Day 12
Another d6!
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Friday, October 11, 2024
October Horror Movie Challenge: Blood Trap / Bite (2015) & Abigail (2024)
Two vampire movies with the same plot, 10 years apart. It may not be the best representation of the AD&D Vampire, but in all honesty, I have already watched every vampire movie released before 1977.
Basic Plot: A bunch of criminals get together with the brilliant idea of kidnapping the daughter of some powerful and rich underworld figure for a bunch of money. Only after they are all trapped in the house with the daughter do they discover it is a trap and the daughter is a vampire. I watched Abigail over the summer but wanted to rewatch it once I found Blood Trap.
Blood Trap / Bite (2015)
In this version our lead bad guy is Roman played by Costas Mandylor. He is a retired prison warden you gathers up some of his former inmates to do the kidnapping job. In this case it is Nika played by Elena Mirela.
This one has quite a bit of blood and violence in it. Even the babies in it are vampires.
The babies are all Nika's, from over 238 years, though most are too human to be able to feed on their own. She is looking for someone who can provide her with a healthy baby.
Nika manages to capture one of the criminals, loads him up with viagra, and proceed conceive a new kid. Then she turns him. In the end her father comes back and complains about the mess and Nika looks about 5 months pregnant.
Abigail (2024)
This one is much better. In this one our vampire is Abigail, a child of about 7 or 8 and played AMAZINGLY by Alisha Weir. In this our criminals seem more professional and less like "Resivoir Dogs meet The Daughter of Dracula."
This one also features up and comer in the horror movie scene, Kathryn Newton, who is great.
In our X-Men connection between the movies Abigail has Kevin Durand, using his normal Quebecois accent which was cool, played The Blob / Fred Dukes in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Blood Trap has Vinnie Jones played Juggernaut / Cain Marko in "X-Men: The Last Stand."
Watching this ultra violent little girl kill off all the criminals except one was such a delight. Plenty of good scares too.
In this one Abigail's father, Christof Lazar, shows up played by Matthew Goode who also plays the vampire in "Discovery of Witches." There is some evidence that he might be Dracula.
Featured Monster: Vampire
Vampires are easy. There are over 3,000 vampire titles on IMDB alone. So, finding a vampire movie is easy, but finding a good one is hard.
There are not many that feature vampires like those found in AD&D, that is, with "level drain," but maybe Lifeforce comes close. So, instead, I like looking for different sorts of vampire movies, so these two certainly count.I am likely to hit other vampire movies in this challenge.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 15
First Time Views: 7
Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 11 October; Dr. Seward's Diary
Mina is hypnotized. More plans are made.
CHAPTER XXV
DR. SEWARD’S DIARY
11 October, Evening.—Jonathan Harker has asked me to note this, as he says he is hardly equal to the task, and he wants an exact record kept.
I think that none of us were surprised when we were asked to see Mrs. Harker a little before the time of sunset. We have of late come to understand that sunrise and sunset are to her times of peculiar freedom; when her old self can be manifest without any controlling force subduing or restraining her, or inciting her to action. This mood or condition begins some half hour or more before actual sunrise or sunset, and lasts till either the sun is high, or whilst the clouds are still aglow with the rays streaming above the horizon. At first there is a sort of negative condition, as if some tie were loosened, and then the absolute freedom quickly follows; when, however, the freedom ceases the change-back or relapse comes quickly, preceded only by a spell of warning silence.
To-night, when we met, she was somewhat constrained, and bore all the signs of an internal struggle. I put it down myself to her making a violent effort at the earliest instant she could do so. A very few minutes, however, gave her complete control of herself; then, motioning her husband to sit beside her on the sofa where she was half reclining, she made the rest of us bring chairs up close. Taking her husband’s hand in hers began:—
“We are all here together in freedom, for perhaps the last time! I know, dear; I know that you will always be with me to the end.” This was to her husband whose hand had, as we could see, tightened upon hers. “In the morning we go out upon our task, and God alone knows what may be in store for any of us. You are going to be so good to me as to take me with you. I know that all that brave earnest men can do for a poor weak woman, whose soul perhaps is lost—no, no, not yet, but is at any rate at stake—you will do. But you must remember that I am not as you are. There is a poison in my blood, in my soul, which may destroy me; which must destroy me, unless some relief comes to us. Oh, my friends, you know as well as I do, that my soul is at stake; and though I know there is one way out for me, you must not and I must not take it!” She looked appealingly to us all in turn, beginning and ending with her husband.
“What is that way?” asked Van Helsing in a hoarse voice. “What is that way, which we must not—may not—take?”
“That I may die now, either by my own hand or that of another, before the greater evil is entirely wrought. I know, and you know, that were I once dead you could and would set free my immortal spirit, even as you did my poor Lucy’s. Were death, or the fear of death, the only thing that stood in the way I would not shrink to die here, now, amidst the friends who love me. But death is not all. I cannot believe that to die in such a case, when there is hope before us and a bitter task to be done, is God’s will. Therefore, I, on my part, give up here the certainty of eternal rest, and go out into the dark where may be the blackest things that the world or the nether world holds!” We were all silent, for we knew instinctively that this was only a prelude. The faces of the others were set and Harker’s grew ashen grey; perhaps he guessed better than any of us what was coming. She continued:—
“This is what I can give into the hotch-pot.” I could not but note the quaint legal phrase which she used in such a place, and with all seriousness. “What will each of you give? Your lives I know,” she went on quickly, “that is easy for brave men. Your lives are God’s, and you can give them back to Him; but what will you give to me?” She looked again questioningly, but this time avoided her husband’s face. Quincey seemed to understand; he nodded, and her face lit up. “Then I shall tell you plainly what I want, for there must be no doubtful matter in this connection between us now. You must promise me, one and all—even you, my beloved husband—that, should the time come, you will kill me.”
