Countdown to Superman: Superman (2025)

The newest Superman is now out, and I have seen it. What did I think? I loved it! It was a fantastic. I am not going to spoil anything here but I will go over the broad strokes. 

The DECU is dead, long live the DCU. 

David Corenswet is a great Clark Kent and Superman. He is bright, optimistic, and hopeful.  He carries the movie on all of this. There is a lot of "All-Star Superman" here, at least in tone and optimism, not so much in plot. 

Rachel Brosnahan is a great Lois Lane. She is smart, observant, and tough. This is a Lois who will get into trouble.

The standout has to be Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. He is evil, and brilliant, and you want to hate him but he is just so good really.

I loved the "Justice Gang" of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner, played by Isabella Merced, Edi Gathegi, and Nathan Fillion, respectively.  They played their comic roles fantastically. There are good reasons why we have Guy and not Hal, John, or even Kyle. Merced is channeling the DCAU Hawkgirl more than just a little bit.

But the winner is really Krypto. 

I also loved Milly Alcock as Supergirl for the brief time we get to see her. Now I want to see Melissa Benoist as Power Girl.

My theatre was packed and all the showtimes around it were sold out. People seemed to really love it. I can't wait to talk about it more.

It was great. Go see it.

Cameos

John Cena makes a brief appearance as Peacemaker. Not a shock, given it's a James Gunn show. It was also a DCEU show (1st season), and he was in the second Suicide Squad movie. So that counts as a previous series.  Related is Frank Grillo as A.R.G.U.S. director Rick Flag Sr. from the animated DCU series Creature Commandos.

Michael Rosenbaum, Lex from Smallville and Flash from the DC Animated series voices one of Lex's Raptar guards.

Will Reeve, the son of Christopher Reeve, appears as a Metropolis TV News reporter. Looking every bit like his dad. 

The big ones, though, are the opening and closing credits. They look just like the Salkind movies, and the John Williams' score is back.

Countdown to Superman: The DCEU and the Snyderverse

 As I wrap my coverage of the Superman movies, I want to take an aside and talk about DC's first big-screen attempt at an extended universe. Called the DC Extended Universe, or more often, the Snyderverse, this era produced some fun, some good, and some terrible movies. 

Suicide Squad (2016)

While not a great movie, it is fun one. It introduces us to Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, one of many perfect castings in the DCEU, and featured one of my favorite characters, Enchantress. Don't go into this movie looking anything but comic book action and plot. I mean one of my favorite scenes is when Harley sees her old Harlequin costume in her box of things and gets all excited about it. Ok, the scene where El Diablo fights Incubus is also pretty cool.  

Wonder Woman (2017)

Honestly, this movie is a masterpiece and is easily in my top-5 superhero movies of all time. Patty Jenkins was great as the director, and Gal Gadot WAS Wonder Woman. She had huge boots to fill from Lynda Carter, and she did it. She gave us a Wonder Woman who is strong and powerful without loosing a gram of femininity; exactly like she should be from the comics. I know the family of William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman's creator, was thrilled with it. This one might be the best movie in all the DCEU.

Sadly, Wonder Woman 1984 just could not live up to its predecessor's heights.

Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Both of these were fun and were excuses for Jason Momoa to give us his brand of Arthur Curry. They are also fun, but fall just short of great, really, with the 2018 movie being a bit better.

Shazam! (2019), Black Adam (2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Shazam, aka Captain Marvel, "the Big Red Cheese" is a difficult character to get right. He is a kid in the form of a god really. Zachary Levi did a great job of this in the 2019 and 2023 movies and Shazam! was a really good flick. You have to be a fan of the character though I think. Kudos for the cameo of Michael Gray from old Filmation Saturday Morning Shazam! series. The 2023 movie also has Wonder Woman in the end.

Black Adam was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's dream gig in the DC Universe. So much so he was a producer on all three movies. As expected it is darker than either Shazam movie. Nice post credits scene with Amanda Waller and Superman at the end. 

They are not great movies, but fun ones.

The Flash (2023)

Pity the poor Flash. It might go down as the movie that killed the DCEU. It didn't, but it certainly didn't help. 

Let's talk about what is good. LOVED seeing Michael Keaton back as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Wonderful, worth the price of the movie. As janky as it was, the Flash running through the Multiverse and seeing ALL the old Supermen, especially Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater, standing side by side as Superman and Supergirl was amazing. Even the Arrorow-verse, which the DCEU always seemed to ignore as an annoying kid brother, gets a nod. Though it does it in a way that shows they are either ignorant of the characters (most likely) or are being purposely disrespectful. NICHOLAS FREAKING CAGE as Superman with a mullet fighting a Thanagarian Snare Beast! If you are a DC fan, you know what this means, so while I would like to give them a pass on being ignorant on the CW-DCU (Arrow-verse) this shows they did know the deep lore. So maybe they were not allowed to use any Arrow-verse characters as their Arrow-verse character...DC does some strange things at times.  The end with the big "Batman twist" is fun. BUT it was also a sign that they knew the DCEU was ending. 

Now the bad. Erza Miller turned into a bit of a dumpster fire. I mean, he was kinda fun, but never really right as Barry Allen. Plus, we had a GREAT Barry Allen. Grant Justin was amazing. The script is a bit of a mess. Though the Flash having the Flash as the big bad does fit with the comics. Sasha Calle was great as Supergirl, but we never got to see enough of her, and she was gone before we could know her. 

There were other movies. Blue Beetle was fun. There was a soft-reboot, sorta-, sorta-not of The Suicide Squad. I enjoyed the Birds of Prey movie, even if most didn't.

There were some fun times here, but by and large they did not measure up to the successes or the storytelling of the Marvelverse. Trust me, as a DC fan, those are hard words to write. 

I am hopeful for the new James Gunn helmed DC Studios and the new Superman and DCU. Does this include the newer Batman movie? I don't know really. 

Countdown to Superman: Justice League (2017, 2021)

 Now, here we are at what should have been the crowning achievement of not just the DCEU/Snyderverse, but also of DC comic movies.  The freaking Justice League. The ultimate in superhero team-ups, the royal family, as it were. 

Sadly, real life plagued this production, and director Zack Snyder had to leave the production due to the death of his daughter. So, a replacement was brought in. I mean, on paper, it sounds fine. Bring in the guy who had a successful run of genre TV shows and who directed the Avengers movie (you know the #2 team-up), and let him wrap up filming. Well...the problem is that the guy they brought in was Whedon. Now my own personal issue with the guy aside... no, actually not. But I'm jumping ahead of myself here.

