October Movie Challenge: 30 Days of Night (2007) and Dark Days (2010)

Here we are, the last day of the Horror Movie Challenge! I figure I'll work in some vampire movies.  Special note: You lose something when watching movies with night and darkness as major plot points during the daylight hours.

30 Days of Night (2007) 

Few horror films capture isolation and predation like 30 Days of Night. Barrow, Alaska, already cut off from the world by a month of darkness, becomes a perfect hunting ground when a pack of feral, ancient vampires descends. These aren’t tragic romantics; they’re apex predators, clicking and shrieking in a dead language, as elegant and pitiless as sharks beneath ice.

The concept alone feels built for NIGHT SHIFT or Occult D&D: a frontier town swallowed by night, a handful of survivors fighting with dwindling light and sanity. It’s brutal, but beautiful too, snow turned red, the silence between screams, the steady unraveling of faith and logic. Josh Hartnett’s Eben becomes the archetypal reluctant hero, giving himself to the darkness just long enough to kill it.

If I ever needed a model for my Valhalla, Alaska, this is it. Swap Barrow for Valhala, add a few protective runestones, a psychic waitress, and maybe a were-bear or two, and you’ve got an entire campaign arc: “The Long Night.”

This one is quite good, and if Danny Huston is in it then I know I am in for some fun. 

30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010)

Ok. This one is not as good, but it had one thing going for it; Mia Kirshner as Vampire Queen Lilith. I just wish she had more screen time.

The sequel trades arctic survival horror for urban vampire noir. Stella (played by a different actress) still haunted by Barrow becomes a reluctant vampire hunter in Los Angeles, trying to expose the coven that orchestrated the slaughter. It’s grittier, smaller, and not nearly as haunting, but it expands the mythology nicely. The idea that the Barrow massacre was just one act in a long, secret war fits perfectly in a world where monsters stalk the forgotten edges of modern life.

The implied mythology here reminds me of the Blade movies, except that Dracula is replaced by Lilith. Which Lilith? No idea, she could have been any one of a hundred different interpretations, or just a powerful Vampire Queen who took her name as her own.

It is not as bad as the reviews online have led you to believe; it just falls very, very short of the first movie.

NIGHT SHIFT & Occult D&D Ideas

This is another great example for my Valhalla, AK setting for NIGHT SHIFT.

Less for Occult D&D, unless you work in a ritual the vampires are going to perform to blot out the sun. I did that as the main premise behind my "Come Endless Darkness" campaign. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 38
First Time Views: 27

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Witch Queen Advanced Class

Photo edit of "Ginger Queen by Black-Bl00d"

For all my talk about witch queens here, I have no real witch queen class. Yes, there is my D&D 3x Prestige class, but nothing really for Old School games. So my oldest and I tried this one out during our AD&D games. Not 100% there yet, and in the tradition of the Arch Druid (Unearthed Arcana), she might get her own level progression above and beyond the witch class. I just have not crunched all the numbers just yet.

This is primarily for AD&D 1st Edition, but it should work in many other games as well.

WITCH QUEEN / WITCH KING

Advanced Class for Witches

When a Witch has reached the height of mortal power, there yet remains one step further upon the Path, the ascension to the mantle of the Witch Queen (or Witch King). This being is the supreme vessel of a Patron’s will, the living nexus of a Tradition’s power, and the spiritual sovereign of all witches within her realm. Like the Grand Druid of the Old Faith, she is both pontiff and prophet, counselor and conduit, a figure whose very presence can bend the ley and alter the seasons' turning.

Whether crowned by fate, prophecy, deed, or divine lineage, this witch has ascended beyond the coven to become a legendary figure. 

Only one Witch Queen (or King) may reign for each Tradition at any given time, making them as rare as they are powerful.

Requirements

To become a Witch Queen (or Witch King), a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 14th level
• Possess Charisma 17 or higher. Additionally, the witch needs to have an Intelligence or Wisdom of 15 or higher.
• Be a member in good standing of a coven
• Must know the Supernal Language
• Have been chosen through omen, divine sign, or a coven-wide rite as the next Queen or King

Restrictions

• Only one Witch Queen or King may exist per Tradition at a time (GM’s discretion)
• To become a Witch Queen or King, the previous sovereign must abandon or relinquish their rulership.  This is often upon the death of the previous sovereign, but not required. 
• Occult Powers are gained differently (see below)

Spellcasting

• The Witch Queen continues to cast spells as a Witch of her full level
• May forego the use of Material Components. 

Witch Queen Abilities

Awesome Presence (gained at level 16): Witches perceive the Witch Queen as a radiant beacon of power. Allies within 60 feet receive +1 to morale checks and saving throws vs. fear; enemies must save vs. spells or suffer -1 to morale. All witches instinctively recognize her status and will defer unless magically compelled otherwise.

Occult Eminence (gained at level 18): The Witch Queen gains one choosen Occult Power of her Tradition. This power is gained as if at the appropriate level, but may not exceed the “Grand” tier unless already eligible. She may choose another Occult Power from a different Tradition at level 19 if desired.

