I was supposed to get this as a Birthday/Father's Day gift, but it was backordered. It finally came in the mail on Monday.
The game is gorgeous. Production values are top-notch.
I can easily see this game replacing D&D 5.5 on many people's game tables. My oldest, after flipping through mine, went and ordered his own copy as well. We may give it a run soon.
But yeah, I am rather excited for this one!
Last week I posted about the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, and in it, it had the rulers of Dragons, Diamond, Pearl, and Opal.
As an aside, I asked. "What if the Dragons were divided like this: Pearl = Chaotic, Opal = Neutral, Diamond =Lawful, Bahamut = Good, Tiamat = Evil?"
Since I already updated and redid Tiâmat for my Left Hand Path book, I thought, why not update the others as well?
I have been working on a Dragon book off and on forever, so I have already figured out various mythological dragons and dragon-like creatures to add. To take inspiration for a Lawful Neutral, Chaotic Neutral and True Neutral rulers of dragons was a matter of going through some material I have already written...and cleaning it up a little.
So here are the five rulers of Dragon kind, minus Tiâmat. She is already in my book along with Leviathan.
Note: I consider my Tiâmat to be Chaotic Evil.
Note 2: These dragons are scaled to match my LHP version of Tiâmat.
I'll most certainly redo these over time, like I did with Tiâmat.
Vritraxion
The Star Dragon, Lord of Law
FREQUENCY: Unique (Very Rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: –4
MOVE: 9” / 24” (fly)
HIT DICE: 32 + 256 (400 hp)
% IN LAIR: 80%
TREASURE TYPE: H ×4, I ×3, N, O
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or by breath/spell
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2–16 / 2–16 / 6–60
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapons, spells, aura of command
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic resistance, immune to illusions, charms, hold, or mind-affecting spells
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
SIZE: L (75’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 100%
Magic Use: 100%
Sleeping: 1%
Vritraxion is the embodiment of cosmic order, the radiant Star Dragon who codified the pacts that bind dragonkind. His body is a lattice of luminous crystal and stellar fire, and he enforces balance with absolute resolve.
Breath Weapons (3/day each):
Spells: Casts 3 spells per level (1st–8th); chooses spells related to binding, banishment, light, and planar control.
Aura of Command: All dragons within 240’ must save or be affected as command or geas, lasting 1d4 turns.
Summoning: May summon 2d6 lawful dragons or planar creatures from the planes of Law once per day.
Lóngzihua
The Moon Pearl, Dragon of Chaos and Storms
FREQUENCY: Unique (Very Rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: –2
MOVE: 12” / 30” (fly) / 18” (swim)
HIT DICE: 30 + 240 (375 hp)
% IN LAIR: 70%
TREASURE TYPE: H ×4, I ×3, N, O
NO. OF ATTACKS: 6 (3 bites, 2 claws, 1 tail) or by breath/spell
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3–18 / 3–18 / 2–16 / 2–16 / 3–24
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapons, illusions, spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Displacement aura, blur effect
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Genius
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
SIZE: L (70’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 100%
Magic Use: 100%
Sleeping: 10%
Lóngzihua is a brilliant, serpentine dragon whose every movement paints the sky with color and thunder. Her coils shimmer like pearl and stormcloud, and her presence warps fate and form alike.
Breath Weapons (3/day each):
Spells: 2 spells per level (1st–8th), focused on illusion, weather, charm, transformation.
Special: Can polymorph at will, and once per day can reshape terrain within 120’ (as hallucinatory terrain + move earth).
Displacement Aura: 50% miss chance from melee attacks.
She can also cast illusions, mirror image, polymorph self, and feeblemind once per day each.
Anantanatha
The Opaline Coil, Dragon of Deep Time, and Balance
FREQUENCY: Unique (Very Rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: –3
MOVE: 6” / 21” (fly)
HIT DICE: 31 + 248 (390 hp)
% IN LAIR: 85%
TREASURE TYPE: H ×4, I ×3, N, O
NO. OF ATTACKS: 5 (2 bites, 2 coils, 1 tail) or by breath/spell
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3–18 / 3–18 / 2–20 / 2–20 / 3–30
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapons, dream magic, entropy field
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Time suspension aura, magic resistance
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius
ALIGNMENT: True Neutral
SIZE: L (80’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 100%
Magic Use: 100%
Sleeping: Never
Anantanatha, the World Coil, slumbers beneath the roots of all reality. His voice echoes in dreams, his coils define time, and his presence ensures the turning of the Great Cycle. He is impartial, inexorable, and eternal.
Breath Weapons (3/day each):
Spells: 3 spells per level (1st–8th), typically divination, abjuration, or dream magic (e.g. legend lore, astral spell, time stop, foresight)
Special: Aura of Stillness: Spellcasting within 60’ requires a save or is delayed 1 round
Dream Gaze: Once/day, forces target into a dream-vision for 1 turn. Target is incapacitated for the duration while they see visions of their past and possible futures.
May commune with any spirit, even across time.
He may also cast legend lore, commune, astral projection, and dream once per day each.