For tonight's viewing, I want to cover the 2021 Snyder Cut of this movie. I can appreciate Superman II with both the Lester and Donner cuts. Each one is a good movie on its own with strengths and weaknesses. Each one is enjoyable and cringy in equal measure. I prefer the Donner cut, but the Lester one is still good. I can't say the same for Justice League. 

I enjoyed the 2017 Justice League, but things felt off. I knew it the moment in the interaction between Steppenwolf and the Amazons. These didn't feel like the elite warriors that took out Nazis in Wonder Woman. These were bikini-clad pulp fighting women. Was it Whedon? Was it Snyder? I don't know, but the dialog was Whedon. It was also not the only thing. We know that after Snyder left Whedon reshot a lot of the movie. He also rewrote the script. There were also allegations of abuse, racism and sexism on the set from Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman, though she shut him down), and Kiersey Clemons (Iris West, who's skin was lightened in the Whedon cut, that is where she was left in it). This opened the door for other actors to share their tales of Whedon's long-standing misconduct on set. 

I detailed his fall from grace already, so no need to go over that again. It was reassuring to hear some of my long-time critics tell me, "Wow, you were right back then."  So yeah I really can't watch the 2017 cut anymore, all I see are his attempts to "improve" the movie.

Now, I am not a big Snyder fan boy, but I do think the 2021 cut is superior. It explains things better, the pacing is better, and the character development is much better. 

There is only ONE thing in the 2017 cut that I enjoyed that is not in (nor would it fit in) the 2021. After defeating Steppenwolf Cyborg says "Boo-ya" as a nod to the Teen Titans show. I am sure Whedon's kid watched it, he is the same age as my kids and they loved that show. So did I. 

Oh, yeah, the plot.

Ok, Superman is dead, even though it looked like he might come back to life at the end of BvS. Bruce is feeling guilty and perceives a new threat. So he is gathering up a team of super-powered people, Meta-Humans, to help. Ok, kudos to writers Chris Terrio and Zack Snyder for having Batman build the league. That is a new one and it works here with Bat-Fleck. We get the Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg.

In the 2021 cut Cyborg is our focus hero. He is the newest and in recent versions of the comic Justice League (New 52 and beyond) he is also the newest member. This was drastically reduced in the 2017 cut.  but it makes sense to have Cyborg, Victor Stone, as our way of seeing the League.

Anyway...Parademons are attacking, Motherboxes, Darkseid, Steppenwolf. All BIG THINGS you would want the League for. Steppenwolf attacks the Amazons to get the Motherbox they are guarding. Then he heads to Atlantis to get their theirs. The third Motherbox is being studied by Victor's father. 

The new League decides they need Superman back, though Diana is reluctant. They devise a plan and bring him back. In the 2017 cut they just come out and say it, in the 2021 cut it is built up more. There is more gravitas to it. More, "is this something we should be doing?" It's not quite the same as The Return of Superman in the comics, but it...no, it really doesn't make much sense in either version. I would have done it differently. But he is back, black suited (like the Return) and they are off to battle Steppenwolf and the three Motherboxes.

The ending battle is fun no doubt. Both Cyborg and Flash prove their worth to League as the youngest members. Superman and Cyborg prevent the Unity of the Motherboxes, and Diana shows how she "takes care" of her enemies. She is a warrior with a sword after all.

Watching the two side by side again (and that's six or so hours, was up till 2:30am), I am left feeling a bit worn out, to be honest. Whedon's 2017 version comes off as creepier, a little more sexist (any scene with Wonder Woman and/or the Amazons), and honestly, like he has something against Cyborg. Is that my post hoc knowledge in the way? I don't know, but I will say this for certain: the 2017 version is weaker by any measure you care to employ. 

Though I will say this, Snyder needs to figure out how to trim down his own stories. 

In the end, the differences are best summed up for me in the scene where Steppenwolf attacks the Amazons. In the 2017 cut, he is creepily referring to the Motherbox as "Mother" and telling the Amazons they will love him.  In the 2021 cut, he is threatening them with annihilation and telling the Amazons they will fear him. To which Hippolyta asks the Amazons to show him their fear and to a woman they shout, "We have no fear."

Mera pulling the water and blood out of Steppenwolf was also pretty cool too. 

I am going to say it. If there was a scene with a woman being a complete bad-ass on her own (not counting Wonder Woman) Whedon pulled the scene from the 2017 cut.

Cameos

As I mentioned before, Marc McClure, who played Jimmy Olsen in the Salkinds/Christopher Reeve Superman film series, has a brief cameo as a police officer in the 2017 version and a different police officer in the 2021 version.

Synder himself makes a cameo appearance in his cut. He is sitting in the coffee shop Lois is leaving right before she sees the resurrected Superman. 

Another "cameo" and one very close to Zack Snyder's heart, are the billboards for the AFSP, or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. His daughter committed suicide while filming this movie. He dedicated it to her in the end credits.

I know I said I'd talk about Wonder Woman today, but it is late, and my eyes are killing me. I'll have some more to say on the the other films, Wonder Woman, and the end of the DCEU later.

Iriandor: My New Campaign World

 I was not really planning on doing this. I have enough projects on my plate to keep me busy for years. BUT I also kinda want to this. What is this? This is my new campaign world based on the ideas I began to present in "Why D&D 5.5 (2024) Needs a New Campaign World" and "Why D&D 5.5 (2024) Needs a New Campaign World, Part 2."

So what are my goals here?

The future's so bright.

I want a world that is bright, and the characters have a sense of place and purpose.

The new edition of D&D (2025) is much brighter. I want a world to match that. Plus, I have been doing dark, grimdark, and horror since 1979. I want to do something different. Very different. I am building this with "D&D" in mind, but in truth, it is going to be largely system-less, at least at the start. If I want to adapt it to Daggerheart or Blue Rose (two games I will be taking a lot of cues from), then I can.

This World is NOT OSR or Old School.

Look, I love my old-school games. I really do. I have a solid publishing history of this. But this is not that world. In fact this world is very much a "we are moving out of the ashes of the old world into a new one." If that sounds a bit like Star Trek, well then, so be it. 

I am also shedding the various "pulp" influences. Again, I do enough of this elsewhere. The Witches of Appendix N will continue. I still have old-school projects on my hard drive waiting to see the light of day. This is not replacing those. This is it's own thing.

