Character Creation Challenge: Day 4, Áine nic Elatha

Photo by T Leish

Today I want to revisit Áine nic Elatha from the 2021 challenge. She is my "Rules Check" of a witch priestess. Yesterday, I gave you all Branwen (Witch Priestess) and Eira (Wicce). Áine began life as a magic-user, but has switched over to cleric as a "Rules as Written" cleric. 

She is, essentially, a moon witch or a priestess of the Old Faith. Her concept aligns with a cleric. Instead of worshiping the Goddess of the Moon, she worships the Moon cycles themselves, the natural rhythm waxing and waning, full and dark. What I would do is limit her spells to ones witches would use.

Now there is the issue that she has levels of the Magic-user class. This may be how her magic came about. Áine began as a Dragon #43 witch, but this would be her moving from Moldvay Basic to Advanced D&D. 

Turning Undead

One of the cleric's defining features is their ability to turn undead. How do I factor this into the powers of a witch? Something my Witch Priestess and Wicce (at present) can't do. Throughout my development of the witch class I have gone back and forth on whether or not a witch should be able to turn undead, or command them. Over the last 20 years or so I have been in the camp that they should not. Undead turning is one of the things that make the cleric special. Hell, it was why I first played a cleric to be honest; I wanted to play a vampire hunter. I have allowed witches to take a "Turn Undead" spell.

Áine, who is a cleric mechanically speaking, can turn undead. But I dress it up in occult practice, not divine ones. So she does not hold up a holy symbol and ask for a benediction from her god. She lights a candle and rings a small bell. 

I like this. For her. But as I have played this character off and on over the last couple of years I don't think it is a power I want for the Wicce (cleric subclass) or the Witch Priestess (witch advanced class). 

Áine nic Elatha
Human 1st level Magic-user/4th level Cleric
Neutral Good

Secondary Skill: Astrologer

S: 10
I: 14
W: 17
D: 11
C: 12
Ch: 11

Paralysis/Poison: 9
Petrify/Polymorph: 12
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 13
Breath Weapon: 15
Spells: 14

AC: 10 (no armor)
HP: 20
THAC0: 18

Weapon
Staff 1d6

Spells (Cleric)
First level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Light, Purify Food & Drink, Remove Fear, Sanctuary 
Second: Augury, Detect Charm, Hold Person, Resist fire

Spells (Magic-user)
First level: Sleep

Turn Undead.

Theme Song: Bell, Book and Candle

In addition to filling the role of a priestess of the old faith, Áine daughter of Elatha, does all the horoscopes for the coven or party. There is no real mechanical benefit here, but if characters act in concordance with their horoscopes then I'd grant them 10 xp or something like that.

The Hex Girls: 25+ Years Later, Still the Coolest Thing Scooby-Doo Ever Did

It has been a little over 25 years since The Hex Girls first appeared in Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost, and I’m still comfortable saying this out loud: they are the coolest thing Scooby-Doo ever did, by accident or otherwise.

While I am sure I watched “Dark Shadows” before Scooby-Doo, there is no doubt that my desire to put horror into all my games, or at least the trappings of horror, comes from Scooby-Doo.

Scooby-Doo has always flirted with horror aesthetics, but the Hex Girls went further. They weren’t jokes, they weren’t villains in disguise, and they weren’t watered-down “spooky” window dressing. Thorn, Dusk, and Luna were confident, stylish, openly witchy, and most importantly, utterly uninterested in apologizing for any of it. In 1999, that was rare, especially in a cartoon aimed at kids.

What still impresses me is how unforced it all felt. The Hex Girls weren’t parody goths or moral lessons. They were just… cool. Musical witches who leaned into the aesthetic without winking at the audience. Scooby-Doo didn’t mock them, didn’t explain them away, and didn’t try to soften them. It simply let them exist, and that trust is probably why they stuck.

A lot of spooky or “dark” characters from that era feel dated now. The Hex Girls don’t. If anything, they feel more modern than many characters that came after them.

Fourteen Years of Writing About the Hex Girls (and Why I Keep Coming Back...and So Do You)

Today is also a quieter anniversary for me. It’s been 14 years to the day since the Hex Girls first appeared on The Other Side. I didn’t plan that kind of long-term relationship with a cartoon band, but here we are.

Looking back at those early posts from 2009 and 2010, what strikes me is how little my core reaction has changed. I liked them then for the same reason I like them now. They sit at a very particular crossroads of things I’ve always been interested in: witches, outsider magic, gothic aesthetics, and female characters who are defined by agency rather than trauma or redemption arcs.

Over the years, my writing has expanded outward. But the Hex Girls never stopped feeling relevant to that conversation. They weren’t just a phase or a nostalgic bookmark. They were an early example of something that would keep echoing through my work: witches as protagonists, not warnings.

That’s probably why I keep circling back to them. Not because they’re “retro,” but because they still work. They still feel honest. And in a media landscape that keeps rediscovering and rebranding “spooky girls,” the Hex Girls remain refreshingly uninterested in reinvention.

Some characters fade into nostalgia.

The Hex Girls moved in, lit some candles, and stayed.

And to be perfectly honest, you all keep coming back as well. My Hex Girl posts are some of the most frequented posts here. Hell, whole blocks of text I have written here have been used elsewhere and declared “canon” by others. 

The Hex Girls for AD&D 1st Edition

The Hex Girls are a great test case for me. That is, how can I do “bards” without resorting to the Bard class, and how can I do “witch” without creating a new witch class? Sure, I could port one of my Basic witches over, or even use one of the dozen or so witches I have laying around here. But let's go with Rule As Written for right now...well, I am going to add one thing.

The Hex Girls are a Coven in all but name. Though they do call each other “sister.”

Thorn

3rd-level human Cleric, Chaotic Good

Secondary Skill: Performer*

S: 10
I: 14
W: 16
D: 12
C: 12
Ch: 17

Paralysis/Poison: 10
Petrify/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 14
Breath Weapon: 16
Spells: 15

AC: 8 (Ring of Protection +2)
HP: 11
THAC0: 20

Weapon
Dagger 1d4/1d3

Spells (Cleric)
First level: Bless, Faerie Fire, Light, Remove Fear
Second level: Hold Person, Speak with Animals, Resist Fire

Thorn is the leader of the group, the main singer and lute player, and the most spiritual of the group. The rings the girls wear are a gift from her grandmother.

I wanted her to be a druid (better fit) but I also wanted her Chaotic Good.

Luna
2nd-level human Magic-user, Chaotic Good

Secondary Skill: Performer

S: 11
I: 16
W: 15
D: 14
C: 12
Ch: 17

Paralysis/Poison: 14
Petrify/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 15
Spells: 12

AC: 9 (Ring of Protection +1)
HP: 5
THAC0: 20

Weapon
Dagger 1d4/1d3

Spells (Magic-user)
First level: Dancing Lights, Comprehend Languages

In the Scooby-doo universe Luna plays the keyboards; here she plays a harp. Though there are harpsichords and spinets. She can play those as well. 

