The Witches Three: 4e v. Pathfinder v. OSR

We are at an an interesting time in the history of D&D.  Today we have two games, but fun and great to play, that are the heir's of the legacy that is D&D.  The first is a direct descendant of the previous version with some of that version's best and brightest minds; Pathfinder.  The other bares the name, but is very different in structure and play, but no less fun and no less of an adventure: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Ed.  BUT that is not all, like buying two and getting the third for free we also have the large and chaotic mass that is called the OSR.  In it are many games that also claim rights to the throne.

I am not going to delve into the relative merits of one game or the other. Or even talk about play style or anything else.  Play the game you enjoy, the way you enjoy it.  Personally I like to play all of the above.

No today I want to drill down my attention on one thing in particular.  How the witch class is presented in the rules in these games.  For the first time we have what can amount to an "Official D&D Witch Class".

The 4e witch was just introduced in Heroes of the Feywild and the Pathfinder witch was introduced in the Advanced Players Guide.
For the moment I want to recuse myself from commenting too much on the OSR witches.  Both "The Witch" and "Eldritch Witchery" are off to editors, but still I don't think it would be the most proper thing to do.  That all being said I don't have issues commenting on these witches since a.) they have already been written and published and b.) all my ideas are already on "paper" and sent off, so I am not likely to change anything at this point.

So what do we have here?
Both the 4e and Pathfinder witches use Intelligence as their prime ability and the one tied to their spellcasting.
Both require the use of familiars to learn their spells.
Both can form covens for an added benefit or coven related benefits.  The 4e witch handles covens a bit like builds.  The Pathfinder witch can only join a coven with a hag.  I don't like that at all really.
Neither offer much right away in terms of higher level class options; ie no Paragon Paths (outside of the Legendary Witch) and no Prestige Classes.

The 4e witch, as mentioned previously, is a "type" of Wizard. This bugged me at first, but I got over it once I saw the advantages.
The Pathfinder witch is a base or core class.

The 4e powers are very much in line with charming, controlling and turning enemies into animals.  There are some "striker" like powers, but not many really.  The authors took care to make the distinction between Witch, Wizard and Warlock a lot clearer.

The Pathfinder Spells are similar, but lot are pulled from both the Arcane and Divine lists.  The Pathfinder witch with Hexes and a familiar gets an absolute ton of spells.  I'll need to go into detail on the Pathfinder witch on a later date.

I am using my checklist from Tom Moldvay as a means to identify how witchy these classes are, at least for a start.

Ability	4e Witch	Pathfinder Witch	Basic Witch
1. Ability to use Herbs	skills	skills	ability check
2. The Power of Fascination	powers	spells	spells
3. Clerical and Magic-User magic	Yes	Yes	Yes
4. Sympathetic Magic	limited to powers	limited to spells	new spell mechanic
5. Worshipers of forbiden religions	yes	yes	yes
6. Powers based on natural cycles	"Moon" builds	no	spells
7. Covens	Yes	only with hags	Yes
8. Ritual Magic	In PHB I only	limited	Yes

Based on that, the Pathfinder witch is a little short, but nothing that can't be fixed with role-playing and some supplements.  I do notice that Moldvay's list does not include the ability to use familiars.  I think that is rather important too.

I am getting a chance here in a bit to play some more of the 4e Witch so I'll know better how she plays out.  I am still looking for a chance to play the Pathfinder witch some more.

Negatives
Here is what I don't like about the classes.

4e Witch: There is still some confusion over the roles between a Witch and a Fey Pact Warlock.  Maybe this is on purpose.  Warlocks and Witches should have animosity towards each other and this could be where it comes from.
While it is nice that the Witch has some of the same options as does the Wizard, it also means the witch can take "Fireball" or "Lighting bolt" as spells.  Two very iconic wizard powers.

Pathfinder: I hate what they have done with covens for the Pathfinder Witch. It robs the witch of one of her key elements to be honest.  The hexes are cool, but some of them are too focused on curses and less on the other aspects of witches.
Where are the Prestige classes?

Both/Either:  Intelligence as a prime stat?  I can see why, but really it should be Wisdom or maybe Charisma. They supposed to be members of the craft of the wise.

In any case it is an embarrassment of riches. I am not sure if I'll ever have enough time to play the games I have now, let alone anything released in the future.  I like both of these classes and would love to see more for both of them.

It's a good time to be me! ;)

In praise of your FLGS

I was talking with a friend yesterday on how we have both used Amazon to buy a bunch of gifts in past years Christmas.  I sat down to do it again last night and felt a twinge of guilt.   I had been talking to one of the guys at my local game store and he was mentioning how they are not moving as much product as in the past  (of a certain game) but he sees lots of people in the game area of the store playing the game.  Seems that many are getting their books from Amazon.

I see the allure, hell I have been the band leader in the past of the allure parade. Amazon is fast, easy and cheap. I can avoid paying the insane Illinois + Cook county sales taxes (which are some of the highest in the country). And going out to the Mall???  There are at least 100 good reasons to stick with Amazon.

Except I am loyal to my Favorite Local Game Store (FLGS).

You hear people of a certain age wax on about their favorite local comic store.  How it was a place of wonder to their young eyes and how it later it even became a place of amusement to older eyes (if Our Valued Customers is any indication).  Game Stores don't get quite the same press.

