Witches of Appendix N: Fritz Leiber

When we talk about the foundations of Dungeons & Dragons, the names that come up most often are the obvious ones: Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jack Vance, among others. But alongside Conan and hobbits stands another set of icons, the roguish duo of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, born from the imagination of Fritz Leiber.

In Appendix N, Leiber's entry is "Leiber, Fritz. 'Fafhrd & Gray Mouser' series; et al." So that leaves me a lot of room to explore his works. 

Leiber’s tales of Lankhmar gave us thieves’ guilds, a decadent city, and sword-and-sorcery camaraderie that would become staples of the game. And a couple of tales where witchcraft plays an important role.

The Snow Women (1970)

Before he became a hero of Lankhmar, Fafhrd was a youth of the cold North, raised among the Snow Women. This community of women was led by Mor, Fafhrd’s mother, who dominates both him and the other men of their tribe through will, manipulation, and a kind of communal witchcraft.

The Snow Women are not cackling hags with bubbling cauldrons; their magic is subtler. It lies in the power of custom, ritual, and fear. Their witchcraft is not just spellwork but social control, and it casts a frost over every relationship in the story. For young Fafhrd, escaping their grip is as much an act of rebellion against sorcery as it is against his mother’s authority.

This tale shows witchcraft not as something learned in a grimoire, but as an inheritance and an atmospher a cold wind that shapes destinies.  In many ways they remind me of tales of Finnish witchcraft. I have a hard time reading about these women and not think of Louhi, the Crone (and Maiden too) of Pohjola. This leads us to Iggwilv, the "spiritual daughter" of Louhi and Mor.

In the Witch’s Tent (1968)

Later, in the story In the Witch’s Tent (collected in "Swords Against Wizardry"), Leiber presents us with another kind of witch. Here, Fafhrd and the Mouser find themselves consulting a prophetess. The scene is thick with atmosphere: the tent filled with smoke, the seeress exhaling her visions like opium haze, the sense that knowledge comes at a cost.

This witch is less about domination and more about liminality. She occupies that familiar role of the oracle, standing at the threshold between worlds. But in true Leiber fashion, she is not a benign guide. Her words are dangerous, her presence uncanny, and the tent itself feels like a trap. The scene could be dropped whole into any RPG session as the archetypal fortune-teller who reveals just enough truth to get the characters into trouble.

Conjure Wife (1943)

If Leiber’s Fafhrd and Mouser stories gave us witches in the context of sword-and-sorcery, it was his first novel, Conjure Wife, that put witchcraft at the center of the narrative.

Or as I have said in the past, “Between Bewitched and Rosemary’s Baby lies Leiber’s Tansy.”

Norman Saylor, a rational-minded professor, discovers that his wife, Tansy, has been secretly practicing protective magic. When he convinces her to stop, he learns the hard way that witchcraft is not merely superstition, and that rival witches have been circling all along.

As I wrote in my earlier review:

Conjure Wife has been held up as sort of a prototype of the modern American Witch tale.  Seemingly normal wives in a small East Coast town married to normal, rational men of science and academia turn out to be powerful witches engaged in a silent secret war of magic.

... They were intelligent (more so than their husbands), clever and some down right evil and all were powerful. By the end of the book, you are left feeling that the men in this tale are really no more than children, a bit dim ones at that.

This is what makes Conjure Wife powerful: the way it sets witchcraft not in ancient forests or ruined temples, but in the kitchens and parlors of mid-century America. The witches here are faculty wives, the battleground is tenure politics, and the weapons are hexes whispered between cocktail parties. It is both psychological horror and social commentary, and it remains one of the most influential witchcraft novels of the 20th century.

It has also been made into three different movies, Weird Woman (1944), Burn, Witch, Burn aka "Night of the Eagle" (1962), and Witches' Brew (1980).

Our Lady of Darkness (1977)

Decades later, Leiber returned to occult horror with Our Lady of Darkness, a novel steeped in the landscapes of San Francisco and the esoteric science of “megapolisomancy,” a fictional occult science that focuses on harnessing the supernatural forces present in large cities. There is even a connection to Clark Aston Smith.

This isn’t a witch story in the conventional sense, but it resonates with the same archetypal power. Its date allows me to make a claim for it as "sliding into home" just barely.

At its heart, Our Lady of Darkness is about the anima, that Jungian figure of the feminine that exists within the male psyche. She is muse and terror, desire and destruction, and in Leiber’s hands, she becomes a literal haunting presence. The Lady of the title is both a psychological construct and a supernatural force, a liminal witch of the soul.

This is a theme I’ve explored myself in the character of Larina Nix. Larina, too, is not just a witch but an embodiment of anima at once familiar, archetypal, and unsettling. She represents how the witch figure can exist in both myth and the inner landscape of the imagination.

While Our Lady of Drakness may not have influenced D&D at all, there are a lot of things here you can find in the RPG Kult. Sadly, this book is nowhere near as good as Leiber's other works, especially Conjure Wife. 

Closing Thoughts

When it comes to witches, Leiber made one significant contribution: Conjure Wife. The Snow Women and the prophetess of In the Witch’s Tent add atmosphere to Fafhrd’s world, but they are more color than core. Our Lady of Darkness circles the same archetypal ground from a Jungian angle, but it isn’t witchcraft in the usual sense.

Yet even if these stories didn’t leave much of a mark on D&D, they left a mark on me. Conjure Wife remains one of the best examples of modern witchcraft horror, and its faculty wives locked in a secret magical war still resonate. The others, Mor’s cold grip, the seeress in her smoky tent, and the anima-haunted towers of San Francisco, add layers to Leiber’s legacy and to my own sense of how witches live in story: sometimes social, sometimes symbolic, sometimes spectral, but always there. 