She is a Magic-user since I always see her as the “smart one.” Her spells are mainly to help with performances.

Dusk
2nd-level human Illusionist, Chaotic Good

Secondary Skill: Performer

S: 13
I: 16
W: 12
D: 16
C: 14
Ch: 15

Paralysis/Poison: 14
Petrify/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 11
Breath Weapon: 15
Spells: 12

AC: 7 (Dex, Ring of Protection +2)
HP: 7
THAC0: 20

Weapon
Dagger 1d4/1d3

Spells (Illusionist)
First level: Audible Glammer, Color Spray

Dusk is our drummer. She remains largely the same. I gave her the Illusionist class since I feel she would be good at it and like Luna, her spells aid in the performances.

My one cheat is the Secondary Skill: Performer entry. This assumes the girls had musical training before taking up their class. This fits with AD&D 1st ed, allows me to fill the role of “bard” without getting bogged down in AD&D's bard class. 

If I were to do them for D&D 5th Edition, each would have a level or so of Bard before branching off to other classes. 

Links

Mine

• Scooby Doo Day: Hex Girls and Earth-27
• Here’s to Us: Hex Girls and Special Guest…
• Dark Places and Demogorgons
• Those Meddling Kids
• Cortex: Hex Girls 
• New: Hex Girls! 
• Hex Girls Season 2 for Cartoon Action Hour 
• Hex Girls 

Other Links

• Wikipedia
• The Witch's Ghost
• Hex Girls, Scoobypedia
• Hex Girls (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated), Scoobypedia
• Visual Evolution of the Hex Girls, Reddit

I love that Reddit link; the girls were initially named Serena, Sabrina, and Samantha. All witches. And Samantha/Dusk looked really cool. And the less we talk about the “Velma” versions the better.

Monstrous Monday: Capricorn (Zodiac)

Growing up, I wanted to be an astrophysicist. My "wall" came in the form of Calculus II. While I am good at math, this one broke me. Which is ok, because by the time I was failing that class, I had discovered that I was also really, really good with computers and psychology.  

I mention this because every so often in writing about witches, astrology comes up. I am not going to get into why astrology is completely bogus here. No point. I am at least going to recognize how it can or at least could be used in my Occult D&D idea. That's a future post to be sure.

Since today is December 22, the Winter Solstice, it also marks the day that the sun enters Capricorn, for both Astronomy and Astrology.

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

CAPRICORN (Sea-Goat)

FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1–4
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12" (land), 15" (swim)
HIT DICE: 3+2
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–4 / 1–6 (horns, bite)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Butt
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal (1)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M (6' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
XP VALUE: 95 + 4/hp

The Capricorn is a curious hybrid creature with the forequarters of a mountain goat and the hindquarters of a powerful fish or dolphin-like tail. It is equally at home scrambling across seaside cliffs or diving into deep, cold waters. Most are wary but not aggressive unless threatened or defending young.

A Capricorn fights with horned head-butts and snapping bites. If charging downhill or from a rocky ledge, it may butt for double damage on its first successful attack.

Capricorns dwell along rugged coastlines, sea cliffs, and cold island chains. They are usually encountered alone or in small family pods. Sailors consider sightings of mundane Capricorns a sign of harsh weather ahead.

--

Good, but I can go more occult with this. Maybe something more akin to a Witch or Warlock patron.

CAPRICORN
The Sea-Goat, Warden of the Deep Winter, Keeper of the Long Path (Zodiac Patron)

FREQUENCY: Unique
NO. APPEARING: 1 (never encountered accidentally)
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 15" (land), 18" (swim)
HIT DICE: 10+5
% IN LAIR: 75%
TREASURE TYPE: H, S, plus occult knowledge
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2–8 / 2–8 / 2–12 (horns, hooves, tidal bite)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Crushing Tide, Inevitable Charge, Binding Oath
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Cold immunity, fate ward, patron’s reserve
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Very High (16)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
SIZE: L (12' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
XP VALUE: 6,500+

Capricorn is not merely a celestial beast, but a cosmic office. It is the embodiment of endurance, sacrifice, patience, and the cruel mercy of time. Where other patrons tempt, seduce, or inspire, Capricorn tests.

Witches who invoke Capricorn do not gain easy power. They gain lasting power, earned through restraint, discipline, and acceptance of loss.

Capricorn favors witches who:

• Endure long trials
• Keep oaths even when inconvenient
• Accept isolation, exile, or slow ascension
• Practice winter magic, sea magic, fate magic, or Saturnine rites

Special Abilities

Crushing Tide

Once every 3 rounds, Capricorn may unleash a roaring surge of astral seawater in a 30-foot cone. Damage is 3d6, save vs. breath weapon for half. Creatures failing their save must also save vs. paralysis or be knocked prone.

Symbolically, this represents the slow but unstoppable force of time and consequence.

Inevitable Charge

When Capricorn charges, the target must save vs. paralysis or suffer double horn damage and be driven back 10 feet. Magical movement, haste, or teleportation does not negate this unless it explicitly alters fate or time.

Binding Oath

Once per day, Capricorn may bind a creature or witch to an oath spoken aloud in its presence.

The target must save vs. spells or be bound.

Breaking the oath inflicts a cumulative curse.

• First violation: –1 to all rolls for 24 hours
• Second violation: –2 and loss of spellcasting for 1 day
• Third violation: permanent –1 Constitution until atonement

A witch bound by Capricorn’s oath always knows when they are about to break it.

Fate Ward

Once per day, Capricorn may negate a spell or magical effect directed at it, as if the event never occurred. This is not dispelling, but retroactive inevitability.

Patron’s Reserve

Capricorn never grants spells freely. Instead, it may store power for its witches.

During the month of Capricorn, a Zodiac-patron sworn witch (one of the following):

• Delay the effects of exhaustion, aging, or curse for 1d6 days
• Automatically succeed on one saving throw related to cold, water, fear, or time
• Treat a failed divination as a partial success

This reserve cannot be used impulsively. The witch must declare its use before rolling.

Witch Patron Benefits

Witches sworn to Capricorn often gain access to:

• Winter and water Occult spells
• Binding, curse, and endurance magic
• Resistance to cold and fatigue at higher levels
• Reduced penalties for aging or long-term magical strain

--

I will likely have more ideas. Kudos to my wife for helping come up with all of this while we were watching "The Secret of Oak Island."  This is their year to find the treasure!

I will try to do these for every sign. Yeah, you would need to revise them to fit your world, but that should be easy. Plus I am no expert on astrology, it was antithetical to my desire to be an astrophysicist, so if I get something wrong, well...it happens.

