Fantasy Fridays: Daggerheart, Part 1

 I had a plan for today, but I want to put that off till later. Mostly because I was not ready since I was too busy with today's new topic. The new game from Critical Role, Daggerheart, was released just a couple of days ago and I have been doing a deep dive into that.

I picked it up from DriveThruRPG a couple of days ago (Wednesday night) and wanted to run out and get the physical copy from my FLGS, but I was informed that, since it's close to my birthday, I am not allowed to. Fine with me, I also picked up the Demiplane Nexus Corebook so I can use the character builder. 

The core book is gorgeous. I like the art more than the art in the new D&D 5.5 core book. This book/game is certainly going after the New Schoolers who love D&D 5, but wish it had more options. 

In many ways Daggerheart takes the best ideas from a lot of games, including D&D 5.x and even D&D 4 (I'll get into that later) and combines it into a very effective whole. I have not read enough of it to notice differences from the playtest, except for some presentation differences, which I think are an improvement. Oh, and how HP are used. 

The game has shot to Gold status in a matter of 28+ hours, and that is taking into consideration that it is effectively divided between two different versions: PDF only and PDF with Demiplane Nexus access, which has gone to Silver. Not too bad really. 

The PDF comes with the Core book and the cards you use with your character. The cards are a nice gimmick, but to have the PDF is great if your group ends up with say, multiple sorcerers. I can print as many as I need and just slot them into one of my kids' old Pokémon folders. It feels like the old cards we had with D&D 4, but more useful.

The core book is huge, but complete at 415 pages. I already see lots of options for expansions for characters, so that is nice. 

It also features six "Campaign Frames" which are like mini-campaigns, or campaign set-ups to play in. All of them sound fun. Each one has a "pitch," a complexity rating, and some keywords to help describe it. 

• The Witherwild. A nature deity is attacked and then attacks back with all the power of nature.
• Five Banners Burning. Rival kingdoms on the brink of all out war.
• Beast Feast. The Monster Defense System is down and now the characters need to go in and fix it.
• Age of Umbra. A dying world in shadows. 
• Motherboard. High tech as magic in a post-apocalyptic world. 
• Colossus of the Drylands. Giant creatures versus gunslingers in the deserts. (think Attack on Titan or Godzilla meets Boot Hill).

Not all of these are for everyone, but they do all look pretty cool. Of course you can play in a D&D-like world. It does lean more toward High Fantasy and High Magic.

For amusement's sake I converted, or more aptly, translated some characters from various games that are D&D or D&D adjacent to Daggerheart to see how they might work.

Not everything had a great translation, but honestly, that could also be due more to my inexperience with the system as much as anything.  So let's see some translations.

Larina Nix. My human witch in Basic-era D&D becomes a Loreborne (culture) Human who is a Sorcerer (Primal Origin) with Wizard (School of Knowledge) multiclass. In D&D 3, multiclassing Wizard and Sorcerer doesn't get you much, but here it is a fun approach. I rather like this version, but I would have to play her more.

Johan. My human paladin, all editions, becomes Highborne Human Seraph (Divine Wielder). I actually like this one a lot and if I get a chance to play Daggerheart this might be the character I choose. There is a lot of potential here for play. 

Amaranth. A newer character, she is a Tiefling Warlock. Here is she is Wanderborne Infernis Wizard (School of War). Now it is possible that Sorcerer is a better choice for her, but I had not done a wizard full class yet. 

Roan. This guy is new, he was an NPC satyr bard (who plays the bag-pipes) from the feywild. Here he takes on his "true form" I think and Wildborne Faun Bard (Wordsmith). The wordsmith is more like an occult poet (from Ghosts of Albion) so I really excited to try this guy out as a PC.

Sinéad. My Forgotten Realms half-elf Sorcerer/Bard doesn't drift too far from her origins. In Daggerheart, she is a Seaborne Elf (to reflect her growing up in the Moonshae Isles). She is a Sorcerer (Elemental) with a Bard (Troubadour) multiclass. She feels the same to be honest.

Nik Nak. My goblin warlock (who talks in rhyme) for Pathfinder 2nd edition has the most changes. Here he is still a goblin (wildborne) but now he is a druid (Warden of Renewal). I like the Daggerheart goblin species, but I am not really happy with this class choice. Though I am happy with the druid. 

These are all just based on my readings of the open Beta and just a little over two days of the final rules. I am sure I'll make some tweaks to all these characters. Well, maybe not Johan and Sinéad. I am pretty happy with how they turned out. 

With Critical Role Campaign 3 now over I am pretty certain that Campaign 4, when it kicks off, will be using these rules. I can't imagine they would want to miss the chance to sell the house system. 

I'll continue to read the PDF and play around on Demiplane Nexus. When I get the physical game (it's the only thing I asked for, I don't really need much), I'll revisit this for Part 2. 

Review: FOR2 Drow of the Underdark

Drow have had a LONG history in D&D.  

This is a good one for me to review now. In my Forgotten Realms (even if AD&D 1st Ed) campaign has a Drow priestess of Eilistraee. I know a bit about her, but this is a good book for me now.

While I know a lot of Realms lore Drow, I would never say I am an expert. Admittedly I learned of Drow via Greyhawk lore and the Epic GDQ series from Gygax. So my first experiences with Drow were in Erelhei-Cinlu and not Menzoberranzan.

It is time I changed that. 

FOR2: The Drow of the Underdark (2e)

1991. Ed Greenwood. Artists: Jeff Easley (cover), Tim Bradstreet, Rick Harris (interiors). 96 pages. Color cover, gold, black & white interiors. Some full-color plates.