Witchcraft Wednesdays: More Occult D&D, the Supernal Tongue

Still working through my ideas on "Occult D&D." 

I have scads of notes on Enoch and Enochian and the connection he has to the occult via figures like John Dee and Edward Kelley. I have always wanted to explore the concept of Enochian as a magical language, but I have not used it. Why? Well, for starters, Enochian works well here due to its ties to history (Dee, Kelley) and myth (Enoch), as well as the gravitas of the Abrahamic religions. That all works wonderfully in a NIGHT SHIFT game, but not for a D&D-like game.

I also have a bunch of notes and ideas scribbled out on Proto-Indo-European languages. My thinking was to use PIE as a sort of root language of the world and one taught to witches, much like the ideas of my first "witch language" posts. 

There is no way I am going to build my own constructed language no matter how cool that sounds. I am no David Peterson. Though I do like to think his Inha language would be fun to explore. Great for Primordial. His Verbis Diablo is also great for Infernal, and I loved the idea of his Méníshè from Motehrland: Fort Salem.  What do all three of these languages have in common other than being constructed by Peterson? They are all explicitly languages learned by witches.

I am not ready yet to put a stake down in a specific witch language. I mean, I assume most Pagan witches are likely illiterate, and many of my other traditions are separated by time and space (Classical and Gothic, for example). So what language would they have in common? Well, nothing witch-specific, but something very occult.

SUPERNAL (Lost Tongue of Creation)

This language is the primordial root-speech from which all alignment tongues are said to descend. It is believed to have been spoken in the earliest ages, before the division of law and chaos, good and evil. Angels and devils alike once uttered its syllables, but even the eldest celestials and the most ancient fiends no longer command it in full.

Supernal is not a common language of conversation but a metaphysical system of sound and sign, wherein words themselves shape reality, bind spirits, and mark the planes. Only a fragment survives. Fewer than two hundred words are known with proper pronunciation, and even these must be taught with precision, for error can render meaning void or bring peril to the speaker.

There are many written forms, the most notable being Supernal-A, a draconic-seeming script often mistaken for true Draconic, and Supernal-B, a flowing elven hand that appears beautiful but yields nonsense when translated as Elvish or Sylvan. Supernal texts (grimoires, tablets, or fragments) are commonly interpolated with Celestial, Draconic, or Elven words to replace what has been lost.

Those Who May Learn It: Supernal is reserved for scholars of the occult, such as high witches, ceremonial warlocks, magi, and certain esoteric clerics or wizards. Ordinary characters cannot select it. Even among such classes, mastery is partial; no individual is known to possess more than a handful of true phrases.

Game Use: Treat Supernal as a secret, universal occult tongue. It may be used to decipher ancient inscriptions, recite certain rituals, or command extraplanar beings when the proper words are known. It is never learned by chance; knowledge of Supernal must come through initiation, tutelage, or the study of rare and perilous texts. Characters cannot learn Supernal unless they meet the following requirements. 

• Must be a witch, warlock, cleric, magic-user, or one of their subclasses. Druids cannot learn this language.
• Intelligence score of 16 or higher.
• Have a free language to learn.
• Find a teacher who knows Supernal.

Costs for this can vary greatly depending on the demand and location. It takes one year for the character to even learn the basics and a decade to learn enough to be able to read any text. For game purposes, treat one year of learning as one level of experience.

Magic-users, as part of their normal education, learn a few words of Supernal along with magical words of Draconic and Elvish. They can be assumed to have had one year (one level) of instruction already.

Phygor

The Ascended Master, Scribe of the Gods, Walker Between Worlds

In the chronicles of magic, few names are so widely spoken and so little understood as Phygor. Born into a wealthy family, he was initially a promising but unremarkable student at the Great School of Magic. Then, as the tale is told, one day he simply stood up from his bench, leaving behind his books, his belongings, and even his half-eaten meal, and began to walk. He walked out of the School, out of city, and out of the world that others knew.

Phygor wandered for years beyond counting, traveling among hermits, witches, shamans, astrologers, monks, and warlocks. He learned a fragment here, a secret there, piecing together what none before him had dared: a greater vision of magic, gathered from every corner of the earth. Some say he spoke with dragons in their dreams, others that the spirits of the land taught him great mysteries. A few whisper that he was shown hidden truths by beings of heaven and hell, who recognized in him a mind vast enough to hold the Supernal syllables themselves.

When Phygor returned, he was transformed. His magics were strange and terrible, alien even to the archmages of the Great School. With these, he crushed a rebellion of wizards not with slaughter, but with dazzling displays of artifice and spells they could not comprehend, forcing them to surrender in awe. Though a man of Law and Good, he did not hoard his knowledge. He broke with all tradition, declaring that magic was not the possession of a cabal or a guild, but a birthright of the wise. He published his findings, opened his grimoires, and gave freely of his lore. Even those of wicked heart who opposed his ideals respected his power and grudgingly acknowledged his genius.

Phygor’s end is disputed. In some tales, he simply walked again, leaving the world behind as he had once left the School, and was never seen thereafter. In others, he ascended bodily into the higher planes, taking a place among the immortals. A few claim he became something greater still: the Scribe of the Gods, known to angels as a shining scribe and to demons as a voice of thunder, recording the hidden laws by which all spells are written.

Among witches, magi, and warlocks alike, Phygor is a luminary sage of study, initiation, and the pursuit of hidden knowledge. To invoke his name is to claim the lineage of the wandering master, the one who saw further than all others and gave what he found to the world. To some, he is a hero, a true master teacher. To others, a dangerous radical bent on upsetting the balance of magic. To all who wield magic, he is a name spoken with respect.

All of the known words of Supernal come from his writings. 