WitchCraft Wednesday: The Hand Mirror of the Silver Witch

Photo by Esra Korkmaz

  I have a couple of threads of things I am developing at the moment. One has been my ongoing "Occult D&D" idea, which in itself grew out of my "War of the Witch Queens" campaign. The other is an idea based on my rereading of a lot of things I have written over the decades. Some of which I "re-discovered" recently, something I have been calling "The One Who Remains." 

This is the product of the intersection of many of these ideas and threads.

The Hand Mirror of the Silver Witch

This ancient handmirror is the final relic of the Silver Witch, who gave her life to halt the unraveling caused by The One Who Remains. In her last stand, the Silver Witch allowed herself to be unmade. Her memories, power, and will were drawn into the mirror she carried, preserving a single thread of her identity.

The glass is now cool and pale, like winter water. When the light strikes it just right it glimmers with a faint silver glow, as if the moon reflects upon it even indoors.

Only witches and warlocks may safely handle the mirror. Those who seek knowledge for selfish or destructive ends invite peril.

Description

The Hand Mirror is a finely wrought hand mirror of cold iron and silver alloy. Its back bears the mark of the Triple Moon. The mirror never tarnishes and cannot be cracked by mundane force. Looking upon the glass produces a reflection that appears slightly delayed, as if the viewer’s image moves a moment behind.

When held during a ritual, witches report a soft whisper like wind through winter leaves.

Primary Powers

The mirror grants the following abilities when properly attuned. Attunement requires one hour of meditation, incense, and a whispered invitation to the Silver Witch. These powers can be used by any spellcaster.

Second Sight: Three times per day the bearer may gaze into the mirror to cast detect invisibility, detect charm, or detect spirit (witch version). Each use requires one round of concentration.

Moonlit Guidance: Once per night the mirror casts a soft argent glow. While this glow persists, the bearer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against magical fear, illusions, and enchantment effects. Duration: 1 turn.

Veil of the Silver Witch: Once per day the bearer may cloak herself in silver mist, as blur cast by a 10th-level magic-user. Duration: 5 rounds.

There is a cumulative 5% chance per non-witch use that the mirror becomes inactive in the hands of the user. Worse, echoes of The One Who Remains begin to seek out those who hold the mirror. (Treat as spectres).  

Greater Powers

The mirror holds deeper abilities tied to the Silver Witch’s sacrifice. These powers can only be used by a witch or warlock.

Memory of the Fallen Star: Once per week the bearer may commune with an echo of the Silver Witch. This functions as a limited form of contact other plane. The entity contacted is not a deity but the preserved remnant of Larina’s future self.

Answers are clear but tinged with sorrow. Each use risks emotional fatigue: after communion the bearer must save vs spells or be drained of 1 hp per level for 24 hours due to mental strain.

The Last Reflection: Twice per week the mirror allows the bearer to read a single moment from her own future. This functions as an augury, with a 75% accuracy rate. The glass reveals images of silver fire and shadow intertwined.

Mirror-Walk: Once per month the bearer may step through a reflective surface and emerge from another mirror within five miles. This requires full concentration and a quiet chant. The bearer becomes insubstantial for one round upon exit.

The Doom of the Silver Witch

The Mirror of the Silver Witch is powerful but dangerous. Within the artifact lies the remaining fragment of the Silver Witch’s mind. That remnant strives to protect others from the fate she endured, yet her presence is fading.

Each time a Greater Power is used, there is a cumulative 5% chance the mirror’s “echo” attempts to guide the bearer toward events tied to The One Who Remains. This influence is subtle. The bearer may feel prophetic dread, be drawn to gates of power, or suffer moonlit dreams.

If the chance ever reaches 25%,  the DM should require a saving throw versus spells whenever the mirror is used. A failed save means the bearer glimpses the Silver Witch’s unmaking and must roll a system shock check or fall unconscious for 1d6 turns.

If the chance reaches 50% the mirror loses one Greater Power of the DM’s choice, symbolizing the last of the Silver Witch’s memories fading away.

Texts, including the near-mythical Adnerg Codices (an artifact in it's own right), speak of even greater powers the Mirror once had. 

Destruction

The Mirror cannot be shattered, melted, or banished by mundane or magical means. It may only be destroyed if:

• It is placed at the center of a Witch Gate during a total eclipse,
• Seven witches of different traditions willingly break their coven-bonds for one night,
• And the bearer renounces her name while holding the mirror.

This ritual unravels the last thread of the Silver Witch. The mirror dissolves into silver dust. All memory of the Silver Witch fades from history unless preserved in text.

Larina Nix, The Silver Witch

Who Was the Silver Witch?

This is not something players would know, and it is certainly not in the histories of the mirror. But the Silver Witch is a future version of my witch, Larina. 

Back in January, I did TardisCaptain's New Year, New Character challenge where I took a lot of Grenda's characters and revised them for Wasted Lands. I mentioned before that in his stack of characters were a bunch of his versions of my characters. 

One of them was Larina. 

I didn't use her then because I was saving her for something special. But in my writings about The One Who Remains, I figured it out. Those versions of my characters? They are all gone. Unmade. Well, maybe one or two survived, but Larina, that Larina, did not. 

Why would I kill off one of my beloved characters? It was because of love that I did it. Or rather, that Larina's sacrifice. She loved her world enough to warn others via her Mirror. Since here she was an NPC her fate was entirely of my own design. Her world, a reflection of my own game world, was unraveled by The One Who Remains, or at least a part of him. Funny, I can hear Grenda in my head now saying, "You destroyed my version of your world, all because I am dead? What a dick!" 

That is the REAL power of the Mirror. Not the magics in it, those are just side effects. The real power is that it will fall into the hands of those who could do something about The One Who Remains and maybe, just maybe, prevent it from happening to their own world.

Who, or What, it The One Who Remains? Well. That is going to be a much longer post.

Monstrous Mondays: The Five Spirits of the Grimorium Verum

I have been on a months-long Occult D&D research project, looking for ways to add more occultism and ritual magic to my OSR/AD&D games. One thing that came up in my research was the Grimorium Verum^[1][2], or the True Grimoire. Within were five demons, or spirits, that were associated with malefic witchcraft. There are a lot more of these (18 in total), but these are the five I am focusing on now.

Now, seeing how I have a lot of demons already, I thought it might be interesting to try and make this pentad into something else.

The Five Spirits of the Grimorium Verum

Surgat, Frimost, Silcharde, Bechard, and Guland

In the Grimorium Verum, these spirits are not “princes of Hell” but operational tutelary spirits, meaning they are summoned for specific types of magical work. They have jobs to do. They form a functional unit often referred to by occultists as the Five Servitors. They are not demons or devils, and fall outside of the hierarchies and power struggles of the creatures of the lower planes.  

Each can act as a witch's or warlock's patron, but most often they are used in conjunction with the others. Even witches and warlocks with other patrons can summon these spirits.

Summoning these spirits is not an evil act in itself. However, the knowledge and power gained are often used for evil purposes; aka Maleficia.