Well today I want to honor the Favorite Local Game Store and remind you all that to keep these places alive we need to purchase our products there.

My first local game stores were book stores, Waldenbooks, B. Daltons, and Belobrajdic's Bookstore. I detailed my experiences at those stores here and here.  They are all long gone now.
I am happy to say that my old home town now has a real, honest to goodness game store, "Off/On the Square" in Jacksonville, IL.  I picked up Pathfinder Ultimate Magic there recently to support the local biz.  Plus it isn't too far from where Belobrajdic's used to stand, so it was nice to be buying a "D&D" book in my old hometown again.

While in college I had the chance to be there the first years that Castle Perilous had opened in Carbondale, IL.  Great store and I purchased the vast majority of my 2nd Ed collection there.  It was great. I am glad to see they have grown over the years and are still serving Southern Illinois.  One day I'll need to go back.

But my first true game store and the one I returned to after college was Games Plus in Mount Prospect, IL.
When I lived downstate I used to mail order items from Games Plus I could not get locally; like the entirely-too-risque-for-central-Illinois Eldritch Wizardry or individual lead minis (back when they were lead).

When I moved to the Chicago land area after grad school, they became a place I could go too anytime I got out to the burbs.  When I moved to Mount Prospect, they moved to their current location.

To me Games Plus is the model of the perfect game store.  Huge inventory of thousands of games, books, minis and more dice than anyone will ever need.  Knowledgeable and friendly staff that can answer questions   and really enjoy the hobby; both as a past time and serious business.  It also has one of the best in-store gaming areas I have ever seen.  There is a certain feel of camaraderie and even brotherhood going into a room where eight groups of guys and gals across all social strata are here for the same reasons.  I play-tested Buffy and Ghosts of Albion there.  I run into ChicagoWiz there every so often.  It really is like Mecca for gamers; or at least the closest one to me.  Honestly there is not a single book I have wanted that they could not get for me.  They are better and cheaper than eBay.

The really nice feature of Games Plus is their Game Auctions, held twice a year.  It is a great way to get something rare and old for your collection, or unload something you don't want anymore.  You have read about my successes at the auctions in the past ([1], [2], [3]), so I am rather fond of going.

So if you are in need of a new game or gaming book, please visit your local game store.  These places are the starting place for so many in this hobby and they are a dying breed I fear.  Plus helping out the local business is helping out the community and keeping your neighbors employed.

To my readers: What is YOUR favorite game store?  Where are they, why do you like to go?  Post their url or FB page and share the love.  Don't have one?  Maybe you can find a new one here!

Links
Games Plus on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/GamesPlus
Castle Perilous Games & Books on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Castle-Perilous-Games-Books/142184075822321
Off/On the Square on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/OffOn-The-Square/329762308228

Games that I'd like to give another chance

One of the cool things about being at this point in my life is I have tried hundreds of games.  While there are only about half a dozen I come back too, there are few I'd like to try again and give another go at.

Here are some I'd like to give another chance too.


Traveller
One of the first non-D&D games I ever played. I was a big sci-fi geek back in the day and would love to play this one again as an adult.

Savage Worlds
People love it, but it has never worked for me.  I have given this one more than enough chances really, but I also broke up with and got back together with my crazy ex-girlfriend in college a number of times too.  So obviously I am a glutton for punishment.
I think I need to try it with another GM.  Nothing again my regular GM Greg, but maybe someone that can run this like he can run D&D or I can run Unisystem.

MERP
Loved the books. Thought the game was cool.  I would really like to try a good game in Middle Earth at least one more time.

BESM 3.0 or 2r
I really enjoyed the hell out of Big Eyes, Small Mouth. I'd like to give that one another go too.

Marvel Super Heroes
I am much more of a DC fan, but I'd love to try this one again.

World of Synnibarr
I know, I know.  Worst RPG ever. But there is such a gonzo quality about this game that just begs that you don't take it seriously, and thus all the reasons to consider it bad are somehow less important.  Just need to find the right crowd.

Alternity
Enjoyed it the one time I played.  Would like to try it again.

What games are on your lists?

And on a special note, today is the 20th anniversary of the first date I had with the woman I'd later marry. Thought it was kinda nice to remember that.

Tis the season for Charity

I first heard about Doctors without Borders when I was teaching over at the University of Illinois' College of Medicine. If you don't know about them, you can get all the details here, http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

DriveThruRPG supports them every so often with a product or collection of products. All the money goes to Doctors Without Borders, so it is a good way to score some RPG related material and help out a worthy cause.

This year it is a collection of the "Bring Dice and Chips" comic.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=97260&affiliate_id=10748

Please check it out.

Vote Hermione!

Jen over at Unedited is a participant in the YA Tournament of Heroines and is the advocate of Hermione Granger as the best YA heroine.

She has some details here, http://jennifer-daiker.blogspot.com/2011/11/ya-tournament-of-heroines.html
and the host site here, http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/ and more info here, http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html.

There are a ton of reasons why Hermione is the best and most obvious choice. She is smart, strong willed, stands by her friends, caring, and I could go on, but I'll leave that for Jen to do.

So go out and vote!

Zatannurday: Young Justice Secrets

We were treated to another Zatanna episode of Young Justice recently. It was a the Halloween episode "Secrets".
It had some nice non-Zee moments.
Wendy and Marvin were there.  Megan disguising herself as Marvin the Martian from 'Looney Tunes'.