Bahamūt
The Platinum Dragon, King of Lawful Good Dragons
The Silent Pillar, The World-Serpent of Light
FREQUENCY: Unique (Very Rare)
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: –3
MOVE: 9” / 24” fly / 6” swim
HIT DICE: 30 + 240 (375 hp)
% IN LAIR: 75%
TREASURE TYPE: Special (H ×4, I ×3, R, S, T, V)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or by breath/spell/special
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2–16 / 2–16 / 6–72
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapons, divine spells, shapechange, fear aura
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Magic resistance, immunity to evil magic
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
SIZE: L (72’ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
CHANCE OF:
Speaking: 100%
Magic Use: 100%
Sleeping: 1%
Bahamūt is the Platinum Dragon of Heaven, a radiant being of sublime peace and immense power. He dwells in the Citadel Behind the East Wind, said to drift between the Elemental Plane of Air and the Seven Heavens. His vast form gleams like a storm of pearl and silver light; when he breathes, stars flicker and silence falls.
He is the immortal foe of Tiâmat, whom he cast into the Deep in ages past. Though he rarely intervenes directly, his arrival signals the end of great evils and the restoration of cosmic harmony.
Bahamūt may choose between physical attacks, divine spells, or breath weapons each round.
Physical Attacks: 2 foreclaws (2d8+6 each), 1 massive bite (6d12+8), Tail sweep possible if airborne (3d10+6, 180° arc, save or fall prone).
Breath Weapons: (3×/day each), Freezing Wind Cone (8" length, 3" base), 10d8 cold damage, save vs. breath for half.
Celestial Vapor Cloud (40' radius). Save vs. breath or become gaseous (as gaseous form) for 12 turns
Voice of Disintegration (12" line), 10d10 force damage, save for half. Structures suffer full effect.
All saving throws vs Bahamūt’s breath weapons are made at -3.
Special Powers
Fear Aura: All evil creatures within 120' must save vs. spell or flee in panic (as fear).
Shapechange: Can assume the form of any creature or object at will (as shape change).
Summon Allies: Once per day, summons 1d6 gold dragons or 7 celestial canaries (each a disguised ancient gold dragon of max age and HD).
Aura of Grace: Allies within 60' receive +2 on saving throws, protection from evil, and regeneration 1 hp/round.
Spellcasting
May cast any spell (arcane or divine) of levels 1–8
Spells per day: 3 per level
Casts as 20th-level spellcaster
No verbal/somatic/material components required
Most often chooses dispel evil, true seeing, heal, blade barrier, holy word, gate, and wish.
June, after all, has traditionally been my month to celebrate all things Basic-era D&D, and this is a perfect choice.
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991)
Edited by Aaron Allston and based on the work of Frank Mentzer, Dave Arneson, and Gary Gygax.
There’s something magical about the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia. It’s not just a book, it’s a time capsule. Released in 1991, this single volume condensed the sprawling BECM, Basic/Expert/Companion/Master (excluding Immortals, which I'll address later) sets into one massive, 300+ page tome. When the standard was established and continues to be three-volume sets for AD&D/D&D, the Rules Cyclopedia broke the mold, providing everything in one book.
I have already gone on record stating that I didn't pick this up at the time, despite my initial interest in it. I was heavy into AD&D, and as a broke college student, and my drinking spending money was limited.
One Book to Rule Them All
Sort of. The Rules Cyclopedia was certainly an ambitious project. Take the well-loved BECMI pentalogy and try to rearrange it into a cohesive whole. By this point, we had already had the Original D&D game, which was reorganized into the Holmes Basic game, which was in turn re-edited into the B/X Moldvay/Cook/Marsh books, and then finally those gave rise to the Mentzer BECMI. There was a lot of play and a lot of history here to try to gather together. The DNA of all of those works is still visible here.
If you are familiar with Basic D&D in its many forms (Basic, B/X, BECMI) you have four basic human classes: Cleric, Fighter, Magic-user, and Thief, and the three demi-human races (races was still used here, so let's stick with that) Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling. Human classes go to an impressive 36 levels. Demi-humans have level limits, but still have ways to improve with experience. There are a LOT of things characters can do in these 36 levels, too. Neutral Clerics can become Druids, Lawful Fighters can become Paladins, and there is more. Magic-users at 36th level get 81 total spell levels. There is a lot more like this. There is also a Mystic class, sorta like the D&D Monk.
I also still feel that BECMI and the RC have some of the best high-level play advice in D&D. In truth, there is a lot of great "D&D" advice here that is great for any D&D edition, but obviously the best translation is to AD&D 1st ed. Some of this advice does exist in different wording in the DMG. But without all the High Gygaxian. And better organized.
The trick here is, of course, not how the rules are the same, but how they are different. A great example is how dragons are handled. There are small, large, and huge sizes for starters. Something we would not see in AD&D until 2nd edition. Plus all sorts of Gemstone dragons which include the rulers of Dragons, Diamond, Pearl, and Opal. (An aside. What if the Dragons were divided like this: Pearl = Chaotic, Opal = Neutral, Diamond =Lawful, Bahamut = Good, Tiamat = Evil?)
Lots of fun monsters here and despite the lack of art (or maybe because of) there is a lot of intersting entries. The entry on Monster spellcasters is uniquely BECMI/RC and something I wish I had adapted more back in my AD&D games.
The D&D planes are covered, similar to the AD&D planes. But only the inner planes are covered.
Some of the best bits are cover the D&D Game World, Mystara, and the Known World. Here we see a departure from BECMI, where the game world was called Urt and was a living world. The map from the Expert Set is back for the Known World, which we learn on later maps is just a small section of the world. AND the Known World is Hollow, which was a revelation to me when I first read it. I rather love it.
Appendix 2 covers conversions to and from AD&D, which is rather fun.
The character sheets are rather plain, to be honest.
