Thursday, June 5, 2014

Witch Archetype: Voodoo Witch (Pathfinder)

I talked a lot about Voodoo this past year.  I have been thinking about what a "Voodoo Witch" might be like.  So here is stab at a voodoo witch (a Voudounista) for the Pathfinder rules and Strange Brew.

Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen
Voodoo

Description: The Voodoo witches (also known as Voudounista) are probably among the most mistrusted and misunderstood of all the Traditions, save for the Malefic witches.  These  witches, however, are usually not evil. Their area of specialty is that of enchantments and the creation of items dealing with enchantments, both good  and bad.

Voodoo witches are feared because they work in secret using strange, unknown rituals, and they often catch the blame if anything bad happens (such as a flood or a bad crop season).  It is rare that a Voodoo witch would be responsible for such acts of nature, but there have been times when a Voodoo witch was banished away from a village, and managed to cause some real trouble but this behavior is looked down upon by Voodoo covens as it only justifies people’s fear of Voodoo.

There is no style of dress directly related to the Voodoo witch.    Some Voodoo witches choose to dress very plainly, often trying to hide the fact that they are Voodoo.  Other Voodoo witches cease caring about what the average person thinks of them, and freely advertises what and who they are.  In either case, the Voodoo witch will have many different ceremonial clothes for the performance of various rituals. Typical ritual garb includes a simple linen robe or dress tied with a purple sash.
Voodoo witches are not most common among  any particular race.  Many races distrust them, dwarves outranking any of the other races in  terms of fear of the Voodoo witch. Gnomes, elves and half-elves tend to be more tolerant to Voodoo’s mysterious magic than the other races.  Humans and halflings often view the Voodoo witch as the source of most problems.

Role: The Voodoo witch will often stay within their own home devising new enchantments and creating other devices.  They also perform many rituals, more so than other witches.  On occasion, people may come to the Voodoo witch seeking help, charms or wards against evil, or something to attract a certain someone.
Because local governments and religious authorities fear the Voodoo witch, she has a hard time dealing with paladins and clerics.  On the other hand, she has no problems working with druids and rangers (though the occasional Voodoo witch has caused enough trouble in the wilderness to attract the attention of the often zealous druids).  The Voodoo witch also tends to get along with wizards and sorcerers fine, since much of her time is spent working on the creation of arcane magical items.  Fighters, bards, rogues and barbarians are usually viewed with indifference, though the feeling may not be mutual.
There are many sub-traditions of voodoo.  These particular ones have shared many of the same roots, but then evolved in isolation from each other. GM’s will want to use whichever sub-traditions work[tb1]  best with their campaign world.  The examples here are from our own history.

  • Bocur: One of the very few purely evil off shoots of Voodoo.
  • Candomblé: (“Kun-don-blair”) A Brazilian sub-tradition related directly to Macumba.  Leans more towards the darker sides of Voodoo.
  • Macumba: A Voodoo sub-tradition of Brazil.  Has much in common with Santería.  Often very neutral.
  • Obia: Also Obeah, common to the islands of the Caribbean, in particular Jamaica.  Most often believed to be evil.  Obia has actually been outlawed in some lands.
  • Quimbanda: Also known as Cuimbanda.
  • Santería: Sub-tradition that began in Cuba and spread to South-east United States.  Origins go back to the Yoruba religion of West Africa.  Despite the stereotype and sacrificing live chickens, a Santería witch is most often good aligned. 
  • Voudou:  A form of voodoo that is common to the peoples of Haiti.  Comes from the French words “vo” introspection, and “du” the unknown. Also known as “Haitian Voodoo”.

Voodoo witches can be of any alignment or temperament. Good Voodoo witches often accuse Evil ones of serving the “False Loa”, and visa versa.

Skills & Feats
Voodoo witches prefer craft based skills that can aid them in their normal lives and their worship. They receive a +2 bonus to single craft skill of the player’s choice.

Spells
The Voudounista can replace any of her Patron spells with a spell from the Portents Patron.

Orishas & Ghedes
The familiar of the Voudounista is a spirit being known as an Orisha or a Ghedes.  Orishas have always been spirits, the Ghede is the spirit of a long dead ancestor.  The spirit is bound to the witch like any other familiar but it has no physical form.  The Voudounista gains the ability to see incorporeal undead that might be invisible or shifted into the ethereal plane.  She may attack such undead as if they were on the same plane.

Powers and Hexes

Learned Voodoo (Sp)
Replacing her 2nd level Hex, the Voudounista adds +1 to any Spellcraft check that involves magic from the Enchantment school.  This increased by +1 every other level.

Enchantment Specialist (Sp)
The Voudounista can replace any spell she knows for an equal level spell from the Enchanment school.  The witch retains the knowledge of both spells, but may only cast one of the spells per day.
This takes the place of one of her Major Hexes.

Solid Mind (Sp) 
The Voodoo witch is immune to mind affecting magics, and gains a +8 bonus against all saves against spells and spell-like abilities from the school of Enchantment.
This replaces one of her Grand Hexes.

