Thursday, October 24, 2019

Featured Artist: Silveztra

Today's Featured Artist is another one I found at the D&D Fantasy Art Facebook page AND on Twitter.
Silveztra is a great artist and has such a cool style I knew right away I needed some art from her.

Here she is in her own words.
Hello! I am Silveztra a 24-year-old self-taught freelance artist who is inspired by fantasy characters. I am an avid video gamer, anime watcher, and D&D player! I love drawing both cute characters, the threatening and powerful, monstrosities and also delve a lot in drawing pinups! I mainly draw females. I actually have a four-year degree in applied communications, which may seem useless, but I attribute it to a lot of my success in building my customer basis! In the future, I hope to get more commissions and be part of projects bigger than myself in the gaming, art, and rpg communities.
And here is some of her art!

Of course first up is her Pumpkin Spice Witch version of my OC Larina.  This is going to be the cover of my new Pumpkin Spice Witch Tradition book.









She has a lot more, some NSFW, but all really good.

Check out all her links including her commission rates.  Twitter is her main site, but she has all the usual ones.
Be sure to check her out!

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

October Movie Challenge: The Love Witch (2016)

One could be easily excused for thinking this is a movie from the late 60's or early 70's.  In fact when I saw come up in my suggested movies that is in fact what I thought.  Looking at the film stills only reinforced that idea.  But the movie is from 2016.  It was shot on 35 mm film and used effects to mimic the Technicolor film of the time.  The sets, the costumes, and even the sensibilities are all from late 60s/early 70s.   It is a real vision from writer, producer and director Anna Biller.

The movie is "comedy horror" but dark comedy/horror is a better description. It deals with a witch named Elaine (played by the wonderful Samantha Robinson) who leaves San Francisco looking for love.  Trouble is her love spells usually leave her suitors dead.

Love Witch is fun little tale of feminist tropes and some interesting witch trivia. My only gripe was that the movie was a little too long.  At 120 minutes it should have really been 80 to 90 minutes.

This is one of those movies with a message to unpack and it was fun. Scary? Not so much, but I supposed a lot of people died all the same.


Watched: 26
New: 19




Pumpkin Spice Witch: New Witch Rituals

One of the things I enjoy about doing these witch books is creating new spells and rituals.  At present, I have featured over unique 1,000 spells in all my books combined I am thinking of one day putting them all into one document.

But until then here are some Halloween entertainment rituals from the Pumpkin Spice Witch.

Blessed Wanna-bes
“If you wanna be in my coven, you gotta get with my friends.” 
Level: Witch Ritual 2
Ritual Requirements: One witch and members of the coven
Duration: One Day per Level
Range: One dwelling
This ritual initiates a new witch into the coven.  Often called an Initiate, or sometimes in jest, a “baby-witch”, this ritual requires the entire coven to cast.
Once complete the new witch initiate can read the coven’s Book of Law, and learn the greater mysteries of the coven. 
During the duration of the spell the new initiate has a +1 bonus to all saves and to AC.
Material Components: The ritual tools of the coven for the initiate. Also food and drink for the cakes and ales ceremony afterward.

Séance
Level: Witch Ritual 4
Ritual Requirements: The witch and at least one other person
Duration: 3 questions
Range: Caster
This ritual resembles the Clerical Speak to the Dead, save that the corpse of the dead person does not have to be present.
All that is required is the witch, who will do the actual speaking to the dead, and someone who knew the person in life.  The amount of time the queried spirit has been dead is not an issue as long as the person who knew them in life can still remember them.
There is a chance that the spirit summoned is not the spirit intended. The base chance is 75% reduced by 5% per level of the Witch and 5% per ritual member that knew the deceased in life.  So a 9th level witch with two family members calling on the spirit of their long-dead father has a base chance of 75%-(9x5%)-(2x5%) or 20% chance.
There is no way to know if the trickster spirit is telling the truth or not, usually not. Also unless directly challenged the witch has no way to know if the spirit is true or not.
Material Components: A crystal ball, witch board, or some other divinatory devices, and lit candles. All members of the séance must sit in a circle and hold hands.  They need not be at a table, a circle on the floor is acceptable.

Tripping the Light Fantastic
Level: Witch Ritual 5
Ritual Requirements: The witch and at least one other person
Duration: Preset time
Range: One other person per level of the witch
This ritual is a powerful glamour the witch can cast on the behalf of another person or group of people.  When cast the those affected will appear to be wearing the finest attire, jewels, immaculate hair, and impeccable courtly manners.   This ritual can make the lowest member of society appear and act as if they were reared in the highest society.
The glamour is perfect in every respect and even magics such as detect magic or true seeing will only reveal that the clothing itself is magical, making their disguise seem even more lavish.  Otherwise, the clothing, jewels even the manners and actions of those affected will be perfect in every way.
The ritual will only last for a prescribed time.  Typically till midnight or sunrise. After that, the illusion will fade and those affected will revert back to their true appearances.
Note: This ritual can not be used as a spell to cause fear or in place of other glamours such as Sister to the Dark Ones.
The spell gets its name from one of its first recorded uses, to prepare a servant girl to go to a royal ball.
Material Components: The key component here is nothing material, but the recipients' dearest desire to go wherever this ritual will allow them to go.