Of course there are lots of good bit with Zatanna and Artemis in this epsiode.  Zee figures out right away that Conner and Megan are a couple.   I like how they are opting to portray her as younger than the rest of the team (except for Robin).

I enjoyed the heck out of the old Teen Titans cartoon when it was on, but this one is really good.  Love the storyline they are building here.

Here are some more pics of her appearances from 'Humanity' and 'Secrets'.

I normally don't post animated GIFs but this scene made me laugh out loud.  (might need to click on it to make it work)

It got me wondering about when in this continuity Zatara was going die.   Not to be morbid about it, but it is a central part of her character just as much as Batman's.

Conspiracy X 2.0 Kickstarter 2, Paranormal Sourcebook

Eden had a hugely successful Kickstarter for Conspiracy X that they are doing it again.  This time for the Paranormal Sourcebook.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1801360072/conspiracy-x-rpg-the-paranormal-sourcebook?ref=users

Among other things, you can get a hardcover copy of the book, pdf and my favorite, a deck of Zener Cards.

A great add-on to the game really.  Yeah you could make or buy your own, but getting these is still a really cool deal.

So check it out!

DriveThruRPG reveiws

Some random DriveThruRPG reviews.
I wanted to get a lot more of these done this year, but reviews take a bit to do properly.  I am making recommendations that I hope others are reading are them, but I want to make sure they are informed recommendations. 

Diana: Warrior Princess
Diana: Warrior Princess is a game that is so out there it is hard to quantify it.
Lets start with the easy part first, the game system. The game is very cinematic and focuses largely on characters can do that is cool, amazing or fun. So no stats for cooking here, unless of course one of your characters is a notorious Iron Chef (which would totally work with this game).

Now the premise. Take our world, but go many thousand of years in the future. Now make a TV show of our times, but give it the same historical accuracy (and sense of over the top cinema and fun) as Xena: Warrior Princess. That is D: WP, except you are playing in that world and it is all real to you. So tons of characters make appearances that we know of today. England is a land ruled by Queens Victoria and Elizabeth with the undead Thatcher in control. Just tons of over the top things like that. Adding stuff is easy. There might be this new Robber-Baron from the USA that uses technology to suck the lives out of people into his magical book that keeps a representation of their face. This dreaded artifact of the ancient 21st century was known as "The Facebook"! Just like that. Hard to say what being Googled will mean!

Don't take this game too seriously and you will have a lot of fun.
If you are the type though that looks for internal consistency in your worlds and retcon is a dirty word, then maybe don't get this.

But everyone will have a really fun time.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Field Guide to Superheroes Vol. 3 (ICONS)
A hefty collection of archetypes for the ICONS game. Lots of familiar territory here with some standard comic book archetypes. What I came here for was the Magician, Occult hero and the Psychic.

In all cases an archetype is presented with some explanatory notes on how this character works in the comics and the game. Examples from comics are given and ways to use the character. Then we also get a full write up of a ready to use character, either as an NPC or PC for your own games. Usually 4 pages per archetype.

Very good book for the price and now I want to pick up the first two as well.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars (bought it for the Zatanna like character on the front).

Hope Prep School Freshman Handbook, Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition
Hope Prep School Freshman Handbook, ICONS
The Freshman Handbook is a great product in the Hope Prep product line. Meant to follow from the Hope Prep Orientation book, this book expands what you know and provides more information.

Like the Orientation Book, this book is multi-system. I had no issue moving from the ICONS version of one to the M&M version of the other.

This book contains everything a new student will need to know about their new school. There are class schedules with information on the teachers (and their powers, listed in back). While there is a wealth of information here it's utility will vary form GM to GM. While somw may like know where the students are at any given moment of any given day, there are others that will hand wave this.

One thing I found a distraction was the multi-colored text of the two students, Maza and Kid Courage. While interesting and provided a good insight to what was "really" going on, I found the font choice and color difficult to read sometimes.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Hope Prep #0 Orientation, Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition
Hope Prep #0 Orientation, ICONS
Ever since the X-Men went to class and the Teen Titans went to their tower, being a super powered teen has always been popular in comics. It was popular before that too, but let's stick with high school. Hope Prep is another in a long line of Schools for .... you get the idea.
This book was written for ICONS, but I am certain that the same applies for other versions (M&M).
The idea here is a day spent learning about your new school, Hope Prep. A new bad guy organization is introduced, which I really liked and will use. And it works as a good introduction to supers roleplaying and the game systems as well.

Each scene is detailed well, but not in a way that tells the GM what everyone needs to do, but instead a framework of what is going on and how to move from one scene to the next. Very nice.
There is a starter map of the school grounds and some materials to print and give to your players.

All in all, a very fun intro and certainly makes want to get some more from this line of products.

All in all I really like the Hope Prep products and plan to buy some more of these.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Dryden: Hero or Horror
Dryden: Hero or Horror seriously undersells itself.
At 10 cents it is likely to be ignored and that would be a shame. While I think today it could be released with some slightly better presentation of the art (the art is good, but quality of the scan seems bad) for a much greater price, there is plenty here for nearly any flavor of the 3.x d20 game.
Dryden are a race that can interbreed with other races, even monsters. For this reason they are listed as a character race, a monster and a monster template. It is also for this reason it carries a "for mature audiences" tag, but there is nothing here that I would not consider to be PG-13.
Differing information is given for fantasy, modern and future versions of the game and some plot hooks.
If you like the idea of a quasi-parasitic race then this is a good product. I like it since it designed to be used in multiple flavors of the same game and show the flexibility of the d20 system and this race.