For this review, I am considering my PDF and Print on Demand versions from DriveThruRPG.

There’s a certain mystique that comes with any Ed Greenwood-penned Forgotten Realms book, but The Drow of the Underdark lands in that very specific early-'90s TSR sweet spot: prestige-format, Realms-focused, lore-dense, and just weird enough to feel like it snuck out of Elminster’s bottom drawer. 

I read Greenwood's articles fondly in Dragon Magazine, even if I was not interested in the Realms at the time. These days, not with more years of appreciation for Ed, the Realms, and these products I feel like I get a lot more out of these books than I would have say back in 91. 

This was the second entry in the "FOR" series, following Draconomicon, and it leans hard into that same idea: go deep on a singular part of the Realms and pull no punches. Where Draconomicon scattered its gaze across multiple dragon types, this one drills straight down into drow culture, religion, and society—and stays there.

And yes, this is very much a Greenwood book. That means: flavor over stats, dense Realmslore, and the occasional asides from Elminster. Honestly, I would not want it any other way. 

Note, the table of contents does not have the Chapter numbers, but the Chapters do as do the bookmarks in the PDF. 

The book feels like the AD&D 2nd Ed splat books of the time. 

Overview

This isn't just "Vault of the Drow in the Forgotten Realms." It's a deliberate reimagining of the drow as a functioning, if cruel and fractured, civilization with its own logic and diversity. Greenwood expands far beyond the Lolth-worshipping archetype that had become the default by 1991 and proposes alternative drow following other deities, traditions, and magical philosophies.

It's still evil, make no mistake. But this book provides a scaffold for playing, plotting, or writing about drow from the inside out. It dares to humanize them, not to redeem them, but to make them usable. And it succeeds.

Introduction

Classic Greenwood here. An interview between him and Elminster and a naked drow woman named Susprina Arkhenneld. She is finally detailed in one of Ed's more famous videos. In my head-canon, Simon Aumar is the distant offspring of Elminster and Suprina. Great, great grand-son according to the Realms wiki. Not sure how that works in "real" Realms lore, but it works fine for me. 

Chapter 1: The Nature of Dark Elves

The opening sections dive into drow history, physiology, life cycle, customs, language, and, most of all, their society.  We start with how Drow are similar and different from standard elves. This includes their intelligence and magic. 

We also get a bit on driders, which are different in later versions of the game. Here, in their original form, they are the misfits and rejects of the Drow society. 

Chapter 2: Dark Elven Society

Covers a lot of what we know about Drow.

The "House" system is here in all its backstabbing glory, with clear inspiration from both earlier Gygaxian sources and Greenwood's own campaigns. You get descriptions of how drow children are raised (answer: with cruelty and indoctrination), gender roles (strictly matriarchal), and the political maneuverings that dominate their lives.

We are introduced to Menzoberranzan, but many details are left out. Of course, I only know this because of future knowledge. Still, what is here is tantalizing. I am purposefully looking for differences between this and Erelhei-Cinlu. It is like comparing New York or LA (Menzoberranzan) to Chicago (Erelhei-Cinlu). 

This part reads less like a rulebook and more like a cultural ethnography written by a half-mad sage. And I mean that as praise.

Chapter 3: Religion and Deities

Lolth looms large, of course, but this book’s standout contribution is the introduction of three other drow deities:

• Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden, the Dancer, goddess of good-aligned drow
• Ghaunadaur, an oozy, mad god of slimes and the Realmsified version of the Elder Elemental God
• Lolth of course.
• Vhaeraun, the male drow god of stealth and thievery, and Drow aims on the Surface world.

Generally speaking, I like these gods. Eilistraee is interesting and makes "Good" Drow make sense to me. Vhaeraun seems like a god Drow should have. Ghaundaur, though I see less of a "version" of the Elder Elemental God and more of an aspect, or even a fragment. 

This section expands the theological spectrum of drow society and sets the groundwork for future Realms books and characters (like Qilué Veladorn and the Eilistraeean sects).

Chapter 4: History of the Drow

Similar to what we know from Greyhawk, but greatly expanded. 

Chapters 5 , 6 & 7: Magic, Spells, and Magic and Craftwork Items

A wide selection of new spells and magic items are detailed here, many built specifically for the Underdark environment. Drow necromancy, priestly magic, and magic item crafting are all treated with a specific cultural lens—these are not just elves with different spellbooks.

The book also explains why drow magic and weapons degrade in sunlight, a now-classic bit of Realms justification that threads game mechanics and worldbuilding nicely.

Chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11: Drow Language, Nomenclature, Glossary, and Symbols

Chapter 8 is just a page, but a lot of potential here. Chapter 9 covers some nomenclature and Chapter 10 has a Glossary of "Deep Drow." Chapter 11 covers various symbols. 

I do wonder why these chapters were not combined into one, more comprehensive chapter.

Chapter 13: The Underdark

It only has a page here, but the Underdark gets its "Forever Home" here in the Realms.

Chapter 14: Monsters and Allies

The book introduces new monsters, mostly arachnid or Underdark-themed. Standouts include:

Deep dragons, later seen in Monstrous Compendium: Forgotten Realms Appendix II

Yochlol, handmaidens of Lolth, finally updated for 2e

Several new giant spider and insect variants

And my favorite from Dragon Magazine, the Deep Bats.

These are presented in Monstrous Compendium format, ready to slot into your binder, a nice touch from the era. For me, the value here is to print them out and stick them all into my Forgotten Realms binder. 