Grand Séance
Level: Witch Ritual 6
Ritual Requirements: The witch and at least one other person
Duration: 3 questions
Range: Caster
This ritual is nearly identical to the Fourth level Ritual séance save that in this case, none need to have known the spirit in life. The witch can call on the spirit on her own.
There is a chance that the spirit summoned is not the spirit intended. The base chance is 75% reduced by 5% per level of the Witch.  So a 15th level witch calling on the spirit of a long-dead king has a base chance of 75%-(14x5%) or 0% chance. 
Material Components: A crystal ball, witch board, or some other divinatory devices, and lit candles. All members of the séance must sit in a circle and hold hands.  They need not be at a table, a circle on the floor is acceptable. In a grand séance the witch will often burn fine incense and pour strong libations to attract the spirit.



Tuesday, October 22, 2019

October Horror Movie Challenge: Blood Craft (2019)

Well.  This one should of have been better, but I also should have known better really.

So the premise is good.  Two girls use witchcraft they learned from their mother to bring back the soul of their dead father who had raped and abused them so they could torture him.
Of course, things don't go as planned.

The father was a preacher and set up more of a stereotype of every bad behavior you can think of.  The girls Grace and Serena are likable enough and the actresses play the damaged types well. In fact I felt that they got better as the movie went on.

They summon the spirit and the girls learn some really horrible shit.

There is a nice twist at the end that I really should have seen coming.  But in the end, it was not really enough to redeem this movie.

Oh, and don't expect to see a lot of Dominque Swain in this.

Ah well. It could have been fun.



Watched: 25
New: 18




New Pumpkin Spice Witch cover

I am having a weird day.

So let's do something fun.  Here is the new cover for my upcoming Pumpkin Spice Witch Tradition book.




The "Pumpkin Spice Witch" is by the super talented Silveztra.  I'll be featuring more of her art later this week, but here is a sneak peek.




I can't wait for Halloween!!


Monday, October 21, 2019

Monstrous Mondays: Pumpkin Headed Demon

Working on getting The Pumpkin Spice Witch Tradition book out to you all very soon and also working on NIGHT SHIFT.   So here is a creature that works well for both.  A demonic spirit summoned into a body of golem or lifeless corpse.  The Pumpkin headed demon.

Pumpkin Headed Demon

A Pumpkin Headed Demon, or Pumpkin Head for short, is a demon that is either summoned by dark forces or finds it way to inhabit a Pumpkin Golem, Scarecrow, or other such construct.  The material the golem was made from  is replaced by a crude flesh but the general shape remains the same.
The Pumpkin Head exists only to kill.  It is not mindless, even if it’s killing spree seems to be.  It is surrounded by an aura of fear that acts as the Cause Fear spell to a 60’ radius.  It attacks with its claws which appear to be made of steel.  Once per day is can breathe fire for 6d6 damage (save vs. Breath Weapon for half).



Pumpkin Headed Demon
(Labyrinth Lord, Pumpkin Spice Editon)
No. End.: 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 90’ (30')
Armor Class:  5
Hit Dice: 8d8+8* (44 hp)
Attacks: 2 (claws)
Damage:  1d4/1d4 + fire breath (6d6), fear
Special: Fear aura
Saves As: Fighter 8
Morale: 10
Treasure: None
XP: 2,200
A Pumpkin Head can be turned as “Special”.

Pumpkin Headed Demon
(Blueholme Journeymanne Rules)
AC: 5
HD: 8d8+8
Move: 30
Attacks: 2 claw (1d6-1 x2) + Fire Breath (1/day 6d6)
Alignment: Chaotic
Treasure: None
XP: 1,130

Pumpkin Headed Demon
(Old-School Essentials)
AC 5 [14], HD 8+8 (44hp), Att 2 claw (1d6-1 x2) + Fire Breath (6d6), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 90’ (30’), SV D8 W9 P10 B10 S12 (8), ML 10, AL Chaotic, XP 1,130, NA 1 (1-3), TT None
 Breath fire: 1/day, 6d6 damage, save for half.
 Demon-possessed Construct: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, disease, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Pumpkin Headed Demon
(Night Shift)
No. Appearing: 1
AC: 5
Move: 40ft.
Hit Dice: 8
Special: 2 attacks (2 claw) + Breath Weapon (Fire)



Edited to add: Now available, Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars.
You can get the PDF from DriveThruRPG and both the standard and special edition hardcovers from Elf Lair Games.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Dead Don't Die (2019)

I caught my first 2019 movie tonight.  The Dead Don't Die. It was a lot of fun.  I have been a Bill Murry fan since I first saw him on SNL and Adam Driver is a completely underrated actor (and also funny as hell).

The truth though, I'd sit through anything to watch Tilda Swinton.  To watch her with a thick Scottish accent and wielding a katana while cutting through zombies?  Yeah, that is worth the price of the rental alone.

There are a ton of people in this movie too. Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, RZA (working for WUps!), Carol Kane, Selena Gomez, Rosie Perez, Tom Waits, and Iggy Pop!  I mean really. This is crazy.

The movie is hilarious, with lots of callbacks to other zombie and B-Horror movies.
The ending left a little to be desired to be honest, but I don't expect a lot from zombie flicks.





Watched: 24
New: 17