Countdown to Superman: Superman II (1980)

Before there was a "Snyderverse," before there was a "Marvel Cinematic Universe," there were the Superman movies.

Superman II (1980) was filmed back to back with Superman (1978) and picks up more or less where the first movie left off.

This movie begins by spending a considerable amount of time revisiting the ground covered in the first movie during the opening credits. 

We get right into it in typical Superman fashion; Lois chasing a story that gets her into trouble, this time some French terrorists with a stolen Hydrogen bomb. 

Superman flies it into space where, even with what was it 27 galaxies, it was near Earth. Maybe it got dragged alone with Kal-El's pod.

Some janky animation when the H-bomb goes off to free Zod, Ursa, and Non.

I have to comment on the Artemis II moon lander. Obvious choice after Apollo, but we won't get a real-world Artemis mission for another few years.

Zod appears to possess some form of telekinesis, and Ursa is remarkably violent.  Zod is just a great villain here, and Terrance Stamp is fantastic, and my love for Sarah Douglas knows no bounds. Interestingly enough, Ursa was almost played by Caroline Munro, a regular of Hammer Films. Instead she took the role of Naomi in the Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. I think it all worked out for the best really. 

The third act of this movie is the best, where Superman battles the Kryptonian criminals.

There feels like more silliness in this one. The Superman duplicates (ok in the comics it would have been his robots, or just him moving really fast), and the cellophane "S" symbol is still weird. 

They fight, and Superman tricks them into giving up their powers. Of course, after their powers are taken, what happens to them? They fall into the mists and ... what?

I am disappointed in the "Super kiss." Not just that it was some new weird-ass power Superman never had before, but that he couldn't trust Lois enough to have her keep his secret.  

So I do really enjoy this movie, but I am not immune to it's issues. 

For starters, there was a huge blow-up between Brando and the producers, causing his scenes to be removed. His interactions now fall onto Lara, Kal-El's mother, played by Susannah York. 

The fighting was not limited to Brando. Richard Donner, the director of Superman and the director of this movie had a falling out with the Salkinds. They brought in Richard Lester, who they had worked with before and was a "silent" producer of the first Superman. Donner said that if Lester's name was on it then his wouldn't be and that was that. I am going to cover the Donner cut tomorrow and I'll share thoughts on which is the better version.

Cameos

There are not as many here since it was filmed alongside the first movie. There is an interesting cameo, though, of Director Richard Donner in the scene as de-powered Clark and Lois drive up to the diner. It was one of the scenes he directed that was retained for the Lester-cut of the film. 

Witches of Appendix N: Robert E. Howard, Part 1: Conan

Cover by Margaret Brundage

 Of all the authors listed in Appendix N, few loom larger than Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian and father of sword & sorcery as we know it. Howard’s blend of grim heroism, lost civilizations, black magic, and fierce women has shaped the DNA of Dungeons & Dragons more than most give credit for.

So much so that I need to split his contributions into two posts. There may be three by the time I am done. That is how much of a footprint Howard and Conan left in D&D and other RPGs.

Witches were very much part of Conan's Hyborian world. Witches are mentioned and alluded too, but rarely seen, save for the ones mentioned below. 

So today, for the Witches of Appendix N, let’s journey into the Hyborian Age and meet some of the women who wielded magical power in the world of Conan.

Salome: A Witch Shall Be Born

Howard’s most explicitly witch character is Salome, the titular witch of A Witch Shall Be Born (Weird Tales, 1934). A sorceress and twin sister of the noble Queen Taramis, Salome is the archetype of the evil twin usurper. She commands dark forces, imprisons and tortures her sister, and rules in her place through cruelty and bloodshed.

Salome is described as consorting with demons and sorcerers in her youth, and her magical power is seen in how she influences, manipulates, and brings ruin to a kingdom. She is every inch the pulp sorceress, beautiful, deadly, and corrupted by ancient evil. She was promiscuous where her sister Taramis was chaste, moral, and innocent. In the 1930s, this was akin to evil.