This World is not for Publication

As much as I think this would sell (based on my post stats), I don't have the time or art budget to make it fully manifest in the way it deserves. So instead, I am just going to write stuff here for it, and people can take what they want. I am not precluding a publication, I am saying that is not my plan.

Welcome to Iriandor  - A New World for a New Age

The world is healing.

Iriandor is not another rehash of a Forgotten Realm or a Gray Past. It is something new, a bright world born from the ashes of a terrible war. Not just a war. The War. For a century, the devils of Hell marched across the land, collecting the debts of power-hungry Warlock Thanes who bargained away not just their souls, but ours. The Warlock Thanes and their Hierarchs are gone now, burned out of history, but their twisted magic still lingers in wild places, where the ground is scorched and the air hums with wrongness.

Now, at last, the world begins to breathe again.

The people of Iriandor are rebuilding, not just cities, but trust. They are rediscovering lost places, forging new bonds, and reclaiming their place in a multiverse that almost forgot them. Floating cities drift above wounded forests. Ancient dwarven forges ring again. The Tieflings, once Hell’s foot soldiers, seek peace as free people. The Forgekin, born as tools, now walk as citizens. And the Elves? They debate the very nature of sentience in their spire-libraries above the clouds. Humans, always eager to explore and expand seek new lands and old mysteries. 

--

That's my start anyway. I wrote the words "The world is healing" in a notebook when I first started coming up with this idea. I like it, I think it is a good introduction to the world. 

Here are some of the peoples I have in mind for this world.

Dwarves

Master artisans, artificers, and called "The First Born," dwarves live everywhere in the world. They are fiercely devoted to family and clan, which can number in the dozens and thousands, respectively. Each dwarf has a personal name, a family name, and their "forge name," the name given to them when they come of age. Most dwarves believe that Forgekin houses the souls of long-dead dwarves, returned to the world to help the dwarves forge a new future. For this reason, dwarves will often call Forgekin "brother" or "sister" even though Forgkin themselves recognize no specific genders. Forgekin prefer the title "Cousin" from Dwarves and consider it an honor to called such.

Elves

They are called Eldryn by humans, but their own name is Naelyar, "the people who endure." They are long-lived philosophers of life and existence. They believe they came to this world at the same time as the dwarves, and as such share a kinship with them. The Eldryn are divided into philosophical factions so deep that most other races see them as separate subspecies.

    The Sylarië

    These Eldryn believe that all living things are sentient. They fought to have the Forgekin recognized as living beings and believe that all life is a precious gift.  Humans call them "Greenhearts" because of their love of plants and all things natural. They are the most numerous. Most are vegetarians. 

    The Talarien

    These Eldryn believe that only humanoid life is sentient, but still all life is precious. Humans call them "Gray Elves," a name they find amusing. They are extremely fond of humans, though some say in the way a human is with a pet.

    The Vaelshari

    The least numerous are the isolationist Vaelshari. They believe that only Eldryn lives are sentient. They think humans are at best animals and Forgekin are abominations. They can and do work with other Eldryn happily, but feel uncomfortable with other species.

Forgekin

Created centuries ago by dwarven artificers, they began their existence as servants, aides, and domestic labor. The dwarves who created them felt there was more to them than anyone realized, thus their name of "kin." When The War broke out, the Forgekin to an individual stopped their tasks and joined the fighting. For their efforts, they were awarded the status of citizens. In the floating city of Aetherreach, the home of Eldryn and Dwarves, and where the Forgekin were created, they are the most numerous and enjoy the most rights.

Some parts of the world still refer to them by the name "Househands" but this is considered to be derogatory in polite company.

Hellspawn / Tieflings

Slaves of the devils, these poor souls were used to fight the mortals of Iriandor. When the devils were defeated and the gates of the Warlcok Thanes destroyed, they threw down their arms and refused to fight anymore. They have since been recognized not as oppressors, but fellow victims and survivors of Th War. There are many places though where they are still not trusted.

Humans

Humans make up the bulk of the world. While the Warlock Thanes were human (mostly), most of the lives lost in The War were human ones. Humans now want to reach out and see who still survives and if there is any left of the Warlock Thanes, to stamp them out. There are always a few that would like to find that power for themselves.

--

I am also planning to add Halflings and Gnomes, but I am considering lumping them together as one species, the current front-running name "Brindlekin." Dragonborn will be there, as well as various anthropomorphic animals. Orcs of course will be here as well as goblins. I do love goblins. 

Yes there will all the classes and I'll add some gods as well. 

Though, I am having my cake and eating it here, too. The time before The War, during the Rule of the Warlock Thanes, would make for a fantastic Old School style world. Gritty, war, diabolic monsters, and power-crazed spellcasters. Both sound fun.

Countdown to Superman: Batman v Superman (2016)

Batman v Superman, subtitled The Dawn of Justice, from 2016 gives us our first real cinematic treatment of DC's Trinity; Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. All while asking the question, what would it be like to put "The Death of Superman" and "The Dark Knight Rises" on the screen at the same time? I guess it also asks the question, what would Lex Luthor be like if he were modeled on Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos? 

Some of these questions didn't need to be answered.

There is a lot to enjoy here, so lets do that first.

Ben Affleck makes for a great older "Dark Knight Returns" Batman. Gal Gadot is amazing as Wonder Woman (more on that later) and Cavil is still good as Superman.

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Eh...well, I at least see what they are trying to do here. It fails, but I see it.

Doomsday is under-used and wasted here. It could have been any sort of monster. Bizzaro would have been good to be honest. Plus, he doesn't even look like Doomsday. They did a much better job with him on "Smallville," and even used him as a quasi-Bizarro creature in "Superman & Lois."

Watching this right on the tail of watching Man of Steel is actually pretty good. You can see how the movie ties in better. Now I am watching my Director's Cut Blu Ray and it is a much better movie than what we got in the theatres. Even Eisenberg's Luthor comes off as a lot smarter and more evil. He is purposely winding Batman and Superman up so they go after each other. His motivation here is not some land grab, but his personal hate of Superman. And maybe a little bit of Bruce as well. While he is still annoying as Luthor, his plans at least are better.

An aside about Jeremy Irons as Alfred. In recent years Alfred has gone from a mild-mannered butler to a former SAS agent who you feel could still kick Bruce's ass if he wanted too. Well, maybe not kick his ass, but he does stand up to him. Oh. He did beat the crap out of Superman once. Anyway, Iron's Alfred is a little droll, a little caustic, and still very, very clever. You do get the feeling that he has a solid history and likely knows where a body or two is buried. 