Monstrous Mondays: Guardians of the Library

Photo by Дмитрий Пропадалин

Still working through a bunch of notes for my "Occult D&D" project. I was thinking about my descriptions of "The Library," home of the Akashic Records in my universe, and how I have not really detailed any librarians at all. I am still not today, but I am going to share the Guardians. These creatures keep an "eye" on the collections, make sure no one damages any books or tomes or disrupt other patrons. 

Guardians of the Library
(Custos Bibliothecae)

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 12" (Fly 18")
HIT DICE: 8+8 (always 50 hp) (Greater Guardian: 10+10, always 60 hp)
% IN LAIR: 90%
TREASURE TYPE: Special (see below)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–6+3 / 1–6+3 (mace)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Gust of Wind (breath weapon)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to fire, sleep, charm, hold; half damage from non-magical weapons
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (orders tend toward Lawful Neutral)
SIZE: L (7' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
    Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE:
 Guardian: VIII / 3,200
 Greater Guardian: IX / 4,500

Guardians of The Library are powerful extraplanar servitors, created by the Unseen Masters to protect the great cosmic Archive known simply as The Library. Their forms appear as animated suits of ancient, rune-marked armor, though the armor is but a shell, within dwells an intelligent elemental force akin to an invisible stalker, but bound by vows of scholarly protection.

They serve as wardens and curators, ensuring the safety of books, scrolls, and ancient grimoires from theft, fire, and willful destruction. Though not inherently violent, Guardians will employ force, escalating as needed, to fulfill their charge. Most patrons of The Library will only see them as silent watchers, pacing slowly down the marble corridors of endless shelves.

On the very rare occasions they speak, their voices are a deep bass and sound hollow, as if the voice is coming from somewhere deep within their suits of armor.

A Guardian attacks with two powerful mace strikes per round, each dealing 1d6+3 damage. Though they carry weapons, these are not enchanted items; they are extensions of their elemental force and vanish if the creature is destroyed.

Once every 3 rounds, a Guardian may exhale a gale-force blast of wind (treat as a Gust of Wind spell cast by a 10th-level Magic-User). Creatures in a 6" cone must save vs. Breath Weapon or be knocked prone and disarmed. The gust will extinguish all non-magical flames instantly and has a 50% chance to snuff out magical fires (e.g., Flaming Sphere, Burning Hands). It is frequently used to subdue would-be thieves or suppress fires before they spread.

Guardians are immune to fire, and suffer only half damage from all non-magical weapons. They are unaffected by sleep, charm, and hold spells, and cannot be turned. They can see invisible, detect heat, and sense intention to harm (as ESP) within 3".

They never pursue to kill unless the lives of other patrons or the integrity of The Library is directly endangered.

Guardians dwell within The Library, an interplanar construct maintained by the Unseen Masters—entities believed to be ancient witches, archmages, or ascended Starchildren. Each Guardian is assigned a section to oversee, and their awareness is attuned to every page, shelf, and ward within that domain.

Once bound to The Library, a Guardian remains in eternal service unless recalled by its Master or utterly destroyed.

Guardians do not eat, sleep, or age. They do not reproduce. Their armor-shells are forged from spiritual metals unknown to mortal smiths. Upon death, they dissipate into rushing air and scattered dust. No treasure is carried save what they guard, which may include scrolls, spellbooks, or occult tomes.

GREATER GUARDIANS

These elite custodians (HD 10+10, AC 0, +4 damage per strike) are found only in restricted or high-risk sectors of The Library, such as the Infernal Stacks, Forbidden Annex, or near tomes written in Supernal. They are also sent to the Prime Material Plane to recover overdue or stolen books, always appearing silently near the offender.

Once per day, a Greater Guardian may Gate in a second Guardian (60% chance, no greater variant), but only if defending The Library itself.

--

The phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" keeps running through my mind here. Who are the Ascended Masters?

Monstrous Mondays: Starchild (Occult D&D)

 For years, I have been getting these little blank journals. My kids used to like to get them and give them to me for birthdays, Father's Day, and Christmas. Anyway, I typically keep them next to my desk, my bedside stand, and my end tables where I read or watch TV. I have dozens of them filled up, and maybe twice that number that are partially filled. 

This past summer, I have been working on collecting these into something. Not 100% sure what that something is, but I have been scribbling it all down under the header of "Occult D&D."  

Here is a "monster" I have been playing around with for a little bit. The first version of this was from a notebook I had all the way back to my earliest AD&D 1st Edition days. Revised heavily in the 1990s, and picked back up this past July.

Starchild - Photo by Alesia  Kozik

STARCHILD

(Custodes Sidereus, Ascended Master, Starborn)

Astral Celestial (Unique/Extraplanar)

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVE: 15"/48" (Fly)
HIT DICE: 14–16
% IN LAIR: 15%
TREASURE TYPE: see below (Astral Cache only)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (touch) or by spell
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2–12 (psychic touch) or by spell
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell use, see below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better weapon to hit; immune to charm, sleep, fear, illusion
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-Genius (20–22)
ALIGNMENT: Variable (see below)
SIZE: L (10'–12' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 200
Attack/Defense Modes: All / All
LEVEL/XP VALUE: IX / 19,500 + 20/hp

Starchildren appear as radiant humanoid beings of flawless beauty and serenity. Their physical forms are idealized, genderless or androgynous, glowing with starlight or surrounded by cascading auroras. In some traditions, they appear as translucent, elven-like sages robed in constellations; to others, they are shining spheres of cosmic intelligence, barely contained in mortal shape.

