A to Z of Witches. K

K is for Kiki and Kikimora

Two related witches.

Kiki is from one of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies Kiki's Delivery Service.
Hayao Miyazaki is a master.  He not only knows his witches, but he also knows how to do an animated movie for children that can also appeal to adults.

Kiki is a 13 year old witch who is ready to do her year of training away from home.  Everyone knows witches are real and they are an accepted part of life.  Kiki's mom is the local potions mistress and her father seems to be a normal mundane human.
We got this movie back when my oldest son was still a baby and he loved it. But not at much as me I think.

Kiki's Delivery Service is not about being a witch though, it is about finding out your own strengths and finding out that what is inside you is everything you need to succeed.

I know there are debates between people that prefer one version or the other.  For myself I like the 1998 version with Phil Hartman as Jiji the cat.  Yeah he seems like he is from the same litter as Pokemon's Meowth and Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

There have been rumors of a live action Kiki for years.  I hear about them and then loose track.
Here is the trailer from the newest one.  I am not sure if we will see it in the States or not, but I easily recognize all the scenes.




One thing is sure. The actress playing Kiki looks spot on to me.  That nice mix of youthful excitement and cautious naïveté.

On the other side of the spectrum we have the Kikimora, a female house spirit from Slavic lore.  She looks like a small humanoid chicken (not the first female spirit to be connected to a bird) and will do house work if left alone.  If bothered she will break dishes and keep children up at night.
In other tales she is believed to be more witch like she is also the bringer of nightmares in children.

She shares many similarities with the brownie and leprechaun.

If I were to write this creature up for Pathfinder I would give her 2 or 3 HD and access to one Hex.

Kikimora
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Hit Dice: 2d8 (8 hp)**
No. of Attacks: 2 claws
Damage: 1d3, 1d3
Special: Spell-like abilities
Movement: 60’
No. Appearing: 1 per house
Saves As: Witch 3
Morale: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 25

The Kikimora is a house fae distantly related to brownies, sprites and, some say, hags.  The kikimora certainly looks like a small hag creature. It stands 1½' to 2' tall and dresses in the garb of a peasant woman. Her face is brown and wrinkled, giving the impression of actually being a shrunken apple.  Her nose is abnormally long and gives the appearance of a beak.  Her feet when visible are those of a chicken.  She carries a broom with her and sweeps where ever she goes.
The Kikimora is is naturally shy and prefers not to attack. She will attack animals if they bother her and humanoids if cornered.  If ignored she will perform small chores around the house. Sweeping, mending clothes and quieting crying babies at night so parents can sleep.  If a household suspects they have a kikimora they can appease it by leaving out a bowl of warm milk sweetened with honey.  Though other sages claim the best way to keep one is to also leave out strong spirits (such a vodka or brandy) and cigars out on holidays.  The kikimora will sleep in the next day (having drunk all the spirits) but this ensures the family protection and service till the next holiday.
If discovered and acknowledged with anything other than milk she will break dishes, pinch babies in the night and cause nightmares in children by whispering in their ears.
A kikimora will prevent a house from becoming the home to a brownie, boggart, poltergeist or a bloody bones.
A kikimora can also cast spells as if she were a 2nd level witch.



Supernatural AtoZ

Victorian Adventure Enthusiast interviews Timothy Brannan

Check out the interview I recent did with the Victorian Adventure Enthusiast.
They are revamping their site, so keep them in your RSS reader for more Victorian era gaming fun.

http://www.victorianadventureenthusiast.com/index/victorian-adventure-enthusiast-interviews-timothy-brannan/

And you can see me in my Victorian gentlemen's suit.

Interesting note. I was at the wedding of one of my oldest friends.  He was having a Civil War reenactment wedding.  All of the guys and the groom were in uniform. I was standing with him on stage as a groomsman but I didn't feel right wearing a uniform.  I am not a reenacter and unlike many of the other guys I also was not in the military.  So I wore this instead, knowing I can get more miles out of it later.

The guy getting married, Jon, was my DM in Jr. High.  In the picture I am standing next to the guy who was my DM in High School. He is cropped out of this version.

I thought it was going to be a lame wedding but I am happy to admit I was wrong and it was an absolute blast.

Pop by and read about how I wrote the Ghosts of Albion RPG.

ETA: If I look like I am sweating. I am. It was late June in Central Illinois, 95 degrees on it's way to 100 and I am wearing black wool.

A to Z of Witches. J

J is for Ju-ju

Juju has some similar origins as does Voodoo.  Both are west African in origin and both have similar linguistic roots, but the two are not related.

In modern language Juju has also come to mean Magic or magical like properties. Similar to the way Hex has been used.  Though today one can talk about "Bad" and "Good" Juju.

In the Monster Manual II we were introduced to a new zombie type, the Ju-ju zombie.
It was stronger, faster and more powerful than the standard walking dead.  Ir was the result of a character being killed by a "Drain Energy" spell.