Immortals
I call this one out specifically, because it is one of the main differences between the Basic and Advanced games. In the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, Immortals are discussed, but specific Immortals are rarely mentioned. Ka, Odin, and Atzanteotl, are mentioned by name and have appeared in other BECMI products over the years. The conversion notes for D&D to AD&D 2nd Ed in the Cyclopedia gives us this little tidbit:
The Immortals of the D&D system and the deities of the AD&D system should not be converted between the game systems.
They were really set on the whole Immortals ≠ Gods thing. But this works for me since it is possible and even desirable for characters to become immortals.
The most interesting parts cover the PCs' acquisition of immortality. We would see this again in D&D 4e, though in a different form, the idea is the same.
Summary
I have not covered this book in detail and certainly not in the detail that it deserves. This is a masterpiece really.
Larina Nix for D&D Rules Cyclopedia
Larina got her start as a witch in Glantri (the Country) and wanted to move to Glantri City to attend the city's magic school. Of course, this was before I picked up the Glantri Gazetteer. Who knows what I would have done with her had I bought that Gazetteer back then?
For this I am going to use my "The Witch." While not exactly for the Rule Cyclopedia nor BECMI, but for "Basic-era games" going to level 36. It does work for this and honestly the book was created largely based on Larina as my major play-test character.
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| "Larina" by Jeff Dee |
Strength: 10 (+0)
Intelligence: 18 (+3)
Wisdom: 18 (+3)
Dexterity: 12 (+0)
Constitution: 12 (+0)
Charisma: 18 (+3) * (+15% XP)
Death Ray or Poison: 2
Magic Wands: 2
Paralysis or Turn to Stone: 2
Dragon Breath: 2
Rod, Staff, or Spell: 2
THAC0: 6
Movement: 120 (40)
Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar ("Cotton Ball" Flying Cat)
Herb Use
7th level: Temporary Magic
13th level: Permanent Magic
19th level: Witch's Blessing
25th level: Ability Bonus
31st level: Timeless Body
Spells
Cantrips: Black Flame, Chill, Dancing Lights, Inflict Minor Wounds, Object Reading, Quick Sleeping
First Level: Bewitch I, Black Fire, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Endure Elements, Fey Sight, Glamour, Read Languages, Concentration (Ritual)
Second Level: Alter Self, Candle of the Wise, Enhance Familiar, Ghost Touch, Hold Person, Produce Flame, Scare, Suggestion, Calling the Quarters (Ritual)
Third Level: Bestow Curse, Bewitch III, Clairvoyance, Danse Macabre, Dispel Magic, Fly, Scry, Tongues, Imbue Witch Ball (Ritual)
Fourth Level: Analyze Magic, Arcane Eye, Divination, Ethereal Projection, Intangible Cloak of Shadows, Mirror Talk, Phantom Lacerations, Spiritual Dagger, Drawing the Moon (Ritual)
Fifth Level: Bewitch V, Blade Dance, Death Curse, Dream, Endless Sleep, Eternal Charm Person, Hold Person, Primal Scream, Telekinesis
Sixth Level: Anti-magic Shell, Death Blade, Eye Bite, Find the Path, Greater Scry, Mass Agony, Mirror Walk, True Seeing, Legend Lore (Ritual)
Seventh Level: Ball of Sunshine, Breath of the Goddess, Death Aura, Etherealness, Greater Arcane Eye, Insanity, Wave of Mutilation, Widdershins Dance, Vision (Ritual)
Eighth Level: Astral Projection, Bewitch VIII, Damming Stare, Discern Location, Mystic Barrier, Prophesy, Wail of the Banshee, Descent of the Goddess (Ritual), Protection of the Goddess (Ritual)
Immortal Sphere: Energy
This is a good build. This is Larina right before her ascension to Immortality. If I review Wrath of the Immortals, then that is where I will go next.
Who Should Play This Game?
Honestly, anyone who has ever played AD&D or played any version of D&D after this should give this a try. The rules are different enough to be a new experience and familiar enough to make it easy to get into. The Race-as-Class will feel odd to most other veterans of D&D, but it is such an important piece of D&D history that everyone should try out.
The newer Print on Demand version is reasonably priced and easier to read than the previous versions, but it makes for a great choice for people who do not want to pay eBay prices for it.
Links
Quick one today, and fairly off topic for the week. But I spent some time this week on my newest kitbash, the Starship Mercy.
The parts are left overs from all sorts of different franchises, Star Trek, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest. I might even work in some Battlestar Galactica when I am done.
I have to 3D print some items to smooth it out and I am going to use hot air gun (used to peel dry paint) to melt some of the pieces so they fit better. Writing this before I do that, in case I burn my fingers again. Sucker gets hot.
ETA: Worked a little too well, and I melted part of the lower hull. But I think I can fix it.
In the end it will look like a late 23rd-century (2295) predecessor to the Olympic Class medical ship. I am calling it an Asclepius Class Emergency Medical ship. I'd LOVE to have an EMH, but this is way too early for that.
Tested the LEDs today; the wires are a bit short, so I'll have to adjust that. I want the lights to stay on even when the sphere section is detached. I am thinking of installing a removable battery assembly. I'll need to look up the voltage requirements. I have them from when I did the Protector. ETA: Found it, 12v.
The idea is that it can be left on a planet to act as an emergency hospital. I'll get it all stated up.
But I need to finish the thing first.
As per my usual practice, I always go back to my research notes to ensure that I haven't missed anything or overlooked something that I really wanted to do but didn't fit in with the other books. When it comes to my research notes, I'm a bit of a packrat. I lost materials on failed floppies, dying hard drives, and just plain dumb luck, so I keep multiple copies of everything. Trust me, cheap storage has been the biggest quality of life improvement in my research since I first bought a computer for myself (in 1985) or got a library card (1977).