Starchildren rarely engage in physical combat, preferring pacifism, diplomacy, or departure. However, they will defend others from destruction, particularly mortals of magical inclination. They attack once per round with radiant energy (3d6 damage), or may cast spells as a 20th-level magic-user, 20th-level witch, or illusionist, depending on which magical tradition is strongest in the region.

They also possess the following innate abilities, usable at will unless noted otherwise:

• Teleport without Error
• Plane Shift
• True Seeing
• Detect Magic
• Telepathy (universal languages)
• Contact Other Plane (always succeeds, never drives them mad)
• Banishment (3/day)
• Akashic Memory (see below)

Once per week, a Starchild may grant a mortal access to the Akashic Record as per the Access the Library ritual spell. This is usually done only for profound magical seekers or as part of a sacred pact.

Starchildren possess all psionic defense and attack modes and may use any of the "sciences" or "devotions" as needed in a particular situation. 

No two sources agree on what the Starchildren are. Some witches say they are the ascended forms of the first witches, elevated beyond mortal limits. Others insist they are celestial beings from the stars, what modern occultists call Star People or Elder Teachers. Still others view them as sentient emanations of the Cosmic Consciousness, a universal mind from which all magic flows.

They do not reproduce, nor do they maintain societies in the conventional sense. However, Starchildren have appeared to witches in times of great need, offering insight, visions, or magical gifts.

Starchildren are known to walk the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Realm, and other dimensions unknown to mortals. They are believed to be custodians of the Akashic Record, a vast, extradimensional archive of all knowledge, magic, thought, and possibility.

Starchildren do not eat, breathe, or sleep. Their presence warps reality subtly, nearby spellcasting becomes easier, plants grow slightly better, and dreams become filled with symbols and visions. Prolonged contact with a Starchild can result in magical mutations or spiritual awakening, depending on the soul of the one exposed.

A slain Starchild does not leave a corpse, but transforms into stardust and ascends, its essence dissolving into the Astral Light.

Though they do not hoard material goods, a Starchild’s sanctum may contain:

• A spellbook containing 1d6 unique or forgotten spells.
• Crystalline artifacts imbued with planar energy.
• An Astral Map that allows access to unknown planes.

Starchildren as Patrons. If the Starchildren were once patrons of witches, as many believe, they are no longer. Though all traditions have something in their teachings that many conclude is a product of the Starchildren. 

Each Witch Tradition interprets them differently:

• The Aquarian Tradition see them as the progenitor of their tradition and the form they ultimately aspire to transcend to.
  
  
• The Atlantean Tradition believes they are the architects of the great crystal cities beneath the waves.
  
  
• The Classic and Pagan Traditions see the Starchlidren as the messengers of the old gods of their faiths. They would be called angels in other philosophies. 
  
  
• The Daughters of Baba Yaga whisper that Baba Yaga herself is the most terrible and wise of the Starchildren.
  
  
• The Followers of Aradia believe the Starchildren first taught Aradia the language of the stars.
  
  
• The High Secret Order seeks audience with them for the secrets of deep occult power.
  
  
• The Scaled Sisterhood refer to them as Cosmic Serpents, and some suspect the great Dragon/Serpent Anantanatha is one.

Names of the Starchildren

These are the Starchildren known to occult scholars.

Unceph the Dual-Flame: The one who whispers across mirrored selves. Keeper of the Seventh Gate of Thought. They are male and female, both eternally. 

Lioriel of the Infinite Choir: Angel of harmonics and secret words. Her voice is a thousand singing stars.

Xavhalon the Prism-Eyed: All colors bend through their gaze; they dream in radiant geometry.

Astraema of the Crystal Veil: Watcher of fates yet unformed, veiled in moonlight and deep water.

Seraphex, Keeper of the Burning Glyph: Bearer of the first word etched in flame. Those who read it are forever changed.

Urilathe the Memory Unbound: He who walks the halls of unchosen pasts. Wields the Book of What Might Have Been.

Omniala the Pale Aurora: She dances on the threshold of death and dreaming, trailing silver fire.

Zyntharion of the Thirteenth Ray: Patron of heretics and innovators. The ray no one remembers seeing.

The Archon Selador: Who guards the spiral path inward. All questions asked three times.

Velek-Tha of the Outer Spiral: The serpent-form of stellar wisdom. They uncoil thought from the void.

Galithriel, She of the Star-Seeded Womb: Mother of the Starborn. Cradles the souls of those who dream beyond the veil.

Nocturiel the Dream-Encoded: Sleeper beneath the silver sphere. His sigils bloom in moonlit minds.

--

One might be excused for thinking that this all originated from weird post-70s New Age thinking. And yes, that is true, but it was equal parts that, equal parts of Chariots of the Gods?, and equal parts of television shows like The Phoenix. The catalyst, though, had to be Juice Newton's cover of "Angel Of The Morning."  My thought was, if there is an Angel of the Morning, are the others? Of course there are. 

I make no claim that Lioriel looks like Juice Newton circa 1980. But I also do not not claim it.

#RPGaDay2025 Day 19 Destiny

Some characters are made. Others are called.

In fantasy RPGs, we often talk about adventure as something that happens to the characters. A job they take. A dungeon they stumble into. A series of increasingly bad decisions with increasingly sharp consequences.

But sometimes… the story’s already waiting for them.

That’s destiny.

It’s the feeling that a character wasn’t just born to swing a sword or cast a spell, they were born to change the world. Or maybe to save it. Or break it.

And whether you believe in fate or not, it makes for a hell of a story.

The classic model, of course, is the Hero’s Journey, Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. The call to adventure. Refusal. Supernatural aid. Descent. Return. Transformation. It’s clean. It’s powerful. It’s the scaffolding behind everything from The Lord of the Rings to Star Wars to the better arcs in your home campaign.

But witches rarely walk the Hero’s Path.