Jeff Easley’s cover, with its webbed motif and brooding drow, sets the tone perfectly. The interior art is black-and-white linework typical of the time, functional and flavorful, if not always consistent. The layout is dense, with minimal whitespace, a product of both the printing economics of the time and Greenwood’s maximalist style.

The PDF on DriveThruRPG is a clean scan and includes the full content in a readable, printable format. The PoD version has the common fuzziness to the text, but still pretty sharp. Better than most of the PoDs from the same era. 

Compatibility and Use at the Table

Though it’s firmly written for AD&D 2nd Edition, most of this book is system-light and easily adapted. I've pulled material from it for 1st Edition games, OSR campaigns, and even 5e adventures. The gods, monsters, and magical quirks are timeless.

Want to run a Drow-centric campaign? This is your bible.

Want to add depth to Drow NPCs or create political plotlines among rival Houses? It’s all here.

Even just dropping in Eilistraee or Vhaeraun as rare cults in your game world adds immediate nuance to the usual "Lolth or nothing" trope.

Highlights & Favorites

Debut of Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and Ghaunadaur as active drow deities.

Deep dive into matriarchal House structure and political intrigue. Though not everything we will need or read about this, but this is where it starts.

New Drow-only spells and Underdark items.

Monstrous Compendium pages ready for use (my favorite).

Elminster flavor text. Indulgent, but charming, and honestly, I enjoy them more now than I would have back then.

A Few Quibbles

Some of Greenwood’s prose is thick, and it assumes some Realms knowledge going in. It is one of the reasons I avoided the Realms for as long as I did, which, of course, just makes the problem worse. I figured I had to dive in somewhere. I read this and I understand it, but there are still two things that I wonder about. 1. How would this have read to me back in 1991 without everything I know now? And 2. I always feel like there is some bit of Realms lore that it is assumed everyone knows, and I don't.

There's also less about specific locations than you might expect. Menzoberranzan, for example, is barely touched on, later books like Menzoberranzan (1992) and Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to the Underdark (1999) pick up that slack.

And while the book teases alternative Drow cultures, it still feels like 90% of them worship Lolth. The other sects are intriguing, but underdeveloped. Is this good or bad? I mean, I am more than happy to do more heavy lifting here. And in the end, that may be the real point. 

Final Thoughts

The Drow of the Underdark is a foundational text for Drow in the Realms and beyond. It takes what was once a one-note villain race and gives them depth, diversity, and terrifying credibility. I have to admit, after reading this, I see how Drizzt Do’Urden was not a fluke but an inevitability. 

The book holds up remarkably well. It’s a snapshot of the Realms before Drow culture became mainstream through novels and video games, offering a more alien and nuanced portrayal. Greenwood’s love of the setting shines, and his approach—dense, layered, a little chaotic—is as compelling now as it was in 1991.

More than just a monster book, this is a cultural document. And it’s one of the few early Realms supplements that still feels fresh and useful today, even across multiple editions. I am using it for AD&D 1st Ed now. I know I would get just as much use out of it if I were running 3e or 5e. I also printed out the spells for my son to use with his 1st ed Drow cleric. 

Though written for AD&D 2e, its focus on lore over mechanics makes it evergreen. 

Buy this if:

• You're running Underdark adventures in any edition of D&D
• You want to add Drow politics, religion, or flavor to your campaign
• You collect foundational Realms lore

Personally, I am happy to have it in my small, but growing Realms collection.

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Heqate, Queen of Heka and the Crossroads Eternal

 I am working on my next Myths & Monsters series, this time on the Ptolemaic Myths of the combined Greek and Egyptian pantheons of the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt. While the poster children for these myths are Serapis and Hermes Trismegistus, I want to focus on a goddess who is, as far as I know, fairly unique.

While I am leaning heavily on academic scholarship here for this one, that only takes me so far. And in truth, if I am going to come up with my syncretic god here, it might as well be a Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic. 

Thankfully, one such goddess sprang, fully formed like Athena, from my mind. Or very nearly fully formed. 

Heqate, Queen of Heka and the Crossroads Eternal

This Wednesday, I want to return to the Ptolemaic Myths specifically, to the goddess known as Heqate (formerly Heka here), the Witch Queen of the Two Lands and the living embodiment of heka. This is not simply Hecate with great eyeliner, nor Heqet with a torch and dogs, nor even a distaff Heka or a Greek Weret Hekau. This is a syncretic goddess of magic, liminality, birth-life-death-rebirth, and arcane will, forged where Greek moon sorcery meets Egyptian divine speech.

If you've ever wanted to play a moonlit necromancer-priestess, a midwife-witch who communes with ghosts, or a seer whose scrolls bleed truth, this is your goddess. 

Heqate: The Torchbearer of the Threshold

In older Greek traditions, Hecate was already something liminal, goddess of the crossroads, of the moon, of ghosts, and witchcraft. And, of death, the ultimate threshold. In Egypt, the frog-headed Heqet presided over childbirth, resurrection, and divine protection in the womb and tomb alike. Add to this the Egyptian concept of heka (lower case, not the god Heka), not magic as trickery, but as cosmic creative force, and Weret Hekau, the Egyptian personification of supernatural powers, you get something entirely new. 

In the Ptolemaic imagination, these figures blur into one divine presence:

Heqate, the Queen of Witches, the Scribe of Names, the Midwife of Magic.

• She carries torches of silver flame, revealing the paths between life and death and rebirth.
• She speaks true names, unraveling illusions, enchantments, and lies.
• She presides over birthing chambers and funerary rites, the first breath and the last silence.
• Her voice is heka, and her will becomes ritual law.