Equipment
Voodoo is the only Tradition that allows the witch to use a sharpened Athame. This ritual dagger is often used for animal sacrifice, ceremonial bloodletting or for carving magical symbols into fetishes.  The Voodoo witch can use it for combat, with no penalty, but rarely do because they do not wish to damage it.

Voodoo Patrons
The Voodoo witch is more likely than any other Tradition to practice monotheistic religious worship.  This is because the Voodoo witch generally looks at the God and Goddess as all-encompassing and all-present.  Some Voodoo witches may follow patrons of nature or earth, though these may be few and far between.

The main Patron of the Voodoo witch is usually known by the title “Gros Bon Dieu” or “The Great Good God/Goddess,” all other gods honored by the Voodoo witch are lesser and subordinate to the Great God.  While this Patron is the ultimate source of all, the Voudounista has more contact with intermediate spirits known as the Loa.

The Loa are the ones that grant the Voodoo witch her powers. The Loa are powerful spirits of god-like abilities.  They give the Voodoo witch her power.  When the Voodoo witch begins she chooses one of the Loa as her Patron.  She may choose spells from one of the area the Patron controls.

The various Loa are:

  • Mama Aida Weido (female): The mother Goddess, wife (or mother) of Danabala. Goddess of the rainbow.  Patron Spells: Ancestors, Healing, Light
  • Danbala Weido (male): The main god of the Voodoo pantheon. Snake god. Creator of the world. Patron Spells: Ancestors, Animals, Strength
  • Papa LeBas. Papa Legaba (male): The devil. King of black magic. Patron Spells: Deception, Occult, Plague, Vengence
  • Baron Samedi (male): Lord of the crossroads and the cemetery. Patron loa of many voodoo witches. Appears as a skeleton in fancy dress. Patron Spells: Moon, Occult, Shadow, Spirits
  • Erzulie (female): Goddess of love. Appears as a beautiful dark skinned woman. Patron Spells: Devotion, Enchantment, Healing, 

Source/Views of Magic
The voodoo witch’s magic is viewed as the loa’s will being pushed through the witch. The enchantments of a witch are viewed as the goddesses will being enforced.  Magic comes from the Loa.  By serving the Loa and the spirits one can gain magical knowledge and thus knowledge of our world and the next one.
Voodoo witches use magical focuses to cast their spells.  These focuses are known as fetishes.  Every spell or type of spell has a specific fetish.  The Voodoo witch can not cast any spells without the proper fetish.  These typically include a poppet (doll of the victim), an animal part (such as a claw or feather) and blood (typically animal, but sometimes human).
A powerful fetish imbued with the witch’s own power is known as a Gris-gris.

Joining this Tradition
The requirements of joining the Voodoo Tradition tend to vary coven to coven.  Usually, an extensive  ritual is performed to initiate the ones who hear the call.  After the  ritual, the witch is bestowed the title of Houngan (for males) or Mambo (for females).

The Voodoo witch covens seldom meet more than once a year.  However, they also perform more rituals than the average witch.  It’s customary for the  voodoo witch to have an extensive ritual to perform at each full and new  moon.    Large numbers of the participants in these rituals are not witches themselves, but lay people, sometimes referred to as “Hounsi”.  They may share the same beliefs, but are not members of a voodoo coven.

These ceremonies are loud musical explosions of dance, fire and free form religious expression.  It is not uncommon for some of the participants to become overwhelmed as the Loa are communed with.  Participants can be found speaking in tongues, enduring large amounts of pain, and even damage and occasionally having disease spontaneously cured.

Other: As been noted voodoo witches get along well with wizards and sorcerers.  Often a multi-classed Voodoo Witch/Sorcerer is known as a Hoodoo, or even a Hoodoo Man.  These individuals are usually given much respect in the community.

A warlock Voudounista usually follows Papa Legba or Baron Samedi and is known as a Bokor.

http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-to-z-of-witches-v.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-to-z-of-witches-g.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-to-z-of-witches-o.html
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-to-z-of-witches-j.html

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

PWWO: Print Edition, Complete Vivimancer

I recently picked up a copy of +Gavin Norman's The Complete Vivimancer in print.
The book is very much like the PDF but nicer to have. Yeah I know I am a champion of PDFs but books are just nice to have.

The font, according to Gavin, is Tiny. He is not kidding. But I still found it readable even without my glasses.  So well in fact that I wish I had reduced the font of Eldritch Witchery a little more.

I discussed the Complete Vivimancer before so I won't go over that detail here.


The book is roughly the same size as my Eldritch Witchery and +Dyson Logos's Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts. 


They all also look good next their "spiritual god-father" Eldritch Wizardry.


And they fit in nicely with Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea and other Old-School games I am currently using.

Welcome to my "Frequently Used Shelf" Gavin!
+Nathan Irving there is room for the Basic Illusionist there too.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Another "Witch" Kickstarter!

So we are in the last week (or so) of my Strange Brew Kickstarter.

