Fantasy Fridays: Symbaroum

 Today at 9:46 Central Time, the March, Vernal, or Spring Equinox takes place. The moment of equal day and equal night. Now the sun gains ascendance. The perfect metaphor for the Dark Fantasy RPG Symbaroum.

I have been fascinated with Symbaroum, along with Vassen, ever since I saw them at Free League's booth a couple of Gen Cons ago. I grabbed the hardcover of Vassen since the Victorian era interested me more, but I grabbed the PDFs of both. Both cover that Fantasy-meets-Horror feel I love in my games. Also, both cover a theme I revisit time and time again: magic in the face of something new. In Vassen, the Old Ways are confronted by the Industrial Revolution. In Symbaroum, it is magic, and its corrupting effects in the face of the new, Sun-based, monotheistic faith.  Given that today is the day when day and night are equal, Symbaroum edges out in terms of theme.

Symbaroum is a Swedish dark fantasy tabletop RPG set in a world where a fragile human civilization clings to its borders, and just beyond them lies Davokar, an ancient, sprawling forest saturated with ruin, magic, and corruption. It's equal parts high fantasy adventure and creeping nature horror, drawing on Nordic, Celtic, and Slavic mythology to tell a story about the price of ambition.

If the Vernal Equinox represents the perfect, fleeting moment between day and night, Symbaroum is the RPG that lives in the twilight. Created by Free League, it is half High Fantasy and half Folk Horror, wrapped in some of the most evocative art the hobby has ever seen. 

I do want to mention the art first. The illustrations by Martin Grip are extraordinary: haunting, earthy, and alive with dread. It's not just the look of the art, it is the feel. This game feels like a cold, rainy day in an unknown Scandinavian village. Winter is over, but this is still not spring or summer. 

The premise is simple: A people have fled a dead, war-torn land to settle on the edge of the ancient forest of Davokar. They want to rebuild their empire, but the forest is not a passive backdrop. It is a living, breathing, and deeply vengeful entity. 

Fantasy

Knights, queens, treasure hunters, witches, and wandering barbarian clans; Symbaroum has all the archetypes of classic fantasy. The world of Ambria is richly detailed, with political intrigue, warring factions, and ancient lineages. There are ruins to explore, artifacts to recover, and a vibrant cast of cultures that feel genuinely distinct from generic Tolkien-esque fare.

Horror

The forest is the horror. Davokar is not simply dangerous; it is wrong. Every spell cast, every ruin disturbed, every artifact pocketed risks accumulating Corruption: a creeping darkness that twists body and soul. The elves of the Iron Pact do not protect the forest; they enforce its quarantine. Something ancient sleeps beneath the trees, and the game's entire mechanical design keeps reminding you that you are trespassing. Think Princess Mononoke, but the forest wins.

Most horror-fantasy hybrids bolt the genres together. Symbaroum weaves them into the same thread. The Corruption system means magic, the engine of fantasy, is also the engine of horror. Every powerful choice leaves a mark. 

Dark Fantasy

This game is not one of high fantasy or even low-magic, gritty dungeon crawls. You are not on an epic quest. You might be a hero, but you are not Conan, or Frodo, or the Grey Mouser. You are not even really Elric, though Elric would understand this world better than the previous three. You are searching for ancient secrets, you are going to go into that forest for the same reasons characters have been going into dungeons. But now the stakes are higher and darker. 

Symbaroum does something quietly different from most fantasy RPGs. Instead of presenting a world waiting to be explored and conquered, it gives us a world where exploration feels like trespass. Civilization stands on the edge of something ancient and dangerous, and every step forward risks awakening powers that should perhaps remain buried.

It is a game where the heroes are not simply explorers. They are intruders.

While not strictly "Old School" in its math, Symbaroum shares the OSR soul. It is deadly. Combat is fast and often ends in a single well-placed blow. It rewards caution, preparation, and a healthy respect for the unknown.

There are hints of dark fantasy, reminiscent of the grim worlds of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. At the same time, the folklore elements feel closer to Scandinavian myth and old fairy tales, where the forest is mysterious, alive, and often dangerous. In ShadowDark, there is the Dungeon-as-living-thing, or maybe more to the point, Darkness. Symbarous does the same thing for the forest, or, again, more to the point, the unknown frontier. 

The Old Ways are not lost. They are still out there, and they don't care about your sun god.

There is also a subtle echo of cosmic horror. The ruins of the old empire hint at terrible magical forces that once reshaped the world. Many players discover that the deeper secrets of Davokar may be far older and stranger than anyone suspects.

It creates a world where curiosity and dread walk hand in hand.

Rules and Mechanics 

Symbaroum is a d20-based system where you want to roll under your attributes. Attributes give you "bonuses" in terms of negative numbers (what you subtract from the die roll). Low attributes can even give you penalties for positive numbers you add to the die roll. Mostly the scores are between 5 and 15, with an average of 10. A 15 gives you a -5, and 5 gives +5, and so on. Pretty simple, really. 

The Game Master never rolls dice. Players roll for their attacks, and players roll to defend. This shifts the focus entirely to the players’ choices and their struggle to survive.

The core of the game is the Internal Balance. Every time a mystic (magic-user) casts a spell, they gain Temporary Corruption. If that total exceeds their Threshold, the corruption becomes Permanent. Once your Permanent Corruption reaches a certain point, you transform into an "Abomination" or a monster of the night. I am sure there are lots of ways to get corruption, but I focused on the mystics 

It is a literal struggle to keep the "light" of your humanity from being overtaken by the "darkness" of the forest’s influence.

Sometimes it is fine to take a point of corruption for a greater good. This is pretty typical of how the witches in the game work. They will sacrifice some humanity or light if it means a great goal is met. For me that is kind of a key element in playing a witch and one I really like. 

The rules themselves are divided up between Setting, Player's Guide, and Game Master's Guide. Not a bad division by any means. Though there is some flipping required. To create a character, I kept going back and forth between sections of the Player's Guide. So this part could be streamlined a bit. It is no worse than, say, the rules for the WitchCraft RPG and better than the rules for AD&D 1st edition.  

The system really supports the setting well. The corruption, as I mentioned, is a key element and really sits well within the setting. Moreso than say Fear and Horror in old Ravenloft. It is more akin to how Sanity works within Call of Cthulhu, or Taint in WitchCraft/Armageddon. The setting and the mechanics support each other well. 