It does make me wish we had an Affleck solo Batman movie. I know he wants nothing else to do with the role, and the Snyderverse is dead, but still, it would have been fun. Likewise I would ahve liked more  Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne and Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne. Flashbacks would have been good. Maybe Matthew Goode as young Alfred too.  But we are not even getting the Batgirl movie they finished, so there goes that idea.

All said and told, I did like this movie. It wasn't well received, and it's box office dropped the second week (a bad sign), but it was still fun despite the problems. 

Wonder Woman

Let's step aside for a moment here and talk about Wonder Woman. Honestly, has there ever been a more epic entrance of a superhero than Wonder Woman's entrance to save Batman in fight against Doomsday? The answer is, of course, no*. That swelling guitar riff of her theme song? The look on her face as she just stands there and takes his energy and then fires is back at him? 

"She with you?" "I though she was with you."

"You both are with me. And my sidekicks."

Or even later in the same battle. Batman is going to get squished, Superman has had the living crap beat out of him. Wonder Woman...is laughing. This is a true warrior in her element, fighting a foe that gives her purpose. 

Wonder Woman is the best thing about the Snyderverse, hands down. I'll talk more about this tomorrow. 

*Ok, I'll throw Marvel fans a bone here and say that Thor's entrance in Wakanda in Avengers Infinity War is pretty damn good too. But we have been wanting Wonder Woman for DECADES. I'd counter that the Thor scene above has a better analog to Wonder Woman's "No Mans Land" scene.

Cameos

Just ones from the future Justice League and Wonder Woman movies. 

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Witch-Priestess

Photo by Paola  Koenig

Continuing in my Occult D&D related threads I have another "Advanced" Class to share. This is one I have played around with many times for various editions. I like each one, and they bring something new to the table for me each time.

This is a witch dedicated to more priestess-craft and worship aspects of the witch. A true "Priestess of the Old Ways." More so than the generic cleric or shape-shifting druid. 

Like the Archwitch, a Witch-Priestess (or Witch-Priest) begins as a witch, but then transitions to more priestly and religious duties. While the Archwitch leans more into the Arcane side of witchcraft, the Witch-Priestess focuses on the divine. Again my model for this class is the Bard (PHB), Thief-Acrobat, the Archdruid (UA), and the Wizards of High Sorcery from the Dragonlance Adventures book. I am just codifying something that was already there.  (An aside. I'd love to see other "Advanced Classes" anyone else come up with these?)

In my current 1st Edition AD&D game, I have two witches, I am hoping to get each one to choose one of these other paths.  

WITCH-PRIESTESS

Advanced Class for Witches

The Witch-Priestess is the spiritual and ritual leader of the Old Faith, bridging the gap between arcane witchcraft and divine mystery. Where the ordinary witch communes privately with her Patron, the Witch-Priestess embodies that relationship in public rites, seasonal festivals, and sacred duties. She does not merely cast spells; she invokes the will of the gods and spirits of nature, channeling divine energy through her well-honed arcane focus.

Only witches who belong to a coven and who have demonstrated piety, wisdom, and leadership are called to walk this sacred path. The calling is not common, and the burden is great, but the rewards are divine.

Requirements

To become a Witch-Priestess, a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 7th level
• Have a Wisdom of 16 or higher
• Be a member of a coven
• Have performed a significant religious service to the Old Faith, such as leading a solstice rite, sacrificing personal power for the good of the land, or invoking a successful blessing that saved a community

Restrictions

• The character ceases to gain new Witch Occult Powers after 6th level (or if not yet acquired, forfeits future access)
• Must maintain a leadership role within her faith. Either with respect to her tradition or coven.

Spellcasting

The Witch-Priestess continues to cast Witch spells as normal

In addition, she gains access to Divine spells drawn from the Cleric and Druid lists (Old Faith Spells list).

Occult and divine spellcasting remain separate; she prepares them independently

Divine Favor (Channeling Powers)

At 7th level and again at 9th and 11th levels, the Witch-Priestess may select a Divine Favor. Each may be used once per day unless otherwise noted.

Sample Divine Favors:

• Blessing of the Grove: Allies within 30' gain +1 to attack rolls and saving throws for 1 turn
• Turn Spirits and Undead: Functions as Cleric turning Undead but also affects spirits and fey as a cleric of the same level.
• Healing Hands: Cure 1d8+level hp with a touch (one creature)
• Nature’s Wrath: As Call Lightning or Earthquake (minor effect), save for half
• Invoke the Ancients: Ask a yes/no question (as Augury or Commune, once per day)
• Occult Insight: The Witch-Priestess may select one Occult Power from her tradition.

Sacred Coven

At level 9 or later, she may form her own coven. She attracts 1d6+Charisma modifier witches of 1st–5th level, with total levels equal to her own Witch-Priestess level. These followers are loyal but not fanatical, and expect guidance and regular rituals.

Charge of the Goddess

Once per day, the Witch-Priestess may enter a trance to regain spell energy lost. After 1 full round of ritual casting, she regains a number of spell levels equal to half her combined level (rounded down). She may not exceed her usual spell limits.

Drawing Down the Moon

At the 11th level, she may invoke the divine power of her Patron in full. For a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom score modifier:

• Radiates a 15' aura of fear to enemies (as Fear)
• Gains +2 to all saving throws and Armor Class
• Gains +3 to all attack rolls and damage rolls
• Usable once per day, requires a full round to activate

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

The Witch-Priestess continues to use the Witch experience table, attack matrix, and saving throws.

(unless I change my minder later on)

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

This path is open only to single-classed Witches. Dual-classed characters must fulfill all entry requirements. A typical dual-class would be a character who begins as a cleric but does not go past 6th level, then becomes a witch till 7th level, and then switches over to Witch-Priestess. Divine abilities from cleric do not stack with divine abilities from Witch-Priestess

Elves and other non-human multi-class witch characters must seek DM approval for entry.

Optional Rule - Ritual Dedication

To fully embrace this path, the character must undergo a Ritual Dedication during a solstice, eclipse, or conjunction. The rite must be overseen by another Witch-Priestess or a powerful druid, or by divine vision if none are present.

The Witch-Priestess is the living bridge between mortal and divine, arcane and natural. She is the last light of the Old Ways, a candle in the night when the stars fade.

The Old Faith Spell List

A Witch-Priestess may choose the following spells as if they were part of her normal, Witch (Occult) spell lists. These spells are Divine in nature and come from the witch’s patron. 