Sarah Douglas (who I'll be talking more about tonight) played the movie version of her, now named Taramis, in Conan the Destroyer. Did all that torture finally break poor Taramis, and she became more like her twin sister? (No, I know the producers didn't want her to be named Salome.)

Salome (and Taramis) have sparked a lot of imaginations, not just the Sarah Douglas movie, but also comics. These two images show the evolving look of Conan from the pulp days to modern comics. 

Honestly, that John Buscema art might be one of the most famous pieces of Conan art ever produced. 

I have even used Salome in my own games, after a fashion, when developing a few of my Witch Queens. 

Tascela: Red Nails

In one of Howard’s best Conan stories, Red Nails (Weird Tales, 1936), we meet Tascela, a woman of ancient Stygian blood, still alive centuries after her time. Like Salome, she is both queen (well...called a "Princess of Tecuhltli") and enchantress. Tascela’s sorcery is tied to life-draining rituals and forbidden rites. She maintains her youth and beauty by absorbing the life force of others, literally sacrificing maidens and children to keep herself young. Valeria is a lot of things, but I never got "maiden" vibes off of her. 

While not explicitly called a witch (except as an exclamation), her power is subtle. She appears regal, composed, but with an air of the perverse and profane. She leers at Valeria throughout the tale. Obviously, in the way a cat does a mouse, but there is a not-so-subtle sexual dimension to it all. Like Salome, Tascela is a witch and morally corrupt. Also, not a very subtle message. 

Tascela’s magic has an Aztec flavor, marked by blood, sacrifice, death, and timeless horror. While "witch" is good, she is more likely some sort of profane necromancer. 

From the unfinished "Red Nails" animation, designs by Jim Stenstrum

Special Mentions

Witches and Wizards: Black Colossus

We meet the wizard Natohk, and "Vampires were abroad that night, witches rode naked on the wind, and werewolves howled across the wilderness."

Zelata and Akivasha: The Hour of the Dragon

Old Zelata admits she is a witch when she first meets King-in-exile Conan.  Unlike many of the other witches, sorceresses, and spellcasters, Zelata actually helps Conan out. She is also helpful in uncovering the Heart of Ahriman. 

Though not called a witch by name, Akivasha, the Stygian princess turned vampire from The Hour of the Dragon (1935–36), is one of the most enduring witch-like figures in Howard’s canon.

Akivasha is undead, beautiful, and incredibly dangerous. Her vampirism is not accidental or cursed; it is the result of necromantic sorcery meant to preserve her youth and power. She resides in the depths of an ancient dungeon and attempts to seduce Conan, not just with charm but with supernatural influence.

“I was a princess in Stygia... more than a thousand years ago... I was beautiful, and I would not fade. So I went into the shadows to cheat age with dark magic. I became... what I am.”

Howard describes her as cold and radiant, her beauty somehow terrible. She evokes the kind of ancient magical evil that remains alluring even as it damns. Or as I always say, "Evil always looks sexy."

An aside. There are lots of Stygian witches here.

Conan's Long Shadow

Without a doubt the Conan stories of Robert E. Howard are fundamental to the foundations of D&D and RPGs in general. Conan is the quintessential adventurer. Penniless one day, rich beyond dreams the next, penniless again. He ranges far and wide, he battles monsters, sorcerers, and entire armies.  He is as much a part of D&D as Gandalf and Bilbo.

It is no shock that there have been so many Conan and Hyborian/Hyperborian RPGs out there. I could talk about them all here, but that is a better topic for my Fantasy Fridays.

Given this, I do find it a little odd that witches were not a more prominent part of D&D. I suppose it has been up to me to fill this gap.

No "Conclusion" today, I have Kull and Solomon Kane to deal with next, and maybe a third post on Howard's contributions to the world of RPGs beyond just witches. 

