Tales of Jackson, IL: Teacher, Teacher

 No NIGHT SHIFT game this past weekend, Easter afterall even if we are atheists. So my oldest and I worked on some NPCs and got in a little bit of our Forgotten Realms game.

For Tales of Jackson, IL I thought I should detail a few of the teachers. Not all of them just yet; I want to feel out how much interaction I want with the "adults," but some will have a direct impact. Both these teachers are familiar for different reasons. They also play very different roles.

Ms Valerie Beaumont

Up first is one of my "shared" NPCs. She is an NPC in my games and a PC in my buddy Greg's games. She is his character, and since he works at one of the nearby High Schools (as a football coach and security guard), he has been my go-to for some ideas. It really only seems fitting that Valerie is here. In truth, if there is some weirdness going on in my world, Valerie is there. She can't help herself, really. The last time we saw Val (chronologically), she was in New York during my "Spirit of '76" game. As an immortal, she is always on the move, so now, in the 1980s, she has moved to Jackson, IL, to teach AP History and French and to sponsor the Fencing Club. 

And she is here to keep an eye on the characters. She works in the background to help keep the supernatural secret and keep the characters alive. 

Valerie Beaumont
5th Level Survivor/10th Level Sage (Immortal)

Base Abilities
Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 16 (+2) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 21 (+4) P 
Wits: 16 (+2) s
Persona: 16 (+2) s

Vit:  64 (5d4+5 / 10d6+10)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d10

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +8/+5/+3
Melee bonus: +6  Ranged bonus: +8

Languages: English, French, Latin, German
Skills: Research (Int), History (Int)

Saves: +3 Death Saves and area effects. +5 to saves vs. spells and magical effects.  She gains an additional +5 to all saving throws against magic, poison, disease, and death-based attacks due to her immortality.

Immortal Powers
Unique Kill: Virginia Dare (See Below)
Immortals regenerate 1d8 hit points every minute. 
+3 to Intelligence

Survivor Skills
Open Locks: 115%
Bypass Traps: 110%
Sleight of Hand: 120%
Move Silently: 120%
Hide in Shadows: 110%

Hair: Red
Eyes: light-green
Height: 5'7"

Spells
1st level: Magic Missle, Glamour, Sleep
2nd level: ESP, Produce Flame, Cause Fear
3rd level: Clairvoyance, Haste, Water Breathing
4th level: Arcane Eye, Phantasmal Killer

Immortal Arcana
Innate Magic: Suggestion (x3 per day)
Enhanced Senses

Archetype: The Immortal Teacher
Quote: "My name is Valerie Regina Beaumont. I was born in the year of our Lord, 1569, I am 415 years old. I am immortal, and I can not die. You, on the other hand, are not so lucky."
Quirks: Talks about the past as if she were there. Students think she is odd, but she was there.
Theme song: "Valleri" - The Monkees (written when Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart met her in the Summer of 1966) and "Valerie" - Steve Winwood (written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings about her from a few years back).

Valerie was born in 1569 and is immortal. She was a young English girl who made her way to the New World in the year 1585.  She came to the New World and settled in the Roanoke Colony, where she lived for a couple of years. Then something happened.  She was caring for the young Virginia Dare and then woke up several days later, several miles from home.  When she had managed to return to the colony, everyone was gone.  She also discovered that she was immortal and was certain that the two were somehow linked.

Valerie spent the next few years roaming the new world.  She learned magic from some of the few true witches in Salem and more from the indigenous Native Americans.  

She has a ring on her right little finger that manages a glamour that "ages" her.  A gift from a former lover. Currently, she appears to be in her mid-40s.  Without the glamour, she appears as she did when she discovered her immortality, a young woman of 19.  Her mind, though, is like someone just over 400.

Shadow Steel Sword

She also carries a long, thin blade made of "shadow steel," a rare form of steel that the Fae can use.  It can attack any supernatural creature, even ones that are incorporeal or shifted out of phase. 