Larina and Elowen

Normally, I try out a character for a new game, typically my "Drosophila melanogaster" Larina. But since witches are assumed to have a witch-in-training with them, I am opting to add Elowen as well. For this I gave Larina another 80 experience points (roughly 5-6 adventures worth) to boost her up. In this darker world of Symbaroum, I don't think a witch like Amaranth would work. BUT oddly enough, I could easily do Grýlka and Doireann. Ogres and Goblins are among the races you can pick. Ok, Grýlka is a troll and not an ogre, but what are the differences really?

In this, I am saying that Larina was already living on the edges of the Davokar forest and has gone somewhat native. Ok. Feral might be a better word. Elowen is still from the civilized lands and has gone to learn witchcraft because she sees ghosts everywhere. 

Larina Nix
Human (Barbarian) Witch

Shadow: White with flecks of rust and ash, appears as her reflection (Nature).
Quote: "I have dedicated my life to witchcraft, and it has given me a life in return."

Toughness: 10*/10
Pain Threshold: 3

Corruption: 1/1
Corruption Threshold: 7

Defense: 7

Experience: 80 (0)

Accurate: 10 (0)
Cunning: 15 (-5)
Discreet 9 (+1)
Resuasive 10 (0)
Quick 7 (+3)
Resolute 13 (-3)
Strong 5 (+5)
Vigilant 11 (-1)

Contacts (Witches)
Witchcraft (A)
Witchsight
Loremaster (N)
Ritualist (A)

Curse (Evil Eye) (A)
Lay on Hands (A)
Nature's Embrace (N)
Storm Arrow (N)

Familiar (Ritual)
Fortune Telling (Ritual)
Witch Circle (Ritual)

Age: 30
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 125 lbs
Red hair, blue eyes

Larina here is a "barbarian" only because she has been living on the edge of civilization for a while. I could have given her more experience points to bump up her powers, but I thought this was pretty good.

Elowen Hale
Human (Ambrian) Witch

Shadow: White with ash-gray flecks, appearing as a ghostly image (Nature).
Quote: "I died once. I am not looking forward to doing it again."

Toughness: 10*/10
Pain Threshold: 4

Corruption: 1/1
Corruption Threshold: 8

Defense: 5

Experience: 25 (0)

Accurate: 10 (0)
Cunning: 11 (-1)
Discreet 9 (+1)
Resuasive 10 (0)
Quick 5 (+5)
Resolute 15 (-5)
Strong 7 (+3)
Vigilant 13 (-3)

Privledged
Witchsight
Alchemist (A)
Witchcraft (N)
Ritualist (N)

Curse (Evil Eye) (A)
Inherit Wound (N)

Familiar (Ritual)
Necromancy (Ritual)

Age: 19
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 114 lbs
White hair, gray eyes

Ok, both of these work really well for me, to be honest. I figure Elowen's power manifests as ghosts rising up to perform her actions. Yes, she still sees ghosts.

Who Should Play This?

With today's theme, this game has equal parts light and dark, fantasy and horror, civilization and the great wild unknown. So, regardless of which side of the old-school/new-school divide you come from, know that this game is darker than most new-school games and is closer in tone to many old-school ones. 

This is a game for players who prefer tension to triumph.

If your idea of fantasy is leveling up, clearing dungeons, and becoming untouchable heroes, Symbaroum is going to feel uncomfortable. Progress here is real, but it always comes with a cost. Power is never clean. Magic is never safe.

But if you enjoy games where every decision matters, where the question is not "can we win?" but "what will it cost us if we do?" then this is the game for you. 

And maybe most importantly for me, this is a game for players who like their witches a little dangerous.

Not safe, not sanitized, not "spellcasters with a theme," but witches who bargain, who risk, who take on corruption because sometimes that is the only way to get things done. If that resonates with you, then Symbaroum is not just a good fit. It feels like it was made for you.

The Witches of Appendix N: Michael Moorcock

Michael Moorcock is easily one of the biggest influences on Dungeons & Dragons. Certainly, his contributions rival those of Howard or Tolkien in shaping the structure of the D&D multiverse. Indeed, one can barely talk about the Multiverse of D&D without invoking Moorcock.

When people talk about Michael Moorcock in Appendix N, they usually go straight to Elric of Melniboné, Corum Jhaelen Irsei, Dorian Hawkmoon, and the eternal war between Law and Chaos. 

When I talk about Michael Moorcock and witches, I am not really talking about witches in the broom-riding, cottage-dwelling sense. I am talking about the pact-making sorts of witches. The ones who contact the beings from other planes (something that happens a lot in Moorcock's tales) and the ancient pacts that bind them.

Moorcock does not give us a village wise women. He gives us bloodlines that traffic with elementals, tribes that call heroes out of myth, and archetypes that echo across realities. His magic is not tidy. It is not academic. It is relational, dangerous, and deeply personal.

Which is why it works so well for me.

Elric the Prototype Warlock

Let’s be clear about something. Elric is not a wizard.

He does not memorize formulae in a tower and sling fire from careful study. His power comes from calling upon Arioch and other Lords of Chaos. He names them. He binds them. He bargains.

That is not arcane spellcasting in the later D&D sense.

That is a pact.

In the One Man's God post I wrote before on the Melnibonéan mythos, I pointed out that their religion and their magic are inseparable. The Lords of Chaos are not distant gods in shining heavens. They are immediate, responsive, volatile. They answer when called, but they always take something in return.

Elric’s magic is closer to a warlock than a magic-user.

Stormbringer itself is a kind of patron made steel. It feeds him power and keeps him alive, but it also owns him. That dynamic, that exchange of strength for service, is pure warlock logic.

And this is important when we talk about witches in Appendix N.

Because if Moorcock gives us a prototype warlock in Elric, he also gives us the larger framework that witches later inhabit in D&D. Magic is not a neutral force you manipulate. It is something you negotiate with.

That idea runs straight into warlocks, and through them, into witches who deal with dragons, animal lords, witch queens, and stranger patrons still.

Corum and the Old Religion

If Elric shows us the aristocratic pact, Corum shows us something closer to folk magic.

In the Corum stories, the human tribes are not sophisticated sorcerers. They do not maintain demon treaties stretching back millennia. They have rites. They have memory. They have belief.

And when the world is in peril, they summon Corum.

Not as a cleric would call upon a god for a spell. They call him as part of an older set of magical rules. A returning champion tied to the fate of their land, one who was prophesied.  This feels less like wizardry and more like the Old Religion made manifest. 

It is communal magic. It survives conquest and catastrophe because it is embedded in culture rather than codified in books. 

If I were looking for Appendix N roots of the Wicce or of the Craft of theWise, I would not find them in shining cathedrals. I would find them here, in tribal rites that blur the line between prayer and spell.

The magic works because the people believe in the pattern. That is witchcraft.

It doesn't hurt that Corum and his people are often thought of as "elves" and that much of his tales are based on a psuedo-Celtic past. 