“What is that time?” The voice was Quincey’s, but it was low and strained.
“When you shall be convinced that I am so changed that it is better that I die than I may live. When I am thus dead in the flesh, then you will, without a moment’s delay, drive a stake through me and cut off my head; or do whatever else may be wanting to give me rest!”
Quincey was the first to rise after the pause. He knelt down before her and taking her hand in his said solemnly:—
“I’m only a rough fellow, who hasn’t, perhaps, lived as a man should to win such a distinction, but I swear to you by all that I hold sacred and dear that, should the time ever come, I shall not flinch from the duty that you have set us. And I promise you, too, that I shall make all certain, for if I am only doubtful I shall take it that the time has come!”
“My true friend!” was all she could say amid her fast-falling tears, as, bending over, she kissed his hand.
“I swear the same, my dear Madam Mina!” said Van Helsing.
“And I!” said Lord Godalming, each of them in turn kneeling to her to take the oath. I followed, myself. Then her husband turned to her wan-eyed and with a greenish pallor which subdued the snowy whiteness of his hair, and asked:—
“And must I, too, make such a promise, oh, my wife?”
“You too, my dearest,” she said, with infinite yearning of pity in her voice and eyes. “You must not shrink. You are nearest and dearest and all the world to me; our souls are knit into one, for all life and all time. Think, dear, that there have been times when brave men have killed their wives and their womenkind, to keep them from falling into the hands of the enemy. Their hands did not falter any the more because those that they loved implored them to slay them. It is men’s duty towards those whom they love, in such times of sore trial! And oh, my dear, if it is to be that I must meet death at any hand, let it be at the hand of him that loves me best. Dr. Van Helsing, I have not forgotten your mercy in poor Lucy’s case to him who loved”—she stopped with a flying blush, and changed her phrase—“to him who had best right to give her peace. If that time shall come again, I look to you to make it a happy memory of my husband’s life that it was his loving hand which set me free from the awful thrall upon me.”
“Again I swear!” came the Professor’s resonant voice. Mrs. Harker smiled, positively smiled, as with a sigh of relief she leaned back and said:—
“And now one word of warning, a warning which you must never forget: this time, if it ever come, may come quickly and unexpectedly, and in such case you must lose no time in using your opportunity. At such a time I myself might be—nay! if the time ever comes, shall be—leagued with your enemy against you.”
“One more request;” she became very solemn as she said this, “it is not vital and necessary like the other, but I want you to do one thing for me, if you will.” We all acquiesced, but no one spoke; there was no need to speak:—
“I want you to read the Burial Service.” She was interrupted by a deep groan from her husband; taking his hand in hers, she held it over her heart, and continued: “You must read it over me some day. Whatever may be the issue of all this fearful state of things, it will be a sweet thought to all or some of us. You, my dearest, will I hope read it, for then it will be in your voice in my memory for ever—come what may!”
“But oh, my dear one,” he pleaded, “death is afar off from you.”
“Nay,” she said, holding up a warning hand. “I am deeper in death at this moment than if the weight of an earthly grave lay heavy upon me!”
“Oh, my wife, must I read it?” he said, before he began.
“It would comfort me, my husband!” was all she said; and he began to read when she had got the book ready.
“How can I—how could any one—tell of that strange scene, its solemnity, its gloom, its sadness, its horror; and, withal, its sweetness. Even a sceptic, who can see nothing but a travesty of bitter truth in anything holy or emotional, would have been melted to the heart had he seen that little group of loving and devoted friends kneeling round that stricken and sorrowing lady; or heard the tender passion of her husband’s voice, as in tones so broken with emotion that often he had to pause, he read the simple and beautiful service from the Burial of the Dead. I—I cannot go on—words—and—v-voice—f-fail m-me!”
She was right in her instinct. Strange as it all was, bizarre as it may hereafter seem even to us who felt its potent influence at the time, it comforted us much; and the silence, which showed Mrs. Harker’s coming relapse from her freedom of soul, did not seem so full of despair to any of us as we had dreaded.
Notes: Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
While travelling was Seward recording his diary via phonograph still? I don't think he was.
During the times of sunrise and sunset, Mina has more control over herself and can see through the Count's eyes, or at least ascertain his whereabouts. Does the Count know this? I believe he does given actions later on in this chase.
Mina is worried that she will die, either by the vampire or her own hand. She makes everyone promise that they will kill her if she becomes too far gone. Only Harker doesn't make the vow and Mina charges Van Helsing to make sure he does.
It will be another few days before we meet up with our hunters again.
Review: Islands of Terror (2e)
1992. By Scott Bennie and Colin McComb. Cover art by Jeff Easley. Interior art by Ron Hill, John Knecht and Jaime Lombardo, art and maps by David C. Sutherland III.
For this review I am only considering the PDF from DriveThruRPG. There is no Print on Demand copy yet and I lost my original a long time ago.
This book contains new "island" domains and their darklords. Many pulled from or influenced by other TSR campaign worlds.
Nidala. This realm is the domain of a Lawful Good Paladin turned crazed zealot. She is now just a Lawful Evil fighter and rules her land with an iron fist. Of course she still sees herself as acting for the good of all. I liked this one because I played a lot of Paladins in my time, and Elena was a great example of her "Lawfulness" overpowering her "Goodness." Plus she still thinks she is a Paladin because the Dark Powers are now granting her her former paladin powers.