Valerie is rather powerful. And I debated on whether to include her at all. But the truth is, she's just too damn fun not to. So how do I keep her out of the spotlight? Easy, Val is at a point in her very, very long life that she loves being a teacher and seeing these kids grow, but it also makes her sad because she knows she will outlive everyone. So she keeps her distance.

Mr. Warren Evans

Mr. Evans is a composite of a couple of teachers I had in High School, but his base began with Ezren, the iconic wizard from Pathfinder. I say "began" because he quickly grew beyond that. By day, Mr. Evans is a well-liked Math and Computer teacher who swears in class and tells kids the best thing they can do is think for themselves and that anyone over 30 is full of shit; him included. 

By night, though, he goes to his home office with some computers he has built himself and is the hacker known only as "The Wizard." Here, he runs the BBS "Pathfinders," which tries to expose the truth about the supernatural occurrences in Jackson and beyond. He has hacked the Jackson PHS Football team's scoreboard, leaving, let's say, unflattering messages about the Assistant Principal. He has also hacked the billing systems at MacAlister College, but only to leave a message that they really need to upgrade their security. So he is an "ethical hacker," but his true fight is against the supernatural. 

So by day Valerie and Warren are supportive co-workers and maybe even a flirty. But by night, they are on opposite sides of an ancient battle. Valerie wants to keep everything secret to protect herself and the kids. Warren want to expose it all, also to protect the kids. There is no contradiction here, and it makes their conflict more layered than just "alignment."

Mr. Warren "The Wizard" Evans
5th Level Sage/ 5th Level Inventor Human

Base Abilities
Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 12 (0) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 18 (+3) P 
Wits: 16 (+2) s
Persona: 15 (+1) s

Vit: 21 (5d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d8

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/+1
Melee bonus: +2  Ranged bonus: +2

Languages: English, German, Latin, Russian, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Cobol, Pascal, Fortran
Skills: Computers (Int), Math (Int), Occult Knowledge (Int)

Saves: +4 vs. Spells and magical effects

Survivor Skills
Open Locks: 25%
Bypass Traps: 20%
Sleight of Hand: 30%
Move Silently: 30%
Hide in Shadows: 20%
Read Languages: 80%

Inventor Skills
Ingenuity Points: 2
Science! 75%

Hair: Brown, turning gray
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'10"

Archetype: The Ethical Hacker
Quote: "The system isn't broken. It's working exactly the way cheap people built it."
Quirks: Swears in class, constantly drinking coffee. Complains he is dealing with an administration that thinks the future is chalk. 
Theme song: "The Wizard" - Black Sabbath

All of Evans' Inventor points have been put into his two customized Amiga computers. He likes these since he can buy parts for them without setting off any alarms, and they are cheap. Currently, they are several years ahead of what is considered state-of-the-art for the time. He has even replaced the chipsets in them with upgraded Motorola 68000-series RISC chips running overclocked at 20 MHz. He also has a few scrapped TRS-80s that he uses as dummy terminals.

He knows a few spells to deal with the supernatural. He doesn't consider them "magic" but "reality hacks."

Evans is a threat to any character with supernatural powers, like witches, psychics, or immortals. Which is too bad because he is actually a good guy. 

The soundtrack for my campaign continues to grow. I will likely have some more teachers to detail in the future.

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

Monstrous Mondays: Blink Bunny (and Summon Blink Bunny)

 It is Easter Monday, or post Ostara if you prefer. So I figure I'll update one of my favorite silly monsters, the "Blink Bunny." I just love the idea of rabbits that pop in and out of reality and teleport everywhere.  

Blink Bunny

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 7
Move: 18"
Hit Dice: 1-1
% in Lair: 0%
Treasure Type: None
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1-2
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: Blink
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/X.P. Value: I / 14 + 1 per hit point

Blink bunnies are small faerie rabbits, most often white in color, though grey, brown, and black specimens are also known. They are favored by witches, warlocks, and magic-users as messengers, and are sometimes mistaken for unusual familiars. In truth, they are not familiars, but rather a peculiar sort of minor faerie creature possessed of an innate power of magical transit.