Their common traits:

• All five are primarily invoked in witchcraft rituals, not theological demonology.
• Their powers correspond to typical maleficia: seduction, storms, deception, disease, and unbinding.
• They act as tutelary spirits, entities who “teach a witch how to do” the thing they themselves embody.
• They are not rivals; they form a loose cohort, each governing one sphere of maleficia.
• In folklore, they sometimes appear as a witch’s familiars in spirit form, each taking animal shapes (goat, wolf, owl, rat, or snake).

Surgat

Title: The Opener of All Locks

Sphere: Unlocking, unbinding, access, paths

Witchcraft Role: Patron of spell-breaking, opening portals, bypassing barriers

Typical Animal Form: Owl

Surgat is invoked when a witch needs to:

• Open a locked door (physical or magical)
• Break an enchantment
• Cross a boundary normally forbidden
• Find a hidden path or secret entrance

In folklore he is “the spirit who removes obstacles,” but at a price. Symbolically, Surgat represents the act of transgression, and witches petition him when attempting forbidden travel, escape, or the violation of taboo spaces.

Relationship to the others:

He begins the process. Surgat opens the way so the others may act.

Frimost

Title: The Seducer and Subduer

Sphere: Love philtres, lust, domination

Witchcraft Role: Glamours, charms, influence, the bending of hearts

Typical Animal Form: Goat

Frimost is associated with:

• Causing love, lust, obsession
• Enthralling a target
• Empowering erotic magic
• Creating magical bonds between partners (consensual or not in medieval texts)

Witches call on Frimost when they wish to bend or sway another’s will through desire. He is also linked to glamour magic in some French folk traditions.

Relationship to the others:

He acts within the opening created by Surgat, influencing those who stand in the witch’s path.

Silcharde

Title: The Fraudulent Spirit

Sphere: Trickery, lies, deception, invisibility

Witchcraft Role: Glamours, illusions, shape-altering, persuasive lies

Typical Animal Form: Snake

Silcharde teaches witches:

• How to deceive others
• How to lie convincingly
• How to cloak their activities
• How to create false images, ghostly lights, or illusions

He is the classic witch-trickster spirit and the likely origin of the folklore that witches could “bewitch sight.”

Relationship to the others:

He ensures the witch’s actions remain concealed, while Frimost affects minds and Surgat opens doors.

Bechard

Title: The Lord of Storms and Tempests

Sphere: Weather magic, thunder, whirlwinds, destructive forces of nature

Witchcraft Role: Storm-raising, blighting crops, harvest magic

Typical Animal Form: Wolf

Bechard rules:

• Tempests and whirlwinds
• Thunder and lightning
• Weather harmful to crops
• Illness brought by bad winds

He is central to early-modern accusations of witches causing hailstorms and destroying harvests.

Relationship to the others:

Bechard is invoked when the witch wants direct malefic harm done after the others have prepared the way.

Guland

Title: The Bringer of Disease

Sphere: Sickness, fever, wasting illness

Witchcraft Role: Malediction, curses, bodily harm

Typical Animal Form: Rat

Guland is invoked to:

• Cast wasting diseases
• Aggravate fevers
• Harm livestock
• Create curses that manifest physically

He is the most feared of the five, and his powers are the source for the old belief that witches could “blight by touch.”

Relationship to the others:

Guland is the finishing blow, the result of the process begun by Surgat and supported by the other three.

--

In my notes, I wrote "like the Cult of Skaro" from Doctor Who. Five elite demons/tutelary spirits/cthonic spirits that exsist outside of the hierarchies of demons/devils and yet serve and are served by all. They are evil, I would like to think of them as demonized gods or spirits. 

I thought about doing stats for them, and even began Surgat's, but ultimately I decided not to do them. Why? Well, these are not combat creatures; they are forces. Given their command of magic, I can see each having multiple ways to kill characters instantly and even more ways just to avoid combat altogether. So, combat stats seem rather pointless to be honest. 

If you must, then they should be between 22 and 25 HD at the very least. 

Now to work them into regular rotation in my games.

Witchcraft Wednesday: Witches, Warlocks, and The Wicce

 I have been spending a lot of time going back to my roots and re-evaluating and even re-writing things I have done in the past. Case in point, my first real release, The Complete Netbook of Witches & Warlocks.

First "published" in 1999, I remember sitting in the hospital room after my first child was born and clicking on the button to "FTP" to my website. That was 26 years ago.

Re-reading through it now, there are a lot of things I would have done differently, but they all made sense to me at the time. But that doesn't mean I can't play a little "What If?"

One of the things I really liked about my AD&D 2nd Edition witch was that it was a Cleric subclass. I always liked clerics and played a lot of them (despite being an atheist in real life and at least one person calling me I am a pagan). AD&D 2nd ed provided me the framework in which to explore my witch ideas as a "Priest of Specific Mythoi."

These days, I am pretty set on witches being a Charisma-based caster, but that doesn't mean I can't still play around with these ideas. 

I have no intention on re-publishing the CNoW&W; it exists as a moment in time both to what I wanted at the time AND what the DIY D&D movements were doing back then. 

I can, however, share new ideas here.

THE WICCE

The wicce is a sub-class of the cleric, devoted not to a singular deity but to the Old Religion: an ancient, earth-centered faith that honors the divine as immanent in nature, the turning of the seasons, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Wicce are priestesses (and priests) of balance, healing, fertility, and mystery.

Rooted in the remnants of ancient cults, the Wicce uphold sacred rites passed down in secret circles and moonlit groves. Their power flows not from divine commandment but from attunement to the cosmic rhythms, the lunar phases, the wheel of the year, and the spiral dance of creation.

Wicce are communal and nurturing, often found tending sacred springs, offering blessings, leading seasonal festivals, or guiding others through spiritual transformation. Though often misjudged as eccentric or harmless, the Wicce are fierce defenders of harmony, life, and the sacred divine aspects of all life.

Like druids, Wicce are nature-connected, but their magic is symbolic, intuitive, and ritualized. Unlike clerics, they serve no formal church but gather in circles, groves, or sky-thatched temples.

Photo by Marina Utrabo

Requirements: Wisdom 13+, Charisma 11+

Prime Requisite: Wisdom

Hit Dice: d6

Armor Allowed: Any non-metal (leather, hide, padded, wooden shields)

Weapons Allowed: Staff, dagger, sickle, sling, club, spear, crescent blade

Alignment: Typically any non-evil

Spell Use: Divine and Occult (custom spell list, see below)

Special Abilities

Moon-Blessed Magicks: The Wicce may perform circle magick tied to the lunar calendar. When casting beneath the full moon or during seasonal festivals, any healing or protective spell gains +1 per die of healing or +1 to saving throw modifiers. (Modified per the GM’s world)

Shared Ritual Craft (2nd Level):  Beginning at 2nd level, the Wicce (or Magus) may participate in a ritual casting alongside a witch (of any Tradition) as if they were a witch of the same level. This applies only when performing Occult Rituals that require multiple casters.

