaving plenty of room for player shenanigans.

In terms of what’s in the World Spark, there’s information on key locations and NPCs, setting-specific opportunities for the Characters to earn experience points (XP), abilities designed for magical high school students, adversaries such as the Dread Spelling Bee, and an Encounter (e.g. starter adventure) about being a first-year at ground zero of the school’s annual prank war.

Written by me, the PDF features art (mostly) by Zachary Schwartz, used with permission. There’s also a plain text file available for download.

More About SHIFT

As mentioned above, it’s a rules-light TTRPG system designed for quick character creation and genre flexibility. I was able to make the game thanks to its open license, which allows third-party creators like me to make games with it. If you want to learn more without buying the core rulebook, there’s a free quickstart that covers the basics. I designed Azimuth Academy with the core rulebook in mind, but the quickstart should be enough to decipher most of it. Regardless, a quick, overly concise summary:

• Characters have three stats: Body, Mind, and Soul, and each has a different maximum die value (D4 is the best in the game; D12 is the worst). You then assign Focus Traits to the stat(s) of your choice; these Traits are basically groups of keywords that generally describe what your Character is good at, giving you flexibility across different scenarios.

• As you take uncertain actions, you roll your dice, but they can shift to better dice if you critically succeed, and to worse dice if you critically fail. In the worst case scenario, the stat, Trait, or equipment you’re using could be exhausted.

• You can gain XP by playing, and XP lets you unlock upgrades.

It’s a really intuitive system, so I was excited I got the opportunity to make a magic school in it. If you’ve wanted to play in a magic school setting that is safe, inclusive, and easy to pick up, this World Spark might be for you.

Welcome to Azimuth Academy. There will be cake, and you may choose whether to consider that a promise or a threat.