They dance on it.

Their model isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral.

A path that doubles back. That deepens. That re-enters old places with new eyes. It’s the Witch’s Spiral Dance, a sacred return. A reweaving of self. Not a quest for glory, but a journey inward and downward, until the truth is uncovered in the dark.

And that, too, is destiny.

In my games, I love to ask:

• Does this character believe they have a destiny?
• If not, what happens when they’re told they do?
• What happens if they refuse it?
• And what happens if they chase it too far?

Not every character needs a prophesied fate. Some are just trying to survive. But destiny has a strange way of catching up. That cursed sword didn’t find them by accident. That sigil birthmark? That wasn’t just cosmetic.

Even when you're winging it as a player, the story has a gravity. It pulls. It whispers. It tempts you with the idea that maybe… this moment was meant to happen.

And when you step into it? When the character finally sees themselves in the myth?

That’s magic.

That’s the moment when dice and drama and destiny line up. When a witch completes her spiral. When a hero returns home, changed. When the dungeon wasn’t just a hole in the ground, it was the crucible of the soul.

So sure, roll with the chaos. Make it up as you go.

But when the time comes? When the stars are right, and the door opens?

Step into destiny.

Questions

Why. Excited. Accessory.

Why am I excited about BLANK Accessory? For me it is an online visual character generator. Why, but I can create characters to use in my games without needing to hire an artist every time. I'll save that for things I want to publish. 

https://www.autocratik.com/ • https://www.castingshadowsblog.com/

#RPGaDay2025 Day 18 Sign

 Not every message arrives in words. Some come as signs.

• A crow circling widdershins.
• A mirror that cracks without reason.
• A cold wind blowing from the east when the sky is clear.

In the occult, both in fiction and in real-world traditions, signs are how the unseen speaks. They’re not always obvious. They’re not always dramatic. But they always mean something.

Witches know this. Warlocks, too. They don’t just read books. They read the world. The patterns in the bark, the way the candle flickers, the strange arrangement of bones at the edge of a clearing. The world is a living grimoire, and every sign is a page waiting to be read.

I’ve always loved using signs in my games. They’re more than just flavor, they’re agency. A clue, a key, a message scratched into the world itself. Sometimes it’s overt: a vision, an augury, a rune glowing faintly on a stone altar. But more often, it’s subtle. A dream that changes after entering a cursed forest. A candle that won’t stay lit inside a ruined chapel. A tarot deck that keeps drawing The Tower, no matter how many times it’s shuffled.

The best signs don’t give answers. They ask questions. They don’t tell the players what to do, they ask if they’re paying attention.

And if you want to turn up the pressure, signs can act like story clocks. Foreshadowing. Countdown markers. A narrative fuse quietly burning in the background.

The third raven means the pact is broken.

 The red comet marks the return of something old.

 And when the stars are right… well, you know how that one goes.

From a DM’s point of view, signs are one of my favorite storytelling tools. They create atmosphere. They build tension. They reward curiosity. And they make the world feel alive, alive and watching.

From a player’s point of view, they’re invitations. To dig deeper. To question everything. To realize that maybe the dungeon isn’t the real threat, it’s what’s waking up beneath it.

So the next time something strange happens in your game, an unexplained sound, an uncanny shadow, a symbol that appears where it shouldn’t, don’t explain it right away. Let it linger. Let it breathe. Let it be a sign.

And watch what your players do with it.

 Because half the fun of prophecy is wondering if it’s true.

 The other half? Watching your players spin themselves in circles trying to figure it out.

Questions

When. Contemplative. Character.

Related to signs above, when should a Character be contemplative? Obviously, when trying to figure out whatever mystery I have thrown at them, and not in the middle of combat.  Their thought process can e a great role-playing device.

https://www.autocratik.com/ • https://www.castingshadowsblog.com/

#RPGaDay2025 Day 17 Renew

Renewal is at the heart of magic.

Not just in spells like Cure Light Wounds, Regenerate, or Remove Curse, but in the very bones of the occult.

The seasons turn. The moon waxes and wanes. The old year dies, the new one is born. Witches know this. They live by it. Their magic doesn’t just destroy or create it recycles. It breaks things down to make something new.

In my Occult D&D projects, I’ve leaned hard into this idea. It is a central theme of witchcraft; life-death-rebirth; renewal.

 Witches don’t get stronger just by leveling up. They grow through ritual, reflection, and reinvention.

 They bury regrets in the earth. They burn away what no longer serves. They drink from wells beneath the world and wake up changed.

That’s what I love about the occult themes in D&D: it’s not just about power; it’s about transformation. It’s about becoming someone new without erasing who you were.

• The witch who renounces her patron, but keeps the lessons.
• The warlock who breaks the pact, but keeps the scars.
• The circle that ends, so another can begin.

I’ve even designed spells and mechanics around this. Lunar rites that renew magical strength. Coven rituals that restore spent energy. Familiars that molt and reincarnate. Spells that don’t just heal, they cleanse.

And I don’t mean that in a purely mechanical sense. I mean characters who carry emotional weight and find a way to set it down. In the context of a long campaign, this is gold.

Give your witch time to grieve. Let your warlock find peace. Make room for the reset.

Because renewal isn’t just a soft option. It’s powerful. It’s hard. It requires choice, sacrifice, and awareness. But when it happens?

It feels like magic again.

Questions

Who. Optimistic. Person.

Who is someone (a person) who makes me optimistic?  I would have to say the recent batch of D&D influencers. To name one Ginny Di. They love this hobby and wear their love on their sleeve for all to see. The hobby won't be pushed forward by the old guard like me, but from the newer players.

https://www.autocratik.com/ • https://www.castingshadowsblog.com/

#RPGaDay2025 Day 14 Mystery

 In games, a mystery is often a question that needs solving. Who stole the artifact? What’s making the villagers sick? Why won’t the dead stay dead?