And it is only 10 cents. Grab it before the publishers realize that giving something away that is this good is a bad idea. ;)
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Campaign Builders: Modern High
Campaign Builders are quick books to help you get started with a campaign mode. In this case a modern high school (and two popular variations, the Horror High and Ninja School).
I grabbed this for ideas to help with a anime/supers/magic flavored high school game I Was working on at the time and it was a great help. The coolest feature here (and since used in other games) is the "Allowance" mechanic. This might not be the first place it has been used like this, but what they do have here is very good.

It is a great product for the price. I might have liked to see more school types and paid a little more, but all in all I am very happy with it.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Baba Yaga's Hut

It has been a cornucopia of witchy goodness from Wizards of the Coast over the last month or so.

First we get a new Witch class which I have to admit I rather like and one that works well with the older material. We also got a version of Baba Yaga, and now we get her infamous hut too as a new adventure.
I'll have to print it out and see how it compares with versions from the past.

I think WotC did a good job of integrating this version of Baba Yaga and the Dancing Hut into the D&D4 Feywild.

My only gripe.  It's supposed to be chicken legs.

BTW: Still coming up with some background on Father Nyaga.  I know he was someone important in Baba Yaga's life many, many years ago.  And I have settled on the fact that he is good, or at least not-evil.

The Déjà Vu Blogfest

I am going to participate in another Blogfest.  But this one is different.

On December 16th I am going to repost an older post of my own that I felt didn't get the benefit of a wider audience.

You can read all the details here: Cruising Altitude 2.0: The Deja Vu Blogfest

It is a gaming post, and one I think you will all like.

So join me on the 16 and I'll do something I have already done.

Awards

Back when the Other Side was just a website and not a blog, I used to get a lot of awards.

Sure they were really just means of getting someone to link back to your site, but I still treated them all like they  were special.  After-all, someone took the time to read through my site and thought it was good enough for an award or a least a link back.  I also had an award of my own I gave out (no, you can't sign up for it anymore).

Today's blog awards are not much different really, and that is fine.
But I did get this one and in a twist I am supposed to also give it to 15 other bloggers.  So in a way it is like an award chain letter.  I opted to go ahead and give it out, but with a twist of my own.  I wanted sites that were appealing to me either for their content, their design or some combination of the two.  I also was going to focus on blogs outside of the OSR/Gamin sphere since, well to be blunt, we all link to each other anyway.

I chose a lot of sites from writers of Paranormal Fiction or Young Adult Fiction.  I feel that these authors have the most to offer me in my own game-related writing.  I don't pretend to be, nor do I aspire to be, a novelist.  I write games.  I am a game designer.  But these sites help me think about how my games can be viewed from the character's perspective, and thus the player's.

So here is the One Lovely Blog Award.  Given to me by S. L. Hennessy at Pensuasion (BTW she got it from here, who got it from here, who got it from here...you get the idea.)

Here are the rules.  I'll give it 15 more people who in turn will link back to me and give to 15 others. Please post a comment in the person's blog to let them know they got the award, just as I am doing with you.

I am not sure why I got a "Lovely" award; the aesthetics of my site tend more towards pragmatic rather than attractive.  But hey. I am not complaining.  These sites do look nice, or at lease they appeal to me.

1. Bobert the Hoosier expatriate - Bob is a long time friend and YA author. 
2. Space 1970 - one of the most awesome sites on the net.  Love the late 70s and SciFi? Then go here, now.
3. Propnomicon - Lovecraft inspired props. Creepycool!
4. Stargazer's World - A great looking RPG site.  The author has spent a lot of time to make it look good.
5. Rather Gamey - quirky game site with some great art and commentary. 
6. Unedited by Jennifer Daiker - Author and Blogger with a lot to say.  Love how her site looks.
7. Creepy Query Girl - Mother, Author and creepy stalker?  Maybe not yet, but a cool blog about getting your books published.
8. A Writer's Journey - Melissa Cunningham is an author and book reviewer.  
9. Ciara Knight - is another author with a great looking site. Plenty of guest posters keep the blog fresh.
10. Susan Fields - Great writer, but don't touch her coffee.
11. Nicki Elson - Interviews, review and author commentary.
12. Bang out the Prose - Suz Korb is newer to the writing scene but she is working getting her rough draft done.
13. Who can Turn the World off With Her Smile - one of my favorite names for a blog. Great movie love here. 
14. That's All She Wrote! - Julie is a new writer working on her first book.  She is also a high school classmate of mine so I want to give her encouragement to keep on writing!
15. The Last Witch series - Elizabeth Kolodziej's blog dedicated to her books in the Last Witch series. 

There they are!  Please visit them and have a look at what they have to say.

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.

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.

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all all my American readers, happy Thanksgiving!

To everyone else, Happy Thursday!

Giving the Gift of Adventure: Patriot Edition

I was dropping off some donations today at a local women's charity; toys and the like really.

