Showing posts with label witch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witch. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: Deborah "Elf Star" and Mistress Frost for the Left Hand Path Witch

 Last week I re-introduced two NPC Witches from my Left Hand Path Witch & Warlock book; Rhiannon and Briana Highstar.  Today I want to feature two more. Warlocks I think many of you already know. Deborah "Elf Star" and Mistress Frost.

Deborah “Elf Star”
Deborah “Elf Star”

"I used the Mind Bondage spell on my father!"

Warlock Level 8
Patron: Akelarre
Alignment: Chaos (Chaotic Evil)

STR: 10 +0
INT: 13 +1
WIS: 14 +1
DEX: 15 +2
CON: 15 +2
CHA: 16 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11
Petrification/Polymorph: 11
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12
Breath Weapon: 14
Spells: 13
Single Save: 13

AC: 7
HP: 30
To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: None

Invocations

Arcane Blast, Beast Speech, Bewitching Whispers, Eldritch Sight, Sign of Ill Omen

Spells

First Level: Allure, Charm Person, Hypnotism
Second Level: Blur, Dark Whispers, Mind Obscure
Third Level: Dark Omen, Fly
Fourth Level: Mind Bondage

Deborah was a young student of Mistress Frost’s school. Frost saw potential in Deborah above and beyond her classmates. She introduced Deborah, now renamed Elf Star, to her Warlock lodge, where they honored the Demon Lord Akelarre.

Akelarre has rewarded Elf Star with power, particularly power over others in the form of charms and mind control. 

Elf Star plans to grow in power and control all the people who wronged her in her young life.

Mistress Frost
Mistress Frost

"Don't be stupid, Debbie!"

Warlock Level 18
Patron: Akelarre
Alignment: Chaos (Chaotic Evil)

STR: 11 +0
INT: 16 +2
WIS: 14 +2
DEX: 15 +2
CON: 15 +2
CHA: 18 +3 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11
Petrification/Polymorph: 11
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12
Breath Weapon: 14
Spells: 13
Single Save: 13

AC: 7
HP: 30
To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: None

Invocations

Arcane Blast, Beast Speech, Bewitching Whispers, Eldritch Sight, Eye of Algol, Minion of Chaos, Sign of Ill Omen, Threefold Curse, Unholy Regeneration

Spells

First Level: Allure, Charm Person, Command, Hypnotism, Make Poppet, Vigor
Second Level: Agony, Cackle, Cause Light Wounds, Dark Whispers, Mind Obscure
Third Level: Aura Sight, Cauldron of Rage, Chaotic Mind, Dark Omen, Undetectable Lie
Fourth Level: Abjure, Cause Serious Wounds, Mind Bondage, Witch's Cradle
Fifth Level: Break Enchantment, Enslave, Mind Fog, Steal Youth

Mistress Frost is in charge of recruiting new members to the worship of the Demon Lord Akelarre. To secure Deborah's involvement and attachment to the cult she had already sacrificed her friend Black Leaf to ensure Deborah had no other attachments. 

Mistress Frost's ultimate plan is to give Elf Star to Akelarre as a bride to secure even more power for herself. 

--

I am not sure old Jack would approve, but I like them!

Coming next week, Walpurgis Night.

The Left Hand Path Witch


*OGL Section 15: COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Character Clip Art & Color Customizing Studio Copyright 2002, Elmore Productions, Inc.; Authors Larry Elmore and Ken Whitman, Art and illustrations by Larry Elmore.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: The "Return" of Rhiannon and Briana Highstar

 A special Witchcraft Wednesday today. But really, aren't they all special in their own way?

Working on the final layout of my Left Hand Path book AND prepping my Weekly Forgotten Realms games with my oldest; I figure I'd do them both in one posting today.

Briana and Rhiannon character sheets

All my Basic-era witch books have similar features. The Witch and/or Warlock classes, new Traditions, new spells, new monsters, new magic items, and new NPCs to drop into your games. I was thinking about the NPCs I have now ready to go; Babylon, Debbie "Elf Star", and her coven leader, Ms. Frost. 

But I needed one or two more. While playing last week, I figured I would start to introduce some of Grenda's NPCs to my Forgotten Realms game. That thought led right to Briana, and then that lead right to including her in the Left Hand Path book since she was already a witch of Mephistopheles. She just didn't fit, she belongs in this book. If I am going to include Briana, I might as well include Rhiannon as well.

I am using AD&D 1st Ed stats for them in my games, but will include their Diabolic Witch Basic-era Stats in my book.

So, here they are. Briana Highstar and Rhiannon. I am not sure how they interact with each other (even if they will) but I am going to have a good time finding out. 

Briana Highstar
Briana Highstar
Human Female

Witch Level 4
Diabolic Tradition
Patron: Mephistopheles
Alignment: Chaos (Lawful Evil)

STR: 12 +0
INT: 15 +1
WIS: 17 +2
DEX: 16 +2
CON: 13 +1
CHA: 17 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 13
Petrification/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 14
Breath Weapon: 16
Spells: 15
Single Save: 15

AC: 7
HP: 19
To Hit AC 0: 20 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +0 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: None

Occult Powers
Familiar: Cat 

Spells
First Level: Charm Person, Spirit Dart
Second Level: Burning Gaze, Grasp of the Endless War

Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 136 lbs



Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Human Female

Witch Level 8
Malefic Tradition
Patron: Ereshkigal
Alignment: Chaos (Neutral Evil)

STR: 11 +0
INT: 17 +2
WIS: 17 +2
DEX: 16 +2
CON: 15 +2
CHA: 16 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11
Petrification/Polymorph: 11
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12
Breath Weapon: 14
Spells: 13
Single Save: 13

AC: 5
HP: 36
To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger of Venom
Armor: Leather

Occult Powers
Familiar: Mourning Dove
Minor: Impure Touch

Spells
First Level: Charm Person, Chill of Death, Touch of Suggestion
Second Level: Beastform, Disfiguring Touch, Protective Penumbra
Third Level: Bestow Curse, Bleed for Your Master
Fourth Level: Fangs of the Strix

Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 114 lbs

--

I am happy with these two. I am looking forward to seeing how they progress in the adventures and their life in my Left Hand Path Book.