A blink bunny can remember and carry a spoken message of up to twelve words. When sent to a place it has previously visited, it may transport itself there instantly. If the destination is well known to the creature, this transit is exact. If the place is only imperfectly remembered, the Dungeon Master may use the same probabilities of error as given for the teleport spell. A blink bunny can never travel to a place it has not visited before.

These creatures are timid and avoid combat whenever possible. If attacked or threatened, a blink bunny will almost always flee by means of its blink ability. Though not brave, they are clever enough to recognize the intended recipient of a message and to wait until that person is present before delivering it.

Blink bunnies expect food upon arrival, usually greens, roots, berries, or similar fare. A blink bunny treated kindly will often bear a return message, but one that is ignored, mistreated, or left unfed will depart at once.

Blink: Once per round, in lieu of normal movement, a blink bunny may teleport up to 24". This movement is instantaneous and does not require a path free of obstruction, though the destination must be an open space large enough to contain the creature. Blink bunnies do not attack in the same round that they blink.

Summon Blink (Messenger) Bunny

(Conjuration/Summoning)

Level: Magic-user 2, Witch 1
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3 segments
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: None

This spell summons a Blink Bunny, a type of faerie creature that looks like a small white rabbit.  The rabbit can be given a small message, no more than 12 words, and then sent to someone the caster knows.  If the location is well known to the caster, then the teleportation is done without error.   If the location is unknown, then the caster uses the same table for the magic-user spell teleport.

If the caster has an object belonging to the place the bunny is to visit or something from the person the bunny needs to communicate the message to, then the teleport is improved by one step of familiarity.

The blink bunny faithfully delivers the message and, if properly received and fed, may carry a reply of up to twelve words back to the caster. It cannot be forced to fight, scout, carry burdens, or perform any tasks other than message delivery. A bunny that is not fed might refuse to the next time the caster uses the spell. 

Material Components: A bit of lettuce, a dandelion leaf, and a tuft of rabbit fur.

Follow Fridays: Elf Lair Games and NIGHT SHIFT

 I have been doing a lot with NIGHT SHIFT^® lately, and it has been fantastic.

So I wanted to make sure my readers knew where to get the latest and greatest information on my absolute favorite game.

Elf Lair Games Website

• NIGHT SHIFT sub pages

Social Media

• Facebook, Official Elf Lair Games Discussion Group
• Facebook, Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars
• Reddit, r/ElfLairGames
• Discord, Elf Lair Games

Free Stuff!

• NIGHT SHIFT Quick Start and Adventure
• NIGHT SHIFT 1.0 to 1.1 (non-OGL) conversion guide & errata

Character Sheets

• Standard 1.1 Character Sheet
• Form fillable 1.1 Character Sheet
• Night Shift: VSW Character Chronicle
• DriveThruRPG (PDF)
• Lulu (PoD)
• Character Keeper, 80s themed NIGHT SHIFT Character Sheets
• 1 page
• 2 page

My NIGHT SHIFT posts here

• NIGHT SHIFT
• Jackson, IL
• Spirit of 76
• Weirdly World News
• Valhalla, AK
• West Haven (there is a NIGHT SHIFT version)

Pick up some NIGHT SHIFT and "Be something weird."

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

Tales of Jackson, IL: For Whom the Bell Tolls

 It's April and I want to kick off a semi-regular feature on my Jackson, IL game for the NIGHT SHIFT^® RPG.

I want to talk about the characters and the adventures from my "Tales of Jackson, IL" game.

The NIGHT SHIFT^® Character Keeper!
The MUST-HAVE school supply for the 1986-87 school year!

For Whom the Bell Tolls

This first adventure, For Whom the Bell Tolls (all adventures will be named for songs from the 1980s) begins over the Fall of 1985. The large school bell, which hasn't worked since 1935, begins to ring. The problem is that only people and creatures of supernatural backgrounds could hear it. So PCs and some NPCs do. So do all the monsters in the nearby area, and they are all coming to Jackson. If that sounds uncomfortably like a "diner bell," then you would be right.