But in the occult, mystery is something deeper, a little more profound.

Not a puzzle to be solved, but a truth too big to grasp all at once.

The word “occult” itself means hidden. Not evil, not dangerous, just concealed. Veiled. Enfolded in symbols and silence. Not because it can’t be known, but because it must be experienced to be understood.

That’s how I treat mystery in my games, not as a locked box waiting for the right roll, but as a revelation that unfolds slowly, ritually, even dangerously.

The best mysteries aren’t just plot hooks. They are tones. They are atmosphere. They’re what makes the players lean in when you lower your voice.

They start small:

• A name whispered in a dream.
• A mirror that stops reflecting.
• A string of deaths that all share the same wound, but nothing else.

They grow:

• The name shows up in an old ledger.
• The mirror reappears in another town.
• The wound pattern matches something from a war that ended centuries ago.

Until suddenly, the players realize: this isn’t a mystery they’re solving. This is a mystery they’re becoming part of.

That’s when you know it’s working.

Because the greatest mysteries don’t just exist to be explained.

 They exist to transform.

The occult traditions get this. The Mystery Schools weren’t lecture halls. They were initiatory experiences. To understand the mystery, you had to live it. You had to enter the cave, drink the wine, draw the circle, speak the name.

That’s the energy I try to bring to my witch stories and adventures.

The mystery is the magic.

 Not the “what,” but the why.

 Not the “how do we fix this,” but the “what happens if we don’t.”

And the best part?

Even I don’t always know the answer!

Because a real mystery… changes everyone who touches it.

This is an idea I’ll come back to again in this challenge, but specifically Day 26. 

Questions

Who. Enthusiastic. Art.

Who's art am I enthusiastic about? I would have to say my good friend Djinn. She always does a great job with my characters and I look forward to seeing what she does with them.

https://www.autocratik.com/ • https://www.castingshadowsblog.com/

#RPGaDay2025 Day 1 Patron

 Today is the start of the #RPGaDAY2025. 

This year, in addition to the prompts detailed below, I am going to write a lot on my Occult D&D project and some upcoming adventure ideas. It will help me focus on where those projects need to go.

We start this year’s #RPGaDAY with Patron, and I’m diving in with something near and dear to my design heart: Patrons for witches and warlocks.

Now, the usual suspects are easy to name; demons, devils, faerie lords and ladies, and Lovecraftian horrors from beyond the veil. And yes, I use all of them. Often. Enthusiastically.

But lately I’ve been thinking more about the other kinds of patrons. The less obvious ones. The ones that add flavor and complexity beyond the usual infernal bargain.

Here are a few I’ve been playing around with:

Dragons

Honestly, I should have done this ages ago. My oldest is dragon-obsessed, and I’ve lost count of how many dragon miniatures, plushies, and LEGO sets we have in the house.

Dragons are ancient, magical, and powerful. Why wouldn’t a warlock or witch swear themselves to a mighty drake of time or flame? Not just as treasure-hoarding monsters, but as elemental, almost divine beings with long memories and stranger agendas. Only the most ancient and cunning ones offer pacts, and they always come with a price.

Angels

This one’s a bit unexpected, but stick with me.

Crack open any New Age spellbook or Victorian spiritualist guide, and you’ll find incantations invoking angels, Raphael, Michael, Uriel, and so on.

Why should only demons offer deals?

The Watchers of Enochian lore taught witchcraft, after all. And their punishment? Eternal exile, watching their children, the Nephilim, fall. There’s something beautiful and tragic there. An angelic patron might offer guidance, power, or forbidden knowledge, but at what cost to their divine purpose?

Animal Lords

Briefly touched on this in one of my warlock projects, but worth revisiting. These are like the Archfey, but aligned with the primal wild. Lords of the Fox, the Raven, the Serpent, the Stag, each with their own ancient cults, taboos, and riddles. A warlock bound to the Panther Lord might wear shadows like a cloak. A witch devoted to the La Lechuza, the Owl Queen, might speak only in questions and dreams.

Witch Queens

When a witch becomes powerful enough, she doesn’t kneel to a patron, she becomes one.

Witch Queens are legendary figures of folklore and power. Some, like Aradia, are benevolent guides. Others, like Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, demand devotion, transformation, and sacrifice. These patrons are perfect for witches who walk the line between mortal and myth.

Daimons

Not demons. Not daemons. Not even spirits in the traditional D&D sense.

Daimons, in the Platonic and Gnostic traditions, are spirits of knowledge—divine intermediaries who speak in symbols, guide seekers to hidden truths, and sometimes lead them into madness. A warlock who binds themselves to a daimon may not fully understand what they've done. But the dreams come anyway. And the visions never lie.

Honestly, I have way more, an absurd number, really. But these are some of my favorites right now. I love patrons that aren’t just “here’s some spells, go cause chaos,” but instead add weight and weirdness to a character’s story. The best patrons change their warlocks and witches. Slowly. Irrevocably.

And that’s where the real fun begins.

Questions

There are also questions I can answer. So let's roll and see what I get. 

I got "How," "Grateful," and "Person." 

Translating..."Who is a Person I am Grateful for and How?"

Hmm...Assuming I am keeping this in the game sphere...I am going to say Len Lakofka. Len passed away a few years ago, but not before we could establish a good online correspondence. His articles in Dragon were some of my favorite, so being able to talk to him much later in my life was a real treat. I am sad to see he is gone.