1st Level

• Command
• Faerie Fire
• Portent
• Purify Food and Drink 
• Sanctuary
• Speak with Animals

2nd Level

• Augury
• Chant
• Charm Person or Mammal
• Obscurement
• Slow Poison
• Spiritual Hammer

3rd Level

• Call Lightning
• Continual Light
• Meld into Stone
• Remove Curse
• Prayer
• Speak with the Dead

4th Level

• Call Woodland Beings
• Divination
• Neutralize Poison
• Protection from Evil, 10' Radius
• Speak with Plants
• Spell Immunity

5th Level

• Animal Growth
• Commune with Nature
• Dispel Evil
• Flame Strike
• Insect Plague
• Moonbeam

6th Level

• Aerial Servant
• Heal
• Forbiddance
• Part Water
• Word of Recall
• Weather Summoning

7th Level

• Control Weather
• Earthquake
• Fire Storm
• Gate
• Holy Word
• Regenerate

--

Ok. I like this. I am going to have to try it out. There will likely be some tweaks to it later on.

Countdown to Superman: Man of Steel (2013)

While Superman Returns didn't wow audiences. The Christopher Nolan Batman/Dark Knight movies were critical and commercial successes. So much so that Nolan was a producer on a new, rebooted Superman movie. Early on Nolan and director Zack Snyder considered having this movie linked with Nolan's Dark Knight series, the title certainly suggested it. They ultimately dropped the idea. The then became the genesis of what has been called the DC Extended Universe or the DCEU, or most often, the Snyder-verse. 

Man of Steel is a reboot and introduces British actor Henry Cavill to the role of Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent. Look, if you read this blog I am going to assume you know who he is even though I have not talked about him here before. Cavill is great as Superman. He is even a good Clark. His portrayal was needed to escape the long shadow of Christopher Reeve, while still being (mostly) true to Superman. Cavil also delivers one of my favorite Superman lines ever, "I grew up in Kansas, General. I am as American as it gets." Coming from an adopted alien played by a British actor. 

I say "mostly" because the most significant criticism of his performance and indeed the director's vision here was that this Superman was a little too dark both in tone and, frankly, color palette.  Jumping to the end here, yes, Superman kills Zod. BUT if you remember correctly, he also kills a depowered Zod in Superman II, the Donner cut, and implies he is left to die in the Lester cut.  Personally, I would have rather he find a way to get him back into the Phantom Zone, but no one is paying me to write movies.

On to other bits.

WHO do you get to play Jor-El following Marlon Brando? Well, Russell Crowe is not a bad place to start. Kevin Costner plays Jonathan Kent equally well. A lot has been made about Jonathan not letting Clark save him. And yeah, it was kind of stupid. I *get* what the director is trying to do here by "Uncle Ben"ing him. I mean Jonathan dies in every version of Superman except for the ABC series "Lois & Clark" so that show that superman can learn a lesson without it resulting in the death of someone. Oddly enough he has to kill Zod to get him to stop. So was the lesson learned? Was the lesson for him or us?  Again, I get what the director is trying to do here, I just don't think the execution is good.

Amy Adams is fantastic. I never considered a red-head Lois before, but here we are. For the record, my favorite Lois Lane is Elizabeth "Bitsie" Tulloch from "Superman & Lois." Though Erica Durance from "Smallville" is also great. The interactions between her and Cavill's Superman are great.

Michael Shannon's Zod is closer to what we might see in the comics. He feels like the ruthless General bent on a coup. Now that his world is dead, he will conquer and remake our world. 

Diane Lane is great as Martha Kent, one of the best, to be honest. She brings enough presence to the role to be the mother of an Earth-bound God. Well. Mostly Earth-bound. 

The movie is long on action, and unfortunately, it's a story we've seen before.

I liked Cavill as Superman. I liked the idea of the Snyderverse. But I am also glad we are moving on to something new. 

The Smallville scenes were filmed in Plano, IL. Not far from where my wife grew up, and not far from where the fictional Midvale would be in the Supergirl movie. Would this count as a cameo?

Cameos

Sadly, here the movie falls down. Look, it's a Superman tradition, and one that should be honored.

Marc McClure, Jimmy Olsen from the Salkind movies, does make a cameo later on as two different characters in  Justice League (2017) and  Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). I'll mention that one later on. Marc also makes cameos in Smallville. Smallville, like Supergirl, was great for this.

Gearing up for #RPGaDAY2025 in August

 August is around the corner. Gods? Really, didn't summer just start? Anyway, August is coming up and that means #RPGaDAY2025 is near. Dave Chapman over at Autocratik, along with CastingShadowsBlog, have announced the topics for this year. 

Here is the text version of the topics.

1) Patron
2) Prompt
3) Tavern
4) Message
5) Ancient
6) Motive
7) Journey
8) Explore
9) Inspire
10) Origin
11) Flavor
12) Path
13) Darkness
14) Mystery
15) Deceive
16) Overcome
17) Renew
18) Sign
19) Destiny
20) Enter
21) Unexpected
22) Ally
23) Recent
24) Reveal
25) Challenge
26) Nemesis
27) Tactic
28) Suspense
29) Connect
30) Experience
31) Reward

Question Prompts (roll D6)
1) Who
2) What
3) Where
4) When
5) Why
6) How

Mood Prompts (roll D10)
1) Envious
2) Nostalgic
3) Proud
4) Enthusiastic
5) Confident
6) Optimistic
7) Lucky
8) Grateful
9) Contemplative
10) Excited

Subject Prompts (roll D8)
1) Adventure
2) Character
3) Genre
4) Rule
5) Accessory
6) Art
7) Person
8) Lesson

As always, these look fun and I hope to have something good for each one.

Countdown to Superman: Superman Returns (2006)

 Twenty or so years later Legendary Pictures revives the Superman series. Complete with opening credits just like the Salkind movies and John Williams' score.  Bryan Singer is one of our producers.

Brando is back, posthumously, using some of the same lines/voice tracks we would also see/hear in the Donner Cut of Superman II (out the same year).

Also, back are Noel Neill and Jack Larson (Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, respectively, from the TV series of Superman), and weirdly enough, Martha Kent is back too, who was supposed to have been dead in Superman IV.

Oh, the plot. Ok, so Superman has been gone for five years, seeking out the remains of Krypton, looking for any survivors. Lex Luthor married a tycoon (played by the above mentioned Noel Neill), and Lois has a Pulitzer Prize for writing about how we don't need Superman anymore. Oh, and a five year old son. 