The Three Faces of the Liminal Witch

Followers of Heqate often describe her as having three aspects (I can't resist a good Maiden-Mother-Crone tri-aspect):

• The Maiden of Moonlight – Patron of seers, dreamers, and witches-in-training. She guards hidden knowledge and initiations.
• The Mother of Torches – Midwife and ward-breaker. She protects the soul at its most vulnerable.
• The Crone of Ash and Word – Keeper of forbidden names and the judgment of oaths. Her word is binding.

Temples and covens devoted to her often use three altars—one facing the door, one the hearth, and one a mirror.

Final Thoughts

Heqate isn’t just a rebranding. She’s a bridge goddess, walking between systems, just as witches walk between divine and arcane, mortal and otherworld, life and death. She offers you a chance to center magic not as firepower, but as language, ritual, and transformation.

The Ptolemies ruled over Egypt as Greek-speaking elites, and their greatest symbol wasn’t a weapon or a crown, it was a library. The Great Library of Alexandria was the beating heart of the Ptolemaic worldview: knowledge as power, preservation as control, language as law.

If Hermes Trismegistus is the figurehead of recorded wisdom, the scholar-priest who catalogues and measures, then Heqate is the figurehead of forbidden wisdom and occult knowledge, the whispered name, the unwritten charm, the scroll burned before it can be copied. She is the sorcerous opposite to Hermes’ alchemical order, not in opposition, but in complement. They are a cosmic argument between forms of knowing.

Do they oppose each other? Perhaps. No more than witches and wizards clash in how they practice magic. Perhaps this ancient rivalry echoes across the ages, playing out in coven and tower, scroll and staff, moon and mercury.

In any case, it is certainly a fun way to set up a god rivalry between wizards and witches in your worlds. 

And if I am being honest. She would have great eyeliner and wear an ankh as a necklace. 

Monstrous Mondays: Hippalektryon

 I am back to work on my next set of syncretized myths, this time my poster child of syncretism, the Greco-Egyptian gods, also known as the Ptolemaic Religion.  I am taking some of the historically documented gods (Hermes Trismegistus, Serapis, Harpokrates) and mixing in my own takes (Heka, Hermanubis), and others to round this set of myths out.

There are a few monsters that fit both the Greek and Egyptian myths very well. The pegasus (as a winged horse), the sphinx, giant snakes, giant scorpions, all sorts of undead. But there are some monsters common to both cultures (Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt) that could also be used. Here is one. The Hippalektryon is an interesting creature. Since it is the combination of two creatures I decided they are sacred to Hermes Trismegistus.

Since my Myths & Monsters series is for 1st Edition, here it is in that format.

HIPPALEKTRYON

Rooster-Horse Hybrid

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1d4
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 18" (Fly: 30")
HIT DICE: 4+4
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: C
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws / 1 beak
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–4 / 1–4 / 1–6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Sonic crow
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to illusions
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low to Average (6–10)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M (5'–6' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV / 210 + 5/hp

DESCRIPTION: The Hippalektryon is an odd and rare creature with the hindquarters, wings, and tail of a giant rooster and the forequarters and head of a small horse. Their muzzle ends in a sharp, rooster-like beak. Native to mythic dreamlands and prophetic realms, it is often found in sacred sites, high mountain nests, or circling the domes of prophetic temples. They most often make their nests overlooking a body of water.

Though physically awkward, they are powerful flyers and capable of delivering swift, slashing claw strikes with their rooster-like talons, followed by a sharp beak attack.

Once per day, a Hippalektryon can emit a Sonic Crow (30’ cone, 10’ wide at base, 30’ at end) that causes confusion (as per the spell) to all creatures in the area unless they save vs. spells. Creatures that fail their saves also suffer a -1 penalty to any Wisdom-based rolls for 4 rounds. The crow may also be used to dispel illusions within 60' (as dispel magic, 7th level).

They are considered sacred to Hermes Trismegistus and are sometimes summoned by priests or sages seeking omens, clarity, or inspiration. A feather plucked from a living Hippalektryon may be used to create scrolls of prophecy or truth-telling magic.

Fantasy Fridays: Man, Myth & Magic

Man, Myth & Magic by Herbert "Herbie" Brennan and J. Stephen Peek and published originally byYaquinto Publications in 1982, and now published (in PDF and single softcover formats) by Precis Intermedia.  

I have always been fascinated by this game. The name of course grabbed me for two reasons. There was the whole "Myth and Magic" side to it all which in 1982 was a big draw for me.  There was the magazine and encyclopedia series also called Man, Myth & Magic that dealt with all sorts of occult-related topics.  

I read reviews for it in Dragon Magazine (#80) and White Dwarf (#41) and was actually quite curious about it.  The reviews really ripped into the game, and I needed to know if it was as bad as they made it sound.  Sadly, I never found a copy near me, and a mail-order of $19.00 + tax and shipping and handling made it a little more out of reach when it was new and all I had was a paper route for spending money.

But I was always drawn to historical games. If I could play or run a game and learn something about history at the same time, then it was time well spent. I have enjoyed quite a few, mostly Victorian-era ones, and others I ripped online so much that I promised I wasn't going to rip on them anymore. 

Man, Myth, & Magic sadly belongs to the camp of a historical mishmash, that is to say, it is about as historically accurate as an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Xena and it is very entertaining in the right frame of mind.  The same is true for this game. Great, in the right frame of mind.  In fact, I think that now, living in a post-Xena world, there is a place for this game that did not exist in 1982.   

