Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 16

Day 16 - Direct Threats

Day 16-Are there any direct threats?
Who or what in your campaign actively means the people in it - including the PCs - harm?

Elowen’s Journal

"When people ask about threats, they usually mean something with teeth. An army. A monster. A name you can point to and say, 'that one.' I don’t think it works that way here.

There are names that change a room's temperature when spoken. You can feel it in your skin, like a window just opened somewhere you didn’t see. Even the ghosts react to some of them. They fall quiet. Or they leave. That scares me the most. 

Kelek is one of those names. I don’t know much about him. Only that he hates witches, and that hatred feels old and practiced, like a blade sharpened over generations. The ghosts that remember him do not scream. They whisper. That somehow feels worse. 

I also always hear awful things about Skylla, but the few times I have met her, she didn't seem that terrible to me. 

There is someone called the Bone Man. I don’t know if that is his real name or just the one that survived him. He wants the magic of West Haven. Not the people. Not the land. Just the power that leaks out of everything here, whether we want it to or not. Ghosts do not like him. They do not like to say why. They do not like to be around when he is talked about.

East Haven scares me in a different way. Not because of monsters, but because of certainty. There are men there who believe witches should not exist at all. Not regulated. Not controlled. Erased. The ghosts from East Haven carry a lot of unfinished anger, and none of it is aimed at the right people.

Then there is Katrina.

She is on our side. I know that. She has saved my life. She has saved Aisling's life more than once. But she wants a world that belongs to witches alone, and when she talks about it, I understand why. I also understand why Larina listens carefully and says very little in response. Those two are going to have a fight one day, and I am not sure who is going to come out on top. 

The most frightening threat does not have a name I am supposed to write down.

There is something the ghosts sometimes circle around without touching. Something they remember only in pieces. A presence that does not rage or conquer or declare itself king. It waits. It remains. Even Larina does not speak its name. At all.

If there is a single truth I have learned, it is this: West Haven is not threatened by invasion. It is threatened by people who want to define it. Control it. Simplify it. Turn it into something smaller and easier to rule.

The monsters are real. So are the ideologues. But the most dangerous things are the ones that believe they are right forever."

Designer’s Notes

Direct threats in West Haven are intentionally asymmetrical. Some are personal. Some are ideological. Some are cosmic. None should be what the characters or even the players expect. 

Kelek represents institutionalized hatred of witchcraft through arcane authority. Skylla is a cautionary tale for witches. Normally I have been avoiding "other IP" in my West Haven, but these two have been such a staple in my games for so long it is hard to part with them. 

The Bone Man embodies predatory magic seeking to extract power from place and people alike. He used to be a citizen of West Haven. He had been in charge of the gravesites, and for a while, he ruled as Lord Autumn in the Autumn sector. But his desire for power, both necromantic and political, drove him out of West Haven. Some say he left to find better ways to seize power; others say he was forced out by the Witch Queen at the time. He shows up occasionally, attempting to sow discord, but has not been seen in years now.

East Haven’s Patriarchy reflects systemic, conservative opposition to witches as a social and spiritual force. Thankfully, they do not represent all the people of East Haven, but they are rather vocal. They are followers of Providence Stoughton, one of the founders of the original Haven settlement and village. Stoughton was a devout member of the Lords of Light and the spiritual founder of the Church of Light in Old Haven. The Temple of Light in East Haven was dedicated to his memory. While Stoughton was a moderately conservative priest, he was not a fanatic. The Patriarch of East Haven though feels that since he founded the Haven Settlement all these lands, including West Haven, belong to him and therefore belong to his legacy, which they claim. 

Katrina exists as a morally complex internal threat, an ally whose vision could become tyranny if unchecked. Sadly, if the Patriarchy were ever to become a true threat again, Katrina's position would grow more attractive, especially to younger witches.  One thing I hope to convey through Elowen is that Katrina has some good points. It is through older witches like Larina and Esmé that we see what threat Katrina really brings. 

The greatest long-term threat is The One Who Remains, a force that does not attack directly but erodes reality, memory, and identity over time. It is not always visible. It does not always act. But it is always present. The One Who Remains is also the threat that could cause all the participants above to put aside their differences and fit this greater foe.

West Haven survives not because it is strong, but because it refuses to be defined by outsiders.

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 15

Day 15 - Things Best Avoided

Day 15-What are some things in the setting that are best avoided?
Dangerous terrain, haunted places, angry natives, and even unpleasant beverages; name some elements in your campaign that should be given a wide berth. Obviously these are beings and things in the setting the tourist should avoid but which Player Characters would likely run towards. 

Elowen's Journal

"People warned me about West Haven when I first arrived. They said it was dangerous. Haunted. Wrong. I think that’s funny now.

The places I avoid are quieter than that.

I stay away from the lake. I can’t explain it properly, only that the ghosts there feel unfinished in a way that makes my chest hurt. Not loud. Not violent. Just… stuck. Some of them don’t even know they’re dead. Others know too well. I can stand at the shore, but I never linger. I don’t like how the water remembers.

East Haven makes me nervous. I can walk its streets. I have. But it feels like a place that watches you back. The rules are clearer there, sharper somehow, and I am never quite sure which ones I am breaking just by existing. My first real adventure started there, and I learned quickly that “safe” and “familiar” are not the same thing.

I will not go near the Cailleach’s Bones. Everyone says you can feel them before you see them, and they are right. The spirits there are old and proud and very sure they were right to die for what they believed. That kind of certainty frightens me more than anger ever could.