The antagonist of this adventure is/was "The Bell Ringer." His job is to announce the arrival of an even bigger bad guy later on. I have not hinted this yet, but this Big Bad is known as The Hollow King. He was pretty easy to deal with once found, but he had already done his damage.

I'll detail some of the player characters in future posts. One of the characters that was here for this adventure did not make it to later ones. No character death, just new characters. But I wanted to make this so that characters can come and go as needed. 

For levers, this is a Cinematic game, with Cinematic violence and healing. 

Look, I am wearing my influences here on my sleeve. This is Stranger Things meets Charmed meets Buffy meets Supernatural meets The Craft. But also a little bit of Dark, since I do pick up these characters many years later. 

Welcome to Jackson, IL!

The Cheerleader, The Outsider, and The New Girl

Jackson, Illinois, seems like the kind of town that blends in with a hundred others in the mid-west, at least until night falls. On the surface, it is all Friday night football, crowded school hallways, two local colleges that give the town just enough polish to feel more important than it is, and grown-ups going through the motions as if nothing is wrong. 

It is the 1980s in full neon color, with mixtapes, faded denim, old trucks, pay phones, greasy diners open too late, and gossip that never stays quiet for long. But under the steady pulse of small-town life, something far older and far stranger is waking up. Forces beyond understanding are creeping into the edges of everyday life, and the kids of Jackson are about to learn that coming of age can be just as frightening as anything lurking in the dark.

At the center of the story is a close-knit group of friends and families: outsiders, golden boys, first loves, brainy overachievers, and kids who have already seen too much. Each of them carries private wounds and hidden truths into the shadows. Some have never left Jackson. Some have only just arrived. Some already know that the town is not what it pretends to be. Together, they become the emotional core of the campaign, a web of teenagers and adults bound together by fear, loyalty, and survival in one deeply haunted American town at the tail end of the Reagan years.

What I want to do with this series, at least, is present some of the games we have played and the NPCs. The NPCs were where I started here because I wanted these halls to feel like they were filled with people, not archetypes like "The Jock." "The Wierd Girl," "The Cheerleader." I wanted them to have names and motivations. So I started building them based on characters I have posted here before, which gave me instant personalities and buy-in. But not every character I have is a god fit. Grýlka and Doireann, for example, are a lot of fun, but to fit them into this game, I'd have to take so many liberties with the characters that I might as well have started from scratch. So I used mine, and since I had a pack of Pathfinder minis sitting on my desk here, I started adding them as well. 

I also very specifically did not want to do a modern version of West Haven. West Haven does appear in the NIGHT SHIFT^® rules, but that is the future (or rather the present day). I wanted something smaller. Plus, I already have a NIGHT SHIFT^® version of West Haven going with Elowen. But that is not an ongoing game at the moment.    

I have teased some characters, but again, I want this place to feel alive. I think I owe that to the players. 

The Witches

I knew from the start I wanted three witches who look like they come from three different walks of life. I knew Larina was going to be one of them; in fact, I wanted to use the date I first created her, July 1986, as the time when this game starts. But I needed at least one summer break, so I pushed it back to 1985. Why are you so specific about the dates? One big reason. Music. Music was a big deal in your 1980s high school. So I wanted to build authentic playlists.

• 1985
• 1986
• Tales from Jackson, IL (Campaign playlist)

Of course, with three witches, they all can't be "the weird one," so I split that up a bit. Since Pathfinder was at hand, I adopted Feiya and Seoni as Faye and Stephanie, respectively. 

Everyone starts out at 1st level, but the girls here are just a notch higher in case they need to rescue anyone.

Larina "Nix" Nichols

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 9 (0)
Agility: 10 (0) 
Toughness: 11 (0)
*Intelligence: 18 (+3) P
Wits: 17 (+2) s
Persona: 17 (+2) s

Vit: 3 (1d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Steph and Faye)

Skills: Research (Int)

Languages: English, Latin, German, Greek

Spells
1: Magic Missile
2: Continual Flame

This is not witch queen Larina, or even really powerful Larina. This is "new girl in town" Larina. Normally, she is the "weird one," but here I am opting to make her "the smart one." She is the one with the research books and systematized knowledge. So if the PCs need help they can go to her.

Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue

Archetype: The New Girl
Quote: "I am sure I just read that somewhere..."
Quirks: Right-handed, wears her watch on her right hand.
Theme song: "Night Bird" - Stevie Nicks

Family: Her father, Lars Nichols, is a professor at MacAlister College. Mother died 18 months ago.

Faye Thorne

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 10 (0)
Agility: 12 (0) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) s
Intelligence: 18 (+3) 
*Wits: 18 (+3) P
Persona: 17 (+2) s

Vit: 4 (1d6)
DV: 7 (leather jacket)
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Steph and Larina)

Skills: Intimidate (Cha)

Languages: English, German

Spells
1: Chill Ray
2: Cause Fear

Fiona Voss, or as she is known now, Faye Thorne, is the creepy goth girl outsider. She lives with her two very strict and terrifying aunties (really hags in disguise), and hides under headphones, a leather jacket, and enough sarcasm to power a small city. She and Steph used to be best friends until their falling out a couple of years ago. Unlike Larina, Faye has learned all about witchcraft by doing it.

Hair: White
Eyes: Gray

Archetype: The Outsider
Quote: "Wow. You really think your opinion matters to me."
Quirks: Always wears headphones and a pentagram necklace. Loves super spicy food, scary spicy.
Theme song: "A Forest" - The Cure

Family: Her parents, the Vosses, died in a car crash when she was a toddler. She was raised by her aunties, who changed her name. Her aunties are really disguised hags hoping to use her natural magic.

Stephanie "Steph" Vale

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 14 (+1) s
Toughness: 13 (+1)
Intelligence: 13 (+1) s
Wits: 10 (0) 
*Persona: 18 (+3) P

Vit: 4 (1d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Larina and Faye)

Skills: Drive (Agl), Gymnastics (Agl)

Languages: English, French

Spells
1: Charm Person
2: ESP

To the outside world, Stephanie Vale is a ray of sunshine, but on the inside...yeah, she is pretty much the same. Stephanie is a nice girl who moves in and out of social situations with the skill of an adult twice her age. She just broke up with her long-time boyfriend, Val, and her mother and father wish she would start dating Andy Thompson. But Andy is so deeply in love with Rowan that Hallmark follows them around for ideas. She is captain of the Cheer team, but now she is involved with new girl Larina and Faye Thorne, of all people. 

Like many things, witchcraft comes naturally to Steph.

Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue

Archetype: The Cheerleader
Quote: "Alright, everyone! Teamwork makes the dream work!"
Quirks: Positive attitude hides a crippling desire to please everyone.
Theme song: "We Got the Beat" - The Go Go's

Family: Second-richest family in town (behind the town founders, the Thompsons). Father Arthur is a lawyer, and Mother Beatrice is a stay-at-home mom. She has an older brother in college, whom she thinks is the best ever, and a younger sister who spends a lot of time on a computer.

--

My NPCs are coming along. I will likely talk about the "nice" ones, since they are most likely to help the PCs. By halfway through the first quarter, watching Stephanie, Faye, and Larina always hang out together will be the stuff of talk and darker gossip. 

I will say this. These characters have been a blast to use, and I am so pleased with them.

Because I like to think of these things, I also have plans for everyone some years later. Just have not nailed all that down at all yet.

Steph, Faye, and Larina at breakfast. Why is Larina wearing sunglasses? Photogray lenses? Maybe she is hungover.

--

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

The Witches of Appendix N: Philip José Farmer

Philip José Farmer had one of the most enduring legacies on the earliest days of Dungeons & Dragons; the endless underground dungeons. His "World of Tiers" series detailed a world (multiple worlds) stacked on top of each other, providing the archetype of the dungeon and even the planes of existence. It is no suprise then really that Gygax was a huge fan of his work.