I don't know yet if these two know each other. But I do know that Rhiannon knows Larina. They began in the same coven, but they went their separate ways. Rhiannon will be my excuse to do an "evil Larina" which will be kinda fun, really.


OGL Section 15: COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Character Clip Art & Color Customizing Studio Copyright 2002, Elmore Productions, Inc.; Authors Larry Elmore and Ken Whitman, Art and illustrations by Larry Elmore.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Monstrous Mondays: Monsters of the Left Hand Path

Monsters of the Left Hand Path
"It is an oft spoken truth that were you find witches you will also find demons."

 Late post today. Doing taxes. Yeah last minute, the Government will get my money when I am ready, not before.

Still doing the layout for The Left Hand Path Witch. I love how it is all coming together. I thought I would share the list of all the demons, devils, and other creatures you will find in this book. My goal here was to have the demons and other creatures I enjoyed from my Advanced books, but play them in Basic games.

While I want to cleave close to the classic roots of the game, I also want to make my own changes. These are changes based on the readings I have done and the way my own games have evolved over the years.

I have used OGC creatures to smooth out the translations, even if the execution ends up a little different (look at you, one-headed Demogorgon).

So here are the creatures to look forward to.

"The Usual Suspects" Demon Line-up JE Shields art
"The Usual Suspects" Demon Line-up JE Shields art

Dæmon

Apollyon, the Oinodæmon
Cacodæmon
Derghodæmon
Guardian Dæmon
Hydrodæmon
Messodæmon
Nyctodæmon
Piscodæmon
Tarwani (Malzeth, etc.)

Demon

Abraxas
Achaierai
Akelarre

Babau
Balor
Baphomet
Camazotz
Cambion
Demogorgon
Dretch
Fly Demon
Fraz-Urb'luu
Gargantua
Glabrezu
Gog and Magog
Hellephant
Herzrou
Incubus
Juiblex
Kostchtchie
Manes
Marilith
Mezzalorn (Wasp Demon)
Nabassu
Nabassu, Mature
Nalfeshnee
Orcus
Ördög
Quasit
Rekhet A'at Khetepu
Reshkanu
Shadow Demon
Shaniezak
Spider, Demonic
Trickster (Imposter Demon)
Vanth
Vrock
Zsusr

Devil

Aamon
Aeshma (Pit Fiend)
Asmodeus
Astaroth
Baalzebul
Barbed
Bartzabel
Belial
Bone
Buer
Cimeris
Dīs Pater
Erinyes
Geryon
Hellcat
Hellhound
Horned
Ice Devil
Imp
Kôkabîêl
Lemure
Malarea
Mammpn
Mephistopheles
Nupperibo
Paimon
Titivilus

Eodemon

Ammit
Apep
Dagon
Drauga
Gallû
Girtablullû
Leviathan
Pazuzu
Tiâmat
Tsathogga
Umu
Utukku

Independent Fiends

Ahriman (Angra Mainyu)
Sons of Ahriman
Iblīs
Nightmare
Rakshasa

Lilim

Batibat
Empusa
Lamashtu
Lamiae (Lamia)
Lilith
Lilitu
Mara (Night Hag)
Mazziqin
Mormo
Succubus

Mephit

Brimstone
Fire
Lava
Smoke
Steam
Water

Tarterian (Demodand)

Shaggy
Slime
Tarry

Yaoguai

Hóu Yaoguai (Monkey)
Hǔ Yaoguai (Tiger)
Niú Yaoguai (Ox)
Shé Yaoguai (Serpent)
Shǔ Yaoguai (Rat)



The Left Hand Path Witch



Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: Left Hand Path work and more Moria

 The Left Hand Path is moving on a good pace, not as far as I wanted to be right now, but I can live with that. I did want to show off another bit of new art for the book.

Billy Blue Art

That's how it appears in the book. I'll add the artists names when I am doing laying out. I might tweak the page a bit, but you get the right idea. 

Here is a closeup.

Billy Blue Art

The artist is Bill Blue, and you can see more of his art on his site.

Last night I wrapped up the first adventure for my 1357 DR Forgotten Realms campaign. As a GMPC, Moria only gets a fraction of the XP earned, so she has not leveled up yet. My oldest bought some HeroForge minis for some of his characters. I joked with him about it asking are you sure you want to spend money on minis, the characters could be dead before they get here! He said it was fine since a couple of characters in the group are based on characters he has going in other games, so they will get use. Wonder where he got that from?

Of course, I had to make a mini of Moria and Mesphito Fleas. Shout out to Pun Isaac for sending me suggestions for her mini!

Moria and Mesphito Fleas

 I am not going to buy a mini of her for the same reasons I told my son not buy his minis, she might be dead before they come in the mail! Maybe I'll just buy the STL and print here at home.

Yeah, she still only had 4hp and three spells (using my Advanced rules), but Fleas did kill a goblin last night by biting it. So maybe her chances are not so bad after all. 

We started adventure C3 The Lost Islands of Castanamir last night. I decided that Castanamir was a Red Wizard of Thay, but broke away from them to continue his own esoteric research.  This is one of the adventures I got from the Grenda Collection, so it is fun to use. 

There is a room with two thieves, Doblin and Joblo (really??). Well, I misread the entry and thought those were the names of the Leprechauns. When Liam got to the room where the thieves were, I didn't have names for them. That's OK, it was Duchess & Candella to the rescue! They were looting investigating a wizard's tower in Glantri when they got pulled in here. Obviously Castanmir was seeking advice from the wizards in Glantri with help for his tower. 

I am going to certainly be bringing them back as comic relief. I said they don't really fit in the Realms, but who am I kidding? They fit everywhere!