For this review, I am going to consider my original boxed set from 1982 (now minus the dice) and the newer PDF versions found on DriveThruRPG published by Precis Intermedia.  In both cases, the material is the same minus some of the extras that came in the boxed set like the dice and a pad of character sheets.

Man, Myth, & Magic

Man, Myth, & Magic was published in a boxed set of three books (same covers), with a pad of character sheets, some maps, and dice.  The PDF combines the three books into one 132 page volume. The original boxed set retailed for $19.00 in 1982 ($55 in today's buying power) and the PDFs sell for $7.95 today.  The books feature color covers and black & white interiors. 

Book 1

Book 1 is 24 pages and covers the "Basic Game" and the game most like the one as originally conceived of by Herbie Brennan.  In this game, the players play gladiators in the time of the Roman Emperors. Which one? That is up to a random dice roll unless of course, the players want something different. 

It's an interesting idea, but...well there are some problems here. According to the back of the box, it is the Summer of 41 CE. Cool.  But Caligula was assassinated in January of 41 CE.  Tiberius ruled 14 to 37 CE and Nero was Emperor from 54 to 68 CE.  The only Emperor in the Summer of 41 was Claudius. Adding dates in parentheses would have been a nice touch.  Let's not even get into the fact that Cleopatra VII, the last of the Egyptian Pharaohs, had died back in 30 BCE, 71 years before the events of this game, but that looks like her on the cover.  I'll talk more about this later.  In theory you can tun this game from 4000 BCE to 500 (or 1000) CE. 

You begin with your Roman Gladiator and your two percentile d20s and roll up your characteristics.  The characteristics in the Basic Game are Strength, Speed, Skill (not used just yet), Endurance, Intelligence, and Courage. The scores range from 1 to 100.  You add all these up for your Life Points (so 5 to 500), you fall unconscious at 20 or below and dead at 0 or below. 

The Basic rules take your gladiator from start to a bit of combat and adventure with the maxim that the best way to learn is to do.   This is a tactic that the rest of the game uses.  At the end of this, your character is ready for new adventures.

The neat bit, and one I want to revisit, is the idea of reincarnation. That is if your character dies they can be reincarnated. 

Book 2

Book 2 covers the "Advanced Game" and includes 40 pages. Here we learn more about skills, the Power score, and the different Nationalities (10) and Classes associated with each (2-5 each).  All are completely random and no real attempt is made to explain why say an Egyptian Sorcerer, a Gaulish Barbarian, a Roman Gladiator, and a Hibernian Leprechaun would all be part of the same adventuring party.  Ok. That's not entirely true, but the explanation takes some digging. 

Up first is determining your Nationality. Again a random roll gives you African, Briton, Egyptian, Gaul, Greek, Hebrew, Hibernian, Visigoth, Roman, and Oriental. Each at 10% chance.   Within each nationality, there are character classes.  Regardless of how many there is an equal chance for any given class.  Most nationalities have a sort of "fighter" like class and all have merchant.  There are two classes open to women characters only, Wisewoman (African) and Sybil (Greek).  Details are given for all the classes, 20 in total, but not a lot of information.  In most cases only a paragraph here and some more details later on.  This brings up a persistent issue, the rules are a bit scattered everywhere throughout the book. 

Additionally, there are two "Special Categories" of players (not characters) of "Orator" and "Sage" or essentially a storyteller and a record keeper.  Much in the same way Basic D&D has a "Caller."  Not much else is mentioned about these roles however. 

This character is considered to be your first incarnation.  Anytime your character dies, you can then reincarnate.  This allows you to change your nationality, class, and gender and retain a little bit of the Skill from a previous incarnation.  It is an interesting idea, I am not 100% certain though that it works. Knowing gamers I see a situation where players would play a character only to get them to die for a chance at a better character next time. 

There is a fun chart on inheritance that would be fun to port over to other games.  Related there are our ubiquitous tables of equipment.   

Some of the other secondary "Optional" characteristics are also detailed.  These include Agility, Charm, Dexterity, Drinking, and so on.  These are really more akin to "skills." The trouble is that some of these you have to roll higher, some you have to roll lower and others you don't roll at all.  There is no rhyme or reason here. 

Combat rules follow and they remind me a bit of Runequest.  Nothing really special really.  Strength points over 50 can add to your damage, Skill points over 50 can add to your "To hit" chance. Combat, like all the rolls here, start with a basic 50% chance to hit.  The Basic game just has you roll. The Advanced game has you make called shots.  Classes with Combat as their "Prime Ability" can improve their ability to hit even more. All classes can spend Power to also increase their to-hit bonus; 10 points of Power to increase your chance by 1%.  Interestingly armor does not stop you from being hit, it does reduce damage taken.

The goal of the game though is the accumulation of Power.  Power advances your character and can overcome that 50% failure rate.  Power also is the, well, power behind Magic. 

The last third or so of the book covers all sorts of additional rules.  Some seem tossed in, to be honest. Poisons are covered as are spells.  

Magic, as expected, is given some special attention, though not as much as I was expecting.  Magic is assumed to be real and work, at least part of the time.  Magic is described as "Coincidence," a spell is uttered and something happens whether it caused it or not. "Science," Damascus steel is given an example. The superior technology was seen as magic. "Psychic Phenomena" which not really an explanation at all, likewise "Trance State" and as "Lost Knowledge."  Though no explanation is really given as to how magic works.  

Book 3

The adventures take up Book 3 and is 64 pages.  This book is for the Lore Master (Game Master) only and is also one of the weaker parts of the game.  The Adventures, while interesting, are a bit of a railroad. In order to succeed the players have to hit all the parts in order and then move on to the next adventure.   