Named Witches 

There are very few named witches, and fewer still that are called "witch." 

Myshella, the Sleeping Sorceress, is one. Though she is not called a witch, she certainly fills that role. 

Jerry Cornelius is not a witch. Not by any stretch, really, but he is fragmented. Self-aware. Reality bending around him. He shapes his reality as much as reality shapes him.  

Moorcock’s Eternal Champion is not a simple reincarnation. He is an archetype that keeps reasserting itself in different circumstances. And this is where I see the parallel to how I have played Larina over the years.  Different systems. Different worlds. Different rules. Same witch.  He is not a witch, but he and the other Eternal Champions have shaped my notions of my archetypal witches.

Moorcock’s Legacy for Witches and Warlocks

Moorcock’s influence on D&D is usually discussed in terms of Law and Chaos. Planes of exsistences and an eternal, if not Eternal (capital "E"), struggle.

But for witches, the more interesting legacy is this:  Magic is relational. Magic is cyclical. Elric shows us the warlock bound to his patron. Corum’s summoners show us the persistence of pagan rites.

That is fertile ground for witches.

Not because Moorcock hands us a cottage and a cauldron.

But because he gives us a universe where magic is negotiated, myth returns, and some souls are simply meant to walk the long road again and again.

Elowen Hale: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

“Elowen walks like she knows where the puddles are going to be before the rain even starts. She never yells when things go wrong. She just smiles and says we’ll fix it. And then we do. I like going on adventures with her. The ghosts don’t bother her, and she always remembers to pack snacks.” - Doireann, Goblin witch

In many ways, this is the core Elowen, the one I think of when I talk about her.

Elowen died, but she returned changed. Animals respond to her in uncanny ways. Certain undead recoil. Divination spells sometimes yield contradictory results when cast upon her. Detect Evil finds nothing. Detect Magic sometimes flickers.

Among her coven sisters, she is treated with reverence and caution. The Old Religion teaches that death is a doorway. Elowen has stepped through it, and then turned around and stepped back. That doesn't happen, not without a good reason. 

Elowen has a Witch Mark. In this case, the Witch Mark of Sight. Her sight allows her to see ghosts, spirits, and any incorporeal undead, even when they are invisible.  The downside is that they can also always see her. 

Elowen Hale
1st-level Human Witch (High Order), Neutral Good

Secondary Skill: Initiate

S: 10
I: 16
W: 15
D: 12
C: 14
Ch: 17

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

AC: 10
HP: 6
THAC0: 20

Weapon
Dagger 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Cat, "Mirepoix"

Spells
Cantrips: Detect Curse, Ghost Sound, Chill, Mend Minor Wounds
First level: Ghostly Slashing, Detect Spirits, Minor Curse

Witch Mark: Witch Sight (see spirits)

Theme song: Home (Prospertine)

This is Elowen at the very start of her adventures. She is currently traveling the world with Doireann and Aisling as they travel with the Free Elves. 

--

Witch Marks are something new I am working on. Elowen has the Witch Mark of Sight, and it allows her to see ghosts, spirits, and any incorporeal or invisible undead. It means they can also see her and know she has seen them. Aisling also has the Witch Mark of Sight, but hers allows her to see auras. The side effect is that Aislign is looking at someone with her witch sight, they know they are being watched, and it makes them uncomfortable. 

Elowen speaks Common, her Alignment Language, Elven, and Draconic. She still has three more languages she can learn. I am fairly sure that if she continues to hang out with Dori, she will learn Goblin. I am saving the other two to figure out later on.

I am also finally detailing where she is from. She is from one of the richer sections of East Haven, or maybe just outside of it. Her family is well off; I figure her father is some sort of import/export merchant. Not someone who sells things himself, but manages a lot of merchandise for others to sell. It would also explain why they knew of Larina, or at least the witches of West Haven. It also goes to show how much the people of East Haven try to avoid thinking about anything that might remind them of West Haven, given how little Elowen first knew about things. 

She wears a witch hat that looks like Larina's. Makes sense since it was a gift from her mentor for her adventures. 

Other Stats

• Tales of the Valiant
• Pathfinder 2nd Edition

Fantasy Fridays: True20

 One of my objectives with Fantasy Fridays is to introduce people to the wide variety of Fantasy RPGs that are available to them. While each is perfectly fine on its own, I do want to talk about them on how well they provide a "Dungeons & Dragons experience" to players. Not that this is the only yardstick to use, but it is an important one. Also, what can players use from these games in their own games?

Today I am going back to an old favorite, Green Ronin's True20.  This system is a derivative of the d20 system from Wizards of the Coast, used in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition and now used in many games. The system, which is mult-genre or universal, began life as the system used in the first edition of Blue Rose.  The True20 version of Blue Rose is out of print now, but some of its DNA lives on in their new AGE system. But today is about True20.

True20

What is True20? It is a stripped-down version of the d20 system. Typically, there are only three classes: Adept, Expert, and Warrior. There are no hit points, but there is a damage tracker that works very well and very quickly. I think these are the key elements to its mult-genre use. I have played fantasy and modern horror with it, and neither felt like I was trying to cram a square peg into a round hole.

You have the same six abilities as d20, but instead of ability scores, you just have your bonuses. Something that D&D itself would not embrace until the current 5th edition. 

All resolutions are done with a single d20. That's all you need. Attacks, skill checks, using powers, all of it is a d20 + mods and compared to a DC score. It is really that simple.

Because it is simple, you can build just about anything you want. There was (well is, you can still buy things) support for True20. So if you like horror, sci-fi, fantasy, or anything else, you could find it. Particular to today's conversation is their Fantasy Paths supplement that helps you build all sorts of fantasy classes like Assassins, Barbarians, Clerics, and so on. There are also NPC stat blocks for all these classes for levels 1 to 20. No witch, but with this system, you can reskin any adept into a witch with no issues. I did ues the Adept's Handbook a lot for this.

Speaking of fantasy, back when BlueRose was under the True20 system, I ran a game called Black Rose that combined Blue Rose and Ravenloft. You can read that here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. Needless to say, it worked rather well.

I also played a modern horror game called "Vacation in Vancouver" that worked amazingly well. They both showcased the system's power and flexibility and were really fun. It is a shame Green Ronin no longer supports it like they did. But I suppose that AGE, its successor, can do a lot of what True20 and some more. I'll have to revisit AGE for this series. Though I will say one thing. 

It now dawns on me that a lot went into my "Ordinary World" Night World for NIGHT SHIFT was detailed in these True20 game sessions. 