Elena Faith-hold is connected to Kateri Shadowborn from the Darklords book (Ebonbane). Given the descriptions of each and their lands, I am inclined to say they were all from Oerth, the World of Greyhawk.
The Wildlands. This is an African-influenced, fable-like, domain full of talking animals. The animals act like humans in other domains and they are all terrified of the land's Darklord King Crocodile. This darklord is a huge crocodile with the abilities of a 12th-level fighter.
Scaena. This domain is a theatre controlled by its author-lord, Lemot Sediam Juste. It is a "travelling show" that floats from place to place. It can appear as anything that Juste wishes (writes) it is just a theater building. The obvious influence here is Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera movie.
I'Cath. This land is obviously from Kara-Tur and one of the few I had used from this book.
Saragoss. This watery domain is from the Forgotten Realms' Sea of Stars. BUT I misread it back in the day and though it was from Krynn. Remember it was 1992, not much of an internet yet and I did not have ready access to either Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms books. The darklord here is a Pirate Captain who can change into a shark and is a Priest of Umberlee. It is an interesting one and I wanted to use in my failed nautical AD&D 2nd Ed game.
Timor. This is a large, Victorian-like city where the darklord is the Hive Queen of the Marikith. We would see something similar with the 10th Doctor in the Doctor Who episode, The Runaway Bride. The city of Timor is filled with food, no one goes hungry. Why, because the Hive Queen wants to keep the populace fattened up for her children to feed on. Outside of Ravenloft this would make for a nice scary one shot.
Pharazia. While not specifically stated, this land could have originated in the Al-Qadim setting. The darklord, Diamabel is an interesting sort. He sees himself as not just good, but the embodiment of goodly virtues. He is where he is because he has been betrayed by the entire world.
Staunton Bluffs. I am not sure this one was needed. It does a lot of things that other domains also do. Gothic. Ghosts. We have seen this all before. A man jealous of his brother and his brother's position in the the family. BUT there is a little clue here that gives me some hope. One of the nearby duchies on their homeworld was Avergne. Now this could be the Auvergne of France OR the Averoigne of Glantri and Castle Amber. I am inclined to go with Glantril and Mystara here. Especially since there was a great magical rite performed by the would-be darklord Torrence Bleysmith (also cribbed from Strahd).
Bleysmith is now a ghost. He leaves his people alone, likely due to guilt, and their lives are better for it.
Nosos. In a horror tale a little too close to reality, this is the land of what happens when the wealthy control everything. It is a vast industrial wasteland of pollution and disease.
We wrap-up the book with four "new" monsters. I say "new" because we have seen some of these before, but with new Ravenloft writeups. One, the Sea Zombie was first published in the AD&D 1st Ed Greyhawk Adventures book with AD&D 2nd Ed stats.
Over-all a good set of new domains and darklords for your Ravenloft game. Like a lot of the Ravenloft books the game stats are limited, so you could adapt this to and edition of Ravenloft you are playing with little to no effort at all.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
October Horror Movie Challenge: Equinox (1970)
Equinox (1970)
This one starts with David Fielding (Edward Connell) running away from something. He is then hit by a car with no driver. A year later he is still in a psychiatric ward. In flashback David tells us about his trip to visit his old professor along with his friends Jim (Frank Bonner, Herb from WKRP), Susan and Vicki.
The movie is essentially the same plot as "Evil Dead." Group of young people go into the woods, encounters an evil tome, and all hell breaks loose. Literally. Soon they encounter a park ranger named Asmodeus, as in THE Asmodeus.
The find Dr. Waterman's cabin in the woods, but it is destroyed. Then of all things they find a medieval castle in the distance.
Much like "The Sentinel," this film deals with a gateway to Hell. This time, the portal is opened when Dr. Watermann's book is read, and the demons are summoned. So yeah, like Evil Dead done by Ray Harryhausen instead of Sam Rami.
The plot is thin, and the special effects look more like those of the 1960s than those of the 1970s (no surprise), but they are pretty much on par with what I'd expect for early 1970s pre-Exorcist.
Featured Monster: Devil
This one is obviously a devil in both form and deed and quite possibly even a good Asmodeus. This film was very popular in the midnight Drive-Inn circuit, so it is possible this flick was a possible influence on the Monster Manual, but it is more likely that both Gygax and the film's writers were drawing on the same sources popular at the time.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 13
First Time Views: 6
In Search of Barovia (Ravenloft)
I have been talking about the AD&D 2nd Edition campaign setting Ravenloft. Every domain in the Land of Mists / Domain of Dread is a copy of some land from one of the other campaign worlds. Darkon and Tovag are copies of old Oerth. Hazlan and I'Cath are from the Forgotten Realms; Thay and Kara-Tur specifically. Sithicus and Falkovnia are from Dragonlance. Lamordia seems to be from an Earth-like world given it has the same months we do. Even Eberron creator Keith Baker has a Domain in Ravenloft from his world.
But there are two notable exceptions.
- First, there are no core domains from Mystara.
- Secondly, the black heart of the Core Domains, Barovia, does not have a "home world."
Why? Because Barovia is from Mystara!
Now, please keep this in mind. None of this is supported by real-world evidence at all. There was no secret cabal of ur-Developers at TSR deciding this was true and leaving breadcrumbs for me to find. This is less than circumstantial evidence. This is full-on Conspiracy Theory, tin foil hat territory. No, this makes conspiracy theories look like rational arguments. This is conclusion shopping at its lowest.
But at least it makes more sense than some conspiracy theories. So adjust your tin foil hat, make sure your webcams are turned off, and your phone is nowhere near because we are going down a rabbit hole.