Lex is played, rather well, really, by Kevin Spacey. Spacey is *problematic* but damn, he is great here. While he is certainly channeling Gene Hackman, he is 

Brandon Routh is not just a good Superman, he is a good Clark Kent in the style of Christopher Reeve. He is wearing blue contact lens as Superman, which is a nice touch.

Both actors embody their predecessors fairly perfectly. It goes beyond saying the only actor who can pull off Brando as Jor-El is dead, CGI Brando.

The movie is good, better than I remembered to be honest, it just doesn't bring anything new to the table. It has "rebound relationship" energy about it, which was never fair to Brandon Routh. He really redeems himself in the Arrowverse. The movie has the problem of being slow and a little boring in places. 

Sadly, I never bought Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. I mean, she is a good actress, just not as Lois. Parker Posey, though, is great as always. I know she can be an acquired taste, but she is great.

The special effects are good, what you would expect from the 2000s, but this look really good. The first Superman movie had the tag line "You Will Believe a Man Can Fly," and this one does exactly that, but it takes a lot more than special effects to tell a story, and this might be a good case in point. 

BTW. HOW is that Lois, who historically has a penchant for getting into trouble, lived for 5 years without Superman? I guess Lex was still in prison. 

I do like the idea of the Fortress of Kryptonite, very Lex. 

The movie's ending scene is very much the same as one of the Christopher Reeve's one. 

Cameos

I mentioned Noel Neill and Jack Larson already. Brandon Routh would later go on to play Ray Plamer "The Atom" in the Arrowverse to what I felt was his redemption arc. He also plays an older Superman in the Arrowverse. This Superman is a combination of this Superman and the Kingdom Come Superman. 

The "Gotham Knights" baseball team is a nice touch in the post Batman-movies world. And Perry White's "Great Ceaser's Ghost!" was fun as well. 

Jason, Lois and Superman's son, suffers from asthma, which I think is a nod to Christopher Reeve himself who suffered from it as a child. 

There are also plenty of scenes in this movie that feel cribbed right out of Grant Morrison's and Frank Quitely's "All Star Superman." No surprise, it was a big hit back then. 

The biggest cameo is, of course, the Salkin Superman movies look and feel. This is part love letter, part homage. 

This movie, such as it is, marks the end of the first "Cinematic Universe"that began in 1978.

Monstrous Mondays: Gnomi, The Occult Gnome

 It is Monday again. My coffee is hot, and my brain is bursting with ideas from the weekend. 

I have often discussed the occult spirits of the alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher Paracelsus. To recap, they are undines (water), sylphs (air), gnomes (earth), and salamanders (fire). These creatures are familiar to anyone who has ever played D&D, but they are not exactly the same in D&D as they are in Paracelsus' work ("A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits").

Now we can say that Salamanders, as shown in the AD&D Monster Manual, are pretty much as Paracelsus would have them, if a little more dangerous. Slyphs are not far off, and Undines, well I covered them a while back. That leaves the odd one out, Gnomes.

Gnomes in all D&D are a species related to dwarves and are about the size of halflings. Over the years, they have become more fae-like, but their essential character stays the same.  I touched on this idea a little bit WAY back in the beginning of this blog. In trying to align gnomes more closely to witchcraft and alchemy, partially due to the writings of Paracelsus.

In truth, his gnome is closer to the AD&D Pech. But I think there is room in the world for one more gnome-like creature. 

Gnomi (Earth Elemental Gnome)
Smallest of the Earth Elementals; Friends of Beasts and Burrow

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 2–12 (3d6)
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 6”
HIT DICE: 1+2
% IN LAIR: 70%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (x5), U
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–4 (by tiny weapon or touch)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Meld into earth, burrow, beast command
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Infravision (90’), camouflage, immune to petrification
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%
INTELLIGENCE: Average to High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Good tendencies)
SIZE: S (18–20” tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

DESCRIPTION: The Gnomi are the smallest and most elusive of all gnome-kin, standing no more than two handspans high. Their origins lie not in the mortal races, but in the ancient Paracelsian philosophies, where they were named as the Earth’s true elementals, sentient spirits of stone, root, and burrow.

They appear as squat, bearded figures with oversized hands, ruddy skin, and craggy features like worn granite. Always garbed in earthen-toned clothes and tall red or blue caps, they blend easily into the woodland underbrush or hillside burrows they call home.

COMBAT: Though not martial by nature, gnomi will defend their homes and animal companions with cunning and fierce determination.

Meld into Earth (3/day): As passwall or meld into stone. The gnomi may phase into soil or stone to escape danger or spy unseen.

Burrow (1” rate): Can tunnel through soft earth or loam without tools or collapsing walls. It is rumored that there elder gnomi who can burrow through solid stone including granite. 

Beast Command (2/day): May cast animal friendship or speak with animals to summon aid. Burrowing mammals (badgers, moles, voles) will often arrive to assist. Some gnomi even have large animals, like foxes, they can use as steeds. 

Camouflage: When motionless, Gnomi surprise on 1–4 out of 6 in natural settings.

HABITAT/SOCIETY: Gnomi dwell in hidden burrows deep in wooded hills or beneath ancient roots. Their homes are small but immaculate, filled with luminous fungi, crystals, and sleeping animals. They craft with gem dust and petrified wood, often trading tiny enchantments for fresh cream or silver buttons.

They maintain deep ties to elemental earth, druids, and witches. Some witches speak of earning a Gnomi’s trust through rituals of bread and salt, and that such a bond grants the witch access to rare earth spells or burrow magic.

ECOLOGY

Gnomi serve as caretakers of soil and seed, watching for disturbances in the root-tunnels of foxes and worms alike. They abhor undead, pollution, and unnatural mining. If slain, a Gnomi crumbles into fertile loam, often sprouting flowers the next day. 

They despise kobolds, of whom they have an ancient feud with. But they tolerate knockers, who they think are way too serious. They also hate trolls, but this has nothing to do with territory. Gnomi find trolls to be large, lumbering oafs and they can't resist pulling pranks on them. A favorite game of young gnomi is "Troll tripping."

Good-natured folk, they appear to be kin to common gnomes and speak the same languages they do. Gnomes think of them as their "country cousins." Maybe not sophisticated, but wise in the ways of earth, root, and stone. 

They are highly sought as familiars by Earth-witches and alchemists, but rarely agree to such bonds unless honored with reverence and true need.