The Maiden Wood is worse. Everyone avoids it. Even people who pretend they don’t believe curses can affect them still take the long way around. I know better than to ask questions. I have seen Larina walk into that forest more than once, calm as if she were stepping into her own kitchen. That does not make me feel safer. It makes me feel like there are rules I do not yet understand.

What surprises me most is that people think West Haven itself is frightening. They whisper about witches and ghosts and strange folk in the streets. To me, it feels honest. The dangerous places announce themselves here. The truly terrible things do not bother with disguises.

If I have learned anything, it is this: not everything dangerous feels threatening, and not everything that feels safe actually is. West Haven taught me that. It also taught me how to listen when the land says, quietly but firmly, do not go there."

Designer Notes

This day reframes classic adventure locations as lived warnings rather than explicit hooks. Elowen’s perspective emphasizes instinct, emotional danger, and spiritual weight over physical threat. Places players will be eager to explore are introduced as areas locals avoid for reasons that are felt rather than explained. 

West Haven is a paradox: widely feared by outsiders, yet experienced by residents as a place of clarity, where danger is visible and negotiable. This reinforces the setting’s core philosophy: witches and ghosts make the world safer not by removing danger, but by naming it. This is a "witch village," the villagers are not afraid of the same things.  

This sets up future adventures while reinforcing trust in intuition, boundaries, and the idea that some places are not meant to be entered until you are ready—or ever.

There is an ancient elven ruin in the Goblin Wood. The Lake is cursed, as are the Callieach's Bones. The Maiden Wood isn't cursed, but the dryads are violent to outsiders. There are more haunted houses in West Haven than in cities five times larger. 

There are wererats fighting aligatormen in the sewers and septic pits under the village. Werewolves roam north of the village, and they are barely contained by the Rangers of the North Star. There are enough undead to keep the Church of Light and the Knights of St. Werper busy for decades. 

There's a lot to do here, and almost none of it is safe. Elowen might avoid these places, but I suspect adventurers won't. 

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 14

Day 14 - Eat Like a Local

Day 14-What to order to 'Eat like a local'.
Are there any foods unique to the campaign setting? If so, what are they like?

Elowen’s Journal

"Eating like a local in West Haven is not about ordering the right dish. It is about knowing what you need. And where to get it. 

Renee’s always tastes like safety to me. Warm bread, gentle herbs, tea that settles instead of wakes. When I sit there, I remember learning how to breathe again. How to listen. How to stay in one place without feeling like I needed to flee. The Purple Dragon tastes different. Heavier. Louder. It makes me think of Aisling and Eodard, of music and laughter and the way healing is not a straight path. She is further along than I am, I think. That is all right. I am still walking.

The Westhaven gnome inns taste like discovery. Every meal feels like a small, pleasant surprise, as if the village itself is reminding you that kindness can be inherited and practiced without being announced. Even the Drunken Orc has its place. I cannot help laughing when I eat there, remembering how uncomfortable my parents were the first time they visited. It is not comfort food, exactly, but it is honest.

Still, if I am telling the truth, my favorite place to eat is Larina’s kitchen. A long table. Too many chairs. Someone is always cooking. Someone is always talking. Food passed without ceremony. That is what belonging tastes like. It is not something you can order. It is something you are invited into. We are a coven, but we are also a family. Despite what Katrina says. Or maybe because of it."

Designer's Notes

In West Haven, food functions as emotional shorthand. Each location feeds a different need. Healing, celebration, grounding, nostalgia, or belonging. None of these spaces are random. They are designed to support character arcs and reinforce the idea that rest and nourishment are part of play, not distractions from it.

Day 14 intentionally avoids listing signature dishes. Instead, it frames eating like a local as an act of understanding context and community. Players who pay attention to where they eat, and with whom, learn as much about West Haven as they would from any lore dump. Food here is memory made edible, and the kitchen table is often where alliances, confessions, and character growth truly begin.

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 12

Day 12 - Entertainment

Day 12-What do people do for entertainment around here?
Music? Theatre? Sports? Gambling? What do the adventurers in your campaign do on their 'day off'? What is there for tourists to spend money on?

Elowen's Journal

"I used to think entertainment was something you planned for. A concert. A festival. Something announced ahead of time. West Haven taught me that it is more like stumbling into the right room at the right moment.

There are tea shops everywhere here. My hometown had one, and I thought that was very impressive. In West Haven, I find a new one every time I go out. Some are quiet places meant for thinking. Others are loud with laughter and gossip. You can always tell which coven favors which shop by the kinds of cups they use and how long people linger. At the risk of sounding pedestrian, my favorite is Renee's. I know, everyone loves Renee's; it has more teas than I ever knew existed (it was just "tea" singular before I came here), and has the most variety of patrons. But it is still my favorite. I think I could now write a book on the opinions witches have about tea.

Young witches race brooms through the streets when they think no one important is watching, even though the elders pretend to scold them while remembering when they did the same thing.

Larina once told me there used to be poetry competitions, years ago, until too many witches started sneaking spells into their verses. Apparently, it became impossible to tell whether people were applauding the poetry or the enchantments, so they stopped altogether. These days, she prefers a card game called Pentacles, played with a modified tarot deck and four other witches. Esmé plays too, but I have never managed to keep track of the rules. There are halls where the game is played seriously, but Larina treats it as a way to pass the time. Witches rarely gamble with coin. They gamble with favors and promises instead.

