Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Strippers make the best informants

So if you have been following Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show "Ringer" you know she has ties to the mob (or her sister did, not sure)  well tonight we get a treat in the form of Amber Benson, playing a mob informant/stripper named...Tara Mary.

http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/ringer-buffy-amber-benson-sarah-michelle-gellar/
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ringer-Amber-Benson-1040084.aspx



Now where have I seen that before?  Oh yeah.


http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2010/09/dragon-and-phoenix-episode-4.html

So in the Ringer-world Willow's spell went really wonky and "Kara" became real, but was implanted with "Candy's" personality.  Sure.  Why not.

ETA: I guess the sources got it wrong.  Her name was "Mary" on the show.

Runequest II License ending

The Runequest license is ending over at Mongoose.  Actually it is up tomorrow.
I had been planning to mention this before now, but my October and November got way from me.
So here is you last chance to get these books from Mongoose.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=161_5353&affiliate_id=22713&src=MMMFB&affiliate_id=10748

I am sure RQ will be poping up somewhere else.  It is a good old school game and in today's market it should find a home pretty easy.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Cyber Monday

Today is Cyber Monday, the day when most of of us go back to work after the long Thanksgiving bender and do our Holiday shopping online.  I like to shop online, even if I know I really should be shopping local.

That all being said, DriveThruRPG is offering some great deals deals today.

Get something for the gamer in your life.  Even if that happens to be yourself!


Baba Yaga

WotC has put up the 4e stats of Baba Yaga, the Hungry Witch, up.  You will need DDi access.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/dun/201111courtofstars#77691

Baba Yaga has been part of the D&D universe since the beginning.  Eldritch Wizardry and the DMG featured stats for her Dancing Hut and there have been adventures to feature her over the years as well.  The great D&D witch Iggwilv is said to have been one of her students.

It's a good article.  Reading it I do notice that WotC falls into the trap we all do, making any mythical NPC just really, really powerful; she is a 27th level opponent here.

I think I should stat her up for "The Witch" and see if I can get by with less level, but still give her the power she needs.

ETA: The oddest thing just occurred. I was reading my post in Google Reader with auto translate on, and it changed "Baba Yaga" to "Father Nyaga".  I think I need to come up with a male witch that is Baba Yaga's counterpart, or enemy or something.  Maybe he is a wizard and thousands of years ago, so long that even he and Baba Yaga were young, they were lovers.  I like that idea.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Zatannurday: More Deviant Art

I like Deviant Art. While there is a bunch of junk on the site, there is still a ton of great art to enjoy and sometimes even buy a print of.

Here are some more of my favorite Zatanna pieces.


do you believe in magic? by ~KillerStella on deviantART


_Zatanna by ~JardelCruz on deviantART


Zatanna goes to Heroes con by ~doonboy on deviantART


Zatanna-Ink by *leonartgondim on deviantART


Zatanna - Elegance And Magic by ~Canjoke on deviantART


Zatanna by =Candra on deviantART

And more from Chrissie Zullo


Zatanna Commish by *chrissie-zullo on deviantART


Zatanna Commission by *chrissie-zullo on deviantART

And one special non-deviantART one that was posted earlier in the week.
http://artofdesignosaurus.tumblr.com/post/12071958763/zatanna-i-experimented-a-bit-more-on-this


Friday, November 25, 2011

The Witch: Artifacts

Been working on the Artifacts for "The Witch".  I know, I am so late...

I like the idea of witch artifacts.  There are so many powerful witches it follows that there are some powerful artifacts.

Here are some new books usable by witches and witch hunter respectively.

The following text is considered Open.

Liber Mysterium: The Book of Witches
This ancient tome is bound in rich leather and brass.  The book itself is a hefty volume full of information on the subject of witches, witchcraft and the topics surrounding witches such as the traditions, covens and monsters typically associated with witches.
Any witch, of any alignment, that reads this text will gain enough experience points to gain one level and  put them half way through to the next.  Reading will require 1 full lunar month of study and contemplation.
This tome also includes descriptions of all the new witch spells presented.  Witches must still learn the secrets for casting these spells as normal; that is leveling up and consulting their familiar, but now they know the spell to request.
Non-witches gain no benefit, but GM's may allow a +2 to +5 on any check that might be occult in nature.   Wizards (Magic-Users) may use this text to learn spells that also appear on their own spell lists.
Witch, Wizard and Cleric can also scribe 2-5 scrolls (1d4+1) of spells that appear on their own lists to use at a future date.
Non-witch characters also suffer the following effects.
Wizards (Magic Users): lose 100 to 600 xp (1d6x100)
Clerics: lose 500 to 1,000 XP (1d6x100+400)
All other classes: Save vs Spells or be knocked out for 1d4 turns.
Once the book is read and it's secrets revealed it will disappear to find another worthy witch.

The Malleus Maleficarum: The Hammer of the Witches
This text was penned by clerics in their attempt to rid the world of witches and witchcraft.  While not as rare as other magical texts there are in fact many copies of this book.  Only the True Malleus is the artifact.
The Lesser, or more common Maalleus once read by any class other than a witch will gain a +1 to all to hit rolls against witches and other magic users.  For game purposes even clerics of different faiths can be considered to be a witch.

The True Malleus was in fact "edited" by demonic forces to spread more unrest and chaos. This tome is cursed and anyone that reads it gains a +3 to hit and +1 to damage against any magic using class such as a witches, wizards and clerics.  The reader also becomes paranoid and must make a save vs. Spells or believe that anyone they meet immediate after looking through the pages is a witch and must be destroyed; friend or foe.
If the save fails and the reader manages to kill the "witch" they will go on a bloody rampage, seeking out all sorts of "witches" to commit mindless murder.  Only a Remove Curse spell can stop them.
Readers that do read the True Malleus, but make the save will always be suspicious of any new magic user they meet.

"Witch Artifacts" Copyright 2011 Timothy S. Brannan




Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all all my American readers, happy Thanksgiving!

To everyone else, Happy Thursday!