Countdown to Superman: Superman (1978)

 I would not call myself the biggest Superman fan in the world, but I am a huge fan.  He was one of the first superheroes I ever knew about, right along with Batman and Wonder Woman, the "holy trinity" of DC Comics. I knew him from the comics, the cartoons, and the very fondly remembered TV series, "The Adventures of Superman" (1952-1958) starring George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, and later Noel Neill. This established something of a tradition where cast members from a previous version of a Superman film or TV adventures would appear in a newer one. Cases in point, George Reeves and Phyllis Coates appeared in Superman and the Mole Men (1951), and Noel Neill, who had previously played Lois in the film serials Superman (1948).  It's something I always look forward to seeing when a new Superman movie is released.

Given that we have a new Superman coming up and the very first from the newly minted DC Studios, I thought a feature would be nice. So I am re-watching all the Superman movies till July 11 when the new one premieres. 

But tonight, I want to discuss the first feature film of Superman's modern era. The epic 1978 Superman: The Motion Picture starring Christopher Reeve, who would define the role so solidly that many even today have trouble thinking of him in anything else or other actors playing Superman. It also gave us performances by Marlon Brando as Jor-El and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. Both of whom also had given their Academy Award best acting for these roles. Brando would go on to be such a pain in the asses for the Salkinds (producers) and Donnor (director) that it would become Hollywood mythology and change the course of the second movie. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Superman (1978)

Unless you were alive then, I can't really describe to you what this movie was like. The hype was through the roof. We had just seen Star Wars and Jaws in the theaters, and the "Blockbuster" was something new and something expected every summer now. I remember seeing this in the theatres and then again right before Superman II was released in a Drive-In. "You'll believe a man can fly" was the teaser, and it was very effective. 

Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Ilya and Alexander Salkind, it was the template for all modern superhero movies to follow. And it was big. Full color, special effects, and that sweeping epic score by John Williams. You almost forget how kinda campy the movie is at times. 

The movie is really three movies. The first is Brando at his scene dominating best. Say what you like about him, the man could act. His Jor-El was so deeply embedded into our collective subconsciousness that they were still making fun of it in Mega-Mind for an audience that wasn't alive when it first aired. 

Our second movie is Clark as a kid. I don't think Jeff East gets enough credit for his portrayal of Clark, but I see his Clark in David Corenswet now.

The third movie is Superman, Lois, and Lex.  Gene Hackman is not best Lex Luthor, but he was a great one. And Christopher Reeve. Honestly, what can you say about him? Rare is the actor who could pull off Clark Kent and Superman. He was great here and even better in Superman II. Margot Kidder was also a much better Lois Lane than I really could recall. 

Some of the scenes are hokey. Clark is a little too much of a dork. The whole "flying date" with Superman and Lois' voice over was really corny then, as it still is now. Ned Beatty's Otis was there as comic relief, and neither Ned Beatty's acting nor Otis' history in the comics can make me look past how mismatched he is with Luthor. 

The much-maligned "Superman rewinding the Earth" seemed less hokey now, if (and only if) I pretended he was flying faster than light and going back in time. He just stuck around near the Earth. But it does show something that later movies/TV shows would almost always touch on at some point: An angry Superman is terrifying. 

Cameos

This is an important factor of Superman media. Here Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill, who played Superman and Lois in the movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman, make a cameo as the parents of young Lois Lane. They are the couple and the little girl on the train. Lois sees 17-year-old Clark running at super speed. 

Future Cameos

Marc McClure, who played Jimmy Olsen, would go on to play Dax-Ur, a Kryptonian scientist living on Earth, in the seventh season of Smallville and a security guard who befriends Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Justice League and as a different police officer in the Snyder cut. 

Up next, two different versions of Superman II. 

Monstrous...Tuesday? Ghost Lights for Daggerheart

 I am still trying out Daggerheart and having a lot of fun with it. I thought I might try to make a new monster. So here is yesterday's "Ghost Light" as a Tier 2 Solo monster.

Ghost Light, Phantom of the Hills
Tier 2 Solo

A flickering orb of luminous energy born of sorrow and storms.