Speaking of reoccurring characters. I am certainly going to be using Grenda's Briana Highstar as an antagonist. They are not ready to meet her yet. I know she is an enemy to "balance," but she also serves Mephistopheles. She could even start out as ally. I don't know yet. I will see how it plays out.

I already have a mini for her!

Briana Highstar

This one is labeled as "Black Robed Mage of High Sorcery" so that works great for me. She also looks she is wearing a feathered cloak of some sort. 

This will be fun!

Friday, April 4, 2025

Fantasy Fridays: Fantasy Wargaming

Fantasy Wargaming
 Returning to this series, I aimed to explore games that would provide insight into how Satan, demons, and the devil were perceived in the Middle Ages. Here is the first of those. 

Fantasy Wargaming

Edited by Bruce Galloway (1981, 1982). 220 pages.

Every gamer of a certain age has owned this game at least once, and some of us have owned it multiple times. It claims to be "The Highest Level of All." I am surprised that the cover, with the summoned devil about ready to grab that old wizard, didn't hamper sales. 

I have seen a few different versions of this book. A letter-sized hardcover, a digest-sized book, and I swear a softcover version. It was a regular feature of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club, and I suspect that is how it got into so many hands. 

The book is quite lengthy and contains numerous historical details. No shock. It was written by a bunch of gamers from Cambridge University and edited into a (allegedly) comprehensive whole. I would describe the book as having more than one voice to be honest. There are parts that want to be an RPG or at least a coverage of RPGs (Wargames in the parlance of the book) and another voice that seems to disdain them. More on that. 

The book is certainly more of an artifact of the 1970s rather than the 1980s. And 1970s College Elite at that. It is a book and style I typically subscribe to the "Second Generation" of gamers. These are the guys, typically college age, who picked up RPGs while on college campuses. They were not the First Generation (Gary and the folks around him), but they had similar backgrounds. For the record, I see myself more of the Third Generation, or Gen 2.5. I was in middle school and learned from people who had learned from the Second Generation. 

There is a lot to unpack here. Not just in terms of the game itself but the history of the game.  I would not be able to provide a thorough review of it for this particular post.  I am not even sure I want to try.  For starters, there is a notable disdain for RPGs in this book, particularly for D&D.  I would call it a Fantasy Heartbreaker, but it never lets you get close enough to it to break your heart.  Don't get me wrong; there is a lot here. Some of it is even good. I normally (or plan to, anyway) conclude these posts in this series with a recommendation on whether the game is a good fantasy game and whether it would be a suitable substitute for D&D at your table. The answer to both is very much a no. 

So why go through the exercise of it?

There are some tidbits here that I like.  While most modern players would balk at some of the ideas here- hell, some of it raised an eyebrow or two in the 1980s- there is a certain in situ charm about it. As described Fantasy Wargaming is 11th Century role-playing as viewed through the eyes of people in the 11th Century (and filtered through Cambridge students of the 20th Century). 

In particular, there are comprehensive lists of fantasy arms and armor, often surpassing what you find in most games. The glossary on arms and armor (starting on p. 54) is rather great. 

Weapons of War

But for me, the best parts come from the sections on star/birth sign, social class, magic and monsters. 

Star/Birth Sign

I am NOT a proponent of Astrology. But, I do see how/why it is important to Medieval characters and to witches in particular. This game provides some background and makes mechanical changes to the characters.

Social Class

Scattered throughout the book, it also informs and affects everything.

Magic

Likewise, scattered everywhere, there is some really great stuff here that I could mine for ideas. How much of it is practical at the game table? That I don't know. But it is fun to read. It has a mana system, which is always attractive but also always cumbersome. 

Here is what the book says on the subject of Wise Women (p. 28):

Cunning Man/ Wise Woman. By far the most common user of magic in either the Dark or Middle Ages. The Cunning Man or Wise Woman is a solitary, rural magician, usually situated permanently in a single village or area. He/ she is part of the community, and usually accepted until something unfortunate and inexplicable happens which can be fastened upon him/ her. The Mage specializes in appropriate kinds of spell: the curing of people and domestic animals, the bringing of disease and death as retribution, and certain kinds of detection (especially thief, lost things, etc.). He/she uses immediately available materials for enchantment, and the basic incantatory preparations for spells. Mainly "White" magic.

And Witches (p 28):

Witch. Member of a Devil-worshipping coven, in which magical skills are taught both by other members and by demons themselves. Witchcraft is an eclectic, powerful type of magic, drawing on as many traditions as the varied membership of the covens allows. The Witch is most effective in magic involving people, and compulsion-Curing, Disease and Death, and Absolute Command being the greatest specialities. Witches may be found in the highest and lowest walks of society, in court, city and countryside alike. Other Mages may join covens and become Witches., without losing their own spell specializations. The Witch is almost always a secretive figure. his/ her magical skills either being hidden or practiced in solitude. The Witch is automatically damned, and all his/her magic Black.

I'll have to see where my Larina falls.

Monsters

There are many great ones here, mostly from Medieval Bestiaries. Some who have never made it to the pages of a Monster Manual. This includes the names of some demons and angels. 

I think one of the reasons I keep coming back to this book is not the game value or even the editorial comments but rather for the depth of some of the information. 

The reviews for Fantasy Wargaming were never great, some even going as far as calling it "the worst RPG ever made" which is a little harsh in my mind. It is not good, but it is not the worst. A proposed sequel to cover the classic and ancient world never happened and Bruce Galloway himself passed in 1984. In fact of the five main authors, only one is still with us. 

Larina Nichols for Fantasy Wargaming

I can't not do a witch for this. That's crazy talk.