As it turns out, 1985 keeps coming up for me. Part of my research involves re-reading, this time with a little more critical scrutiny, the first edition of Unearthed Arcana. I have re-read that, digging through this huge pile of notes and handwritten materials about games I played in 1985 (some of which will be headed into this new project). There are lots of forgotten treasures here.
Memory is a funny thing.
I am a psychologist by training. My Master's Thesis was on memory, and my Ph.D. dissertation was on information processing systems. Pardon me while I turn introspective for a moment here, but it is jarring to see something you know you did or had some sort of effect on you, and you don't recall it. A lot of these notes are doing that to me now.
Case in point.
In another 1985 flashback, I stumbled on something I am not entirely sure how to quantify. Let me see if you, my loyal readers, have the same reaction that my oldest just had a few seconds ago. Who does this "Masters of the Universe" character remind you of? Not the Sorceress, her younger reflection.
Red hair. Wrist guards. Magical powers. Wears a lot of purple. Blue eyes. Yeah, that looks like a younger version of my witch Larina.
Needless to say, I was a bit stunned by this. I had totally forgotten about this episode, "Origin of the Sorceress," until I saw the picture, and then it all came back. I mean, the timing is right. This episode aired on September 23, 1985. I rolled up Larina in July 1986.
Now, I wasn't a huge fan of Masters of the Universe, but my younger brother was, and I *know* I saw this episode. After seeing this image, I remembered it. I even borrowed the evil wizard Morgoth from this and combined him with the DC evil wizard Modru as a villain in my own games. "Morgru" can still be found in my notes.
There is no way this didn't influence me. Additionally, the Sorceress was the only character on the show, besides Evil-Lyn , that I liked. Yeah, I have a type.
I didn’t create Larina so much as channel her. Looking back now, it’s like she stepped fully formed out of 1985, the red hair, the bracers, the purple, the attitude. Maybe she’s not of that year, but certainly from it. Keeping in mind that by this point, I had already worn out a copy of "The Wild Heart."
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| Teela Na or Larina? Lari Na? |
Honestly, looking at this image is just so odd for me, jarring even. I feel neuron activation going on, but it's getting lost in the translation of the last four decades, like trying to remember where you got a scar. The evidence is there, but the details are fuzzy.
The episode was written by J. Michael Straczynski, the same as Babylon 5. It's not a great episode, but it was a cartoon for kids and an extended toy commercial at that. I remembered the Sorceress as having more power, but that says a lot more about me than it does about my clarity of memory.
What else was going on in 1985?
Keep in mind I didn't choose this date out of the blue. Ok, a little, but there was a lot going on in 1985 that I consider peak for my AD&D 1st Edition experiences.
Movies & TV
"Legend" hit the big screens with one of the best devil make-up effects to date; Tim Curry's Darkness. Not to mention Meg Mucklebones, who was very much like the Jenny Greenteeth that my mom used to scare all of us with when we were younger.
"Return to Oz" was not a great movie, but it gave us Fairuza Balk as Dorothy and the recently departed Jean Marsh as Madame Mombi, one of the scariest witches in film. Marsh would later go on to give me, ok, us, Queen Bavmorda in Willow, and Morgaine/Morgan Le Fey in Doctor Who (one of three characters she played in Doctor Who over the decades). Ten years later, Fairuza Balk would enter witch royalty as Nancy Downs in "The Craft" and later open her own pagan-themed online store. With a small stop along the way as Mildred Hubble in "The Worst Witch."
On TV "The Midnight Hour" ran. Not a great horror movie by any stretch, but damn... Shari Belafonte? Yeah, that was a good reason to tune in. I remember the soundtrack being pretty good. I think I should re-watch it.
"The Third Eye" was on TV, I sorta remember it, but while I know it filtered into my consciousness, it didn't quite have the same impact as the young Teela Na from Masters of the Universe.
If 1986 gave me Larina, my enduring witch, then 1985 set the stage. A stage already filled with adventures from Ravenloft, to exploring the multi-versal strangeness of Killian's Towers (that...is for another day) and more. My notes have entries for Healers, Necromancers, and Sun Priests. Now I can also add more notes on Riddle Masters and Star Adepts. It was a time great productivity.
This project should feel like it could have sat on the shelf alongside Unearthed Arcana and other AD&D books circa 1985-6. I think I owe that to myself.
Not really a "Mail Call" Tuesday, but rather a "Birthday and Father's Day Call!"
Look. I am at an age where I don't really want much. Some time with my wife and kids is really what I want. So my oldest, on his day off as a professional chef, spent his day cooking for me. He smoked salmon and red snapper for me. Fried cod, walleye, and catfish with chips, and he baked me a strawberry pie with strawberries from my wife's garden.
I also got some new game books!
Tales of the Valiant, I have talked about already. The Unexplained is an older Fudge game of the Supernatural and one of the few modern horror games I don't own a physical copy of. I am going to do some more with it later this year when I shift my focus from Fantasy RPGs to Urban Fantasy RPGs.
My wife ordered Daggerheart for me as well, but since it is sold out everywhere I have to wait.
Here are all the other goodies I was treated to.