Motives & Tactics: Drift, defend territory, confuse intruders, escape through fog

Stat Block

Difficulty: 15 | Thresholds: 11 / 21 | HP: 8 | Stress: 4

ATK: +3 | Arc Lightning: Close | 2d10+3 magic

Experience: Local Lore +2, Lightning Affinity +2

FEATURES

Luminous Shock (Action)

Make a standard attack against a target within Close range. On a success, deal 2d10+3 magic damage and the target is Dizzied until they make a successful Knowledge or Instinct Roll.

Shockburst (Action, 1/scene)

Spend a Fear to unleash a radiant electrical burst. All targets within Very Close range must make an Agility Reaction Roll (14). On a failure, take 4d6+4 magic damage. On a success, take half damage.

Beckoning Light (Passive)

While the Ghost Light is in the spotlight, all PCs within Far range must make a Presence Reaction Roll (15). On a failure, they are Entranced until they mark 1 Stress or are attacked. Entranced PCs cannot target the Ghost Light or move away from it.

Confusion Pulse (Reaction)

When the Ghost Light takes Severe damage, you may spend a Fear to trigger a sudden psychic surge. All targets within Close range must make a Knowledge Reaction Roll (15) or become Confused (disadvantage on next 2 action rolls and unable to move away from the Ghost Light without passing another Presence check).

Born of Storms (Passive)

The Ghost Light is resistant to magic and fire damage, and immune to lightning. It ignores terrain penalties due to storms or fog.

Flickerform (Reaction)

Once per scene, when the Ghost Light would be reduced to 0 HP, it can instead mark 2 Stress to vanish in a crackle of light, reappearing at Far range. PCs lose a Hope unless they succeed on an Instinct Roll (14).

Momentum (Reaction)

When the Ghost Light makes a successful attack against a PC, you gain a Fear.

--

I like it and it is a one-to-one conversion really, maybe not the best way to do a conversion, but I am still getting the hang of this system.

Monstrous Mondays: Ghost Lights (Happy Birthday Mom!)

 It's Monstrous Monday again, but more importantly, it is my mom's birthday. Long-time readers will know that my mom was always very supportive of my D&D years, and she was the one who introduced me to horror.  She watched Dark Shadows and told us all the most blood-curdling stories when we were little kids. 

Here is one she loved, and based on some old Appalachian folklore. She told us stories of these things coming into homes and "dancing" around.

Ghost Light
Phantom of the Hills

Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1–3
Armor Class: 4
Move: 12", Fly (24")
Hit Dice: 5+5
% in Lair: 5%
Treasure Type: D (found only at rest sites)
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 3d6 electrical
Special Attacks: Shockburst, Confusion Aura
Special Defenses: +1 or better weapon to hit; immune to lightning, fire, charm, sleep, and hold
Magic Resistance: 20%
Intelligence: Low to Average (6–9)
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S (2'–3' diameter sphere of light)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Level/XP Value: V/500 + 6/hp

Description: The Ghost Light is a mysterious, hovering ball of luminous energy, found in remote hills, haunted valleys, and fog-choked hollows. Tales of them span the misty ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Ozarks, and deep forests across the continent. Known by many names, hill lanterns, haint-lights, the watching eyes, they are most common where tragedy, battle, or disappearance has occurred.

A ghost light is softly radiant, its color ranging from blue-white to yellow or even reddish hues. It flickers and pulses with life-like motion, trailing across the air just above the ground, often seen at night but sometimes glimpsed at twilight or during storms. Locals say they are the souls of the lost, trapped between worlds, or elemental forces given wandering thought.

Combat: Though not malevolent by nature, ghost lights are territorial. If followed, disturbed, or attacked, they defend themselves with bursts of raw electrical force. Their touch lashes out in a 30-foot range and causes 3d6 damage (save vs. spells for half).

Once per day, a ghost light may unleash a Shockburst, a radiant electrical discharge in a 10' radius, dealing 5d6 damage (save vs. breath weapon for half). It uses this ability only if severely injured (below 50% hit points) or to escape.