But while I was out advertising it I noticed this other kickstarter.

Fantasy Miniatures by Minx Studio
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fantasyminiatures/rpg-fantasy-miniatures-by-minx-studio

This one is for miniatures.  So if you play Pathfinder then you are going to need some minis.
If you get my Pathfinder witch book then you are going to need some witch minis.

Well they have one and it is one of their stretch goals.


Here are some great pics of the sculpt.




The "Magic" characters look pretty awesome too. The Sorceress, Druid, Wizard and Clerics would work very nicely for my book as well.

So check them out. These minis look awesome and I REALLY want that witch!  Frankly I love witches with pointy hats.  So make me happy, pledge for us both.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fantasyminiatures/rpg-fantasy-miniatures-by-minx-studio

Just Over a Week

It's just over a week left in my Strange Brew Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962794554/strange-brew-pathfinder-the-ultimate-witch-and-war

If you can please consider giving us some support.  I have so many great things to share with you.
These books are going to be great and I can't wait to get them into everyone's hands.

So please consider a pledge or pass this link on to others.


Monday, June 2, 2014

I get the BEST Spam!

So I have mentioned before I don't sweat Spam here. I don't use CAPTCHA. I see it. I delete it. No big.  But every so often I get something rather fun.

This one was posted on my recent Basic Witch Spells.  I did a quick search and it is posted all over the net in one way or another, mostly on web sites/blogs offering to cast spells for you for a price.
natasha michael has left a new comment on your post "New Basic Witch Spells": 

I will not stop testifying about this great man who helped me. My name is Natasha, i live in spain, USA. I have been married to my husband for 15 years and we ARE both blessed with four kids living together happily, until last three months things was no longer the way it used to be due to the fact that husband lost his good paid job. But he later gets a new job this month and this was the beginning of our trouble, he started sleeping outside our matrimonial home. Only for me to find out that he was having an affair with the lady that gave him the job. since that day every thing became more complicated and when i call him, he doesn't answer my phone calls. My husband just kept on seeing the lady until he filed for a divorce and left the kids and I with nothing, we went through hell because it wasn't easy taken care of kids all alone.

On one faithful day, as I was surfing through the internet, I came across several testimonies about this particular spell caster called high pries ozigididon. Some people testified that he brought their Ex lover back,some testified that he restores womb,cure cancer,and other sickness, some testified that he can cast a spell to stop divorce and also spell to get a good paid job and so on. He is amazing, i also come across one particular testimony, it was about a woman called jenifer, she testified about how he brought back her Ex lover in less than 48hours, and at the end of her testimony she dropped the High priest's e-mail address highpriestozigididon@gmail.com After reading all these, I decided to give it a try. I contacted him via email and explained my problem to him. He instructed me on what to do and In just 48hours, my husband came back to me begging at my feet. We resolved our issues, and we are even happier than ever. My husband quite the job and with the help of this same great man, he is now working with another company that pays much more than the former. High priest ozigididon is really a gifted man and i will not stop publishing him because he is a wonderful man. If you have a problem and you are looking for a real and genuine spell caster, Try him anytime, he might be the answer to your problems. you can contact High priest ozigididon on highpriestozigididon@gmail.com

The following are the spells that he can launch within 2 days;
(1) If you want your ex back . .
(2) Do you want to be promoted in your office.
(3) Want women/men who are after you.
(4) If you want a child.
(5) Do you want to be rich.
(6) You want your husband/wife to be yours forever .
(7) If you need financial help.
(8) Care Herbal
(9) Help get people out of jail
(10) Marriage Spells
(12) The beauty spells
(13) The Spell of Attraction
(14) Kissing Spell
(15) Remove Spells diseases
via his email:highpriestozigididon@gmail.com 
Great stuff!  High Priest Ozigididon.  What a cool freaking name!  Sounds like a
Yeah I left the links intact. I copied it as-is so you can see how fun this is.
In a way this is actually doing the spammer a favor.  But I seriously doubt anyone here is dumb enough to fall for this sort of scam.

High Priest Ozigididon, please meet Dr. Zabaza.

Why I am NOT running D&D5/Next

If you spend any time here at all you will quickly learn a few things about me.  But one of the biggest in my mind is that 1.) I will try any game and 2.) I am not a fan of edition wars.

That all being said I am not going to be jumping on the 5e playing bandwagon right away.  I am in the early stages of a great 1st Ed AD&D game and the final stages of an epic 3rd Ed D&D campaign and I just don't have to the time or inclination to switch. Not to mention the 2nd Ed and Pathfinder games I am playing in now.

This has nothing to do misguided grognard loyalty. Or even "hate" against WotC (I rather like WotC to be honest).  I just really don't have the time to devote to it.

I will be be buying it. If a game comes up I will play it.
Who knows. Maybe if it is as good as Wizard's says it is I might work in some concepts to my current games.  Anything is possible really. I did like the playtest and I am liking all that I hear about it.

I guess Next month I will know.