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| Perfect homemade strawberry pie. |
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| Homemade strawberry pie! |
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| Fish and chips! |
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| Fries (and later steak fries) in my dad's old fish pan |
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| Fried Cod and Walleye |
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| Smoked Scottish and Atlantic Salmon |
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| Smoked Red Snapper |
That huge frying pan had belonged to my dad, and it is at least 60 years old. He gave it to my oldest because I named him after my dad, and Liam LOVES fish. I sent my dad pictures over the weekend, and he said he had found a worthy successor for it. It is large enough for an entire gallon of oil. It is cast iron and weighs a ton.
Having grown up with my dad frying fish in that pan and now my son doing the same, really was the best part of my father's day.
Since I am moving my War of the Witch Queens over to Wasted Lands/O.G.R.E.S. I thought I would try out one of my favorite monsters in this system. Granted converting any monster over to Wasted Lands is pretty easy, sometimes it is nice to have the pre-converted stats in front of you.
So here is the Piasa Bird for the Wasted Lands game, and some background for the Dreaming Age.
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| A Piasa Bird sneaks up on our unsuspecting blogger enjoying his coffee. |
Piasa Bird
"The Bird that Devours Men"
Among the haunted cliffs and ancient river valleys of Cruithnia, tales are told in trembling voices of a winged beast whose eyes glow like fire and whose shriek curdles blood. The Piasa Bird is not a true dragon but a nightmare-born predator, a twisted remnant of the Deeper Dark, possibly a lesser apresaur or something even older. It hunts alone, preying on isolated villages and lone travelers, often taunting them with screeches echoing through the night.
Its painted form appears on sacred stones, its legend preserved in desperate rites meant to ward it off. But when it comes, few are prepared. Shamans cast mighty spells to keep it away, and warriors take turns shooting arrows at effigies of the monster to prepare when they must face it in the horrible flesh.
Piasa Bird Special Abilities
No. Appearing: 1
DV: 1
Move: 60 ft ground, 120 ft flight
Vitality Dice: 11
Attacks: Two claws (1d6 each), one bite (2d6), tail slap (3d6, keep best 2d6)
Special Abilities: Death Screech, Swallow Whole, Tearing Claws, Dive Strike
XP Value: 3,840
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I like it. I think this system conversion will work out fine.
Here are some other stats.
While reading through these, I also stumbled on the Sword & Sorcery Codex RPG, which uses the same rules, slightly modified, and is based on the Everwhen RPG, which is based on Barbarians of Lemuria. So between all of these games, I am pretty set.
The "first" edition of this game was originally designed to be a game of Lin Carter's "Thongor." The designer, Simon Washburn, even had the game up on his Geocities site and encouraged people to copy it and give it to others for free. This evolved to the "Legendary" Edition, which is still available, stripped of the Thongor references and heavily rewritten. The cover above is for the Mythic Edition.
The game is what I expected from a fantasy game of mighty barbarians, evil warlocks, sly thieves, and semi-naked women. Very much the stereotype of the Pulp Age of fantasy, I expected it to be. Except it plays it with an honesty and earnestness that I really want to play a big, dumb barbarian with mighty thews and a giant axe.
The game is full of sorts of great backgrounds that I could adapt it to any old-school fantasy game with no issues and run with it. I mean, honestly, look at the cover of the Legendary Edition. Barbarian standing in a pit surrounded by vaguely eldritch horrors as a tribal shaman gorilla prepares to sacrifice a slave girl. If you think the next scene is the girl's spilled blood and horrors unleashed over the land, then go play a horror game. If you think the next scene is that sword cleaving through the bodies of the horrors and the barbarian killing the shaman and saving the girl. Then this is the game you want. The Mythic Edition cover (above) is just as cool only this time the girl looks more capable. Get her out of those chains and she is going to make some wish they had kidnapped something safer, like a tiger.
The system I have to admit took me aback, in a good way.
I had been expecting another OGL-based or D&D-clone, but instead we get a very nice, very simple system. Character creation is all point-buy, and not dozens of points, but 4. The real joy here is being able to create a character in minutes and get going. I created several in one go.
The underlying mechanic is a simple 2d6+mods vs target number of 9. This makes it very, very similar to Unisystem and also to Spellcraft & Swordplay. I suppose that if you wanted a more flat game then you could use a d12. But d6s are great and they give us boons and flaws. Boons and Flaws are a neat mechanic. In either case you roll 3d6 instead of 2d6. If you have a boon, drop the lowest d6. If you have a flaw, drop the highest. Each character gets a boon or two boons and a flaw. As you advance you can add more.
There is plenty for everyone to do in combat since fighting styles can vary. I appreciate that the emphasis here is on everyone having a chance to be the hero. Sure, you might be a lowly thief or slave, but you still have something to contribute.
The careers are a nice touch and help give your character some background on what they were or did, or what they can do now. Frankly, I enjoy how it is all put together.
The art is good, not up to the level one expects from, say, Pathfinder, D&D, or Daggerhaert, but perfect for the tone and the feel of this game. And I liked it, so that is great for me.
The magic system is very open and reminds me a lot of magic from the time period. These are sorcerers who gained their power through evil pacts or forbidden knowledge. Or magicians who spent long years with musty tomes. Magic isn't blasty cantrips or wish spells.
Barbarians of Lemuria influenced the Everywhen RPG, which in turn influenced Sword & Sorcery Codex. The idea behind Sword & Sorcery Codex was to be able to play at the same table where someone was using a BoL book and another was using Everywhen, and still everyone speak the same language. And honestly I think they succeeded in that.
There is not a lot of difference between the two games. There are some character creation tweaks, and there are some different professions, most notably a witch. But by in large they are same rules wise. where Barbarians of Lemuria has their Lemuria setting, Sword & Sorcery Codex keeps it setting light even to the point of just using humans. This also works well. They do have plenty of optional rules and options like non-human characters and even firearms.