The game does cover witches and witchcraft:

Few questions in anthropology have raised as much controversy as the nature of witchcraft. There are three quite separate views of the witch-the peasant magician, the pagan, and the devil worshipper. Fantasy Wargaming accepts all three as valid. Witches clearly exercised magic. and not just Supernatural powers by appeal Equally, the theory of a surviving pre-Christian Celtic fertility cult bas some force. Some ritual elements, notably the sacred dance and orgy, appear at the very beginning of the period, before diabolism bad really taken root. There are echoes of Bacchic revels, and of Diana's Wild Hunt.
Some medieval witches strenuously asserted their worship of a "different" god. Yet equally, the evidence for devil worship among medieval covens is overwhelming. (FW p. 24)

Yeah, I can work with that. The game is set roughly in the 1000s AD. Yeah, I can do that as well. I would lean in on the Larina living in Wales concept I have. Her mother is Welsh, her father a minor Saxon nobleman.

Witches, or Wise Women, in this game, get special treatment. In general, women characters have it rough in Fantasy Wargaming to reflect the 11th Century times the game is set. Wise Women and Witches though can break out of this bleakness just a little. 

Larina might appear to be a Wise Woman, but she is a Witch. Of course, this means a pact with the Devil. I'll have to see how character creation works out. Though the section on religion mentions that there are some still holdover of Anglo-Saxons that follow the old Norse Gods. Could Larina be worshipping a version of Freya? I can make that work. MAYBE she worships some version of Helga or Mutter Natur from my Black Forest Mythos. Likely some Faery (p. 36) magic mixed in. Larina is very much a witch from the Margaret Murray mold. She likely pulls in a lot of different ideas. Of course to the authorities she is nothing more than a debased Satanist.

For this, I will refer to David Trimboli's breakdown of character creation. 

Larina as a teen
Larina, Daughter of Lars
Female Welsh Witch

Star Sign: Scorpio ♏︎

Ability Scores (adjusted for Star Sign)
Physique: 9
Agility: 12
Endurance: 10

Intelligence: 18
Faith: 15

Charisma: 16 14 (Scorpio)
Greed: 12 10 (Female -2)
Selfishness: 13 11 (Female -3, Scorpio +1)
Lust: 15 12 (Female -3)
Bravery: 12 10 (Female)

Social Class: 10 7 (Female -3)

Height: 5'3"  Weight: 110lbs
Current Agility: 12

Literate: Yes
Speaks: Welsh, Anglo-English, German (Low)
Chance to Speak Language: 60%

Leadership: 9

Mana: 5

Birthrank: Firstborn Daughter
Father's Social Position: Land Reeve (13)

Misc. Traits/Bogeys: 3 Heretic, Bisexual, Gift of Tongues. 

Spells

Flight: Mana 3 (Controlling: ♓︎/♐︎ Diminishing: ♍︎/♑︎)
Night Vision: Mana 2 (Controlling: ♋︎/♌︎ Diminishing: ♓︎/♒︎ )
Evil Eye: Mana 2 (Controlling: ♏︎/♋︎ Diminishing: ♐︎/♌︎)

Yeah it sucks to be a woman in the 11th Century in this game. No wonder she looks to witchcraft. But that is the type of character I would play. Load up the disadvantages! I'll still prevail. I am not going to get all bent out of shape about this. Those are the rules in the game, and since I am exploring the game, so be it. Plus, the raison d'être of this character will be to fight against the power of the Church, the Patriarchy, and well... I guess most of Europe at this point. 

I also rolled for traits/bogeys for her. She is a heretic, bisexual, and has the gift of tongues. I think that means she must be some sort of Satanic witch for sure. Also, given that she is very intelligent, has the gift of languages, and is bi, I am going to avoid calling her a Cunning Linguist. Damn. I did it anyway.

Characters start out at 16 here. Damn, I half tempted to lift this whole character and make her part of Moria's background instead! Personally, I'd rather start her at 19, have her living on her own and do that whole "mysterious witch of the woods" concept. 

Maybe in my "grand cosmology" this represents Larina as a Satanic witch. Sounds like something an edgy 16-year-old would do. "Mom! It's not a phase! I am dedicated to my Dark Lord Lucifer!" "That's nice, sweetie. Make sure you clean your room and finish your homework." "Ugh. Mom, you don't understand!"

She is a Scorpio. I wanted to keep that. But Scorpio, according to the rules, is the worst for a magic-using class. Well. I never bought into astrology anyway, so that is fine with me.

I like this character, but to be honest, there isn't a lot I can, or will, do with her. Nor can I recommend the game save as an interesting curiosity. Though I DO highly recommend Mike Monaco's "The Highest Level of All." It is a book dedicated to Fantasy Wargaming and does a better job than I ever will. 

So she has had a ton of disadvantages thrown at her from the word go. She is super bright, can read, knows languages, and is a bit lusty. No wonder she is going to rebel. I love her already.

Links


Fantasy Wargaming


Tuesday, April 1, 2025

More Forgotten Realms: Introducing Moria Zami

Mizora, human form
 I have been out of town for a few days; it was my Father-in-law's 90th birthday. But right before we left, my oldest son and I were talking about our AD&D 2nd Ed Forgotten Realms game that he is running for me. He is having fun, but what he REALLY wants is to play. And AD&D 1st Ed at that. Yeah, he got a taste at Gary Con, and now he really wants to play AD&D more. Plus, we are both a little fed up with Wizards of the Coast, especially with their recent antics

Since we are both huge fans of Baldur's Gate 3, we wanted to add in some things from the video game. We have more connection to that than, say, Drizzt or Elminster. Trouble is, BG3 takes place in DR 1492, and we want our 1st ed game to take place in DR 1357, a year before the Time of Troubles. While in my 2nd ed game, I have a minor connection with Arnell Hallowleaf, but I also wanted something for this game. We are assuming that while my characters are exploring the Sword Coast, his characters will be exploring the Sea of Fallen Stars. This opens up a lot to us. But there are more than 130 years between our games and the events in BG3. So, there are not a lot of characters that are around for both times. Even Jaheira would only be about 10 years old at this point. Maybe they can rescue her and her family at some point. Set her on her path to become a Harper.