Evidence From the Novels
The Ravenloft novels...were a wild bunch. But we can at least assume they were canon. In the first one, "Vampire of the Mists," Strahd does not know about Faerûn when he meets Jander Sunstar. Jander also does not know about Barovia. Likewise, in "Knight of the Black Rose," Strahd has never heard of Krynn or Lord Soth, not something that would been true for someone of Strahd's age and position. Everyone knew about Lord Soth. The best evidence comes from "I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire," where Strahd describes his lands and also mentions he has never heard of Azalin (Azalin Rex) or Oerth.
These are all strikes against Oerth, Krynn, and Abeir-Toril.
Most of the novels in the Ravenloft line are self-contained, so no mention either way of what worlds they might be from originally.
Evidence from the Campaign Worlds
Going the other direction, we know that the Gods of Krynn keep a pretty tight hold on their world. So much so that Spelljamming and Outer Plane travel to and from Krynn is very difficult. One more strike against Krynn.
The Forgotten Realms have nearly ever square inch of their world map accounted for. If it had been the Realms, we would have heard about it by now. One more strike against Abeir-Toril. OR at least the Toril part, "Forgotten Abeir" might be a different story.
Dark Sun's Athas is a desert wasteland filled with Psionic-enhanced creatures. So there is no way it is from there.
The World of Greyhawk's Oerth has a LOT of land that is unaccounted for. So, we need to find a way to rule it out based on the campaign setting.
Eberon was not created yet, so that one is out as well.
None of this tells us where Barovia and Strahd are from. It just tells us where they are not from.
So, what does Mystara have to offer us? Well, a lot really.
Mystara
While Tracy Hickman is best known for Dragonlance, that is also one-half Margaret Weiss. So, I am not ready to say Ravenloft is from Krynn based on the Hickman connection alone. But there is another Hickman publication, and it is from Tracy AND Laura Hickman, just like Ravenloft. That is Rahasia.
Rahasia was written by the Hickmans and features body-snatching undead witches, a strong horror trope. Even in the 5e era, The Curse of Strahd adventure, lists Rahasia as an influence. Plus, there are some other solid connections, like finding the same wines in Rahasia's Wizard Tower and in Ravenloft Curse of Strahd. Rahasia is a solid Mystara, or at least a BECMI adventure.
There is also Castle Amber. This Expert Set adventure is explicitly Mystara with the inclusion of Glantri. It also reads like a "Proto-Ravenloft." I have discussed the Castle Amber/Ravenloft connections before.
- Ravenloft / Glantri connection
- Averoigne via Ravenloft
- On the Road to Averoigne
- Castle Amber by Candle Light
- Castle Amber, Butterbeer and the Order of the Platinum Dragon
Averoigne was later added to Glantri and the Amber family is said to have come from Old Earth. In many ways the Earth of the Ambers is very, very similar to the Earth of Ravenloft's Gothic Earth.
So, another set of near-evidence is connecting Ravenloft to Mystara. What else do we have?
The vampires of Mystara are more diverse than vampires of other game worlds. This collection of Vampiric Bloodlines at the Vaults of Pandius attests to that.
Immortals vs. The Dark Powers
Mystara and Ravenloft are both settings largely devoid of gods. There are the Immortals of Mystara that cover the same role as gods, but are explicitly not gods. Ravenloft has its Dark Powers which are also not gods. In fact, there is even some evidence that gods worshiped in Ravenloft might only be reflections of the Dark Powers. This all runs pretty counter to most D&D worlds, especially Krynn and Abeir-Toril where the gods are important and very active in the affairs of mortals.
Could the Dark Powers be Chaotic Immortals? I think that is a question best left un-answered, but it has, to quote Stephen Colbert, a bit of Truthiness to it.
Another factor. Both the Immortals and the Dark Powers have a history of scooping up land, countries, even entire civilizations and hiding them away. The Immortals do this with the Hollow World, and the Dark Powers do it with the lands of Ravenloft.
Barovia could have been scoped up and planted elsewhere, and both the Dark Powers and Immortals could have covered it up. Which does lead into my next point.
Lands
Mystara is a strange patchwork of cultures and lands. Vikings live right next to a Khanate, and on the other side of these steppes is fantasy Wales with bits of Renaissance Italy. These lands only make sense when you realize the Immortals have a hand in moving people around.
Same is true for Ravenloft. Only here, there is less movement.
Barovia is also small, only 24 miles East-West and about 10 miles North-South. This makes it smaller that an average hex on many Mystara maps. A place like could come from anywhere. More to the point it could go missing from anywhere.
Like Mystara, Ravenloft is a hodge-podge of lands and cultures.
Time Lines
Additionally, I can use some dates from the novels to narrow some ideas down. Now, a note about time. Time seems to run differently in Ravenloft, so I can't put an exact formula for it. There isn't one. I just have to try to deal with it. The only hard and fast rule I will adhere to is that there is no travel to the past.
WORKING: Timeline
This timeline is a work in progress with changes being made all the time.
I will add and move details around as I discover them. I am using the Forgotten Realms DR calendar here since many worlds have had interactions with the Realms so it helps with the dating. Any date in Red is a fixed date, one I have confirmation of. I have squared all the dates yet. Part of the issue is that Mystara's year is different from the other worlds. Some of the dates do not line up right yet, I am working on those.
This shorter timeline is based on these works:
- John W. Mangrum's epic Ravenloft timeline.
- Timeline of Ravenloft adventures, found on Reddit.
- The Unofficial Timeline of Mystara
- TIMELINE for Mystara, "Twin Campaigns" version
I still have a lot of work to do on these and some funky math to make them work. This is, of course, assuming that time passes the same way in all the realms, and I am not making that assumption. I could hand wave and say "it fits" but I at least would like to find a large enough whole for Barovia in Mystara to fit.