Confusion Aura: Anyone within 30 feet of an active ghost light must save vs. spells or suffer mild confusion (as the confusion spell, but only for 1d4 rounds). Victims may wander off, become dazed, or follow the light against their will. This effect is subtle and described as a “pulling” or “beckoning” sensation.

Ghost lights feed on ambient magical energy, emotional residue, and lingering trauma. They are most active in areas associated with strong sorrow, betrayal, or storm-related deaths. Some say they are formed when a person dies alone in wild country and no proper rites are spoken.

They are neither wholly spirits nor elementals nor 1sae but a strange fusion of all, anomalous phenomena that exhibit traces of intelligence. A ghost light may guide, warn, or even protect travelers if approached with respect. On rare nights, multiple lights dance together like fireflies in some ancient, unknowable rite.

Legends

Old folk claim that if you follow a ghost light, it may lead you to:

• the grave of someone forgotten
• a lost treasure or hidden glen
• your own doom, if your heart is false

Some witches, wise women, and druids seek them out to divine omens or bottle their essence in storm glass lanterns. Others fear them utterly.

--

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Witchcraft Wednesdays: New Witches, Daggerheart & Tales of the Valiant

 I got both Tales of the Valiant and Daggerheart for my birthday. And now both have Witch classes on the way.

I've already discussed the Tales of the Valiant Witch, which is part of their current Kickstarter. 

There is a great overview of this new witch class from Nerd Immersion. I am more excited about it now than before. Give him a watch.

I like how the Witch powers are basically "Bell, Book, and Candle."

I am really looking forward to it. Sucks I have to wait till 2026 for it. 

Of course, Daggerheart has me covered right now!

Over at The Void, there is a new Witch Class. I also really like this one. I am going to have to give them all a try, of course. It's what I do.  I really like that the Witch and Warlock share the "Dread" domain. Really works well for me.

Since my kid and I spent the night last night playing around with Daggerheart instead of our Forgotten Realms game, I figured I'll convert one of our characters.  So here is Moria Zami. 

I have not typed up a Daggerheart character before. This could be fun.

Moria Zami

Level 1
Class & Subclass: Witch (Hedge)
Ancestry & Heritage: Slyborne Human/Infernis
Pronouns: She/Her

Agility: 0
Strength: 0
Finesse: -1
Instinct*: +2
Presence: +1
Knowledge: +1

Evasion: 10
Armor: 3

HP: 6
Minor Damage: 7 Major Damage: 14

Weapons: Dagger. Finesse, Melee, d8+1 phy

Armor: Leather 6/13 +3

Experience
Not so Innocent (Cult) +2 (knows things that an innocent would not know)
Don't Make me Angry +2 (add when angry after taking damage)

Class Features
Hex
Commune

Spells
Blightning Strike, Level 1 Dread
Umbral Veil,  Level 1 Dread

Moria is a young witch. Her mother is a witch, and her father is some sort of devil (Infernis). She doesn't know this yet. All she knows is that she has some magic, which allowed her to kill a goblin who attacked her, and (and maybe more disturbing) she liked killing it. 

Daggerheart is very flexible, so I am saying that when she uses her "Don't Make me Angry" experience, her Umbral Veil becomes black flames. 

I like this build. She doesn't have her little dog, "Mephisto Fleas," as her familiar. She can choose a familiar like power at level 2, so I'll say she has the dog at first level, but no-one else can see it yet. Maybe he is real, maybe he isn't. We won't know till level 2.

I'll see if my son wants to convert his other Forgotten Realms characters to Daggerheart. He ordered the game, so we will see.  In any case, this has been a good time.

Mail Call: Daggerheart is Mine!

 I was supposed to get this as a Birthday/Father's Day gift, but it was backordered. It finally came in the mail on Monday.

The game is gorgeous. Production values are top-notch.

I can easily see this game replacing D&D 5.5 on many people's game tables. My oldest, after flipping through mine, went and ordered his own copy as well. We may give it a run soon. 

But yeah, I am rather excited for this one!