While this system is not actively supported, all the PDFs are still on DriveThruRPG, and you can get some of the books as hardcover Print-on-Demand. The books were originally only softcover so this is nice. Also, since the line is done, getting all the books you need to play is fairly inexpensive on DriveThru.  Since it is d20-derived, you can use other d20 products with it to expand your options. It would take some work, but it can be done. What works best are adventures. They convert easier than, say, new classes, but even that is not very hard using the Fantasy Paths examples. 

Can it Do D&D?

Well, the simple answer is yes. It can play a D&D-style game easily and has a lot in common with D&D 3rd edition. I also contend it can do a solid OSR-style game too, though there are two features that run counter to the OSR feel. First, there is no Vancian magics; Adepts/Wizards/Clerics can keep firing off their spells as long as they make their rolls. Also, there are no hit points, only a damage tracker. These aspects keep it from feeling like, say, AD&D 1st ed, and likely won't appeal to many old-school players. For new gamers, Players would have to build out their powers ala Fantasy Paths to cover whatever new class they want to play.  Mechanically, there really is no difference between a Divine Soul Sorcerer and, say, a Cleric or Celestial Pact Warlock. The powers might all be the same, just role-played differently.

True20 has now slipped into the realm of "kitbashing RPGs" that is take what you want and build the game you want. I think this the one thing it does better than AGE right now. But I'll take on AGE at a later date. 

Would I still play True20? Of course. I loved it then and look back on it now with extreme fondness. I also still love BlueRose, but I think I am content with the AGE version of that now. 

Larina for True20

This one is easy since I already have a few True20 versions of her. There was my BlueRose version, my Modern True20 version, and a Fantasy True20 version. All ranging in levels and build types. This version sort of combines all of those versions.

In truth, her stats as they appear on paper are really not much different than a wizard or some other spellcaster. The key with True20 is the role-playing aspect. I mean, that is true everywhere, but this is even more important here, really. 

Larina Nix

20th-level Human Witch (Adept)

Strength: +0
Dexterity: +1
Constitution: +1
Intelligence: +4
Wisdom: +4
Charisma: +4

Initiative: +1
BAB: +10, Melee Attack: +11, Ranged Attack: +11
Defence, Dodge: 21
Defence, Parry: 20

Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft

Toughness: +2
Fortitude: +9
Reflex: +7
Will: +18

Vice: Cynical
Virtue: Thoughtful

Larina art by Jerome Hrs

Skills
Bluff +15 (11), Climb +1 (1), Concentration +17 (13), Craft (Potions) +16 (12), Diplomacy +16 (12), Disable Device +5 (1), Disguise +4 (0), Escape Artist +1 (0), Gather Info. +14 (10), Handle Animal +14 (10), Intimidate +10 (6), Jump +1 (1), Knowledge (History) +10 (6), Knowledge (Arcane) +21 (17), Knowledge (Religion) +7 (3), Knowledge (Occult) +19 (15), Languages +14 (14), Medicine +10 (6), Notice +12 (8), Search +10 (6), Sense Motive +11 (7), Sleight of Hand +9 (8), Stealth +4 (3), Survival +11 (7), Swim +2 (2) 

Feats and Talents
The Talent, Iron Will, Leadership, Attractive, Familiar (Cotton Ball), Contacts (x2), Great Fortitude 

Powers (Save DC 24)
Blink, Cure, Fire Shaping, Ghost Touch, Mana Blast, Mana Shield, Mind Probe, Mind Reading, Mind Shaping, Mind Touch, Move Object, Object Reading, Psychic Blast, Purifying Light, Second Sight, Sense Minds, Sleep, Teleport, True Seeing

--

Again, I am pretty happy with this build. There is still some life in this system if you ask me. 

Links

• BlueRose True20 Edition
• Review: Blue Rose (True20 Edition)
• Blue Rose and True20
• Plays Well With Others: Blue Rose
• Character Creation Challenge: Blue Rose 1st Edition, True20: Marissa
• Reviews, True20 Edition
• Willow & Tara: True20 
• Witch Hunter Robin: True 20
• True Spell Casting: True 20

True20 Products on DriveThruRPG for Fantasy play

• True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Revised Edition (Core rules)
• True20 Bestiary
• True20 Fantasy Paths
• Handbooks for classes, some fantasy with other genres
• True20 Adept's Handbook
• True20 Expert's Handbook
• True20 Warrior's Handbook

And an example of a complete fantasy campaign.

• Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Adventures (True20)

Wasted Lands: The Dying Age

 In my rereading of many of the classic Appendix N titles, I have come around again to Jack Vance's Dying Earth. The Dying Earth genre is not one I spent much time with back in the heyday of my D&D/AD&D playing life in the 1980s, but one I came upon much later. 

Honestly, my first foray into this sub-genre of fantasy began with Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique tales. I later moved on to Vance and to other end-of-time works like the Dancers at the End of Time by Michael Moorcock, and even the ideas about it from the DC/Vertigo Comics Books of Magic. This also led me to Lin Carter's Gondwane tales and Gardner Fox's Kothar. Even the earliest story of all Dying Earth tales, H. G. Well's The Time Machine. 

What I find most fascinating about these works is that they are not just "post-apocalyptic." In fact, they are far more alien and mystical than that. We are not dealing with a world that is recovering from a disaster. We are dealing with a world that is simply old and run-down. Civilization has risen and fallen so many times that history itself is legend, and legend itself is rumor. Sorcerers are those who remember things that nobody else remembers, ruins are piled on top of even older ruins, and magic is something that nobody is quite sure how to stop.

These worlds are, in many ways, a mirror to many of the settings that we start with in our own works of fantasy. We love to start with a "fresh" setting. We love to start with a "fresh" kingdom. We love to start with a "fresh" magic. We love to start with a "fresh" hero. We don't start with a tired kingdom. We don't start with tired magic. We don't start with a tired hero.

Throughout my writing here, I've touched upon this genre a bit, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, by circling around it. I've written about my time spent in Zothique, Vance's strange future Earth, and games like Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, which draw upon that sense of weird future-antiquity. Indeed, even my writing about fantasy worlds and future lands touches upon this idea in some way. But what if fantasy isn't set in a distant past, but in a future beyond all human imagination?

This idea gave rise to a game idea that has been rattling around in my head for a bit now.

Wasted Lands: The Dying Age

The Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age RPG already gives us a mythic prehistory. It is a world of early civilizations, rising gods, ancient magic, and heroes who will eventually become legend. It is a world before recorded history, a time in which the myths of humankind are still being written.

But what of the last in that series?

What does the last mythic age look like?

This question gave rise to Wasted Lands: The Dying Age.