The Art
This one is a little more interesting in my mind.
Both the early Mystara Gazetteer line and the Ravenloft line share the same artists. Now this is not a huge surprise. There were a lot of books being pumped out by TSR in the AD&D 2nd Ed days and only a few artists. But they typically were used on various projects in various combinations.
Both Mystara and Ravenloft shared the same cover artist, Clyde Caldwell, and the same interior artist, Stephen Fabian. And some of the parallels are striking.
 |
| Count Strahd (Ravenloft) and Prince Voszlany (Glantri) |
 |
| Victor Mordenheim (Ravenloft) and Rafiel (Mystara - Shadow Elves) |
Count Strahd and Prince Voszlany look like they are related, and Victor Mordenheim and Rafiel look like they went to University together.
The Caldwell covers are fairly part-and-parcel with the look of Ravenloft from the start. So seeing all the books side by side they do "feel" right together.
Likewise the Stephen Fabian interior art has a dark spookiness to it and his style is so unique that when I picked up a 1990 copy of Anita and saw his art I knew it right away.
Maybe I need to make a witch, named Anita, (or Anita Tina, I always wanted a character with a palindrome name) from Mystara, Glantri in particular, who gets stuck in Ravenloft. I like this.
--
Of course, none of this is true. But it feels true, and isn't that better than the truth? At least that is what Leonard Nimoy, the Patron Saint of "In Search Of," has to say.
Links
- Ravenloft / Glantri connection
- Vaults of Pandius Mystara/Ravenloft timeline
- The Unofficial Timeline of Mystara
- Nu-Ravenloft and Mystara: Cosmic Parallels
- Ravenloft / Karameikos map alignment (huge file)
- The Piazza Board
- Strahd von Zarovich was from Mystara?
- Strahd's Home Plane?
- Mystara Connections in Curse of Strahd and Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft?
- Reddit: What world was Barovia originally a part of?
- Barovia
- Dragonsfoot with my original posting from the 90s.
- Fraternity of Shadows with a possible DragonQuest connection
Products
Review: Forbidden Lore (2e)
I sold off my boxed set many years ago, likely in my big move in 1997 or maybe in 2001-2002. Do I regret it? Hard to say. The material is not not needed to play in Ravenloft, and while having those cards would be nice, I have since acquired other Tarokka decks and even other tarot decks that work great.
1992. Design by Bruce Nesmith and William W. Connors. Box cover art by Clyde Caldwell, Booklet cover art by Stephen Fabian, interior art by Stephen Fabian and Bob Klanish.
The boxed set originally came with five booklets, each covering a different aspect of the game. Reading these you can see that it is a collection of errata, material that didn't quite make it to the Ravenloft boxed set, and updates to cover the evolution of the AD&D 2nd Ed game and other game worlds; for example psionics.
While the books could be used in any order. I am going with the order used in my Print on Demand copy.
Dark Recesses. Psionics.
Much like magic, this section deals with how psionics are changed. The psionics used here are the same as featured in the The Complete Psionics Handbook. If you are not using that book, or don't have it, then you can ignore this book. Well...sort of. Even if you are not using "AD&D Psionics" this is a good resource on any sort of psychic powers or visions when used in Ravenloft. Psychic ability has been a horror staple forever, even if the psychic ability is "magic" there is still great advice here.
This includes an appendix for Dark Sun characters coming to Ravenloft.
Nova Aracanum. Magic.
This covers new magic spells and items. The conceit here is that some of this new knowledge comes from Strahd himself. I liked the idea that Strahd, the former warrior, was turning to necromancy and wizardry to find ways out of his prison. It certainly helped separate him from his origins as a "Dracula-clone." Had there been rules for it I would have given him Alchemy instead, but hey, it works.
This book covers more altered spells and gifts from the Realms, Wild Magic, Elemental Magic and Meta Magic.
There are 14 new wizard spells, 7 new priest spells, and 5 new magic items.
Oaths of Evil. Curses.
This book is based on feedback from Ravenloft players it seems. This covers curses and dark powers checks. Giving clarifications and some edits on material presented in the Ravenloft core boxed set.
Of note, the Apparatus of the Alchemist from module I10 makes an appearance here, though only in art, not in text.
We also get three very cursed and very evil objects that have found their way to the Demiplane of Dread.
Cryptic Allegiances. Secret Societies.
What is horror without some secret societies? Here, Ravenloft takes a page from the Forgotten Realms. We get guidance on how to create and use secret societies in Ravenloft. We are given the examples of six secret societies. Of these, the Kargatane would spin off into a real-world group I was active in to develop new Ravenloft material.
The Waking Dream. Fortune Telling.
This final book covers fortune telling and Vistani. This gives us the description of the Tarokka deck and how to use it. There are 54 cards in a Tarokka deck, so a standard deck with two jokers works in a pinch.
The next section covers the Dikesha dice. A bit on how to use and read the portents of the dice. They are standard d6s, so they can also be replicated. You need five d6s, one each of red, yellow, orange, green and black. The PDF of the dice can be used and numbers added. OR if you feel particularly crafty you can get get some d6s of the correct colors and print out the PDF and glue these faces on the dice.
Of the two, I, and I assume most people now, used the Tarokka decks over the dice. The fact that you can still find and buy Tarokka decks from various editions of Ravenloft lends some weight to my claim.
There was also a large poster map included in the Boxed set. It was not printed with the Print on Demand version, but it is available as a PDF along with a PDF of the Tarokka deck and the Dikesha dice.
The Print on Demand version of this set is nice. It is clear to read and is a better scan than most.