The adventures include the following:

• The Dragon Loose in Rome. Not a dragon really, but a rogue T-Rex.  Not that this makes any more sense, but ok, points for effort.  
• Apollo's Temple. Emperor Caligula sends the characters to the Temple of Apollo aka Stonehenge.
• The Witches of Lolag Shlige. The characters then have to go to Ireland (Hibernia) and rescue a child from some witches.
• The Great Pyramid Revealed. Caligula has issued a death warrant for the characters. They find themselves in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

These adventures are a prelude to the published adventures.   There are some neat ideas here, but the adventures lack something for me. Actually, it lacks a lot of things for me, but I could make some changes to make them work.

There are some encounter tables, but they only cover the areas that the adventures are detailed here. I also have to note there are no monsters here. Just humans. 

One of the bigger criticisms of this game at the time was the then $19.00 price tag, which is about $55 in today's buying power. Now, $20 for a boxed set of three books, character sheets, and dice sounds like a steal. With the PDF at just $7.95, it is a price I think should attract anyone interested in this game. 

The art is in black & white, which is expected and welcome, but there is not a lot of it and some of it is repeated throughout the books.  

Man, Myth, & Magic sometimes feels like two different games, or rather two different ideas merged into one game. I feel that the classic Roman Gladiator/Basic Game was Herbie Brennan's idea and the worldwide game of various nations and types or the Advanced Game was Steve Peek's. Given that Brennan started working on a game called "Arena" which was a Gladitorial RPG. I don't have anything concrete to base this on other than a feeling. 

About Reincarnation

Reincarnation is quite a big deal in this game. This is not a huge surprise given Herbert Brennan's publication history.  His book "The Reincarnation Workbook: A Complete Course in Recalling Past Lives" could work as a guide for this game.  Personally, I would like to use the reincarnation idea to help smooth out some of the issues with different times.  So adventurers from Cleopatra VII's Egypt can then deal with Tiberius and then help in Boudicea's raid on Londinium.   Something similar to the Old Soul quality in Unisystem.  

Somehow, using the idea of the Distant Memory, which, like Old Soul, allows the characters to draw on past life knowledge and skill.  That is easy to do in Unisystem, not so easy to do in D&D like games with very rigidly defined classes. Taking a level in another class might do it. 

Not the same thing, but great fun

There is an interesting game here but I think the concept of it is greater than the rules as presented actually allow.  It never quite lives up to what the box claims.  Nor is it the abomination that earlier reviews made it out to be.  I think most reviewers balked at the price tag and the fact that the game did not offer anything new; at least not anything that meant going through the rather clunky rules. 

It is most certainly not a historically accurate game. It is historically inspired, to be sure, but not by any means accurate. 

The bottom line is that the game isn't good; in fact, it's rather bad in many respects. That is not to say that someone won't find this game interesting or fun. There are far, far better games out there. The game has some things that I enjoy, but not enough to make me want to play the RPG on a regular basis.  

Larina Nix for Man, Myth & Magic

Given this game's history and other tie-ins, a witch character is absolutely called for. As I have pointed out before in my *D&D games, witches can't use raise dead or resurrection spells, nor can they be used on them; witches can only reincarnate. This works well with Herbie Brennan's own ideas. So I am left sitting here wondering why it has taken me this long to make a witch character, especially one whose backstory (and future story) includes reincarnation. 

Indeed, the connection between Herbie Brennan, this game, and his own interest in the occult makes this character a no-brainer. A lot here works well for Larina, but nothing is perfect for her. There are sorcerers, wise-women, and even the leprechaun looks like fun. 

Larina "Nix" Nichols
Daughter of Lars

Nationality: 
Class: "Witch" (Mystic)
Prime Ability: Intelligence

BASIC
Strength: 45
Speed: 66
Skill: 78
Endurance: 60
Intelligence: 89
Courage: 75
Power: 91
LIFE POINTS: 335

OPTIONAL
Agility: 58
Charm: 15
Determination: 77
Dexterity: 60
Drinking: 22
Devotion: 20 (to the Old Ways)
Hearing: 50
Height: 5'4"

Language: 86% (3) Brittonic (Fluent), Latin (Basic), Saxon (Rudimentary)
Loyalty: 92 (to coven and outcast kin)
Luck: 3
Mental: 23
Read & Write: 92% (Brittonic runes, Latin scripts)
Senses: 45
Sight: 60
Stealth: 60

Swimming: 65
Portage: 40
Throwing: 48
Weight: 122 lbs

City Knowledge: 29 (limited, prefers villages)
Desert Knowledge: 5 (none)
Mountain Knowledge: 52 (hills, sacred sites)
Sea Knowledge: 51 (familiar with coastlines)
Woods Knowledge: 86 (knows herbs, hidden paths, spirits)

Magical/Special Fundamental Failure Rate:  5%/ 21%
First Strike Capacity: 125
Basic To Hit Number: 66
Number of Blows per Combat:  2   Per Round: 1  
Damage Bonus: +2
CMF: +10 when using spells, herbs, or improvised items

Weapons Allowed: Dagger, small blade, staff, sling
Armour Allowed: Leather or cloth robes only (prefers no armor)

Dexterity Figure: 17

Spells

• Healing - 1 pp = 2 LP
• Corn Dolly - 5 points of damage
• Woven Cross (Cross of Brigit) - Restores LP
• Pentacle - Turn Demons

Who Should Play This Game?

I would say the PDF, at just under $8, makes it worthwhile for the very, very curious. I have my boxed set, and I am happy with it, but my expectations were low, and my curiosity was really high. The PDFs are good, and Precis Intermedia did a great job cleaning them up and getting them out, so that is also a point in favor of the game.