While the Dreaming Age marks the beginning of history, the Dying Age marks its end. Not centuries, not thousands of years. millions of years. More time between the Dying Age and us than between the Dreaming Age and us. The Dying Age is set so far in the future that everything familiar to us in the present day has become legend. The continents have merged yet again, one last time, into one last supercontinent, perhaps Pangea Ultima or Novopangea. The seas have risen and fallen and risen and fallen and risen yet again. The mountains have been uplifted and worn down many, many times.

The sun is growing old. In the sky above, it shines larger and redder than it did before. The days are longer and hotter, the seasons are stranger, and in the night sky, there are wonders beyond what our ancestors could have seen. The Moon, a constant companion to humanity since the Dreaming Age, is gone. Its recession from Earth since the dawn of time has reached a critical point, and it has been thrown free of Earth's gravity. Out there in the dark, beyond all of our worlds, patient observers can see the first hint of light from the Andromeda galaxy growing brighter as it moves closer to our own Milky Way. The heavens themselves are changing now.

Yet still, human beings linger on in a barely perceptible way.

Perhaps there are only a few thousand of them left, scattered across the surface of the Last Continent. They live in scattered cities, in wandering tribes, in strange little cultures built around traditions nobody really understands anymore. They remember a few of the old things. They tell tales of empires that perhaps existed a million years ago. They dig in ruins older than their own language.

And here is magic in the world.

Perhaps there has always been magic in the world, waiting patiently in the ruins of forgotten cultures. Perhaps it is returning now that the world is growing thin with age. In the Dying Age, there are sorcerers. They are not scholars, but archaeologists of the magical arts. Every single spell they use is from some civilization that perhaps existed a million years ago, or a cult that nobody really understands anymore.

The world itself is changing, too. The great beasts that used to rule over Earth are gone now, victims of a million years of slow decline. In their place, other creatures have risen to assume their places, giant arthropods and stranger creatures.

A farmer might hitch a wagon to a massive stag beetle instead of a mule. Herds of enormous cockroaches are raised for their surprisingly nutritious milk. Armored millipedes crawl through the forests like living trains of chitin. Some cities even keep domesticated mantises as guardians or war beasts. Giant ants and giant termite war with each other across the vast internal desert of the Last Continent. I have not figured out a replacement for horses yet. I am thinking of something akin to a smaller animal grown large, like a hare or jackrabbit. I do have giant riding bats, though. 

There are humans, now millions of years after us, who have evolved into other shapes, and some are only slightly recognizable as human. These will be my orc, goblin, and troll standins. 

It is strange, unsettling, and yet somehow perfectly natural in a world that has lasted for billions of years.

The Dying Age is not a despairing age, though it might seem that way to an outsider. No, it is something closer to quiet endurance. Humanity has survived ice ages, extinctions, and the rise and fall of countless civilizations. It may yet survive the long twilight of the sun itself. There is melancholy here and a general sense of ennui, but there are still humans fighting against the dying of the light.

The stories told in this age are not about building kingdoms that will last forever. Nothing lasts forever anymore. No, they are about what still matters when the world itself is nearing its final chapters. And perhaps the stubborn refusal to disappear quietly.

In many ways, the Dying Age is a completion of a circle that begins in the Dreaming Age. One is present at the birth of myth. The other is present at its final echo. Between them lies all of human history, from the first fires lit in a dark age to the last red sun setting over the last continent.

And yet, in that distant future, under that ancient red sun, there are still adventures waiting to be told.

The Dying Age: Mechanics

Here is where I get to cheat. Wasted Lands: The Dying Age is mechanically no different from Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age. This is just a different campaign model. Though the idea of Divine/Heroic Touchstone should be addressed. In the Dreaming Age, these are gifts of power that bring the characters closer to their divine apotheosis. In Thirteen Parsecs, they are also used to help define heroic characters. 

In the Dying Age, heroes take on a different tone. At first, I wanted to avoid using them, but in truth, they are loved by the players and me. So if there is a pervasive, light feeling of melancholia here, then these are the rewards for the characters who say, "No. I am not dead yet."

Even though I stressed this setting is not Post-Apocalyptic, I can see using some ideas from Gamma World here in search of lost civilizations. 

There are no cosmic horrors here. There are old gods, but their worship is more akin to sacrifice and cults than organized religion. The world is far too decadent and too old for that. 

The reasonable question arises. Why use Wasted Lands when Hyperboria 3rd edition (or any edition) does exactly this? The answer is largely, I have grown to like Wasted Lands more. Plus, I love the rather perfect symmetry of using Wasted Lands for both the beginning and ending of the human saga.  

Larina: The Ash Witch

The Doctor: At the end of everything, we should expect the company of immortals, so I've been told.

- Doctor Who: Hell Bent

I could not help but notice a trend in the various "end of time" tales that have been featured in my re-exploration of Appendix N. We have Fox's Red Lori, Vance's Javanne, and Carter's Queen of Red magic. What do they all have in common? They are all powerful red-headed witches.

Yeah. I noticed.

One of the first things I did was create a version of Larina here at the end of time. Why her and not, say, a new witch? I liked the idea of a character who could remember bits of all her past lives, something of a Larina Ultima. If Larina of the Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age is something of an Ur-Larina, then this is her ultimate form. In this world, she is a seeress and a prophetess, though she will admit that her sight is limited because there just isn't that much future actually left. 

In the far future of Wasted Lands: The Dying Age, Larina still exists, but she is no longer the vibrant witch of West Haven or the wandering occult scholar of earlier ages.

She is known simply as The Ash Witch. 

Like many of my GMPCs, she serves as a witness to the age. She appears to the PCs at strange moments, offering warnings, riddles, or fragments of half-remembered lore. Sometimes she seems to know them already. Sometimes she speaks as though she remembers lives that have not yet happened.

Unlike many of her other incarnations, this Larina is not trying to change the world. There is nothing left to change. 

Here, she also makes the last stand with The One Who Remains. 

She does know a truth. That when the last ember of this universe fades, something new will ignite. And witches have always been good at tending embers. She is the witness of the end and the midwife of the new beginning. 

Currently, I have a group playing NIGHT SHIFT. I might convince them of a Wasted Lands: The Dying Age one-shot. But it is a world I am certainly going back to. 

Elowen Hale: Pathfinder 2nd Edition

“I have been around long enough to know that returns like this are never free. Nothing in the universe is ever free. There is always a ledger. A balancing. If something, or someone, let Elowen come back, then something may someday collect. I do not know what that means, and I do not like not knowing. She smiles as if the debt has already been paid. I hope she is right. 