The Wicce/Magus must meet all material and ceremonial requirements and must be aligned in intent with the witch leading the ritual. In all such workings, the Wicce or Magus contributes fully to the spell's power, as if they were a witch of equal experience level.

This ability does not grant the ability to lead witch rituals or cast witch-only spells unaided, but reflects the shared cosmology and deep resonance between these occult paths.

Sacred Circle (3rd Level): Once per day per 3 levels (3rd, 6th, 9th…), the Wicce may consecrate a space with herbs, salt, and chant. This functions as a Protection from Evil (10' radius) and grants +2 on saving throws vs. possession and charm for allies within. Takes 1 turn to cast.

Blessed Be: The Wicce may offer a benediction to any creature once per day. This acts as a Bless spell (single target) but also grants +1 to Wisdom checks or saving throws vs. fear and despair for 1 turn.

Coven Bond: Wicce gain +1 to all saving throws when within 30 feet of another Wicce, Druid, Witch, or Cleric of aligned faith. This effect stacks up to +3.

Wicce may use all clerical magic items, unless tied to a particular faith, and some witch (occult) magical items. They do not worship a deity in the traditional sense, but honor the Goddess and God, the Triple Moon Goddess, or Nature Herself. Their spells are granted through alignment with the sacred cycles and the ancestral wisdom of the Old Ways.

Wicce do not build churches, but found groves, stone circles, mystic retreats, or earth temples. These sites often become places of pilgrimage for the disenchanted or spiritually seeking.

Though often dismissed as flower-wearing mystics, the Wicce represent a potent force for healing, guidance, and resistance against spiritual decay. They greet friend and stranger alike with warm smiles, words of blessing, and quiet power.

9th Level

Upon reaching 9th level, a Wicce becomes a High Priestess (or High Priest) and may establish a Circle, Grove, or Sacred Temple of the Old Ways. This site may be a stone circle, secluded glade, hilltop shrine, or ritual sanctuary aligned to lunar phases or natural ley lines. It must be consecrated by sacred rites and protected from profanation.

Once the Circle is founded, the Wicce will attract 2d6 1st-level Wicce initiates within 1d6 months. These are not servants or soldiers, but spiritual students and co-celebrants who come seeking guidance, initiation, and training in the mysteries of the Old Religion. These initiates are loyal, but not blindly obedient; they are part of the Wicce’s extended spiritual family.

In addition to initiates, the Wicce may also draw:

• Healers, herbalists, and wise folk
• Fey-blooded or nature-touched seekers
• Occult scholars, druids, or Witches of compatible Traditions
• Pilgrims or supplicants in search of spiritual insight, healing, or blessings

The Circle functions as both a spiritual retreat and a center of influence, granting the Wicce status in the hidden pagan networks of the world. It may even attract attention, welcoming or hostile, from organized religions, nobles, or inquisitors.

A Circle may hold sabbats and esbats, sanctify marriages and births, banish malevolent spirits, and maintain harmony with nature spirits or the local fae. The DM may treat the Circle as a minor religious stronghold, but it does not generate income like a clerical temple unless ritual services are offered to the surrounding community.

Wicce XP Progression Table

Level	Title	Experience Points	Hit Dice (d6)	Spell Level Access
1	Initiate of the Circle	0	1	1st
2	Seeker of the Spiral	1,750	2	1st
3	Blessed Sister/Brother	3,750	3	2nd
4	Priest/Priestess of Light	7,500	4	2nd
5	Guardian of the Grove	15,000	5	3rd
6	Weaver of Fates	30,000	6	3rd
7	Voice of the Goddess	60,000	7	4th
8	Spiral Elder	110,000	8	5th
9	High Priest/Priestess	180,000	9	6th
10	High Priest/Priestess	260,000	9+1	6th
11	High Priest/Priestess	380,000	9+2	7th
+	High Priest/Priestess	+120,000	+1

--

1st-Level Spells

• Bless (PHB)
• Command (PHB)
• Cure Light Wounds (PHB)
• Detect Evil (PHB)
• Faerie Fire (UA)
• Invisibility to Undead (UA)
• Light (PHB)
• Purify Food & Drink (PHB)
• Remove Fear (PHB)

2nd-Level Spells

• Augury (PHB)
• Chant (PHB)
• Barkskin (UA) 
• Cure Moderate Wounds (UA)
• Resist Fire (PHB)
• Slow Poison (PHB)
• Speak with Animals (PHB)
• Spiritual (Hammer) weapon (PHB) reflavored as moon-blessed weapon

3rd-Level Spells

• Create Food and Water (PHB) 
• Cure Disease (PHB) 
• Dispel Magic (PHB)
• Locate Object (PHB) 
• Meld into Stone (PHB) 
• Prayer (PHB) 
• Protection from Fire (PHB) 
• Remove Curse (PHB) 

4th-Level Spells

• Cure Serious Wounds (PHB) 
• Divination (PHB) 
• Lower Water (PHB) 
• Neutralize Poison (PHB) 
• Protection from Evil, 10' Radius (PHB) 
• Speak with Plants (PHB) 
• Spell Immunity (UA) 

5th-Level Spells

• Commune with Nature (UA)
• Cure Critical Wounds (PHB) 
• Dispel Evil (PHB) 
• Flame Strike (PHB) 
• Plane Shift (PHB)
• Quest (PHB) 
• Wall of Fire (PHB) 

6th-Level Spells

• Aerial Servant (PHB) 
• Forbiddance (UA) 
• Find the Path (PHB) 
• Heal (PHB)
• Speak with Monsters (PHB) 
• Weather Summoning (PHB) 
• Word of Recall (PHB) 

7th-Level Spells

• Astral Spell (PHB) 
• Earthquake (PHB) 
• Holy Word (PHB) 
• Regenerate (PHB) 
• Reincarnation (PHB) 
• Symbol (PHB)
• Wind Walk (PHB)

I'll add more spells, I am sure. 

Behind the Scenes

This is obviously my ode to the nature-loving neo-Pagan style witch. These characters are also closer to how I used to play Druids back in the AD&D days. Less the shape-shifting guardians of nature and more the dancing in circles priests and priestesses honoring what nature provides form them.

How does it differ from the Craft of the Wise? The Craft of the Wise or Pagan Witch is a witch first and a follower of a Goddess or God second. This one is the other way around. 

How does it differ from the Witch-Priestess? They serve similar purposes and even have similar spell lists but the difference is intent. 

Both the Wicce and the Witch-Priestess walk a sacred path, but their focus, source of power, and approach to magic are notably different. Choosing between them depends on the kind of spiritual figure you wish to play.

Wicce: The Gentle Shepherd of the Old Ways

The Wicce is a cleric subclass who serves the Old Religion as its community priestess. She leads sabbats, blesses fields, heals wounds with herbs and chants, and welcomes all who seek comfort, renewal, or wisdom. Her spells are granted through alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon, and life itself, not a single deity. The Wicce is intuitive, nurturing, and grounded in spiritual service.