*I* became a fan of Philip José Farmer due to his Wold Newton family concept (along with Win Scott Eckert), something I spent a lot of time on working through back in the 1990s. I discovered it for myself in the earliest days of the Internet, and I was absolutely fascinated. I was already a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, and this concept was OCD gold for me. One day, I need to dedicate some time to do this properly. But he even manages to connect it to Angelique of Dark Shadows. So you know, I have to dig into it more for that reasn alone.

But today I want to discuss his Appendix N books and his potential witches.

World of Tiers

The World of Tiers gave us an archetypal dungeon environment, a place where monsters of all sorts from myth and legend lived. This includes some witch-like characters, but not a lot. The secret here, of course, is that these are not monsters of myth but a science fiction setting in which the magic of the Lords of the tale is really high technology.  

There are a few characters that might qualify, but none of which are a great fit. At least none that are close to what I am defining as a witch.

Riverworld

I want to make a quick mention of this series. I remember flipping through it in the 80s, but it never really grabbed me. I revisited it again in college and had pretty much the same opinion. I recall the GURPS book for it, but I don't believe there were any witches in this at all, unless it was a historical figure that was accused of witchcraft. 

Image of the Beast

This is an odd one. First, it is a modern tale, though one set in a supernatural, horror world. Secondly, it is often referred to as "porn," which is not... unmerited. There is witchcraft, of sorts, but no named witch. There are ghosts, vampires, and even snake women. 

Flesh

I mention this one only because it deals with a future where Earth has reverted to Paganism and Goddess worship. It has some witch-like trappings, but it is a sci-fi tale. While often derided, it is not as salacious or lurid as Image of the Beast.

So easy to see why Gary Gygax went with World of Tiers, but not a lot of witches here.

New April Blog Challenge, not what you think

 Tomorrow is April 1st. That has usually meant that I would have been participating in the April A to Z Blog Challenge. But not this year.

I have been aware now for a long time that while I find fun in the Challenge, any blog challenge really, I don't get the same sorts of interactions I do the other 11 months. I can see that my readership shifts and at least a portion of my normal readership changes. Like I said, I enjoy the challenge, and I enjoy interacting with new people. At some level, I also like to think I become, at least for 26 days out of 30, a bit of an ambassador of our strange little hobby to the wider world. Or at least my particular point of view on it.

I had written about 6-7 full posts for this year and had another 10-15 mapped out in outline and the rest at least figured out. My theme this year was going to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to coincide with my son's group using it as their "second" game. But after working on a few of the posts, I could not help but feel I was shouting into the void. My regular readers (you reading this now) might not see many of these posts, and they were too esoteric for non-fans and casual gamers. Plus, in truth, any non-gamer coming here is going to want to hear about "the D&D" they can go buy at their local book stores or Amazon. Not a system that is 40 years old now. 

So. I am not going to do the challenge this year.

I am, however, still going to challenge myself. 

My April challenge is to visit and comment on every blog in my following. I don't want to go to other blogs and just post "great post!" and run away. I want to engage with their (your) topics authentically. I want to challenge myself to step outside of my "blog tunnel vision" and see what others are saying and doing. 

I *hope* I don't come off as an over-opinioned ass. I can be. I am in many respects, but you know I have own place for that. I honestly want to see what others are saying and doing and engage with that. Pull my head out of the sand as it were.

If you like, please feel free to comment here to let me know what you are doing. Add a reply with "check out this post!" Shameless self-promotion is welcome all month long. 

I still am not going to allow Anonymous posts or posts that attack others. That hasn't changed. But otherwise, go nuts. Tell me what you are doing and why it is the coolest thing ever.

Blogging in the world of video, Pateron, and Substack might feel "old" now. But I am committed to providing my thoughts and ideas in this free, written medium for as long as I can. 

And I want to read what you have as well.

Elowen Hale: Night Shift/O.G.R.E.S.

“She gets it. I do not have to explain the quiet parts to her. When I am scared and shaking, she just sits beside me and waits until I am done. She does not treat me like I am fragile. She does not treat me like I am broken. She just treats me like I am still here. That is why she is my best friend.” - Aisling, the Dream Dancer

 Elowen belongs in West Haven, and that means all West Havens, including the one found in NIGHT SHIFT. 