As it turns out, I have wanted to explore some of the past of the Cambion, Mizora. She is a rather entertaining character in her own right and deserves some further development. She is the servant of Zariel, but the trouble is there was no Zariel in AD&D 1st ed. Well, we are already ret-conning some details, and truthfully, I was never a fan of Tiamat as the ruler of Avernus. I might use Bel, the former ruler. I'll check Descent into Avernus for ideas later on.  But for now, I need to figure out who Mizora is, and more to the point, who is she in AD&D 1st Ed.

In BG3/5e she is a sorcerer, but this is AD&D, so I am going to make her a magic-user. I am also going to say she spent a lot of time in Avernus prior to BG3, so this is the time before that. 

I am not sure how long cambions live. I do think her mother was human, maybe even a witch. Now that would be fun.

---

A few hours later...

Ok, change of plans, sort of.

I AM sticking with Mizora, but not the Mizora he (and everyone) else knows. I am going with Mizora as a teenager. She knows there is something different about her, but she doesn't yet know what.

Moria Zami ("I am Mizora") is just a 16-year-old witch caught in the same pirate raid on the Sea of Fallen Stars that grabbed the characters. She is going to stay with them for a while. Until something bad happens. This also gives me the chance to try out some new things for my Left Hand Path book and something new I am starting later this summer.

Moria Zami
Moria Zami
Witch 1st Level (Diabolic Tradition)
Lawful Neutral

S: 14            
I: 14             
W: 12           
D: 15           
C: 16           
Ch: 20

Paralyzation/Poison: 13
Petrification/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, Wand: 14
Breath Weapon: 16
Spells: 15

HP: 5 (d4)
AC: 10
Weapon: Dagger

Occult Powers
Familiar: Dog "Mephisto Fleas"

Spells
First Level: Back Fire, Fey Sight, Sleep

So far, she is a good girl, but that is going to change.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Kickstart Your Weekend: More Witches! More Adventures!

 These people want to keep making a liar out of me.

Both of these have already funded and blown past their funding goals. 

Sickest Witch RPG - Core Rulebook

Sickest Witch RPG - Core Rulebook

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justinsirois/sickest-witch-core-rulebook-rpg?ref=theotherside

Ok this one looks like a lot of fun really. Love the concept, love the art. I am going to have to grab this one.

Sword of the Wyrm’s Bane & Vigilante Subway + 32 FREE PDFS

Sword of the Wyrm’s Bane & Vigilante Subway + 32 FREE PDFS

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/sword-of-the-wyrms-bane-and-vigilante-subway-32-free-pdfs?ref=theotherside

Mad genius Mark Taormino is back with more Maximum Mayhem! This one looks like fun and it comes with 32 free PDFs. That's a crazy deal.

Yeah...take my money.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: The Left Hand Path

 It's been a bit since I last did this. So, let's get it going. I have a NEW Witch book coming out!

The Left Hand Path - Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft

What can I say about this one?

Well, I think this will be my last "Basic-era" witch book. Yeah, I have said that before. 

You can see on the cover that the "banner" is for "Basic-Era Compatible," so not specifically Labyrinth Lord, Blueholme, Old-School Essentials, or ShadowDark. But rather a Basic system that can support them all (most of all) including a BECMI game I have been playing off and on for a bit.

All my witch books have a ruleset focus, as well as what I call a playstyle focus. This one is for all Basic rules, and the playstyle is how I was playing in 1985-86.  A time when the games I ran still had a bit of Basic & Expert in them, but I using AD&D.  This one is written from a point of view that we got that B/X Companion rules we had been promised. In the 1980s I wasn't playing BECMI yet.

I am also writing this from the perspective of the two major outbreaks of the Satanic Panic. The First was obviously the Witch Craze in Europe from the 15th century to the 18th. Witches in this book engage in activities that people believed witches did back then. I am also using notions from the 20th century Satanic Panic. D&D and Witches have always had a lot in common. 

And this one is huge. Here is a breakdown of the monsters and spells.

Monsters in the Left Hand Path

Spells in the Left Hand Path

One of the reasons this has so many monsters in it is the notion that where there are witches, there are demons and devils. Additionally, I have many demons that I've posted here on The Other Side; this was an opportunity to collect them. Yes, I still want to complete my Basic Bestiaries; I just lack enough artwork.

As far as demons and devils go, I'll say I have the Usual Suspects here and lots of my own.

"The Usual Suspects" Demon Line-up JE Shields art
"The Usual Suspects" Demon Line-up JE Shields art

I am certainly going to be talking about this one a bit over the next month.

My target release date in Walpurgis Night, April 30, which is five weeks from right now. Yikes!

All the writing is done. I am in heavy edit mode now.

I am on "pink" pages now
I am on "pink" pages now

Did I mention that this thing is huge? No idea on total page count yet. That will change a lot between now and then, but this is crazy. 

I really hope you enjoy this one. I have had a blast working on it. 

Friday, March 14, 2025

Fantasy Fridays: Hyperborea 3rd Edition

 Welcome to my first proper Fantasy Fridays. For this first one I want to feature one of my favorite fantasy RPGs. It is Jeffrey Talanian's Hyperborea RPG, now in its 3rd Edition.

I keep coming back to this game time and time again for good reason, it is just a fantastic game.

Hyperborea Player's ManualHyperborea Referee's Manual

This game has the feel of first Edition AD&D in a "Dying Earth" style setting. It is part Jack Vance's Dying Earth, but a greater part of Clark Ashton Smith's "Zothique." The world is old, cold, and dying.

The first edition was a boxed set of three books, and the second edition was a single massive tome. The third edition is now two separate books.

I have all three and have reviewed them all.  I'll throw some links below to the reviews and other characters, here is the the latest, the third edition, which sits nicely on my shelves with my AD&D books.

HYPERBOREA Player's Manual
HYPERBOREA Player's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 324 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full color art pages.

For my review, I am going to be considering the hardcover from the Kickstarter and the PDFs from DriveThruRPG.

The book starts with the credits, acknowledgments, and dedication to John Eric Holmes, the author/editor of the "Holmes" Basic edition. 