While grabbing some old kids games from my basement I could not help but think that a good way to help others out this holiday season and spread the word about gaming would be to give out some gaming sets; 4e, Pathfinder, OSR, didn't matter, just as long as someone who needed it got it.

But giving is only half the issue really, with kids you need to be able to game with them and it is a not a cheap hobby.  I know myself better, I can't donate time really, not working full time with kids of my own.  So giving to these places would not have the full impact I would like.  So I'll keep donating clothes and toys to needy charities, but my desire to spread the word about gaming though still needs to be addressed.

While unloading I think I came up with it.

Donate new RPG games to our men and women in service overseas.

I'd pick up a couple of boxed sets of something a donate, but I don't want to be alone and I don't exactly know where to give these things.

So help me out.  How can we do this this year?  Give the gift of gaming AND let the men and women that serve for us know we still care?

Ghosts of Albion - Haunted Illinois

I was visiting my parents home this past weekend and of course picked up on of the many "Haunted Illinois" books that are ubiquitous in the Central Illinois region.  I thought maybe I'd repost something  I had done for Ravenloft's "Gothic Earth".  This was for a netbook called the "Crossroads of Gothic Earth" done by the Kargatane many years ago.

While this was designed to be used with AD&D2nd ed, it was mostly a fluff piece and can really be used with any Victorian Era horror RPG.

Enjoy!

HAUNTED ILLINOIS:
A GUIDE TO STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN THE HEART OF THE GOTHIC MIDWEST

Local Correspondent:
Timothy S. Brannan

When people say “heartland of America” often one thinks of Illinois.  Founded as a state in 1818, but inhabited long before that, Illinois is rich in history and in ghosts.  Former presidents walk the halls of their home or tombs.  It has been rumored that Lincoln haunts the his tomb in Springfield, the capital building in Springfield, and the old State Capital in Vandalia, a place where he had worked as a young lawmaker.  All of this has led to a popular, but  grim saying among Illinoisans, “Abraham Lincoln walks at Midnight.”
Iroquois, Fox and Sioux Indians walk ancient plains, and dead confederate soldiers march to an uncertain doom.  Illinois is a starting point for many in their westward expansion, and a final resting place for others.

Illinois
Illinois is located in the heart of the “Heartland,” bordered by the mighty Mississippi River on the west and the Ohio on the south.  This, combined with rich, flat land and warm, humid summers, produces some the nation’s best farmland.  Since the 1850’s no other state has grown as quickly and as prosperously as Illinois.  Currently (1890) the population is over 4,500,000.

History
The area was first seen by Europeans in 1673, by two Frenchmen: Louis Joliet, a fur trader, and Jacques Marquette, a Catholic missionary.  Marquette later set up a mission along the Mississippi river (present day Kaskaskia) for the native peoples.  The first permanent settlement built by Europeans was a mission on the Mississippi river in the town of Cahokia in 1699.
Up to 1763 the area had been controlled by the French.  After the French-Indian wars, France gave this part of North America to the British, who soon made it part of Quebec.  This action was one of the causes of the American Revolutionary War.  During the war both Cahokia and Kaskaskia were sites of pivotal battles.  In 1783, Britain surrendered the Northwest Territory, which included Illinois.  In 1809 Illinois became a separate territory.  About this time the settlement of northern Illinois began, centered around Ft. Dearborn on Lake Michigan.
In 1818 Illinois was admitted as the 21st state of the Union.  Kaskaskia was named as its first state capital. This later moved to Vandalia in 1820 to encourage growth in Illinois’ interior.  The capital was later (1837) moved to its present day location of Springfield.  The city of Chicago was incorporated in March, 1837 on the site of  Ft. Dearborn.  By 1850 it was Illinois’ largest city with a population above 5,000.  Chicago became the leading industrial center of the former Northwest Territories.
The Civil War began in 1861 with most of the state supporting the Union.  Illinois sent more than a quarter of a million young men to serve with the Union army.  Among those were General Ulysses S. Grant.  In 1865, after the war’s end, Illinois became the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to outlaw slavery.
In the years of the Reclamation, Illinois has seen many immigrants from other countries.  Most notable are the Irish, Italians and Poles.  Many ethnic neighborhoods have sprouted up all over Chicago and in some of the down-state areas as well.
The effects of  the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 can still be seen to this day, more that twenty years later.  The fire killed 250 people and left nearly 90,000 homeless.  The city was quick to rebuild and surpass its previous size.
Illinois is set, here at the turn of the 19th Century, to become one of the leading industrial and agricultural areas of the Untied States.