Aisling drags me to the Purple Dragon whenever she can. Her boyfriend, Eodard, plays music there, and the food is always good. She sings along and dances in the crowd. Amaranth occasionally dresses in something that would make a courtesan blush and disappears into the night, not returning until morning. When I asked her about it, she said she would tell me when I was older. I blushed and decided not to press. West Haven has taught me that some entertainments are not meant to be shared."

Designer's Notes

West Haven is designed to feel alive at all hours, especially at night. It never truly sleeps, because there is always something happening somewhere, whether it is a quiet game of cards, an impromptu performance, or a coven gathering that looks suspiciously like a social call. Entertainment here is communal, informal, and often layered with meaning that outsiders may not immediately grasp.

Different spaces serve different social roles. The Drunken Orc Inn caters primarily to adventurers and outsiders, a place to unwind loudly and visibly. The Purple Dragon is more for locals, a hub for music, good food, and familiar faces. Tea shops act as neutral ground for conversation, negotiation, and quiet observation. Together, these locations reinforce the idea that rest and play are part of survival in West Haven. In a setting where danger is never far away, entertainment becomes a way to stay human, connected, and grounded.

Mostly, I want a place where adventurers can find as much adventure even when they are not on the road.

AND if you get the chance wish our host Adam Dickstein a very Happy Birthday today!

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 9

Larina will still read your cards

Day 9 - Who’s in Charge?

Day 9-Who's in charge here?
Who are the major movers and shakers in the campaign?

Elowen's Journal

"If you are looking for a throne, you will miss the people who matter.

Larina lives in a small cottage with a large hearth, a kitchen big enough to seat an entire coven, and a soft chair she favors by the fire where she reads late into the night. There is a painting of her and her daughter above the fireplace, I have not met her yet, but she looks exotic. Larina just looks happy. If you did not know her, you would never guess she was one of the most powerful Witch Queens in the world. Esmé once told me she loves Larina dearly, but that she is also the single most terrifying thing she has ever known. I believe her. I know Larina rescued Amaranth from a terrible life. I know she saved Aisling from something like hell. Katrina calls our little circle “Larina’s Misfits,” and I suppose that includes me now.

Katrina herself is no less dangerous, just sharper around the edges. Where Larina is warmth and gravity, Katrina is clarity. Together, they do not rule so much as define. When either of them enters a room, the conversation changes. Not because people are afraid, but because everyone wants to hear what will be said next. 

That is how power works here. It gathers attention. It does not demand it.

There are other leaders, of course. The Lord Mayor and the Witan Council meet to handle the business of the village. Each quarter has its seasonal figure, Lord Summer, Lady Ostra, Lady Mabon, and Lord Winter, who preside over rites and celebrations and quietly settle disputes when the season demands it. But even they listen when witches speak. West Haven is not ruled by crowns or councils alone. It is shaped by those who keep it from unraveling."

Designer Notes

Authority in West Haven is deliberately layered and informal. On paper, the village has a Lord Mayor and a council known as the Witan, composed of respected elders from each quarter. These bodies handle civic matters, trade, disputes, and day-to-day governance. Alongside them exist the seasonal figures tied to the quarters of the town. Lord Summer, Lady Ostra, Lady Mabon, and Lord Winter oversee festivals, rites, and the rhythms that keep the community grounded in the turning year. Their power is cultural and ceremonial, but it is very real.

Above and around all of this sits witch authority, which is not codified but universally acknowledged. Larina is the most powerful witch in the region, with Katrina close behind, but their influence comes from reputation, history, and trust rather than formal titles. Among witches, power is social before it is magical. Elders lead because others listen. Covens follow because they choose to. This structure allows West Haven to function without collapsing into tyranny or chaos. Power here is not about command. It is about presence, memory, and the quiet understanding of who will step forward when things go wrong.

I wanted a place where if the characters asked, "Who is in charge here?" the answer would be, "It depends on what you want."

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 8

Day 8 - Local Peoples & Cultures

Day 8-Tell us about the local peoples and their cultures.
Describe the people and their Species, Nationalities, and other identifying features. 

Elowen's Journal

"When I first arrived in West Haven, I could not stop staring. I had never seen so many different kinds of people in one place before. At home, everyone fit into neat categories. Humans, a few elves, the occasional dwarf passing through. Here, the streets felt like they were unfolding into something larger every time I turned a corner.

Now I do not notice it the same way. They are neighbors. Friends. People who wave when they see me and ask how my parents are doing. There are tieflings who look like devils but have never once been unkind to me. Goblins like Doireann, who splash through puddles and laugh too loudly. Gnomes everywhere, running inns and kitchens and making sure no one leaves hungry. I even know a trolla, Grýlka, who is bigger than most doorways and a lot smarter than she lets on. Esmé says she herself is from another world entirely and came here by magic. Aisling says the same, but she never talks about where she is from, and I have learned that some questions are better left unasked.  Larina even said she spent a month and a half as a fox, but I am not sure whether she was teasing me or telling the truth. Reality is different for witches. 

What still stands out most, though, are the dead. There are more ghosts here than anywhere I have ever seen. No one talks about it, and yet everyone knows. They linger at the edges of crowds, in doorways, near the fountain. The living make room without meaning to. I think West Haven draws in those who do not fit elsewhere, living or not. And somehow, it makes space for all of us."