The game itself is only worth about 2 stars.  My curiosity about it and desire to have it pushed it closer to 4 stars.  Ultimately, I will give 3 stars since I don't want to unduly affect Precis Intermedia games' overall rating.  But don't grab this unless you are really curious (which is a good reason) or want to see how not to design a game. 

There is another group that might be interested in this. Anyone who takes Herbie Brennan's ideas of reincarnation and astral projection seriously can use this game as a guide for exploring ideas in his Reincarnation Workbook. Not my thing, but some one will enjoy that aspect of it. 

Still, there is fun to be had with the right group and mindset. 

Links

• Man, Myth & Magic on RPG Geek
• Man, Myth & Magic (Classic Reprint) PDFs on DriveThruRPG
• Timeship, Herbie Brennan's other game.
• Man, Myth & Magic RPG (Classic Reprint) Published by Precis Intermedia
• PDF and Softcover store
• Character Sheet
• Roll for Sanity Unboxing video

Why D&D 5.5 (2024) Needs a New Campaign World

 I am starting this in the early Winter of 2025, but I suspect it will take me a bit to finish it. I want to set up some reasons why the newest edition of Dungeons & Dragons, called the 2024 Edition by Wizards of the Coast and the 5.5 edition by me really needs it's own new campaign world.

I have spent most of this year talking about how you can, and maybe should, try out other games besides D&D 5.5.  But I get why many would not. 

Today I want to take a different track. That D&D 5.5 (2024 edition) should have it's own game world and embrace the changes they have made.

D&D is Becoming Creatively Stagnant

Let’s face it. Wizards keeps returning to the same old wells: the Sword Coast, Ravenloft, Planescape, Greyhawk. Some of it’s great, a lot of it, even. But the nostalgia engine is starting to sputter. At what point does reverence for the past become a chokehold on the future?

Look, I get it. There is 50 years' worth of lore and backstory and things people can do in D&D that rest on what has come before. It would be foolish to think D&D would abandon all of that. That would be the same as DC saying they are rolling out a new comic line that has nothing to do with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. 

But. The overreliance on nostalgia is becoming creatively thin, if not stagnant. I can buy into Iggwilv saying the hell with it all and running off to hide in Feywild. I get that. I can sorta see Bigby being transformed into a gnome or whatever. Hey, the world is weird and weird things happen. Though would it not be better to just make a new gnome character? I don't know.

I will say this by way of example. A while back, I had a 20-something explain to me who Kas was and his importance to Vecna's lore. Instead of being a dick and saying shit like "don't quote the deep magic to me..." I just let them be excited and share something that was obviously new and exciting for them. Maybe that is why we keep going back to the Keep, the Sword Coast, and Wild Space. 

Sure, it’s fun to reimagine Bigby or retcon Kas and Vecna’s ancient grudge. And I love that new fans are discovering these stories and making them their own; that’s part of the magic. But do we really need to keep dragging the same characters through the multiverse like Weekend at Bernie’s NPCs?

Where’s the creative risk? The bold new mythology? The chance to start over without decades of canon stacked like bricks around the game?

The Grogs who loved those settings will puff out their chests (and then cough a lot because, well, we are getting up there aren't we) and loudly proclaim they don't buy "WotC D&D." Fine. Then D&D should be made for the people who do buy it.

A new setting, unburdened by layers of TSR-era geopolitics and decades of novels, would give writers, designers, and players room to breathe.

Human-centric is No Longer the Norm

When D&D began, the assumption was largely a human-centric worldview with some elves, dwarves, and maybe some halflings thrown in. Each edition expanded the selection of species choice. This has largely been a benefit to the game since people can play what they want. But, many of these new options are not well mapped onto the worlds in use. The Forgotten Realms has made some strides to explain why there are dragonborn and tieflings and for the most part that works for me. But it is harder to see all of these folk in, say, Greyhawk. Interestingly enough, this is exactly the sort of thing I feel Mystara does well. 

D&D’s playable species have exploded since 1974. We now have playable angels, rabbitfolk, genasi, tieflings, dragonborn, and more. The world of the player is no longer a human one with some elves and dwarves in the margins. It’s a multicultural multiverse and that is a good thing.

And yet, the game keeps returning to campaign worlds built for that older paradigm.

I am playing a my first ever tiefling in Baldur's Gate 3 now. It is interesting. There are dialog choices that were not there before, most around "will I be accepted as a tiefling?" Larian Studios at least gets some of the issue with adding some new species in lands with a ton of lore that doesn't include them. But again, maybe the Forgotten Realms was just better at this than say Greyhawk.

A new setting could make this diversity the foundation, not the patch job. 

Look how Star Wars does it. Aliens everywhere and each one is more interesting than the last. In movies and TV shows, humans are cheaper to do obviously (no CGI or makeup) but RPGs should not have that limitation. 

D&D 5.5 is Brighter than Previous Editions, And Its World Should Be, Too

The tone of the game is more hopeful. You are not really murder hobos, you are heroes. The art is brighter, too. The world is more escapist fantasy where the Grim Dark is now found in the Non-fiction and Current Events sections of the library.

Characters aren’t just delvers of dungeons or looters of crypts, they’re agents of change, defenders of ideals, aspirants to legend.

You can see it in the art. It’s vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic. You can see it in the rules, as well with an emphasis on collaboration, character backstory, and narrative arcs.

But many of the older campaign settings were built on a darker foundation. Political cynicism, gritty realism, moral ambiguity. That’s great for some stories. But it’s not the dominant tone of 5.5.