Forbidden Lore As America of the 1890’s expands ever westward, the forces of the Red Death follow.  Minions that are common in Illinois are most types of non-corporeal undead (Ghosts, Spectres, Haunts).  It is known that there is at least one Banshee on Chicago’s south side and two more down-state.  Many graveyards are prone to have ghouls and ghasts lurking around.  Zombies and skeletons, created by powerful necromantic magic, are usually rare.  No vampires or Liches have been recorded. Lycanthropes, in particular werewolves and foxwomen, are more common down-state.  Other common minions are Will o’wisps. Ghost March of Southern Illinois The Civil War pitted brother against brother.  Nowhere was that more strongly felt than in Southern Illinois.  While Illinois was technically a “free” state, many farmers south of Springfield sided more with the sensibilities of the Confederate states.  These farmers’ fields became the sites of some of the bloodiest skirmishes of the war. At certain times, sometime after midnight, a ghostly army arises from the mists hugging the ground.  This ragged army of undead are all that remains of a Confederate Army troop sent into Illinois at the height of the war.  The ghostly horde appears exactly as can be imagined; skeletal remains, with tatters of rotting flesh and gray uniforms.  Their weapons, long since spent of ammunition, hang in their hands useless, but serve as constant reminders of what has lead them to this fate.  Occasionally one can find a soldier that faired better than his brothers in arms.  He is not as damaged or decayed, but his young innocent face is no less of a horror than the phantasms that surround him. It is unknown what prompts this ghastly march or what motivates it. Haunted Cemeteries Illinois seems to have more than its fair share of haunted cemeteries.  Often these cemeteries are the source of faint apparitions or ghost lights, as in Barrington Cemetery in Barrington, home of the white ghost lights.  Sometimes the activity is more sinister.  Pagan rituals have been seen in cemeteries along the Des Plaines river, northwest of Chicago.  Similar events have happened in cemeteries in Jacksonville, 200 miles to the south. Hickory Grove in Wrights, south of Springfield, is the final resting place for one unsavory character.  Lying in a small unmarked grave southeast of the cemetery proper lies the body of man who was a doctor and a murderer, hung for the shooting death of a love rival.  It is said that if you stand on his grave you can hear the sounds of a hanging rope swinging in the wind. In 1841 an unknown man was found hanging in Clement’s Cemetery east of Champaign.  Whether he was the victim of a lynching or a suicide is unknown.  The people removed his body and gave him a proper burial.  Soon after reports came back of the “Blue Man,” a thin wispy ghost of blue that can only be seen in the light of the full moon. Old Union Cemetery in Dewitt county is considered to be one of the more haunted cemeteries in Illinois.  Its first burial was in 1831.  Located on the stagecoach route between Bloomington and Springfield, Union has become a “favorite” stopping place for the dead.  Like many cemeteries in Illinois reports of ghostly lights abound.  This place also has areas of extreme cold, even in Illinois’ normally humid summers.  Others have reported feeling sick at certain points. Also located on a former stagecoach route is Williamsburg Hill, or “Cold Hill,” Cemetery.  When the railroad came, Williamsburg became a ghost town; or rather a town of ghosts.  The cemetery itself is placed on a large, uncharacteristic hill among completely flat farmland.  Among the hundreds of mostly unmarked graves it is said a being wanders.  This spectre is vaguely human in appearance.  It seems to be an electrical field of some sort.  Electricity can be heard crackling in the air around it.  Whether it is a proper ghost or even if was at one time human is unknown. Haunted Schoolhouse Bloody Island School in Lime-Kill Hollow was a small one-room school house.  Like hundreds of other schools that dotted the countryside children young and old were sent with pail and slate in hand to learn the “three R’s” from a school marm, but what the children learned here was a lesson in horror.  Two teenage boys, long rivals, stabbed each other to death in front of a dozen screaming children.  Town officials and the kindly young teacher, Miss Daniels, did what they could to clean up the blood of the two dead boys, but try as they might the blood continues to seep up through the floorboards and into the classroom.  The floorboards have been cleaned over and over, and finally replaced, but the blood continues to flow.  Plans are now to close down the school and build a new one. The Watseka Wonder Just south of Chicago and west of Indiana lies the sleepy town of Watseka.  Unremarkable, save for what happened one summer of 1877.  Lurancy Vennum fell into a deep coma-like sleep.  When she awoke the 13 year old claimed she could speak with the spirits of the dead.  These episodes began to happen with more frequency and lasted many hours.  During these times Lurancy would speak in different voices and say things that she otherwise would not know of.  When she would awaken she would have no memory of the events.  Her family took Lurancy to best doctors in the state; finally they decided that she was insane and were going to have her committed. In January of 1878 a man named Asa Roff approached the Vennum family.  He had a story of his daughter, Mary, who had suffered a similar affliction, but had died in Peoria’s State Insane Asylum.  However, Asa believed in his daughter and wanted to save Lurancy from the same fate.  During mesmerism, Lurancy spoke in the voice of Asa’s daughter Mary. Lurancy then proceeded to speak to Asa about details that only the Roff family would know.  Lurancy (as Mary) lived with the Roffs, with the Vennum’s permission, for three months.  She was able to identify family members and favorite things that only would have been known to the family. In May, Mary left Lurancy and she asked to be returned home.  She left, bidding everyone in the family goodbye.  She never again experienced any contacts with the spirits, but she would return to see the Roff family on occasion and allow Mary to speak through her. Haunted Theaters Murphysboro in Southern Illinois is a quiet town located just a few miles east of the mighty Mississippi River.  This town, known more for its apples and its close proximity to the Shawnee Forest, also has a darker secret: The Ghost of the Liberty Theater.  The Liberty was built at the turn of the century and Emil McCarthy was there.  He started working there as a young boy; cleaning, running the spotlights and other odd jobs.  Sixty years later, Emil was still working odd jobs at the Liberty.  He had developed a drinking problem and a poor attitude over the years, but since he lived in the theater and had such an attachment to the place none of his supervisors had ever fired him.  Any that tried usually met with fatal accidents.  Emil was never suspected; he was usually in a bar or passed out in the city square when the deaths occurred. When the town decided to tear down the Liberty to put a new theater across town, Emil panicked and seemed to die of a broken heart.  Plans are still underway for the new theater, but people now claim the new site is cursed.  Tools disappear.  Workmen get into accidents.  None have been fatal, but they are increasing in number and magnitude.  All is not quiet at the Liberty either.  Patrons complain of noises, and cold areas.  Management has reported that the curtains will open and close silently on their own.  As the day of the Liberty’s demolition approaches, more incidents are reported.