Do I miss my boxed set? Well, I have to say no. The boxed set was great yes, but this makes for a good substitute. It is also only $5 more than the list price, so not bad after 32 years of inflation.
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
October Horror Movie Challenge: The Sentinel (1977)
The Sentinel (1977)
Alison Parker (Cristina Raines, who was a model in real life) is a model in love with her lawyer boyfriend, Michael Lerman (Chris Sarandon). He wants to get married, but she wants to live on her own for a bit. She finds a new apartment and moves in. She meets her neighbors, Charles Chazen (Burgess Meredith), Gerde (Sylvia Miles) and Sandra (Beverly D'Angelo who barely speaks in this), and encounters the blind priest Father Francis Matthew Halliran (John Carradine). Alison has serious migraines and a history of suicide attempts, once after she caught her father in bed with two other women.
The movie is slow to start, building up by showing us the collection of odd inhabitants living in the building. Alison has all sorts of weird visions and nightmares. We also learn from the landlady that aside from the Priest and Alison, no one else actually lives in the building. When the landlady takes her to each apartment, she learns that none of them has been lived in for years. We later learn that all of the people in the apartment are, or were, all murderers who were killed years ago.
We learn that Michael's previous wife killed herself. We also learn that Michael hired private detective Brenner to kill his first wife and now scare Alison, only he ends up dead in the exact same way Alison hallucinates that she killed her dead father. The film has a real "Gaslighting" feel to it, both the movie and the term, with actual supernatural overtones.
Michael breaks into the priest's office and learns about all these priests and nuns who, in life, attempted suicide and then were given a new name. There is a list going back hundreds of years and Alison's name is next on the list, to become Sister Theresa. These names are all Sentinels, the guardians of Gates of Hell tasked by the Archangel Uriel. The only time a Sentinel can be stopped is if they kill themselves before taking over their post. So Micheal (now dead), Charles and the other lost soulstry to drive Alison to suicide.
Father Halliran shows up at the end to help Alison and gives us a great demonstration of cleric turning.
The building is demolished and new one is put up. In Apartment 5a we see a now blind and older Alison, now Sister Theresa, standing her vigil.
Additionally, this movie features Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, with Tom Berenger, and a young Nana Visitor as the couple at the end.
David Caradine is barely in this, but he still shows us why he was one of the big names in horror.
The 1970s were a great time for demonic and satanic themed horror and this one is still good example. Not the best example, but a very good one all the same.
Featured Monster: Devil
While there are no overt devils per se in this film, I would argue that Burgess Meredith's Charles Chazen was not so much a damned soul as a devil. Not an Archduke, but certainly a higher-ranking one. I ran his name through an anagram program and created Charnazel Sech or Sharcazel Chen as possible diabolic names.
Game Content: Sentinel
A Sentinel is a Theosophist (in NIGHT SHIFT) that has somehow lost their way. Their holy task is to keep demons and devils from escaping hell. They no longer advance as a Theosophist and now advance as either a Survivor or as a Veteran. Their task, much like the Paladins of old, is to guard one of the many gates of hell. They position themselves near the gate to fight the demons, devils, and other lost and evil souls who might escape.
A Sentinel works best as an NPC or PC, if they don't mind not traveling too far from the Gate of Hell they are supposed to guard.
Does this sound like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Yeah, it does, but this movie predates that movie by 15 years, and the book even more than that (1974). It is also similar to the idea of the Wynonna Earp.
This shows that there are not any new ideas.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 12
First Time Views: 5
Daddy rolled a 1: Witches
Over on his YouTube Channel, Daddy Rolled a 1, Martin R. Thomas has put up a pretty comprehensive overview of all the various Witch classes.
So, of course, you know it has my attention.
It is great overview.
Nothing new to anyone who reads this blog regularly, and I think I have covered more, but still a great overview.
It's Halloween after all and more witch discussion is always welcome!
Review: Darklords and Book of Crypts
The great thing about the AD&D 2nd Edition version of Ravenloft's demi-plane was that the borders were completely malleable. Lands came in and out, even darklords would come and go. So the first two accessories for the Ravenloft setting capitalized on this. The first was RR1 Darklords and the next was RR2 Book of Crypts and both gave us more expansions to the Demiplane of Dread.
1991. By Andria Hayday (with some additional design by William W. Connors, Bruce Nesmith, and James Lowder). 96-pages, color covers (Tim Hildebrandt), black & white interior art (Stephen Fabian).
This soft-cover tome gave 16 new darklords and their domains for use with Ravenloft. There is a mixed bag here, but I tried I to use all of them at one point or another. These new lords felt less "gothic" in their presentation and more "AD&D" in their origins. For example, Tristessa, the Banshee Darklord, is a Drow mourning over the loss of her son, who turned into a Drider. The Hags of Tempest certainly have a William Shakespeare veneer over them, but they are pure AD&D hags.
There are some very interesting ones here too. Merilee, the Child Vampire, brings "Interview with a Vampire's" Claudia to mind. Von Kharkou is twice cursed. He was panther transformed into a man killing machine, then cursed again to vampirism. Zolnik is a different sort of ice-age Werewolf. Anhktepot and Tyet give us two very different takes on the Mummy.
Among all of these, The House of Lament (a haunted house as a darklord) would go on to see new life in future editions of the game, and the intelligent sword, Ebonbane, would get a full adventure in the pages of Dungeon magazine.
1991. by Dale "Slade" Henson with J. Robert King. 96-pages, color covers (David Dorman), black & white interior art (Laura and Kelly Freas, Stephen Fabian).
This book has nine short and loosely connected mini-adventures taking place in the core realms of Ravenloft. Of these, the "Bride of Mordenheim" was my favorite.