Designer's Notes

West Haven is intentionally inclusive in both population and tone. While the mechanical roots may lie in AD&D 1st Edition, the social philosophy leans more toward modern sensibilities. This is a place where misfits, outsiders, and the unusual are not just tolerated but expected. If a species is sentient, whether living or dead, there is a place for it here. 

That inclusivity is not accidental. 

Witches are the cultural glue that makes it work. Their presence normalizes difference, manages spiritual overflow, and enforces boundaries without erasing identity. The unusually high number of ghosts in West Haven is a feature, not a bug. The town attracts the lingering because it knows how to live alongside them. In contrast, East Haven's population dynamics are more traditionally oriented, closer to a classic AD&D model. West Haven, by design, lets diversity run wild. It is a place where the strange can call home, and where players are free to explore identity, culture, and belonging without needing justification beyond the simple fact that West Haven exists.

West Haven is by intent and design a place where the strange, the exotic, and the wonderful can call home.

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 7

Day 7 - Weather

Day 7-What's the weather like today?
Is there a particular climate or weather that's prominent in the region of the campaign? Does it vary? What is it like and how bad does it get?

Photo by Péter Kövesi

Elowen's Journal

"I have learned that the weather in West Haven is not something you check. It is something you listen to.

I feel the seasons in my bones now. Autumn hums, like the air itself is quietly singing. Spells settle more easily then, and even the ghosts seem more alert, as if they are paying attention again. Winter presses inward. Snow piles high against doors and windows, and everything turns quiet and close. Summer storms tear through the sky with no warning, stripping away weak wards and careless protections as if the land itself is reminding us not to be lazy. The weather here is never just background. It participates.

I love the storms best. Doireann always tries to drag me outside to dance barefoot in the rain, laughing like she is daring the sky to strike her. Most of the time, she can only convince Aisling to join her. I usually watch them laughing outside, from under the eaves, feeling the thunder roll through me anyway. Amaranth complains about the cold from Samhain until nearly Midsummer, while Grýlka thrives in it, claiming the snow makes everything honest. You can barely get Esmé away from her garden in the spring. I think she missed her calling as a druid. Larina is...radiant, resplendent in the autumn. Everyone has a season they belong to. I am still figuring out which one is mine."

Designer's Notes

I never wanted West Haven to exist in a single mood. A place that is always sunny or always bleak becomes flat very quickly, both in fiction and at the table. West Haven needed seasons that mattered. Winters that isolate. Springs that promise too much. Summers that remind you how fragile your preparations are. Autumns that feel heavy with magic and consequence.

From a practical standpoint, I draw inspiration from a mix of sources, including the Haven boxed set, various city supplements like those from RuneQuest, and real-world climate patterns. Sometimes, honestly, I just cheat and use whatever the weather is outside and let that be West Haven’s weather for the day. It keeps the setting grounded and unpredictable. Mechanically and narratively, seasonal shifts affect spellcasting, rituals, and ghost activity, reinforcing the idea that magic in West Haven responds to the world rather than ignoring it. The weather here is not favorable. It is part of play.

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 5

Day 5 - Campaign History

Day 5-Can you tell us about the campaign's history?
In the real world and within the universe.

Sweet Home Chicago

Elowen’s Journal

"People ask about the history of West Haven as if it were something written down somewhere, bound in leather, and kept on a shelf. I suppose parts of it are. Dates, names, floods, fires. That sort of thing. But that is not how I learned it.

I learned West Haven’s history by listening.

The ghosts here remember things in pieces. Not years or reigns, but reasons. Why a wall was built thicker in one place. Why a road bends when it should not. Why a family stopped using a name. I have spoken with spirits who remember the first Haven, before the lake swallowed it, and with others who arrived long after, never realizing they were walking streets that no longer existed. They do not count time the way the living do. They remember what mattered to them when they were alive, and that tells me more than any ledger ever could.

I think the village is about three hundred and twelve years old, give or take a season or two. That is what the dead suggest, anyway. I sometimes wonder if I know its history better than Larina does. Not because she has forgotten anything, but because she lived forward through it, while I hear it all at once. The joy, the fear, the mistakes, the moments when someone chose to stay rather than leave. West Haven remembers itself through its ghosts. I just happen to be someone who can listen."

Designer's Notes

The earliest seeds came decades ago, walking through downtown Chicago and wanting a fantasy city that felt lived-in, layered, and resilient. Prior to this, I was working on something I was calling "The Urban Survival Guide" with my old DM R. Michael Grenda. We explored the idea of urban environments as equal to dungeons and wildernesses as adventuring landscapes. 

From those early notes came West Haven and East Haven, separated by Lake Haven and bound together by history, trade, blood, and tension. Over time, West Haven evolved into a witch-centered settlement, a place that outsiders might superstitiously call “Witch Haven” without quite understanding why the name fits. The town's history has since grown organically over decades of play across multiple systems, accumulating layers much like the ghosts Elowen listens to. In that sense, West Haven’s history is not static. It is remembered, retold, and still very much alive. 

Every system I have played it under has added something new. If not history-wise, then via its organic growth. 

While West Haven draws on influences from places like Lancashire, England; Zugarramurdi, Spain; and Salem, Massachusetts, it also owes much to my favorite city, Chicago.

While Grenda was working on his Riverton/Riddleholm, I was working on smaller places. I knew West Haven was the smaller of the two cities. We both wanted lakes, thanks to Lake Michigan, and I wanted to be able to see the lights of East Haven from West Haven. 