Optional: Gnomic Magic

A witch or magic-user who befriends a Gnomi may add the following rare spells to their repertoire, with the GM’s discretion:

• Detect Metals (as detect magic, but only for veins or ores)
• Stone Whispers (commune with stone to learn the history of a site)
• Salt Circle (minor warding vs. unclean spirits, undead)
• Petrify Insect (preserve a specimen instantly)
• Lead to Gold (illusory glamor on lead, fool’s gold unless renewed daily)

Gnomi do not keep spellbooks because the "rocks and stones teach them magic."

--

Not quite sure if I captured the complete Occult feel of the Gnomi here. I got into a groove and this is what I came up with.  But I like this and will keep it. 

Countdown to Superman: Superman IV The Quest for Peace (1987)

 A lot has happened in the last four years. The Salkinds sold the rights to the Superman movies to Cannon Movie Group, and they convinced Christopher Reeve to return by promising him creative control and funding for another movie. It worked. Reeve got his anti-nuclear weapons message in and both movies were made.

We also get to see Superman's ability to speak many languages in this one. 

Again, I think this one is better than I remembered. Reeve shows off some much better acting chops. Maybe it is me, but even at the beginning of the movie, it feels like the end. 

Don't get me wrong, it is bad. But not as bad as I remembered. 

Mariel Hemingway costars as tabloid heiress and an attempt to "sex-up" the series. She plays Lacy Warfield, who is taking over the Daily Planet. The whole double date of Clark/Lacy and  Superman/Lois is a little too "Three's Company" for me. Take a drink every time she says "Daddy" and you'll be dead by the end of the movie. 

Jon Cryer, who up to this point had primarily been in teen comedies, appears here as Lex's nephew Lenny. Is he Lena's son? His parents are never mentioned, but that might be fun given the future Supergirl/Arrowverse connections. 

Nuclear Man gets a lot of grief, but honestly, the idea is no stranger than some ideas about Bizzaro. I mean that is basically how Bizzaro was created in the Superman animated series and how some versions of Superboy were created. Indeed, an early version of Nuclear Man was more Bizzaro-like. Unlike some of the made-for-the-movie characters, Nuclear Man does make an appearance in the comics. 

The two spend a lot of the last half of the movie fighting, as expected, really.  

Mark Pillow, the actor (but not voice) of Nuclear Man, has made a name for himself in the fine wine industry. 

The headline of "Superman Dead?" in this is a spoiler for the comics' Death of Superman a few years later. 

Supeman finally defeats Nuclear Man by moving the moon to block the sun and then dumping him into a nuclear reactor. Perry White defeats Warfield and gets the Daily Planet back.  

The final speech is very optimistic. Makes me miss 1987. 

Funny note, Superman tells Luthor, "See you in 20" at the end. The sequel, Superman Returns, was released in 2006. So, a year off for good behavior?

Cameos

Jon Cryer would later return in the Arrowverse as one of the best Lex Luthors I have seen. And I have seen them all.

This would be Christopher Reeve's last turn as Superman. In 1995 he had a riding accident leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He would later appear as Dr. Virgil Swann, a Stephen Hawking-like character on the Smallville TV series.  

Countdown to Superman: Superman III (1983)

 Ok. We all know this one is not great. But it has somethings going for it.

First, Richard Pryor is a comic genius, and he is still pretty funny here. He is also a huge Superman fan, which is what got him this role.

Secondly, we really get to see some acting chops from Christopher Reeve here. The scenes of him being evil and fighting his "evil self" are always talked about (rightly so), but rarely mentioned, and even better, in my mind, is his acting as Clark in Smallville. Maybe he has a better grip on his character here, though I would argue Reeve was born to play Clark/Superman from the start. 

Richard Pryor is playing Gus Gorman a computer genius. A computer genius who programs in BASIC, but hey it was 1983. I guess Gorman was supposed to have been the human version of Brainiac but the producers nixed the idea because audiences would know who he was. Like we knew who Gus Gorman is/was.  I mean, don't me wrong. I love Richard Pryor and Gus is not a bad character. Although I can see why we may never see him in any Superman media again. And honestly, sometimes he is a bit too much "Richard Pryor" in this. 

Interesting aside, Pamela Stephenson who plays Lorelei Ambrosia, the "smart blonde, pretending to be dumb" has a Ph.D. in psychology. She is also married to comedian Billy Connolly. Another, people freaking out over gasoline at $2 a gallon. 

The story itself is not terrible; the execution is. In fact, the "Superman" scenes are much better than I remembered. 

Is it me, or are "evil Superman's" darker outfit colors exactly the same as Cavil's in "Man of Steel?"

And of course, everyone remembers the final scene where Gus's supercomputer comes to life and assimilates Vera Webster. Yeah, not as scary as everyone thought it was really. Gus gets off kind of easy here in the end. 

This one did not have much of Lois Lane/Margot Kidder in it.

Cameos

Ok this one is a bit of a stretch but the wind-up peguins from the opening credits get a mention in the Zack Snyder Justice League movie. 

A far better one is Annette O'Toole here as Lana Lang and later in Smallville as Martha Kent, adoptive mother of Clark Kent. Apparently, the casting directors were unaware that she had already been part of Superman history before. 

Countdown to Superman: Supergirl (1984)

A sidestep tonight, mostly because I need to work up the courage to deal with the last two Superman movies. Though, admittedly, this one is not much better.  

Ok, so Helen Slater is playing Kara Zor-El, Kal-El's cousin, aka Supergirl. She is more or less the unknown here. Speaking of which, where is Superman? Oh, he is on a "peacekeeping mission" to a galaxy several hundred trillion light years away." Ok. Why...oh never mind, it is better than the proposed idea for this movie with a sex scene between Superman and Supergirl. I think I read that in Starlog.

Anyway. Supergirl ends up in Chicago, of all place,s where the Omegahedron, the powersource from Argo City (that she lost) ends up in the hands of two would-be witches played by Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro, and their sidekick played by Peter Cook. Even Supergirl's mother was played by Mia Farrow. Her mentor is even played by Peter O'Toole.  Helen Slater might have been the biggest unknown here.

Ok. I kind of forgot how bad this movie was. I mean I knew, but damn. Also, did A&W sponsor this? Lots of product placement in this one. It's remarkable how many great actors are in this, yet it's still so bad. 

According to the map Kara is using to look for the Omegahedron, Midvale is just a bit north of Peroria, IL (home of tomorrow night's guest Richard Pryor), and south of Ottawa, IL (near where "Man of Steel" was filmed for the Smallville scenes.  So, an area I'm familiar with. Funny, I don't remember a Midvale there. 