Witchcraft Wednesday: Fane-born (Occult D&D)

 Got some game time in my oldest last night. Instead of actual playing we rolled up a bunch of characters we might try out and discussed our various takes on the Forgotten Realms. My campaign, "Into the Forgotten Realms" vs. his "It's Always Sunny in Waterdeep." There are more differences than just tone, we talked about the assumptions underlying my AD&D 1st Ed, "Into" vs his D&D 5th Ed, "Sunny."

We also talked about my ideas for "Occult D&D" a little and how we can use it for either game. 

One of the characters I worked on combined a lot of these ideas. Her name is Tarjä and she is a multi-classed witch/assassin. She is not ready for posting yet, but her species is. Tarjä is a Fane-born Witch.

The Fane-born are an idea I have been playing with, off and on, for a long time. A species similar to humans, but separate. In the DC universe, they might be called Homo magi. They are a race deeply immersed in magic. 

Fane-born

Also known as: Changelings, Hag-born, Witch-kin, Hollow-Eyed

“There are children born under broken moons, with too-wide eyes and whispers in their sleep. We call them changelings. But they call themselves Fane-born, and they remember things we were never meant to know.”

- From the Journal of Larina Nix

The Fane-born are a mysterious and eerie race of humanoids born from the tangled roots of old magic, faerie mischief, and witchcraft. Some are said to be the offspring of witches and dark spirits; others are left in mortal homes as changelings or molded from magic in long-forgotten rituals. Their presence unsettles the common folk, and they are often driven away or feared as portents of ill fortune.

Yet among witches, they are honored, or at least tolerated, as strange siblings in the arcane bloodline. They possess a natural affinity for the occult, a strong spiritual presence, and an uncanny ability to see beyond the veils of the world.

Game Statistics (AD&D 1st Edition)

Level Limits

• Witch: Unlimited
• Warlock: Unlimited
• Thief: Unlimited
• Magic-User: Based on Intelligence
• Int 13 = Level 9
• Int 14 = Level 10
• Int 15 = Level 11
• Illusionist: Based on Intelligence
• Int 14 = Level 8
• Int 15 = Level 9
• Int 16 = Level 10
• Fighter: 6
• Druid: Based on Wisdom
• Wis 12 = Level 8
• Wis 13 = Level 9
• Wis 14 = Level 10
• Wis 15 = Level 11
• Wis 16 = Level 12
• Wis 17 = Level 13
• Wis 18 = Level 14

 (Cannot be Clerics, Paladins, Rangers, or Monks)

Ability Adjustments: +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma, -1 Constitution

 Minimum Scores: Wis 13, Cha 13

 Maximum Constitution: 17

 Alignment Tendencies: Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, or Chaotic Good

 Height/Weight: 5’2" to 5’10", 90–140 lbs.

 Age Ranges: Same as human.

Racial Abilities

Innate Spellcasting: Choose one at character creation: Detect Magic, Read Magic, or Charm Person 1/day

Uncanny Presence: +2 bonus on saving throws vs. charm, fear, or possession

Occult Intuition: Can attempt to identify magical items on a roll of 1–2 on 1d6 after 10 minutes of focused examination

Ghost Sight: Can perceive into the Ethereal Plane or overlapping Faerie realms. Allows them to see invisible or ethereal creatures to 60'.

 Languages: Gains Faerie/Sylvan/Elvish as a free language. 

Cultural Notes

Origins: Some are born to mortal witches under eclipses; others are swapped at birth by fae creatures or raised by covens. Others still can be born to human parents exposed to powerful witchcraft. 

Society: Rarely form settlements of their own. Most travel between witch circles, shrines, and isolated steads.

Appearance: Unnerving beauty or eerie awkwardness; heterochromia, white hair at birth, overly long fingers, or no reflection. Some have small horns (can be hidden with hair styles), oddly proportioned limbs, or other odd appearances that can't quite be quantified at first, but lead to an unsettled feeling. 

Reputation: Seen as cursed, unholy, or dangerous. Even when doing good, their motives are questioned.

They have a bonus to Charisma and Wisdom to reflect their personal willpower and personality, but they are treated as having a Charisma score of 2 less (-2) for the purposes of reaction roles among humans and hiring human retainers.

--

Might tweak this some more as we play. Going to also convert them to 5e for my son's game. 

Occult D&D: The Coven of the Shattered Crowns

 Work continues on my ideas for occult D&D. There are a lot of ways I could crack this nut, but in true occult fashion, I just took everything I was working on and followed where it led me. It led me to a very interesting new coven. 

While trying to figure out a Grand Coven that would have Rhiannon and Briana Highstar as members, as well as Moria, Amaranth, and maybe others. All have different patrons, come from different traditions, and none share any alignments. 

They all did have one thing in common, though.  Each of their patrons had been cast down by the gods. So demons, devils, old gods, and other things, all gone from their seats of power, and "new gods" sat on them. They combed through every old text they could find, borrow, or steal. All leading them to the same conclusion.  

The Gods need to be cast down.

The Coven of the Shattered Crowns

Yesterday I talked about Rhiannon and Briana's "great works," this is it. They found the texts and gathered other witches to their cause. Right now, I am at the stage of the start of this cult, but I have some good ideas.

We were not born in shadow, nor forged in ancient fires. We were not whispered into being by crones in the wood or scribed into dusty tomes. We are new, terrifyingly new. And yet, every stone we unearth bears our mark, every sealed vault cracks open at our touch, and every false god flinches when we speak the names They tried to erase.

The divine order is a lattice of lies. The gods did not shape the world, they conquered it. They did not bring wisdom, they buried it. And those They cast down, the dragon mothers, the star-wives, the daughters of dust and light, those are our Patrons. Their crowns were broken, their thrones scattered, their names struck from prayer. We will restore them, not in temples, but in ourselves.