Chapter 1: Introduction this covers what this game is and what RPGs in general are. This is important and worth a read since it sets the stage for what sort of sub-genre this game covers, "swords, sorcery, and weird science-fantasy."  The classics of Swords and Sorcery are covered here briefly and how they add to the feeling of this game. This is pure Howard, Lovecraft, and Smith.

Chapter 2: Character Generation covers character creation. This chapter is brief covering of what you can do with the five chapters.  This also has a listing of the common "facts" known to every character. There is a section on leveling up. 

Chapter 3: Statistics or the "rolling up characters" chapter. The six recognizable methods are presented here. The most common of course is Method III; roll 4d6 drop the lowest.  We also have the same six attributes we have always had.

Each class has a "Fighting Ability" (FA) and a "Casting Ability" (CA) which relates to attacks. So yes, even magicians can get a little better in combat as they go up in level.  It's a great little shorthand and works great.  So a 4th level Fighter has a fighting ability of 4. A 4th level magician still only has a fighting ability of 1 and a cleric 3 and thief 3.  Subclasses can and do vary.

AC is descending (like old school games), BUT with the Fighting Ability stat it could be converted to an ascending AC easily.

Chapter 4: Classes We still have our Basic Four; Fighter, Magician, Cleric, and Thief.  Each also gets a number of subclasses.  Fighters get Barbarian, Berserker, Cataphract, Huntsman, Paladin, Ranger, and Warlock.  The Magician has Cryomancer, Illusionist, Necromancer, Pyromancer, and Witch. The Cleric has the Druid, Monk, Priest, Runegraver, and Shaman.  Finally, the Thief has the Assassin, Bard, Legerdemainist, Purloiner, and Scout.  

Each subclass is very much like its parent classes with some changes.  The classes look pretty well balanced.


HYPERBOREA Witch

Chapter 5: Background This covers all the things about the character that "happened" before they were characters.

Races are dealt with first. They include Amazons, Atlanteans, Esquimaux, Hyperboreans, Ixians, Kelts, Kimmerians, Lemurians, Picts, and Vikings along with the catch-all "Common" race of man.  No elves or dwarves here. Physique is also covered. 

Alignment is a simpler affair of Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Evil, and Neutral.

Along with race, there are various languages the characters can learn/know.  There are also gods here, an interesting mix of Greek, Lovecraftian, Norse, and Smith gods. 

There are background skills and weapon skills. Though I misread "charcoaler" as "chocolatier," and now I want a character with this background. 

Chapter 6: Equipment Or the "let's go shopping" chapter.  If you missed the "to hit modifiers vs. armor types/AC" in AD&D then I have a treat for you. Weapons here are more detailed than they were in previous editions of HYPERBOREA; or at least more detailed than my memory of the older editions.  Just checked, this one is much more detailed. 

Chapter 7: Sorcery This is our spell chapter but it also covers alchemy. Spells are split up by character class. Spells are limit to 6th level since classes are all limited to 12 levels. Spell descriptions are all alphabetical. This covers about 75 pages.  

Chapter 8: Adventure. This chapter improves over the previous editions. It covers all sorts of adventure topics like hirelings and henchmen, climbing, doors, nonstandard actions, time and movement.

Chapter 9: Combat. All sorts of combat topics are covered. Critical hits, unarmed combat, mounted combat and more. Damage and madness are also covered. The madness section is small and not really designed to mimic the real world. 

Appendix A: Name Generator. Pretty useful, really, to get the right feel of the game. Afterall "Bob the Barbarian" isn't going to cut it here. 

Appendix B: Lordship and Strongholds. What each class and subclass gains as a Lord or Lady of their chosen strongholds.  There is a great section on creating strongholds as well.

Appendix C: Cooperative Gaming. This covers how well to play in a group.

Appendix D: OGL Statement. This is our OGL statement.

These appendices (with the exception of D) are all new. 

There is also a great index.

So I will admit I was unsure about backing the 3rd Edition of HYPERBOREA.  I have the 1st and 2nd Editions and they have served me well over the last few years.  This edition brings enough new material to the table that it really is the definitive version of the game. 

The leatherette covers are really nice and I am happy I waited for it. Since the Player's and Ref's books are now separate, I could, if I wanted, pick up another Player's book.

The art is great. There are some reused pieces and still plenty of new ones. It uses the art well and helps set the tone of the game.

Leatherette covers

HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 308 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full-color art pages.

Chapter 10: Introduction Again, this is our introduction this time for the Game Master or Referee's point of view. What the Referee does for the game and more. 

Chapter 11: Refereeing This get's into the Game Mastering process in detail. This covers grant experience for the characters and setting up the campaign. 

Chapter 12: Bestiary Our monster section and truthfully one of my favorites. The expected ones are here, but there are also plenty of new ones.  This covers roughly 130 pages.  There are interesting new takes on some classic "D&D" monsters, plus many new ones like a bunch of new "lesser" and "sublunary" demons. The format is most similar to Basic or Labyrinth Lord, and it is full of the usual suspects with some Lovecraftian Horrors, and even remnants of alien and bygone ages. "Demons" are here, but no devils. 

Dæmons

Chapter 13: Treasure Covers treasure types and magical treasure. Among the magic items are things like Radium Pistols and other sc-fi artifacts. Very pulpy. It also includes some rules on scribing spell and protection scrolls. There is even a small section on Alchemy in Hyperborea. Very useful to have really.

Chapter 14: Gazetteer.  The lands are a pastiche of Howard, Vance, Lovecraft, and Smith.  If these names mean anything to you, then you know or have an idea, of what you are going to get here.  This section has been greatly expanded from the previous editions. Included here are the gods again and a little more on religion.  Basically, you get the idea that gods are either something you swear by (or to) or get sacrificed to by crazy cultists.  So yeah, you know I am a fan.

Appendix A: Weather in Hyperborea. Likely more important here than, say, other game worlds. Weather in Hyperborea is dangerous. 

Appendix B: Hazards of Hyperborea. There are horrible things waiting for you in Hyperborea and they are not all monsters or the weather. 