• Role: Community priestess, healer, celebrant
• Serves: The wider community
• Power Source: Divine and Occult; seasonal and lunar forces
• Connection: Tied to place, people, and the turning of the Wheel
• Ideal For: Players who want a wise village witch, spiritual counselor, or mystical healer

Witch-Priestess: The Devoted Flame Within the Circle

The Witch-Priestess is an Advanced Class for witches who place their Patron or Tradition at the center of their life. She is a witch first, but one whose devotion elevates her to a position of sacred authority. The Witch-Priestess blends occult mastery with religious fervor. She may serve as oracle, cult leader, sacred warrior, or ritualist of deep mysteries. Her path is more arcane, personal, and potent, but also more demanding.

• Role: Religious leader within the witch’s Tradition
• Serves: Their Patron/Goddess/God and the Tradition
• Power Source: Occult (primarily), with divine undertones
• Connection: Bound to a specific Patron, Rite, or Mystery
• Ideal For: Players who want a high-stakes mystic, zealous devotee, or visionary prophetess

Also, the Wicce can only be non-evil in alignment. Witch-Priestess as a class have no restrictions.

Both are my attempts at a revision (both in the sense of revise and to look at again) of my AD&D 2nd Ed Witch Class. 

If I were to expand this I would grab some spells from my CNoW&W and some of my other sources. Maybe along the lines of 12 or so spells per spell level. 

As always, let me know what you think.

October Movie Challenge: 30 Days of Night (2007) and Dark Days (2010)

Here we are, the last day of the Horror Movie Challenge! I figure I'll work in some vampire movies.  Special note: You lose something when watching movies with night and darkness as major plot points during the daylight hours.

30 Days of Night (2007) 

Few horror films capture isolation and predation like 30 Days of Night. Barrow, Alaska, already cut off from the world by a month of darkness, becomes a perfect hunting ground when a pack of feral, ancient vampires descends. These aren’t tragic romantics; they’re apex predators, clicking and shrieking in a dead language, as elegant and pitiless as sharks beneath ice.

The concept alone feels built for NIGHT SHIFT or Occult D&D: a frontier town swallowed by night, a handful of survivors fighting with dwindling light and sanity. It’s brutal, but beautiful too, snow turned red, the silence between screams, the steady unraveling of faith and logic. Josh Hartnett’s Eben becomes the archetypal reluctant hero, giving himself to the darkness just long enough to kill it.

If I ever needed a model for my Valhalla, Alaska, this is it. Swap Barrow for Valhala, add a few protective runestones, a psychic waitress, and maybe a were-bear or two, and you’ve got an entire campaign arc: “The Long Night.”

This one is quite good, and if Danny Huston is in it then I know I am in for some fun. 

30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010)

Ok. This one is not as good, but it had one thing going for it; Mia Kirshner as Vampire Queen Lilith. I just wish she had more screen time.

The sequel trades arctic survival horror for urban vampire noir. Stella (played by a different actress) still haunted by Barrow becomes a reluctant vampire hunter in Los Angeles, trying to expose the coven that orchestrated the slaughter. It’s grittier, smaller, and not nearly as haunting, but it expands the mythology nicely. The idea that the Barrow massacre was just one act in a long, secret war fits perfectly in a world where monsters stalk the forgotten edges of modern life.

The implied mythology here reminds me of the Blade movies, except that Dracula is replaced by Lilith. Which Lilith? No idea, she could have been any one of a hundred different interpretations, or just a powerful Vampire Queen who took her name as her own.

It is not as bad as the reviews online have led you to believe; it just falls very, very short of the first movie.

NIGHT SHIFT & Occult D&D Ideas

This is another great example for my Valhalla, AK setting for NIGHT SHIFT.

Less for Occult D&D, unless you work in a ritual the vampires are going to perform to blot out the sun. I did that as the main premise behind my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 38
First Time Views: 27

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Witch Queen Advanced Class

Photo edit of "Ginger Queen by Black-Bl00d"

For all my talk about witch queens here, I have no real witch queen class. Yes, there is my D&D 3x Prestige class, but nothing really for Old School games. So my oldest and I tried this one out during our AD&D games. Not 100% there yet, and in the tradition of the Arch Druid (Unearthed Arcana), she might get her own level progression above and beyond the witch class. I just have not crunched all the numbers just yet.

This is primarily for AD&D 1st Edition, but it should work in many other games as well.

WITCH QUEEN / WITCH KING

Advanced Class for Witches

When a Witch has reached the height of mortal power, there yet remains one step further upon the Path, the ascension to the mantle of the Witch Queen (or Witch King). This being is the supreme vessel of a Patron’s will, the living nexus of a Tradition’s power, and the spiritual sovereign of all witches within her realm. Like the Grand Druid of the Old Faith, she is both pontiff and prophet, counselor and conduit, a figure whose very presence can bend the ley and alter the seasons' turning.

Whether crowned by fate, prophecy, deed, or divine lineage, this witch has ascended beyond the coven to become a legendary figure. 

Only one Witch Queen (or King) may reign for each Tradition at any given time, making them as rare as they are powerful.

Requirements

To become a Witch Queen (or Witch King), a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 14th level
• Possess Charisma 17 or higher. Additionally, the witch needs to have an Intelligence or Wisdom of 15 or higher.
• Be a member in good standing of a coven
• Must know the Supernal Language
• Have been chosen through omen, divine sign, or a coven-wide rite as the next Queen or King

Restrictions

• Only one Witch Queen or King may exist per Tradition at a time (GM’s discretion)
• To become a Witch Queen or King, the previous sovereign must abandon or relinquish their rulership.  This is often upon the death of the previous sovereign, but not required. 
• Occult Powers are gained differently (see below)

Spellcasting

• The Witch Queen continues to cast spells as a Witch of her full level
• May forego the use of Material Components. 

Witch Queen Abilities

Awesome Presence (gained at level 16): Witches perceive the Witch Queen as a radiant beacon of power. Allies within 60 feet receive +1 to morale checks and saving throws vs. fear; enemies must save vs. spells or suffer -1 to morale. All witches instinctively recognize her status and will defer unless magically compelled otherwise.

Occult Eminence (gained at level 18): The Witch Queen gains one choosen Occult Power of her Tradition. This power is gained as if at the appropriate level, but may not exceed the “Grand” tier unless already eligible. She may choose another Occult Power from a different Tradition at level 19 if desired.

A Thousand Faces (gained at level 20): The Witch Queen may alter her appearance at will, as per the disguise self spell, though the effect is real, not illusory. This change does not affect clothing or equipment, and may be maintained indefinitely.

Timeless Body (gained at level 22): The Witch Queen ceases to age. She gains immunity to magical aging and no longer suffers ability penalties due to age. Natural bonuses to Intelligence and Wisdom still accrue. Her lifespan is extended to 120 years, and she will still die of old age unless further extended by other magical means. 