Both game have good monster lists and there are enough in one game and not the other that you are rewarded for buying both.
Sword & Sorcery Codex also has the advantage of having a good print-on-demand option.
The cover for this one is a little "modern." No scantily clad slave girl here. Our mightily thewed barbarian is joined by an equally mighty warrior woman.
The publisher of S&SC, Garnett Elliott, is the same as Everwhen. They have a lot of adventures compatible with both and, by extension, BoL.
German and Spanish Versions
I was bummed that the Mythic Edition was gone from DriveThru, but pleased to see the German and Spanish editions.
The German edition cover seems closer to D&D, but it is still great and has some fantastic interior art. This is also the cover of the new Mythic Edition. When I saw the art, I was hoping to see a new piece of my ex-girlfriend Methyn Sarr, but not this time. Though the magician art is really cool.
The Spanish edition is the same as the Mythic edition, I am happy to say. Save for, of course, it is in Spanish. The cover is nearly identical, but has more of an old pulpy paperback. The interior art of the Spanish edition is the same as the English language Mythic edition.
It is cool to have Methyn Sarr, die Hexenkönigin and la Reina Bruja.
Larina Nix for Barbarians of Lemuria and Sword & Sorcery Codex
These are solid fantasy games and nearly any concept will work in them. But not all. I don't think my "righteous knight in shining armor," Johan, will do well here, nor will my "not at all righteous, but also not really evil" goblin, Nik-Nak, work here either. No. These games demand a witch.
The stats between the two are very similar and yes you can play a character from one using the rules of the other with no issues.
Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 5
Appeal 4
Combat Abilities
Initiative 2
Melee 0
Ranged 1
Defense 1
Careers
Magician 5
Alchemist 2
Scribe 1
Temptress 1
Advance 2
Arcane 17
Hero 4
Lifeblood 12
Fate 0
Boons
Artistic, Attractive, Beast Friend, Excellent Library, Hard to Kill, Magic of the Sorcerer Kings
Flaws
City Dweller, Distinctive Appearance, Lustful, Missing an Eye, Obsession (Magic)
Weapons
Dagger d6
Staff of the Archwitch d6
Armor
Leather Armor d6-3
Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 5
Appeal 4
Combat Abilities
Initiative 1
Melee 0
Ranged 1
Defense 1
Careers
Witch 6
Scholar 2
Temptress 1
Advance 0
Arcane 16/17
Hero 4
Lifeblood 10
Fate 0
Boons
Attractive, Familiar, Magical Affinity: Autumnal (p. 114), Second Sight
Flaws
Amorous, Haunted, Infamous, Witchmark
Weapons
Dagger d6
Staff d6
Armor
Leather Armor d6-3
In Barbarians of Lemuria, she is a Magician with some levels in Alchemist and Scribe. In Sword & Sorcery Codex, she is a proper witch. Witches in S&SC have some alchemist abilities, so no need to double up there since they don't stack. In both cases, she has a level of Temptress. It is a Pulp Sword & Sorcery world, and have you ever seen a chaste witch in those?
S&SC has fewer Boons/Flaws than BoL, but in a real game, I'd combine both lists. I also had her take more Boons and Flaws in BoL to reflect her growing levels.
I am happy with her stats in both cases, but a perfect one would be a blend of the two.
Who Should Play These Games?
With all these varieties and editions of this system out there there is a flavor for every taste. That is, of course, as long as your main meal idea is Pulp Fantasy of the type written about by the likes of Lin Carter, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Robert E. Howard. These are not the races of the world on a fellowship to stop a great evil. These games are action-packed tales at the dawn of time, where one day you are an adventurer warrior, or thief, or pirate, and the next day you are king, and the next day you are back to being a warrior or something else.
These games are all great fun. The grittiness might not appeal to some of Fantasy RPG's newest fans, but who is to say?
Personally, I enjoy these games and would play them more. But I am also happy taking ideas from these games to use elsewhere too. These games cover a lot of the same ground as Hyperborea, so if you like one you will like the other as well.
The system is fast and intuitive, allowing you to learn and get up to speed quickly.
Links
I have put my massive War of the Witch Queens on pause for a little bit to focus on my 1st Edition Forgotten Realms game. It is fine, since I am using it to build up some of the myths and legends that War of the Witch Queens will rely on. While my current War of the Witch Queens uses Old School Essentials, I have been enjoying it a lot, but...I am running into some issues. Well. Issues of my own creation.
Limitation #1: Level Caps and Limits
Limits on levels. I love OSE, but one of its selling points/strengths is its limiting issue for me. Sure, 14 levels is a lot, but I am running into ideas that I want to run for characters of 15+ level. 17th level comes up a lot for me. This is also one of the reasons why I dropped Hyperborea early on for this reason too.
This campaign isn’t just a dungeon crawl or hex-crawl, it's a mythic saga that spans worlds, timelines, and divine destinies. Characters in this game aren't just heroes; they are on the path to becoming legends, saints, or even immortals. And I keep finding myself writing material that expects 15th level and beyond. More and more often, 17th-level content crops up in my outlines. That’s not a comfortable fit for OSE without some heavy modification.
Not to mention level limits on any demi-human species. Of course Hyperborea had not demi-humans at all.
Limitation #2: Multi-Classing
I love OSE. But one place it really falls down is Multi-classing. Yes, there are some rules, but the elegance of the system is lost when you try to do it. It's not my strongest reason, but it is a reason all the same.