But if something comes to collect from that girl, they will have to go through me first.” - Esmé Valethorne

Pathfinder 2nd Edition might not get the hype and play as Pathfinder 1st edition, but in some ways, I think it is better. It can stil play the same sorts of games you can with Pathfinder 1st ed, and of course D&D, but it has a some mechanics I like and many more that interest me.  Plus, I love the world Pathfinder has built.  

Character Background (Pathfinder 2nd Edition)

In this universe, Elowen is marked by the River of Souls. She died before her time, and a power neither divine nor arcane intervened.

Mechanically, she is a Witch, but narratively, she is one of the Returned. She perceives hauntings before they manifest. Undead feel uneasy in her presence. She does not radiate positive energy, but she disturbs the natural flow. I might have her take some levels of Seer later on. I have not decided just yet, I need to read up a little more on the class.

Elowen does not seek power. She studies it because she fears what might have brought her back. She works closely with the witches of West Haven, who understand that resurrection always carries a price. Resurrections of witches, even more so.

Her curse is subtle. At times, her reflection lags behind her movements. At others, she dreams of places she has never been but remembers dying in.  Despite this, she remains hopeful. She believes fate is not fixed. She has seen what lies beyond, and it has made her compassionate rather than cruel.

Elowen Hale
Female Human (versatile) Witch (Hedge Witch), Level 1

Background: Acolyte

Strength 0
Dexterity 0
Constitution 1
Intelligence 4
Wisdom 2
Charisma 2

AC 13
HP 15

Fortitude 4
Reflex 3
Will 7

Skills
Arcana 7, Crafting 4, Deception 5, Diplomacy 5, Lore (Ghosts) 7, Lore (Scribe) 7, Medicine 5, Nature 2, Occultism 7, Performance 5, Religion 5, Society 4, Survival 5

Weapon
Dagger 3, 1d6/1d4

Class DC 17

Feats
Additional Lore, Adapted Cantrip, Student of the Canon

Class Abilities
Attribute Boosts, Witch Initial Proficiencies, Witch Skill Training, Patron, Familiar "Mirepoix" (calico cat), Spellcasting (Occult), Hex Spells, Witch Lessons, Heightened Spells, Cantrips, Hexes, Spinner of Threads. 

Spells
Cantrips: Disrupt Undead, Daze, Detect Magic, Light, Prestidigitation, Read Aura, Shield, Telekinetic Hand, Telekinetic Projectile, Void Warp
First Circle: Sure Strike, Dizzying Colors, Enfeeble, Fear, Ill Omen, Mystic Armor

Focus Spells
Nudge Fate, Phase Familiar

--

This was one of the other main rule sets that helped me define who Elowen was. Here in Pathfinder, she is an Occult-based Hedge Witch. Like Larina has said, Elowen isn't going to raise storms or even summon armies of the dead to fight. She will be a beacon to guide others home, and if she summons up an army of the dead, well, it will be so she can show them to their afterlife and give them peace. 

Of the two versions, Tales of the Valiant and this one, I am not sure which one I like the best.

Fantasy Friday: DragonQuest 2nd Edition (2.19)

 Back when I covered DragonQuest 1st Edition, I discussed my fascination with the DragonQuest rules, in particular the full volume, soft-cover 2nd edition. While I have not scored a copy of the 2nd edition, there is a fan project out there known as the 2.19 edition.

DragonQuest 

My goal with my Fantasy Fridays is to present a fantasy game that could be a potential substitute for D&D at the game table, but what does a nearly 45-year-old have to offer? Well, before I get into that lets recap what DragonQuest is.

I have a bit of history with DragonQuest. Not a complicated one or even an interesting one, but history all the same.  Back in 83 or 84 or so, I would head to Belobrajdic's Bookstore in my hometown every weekend. There, I would get a new edition of Dragon or whatever sci-fi novel piqued my interest and then check out all the new RPG materials.  One I kept going back to time and time again was DragonQuest.  This was the 2nd Edition softcover and looked really different than anything I had played so far.  The barbarian on the cover proudly holding the severed head of a dragon convinced me it was a "Dragon hunting" game, and indeed, I learned that its original name was "DragonSlayer." But the Disney movie caused them to change this.

The game intrigued me so much. I flipped through it many times, and it even got to the point that I annoyed the owner, Paula Belobrajdic, who told me I should buy it.  In retrospect, I wish I had.  

Back in 2020, I managed to score a copy of the boxed set 1st edition.  I am not 100% sure it lived up to my idea of what I thought it should be.  Though while reading this 1st Edition boxed set, I could not help but think that maybe "DemonQuest" would be a fun game. That is, combine this with bits of the SPI game Demons. Consequently, the 2nd edition of DragonQuestion removed many of the connections with demons and demon summoning and even removed the School of Black Magic. 

Also, around this time, I began to delve into the thriving online community that DragonQuest still has. It was here that I discovered the aforementioned 2.19 edition and even some details on the TSR-produced DragonQuest 3rd edition, which has been described by some as "unplayable."

So while I never got my own copy of DragonQuest 2nd edition, I do have a copy of the DragonQuest 2.19 edition in a three-ring binder, so that will have to do.

Rules-wise, they are similar enough to my review of the 1st edition that I don't feel the need to get into a lot of detail about it.

2.19 and the DragonQuest Player's Association

Now, I may not have all my details correct here, so I do apologize in advance. The 2.19 edition of DragonQuest was created in 2003. It seems to have been a group effort to restore the 2nd edition rules while bringing in material that had appeared elsewhere. I think, but am not sure, that some of the better rules from the 3rd edition were also included.  Among other things, the College of Black Magic is back.  

These are the de facto rules used by many in the DragonQuest Player's Association. The site looks like it is an artifact of the earliest internet days (because it is) and has not changed much of its look and feel since 1998. But it is home to an absolute ton of DragonQuest material, both new and old. 

While I suppose the game is still copyrighted to SPI and then TSR and now Wizards/Hasbro, the trademark on the name went to the Japanese software company Square Enix. So while it is not really "abadonware" it is pretty close to that. 

I will be 100% honest. DragonQuest is clunky and not always in a good way. It wears its war game roots right on its sleeve for all to see. And the active community keeps with that notion. 

Its a great idea, in theory, but in practce I am back to where I was 42+ years ago; a neat game that no one around me plays. Maybe the next Con I go too I'll check out if they have a game running. The Facebook group is still active, so I know there are players out there. 

The adventures and the schools of magic are still the biggest draws for me. I have to admit I just love how they look, and the art is like something out of a 1970s pulp fantasy book that I found in the 1980s.  Raven Swordsmistress of Chaos would be a good character for this game. Maybe I'll give her a try later on. 

I still like to think that with the right group, where I am maybe the youngest guy there, this would be great.