Rulership and Influence

The Witch Queen or King is not merely a title, but a mantle of magical authority. All witches of her Tradition know of her. At the GM’s discretion, she may gain the right to command covens, invoke her Patron’s will across vast distances, or declare magical edicts that affect ley lines or seasonal flows. Along with this power and influence comes the wisdom and responsibility of how to use such power. 

Optional Rule: Mantle of Sovereignty

Once per month, the Witch Queen may perform a rite, calling upon her Tradition’s power. Effects may include summoning a spirit host, causing omens to appear across the land, or sealing a region against extra-planar intrusion for 1d4 days.

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

Continues to use the Witch class tables for all purposes.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

Only single-classed Witches may become Witch Queens (Archwitches and Witch-Priestess are considered single-class witches). The transformation requires undivided devotion to the Patron and Tradition. Other characters may assist or serve such a queen, but may never claim her title.

The Witch Queen is both symbol and sovereign, oracle and enforcer. Her path is not taken lightly, for once crowned, her soul is forever marked by the gaze of the gods.

--

Still have details to work out, but I like it so far. Again, this is designed to mimic the Arch Druid to Hierophant Druid of AD&D 1st Edition. Though I do think the Hierophant is a bit overpowered.  

I briefly considered the more gender neutral title of Witch Sovereign, but that doesn't have the same weight to it. My influences should be rather obvious, but even "Simon King of the Witches" is called a King and not a Sovereign. 

Likely need some more work on this one, so feedback is appreciated. 

Monstrous Mondays: Dragon, Purple (Arcane Dragon)

Not all purple dragons are found near apple trees.
This one, though, is. 

 Tomorrow is my oldest kid's birthday. Over the weekend, he had his annual D&D birthday bash. Seems fitting then that I do a dragon today since they are his favorite (and he got like three of them for his birthday from his D&D group).

This is a repost, updated to better fit my "Occult D&D" project.

Dragon, Purple
aka Draco Arcanis Occultis, Arcane Dragon

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (rarely 2)
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 9” / 24”
HIT DICE: 9–11
% IN LAIR: 55%
TREASURE TYPE: H, S, U, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–8 / 1–8 / 3–28
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistance to magic (see below)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard + bonus vs. arcane magic
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-Genius
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Evil)
SIZE: L (45’ long)

CHANCE OF:

• Speaking: 90%
• Magic Use: 90%
• Sleeping: 25%

The Purple Dragon, also called the Arcane Dragon, is a rare and dangerous creature whose origins are cloaked in myth. Its scales shimmer in deep violet, often pulsing faintly with unseen magical energy. It is most frequently found in ancient ruins, planar nexuses, or near ley line convergences. Some scholars claim that Purple Dragons were once guardians of the primeval flows of magic itself.

Arcane Dragons are solitary and philosophical by nature, prone to periods of deep contemplation and magical experimentation. Their mastery of eldritch forces and unpredictable moods make them dangerous when provoked. Don’t however mistake this attitude for benevolence. Their contemplation of these eldritch and occult forces put them above the concerns of most mortals.

The Purple Dragon may employ the standard claw/claw/bite attack or its breath weapon, a beam of raw magical force:

• Breath Weapon: A beam of pure arcane energy, ½” wide and 12” long, affecting all in its path. This energy deals damage equal to the dragon’s current hit points, half with a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon. Victims struck must also save vs. spells or be stunned for 1–4 rounds due to arcane backlash.

Spell Use: All speaking Purple Dragons with magic ability cast spells as Magic-Users of 9th level, improving to 11th level at ancient age.

• 1st–2nd age categories: 2 × 1st-level spells
• 3rd–4th: +2 × 2nd-level spells
• 5th–6th: +2 × 3rd-level spells
• 7th–8th: +1 × 4th-level spell
• Ancient: 3 spells per level from 1st to 4th

Purple Dragons gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws vs. arcane magic, and a +3 bonus on saves vs. Illusion or Enchantment/Charm spells. They are also immune to magical effects that alter time, space, or probability (e.g., time stop, maze, wish, limited wish, temporal stasis).

Arcane Dragons are usually encountered alone, though some ancient tomes speak of mated pairs guarding planar gates or hidden vaults of magical lore. They construct elaborate lairs filled with wards, illusions, and enchanted guardians. Their hoards often contain rare magical scrolls, potions, and tomes in addition to treasure.

They may form tenuous alliances with powerful witches, warlocks, or archmages, often in exchange for secrets or artifacts. 

Connections to the Scaled Sisterhood

Though the Scaled Sisterhood reveres the great dragon Patrons, Tiâmat, Bahamūt, Vritraxion, Lóngzihua, and Anantanatha, there are outlier dragons, revered by certain covens, that operate on the mystical rather than the primordial axis. Chief among these is the Arcane Dragon, Draco Arcanis.

Mystic Patron of Knowledge and Spellcraft

The first Arcane Dragon is honored by a coven of the Scaled Sisterhood known as the Order of the Violet Flame. These witches believe that while the elemental dragons represent the forces of the world, the Arcane Dragon embodies magic itself; pure, ineffable, and transcendent.

Witches of the Violet Flame often act as archivists, seers, and ritual specialists within the Sisterhood.

Their robes are trimmed in violet and silver, and their focus items are often made of crystalline dragon-scale or polished amethyst.

Their magical circles often incorporate symbols of sacred geometry, representing ley lines, runes, and arcane currents.

Dragon of the Nexus

The Arcane Dragon is drawn to leyline confluences and interplanar gates, making them ideal Patrons for witches who serve as gatekeepers, wardens, or planar navigators. The Scaled Sisterhood refers to such sites as Dracogates, where the breath of the Arcane Dragon is said to thin the veil between worlds.

Some believe the first Arcane Dragon was a child of Lóngzihua and Bahamūt, combining order and mysticism into a unique being beyond the elemental hierarchy, but was cast down or out for some long forgotten crime. This is the reason Purple Dragons in general are never recorded in official histories and bestiaries. 

Others claim the first Arcane Dragon is a former consort of Tiamat, who was cast out for refusing to align with chaos or tyranny, choosing instead the neutral perfection of the arcane.

All other purple dragons are the offspring of this first Arcane Dragon. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Queen of Bones (2023)

 Another pick by my wife. Now, typically when she picks the movie, I get a veto power if it is under a certain IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes rating. She doesn't like to look at the ratings beforehand. This one did not have very good ratings at all, 4.6 on IMBD and no rating at all on Rotten Tomatoes; neither a good sign. But we watched it anyway and really liked it. This in a large part due to the performances by  Martin Freeman and Julia Butters. 

Plus, it is a perfect Witchcraft Wednesday movie.