Limitation #3: Multiversal Storytelling
I want to explore various worlds and settings. OSE can do this, it can even do it well, but I want to go a little beyond the norm.
OSE can absolutely be used to tell stories that span worlds. In fact, it does it better than many modern systems, since its rules are modular and light. But for War of the Witch Queens, I want to go beyond the norm. I’m not just talking about visiting the elemental planes or spending a session in Ravenloft. I’m talking about fully developed worlds with unique metaphysics, rules of magic, and mythic gravity, all of them linked by a larger cosmological mystery, the Witch Queens, their empowered thrones, and the shadow of The One Who Remains.
OSE can be made to do this. But I need a system that does this out of the box.
Solution: Wasted Lands
When I was participating in the 2025 Character Creation Challenge, I was reminded of how flexible Wasted Lands/O.G.R.E.S. really is.
Wasted Lands is mythic fantasy turned up to eleven. It was designed for heroes who become gods, for magics that shape and warp reality itself, and for worlds so ancient they crumble under the weight of memory. The core assumption of Wasted Lands is that the characters matter in a way that changes the cosmos, which aligns exactly with my vision for War of the Witch Queens.
Why Wasted Lands Works for War of the Witch Queens
No Arbitrary Level Caps
Characters in Wasted Lands are meant to grow in power until they ascend to the ranks of the divine. There’s no artificial ceiling to limit storytelling or advancement. If I want characters to bind a dying god to a black star, I don’t need to “homebrew” Epic Levels; I just use the Divine/Heroic Touchstone system as written.
Built-In Mythic Scope
Wasted Lands expects multiversal and mythological play. Characters can literally change the nature of reality. That’s not just compatible with War of the Witch Queens; that’s the point of the entire campaign.
Flexible Mechanics for Multiple Worlds
O.G.R.E.S. is modular, allowing me to shift between gritty sword-and-sorcery realism, dreamlike metaphysics, or high-magic cosmic horror as needed. That’s ideal when a single session might take place in ancient Atlantis, the post-apocalyptic future, or a faerie world frozen in regret.
Ties to Night Shift and Thirteen Parsecs
Since Wasted Lands is cross-compatible with Night Shift (another system I use for witchy, modern supernatural tales), I can link stories and characters across eras and genres. My witches don’t just belong in this kind of cosmology; they thrive in it.
While the Wasted Lands mythology will certainly be in play here, I may or may not set any of these adventures in the time of The Dreaming Age or even the Earth of the Dreaming Age. I'll use this more as my Rosetta Stone to translate between all the various games I'll be using.
So What Happens Next?
While I’m still using my Forgotten Realms game to build some of the core myths behind War of the Witch Queens, I’ll be shifting the main campaign engine to Wasted Lands going forward. I may still post some OSE conversions or support for it, especially early-level material, but to experience War of the Witch Queens the way I envision it, it will live and breathe in the mythic realms of the Wasted Lands.
This also gives me an instant hook into my multiversal threat, The One Who Remains. I will already be featuring this threat in my Forgotten Realms game, and absolutely for War of the Witch Queen.
One of my conceits of the War of the Witch Queens was to "adopt" all sorts of witches from various games, settings, and the like, and bring them into this campaign. Given the Sword & Sorcery roots of Wasted Lands, I wanted to grab some witches from various S&S games. Some of these are familiar to you all here since I have already mentioned them in conjunction with War of the Witch Queens before: Methyn Sarr, Miriam, and newcomer, Tamsin Shalles. I will feature their native games tomorrow.
Each of these characters is found on different worlds in vastly different times. But the wonderful thing about Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age is that versions of these characters can exist at the same time and place. Wasted Lands, Barbarians of Lemuria, Hyperborea, and Sword & Sorcery Codex all share enough of the same DNA to be cousins. I will say this: anyone playing one of these games can get a lot out of playing, or at least owning and reading, the other three.
I am also going with a pure D&D feel to these, so humans are humans and not the proto-humans of the Dreaming Age. I have already done Wasted Lands stats for Larina, Aradia, Darlessa, Kersy the Sea Witch, Skylla, Tanith Winters, and for two of Grenda's Forgotten Realms witches, Rhiannon and Briana Highstar. And of course, the current Big Bad of the War of the Witch Queens, Kelek the Cruel.
Note: The sorcerer of Wasted Lands is mechanically the same as NIGHT SHIFT's witch. But I am going to call them witches here. Also, since I am moving away from Hyperborea and OSE for this, I can go beyond their level limits of 12 and 14, respectively.
Each also has a homeland in the Wasted Lands that is the closest analogue to their lands in their original games.
Methyn Sarr, Witch Queen of the Fire Coast
From Barbarians of Lemuria
I have mentioned Methyn Sarr here before; she is a great character and one of my favorite things about Barbarians of Lemuria.