I like the idea of Juju Zombies actually being a creation of witchcraft.  Maybe it is because I have been rereading the Anita Blake books, but I like the idea of a more powerful zombie being raised by a witch or a necromancer. Above and beyond what a wizard could do.

A juju Zombie is created by the 5th Level Witch Spell Animate Dead.  Even though it has no true intelligence  it can "remember" what it once was and act accordingly.  The Juju Zombie has more HD than a regular zombie. On average I like to say 3 or 4.  Makes them tough for low level characters.

Zombie, Ju-ju
Armor Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 3d8+9** (23 hp)
No. of Attacks: 2 claws, 1bite
Damage: 1d6+3, 1d6+3 / 1d4+2
Special: undead
Movement: 30’
No. Appearing: 1-3
Saves As: Fighter 5
Morale: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Chaotic
XP: 500

The Ju-ju zombie is a stronger, faster version of the zombie.  While zombies are mindless, slow moving corpses, the ju-ju is strong, fast and retains a bit of the intelligence of it's original life.
The ju-ju can be created by a witch or necromancer using the Animate Dead spell and the body of a fighter of at least 3rd level.  Normal, non-necromancer, wizards can only raise a regular zombie.
Like a normal zombie this type can be given instructions, but they can be longer and bit more complicated.  On the average they would have an intelligence of about 3-4 (regular zombies would be at 1).
The ju-ju zombie is turned as if it were a wight.





Supernatural AtoZ

This is not the greatest song in the world.

This is just a tribute to the greatest song in the world.


We'er off to the witch. We may never never never come home.
But the magic that we feel is worth a lifetime.

Sorry. But Dio (and Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath) are so much a part of my gaming history I figure a Dio Retro Clone would be appropriate.

A to Z of Witches. I

I is for Incantatrix and Imbolc Mage

The Incantatrix is an interesting character class in the D&D game.  She began her life in the pages of Dragon Magazine (issue #90) as something akin to a "spell thief" or a magic-user that could steal spells out of the minds of other spellcasters.  When the game was updated to 3rd Edition another Incantatrix appeared.  This one, in the lands of Faerûn, became a mistress of meta-magical skills.

We even got an "OSR" version for Swords & Wizardry.

For me these are all interesting, but not what I had in mind as an Incantatrix.

Incantatrix comes from the Latin meaning "witch" or "enchantress".  Now games (and books and movies) have played pretty fast and loose with names in the past, but lets use this one to our advantage.

If the name is related to Enchantress then I would expect them to be able to cast, if not master, enchantment spells.  In Pathfinder (and most versions of D&D prior to that) have had schools of magic.  Enchantment is one of those schools.  The Incantatrix then specializes in magic from this school, more so than an Enchantress type Wizard and more so than a Witch.  Also I think I would want to throw in some Abjuration type spells as well.

I did a quick check with my spell spreadsheets and Enchantment and Abjuration spells are about 20% of all spells, 20% of witch and 20% of wizard spells too.  There are also a lot of Enchantment spells that are not Witch or Wizard. A lot of Bard ones for example.
So I am getting an idea here.

So for me an Incantatrix would need to be focused on her Enchantment and Abjuration spells, almost to the inclusion of all else.

Like the Imbolc Mage I did a while back, the Incantatrix would be a spellcasting Prestige Class.
For those not in the know, that is like Grad School.  You focus on something to the exclusion of all else.

Witch by Bloodyman88

Incantatrix

Hit Dice: d6

Requirements
To qualify as an Icantatrix, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Ability: Charisma score of 16 or better.
Feat: any metamagic feat
Knowledge (arcana): 10 Ranks
Spell casting: Ability to cast 3rd level Enchantment spells; Arcane Spellcaster

Class Skills
The Incantatrix's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magical Device (Cha)

Skill points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Incantatrix Progression
Class Level	Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+1	+0	+0	+2	Charm Resistance	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+1	+0	+3	xxx	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	xxx	+1 level of existing class
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	xxx	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+2	+1	+4	xxx	+1 level of existing class
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	xxx	+1 level of existing class
7th	+4	+2	+2	+5	xxx	+1 level of existing class
8th	+4	+3	+2	+6	xxx	+1 level of existing class
9th	+5	+3	+3	+6	xxx	+1 level of existing class
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	xxx	+1 level of existing class

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the incantatrix prestige class.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: The incantatrix only learns to use simple martial weapons. They gain no additional proficiency in armor.

Special: The Incantatrix gains special powers at each level of her progression.

Spell Use: The incantatrix continues to gain spell levels in her arcane spell class. If she has more than one arcane spell casting class then she chooses one to advance in.  The Incantatrix only gains spells, she doesn't gain extra abilities as if leveling up in that class, such as Witches' Hexes.

Charm Resistance (Su):  The incantatrix is extra resistant to the tools of her own trade.  She gains an additional bonus equal to her CHA + 1/2 her Incantatrix level bonus to saving throws against Enchantment, Charm and Compulsion magic.

xxx: Still working these out. ;)  There are some good powers for the Icantatrix, but I have not worked them all out.