Ghosts of Albion - In my Hands!

Got back home today from visiting family and found a nice big box waiting for me.
Inside...

A box of Ghosts of Albion books!

Coming soon to a Game Store near you!

4E: Witch Paragon Paths

Last week I discussed what I thought about the new witch class for 4E.  One of the slights I felt was the lack of some good witch Paragon Paths.  Obviously the Essentials format now includes a "default" Paragon Path and the book could not include multiple Paragon Paths for all the classes.    So I am going to take something I thought was a weakness of the class and turn it into a strength.  Today I want to look at what sort of previously published Paragon Paths work well for the witch.

First up, the Legendary Witch from Heroes of the Feywild is a perfect fit.  It really just extends the Heroic Tier witch and gives some power based on the coven the witch is in.  Nothing fancy really.

Starting with the core rule books (PHB and Essentials) and working out here are some of my choices.
The Blood Mage and Spellstorm Mage from PHB1 are good choices.  With a bit of fluff, these can become a Blood Witch and Tempenstarii with no changes to crunch.

Arcane Power gives us a number of options as well, but really only one Paragon Path stands out as sufficently "witchy".  The Weaver of Chance has background that is compatible with the witch's and the powers work well too.  In fact with this Path you can finally make the Scarlet Witch character you always wanted.

Moving out to the Campaign Worlds we get more choices since they are designed to be something more akin to what Prestige Classes were in 3e.  The Forgotten Realms is full of wizards, and even the Hatharans and Simbul are more or less witches. The Simbul is even called Witch Queen of Aglarond and the Paragon Path based around her, Simbarch of Aglarond, is a great one for a witch to take. Another nearly perfect one for the witch of a Full Moon coven is the Silverstar.  Neitehr of these need to be changed in terms of fluff or crunch.

From the sister book Heroes of Shadow, the witch can take on powers of Necromancy or Nethermancy as she chooses.  There is also the Ravenkin path as sort of a dark parallel to the Silverstar.  The Shadowthief and Shadow Shaper are also decent choices.

Moving on to the issues of Dragon, we have the Vistani Execrator (#380), which is thematically a good choice if your witch has some Vistani blood.  For witches that focus on their familiars there is the Familiar Keeper (#374).

There are others, based on races and skill or feat choices, but these look like they are the best to me.
Now the Legendary Witch doesn't look so lonely.

Zatannurday: Happy Birthday Darwyn Cooke!

We have had the pleasure of seeing a lot of good artists at DC. But one of my favorites just had a birthday on Wednesday and here are some of his best Zatanna pics!

So Happy Birthday Darwyn Cooke!

And as a special bonus, head over to DC Women Kicking Ass for a awesome post on why Zatanna Kicks Ass.

Holiday Sales at Elf Lair Games

Hey all!

Quick one to let you all know that Elf Lair Games is offering some discounts on the print editions of the Spellcraft & Swordplay game.

Spellcraft & Swordplay: Core Rules Hardcover
Spellcraft & Swordplay:  Monstrous Mayhem Softcover

A great game and a great gift choice for the gamer (or non-gamer) in your life.

A Good Toy Goes to War

Normally Friday night is movie night at Castle Brannan.  We pop up some popcorn, order some Chicago-style pizza and watch what ever new movie is out.  Buying a BluRay disc sight-unseen is still cheaper for us than taking every out to the theater.

But tonight we are going to do something different.  We are going to try a new game.
The boys are a little burned out on D&D so I have wanted to try some new games.  I didn't get a chance to play Doctor Who with them last week, but tonight I would like to try out Toy War.

I picked this up as part of the the Teach Your Kids to Game event this week at DriveThruRPG.

My boys are at the ages where they have an odd collection of toys.  They still have some older stuffed animals and newer action figures.  This game allows you to take any toy in your house (2-3 per player in fact) and play with them in an RPG.
Actually reading through the rules I am struck more how they are closer to the War Gaming origins that I would have thought.

So tonight we are getting out some toys. My oldest has already picked out a small Dalek and my youngest has this giant polar bear and some seals that he got from The Petting Zoo.

It should be fun.   I'll keep you all posted.

ChicagoWiz's Toys for Tots fundraiser

Many of you know that our very own ChicagoWiz is a very active supporter of Toys for Tots.
Well he is selling off some of his Battletech material to raise some money.  Please check out these auctions, help out some kids and get some game stuff dirt cheap.

Here is his message:

--------------

As part of my Toys for Tots fundraising drive, I'm auctioning off a lot of Battletech sourcebooks and some neat magazines/fanzines. All of these start at $5, and some have multiple items in the lot. I hope you bid generously and enjoy the items!