Ok, so I did like the magic aspect of it. Magic and Superman are sometimes an ify mix, but given everything else, it works here. There is even a great example of the "Mirror Image" spell. 

There's little point in going through the plot here, as the story is thin at best. 

The Shadow Demon is kind of cool looking.

Don't get me wrong, Helen Slater was awfully fun as Supergirl. Melissa Benoist is still my favorite Supergirl, but Slater was still fun.

Cameos

Helen Slater will go on to play Kara's Earth mother, Dr. Eliza Danvers, in the Supergirl CW series. Marc McClure plays Jimmy Olsen, but that shouldn't really count. The Supergirl series is a great one for repeat cameos. 

Countdown to Superman: Superman II The Richard Donner Cut (1978, 1980, 2006)

 I mentioned this one last night when I discussed Superman II and its credited director, Richard Lester. This movie is the original vision of the original director, Richard Donner. Watching this along with the Richard Lester cut is a great experience.  

I will not recount the entire movie here, but I would like to focus on some of the key differences. There are still scenes directed by Lester here, Donner did not complete the entire movie, so this is still not 100% Donner's film, but it is close.

 - Maybe one of the big ones is the fact that Brando is back as Jor-El. It seems that some of the "lost" footage for this cut had been part of his estate and was returned to Warner Bros. after his death in 2004. He appears in the Fortress of Solitude to tell us about Zod, Ursa, and Non.

 - The movie doesn't recap the entire first Superman movie, but it does replay some key scenes. 

 - This cut makes it more explicit that the Phantom Zone prison was pulled along with Kal-El's pod. Also it is not some random French H-Bomb that frees Zod, Ursa, and Non, but the missile from the first movie that Superman sends into space. The whole French terrorism scene is gone. 

- Side note. The special effects of the "new" scenes seemed improved. Another side note, there are subtle dialog changes. Generally, I think they are better here. The changes in the "Lester Cut" seem like they were designed to be "funnier," but often without any point. 

- Lois seems smarter here, and the movie is a little less campy. The big reveal of Clark as Superman plays out differently here. Lois is smarter, but the scene is somehow less satisfying. 

 - The first attack of the Kryptonians is cut a bit, almost to the point where it doesn't make as much sense. Or rather, it is not as clear as the Lester cut. They are deadlier here, too, with a higher body count.  

 - The "depowering" scene plays out differently as well. Brando is back for this scene, which makes more sense as well, but a key scene is missing: the one where Lois misplaced the Master Crystal. Turns out it is not needed, since the Master Crystal survived. It also sets up the Brandon Routh "Superman Returns" (also 2006) a lot better. (Except as noted below.)

The battle in Metropolis is the same, mostly. The fight in the Fortress of Solitude is different, briefer, and it makes a lot more sense. All the issues I had with it in the Lester cut are gone. Well, almost, they all still just disappear into Superman's basement.  Ok, in this one, Superman blows up the Fortress. That likely kills them all. 

No "Super kiss" but Superman "rewinds" time again. I guess I shouldn't be irritated by this, I mean this is something the Flash does all the time.  Though I do like Lois and Clark together. It doesn't explain why the guy in the diner ("Rocky") remembered who he was.

Watching this, twice now, I do wish we had had more of Zod and Ursa. They are great villains, really. Non is not that interesting. 

When that European couple starts buying you drinks.

I can't say that the Lester cut is worse; there are places where Lester had the benefit of the Donner scenes to make improvements. Superman "calling out" Zod when he is at the Daily Planet, for example, is better in the Lester cut.  I did miss Lara, Superman's Mom, getting some spotlight. 

Cameos

Again, nothing different here than the Lester cut, at least nothing jumped out at me. Donner is plainly visible smoking a pipe outside the diner again. 

Occult D&D Begins: Witchcraft, Folklore, and Forbidden Magic in Your Game

What if the real treasure at the heart of the dungeon wasn’t gold but knowledge no one was meant to possess?

Welcome to Occult D&D! This is a new series dedicated to the strange, the symbolic, and the spiritual side of Dungeons & Dragons. Over the coming weeks/months, we’re going to crack open the dusty grimoires, draw some chalk circles on the floor, and invite a little witchcraft, ritual, and folklore into our tabletop worlds. Well...more than I typically do every day, that is. 

Why? Because there’s a whole dimension of play that D&D brushes up against, but rarely fully explores. One that I also find rather fun.

The Occult Thread in D&D

The earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons were steeped in fantasy literature, pulp horror, and old-school myth. You had demons and devils in the Monster Manual, magic-users who studied arcane formulae, and clerics calling down divine wrath, but precious little that felt like real occultism.

Not real as in "real-world belief," but real as in resonant; rooted in symbolism, ritual, superstition, and the tension between hidden knowledge and spiritual power. The stuff of witches’ charms, cursed bloodlines, forbidden books, and crossroads bargains.

That’s the sweet spot this series wants to hit.

What You Can Expect from This Series

Each Occult D&D post will focus on one of two things:

1. Bringing Occult Themes to the Table

We’ll explore ways to deepen your game’s tone with elements like:

• Symbolic magic and ritual casting
• Occult monster design
• Haunted locations, cursed items, and secret traditions
• Folkloric mechanics: second sight, lunar phases, witch trials

2. Spotlighting Witchcraft in Your Game

I’ve written a lot about witches over the years, how they work, how they cast, and how they’re more than just “distaff wizards.” I want to integrate them deeper into the game. Taking cues from my "Witches of Appendix N" series on how witches should have been a distinct part of the games we play.  I'll also likely pull in some of the Satanic Panic era notions where D&D was seen as a "gateway to the occult!"

If you've ever wanted your campaign to feel like a midnight séance instead of a tavern brawl, or your dungeon crawl to veer just a little closer to The Witch than The Hobbit, this series is for you.

I am also likely to review various occult-themed RPGs and related products. I'll talk about some of my own books too, but not as a review (that's tacky). 

Let’s Begin...

Next post, we’ll start with a foundational question: What does “occult” even mean in the context of D&D? Is it just another word for “magic,” or something more primal, more forbidden, and more personal?

Let’s peel back the veil and find out. 

Have you used occult themes in your own games? Run a séance in your campaign? Performed a tarot card reading? Designed a cursed grimoire? Used real folklore in your monster design? Tell me about it below, I’d love to hear how the occult has haunted your table.

Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear what haunted your players, and what kind of magic you’ve brought to the table.

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.