This is the Grand Work. Not resurrection, but replacement. Not worship, but ascent. Let them tremble on their gilded thrones, for we walk paths They cannot follow. And we walk together.

No God rules where witches walk.

- The Manifesto of the Shattered Crown,
Penned by Briana Highstar, Archwitch

That is what I have so far. 

Here are some of the occult ideas going into this. It's not everything yet, but it is what I have written so far. A lot of this should look really familiar to regular readers.

The Witch-Cult Hypothesis (Margaret Murray, Aradia Mythos)

• Key Theme: Pre-Christian pagan religion suppressed by patriarchal churches. 
• Parallels: Witches worship ancient goddesses and spirits that were demonized.
• Application: The Coven of the Shattered Crowns doesn’t want to restore the old religion; they want to become the new pantheon, using what was lost to rewrite the future.

The Witch-Cult hypothesis is a perennial favorite of mine. While Margaret Murray's anthropology is in question, her ideas are highly relevant to my writing here. This new Coven takes the Witch Cult and Aradia myths to the next level. 

I'll likely add in bits of James George Frazer here as well.

The Gnostic Traditions

• Key Theme: The Demiurge (false god) created the flawed material world, while the true divine lies beyond, or within.
• Parallels: 
• The ruling gods are deceivers.
• The soul contains divine sparks trapped in flesh.
• Salvation comes through secret knowledge (gnosis), not worship.
• Application to the Coven of the Shattered Crowns: Each witch could view her ascension as liberating the divine within, unmasking the false gods of law, light, and judgment.

I have been dying to use more Gnostic ideas in my books, but never found the right hook.

Luciferianism (Occult/Philosophical, not Satanic)

• Key Theme: Lucifer as a symbol of rebellion, enlightenment, and personal divinity.
• Parallels:
• The rebel angel is not evil, but a bringer of light, cast down by an authoritarian god.
• Emphasis on self-initiation, wisdom, and apotheosis.
• Application: Many of the witches' Patrons are seen in this light. Their “fall” is a misinterpreted liberation, and the Coven of the Shattered Crowns seeks to reclaim their truth.

This one is obvious, at least to me. I am focusing on the occult and philosophical aspects, rather than the satanic aspects. I did that already. I like the idea of using Luciferianism here too. More than a couple of my witches here are "diabolic." The fit is good.

The Hermetic Tradition (Hermeticism, Alchemy)

• Key Theme: Ascent of the soul through the Great Work—uniting opposites, becoming one with the divine.
• Parallels:
• “As above, so below.” The microcosm (witch) reflects the macrocosm (god).
• The world has fallen, but can be transmuted.
• Godhood is attainable through discipline, knowledge, and inner purification.
• Application: The Coven of the Shattered Crowns' path to godhood could be Hermetic in structure—alchemical steps, planetary correspondences, sacred geometry.

If I am going to explore occult themes, then I will incorporate the Hermetic Tradition. More than once in fact. Hermetic Wizards, brotherhoods of occult scholars, and ideas like this. 

The witches of this Coven of the Shattered Crowns are very much like members of the Hermetic Orders.

The Qliphoth (Kabbalistic, Inverted Tree of Life)

• Key Theme: The Qliphoth are shells or husks—cast-off divine powers that became demonic or chaotic.
• Parallels:
• These are exiled forces outside the Tree of Life.
• Some occult traditions seek to traverse the Qliphoth in reverse to regain hidden wisdom or godlike power.
• Application: The witches’ Patrons could be seen as Qliphothic beings, those cast out by divine order, but still holding fragments of creative force. Traversing the “Tree of the Cast Down” could be part of their Grand Work.

I have talked about the Qliphoth before. I think they are a great idea, and I have wanted to use them more. I am not using them here, really, but the idea is similar. Plus, if you were an occultist reading about this, you would apply it to your own situation. 

Chaos Magick

• Key Theme: Belief is a tool. Identity and metaphysics are mutable. Personal reality can be rewritten.
• Parallels:
• The gods are constructs. Power lies in will, not worship.
• Ritual is a lens for self-transformation.
• Application: The Grand Coven may not want to return to any tradition—they want to overwrite cosmic order using the same chaos the gods feared. Each witch becomes her own “god-form.”

I LOVE Chaos Magick. Back in the 90s I really got into Chaos Theory and related topics. The result is why my Tiâmat is Chaotic Evil. Some of that has been added here. 

A bit scattered, but that's typical of many occult writings. I am really thrilled with where this is going. 

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Witch-Priestess

Photo by Paola  Koenig

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

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

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

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

WITCH-PRIESTESS

Advanced Class for Witches

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

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

Requirements

To become a Witch-Priestess, a character must:

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

Restrictions

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

Spellcasting

The Witch-Priestess continues to cast Witch spells as normal

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

Occult and divine spellcasting remain separate; she prepares them independently

Divine Favor (Channeling Powers)

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

Sample Divine Favors:

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

Sacred Coven

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

Charge of the Goddess

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

Drawing Down the Moon

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

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

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

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

(unless I change my minder later on)

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

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

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

Optional Rule - Ritual Dedication

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

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

The Old Faith Spell List

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

1st Level

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

2nd Level

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

3rd Level

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

4th Level

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

5th Level

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

6th Level

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

7th Level

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

--

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

Monstrous Mondays: Gnomi, The Occult Gnome

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ECOLOGY

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

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

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

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

Optional: Gnomic Magic

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

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

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

--

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

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

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

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

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

The Occult Thread in D&D

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

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

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

What You Can Expect from This Series

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

1. Bringing Occult Themes to the Table

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

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

2. Spotlighting Witchcraft in Your Game

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

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

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

Let’s Begin...

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

Let’s peel back the veil and find out. 

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

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