The Battletech Compendium (1990, Paperback)
The Battletech Compendium (1995, Paperback, Reprint)
The Battletech Compendium (1994, Hardcover)
Battletech Mechwarrior RPG Adventure Modules lot (1672, 1676)
Battletech Clan Sourcebooks lot (1642, 1645, 1685)
Battletech Sourcebook lot (1655, 1665, 1673) (Comstar, Objective Raids, Intelligence Operations Handbook)
Battletech Sourcebook lot (1639, 1659, 1670) (20 Year Update - 1639, Solaris: The Reaches (with maps) - 1659, Mercenary's Handbook 3055 - 1670)
Battletech Kurita/Draconis Combine Sourcebook lot (1620, 1698)
Battletech Kurita/Draconis Combine Sourcebook from 1987 (1620)
Battletech Fanzines - The Mech Factory/Tech Factory lot of 10 copies


Ral Partha Miniatures 1994 Catalog (NM, with inserts, OOP) - this bad boy is an actual print Ral Partha catalog and it's like it just was printed. Very good shape and just an amazing catalog to look at.
Renegade Legion - Centurion - Blood & Steel Wargame OOP - looks like a fun "Mech-like" game!

Well this is not a surprise

Though I did come very close to Lawful Good and Neutral Good.


I Am A: True Neutral Human Wizard (5th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-12
Dexterity-10
Constitution-11
Intelligence-17
Wisdom-15
Charisma-15

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

DriveThruRPG November PDFs

Here are the latest PDF specials from DriveThruRPG for the month of November.

Psionics Unleashed [Dreamscarred Press]
Phantasia Zoologica Volume I: Cats, Dogs & Horses (Pathfinder) [4 Winds Fantasy]
BASH! Ultimate Edition [Basic Action Games]
Forgotten Foes (Pathfinder) [Tricky Owlbear]
Due Vigilance- The Oktobermen (M&M 3E) [Vigilance Press]

Your general Support Code that gives 20% off the entire list above is: EarlyShopRPG2011
This code is good until December 10th, 2011.

Enjoy!

Heroes of the Feywild: The Witch

So I picked up the Heroes of the Feywild a while back.  I had been looking forward to this one for a while, especially when I saw that the Witch was going to be one of the character class options.
I then spent some time working on various witch characters and builds (and yes I did them all by hand). Here are my insights.

In General
Like Heroes of Shadow, Heroes of the Feywild assumes that these characters are either from or have strong ties to their "homeland" in this case the Feywild.  IF you have any interest at all in the Feywild or any sort of land of the Faerie (such as Avalon, Alfheim or any number of others) then this is a good book.  While not really compatible with older editions of D&D there is still plenty that can be used.  The feats even are written that they could even be used with Pathfinder or D&D 3.x.  I found plenty I can use for my current 3.x game that I run with the kids and Ghosts of Albion.  I actually ended up liking this book more than the Heroes of Shadow book out earlier.

The Witch
The witch is a new "sub-class" of wizard that basically learned in the Feywild.   On one level I didn't like this since the witch isn't really a type of wizard.  But in reading it I can get past it since the witch is only a type of wizard "mechanically", she uses the same rules as a wizard and thus all the same powers, feats, magic items, Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies the wizard can use.  In this respect it makes her more like what I have done in the past where wizards and witches are both a type of "magic-user".   It gives the witch a lot of power to choose from.

The witch has two builds or covens she can choose from, a Full Moon Coven and a Dark Moon Coven, or if you prefer a good witch and a bad witch.  The covens have some powers associated with them, but the witch is still free to choose powers as she sees fit.
Only Paragon Path is given, the Legendary Witch, and it focuses on the two covens.  It lacks any strong thematic element, but this is a complaint I have had of the Paragon Paths of the post Essentials line.
The Epic Destiny, the Witch Queen, though is quite good.  I had done something similar as a Prestige Class for 3.5.  This one is different but there are some interesting powers and effects.

Powers and Spells
What sets this witch apart from another Wizard or a Warlock are her spells and powers.  The witch relies on her familiar to learn magic.  Something I have seen more and more of late in FRPG versions of the witch. Her magic has a distinct feel to it different than that of the warlock, even if there seems to be some overlap.  Witches do get a minor healing power from the Full Moon Coven, and her magics in general are more subtle. She does not for example have a fireball like spell, but she can change monsters into other animals and they take damage for it.  Heavy on the charms and transformations.  Lots of powers with the Psychic key-word.  Some are similar in theme to the Warlock; Horde of Puckish Sprites is not too different, save in level, than Pixie War Band.

I would like to see more on the relationship of Witches and Warlocks.  Especially given the Fey commonalities and interactions with Patrons.  I think I'll have to write that myself.

Non-Witch Material
There are three new races to play that are well suited to a Feywild/Faerie World sort of game.  The Hammadryad, the Satyr and the Pixie. All have something very interesting about them and I'll stat up some witches for each race as well.  There are other class builds as well the Berserker (Barbarian), Protector (Druid) and Skald (Bard).  All great for a psuedo-Celtic themed game of D&D.  Just add Player's Handbook 2 to the mix to get the base Bard and Gnome and you are set.  Honestly there is enough here to run a high-magic game and never leave the Feywild.

Overall I am very pleased with this witch class.  It's not perfect, but it is very, very close.  I might try a multi-classed warlock, but that might be splitting my roles a bit too much.