I figure that West Haven has a population of about 800-1,000 and East Haven is about twice that, 1,500-1,900. 

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Advanced Witches & Warlocks: Occult Adventures

 It's Imbolc. A time for renewal and new beginnings. And a great time to announce my newest project!

The art is from the great Eugene Jaworski. You can find his art here and on his Instagram account. 

Here is his fantastic art with my text messing it up. 

And yes, that is my cover girl, Larina, and her lazy familiar, Cotton Ball. 

This should not really be a surprise to any regular readers here. I have been going on about AD&D games and Occult D&D for a bit now. But that is not all this is.

This project began many years ago as my High Secret Order Witch Book. I am also pulling in material I had begun working on for an unannounced Sea Witch book and something I was calling "The Compleat Witch."  None of these ideas jelled the way I wanted, but there was still a lot of good material. Some of this material also comes from my exploration of the Witches of Appendix N.

I also have 500+ new spells. Some are going back to my original netbook, and others I have written along the way. Not sure how many will end up in this new book, other than to say "a lot."

There is also a lot of material I wrote that will not be included in this book. Once I started my editing, I saw that a) I had too much material and b) some of it was not really related to witches. So there will be a second "Occult Adventures" book out next year, and I have already approached Eugene Jaworski to do the cover as well.

There will not be a Kickstarter for this. I plan to get this all to you via DriveThruRPG. I have everything written, we have been playtesting in our Wednesday and Sunday games, I have art. I just need to edit and trim the fat. Though recent playtests have made me go back and forth on a couple of things. I am excited to see where it all ends up.

Looking forward to getting this out to you all.

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 2

Elowen Hale

Day 2 - About Your Tour Guide

Introduce us to a character who can serve as our guide through your campaign and its setting.

Elowen’s Journal

"People always expect me to start with the part where I died. I understand why. It feels like the important part. But it is not the part that stayed with me.

I was gone for only a little while. Long enough to come back different. Long enough that the other world did not quite close behind me again. When I returned, I could see the dead everywhere. Not just sometimes. Not just when I was tired or frightened. Always. Every. Single. Moment. Do you know how many dead people still walk around in this world? The answer is "no you don't want to know."

At first, I thought that meant I was broken. My parents thought so too, even if they never said it out loud. But they did their best, and they brought me here. 

West Haven would not fix me. That is something Larina told me early on, and she was right. This place does not cure things like that. What it does is teach you how to live with them. The ghosts here do not rush me. They do not demand. Most of them barely notice me at all, which was a relief I did not know I needed.

I have been here almost three years now. I write to my parents often. It is easier than talking. Words behave better on paper. Larina suggested I keep journals as well, saying witches learn as much from writing as from spells. I think she meant that if I am going to carry all these voices with me, I need somewhere safe to put my own. I am still learning how to do that."

Designer’s Notes

Elowen began, only last week, as a design challenge in her own right.

I mentioned that Tales of the Valiant, Player’s Guide 2 had come in the mail just a week ago, and it had a “native” witch class. I opened it and the Pathfinder 2R RPG and began to look back and forth, thinking about what sort of witch I could create that would fit both sets of rules. One thing I also considered, but knew it would not be a problem (as you will see later today), was what sort of witch would fit my “Occult D&D” meets my “High Witchcraft Tradition” Advanced Witches & Warlocks.

Mirepoix

What came out of that was Elowen Hale. A quiet girl who had a terrible past. No, she was not an orphan. No, her parents were not cruel; in fact, it is a big part of her background that they loved her and have always wanted the best for her. No, the trouble is Elowen died. It was only for a few moments, and she came back, but it left her marked and changed. Her long black hair became stark white. She was quieter. She deliberated before she spoke because “once words are said, you can’t ever unsay them.”  And she sees ghosts. Everywhere. All the time.

Her parents, worried their daughter was cursed, tried everything. Doctors said she needs more red meat and sunlight. Priests said she needed more prayers and fasting. But none of that changed what had happened to her. So after two years of searching, her parents brought her to West Haven, where she could get the best magical help. Soon, it was revealed that Elowen Hale was neither cursed nor, worse, undead. She was a new witch (what is often called a “Baby Witch” in pagan circles, but she hates that and prefers “Liminal Witch”) and needed help in guiding her new powers. 

We join Elowen, and her cat "Mirepoix," as she discovers West Haven and its surroundings: the Goblin Wood, the “big city” of East Haven, the secrets of Haven Lake and the Haven Valley, and even, if she dares, the Broken Mountains and the standing stone circle known as the Cailleach's Bones.

Her death doesn’t give her “kewl powerz”; it explains the powers she already has at level 1.

--

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Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 1

 What? I just finished a month-long challenge, and now another one? YES!

This time, it is from Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and it is the February RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE!

Here is my Day 1 Entry

Day 1 - Campaign Introduction & Overview

What is your campaign called, what system does it use, and what is it all about?

Elowen’s Journal

Elowen writes about arriving in West Haven and realizing she is not being watched here. Not judged. Not measured. She describes the feeling of belonging before understanding. She hints that West Haven exists in more than one way because some places are too important to only belong to one world.

Elowen is a new witch character of mine. New as in I just worked out her character sheets for Pathfinder 2R and Daggerheart on Thursday night (1/29/95). 

I don't have her "voice" just yet. No surprise, she is new and doesn't talk much. I hope that, by using her to see West Haven through new eyes, I can also define her. 