Supernatural AtoZ

A to Z of Witches. H

H is for Hexes, Hex and Hex Girls

The word "Hex" gets thrown around a lot when dealing with witches.
A simple search shows it gets thrown around a lot here too.
I have talked about the SkyOne TV show HEX, the Skylander's character Hex, as well as The Hex Girls from Scooby Doo.  Plus there is one of my favorite movies on Witchcraft, Häxan or Witchcraft Through the Ages.

But what exactly is a Hex?

A Hex is a minor, usually malevolent spell.
In my d20 book Liber Mysterium a Hex was a witch cantrip, much the same way an Orison was was cleric cantrip.

In Pathfinder though a Hex has taken on a whole new meaning.  It is a spell like ability of a witch.
I also have used spell like abilities for witches in a number of my books, but I usually call them Occult Powers.

When working on Strange Brew I had to figure out a way to get Hexes and Occult Powers to play nice with each other.  Not always an easy task to be honest.
Fortunately there is a lot of parity between the Hexes and Occult Powers.  Regular, Grand and Major Hexes line up nicely to Minor, Medial and Greater Occult Powers.

Here are a couple that I have translated over.
All of these are presented as 100% OGC for terms of the Open Gaming License.
Section 15: "Witch Hexes", Copyright 2014 Timothy S. Brannan

Hex

Immune to Fear (Su)
The witch becomes so focused in purpose and drive that she becomes immune to the effects of mundane and natural fear.  She also gains +1 per her witch level to any checks versus magically induced fear.

Major Hex

Undetectable Presence (Su)
The witch gains the ability to pass through any terrain undetected. This extends to her party, up to 2 members plus her level. This functions as the druid spell Pass without a Trace. 

Grand Hex

Charge of the Goddess (Su)
The witch at this point is such a force for her Patron that she can summon the Goddess’ own power into herself.  The witch radiates an aura of Fear at 15’ to all her enemies.  She gains a bonus of +3 to all her saves and AC.  She also gains +2 to all offensive attack forms, spells or weapons.  This charge lasts for a number of rounds equal to the witch’s Charisma score.  It may be performed once per day and takes one full action to perform.

They worked great as Occult Powers, lets see how they work as Hexes.




Supernatural AtoZ

A to Z of Witches. G

G is for Gris-gris

A Gris-gris, or grigri, is a talisman found in voudun or voodoo practices.

For my games a talisman is the simplest magic item a witch can create.  A Gris Gris is the same for a Voodoo witch.  Now I have not exactly decided yet what a voodoo witch is for Strange Brew.
It could be a witch archetype, a multiclass path of a witch and shaman or witch and cleric. Or something new.

What ever a voodoo witch is or will be the Gris-gris is more or less set in my mind.
It is always made of natural materials, something the witch could make on her own without the need of another craftsman.  So cloth or leather pouch that she wove or tanned herself.  To me that is the important part.  While some magic items focus on the quality or even the masterwork of the item (like a wand, staff or sword) the gris-gris needs to be personal.  In fact the exact ingredients in the gris-gris should be different from witch to witch.

my new dice bag from Blessed be Garden (sadly closed)

While Pathfinder/d20 has pretty good rules about magic item creations in terms of what needs to go into it, the gris-gris runs counter to all that.  So for a witch a gris-gris of protection could include a bit of cloth that was cut from her mother's dress and bit of wood from the house she grew up in.  While another might include the key to a locked door.

For Pathfinder,

Create Talisman [Item Creation, Witch]
With Create Talisman you can create the weakest of all magical items, a talisman.
Prerequisite: Membership of a witch tradition. Each tradition has slightly different means
You may create the simplest of all magical items, a Talisman. A Talisman can hold only one spell (or cantrip, charm or hex) of a maximum of 3rd level. The talisman can be made of stone, paper, clay or any object that can be written upon. The object must be used for this purpose only. Talismans can only be used once. After use the medium that was written on become unusable for other talismans. Spells that may be used for talismans are indicated in the Witch Spell Lists. This is an item creation feat that all witches gain for free.
The base price of this feat is 10 gp multiplied by the spell level (not the price for a similar item in the Core Rulebook II). The XP cost is 1/25 of this base cost (rounded up). The material component cost is half of the base cost. The witch or any other person regardless of class or alignment may use a talisman.
For example: a 1st level witch creates a talisman of Charm Person (1st level), she chooses to inscribe a flat piece of clay with a charm symbol. The base cost for this item is 10 gp, then the XP cost is 10/25 or 0.4 XP (rounded to 1 XP) and the material costs (clay, special incense, a special stylus) is 5 gp. So the witch will spend 5 gold pieces and 0.4 xp

I have extended this feat to Druids as well.  We called the gris-gris of a druid "mojo bags".  Maybe not the most celtic of names, but it has stuck.  Maybe something like "mála draíochta"  would be better.



Supernatural AtoZ