Appendix C: Waterborne Expeditions. Covers waterborne adventures and combat. 

Appendix D: Warfare and Siege. Your characters have built their strongholds. Now someone wants to know it down.  Here are the rules.

Appendix E: OGL Statement. The OGL statement for this book.

Since the 2nd edition, nearly every aspect of this game has been expanded, some sections more than others, but it is a great upgrade.

The art throughout is very evocative of the setting. Mighty thewed barbarians, shining knights, elderly and eldritch wizards. 

Larina Nix for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

A dedicated witch class? Yes please! That means I want to try out Larina here. Now I have tried other witch characters with the Hyperborea rules, but to build my iconic witch is something of a full test for me and a game. 

Larina at the End of Time

Larina Nix

Female Kelt Witch 12th level

Alignment: Neutral (Lawful)

ST 9 [+0 +0 2:6 4%]
DX 12 [+0 +0 3:6 4%]
CN 12 [+0 +0 75% 2:6 4%]
IN 18 [+3 95%, Bonus Spells 1, 2, 3, 4]
WS 18 [+2]
CH 18 [+3 12 +1]

Age: 30s
AC: 1 (Cloak of Darkness, Bracers of Defense)
HD: d4
hp: 27
FA: 5
CA: 12
#Attacks: 1/1
Damage: 1d4+3 (dagger+3), 1d6 (staff)
SV: 11 (+2 Transformation, +2 Sorcery)
ML: 12

Abilities
Alchemy, Brew Decoction, Familiar, Read Magic, Scroll Use, Scroll Writing, Sorcery, Dance of Beguilement, Effigy, Henchmen, Broom Enchantment, Ladyship, Witch's Apprentice

Spells
First level (5+1): Charm Person, Detect Magic, Mending, Shocking Grasp, Sleep, Write Spell (Charm Person in ring)
Second level (5+1): Bless, Extrasensory Perception, Hold Person, Identity, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shatter, (Ungovernable Hideous Laughter in ring)
Third level (4+1): Dispel Magic, Phantasm, Tongues, Witch Fire, Wind Wall, (Starlight in ring)
Fourth level (4+1): Gylph of Warding, Moonlight, Mirror Mirror, Sorcerer Eye, (Transfer Wounds in ring)
Fifth level (3): Anti-magic Shell, Control Winds, Shadow Conjuration
Sixth level (2): Control Weather, See

Languages: Common, Keltic (Goidelic), Hellenic (Greek), Old Norse, Speak with the Dead, Speak with Nature Spirits
Size: M (Height: 5'4", 125 lbs)
Move: 40
Saving Throw Modifiers: Transformation +2, Sorcery +2
Secondary Skill: Scribe
God: Lunaqqua

Flying Cat ("Cotton Ball"): AL N; SZ S; MV 10 (Fly 80); DX 15; AC 7; HD 1/4 (hp 5); #AT 3/1 (claw, claw, bite); D 1/1/1; SV 17; ML 5; XP 11

Normal Gear
Clothing, daggers (2), backpack, woolen blanket, chalk, ink and quill, polished steel mirror, incendiary oil, parchment (4), soft leather pouch (2), small sack (2), tinderbox, torches (2), wineskin (wine), writing stick, iron rations (one week), spellbook (contains all prepared spells), 5 gp, 15 sp, gems (100gp)

Magic Items
Bracers of Defense, Ring of Spell Storing (4 spells), Ring of Telekinesis (100 lbs), Wand of Magic Missiles, Wand of Lightning Bolts, Bonded Broom, Cloak of Shadows, Gem of Brightness, Horn of Blasting (Thor), Copper Skull Necklace 

I like this version. So who is this Larina? This is Larina at the End of Time. She has all the memories of her past lives and often gets lost in them. Not really remembering who, or when, she is. She lives alone in her witch's cottage with her, yet unnamed apprentice. This is not the Witch-Queen Larina, this is something lesser and far older.

She would make for a great NPC for the next time I run this game.

Larina sheets for Hyperborea

Who Should Play This Game?

Anyone that enjoyed First Edition AD&D but liked the level limits of B/X D&D. Humans abound here, so if you like playing anything other than a human, you might not have as much fun. Also, the world is bleak and dying. This is not a time of heroes to make for a better day; better days are past. This is a time to survive against brutal odds and in the face of an uncaring universe. 

Also, play this if you loved the works of Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft, and especially Clark Ashton Smith. 

There is also a pretty good online community for this game, so support and advice are often a click or two away.

This is one of the games that I play the least but want to play the most. I love everything about it. It combines so many of my favorite things in one game that I am hard pressed to think of something I would have done differently.  Well...maybe go to level 14 so I could map it onto my Basic-era games plans a bit better.  

Links

Thursday, March 13, 2025

"New" Projects

 I have had a burst of creativity over the last couple of months, and my desire to get things off my WIP plate has been strong.

You all may have noticed with the publications coming from me recently:

I have more of those series to come out. Plus I also want to get back to my Myths & Monsters series for 1e to cover more gods.

Also, I have been trying to finish a large project that has been taking all my time. No announcement yet, I want to see if I can hit my self-imposed deadline, but this one is pretty big.

Work in Progress

So, posting will be a little sparse while I try to finish these all up.

OH! And if you are going to Gary Con, stop by the Elf Lair Games booth to say hi. 

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: The Witches of Scotland Tartan

 This came across my feed today. A new tartan pattern has been unveiled to memorialize those who suffered due to The Witchcraft Act 1563 to 1736 in Scotland. 

"Witches of Scotland" tartan

It looks like anyone can wear it, but you can only make things out of the pattern with the permission of the Witches of Scotland

I am currently reading "The History of Witchcraft" by Delores E. Wren, and I am reminded anew of the horrors people are willing to commit in the name of their religion. So seeing something like this and the group asking for an official apology is a good start.

Not sure if I'll get any art of witches wearing this, but that would be fun.

Links

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Witchcraft Wednesday: More Witches on TV

A Discovery of Witches
 This past week, I finished a couple of newer witch-related TV shows. One was because we watched it all, and the other was because I just couldn't finish it. Both were based on popular books.