Larina Nix for DragonQuest 2.19

One of the best things about DragonQuest 1st edition was it allowed me to detail the life of a mage that had been important to my games but whom I never really knew a lot about. Phygor was an ancient mage in the May game, more rumor and half-whispered history than a character. I figured I could stat him up in DragonQuest and finally run with him. I did. And it was great. I immediately want to try my hand a recreating my witch Larina for the game as well, but knew I wanted to use the 2nd edition rules for her. Well...I never found one to buy that I liked, but then I found the 2.19 edition rules.  I wanted her to have some power, so I awarded her an extra 40,000 experience points. Is that a lot? No idea, I know I wanted her to be skillful and magical, and experience points are used to buy everything.

Yes. There is a fan project on the School of Witchcraft, and it looks like a lot of fun, but I wanted to go Rules as Written for her.  

Larina Nix
Human Female, 26 years old

Primary Characteristics
Physical Strength 12
Manual Dexterity 15
Agility 12
Magical Aptitude 22
Willpower 20
Endurance 12
Physical Beauty 20

Secondary Characteristics
Tactical Movement Rate 4
Defense 12
Fatigue 19
Perception 8
Initiative D+8

Aspect Moon
Social Status First born daughter of a merchant.
Right Handed

Skills
Climbing 0, Horsemanship 0, Hunting 0, Stealth 0
Alchemist 3 (analyze chemicals, mix standard chemicals), Astrologer 3 (beigns affected, change prediction), Beast Master 1 (creatures of the night and shadow), Courtesan 2 (seduction, sing, appear attractive), Healer 1 (empathy - tactile, cure infection, disease, headache)

Languages
Common (S/R&W): 8/8
Ancient, Draconic (S/R&W): 3/3
Farie (S/R&W): 3/3

Weapons
Dagger 20 40 D A 8 RMC
Quarterstaff 20 55 2 C P M

Gear
Dagger, Quaterstaff, blouse, belt (weapon), high boots, cloak, gloves, hat, pants, sleeping sack, rations (1 week), pouch, quills, ink, parchment (26.75 lbs).

260 silver pieces

School of Magic: Ensorcelments and Enchantments
Base Magic Resistance 20

Spells Rank %
Witchsight  ee 6 32
Charming  ee 3 31
Telekinesis ee 4 39
Enchanted Sleep  ee 2 28
Speaking to Enchanted Creatures  ee 2 53
Location  ee 3 31
Invisibility  ee 4 64
Evil Eye  ee 5 42
Bolt of Energy  ee 7 78

--
So I like this. If I had not been deadset on doing her rules-as-written, I would have tried out the school of witchcraft, but that is fine, really. Maybe this is a previous incarnation of Larina, one who lived a generation after the original Phygor. Much like the relationship of Phygora (named for the mythic wizard) and Larina in AD&D, teacher and student, respectively.

 I know. I'll try out Elowen Hale using this system. Though it has honestly taken me months to write this much on this already. Still,  I would love to see if I could do a respectable Raven and Elowen as well. 

Am I done with this game? Not really. I am sure I'll keep coming back to it, if for no other reason than to satisfy the curiosity of a kid from the mids 80s looking at this book on the RPG shelves at my local bookstore.

Can I recommend this game? I doubt that many modern gamers have the patience for this style of rules anymore. Plus, "leveling up" can be slow, and players used to D&D 5 or even video games will have a hard time with it. This is an artifact of an age between ages; when the war gamer still ruled, and the RPG folks were the new kids on the block. Like I said with the 1st Edition, I have so many games that can do what this does. But I am happy I own copies, I am happy I can read them and enjoy them, and best of all, make some characters for them. 

Links

• Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonQuest
• DragonQuest Wiki,  https://www.dq-nz.org/dqwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
• DragonQuest Players Association, THE place to go for everything, https://www.dragonquest.org/
• DragonQuest Fan Page by Snafaru, https://www.zimlab.com/dq/
• DragonQuest Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1470175743293056/
• My DragonQuest posts:
• Review: DragonQuest, First Edition (1980)
• Character Creation Challenge: DragonQuest 1st Edition, Phygor

Elowen Hale: Tales of the Valiant

 "Elowen is not the storm. She is the candle in the window while the storm rages." 

- From the Journal of Larina Nix.

After the double marathon of TARDIS Captain's The Character Creation Challenge and Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE, I thought I'd do another one for March! Just kidding. I didn't find one I liked, but I do want to continue with the themes of those two challenges for this month.

So, for March, each Monday, I am going to post the character stats for my newest witch, Elowen Hale. She was not featured during the character creation challenge, but I was building her network of friends and coven members. She was featured during the RPG Campaign tour as my tour guide, but all of that happened before she was 1st level. Now she is 1st level and ready for some adventures of her own.

For this, I am going use five different systems to describe her. This is her genesis, really. I had just picked up the new Tales of the Valiant Player's Guide 2. My goal at that point was to find a witch that might work for both TotV and Pathfinder 2 nd edition, since both games have a native witch class. 

I also wanted to see how she would manifest in Daggerheart and AD&D 1st edition. Daggerheart also has a witch class in playtest, and I am working on my AD&D witch. I worked to find the intersection of all these witch ideas into one witch that fit them all. 

That witch is Elowen.

Character Background (Tales of the Valiant)

Elowen was not meant to survive. What returned was not quite the same girl. She breathes. She laughs (more now than when it first happened). She drinks tea. But something in her stands half a step beyond the world.

Clerics say she was restored by divine grace. Wizards insist her resurrection was a planar anomaly. Elowen knows the truth is simpler and stranger: something let her come back.

Since then, the veil between worlds has parted for her. Spirits hesitate around her. Ghosts fall silent. She can see faint threads of fate where others see only empty air.

Unlike many who return from death, Elowen is not hardened. She is gentle. Curious. Soft-spoken. She delights in small things: warm cups, autumn leaves, frogs in rain puddles. She has decided that if she were given a second life, she would live it brightly.

Elowen Hale
Human Witch 1 (Twilight Soul)
PB +2

Heritage: Covenant
Background: Chronicler 
Learn Researcher 
Features: Spell Inoculation (advantage on saves from spells targeting her)

Strength: +0 (10)
Dexterity: +1 (12)
Constitution: +2 (14)
Intelligence: +2 (15)
Wisdom: +3 (17) Saves + PB
Charisma: +3 (16) Saves + PB

Skills: +6 Arcana, +5 Perception, +5 Survival

HP: 10
AC: 12

Spells
Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Influence, Luck Bait, Swift Stash
First Circle: Stumble, Withering Gaze

Age: 19
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 114 lbs

Skin: Pale
Hair: White (was black)
Eyes: gray (were violet)

Familiar: Mirepoix (calico cat)

Theme song: Home (Prospertine)

So this was Elowen's conception. Reading through Tales of the Valiant and figuring out their witch options.  The Twilight Soul witch jumped out at me right away. Plus the art features a white-haired witch (as does Pathfinder) I also pretty much got her look in right away.