In the NIGHT SHIFT version, West Haven is modern. Cell phones work. Coffee shops exist. The supernatural hides in plain sight.

Elowen Hale was a nice, if shy, girl. Trouble is, she died. She was at home, sitting at the dinner table, passing around the salad to her father, when she stopped, said "Ow," and fell over. 

She was clinically dead. Paramedics revived her. 

But she did not come back the same girl who sat at that diner table.

Since then, electronics glitch around her when spirits are near. She sees things in security footage that others miss. She occasionally zones out and mutters dates no one recognizes.

Therapists call it trauma. Occult investigators call it crossing contamination and talk about "hitchhikers" or other entities.

Elowen calls it "unfinished business."

She now records TikToks about West Haven’s hidden history. She acts as a tour guide to the town's strange corners. Most viewers assume she is leaning into aesthetic goth charm.

They have no idea she is cataloging liminal sites and haunted areas.

In this world, she is young, soft-spoken, dresses in black out of comfort rather than rebellion, and has chosen not to be bitter. She has friends who know what happened. They treat her like she is normal. She really shows off her personality when she is recording her videos.

Elowen Hale

1st level Witch

Strength: 10 (0)
Agility: 12 (0)
Toughness: 14 (+1) S
Intelligence: 16 (+2)
Wits: 15 (+1) S
Persona: 17 (+2) P

Vit: 15
Alignment: Light
DV: 9
Attack: +0

Fate Points: 1d6
Check Bonus (P/S/T): +3/+2/0
Melee bonus: 0 Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 against spells and magical effects

Witch Abilities

Arcana, Supernatural Senses, Spells, Arcane Powers

Arcane (Occult) Powers: See Dead People

Familiar: Cat, "Mirepoix"

Skills
Research, Insight, 

Spells
First Level: Summon Familiar

This Elowen doesn't keep a journal; she records TikToks. She walks around West Haven and talks about the scary places, the haunted houses, and the best places to get Chai Lattes and Bubble Tea. Her core is still a good girl who had a bad thing happen to her, but she is getting better. She still has her calico cat "Mirepoix," and she still favors black. 

--

The Shadow Girl

The Shadow Girl was an idea I had for a NIGHT SHIFT game set in the 1980s featuring a young Larina. I developed it a bit with Little Fears and Chill, but now I think I should bring her over to interact with Elowen. Besides, Larina has enough to do. Instead of bothering Larina, the Shadow Girl has turned her attentions to modern Elowen. Is it the same creature or just the same sort of "Returned from Beyond" creature? I don't know yet, but I like the idea that if Elowen came back from the dead, and then something followed her back. 

The Shadow Girl looks like Elowen, just as it looked like Larina. Though in both cases, it looks like a version of them that has been dead for a long time. See why this works better for Elowen. Elowen sometimes worries that "she" is not really herself, and she is a spirit haunting Elowen Hale's body, and the Shadow Girl is really the original Elowen Hale. She is worried it might even be a Fetch, or a "Hitch-hiker" of the original, and "real" Elowen Hale's spirit.

Whatever the Shadow Girl is, we know it is not done with Elowen yet. In fact, she has not even really started. 

Elowen would say, "I don't know if I am real, or she is."

--

Is this the end of my exploration into Elowen? No, but it does mark a shift to talking about my new weekly NIGHT SHIFT game. "Tales of Jackson After Dark" is not a new game, but it has recently gained some traction with the players of my son's group (my youngest is too busy with school to play much anymore).  The setting is Jackson, IL, and it is the Summer of 1985. There is a new girl in town that everyone thinks is a witch (they are right), and last night a bell rang, but only people with a connection to the supernatural heard it. Even if you didn't hear it, you will soon feel its effects. 

This game has been set up to allow people to come and go as they need, so a wide variety of characters around a central core and a high school filled with NPCs.

Looking forward to sharing more with you all on this one. 

I only just worked out the connection between 1985's Jackson and 2026's West Haven last night.

Night Shift® RPG is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC. 2026, Authors Jason Vey and Timothy S. Brannan.