Designer’s Notes

West Haven is a multi-system campaign location I have been using for years. One of my first mentions of it was here back in 2014. IT was also the starting point for my War of the Witch Queens campaign.  West Haven's most famous resident is, of course, the newest Witch Queen, Larina Nix. However, Larina will not feature prominently in this Challenge. She is a little busy right now.

While I am focusing mostly on AD&D 1st edition (and a bit of OSRIC 3) right now, I have used it for D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Daggerheart, and NIGHT SHIFT. In fact, you can see the NIGHT SHIFT version of West Haven in my “Ordinary World” Night World setting in the NIGHT SHIFT Core. People can move from any version of West Haven to another if they know what paths to take.

The idea of this place began not with one of my witches, but rather my morally gray character, Nigel. Back in my AD&D games, Nigel found an Amulet of the Planes. While we were doing a lot of plane hopping back then, we also did a lot of adventures on parallel worlds. I wanted a town that lived on multiple planes at once, much like you see in my Temples of Elemental Evil and Castles Greyhawk. For my DM, that meant "Killian's Towers" (more on that later). For me it meant Larina, Nigel. Nigel took on the role of a witch hunter later in his life. But instead of killing the witches, he relocated them to a place I was calling "Witch Haven." I can't say for sure it wasn't inspired by the RPG City of Haven, but I am sure it was, at some level.  It was not till later that Larina came to West Haven and the village itself recognized her.  

West Haven is a place where witches call home. It is a place where they are protected, feel safe, and, most importantly, belong. 

--

And because I am all about ADA compliance...

Day 1-Campaign Introduction and Overview
What is your campaign called, what system does it use, and what is it all about?

Day 2-About your Tour Guide
Introduce us to a character who can serve as our guide through your campaign and its setting.

Day 3-Where the heck are we?
What is the campaign's location and where is that location in related to other important places. 

Day 4-Is there a Map?
Give us a visual! Show us a map of your setting! Don't have one? WHY NOT?!?

Day 5-Can you tell us about the campaign's history?
In the real world and within the universe.

Day 6-Where shall we start?
Where did the campaign begin and/or where should a traveler to the region start their journey through it? 

Day 7-What's the weather like today?
Is there a particular climate or weather that's prominent in the region of the campaign? Does it vary? What is it like and how bad does it get?

Day 8-Tell us about the local peoples and their cultures.
Describe the people and their Species, Nationalities, and other identifying features. 

Day 9-Who's in charge here?
Who are the major movers and shakers in the campaign?

Day 10-What's the first thing we should do?
When heading out on a trip through the campaign setting (even just the 'starting area'), where should you go first? 

Day 11-Where would we go to find 'adventure'?
We've left the relative safety of the starting area and now we're looking for action! 

Day 12-What do people do for entertainment around here?
Music? Theatre? Sports? Gambling? What do the adventurers in your campaign do on their 'day off'? What is there for tourists to spend money on?

Day 13-Where can we get a drink and a bite to eat?
Give us a few of your most notable restaurants and bars in the campaign setting. Tell us something about these places and what makes them distinctive.

Day 14-What to order to 'Eat like a local'.
Are there any foods unique to the campaign setting? If so, what are they like?

Day 15-What are some things in the setting that are best avoided?
Dangerous terrain, haunted places, angry natives, and even unpleasant beverages; name some elements in your campaign that should be given a wide berth.

Obviously these are beings and things in the setting the tourist should avoid but which Player Characters would likely run towards. 

Day 16-Are there any direct threats?
Who or what in your campaign actively means the people in it - including the PCs -harm?

Day 17-Can you tell us about any famous battles or wars?
Tales of conflicts and combats abound across the multiverse! Any interesting ones in your setting we should know about?

Day 18-Forgot to ask; How do we get around?
What modes of transportation are available to people in the setting. 

Day 19-Any 'Must See' sites?
Are there any places or things a visitor to the setting just has to check out?

Day 20-Are there any mysteries as yet unsolved?
Legendary tales, lost civilizations, or cryptid creatures; does the setting have anything for the amateur detective?

Day 21-What are the major organizations of the campaign? How do they deal with visitors?
Corporations, guilds, secret societies; what groups with influence exist in the campaign and how do they interact with the setting and its denizens? 

Day 22-Tell use about notable Flora and Fauna!
Take us on safari around your campaign and its setting. What are some of the unique and/or unusual creatures and plants in your game?

Day 23-What are the major exports of the region?
A campaign can be big and different places within it will be known for different products. Pick a few of the best sellers or most interesting things and tell us about them.

Day 24-What are the major imports to the area?
What is it your campaign region needs but doesn't have and how do they get it? Maybe it's not a need but a want? Some other place has the very best something and the people of your campaign desire some of that action.  

Day 25-Where can I do some shopping?
I want to buy some souvenirs from this trip and maybe snacks for the voyage home.

Day 26-Are there any dramatic events from the campaign you can share?
Tell us about a moment of exciting action or tense thrills that has happened during your game. When and where did it take place?

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

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?

Character Creation Challenge: Day 31, The Simbul Witch Queen of the High Witchcraft Tradition

There are only a few characters created by others in this game that I can say I absolutely adore. Feiya is one, so is Iggwilv. And The Simbul, aka Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand, is another. As I said before, Ed Greenwood's obvious love for this character in his writing pulled me into this character, and I love her. I love her power, her madness, and her obvious tragedy. She is great, and I could not wait to add her to my games. Of course, I had to put my own spin on her.