This was (is) actually a fun book. Horror lends itself well to the short story format and by extension horror RPG also does these smaller adventures well. They help remind us that not every adventure is going to part of some Grand Conjunction or even dealing directly with a Darklord.
Re-reading them now there are many that I would like re-run for newer versions of the game.
And to round off the pages nicely we get three new monsters in AD&D Monstrous Compendium format.
The PDF is a scanned document and it is a little washed out compared to my original from the 1990s. But still perfectly readable. At present, there is no Print on Demand option for either titles.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
October Horror Movie Challenge: The Blob (1958, 1988)
The movies largely have the same plot and story with minor differences.
The Blob (1958)
How many horror movies have their own catchy pop song? Well the Blob does.
This one also features future action star Steve McQueen as a squeaky clean teen.
The blob comes from space, a big deal in the 1958, and proceeds eat the towns-folk and get larger all the time. Effective as a scare and I can recall watching this one with my dad back in the 1970s. Actually I recall watching it on an old Black & White TV in my parents basement. My dad had set up a movie-watching area down there. It seems like a perfect place to watch old horror movies.
The cure? The discover that it can be frozen and this stops it.
The sequel Beware! The Blob (1972) features the Blob getting defrosted and going on a rampage again.
The Blob (1988)
This a remake to fit what will become part of the Paranoid 90s, thanks X-Files. In this, the Blob was created by the military and shot into space.
This one has Kevin Dillon, Matt's brother, as our teen hero. Of course, now he is a little punk just south of the law, but that is not a big shock, really. These were the roles he was type-casted in. To be fair, he did give a good performance as drummer John Densmore in the Doors. Shawnee Smith, who plays our "good girl" heroine, is still quite active in movies today.
The special effects are better here and still surprisingly effective when you consider they are all still practical effects (for the most part). The plot, though, is the same as the first movie.
The twist of the Government to create the Blob is a nice but utterly expected twist.
Del Close, who portrays Reverend Meeker, also had a small part in the 1972 Beware! The Blob movie, so that is the sort of thing I enjoy.
Featured Monsters: Black Pudding, Gray Ooze, Green Slime, and Ochre Jelly
The Blob must have left a serious mark on the creators of D&D. We have four monsters that can fit the bill. And this doesn't even cover the Gelantinous Cube. Of these four, the Black Pudding and Gray ooze might be the closest in how the movie Blob acts. The Green Slime doesn't really move (and the blob is fast) and the Ochre Jelly is slow(er) moving.
A "Blood Ooze" would be good, one that starts out gray or even pale and getts redder and redder as it eats people.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 11
First Time Views: 4
Review: House of Strahd
by Tracy and Laura Hickman, with additional material by Bruce Nesmith. Art by Dana Andrews, Clyde Caldwell, James Crabtree, and David C. Sutherland III.
PDF and Print. 64 pages.
For this I am considering the PDF from DriveThruRPG and my original print copy from the 1990s.
This is the original I6 Ravenloft Adventure from 10 years prior. This time the action has moved to the Demi-plane of Dread.
Bruce Nesmith does the "Demi-plane" conversions here which include AD&D 2nd edition conversions, using the fear and horror rules from the Ravenloft boxed set AND the updated Strahd stat block.
Strahd, in I6, was a 10th-level necromancer vampire. Now, he is a 16th-level one.
The text is largely the same as the original I6 but yet it somehow feels like it is "less." I have run Ravenloft many times, and while I have run it using the AD&D 2nd ed rules, I have never used to book save for the updated stat block and some monsters. For lack of anything I can put my finger on, the I6 presentation is vastly superior.
Still, though, I am happy to have it. If I were to run AD&D 2nd Ed Ravenloft I would certainly use this adventure. I'd just use the maps from the I6 version and maybe some ideas from the 3e or 5e versions as well.
Monday, October 7, 2024
October Horror Movie Challenge: Night of the Demon (1957)
Night of the Demon (1957)
There is something quintessentially British about this one. Black magic, witchcraft, even a meddling American.
Despite being almost 70 years old this movie is still rather effective. The special effects, ie the demon, are a bit dated, but still looked good and great for the time. Heck, they are not really terrible for now.
It mixes up a lot of demonology and witchcraft myths, but that is also fine really.
We get demon summoning, spells, storm-raising, a seance, and even an Indian spirit guide. A little bit of everything here.
It would have been interesting if they had embraced some of the new ideas from Gerald Gardner and the growing Wicca movement, but that connection would not be featured in movies until the 1970s.
Oh. The plot. The scientific community denounces witchcraft and black magic, so a pissed off occultist demonstrates his power by summoning a giant demon to kill key members. I suppose if it were redone today there would have been more deaths, but it still works.
Featured Monster: Demon
Again, while I can't say for certain this movie had any effect what so ever on the demons (and devils) in the Monster Manual, they are drawing from all the same sources. The demon here looks a bit like the Nalfeshnee or Type IV demon. The demon in this movie is much larger than I expected, making close to the same size as the Nalfeshnee.
When I was reading The Classics of the Horror Film, I saw this picture and thought it would make a great "Cat Demon." It was the ears and the nose. There was a cat demon in this movie, but it looked like a regular cat.
The movie is also a good example of a wizard in his castle with his magic books and our virtuous rogue (or, in this case, psychologist) investigating.
 |
Night of the Nalfeshnee |
The more I think about it, the more and more I think that this movie demon was the inspiration for the Nalfeshnee's look.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 10
First Time Views: 3
Secret Journey: Walking the Witches' Road
I have a lot of people asking me how I would implement the "Witches' Road" in my games. Well, obviously, I can't use the Witches' Road as it appears here, Disney being so understanding and forgiving. BUT thankfully, I do have something, and the advantage here is that it shares a genesis with my first witch class.