I am running an AD&D 1st Ed game on Tuesday nights set in the Forgotten Realms. I mentioned that at the time of the game's writing (1987 CE) and the time I am setting it in (1357 DR) that there were not a lot of the species running around. I said I wanted to keep the spirit of the original rules for this. I compromised and allowed a "good" Drow and a Kitsune. This is what the new players want and why should anyone tell them no?

Let’s give this new era a world that fits its heart and implied vision.

A New Setting Would Be a Statement

The release of a new setting wouldn’t just be a product; it would be a signal. A declaration that this isn’t just another iteration of D&D. That D&D is evolving and ready to explore new myths, new cultures, and new stories, in new ways. Yeah, if you want, you can still go out and commit orc ethnic cleansing if that is your desire. I'll point out that you should stick to the older editions because, honestly, they do that better than the current one.

It wouldn’t negate the old settings. Greyhawk will always be there. So will Eberron and Mystara and the Realms. But just like 3e had Eberron, 4e had the Nentir Vale, and even 2e had Birthright, 5.5 deserves a world it can own. 

Something new. Something bright. A place where all these design choices of the last 15 years can come home and say "this is our world."

I’m not saying Wizards must make a new setting to make 5.5 a success. But if they want to inspire a new generation the way Greyhawk inspired Gygax’s table or the Realms inspired Ed Greenwood’s then they might consider lighting a new torch instead of holding onto the old ones.

Next time I'll talk about what this would could be.

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Archwitch

Photo by Ferdinand Studio

 Working on a new project. It should be pretty obvious, but I will wait for the full announcement. Among some of the features of this new project is the notion of "Advanced Classes." You have already seen these kinds of classes before. They are the Bard (PHB), Thief-Acrobat, the Archdruid (UA), and the Wizards of High Sorcery from the Dragonlance Adventures book. 

Mine, however, are all occult-based. I have already been play-testing a couple of them, some for a while, but today's is brand new. Based quite honestly on a dream I had Monday night/Tuesday morning. Though, the idea of the class has been running around my head for many years now.

Presently, I have four of these Advanced Classes worked out. Three for Witches and one for Magic-users.  I am toying around with about three-four others for other Advanced-era Classes/Sub-classes. 

ARCHWITCH

Advanced Class for Witches

The Archwitch is the culmination of a witch's arcane and spiritual mastery. Unlike common witches who deepen their craft through occult rites, the Archwitch transcends the circle, walking the border between witchcraft and wizardry. She gains insight into the deepest mysteries of magic and the cosmos, weaving both witch spells and high arcana into her grimoire. Figures such as Iggwilv, The Simbul, and Sagarassi exemplify this path. While many label them as mere magic-users, their roots lie firmly in the traditions of the witch.

Only those witches who have proven themselves through trial, wisdom, and power may take on the mantle of the Archwitch. This path is rare, and most witches never reach such heights.

Requirements

To become an Archwitch, a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 7th level.
• Have an Intelligence of 17 or higher.
• Complete a Great Working, an act of magical significance witnessed by their Patron or coven. Examples include banishing a demon lord, opening or sealing a planar gate, the construction of a powerful magic item or new spell or ritual, or binding a major spirit.
• Be acknowledged as an Archwitch by their Patron or a gathering of at least three witches of 7th level or higher.

Restrictions

The character ceases to gain new Occult Powers granted to witches at levels 7, 13, and 19. These are replaced by Archwitch abilities.

Spellcasting

The Archwitch retains her full Witch spellcasting progression.

In addition, starting at Archwitch level 7, the Archwitch may select one Magic-User spell per spell level, beginning with 5th level magic-user spells and advancing with her own level. These are treated as bonus spells known, castable once per day each, and are cast using her own spells cast per day.

At level 11, the Archwitch gains the ability to cast one 9th-level Magic-User spell per day, chosen from a written copy in her Book of Shadows or from a scroll. This simulates her mastery of the highest arcane knowledge.

Note: There will be spell advancement tables for magic-user spells 1 through 9.

Archwitch Abilities

Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7): Once per day, the Archwitch may combine two spells of 4th level or lower into a single casting. The casting time is doubled and both material components must be used. The effects occur simultaneously but must be directed at the same target or area.

Arcane Communion (gained at level 9): Once per week, the Archwitch may enter a trance to commune directly with her Patron or a cosmic force, gaining insight similar to the Commune spell. Additionally, she becomes immune to confusion and feeblemind effects.

Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11): The Archwitch may cast a 9th-level Magic-User spell once per day, provided she has access to the spell in a written form. This spell does not count against her daily limit of learned Magic-User spells. This ability reflects her transcendence of mortal limitations and entry into the ranks of true arcane legends.

Role and Influence

The Archwitch is no longer bound to any single coven, though she may lead one. Her word carries power in the witching world. She is often sought for advice, feared by enemies, and respected by peers. Her Patron may grant visions or quests of great import. In some traditions, the appearance of an Archwitch heralds the turning of an age.

Only a handful of witches per century achieve this status. Their names are remembered in spellbooks and whispered in ritual.

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

The Archwitch continues to use the Witch's experience table, attack matrix, and saving throws.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

The Archwitch path is only open to single-classed Witches. Dual-classed characters must complete all level requirements before entry. Elves and other multi-classed races may not become Archwitches unless the campaign permits exceptions.

Optional Rule – Ritual Ascension: At the DM's discretion, the transition to Archwitch may require an in-game ritual, quest, or magical confrontation. This may include astral travel, defeating a rival Archwitch, or recovering a lost grimoire.