A Discovery of Witches

This was the treatment of Deborah Harkness's books. I read book 1 and book 2 some time back and had issues with them, enough that I avoided the series until now. But my wife wanted to watch it, and who am I to say no? 

Well. I am happy to report that the series was much better than the books. A lot of what annoyed me about the books was lessened or done differently when it hit the small screen. Diana Bishop was much more assertive in this, and any issues she had with being uncertain about the world of "creatures" were just that: uncertainty about a world she had chosen not to participate in not because she deflected to Matthew all the time. She even showed off some power which was nice. 

The casting was good, really, with Alex Kingston as a constant favorite. Matthew Goode performed well as the vampire Matthew Clairmont, making him much more interesting than he was on the page. Teresa Palmer was good as the witch Diana, though often I felt the script worked against the part she was trying to play. There were moments when the Diana I wanted to see came out. But maybe my expectations were out of line. Swedish actress Malin Buska was Finnish witch Satu Järvinen, who got a much larger role in television. Honestly, I wanted a lot more of her. Even Emily gets better treatment here, even though she still dies in the end of Season 2/Book 2. But it was not an empty, off stage death like it was in the books.

They made a little more sense of the time travel aspects, which is good, cause the book made zero sense. Still the rules of Diana's Time-Walking are a bit fuzzy.

I can't judge how well the story in Season 3 stuck to the events in Book 3, but it was much better than expected series. It also was nice to watch a series with a proper beginning, middle, and end. 

It was produced by Doctor Who's Bad Wolf Studio, which also gave us the televised version of "His Dark Materials" (for more great witch moments). Netflix described it as "Outlander meets Twilight," and that is fair. 

All in all, it was enjoyable and redeemed the books in my mind. I mean, I am not going back to re-read them, but the bad after-taste is gone.

Mayfair Witches
Mayfair Witches

I really, really, REALLY wanted to enjoy this one. The AMC version of "Interview with a Vampire" has been great even with, or maybe because of, the changes. And I loved Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches books. Well...the first two anyway. And I adore Alexandra Daddario, who I still hope will get to play Zatanna one day soon.

But this show is a train wreck. Ok, the casting is great really. Harry Hamlin is brilliant as Cortland Mayfair, Beth Grant gave us a Carlotta Mayfair you both want to hate and understand at the same time. 

But there are just so many places where this show doesn't fall short; it falls right on its face.

Lasher is just annoying. Not the evil pervasive influence in the lives of the Mayfairs, but more like a stalker boyfriend or that ghost Beverly Crusher was having sex with in Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

And where the hell is Michael Curry? Some other characters are missing or seem to be merged with others. For example, Ciprien Grieve seems to be a combination between Aaron Lightner and Michael Curry. 

There is also a fair share of "idiot plot" here, the characters, who should be smarter than this, doing stupid things. 

I am not sure how far I am in this one, but I am ready to bail. I mean it has been 25+ years since I read these books, maybe my opinion of them could be less favorable now, but the series is just not great. 

Netflix still has a few more witch series I can check out, maybe one of the European ones I should check out.

Tidelands
Honorable (??) mention, Tidelands

Ok. I am slightly embarrassed to admit this one. 

Described as "beautiful garbage" by IMDB it is really an excuse to watch attractive Australian people run around without any clothes on. It deals with a group of people known as "Tidelanders" who are the offspring of sirens. They have a drug smuggling operation to fund their Queen's (Elsa Pataky) search for an ancient Sumerian (sure why not) clay horn that summons sirens (their mothers) and maybe destroys all the men in world? or Humans? Not clear. There is a rogue Tidelander, Cal aka Caliope (Charlotte Best), who spent 10 years in jail for a murder her human mother set her up for. She is really a powerful Tidelander and her brother (full human) sells all the drugs. 

Cal takes a lot of showers, a lot of baths, has sex with a lot of people and learns that the Queen wants her dead. 

The series ends on a cliffhanger and that was from 2018. Though given the lifespan of Tidelanders Season 2 could take place 10 from now. 

Why mention it? Well, it came up on my suggested watching and I was done with Mayfair Witches. My wife and binged watched the whole thing just to see how bad it would be. Spoiler it was bad. But like I said beautiful garbage. 

Maybe I should go back to watching questionable and dubious documentaries on Tubi.

Use in NIGHT SHIFT

I think I have done witches in NIGHT SHIFT, but the idea of Tidelanders, or more specifically the offspring of sirens or mermaids, has not been done by me.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
Daughters of Tiamat

I'll take the Sumerian horn seriously for a minute and say that these half-sirens are offspring of the ancient Goddess Tiamat. Back when she was spawning monsters to fight the new Gods, one of her creatures was the Siren. Their role was to seduce and kill Tiamat's enemies. They also worshipped Dagon, but their ancestry is from Tiamat.

Sirens (full or half) gain the following abilities.

Saving Throws: Sirens gain +3 to Toughness Saving throws. This increases by +1 per 3 levels (3, 6, 9, etc.)

Ability Bonus: Sirens gain +1 to Strength and +1 to Toughness. This may raise their abilities above 20.

Sea Adapted: Sirens can breathe air or water with equal ease. Full-blooded sirens adapt quickly, while half-sirens need one round to fully adapt to breathing the new element. Additionally, Sirens can see in darker depths and withstand the pressures of deep-sea life.

Charming Voice: Sirens can charm as per the spell. Once per day per the number of character levels the siren has.

Slow Aging: Sirens age slower than humans to age of about 300 years. Subject to their Feed (below).

The Feed: Sirens must return to the water, particularly the oceans or seas, or they will begin to lose their abilities and age like humans. Abilities are lost at random for each month, whether the half-siren is land-bound or each day, the full-blooded siren is.

Many sirens also believe that they must lure a human to the water to drown. In truth, they are compelled to do so, and they do derive pleasure from the act, but it is not required to keep their powers.