The Simbul is often misunderstood because people take her madness at face value. They see chaos, volatility, and emotional extremity and assume a lack of control. That is a mistake. The Simbul is not mad because she is weak. She is mad because she is too strong for the structures that attempt to contain her.

Unlike Iggwilv, who burns down identities and walks away, Alassra remains. She stays. She binds herself to place, to people, to purpose. Aglarond is not merely her realm; it is her anchor, her sanctuary. Her madness is the pressure of power that refuses to dissipate. Where other archmages retreat into towers, demiplanes, or abstraction, The Simbul holds the line in the world itself.

This is the essential difference between High Witchcraft and the more solitary or liminal traditions. High Witchcraft is not about secrecy or withdrawal. It is about standing openly in the storm of magic and daring the world to endure you. The Simbul does not hide her power, nor does she soften it for the comfort of others. She bleeds magic. She leaks prophecy. She burns bridges even as she protects them.

"Do NOT presume to lecture me, Larina Nix, envoy of Baba Yaga or not."

- Alassra Silverhand, The Simbul

Her relationship to the Seven Sisters is equally telling. They are reflections of Mystra’s will, but Alassra is the one who most visibly suffers for it. She is not the most restrained, nor the most diplomatic, nor the most serene. She is the one who feels everything. That emotional intensity is not incidental. It is the price she pays for channeling magic on a scale that would unmake lesser beings.

If Iggwilv represents the witch who refuses all masters, then The Simbul represents the witch who accepts a burden no one else can carry and survives it anyway.

Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand "The Simbul"
31st level Human Arch Witch/Witch Queen (21/10), Neutral
Tradition: High Witchcraft

Secondary Skill: Initiate

S: 14
I: 18
W: 15
D: 18
C: 16
Ch: 19

Paralysis/Poison: 2
Petrify/Polymorph: 2  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 2
Breath Weapon: 4
Spells: 3

AC:  -2 (Bracers of Protection +3, Cord of Protection +2, Ring of Protection +3, Dex 18 -4)

HP: 78
THAC0: 8

Weapon
Dagger +1 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Familiar Spirit

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Witch Vision (see magic, invisible) 

Archwitch Powers: Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7), Arcane Communion (gained at level 9), Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11). 

Witch Queen Powers: Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Witch's Blessing), A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Ninth Level Spells (5)

Spells
Cantrips: Arcane Mark, Daze, Mote of Light, Object Reading, Open,
First level: Analgesia, Bar the Way, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Eldritch Fire (Silverfire), Glamour, Mend Minor Wounds
Second level: Arcane Disruption, Agony, Alter Self, Continual Flame, Dweomerfire, ESP, Evil Eye, Web 
Third level: Bestow Curse, Clairsentience, Control Winds, Danger Sense, Dispel Magic, Fly, Lightning Bolt
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Ball Lightning, Divination, Polymorph Others, Polymorph Self, Remove Curse
Fifth level: Break Enchantment, Maelstrom, Sending, Ward of Magic 
Sixth level: Analyze Dweomer, Greater Scry, Mislead, Rain of Fire
Seventh level: Astral Spell, Chain Lightning, Greater Teleport 
Eighth level: Eye of the Storm, I Am The Fire, Storm of Vengeance, 
Ninth level: Foresight, Imprisonment, Seal the Gate, Power Word Kill, Shapechange

Theme Song: Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

The Simbul occupies a rare and precarious position. She is both an Arch Witch and a Witch Queen, but she is not defined by conquest, hierarchy, or cult. Her authority is not derived from dominion over other witches, but from presence. When The Simbul acts, reality pays attention. When she speaks, even the gods listen carefully.

She is best used in a campaign not as a quest-giver or antagonist, but as a force of nature given human form. The Simbul does not maneuver behind the scenes. She erupts. She intervenes. She is not a gentle breeze; she is a storm, she is a hurricane. 

She makes decisions that reshape the magical landscape, then lives with the consequences, in full view of the world. Player characters who encounter her should feel small, not because she belittles them, but because she reminds them of the scale at which magic can truly operate.

Yet, for all her terrifying capability, there is a deep sadness at the heart of Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand. She has given up the possibility of an ordinary life, not for ambition, but for necessity. She endures so that others may not have to. That sacrifice is what elevates her from a powerful spellcaster to a Witch Queen in the truest sense.

I am not sure what I feel about her canonical death. While I do not pretend for a moment that any Witch Queen should live forever, her end feels strangely hollow to me. Yes, she died doing something entirely in character, but the framing feels uncomfortably refrigeratory, reducing a complex, volatile, deeply loved figure to a moment of narrative utility rather than culmination.

In my games, she sacrifices herself, yes, but not in that way. It is her magic and her sanity that are consumed, burned away to seal what could not otherwise be contained. Alassra lives, but she is vastly diminished. The storm has passed, and what remains is the woman who stood at its center.

I like to think that in this state, Elminster keeps her hidden and protected, not as a guardian of the realm, but as a dear and close friend who refuses to let her story end in silence. He works without rest to restore what was lost, knowing full well that success is uncertain. Whether she will ever return as the Simbul the world knew is unclear. But she is alive. 

And for a Witch Queen, that matters.

Where Iggwilv survives by changing, and others by ruling, The Simbul survives by being remembered, even when she can no longer remember herself.

And that's another 31 Day Character Challenge!

Character Creation Challenge: Day 26, Sagarassi Witch Queen of the Sea Witch Tradition

Today, I want to talk more about the Witch Queen Advanced Class. This updates my previous version. 