Queen of Bones (2023)

Fearful or religious men (often the same thing) have always feared women’s autonomy. History has shown that whenever a woman becomes too independent, too willful, too curious, too powerful, someone slaps the word witch on her and decides she needs to be “saved.” That’s the heart of Queen of Bones, a quiet, moody folk horror film that takes place not in the 1600s but in 1930s rural America.

Martin Freeman plays Malcolm, a widowed father raising his daughter Lily (Julia Butters, who’s fantastic) and son Samuel (Jacob Tremblay) in a house thick with secrets. At first, Malcolm seems decent enough, even tender in his grief. But as Lily begins to change, both in body and in strange, supernatural ways, his love curdles into fear. We slowly realize that he’s not just haunted by what happened to Lily’s mother… he’s terrified his daughter might become her.

That dynamic drives the film’s tension. Lily starts having dreams, visions, and odd encounters in the woods. The line between puberty and possession blurs. Is she cursed? Chosen? Or simply awakening to her own power in a world that can’t tolerate that? By the time the third act arrives, the answer feels almost inevitable: Malcolm would rather destroy her than let her become something he can’t control.

It’s not subtle, but that’s fine, it isn’t supposed to be. Queen of Bones plays like a postscript to Robert Eggers' The Witch, set 300 years later but fueled by the same fear: that the feminine divine, if left unchecked, would upend the patriarchal order. It’s witch panic dressed in Depression-era grief, with dust, silence, and old ghosts in every corner.

There’s a scene late in the film, no spoilers, where Lily finally confronts what her father did to her mother. It’s devastating, not just for the violence but for the certainty behind it. Malcolm truly believes he’s doing God’s work. That’s what makes him the monster.

What I loved about this film, and what I think most critics seem to have missed, is how subtle its magic is. It’s not a jump-scare movie. It’s an awakening movie. The horror here isn’t in the witchcraft, it’s in the control. Freeman gives one of his best performances as a man eaten alive by righteousness, and Butters is mesmerizing as Lily, teetering between innocence and fury.

This isn’t The Witch, no. But it shares the same DNA: a girl’s coming-of-age framed as an act of rebellion against divine tyranny. The difference is, this one suggests the witch’s power was always there just waiting for her to claim it.

Queen of Bones might not be perfect, but it’s important. It’s quiet horror with something to say about generational trauma, religious oppression, and the terror of becoming yourself. The final moments hit like a benediction and a curse all at once.

NIGHT SHIFT & Occult D&D Ideas

Let's be honest here. 

I you can't see the RPG potential here I am not sure you are reading the right blog. Generational witches are a topic I discuss frequently here. Like obsessively so.

I wonder what Lily's life would have been like after the movie? She would have been 23 near the start of WWII, in her 40s when the Beatles came to America, her 60s when the 80s began and so on. Interesting. 

For NIGHT SHIT, it’s a modern folk-horror story transplanted to a rural, Depression-era America where witchcraft is whispered about in sermons. A perfect slow-burn scenario: something ancient stirs in the woods, and the townsfolk are eager to call it Satanic. The PCs could arrive as outsiders—teachers, doctors, or priests, only to discover the true evil that resides within the house. Or a perfect Call of Cthulhu game that doesn't involve the Mythos. 

For my Occult D&D ideas, it is a good example of how witchcraft is inherited via bloodlines, and there are witch families.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 25
First Time Views: 23

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Occult D&D updates and Halloween sales and more

 Stayed up last night watching The Substance, if you haven't read my review, then no big deal, but at least see the movie, might be my favorite one of the Challenge so far. 

Occult D&D

I have been playing around with this idea of "Occult D&D" for a little while now. I went into it really with no major intentions save to add some more occult feeling to my D&D games and maybe into my NIGHT SHIFT games as well. Its been a blast really. I was sorting through my notes and looking over the books I still want to read or reread for it, and I discovered that I have a lot. Like an obscene amount.

Not just in what I have written so far (an estimate of about 350 pages), but also in what I am still planning on reading.

The Enchanted World

Mysteries of the Unknown

The Supernatural

Man, Myth, & Magic

Do I *need* to read all of these? No, but I *want* to. Many of course are re-reads. I have had these for ages, but I want to be systematic about all of this. Half the joy for me is the research. Sorry, its the academic in me.

I am not 100% sure what shape the final product(s) will take, or even if it will be something I will ever publish. But I am having a lot of fun with it so far.

Halloween Sales

As always, many of my books are on sale at DriveThruRPG for Halloween!

• The Other Side - Halloween at DriveThruRPG

This includes my newest and most popular titles:

• The Witch - Book of Shadows for ShadowDark
• The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions
• The Craft of the Wise: The Pagan Witch Tradition for Old School Essentials
• The Basic Witch: The Pumpkin Spice Witch Tradition for Labyrinth Lord

Plus a lot more!

EGG Con

I'll be at EGG Con this summer! I'll be there again with Elf Lair Games, selling and running NIGHT SHIFT and Thirteen Parsecs. Hope to see you all there. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Death of a Unicorn (2025)

 Time for a change of pace.

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

There are movies that wear their absurdity on their sleeve, and then there are movies that gallop straight into it, horn first. Death of a Unicorn (2025) is one of those. The premise is crazy, Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega hitting a unicorn with their car and unleashing a nightmare of greed and magical revenge. The fact that it works as well as it does is thanks to the cast.

Paul Rudd is, well, Paul Rudd. He brings that mix of charm, mild panic, and solid dad-energy that makes him endlessly watchable. Jenna Ortega continues her streak as the reigning queen of genre roles, grounding the film with sharp wit and quiet vulnerability, giving us a protagonist we actually care about.

Téa Leoni, always a favorite of mine, doesn’t get the most screen time, but she brings her trademark brittle elegance to the mix. Every line lands with just the right shade of weary sharpness. And Richard E. Grant? He’s wonderfully smarmy, the kind of aristocratic villain you almost want more of. He struts (well...later) through the film with a silky menace that makes you grin even as you know he deserves everything coming to him. Even Will Poulter is great, even though you are really meant to hate his character.

The movie itself wavers between tones; part dark fantasy, part satire, part B-movie creature feature. The unicorn isn’t some gentle pastel icon; it’s something primal and dangerous, and its kin don’t take kindly to exploitation. There are moments that lean into corporate satire (pharmaceutical execs drooling over magical healing properties) and others that just revel in monster-movie chaos. When it sticks to the latter, it’s bloody fun. 

Is it perfect? No. The CGI stumbles in places, and the script sometimes feels torn between camp and sincerity. But it’s a strange, bold little film that earns its cult label by sheer commitment to its idea.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

Death of a Unicorn feels like a mid-campaign side quest gone horribly wrong. The party (dad and daughter) accidentally slay a sacred creature. The loot (a unicorn corpse) turns out to be cursed, attracting the attention of rival NPCs (the Leopolds) who want to weaponize it. Cue the wilderness fighting back with angry spirit-beasts.

Your players will never look at unicorns the same way!

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
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