Upon a Secret Journey
Back in the early 80s I was building a bunch of new classes. I have talked about them here before, but briefly there was the Witch, the Sun Priest, the Healer and the Necromancer. The witch you have seen, the Sun Priest, though has yet to see a lot of text here. You can find the complete AD&D 2nd Edition kit here and on my downloads section.
There was a notion that the Sun Priest would need to complete a pilgrimage ever so many levels to prove their faith. While it was based on the pilgrimages made by Medieval faithful, the idea here was one of greater spiritual understanding. It was inspired by the Police song "Secret Journey." For me it added a bit more mysticism to the idea.
Here is what I said back then.
At 3rd level and every three level thereafter (6, 9, 12,...), the Sun Priest must go on a "secret journey." This journey is one of faith and must be accomplished alone, in secret. It might be nothing more than a dedicated study of church tomes (a journey of understanding), of deep contemplation (a journey of enlightenment), of destroying some foe (a journey of vengeance), or anything else the player and DM agree upon. The journey will last as long as necessary, and during this time, the Sun Priest will receive no experience points, nor can he partake in an ongoing adventure. The journey can be played out, or the priest may simply rejoin the adventures at a later date. The journey must be performed, or the Priest can not advance to the next level.
Again, remember this was for AD&D 2nd Edition. And while it is certainly geared towards a clerical class, there is no reason I can't adopt it, and adapt it, to the Witch.
In fact, I kinda have been doing that now anyway. When I was moving out of 3e over to 4e I was trying to decide if I was going to continue Larina under the new rules. I go my answer when I saw the Feywild get more emphasis. Very long story short, Larina went to the feywild, had a daughter with Fey Lord, but had to leave her behind to complete a quest at the behest of Baba Yaga. When she returned 13 years had passed. This quest was a Secret Journey in all but name.
You Will See Light In The Darkness
The Secret Journey for witches (The Witches' Journey maybe) is one a witch must complete at some point in her life before she can receive greater understanding about her magic, her craft and her place in it. For many it is an essential part of their lives as a witch.
Given this I am tempted to have it related to the steps of the Hero's Journey and include some of the elements of modern witch traditions of a symbolic Life-Death-Rebirth. The Witches' Journey is a symbolic death and rebirth.
In AAA, the "Witches' Road" is taken on by a coven, but a Secret Journey is a solo affair; a witch must complete it on her own. Since it is a symbolic death and rebirth, this is not supposed to be easy. The witch will emerge from this fundamentally changed.
It is now a few hours later.
I pulled up a copy of the Hero's Journey, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, and of course, Jung's Man and his Symbols. I like the idea of witches having to embrace their own shadow-self in their journey of self-realization. I also added in some ideas from my NIGHT SHIFT notes.
Part 1: The Call to the Journey (Life)
1. Ordinary World: The witch lives in a mundane environment, feeling a sense of disconnection from nature and the spiritual world, unaware of their inner potential.
2. Call to Adventure: The witch experiences an awakening—perhaps through a sign, dream, or encounter—that ignites their curiosity about magic and the self.
3. Refusal of the Call: Doubts and fears surface as the witch grapples with societal expectations, personal insecurities, and the weight of tradition, resisting the call to explore their true nature.
4. Meeting the Mentor: An experienced witch or wise figure appears, offering guidance, wisdom, and tools to navigate the inner and outer worlds, encouraging exploration of the self.
Part 2: The Descent into the Underworld (Death)
5. Crossing the Threshold: The witch consciously steps into the realm of magic and the unknown, leaving behind their old life and beginning to confront their inner landscape.
6. Trials and Allies: The witch faces external challenges and meets allies, but also begins to encounter aspects of their Shadow Self—unacknowledged fears, desires, and insecurities that surface during their journey.
7. The Abyss: A significant challenge forces the witch to confront their Shadow Self directly, facing their deepest fears, regrets, and repressed emotions. This moment represents a metaphorical death, where the old self must be faced.
8. Rebirth through Initiation: The witch undergoes a transformative ritual or initiation, symbolizing acceptance of their Shadow Self. They emerge with greater self-awareness and empowerment, integrating both light and shadow aspects of their identity.
Part 3: The Return with Wisdom (Rebirth)
9. The Road Back: With newfound knowledge and power, the witch begins the journey back to their ordinary world, now equipped with a deeper understanding of their whole self.
10. Resurrection: The witch faces a final test or confrontation that challenges their integration of the Shadow Self, solidifying their transformation and understanding of the life-death-rebirth cycle.
11. Return with Wisdom: The witch returns to their community, sharing the wisdom gained from their journey, including insights on the importance of acknowledging and embracing one’s own shadow.
12. The New Ordinary World: The witch finds a place in their community, living in harmony with both the magical and mundane worlds, embodying a balance of light and shadow, contributing to a holistic understanding of existence.
Last Step: The Eternal Cycle
13. The Wheel of the Year: The witch embraces the cyclical nature of existence, celebrating seasonal festivals and the ongoing journey of life, death, and rebirth. They recognize that integrating the Shadow Self is an ongoing process, each cycle presenting new opportunities for growth and transformation.
Again, this is a draft, and I need to find some solid game applications for this. I want to add up the horror elements a bit. This journey needs to be a terrifying experience for the witch, but ultimately, a rewarding one where the witch emerges reborn.
I like what I have here, to be honest.
RPG Blog Carnival
This post is for my October RPG Blog Carnival: Horror and Fantasy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)