Abilities
Strength: 10 (0)
Agility: 12 (0)
Toughness: 10 (0)
Intelligence: 17 (+2) N
Wits: 16 (+2) N
Persona: 18 (+3) A
Fate Points: 1d12
Defense Value: 4 (Battle Harness)
Vitality: 55
Degeneracy: 11
Corruption: 2 (Eyes turned yellow, Aura of discomfort)
Check Bonus (A/N/D): +7/+4/+3
Melee Bonus: +3 (base)
Ranged Bonus: +3 (base)
Spell Attack: +5
Saves: +3 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer)
Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers: Beguile Person, Enhanced Senses, Succubus, Psychic Power: Pyrokinesis
Necromancer Abilities
Channel the Dead (43%), See Dead People, Summon the Dead (65%), Command Spirits, Protection from Spirits, Death Knell, Suggestion (Spirits), Protection from Undead, Taste the Grave
Sorceress Spells
First Level: Arcane Darts, Command, Drain Vitality, Mystical Senses
Second Level: Defile, Eternal Flame, Invoke Fear, Subtle Influence
Third Level: Concussive Blast, Dark Lightning, Globe of Darkness
Fourth Level: Beguile Monster, Kiss of the Succubus, Protection against the Deeper Dark
Fifth Level: Dominate Other, Shadow Armor
Heroic/Divine Touchstones
1st Level: Unique Mode of Defense (Battle Harness)
2nd Level: Additional Vitality Points
3rd Level: Charm Creatures
4th Level: Magical Recovery
5th Level: Great Power (Fire)
Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Evil
Gear
Blood Dagger of Zaggath (adds +1d6 damage due to dripping fire blood), Battle Harness, crown
I gave her levels of Necromancer in this version to replicate her levels of "Druid of Zaggarth" from Barbarians of Lemuria. I figure she gets a Heroic/Divine Touchstone every 3 character levels.
Miriam, Witch-Queen of Yithorium
From Hyperborea
Miriam is the name I have given to the Witch-Queen of Yithorium from the Hyperborea RPG. Though she is seriously viewed through the lens of Greyhawk. She is rather great, and I love using her. I have also decided that her loyal Cowan is a mighty warrior (10th level) named Zavoda.
Abilities
Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 12 (0)
Toughness: 13 (+1)
Intelligence: 18 (+3) A
Wits: 16 (+2) N
Persona: 18 (+3) N
Fate Points: 1d12
Defense Value: 9
Vitality: 68
Degeneracy: 6
Corruption: 1 (Aura of discomfort)
Check Bonus (A/N/D): +7/+4/+3
Melee Bonus: +3 (base)
Ranged Bonus: +3 (base)
Spell Attack: +8
Saves: +4 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer).
Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers (5): Astral Projection, Succubus, Psychic Power: ESP, Beguile, Shadow Walking
Sorceress Spells
First Level: Beast Speech, Command, Chill Ray, Night Vision, Drain Vitality
Second Level: Invoke Fear, Animal Summoning, Subtle Influence, Defile, See Invisible
Third Level: Dark Lightning, Curse, Clairvoyance, Globe of Darkness
Fourth Level: Black Tentacles, Protection against the Deeper Dark, Forbearance of Dimensional Travel, Kiss of the Succubus
Fifth Level: Banishment, Create Soul Vessel, Dominate Other, Shadow Armor
Sixth Level: Destroy Undead, Shadow Duplicate, Uluation of the Deeper Dark
Seventh Level: Wave of Mutilation, Widdershins Dance
Eighth Level: Gaze of the Abyss
Heroic/Divine Touchstones
1st Level: Sense the Presence of the Deeper Dark
2nd Level: Luck Benefit
3rd Level: Spirit Guide
4th Level: Magical Recovery
5th Level: Glamour
Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Evil, Deeper Dark
Gear
Leather Armor, dagger, crown
Miriam has evolved some since I first stated her up. She has been moving to a witch of the Old Ones for some time now. In the Wasted Lands she would likely be that witch trying to bring the Old Ones back.
Tamsin Shalles
From Sword & Sorcery Codex
Tamsin is a new one for me. I have been playing around with the Sword & Sorcery Codex (see tomorrow), and it is a great system and has a lot to offer in terms of feel and style. It can do about 80% of what I want. She is not as powerful as the other two, not yet anyway.
Abilities
Strength: 11 (0)
Agility: 13 (+1) N
Toughness: 13 (+1)
Intelligence: 16 (+2) N
Wits: 14 (+1)
Persona: 16 (+2) A
Fate Points: 1d8
Defense Value: 8
Vitality: 30
Degeneracy: 2
Corruption: 0
Check Bonus (A/N/D): +4/+2/+1
Melee Bonus: +2 (base)
Ranged Bonus: +2 (base)
Spell Attack: +x
Saves: +2 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer).
Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers (2): Beguile Person, Succubus
Renegade Abilities
Improved Defense, Ranged Combat, Stealth Skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-2), Perception, Vital Strike x2
Stealth Skills
Open Locks: 25%
Bypass Traps: 20%
Sleight of Hand: 30%
Sneak: 30%
Sorceress Spells
First Level: Summon Familiar (Imp), Mystical Senses, Armor of Earth
Second Level: Vampiric Augmentation, Eternal Flame
Third Level: Oily Cloud of the Deeper Dark
Heroic/Divine Touchstones
1st Level: Psychic Power: Glamour
2nd Level: Additional use of Beguile
Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Summoning
Gear
Dagger
She isn't quite there yet, but her specialty will be demon summoning and control. Right now, she relies on her charms (natural and supernatural) along with her renegade skills to cheat and con her way through most situations.
I gave each of them the Beguile and Succubus powers to cover the levels of "Temptress" both Tamsin and Methyn have, and I assume Miriam would have. Beguile to well...beguile, and succubus to cause the up close damage.
These women are all evil and up to no good and I can't help but love them all. If they could put aside their mutual hate, they could team up and be a force to be reckoned with.
I kinda want a mini-series of War of the Witch Queens now to just cover these three and their drama. They are not responsible for the death of the High Witch Queen, but they are all vying for her throne.
Doing these reminds me how much fun Wasted Lands really is.