Tea with the Witch Queens by Brian Brinlee
L-R Sagarassi, Iggwilv, The Simbul, Larina, Feiya

WITCH QUEEN / WITCH KING

Advanced Class for Witches

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

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

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

Requirements

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

• Be a Witch (including Archwitch and Witch Priestess) of at least 18th level, but no more than 23rd level. Still thinking about this.
• Possess Charisma 17 or higher. Additionally, the witch must have an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 15 or higher.
• Be a member in good standing of a coven
• Have been chosen through omen, divine sign, or a coven-wide rite as the next Queen or King

Restrictions

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

Spellcasting

• The Witch Queen gains access to limited ninth-level spells.
• Spell casting progression ends in favor of powers and ninth-level spells.
• May forego the use of Material Components. 

Level	Title	XP	hp	Powers
20*	Witch*	1,640,000 - 1,759,999	10d4+10
1	Spring Court Witch	0 - 199,999	+2	Ninth-level spell*
2	Summer Court Witch	200,000 - 399,999	+3	Awesome Presence
3	Autumn Court Witch	400,000 - 599,999	+4	Ninth-level spell
4	Winter Court Witch	600,000 - 799,999	+5	Occult Eminence
5	Baroness of Witches	800,000 - 999,999	+6	Ninth-level spell
6	Countess of Witches	1,000,000 - 1,199,999	+7	A Thousand Faces
7	Marquise of Witches	1,200,000 - 1,399,999	+8	Ninth-level spell
8	Duches of Witches	1,400,000 - 1,599,999	+9	Timeless Body
9	Princess of Witches	1,600,000 - 1,799,999	+10	Ninth-level spell
10	Queen of Witches	1,800,000 - 1,999,999	+11	Mantle of Sovereignty

Witch Queen Abilities

Ninth-level Spells: The Witch Queen gains a ninth-level spell at alternate levels. These spells are drawn from the Witch Queen Spell list.

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

Occult Eminence: The Witch Queen gains one chosen Occult Power of her Tradition.

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

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

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

Rulership and Influence

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

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

Continues to use the Witch class tables for all attack and saving throw purposes.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

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

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

Witch Queen Spell list

Ninth Level Spells

• Bind Soul
• Command the Coven
• Eternal Curse
• Foresight
• Imprisonment
• Mass Polymorph
• Power Word Kill
• Raise the Barrow-Lord
• Rewrite the Name
• Seal the Gate
• Shapechange
• Sovereign Geas
• Time Stop

--

Sagarassi, The Sea Witch

My next Witch Queen is from the world of Krynn, home to the Dragonlance Saga.

Not much is known about Sagarassi.  So little, in fact, it has taken me a while to collect this information. But here is what I have pieced together. The best (ok only) primary source for my information is the AD&D 2nd Edition product Otherlands. The rest comes from the Dragonlance Fandom wiki. 

She was a Silvanesti Elf, but was changed into a sea creature by the Sea Goddess Zeboim, whom she worships.  Both Sagarassi and Zeboim are known as the "Sea Witch." Sagarassi also serves Takhisis, the mother of Zebiom. 

She is not fond of humans. Nor is she fond of her own sister, Daydra Stonecipher.  This relationship parallels that between Zebiom and her twin brother, Nuitari, the god of Evil Magic in Kyrnn. It is not much of a stretch of the imagination that Zebiom would want her magic-using disciple to go against the established rules of magic. Especially since Nuitari is regarded as Lawful Evil and Zebiom is Chaotic Evil. 

We know she is old. She waged a war undersea around 1320 PC (Prior to the Cataclysm), the Dragonlance books take place in 348 AC, making her over 1670 years old. Good thing she is an elf. 

She lives in an underwater tower called Khegar, also known as the Death Tower. It is in the seas near Taladas.

Sagarassi, Witch Queen of the Sea Witch Tradition
26th level Elf Witch, Neutral Evil
Tradition: Sea Witch

Secondary Skill: Alchemist

S: 13
I: 20
W: 18
D: 15
C: 17
Ch: 20

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: 1 (ring AC 1)
HP: 75
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Narwhal horn +3 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Demonic eel

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar (Demonic eel)
7th level: Speak to plants/animals
13th level: Goddess Blessing
19th level: Control Weather

Witch Queen Powers
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Shape Change), A Thousand Faces, Ninth Level Spells (3)

Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Arcane Mark, Chill, Daze, Message
First level: Bad Luck, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Darkness, Endure Elements, Far Sight,  Moonstone, Minor Fighting Prowess 
Second level: Agony, Alter Self, Discord, Enthrall, Evil Eye, Hold Person, Mind Obscure, Suggestion
Third level: Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feral Spirit, Lifeblood, Toad Mind, Tongues, Witch Wail
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Animal Growth, Arcane Eye, Charm Monster, Phantom Lacerations, Polymorph
Fifth level: Death Curse, Dreadful Bloodletting, Greater Command, Waves of Fatigue
Sixth level: Anti-magic Shell, Break the Spirit, Mass Agony, Mass Suggestion
Seventh level: Death Aura, Greater Blindness, Wave of Mutilation
Eighth level: Damming Stare, Destroy Life, Pit
Ninth level: Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Time Stop

Theme Song: Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Soul Cages

I am not sure where I am going level cap elves, but I am going to make an exception here like I did with Elvyra.

Sagarassi is one main Witch Queens I still use in my games. She has been great.