Last month's posts also helped me establish that Elowen, much like her mentor Larina, keeps a journal. Since I had some character journals for Tales of the Valiant, one of them became Elowen's.

Sorry for the weird lighting. My wife is turning on her grow lights for this year's garden.

I'll keep notes in this as I run her through various adventures. Yeah, she will be a GMPC for the most part, but her magic isn't going to be the thing to change the tide of a battle. But she can keep notes in her journals that Larina bought for her. Like Larina says, Elowen is not the storm, but she is the comfort away from the storm. She is a comfortable fire and a nice hot cup of tea. She is the one you can tell your horrifying truths to because she won't judge you.

Of course, this is just part of how I defined who Elowen otehr ideas about who she is came from other games too. She is at the intersection of all these witch ideas.

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 28

Day 28 - Parting Thoughts

Day 28 - Is there anything else we should know before we head home?
Any parting knowing you want to leave us with that didn't fit anywhere else?

Elowen’s Journal

"My parents left after their visit.

They wished me well. They told me they thought I was doing really well here. My mother hugged Larina. Larina, even after everything I’ve learned about her authority and power, smiled and hugged her back with the same warmth. I think my father wanted to as well. He hesitated, then laughed, a little embarrassed. That felt important somehow.

I’m getting ready for my first real adventure now. Larina says there’s only so much I can learn in books, though I’ve seen her library and I’m certain it would take several lifetimes to master even a fraction of it. Still, she’s right. I’m heading out with Aisling and Eoddard. They travel with the Free Elves when they pass through each spring. Doireann is coming too. She’s never left the Haven Valley. I haven’t either, not since I arrived here three years ago. She’s scared but excited. So am I.

The last time Aisling and I went on an adventure together, we ended up in an East Haven jail. I’m hoping this time we make it a little farther down the road.

The ghosts surprised me most of all. They wished me well. Even those who had never spoken to me before offered quiet blessings as I passed. That felt…like the end of something, but in a good way. Renee hugged me so tight I thought she was going to choke me. She is quite strong for such a small woman. She gave me a bag filled with little satchels of different teas. She said I'll know which ones to brew when. She also packaged up a bunch of her little pumpkin muffins. Though I think Dori and I ate half of them before we got back to Larina's cottage.

I know that no matter what lies ahead, I have a home to return to. I also hope I can come back with enough gold to get a place of my own. I loved Larina’s spare room, but it’s time. Change is part of the work.

I’m leaving this journal here for safekeeping. Omar stopped by earlier with some gear Larina purchased for me. On top was a brand-new journal and a new witch's hat.

I can’t wait to fill that one too."

Designer’s Notes

West Haven is not just a “Witch Haven.” It is a crossroads and a home, a place where witches from different editions, systems, and eras can meet without explanation. The lens is always whatever game I’m playing at the time, but the world remains consistent. NPCs may follow different rules than the player characters. That’s intentional. Mystery matters.

I wanted to involve as many characters as possible. Some appear more than others. Elowen and Aisling naturally surfaced together. Others, like Rána, remained distant by design. She belongs to the Maiden Wood, and Elowen’s fear of that place keeps them apart, so their tales rarely intersect. BTW I have had more ideas about what the Maiden Wood is all about, but that will be for another time I think. 

Most importantly, I wanted a place characters could call home.

The Lord of the Rings is ultimately about returning. Odysseus is nothing without Ithaca. West Haven exists so characters can leave, grow, break, change, and still have somewhere that remembers them.

Finally, this series is tied directly to Advanced Witches & Warlocks. While I avoided direct statistics, nearly everything described here emerged from those rules or their playtests. This is an invitation, not an explanation. If you want to know how this world works, the door is open.

-

And that is a wrap on another challenge! Thanks to Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien for this challenge; it was a lot of fun. It was great reading others' posts and meeting their Tour Guides. This came at the right time, really. I had just thought up Elowen, and she turned out to be perfect for this task. She is going to be a great character, and I hope she has many great adventures.

Elowen and Shae. May they have many adventures!

Join Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and his RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE 2026!

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 27

Day 27 - Amusing Anecdotes

Day 27-Do you have any amusing anecdotes from the campaign?
Forget dramatic, tell us about a moment that made everyone laugh out loud.

Elowen’s Journal

"Witches laugh to stay human. I’m convinced of that.

Doireann is usually the spark. She’s always doing something that sends the rest of us into laughter, often without meaning to. Amaranth and Katrina pretend not to be amused, though sometimes Amaranth cracks despite herself. Katrina is harder to read. Esmé has a dry, razor-sharp wit that sneaks up on you. She’s always wonderful company. And Aisling… Aisling laughs at everything. I swear she finds joy in chores, cantrip practice, and spilled ink. I envy that about her.

Larina is quieter, but when she laughs, it builds. A soft chuckle, a wry smile, and then suddenly it turns into a full witch’s cackle. Sometimes it catches her by surprise, and that just makes her laugh harder. She enjoys flustering Amaranth, and she shares a thousand private jokes with Esmé. We’ve had coven meetings where absolutely nothing got done because something Esmé or Doireann said sent us all into fits.

I laugh more now than I ever did before. Before West Haven. Even before I died.

I want to say it’s a witch thing, but whatever the cause, I know it’s good.

My parents came to visit not long ago. We were sitting in a dwarven restaurant when Omar burst in singing opera at the top of his lungs. I don’t think he has any other volume. The owner came out to join him, singing just as loudly. It was chaos. Loud. Ridiculous. Perfect. So I did what felt right. I clapped. I laughed.

My father nearly cried. My mother did.

They told me it had been more than fifteen years since they’d last seen me laugh like that. I think, more than anything else, that’s how they knew I was adjusting to my new life. That their little girl was going to be okay."

Designer’s Notes

Humor has always been part of my games.

Grenda and I used to get into pun battles. My son and I trade awful Mystery Science Theater 3000 quotes. Every group I’ve ever played with eventually devolves into Monty Python. I can’t walk into East Haven’s Cathedral of Light without thinking, “It’s the Bishop!”

Even my most serious games have room for laughter. Especially those. Humor humanizes characters, releases tension, and reminds us why we’re playing in the first place. In West Haven, laughter isn’t a distraction from danger. It’s how people survive it.

Join Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and his RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE 2026!