A Thousand Faces (gained at level 20): The Witch Queen may alter her appearance at will, as per the disguise self spell, though the effect is real, not illusory. This change does not affect clothing or equipment, and may be maintained indefinitely.

Timeless Body (gained at level 22): The Witch Queen ceases to age. She gains immunity to magical aging and no longer suffers ability penalties due to age. Natural bonuses to Intelligence and Wisdom still accrue. Her lifespan is extended to 120 years, and she will still die of old age unless further extended by other magical means. 

Rulership and Influence

The Witch Queen or King is not merely a title, but a mantle of magical authority. All witches of her Tradition know of her. At the GM’s discretion, she may gain the right to command covens, invoke her Patron’s will across vast distances, or declare magical edicts that affect ley lines or seasonal flows. Along with this power and influence comes the wisdom and responsibility of how to use such power. 

Optional Rule: Mantle of Sovereignty

Once per month, the Witch Queen may perform a rite, calling upon her Tradition’s power. Effects may include summoning a spirit host, causing omens to appear across the land, or sealing a region against extra-planar intrusion for 1d4 days.

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

Continues to use the Witch class tables for all purposes.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

Only single-classed Witches may become Witch Queens (Archwitches and Witch-Priestess are considered single-class witches). The transformation requires undivided devotion to the Patron and Tradition. Other characters may assist or serve such a queen, but may never claim her title.

The Witch Queen is both symbol and sovereign, oracle and enforcer. Her path is not taken lightly, for once crowned, her soul is forever marked by the gaze of the gods.

--

Still have details to work out, but I like it so far. Again, this is designed to mimic the Arch Druid to Hierophant Druid of AD&D 1st Edition. Though I do think the Hierophant is a bit overpowered.  

I briefly considered the more gender neutral title of Witch Sovereign, but that doesn't have the same weight to it. My influences should be rather obvious, but even "Simon King of the Witches" is called a King and not a Sovereign. 

Likely need some more work on this one, so feedback is appreciated. 

Monstrous Mondays: Dragon, Purple (Arcane Dragon)

Not all purple dragons are found near apple trees.
This one, though, is. 

 Tomorrow is my oldest kid's birthday. Over the weekend, he had his annual D&D birthday bash. Seems fitting then that I do a dragon today since they are his favorite (and he got like three of them for his birthday from his D&D group).

This is a repost, updated to better fit my "Occult D&D" project.

Dragon, Purple
aka Draco Arcanis Occultis, Arcane Dragon

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1 (rarely 2)
ARMOR CLASS: 0
MOVE: 9” / 24”
HIT DICE: 9–11
% IN LAIR: 55%
TREASURE TYPE: H, S, U, Z
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–8 / 1–8 / 3–28
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon, spell use
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistance to magic (see below)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard + bonus vs. arcane magic
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-Genius
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Evil)
SIZE: L (45’ long)

CHANCE OF:

• Speaking: 90%
• Magic Use: 90%
• Sleeping: 25%

The Purple Dragon, also called the Arcane Dragon, is a rare and dangerous creature whose origins are cloaked in myth. Its scales shimmer in deep violet, often pulsing faintly with unseen magical energy. It is most frequently found in ancient ruins, planar nexuses, or near ley line convergences. Some scholars claim that Purple Dragons were once guardians of the primeval flows of magic itself.

Arcane Dragons are solitary and philosophical by nature, prone to periods of deep contemplation and magical experimentation. Their mastery of eldritch forces and unpredictable moods make them dangerous when provoked. Don’t however mistake this attitude for benevolence. Their contemplation of these eldritch and occult forces put them above the concerns of most mortals.

The Purple Dragon may employ the standard claw/claw/bite attack or its breath weapon, a beam of raw magical force:

• Breath Weapon: A beam of pure arcane energy, ½” wide and 12” long, affecting all in its path. This energy deals damage equal to the dragon’s current hit points, half with a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon. Victims struck must also save vs. spells or be stunned for 1–4 rounds due to arcane backlash.

Spell Use: All speaking Purple Dragons with magic ability cast spells as Magic-Users of 9th level, improving to 11th level at ancient age.

• 1st–2nd age categories: 2 × 1st-level spells
• 3rd–4th: +2 × 2nd-level spells
• 5th–6th: +2 × 3rd-level spells
• 7th–8th: +1 × 4th-level spell
• Ancient: 3 spells per level from 1st to 4th

Purple Dragons gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws vs. arcane magic, and a +3 bonus on saves vs. Illusion or Enchantment/Charm spells. They are also immune to magical effects that alter time, space, or probability (e.g., time stop, maze, wish, limited wish, temporal stasis).

Arcane Dragons are usually encountered alone, though some ancient tomes speak of mated pairs guarding planar gates or hidden vaults of magical lore. They construct elaborate lairs filled with wards, illusions, and enchanted guardians. Their hoards often contain rare magical scrolls, potions, and tomes in addition to treasure.

They may form tenuous alliances with powerful witches, warlocks, or archmages, often in exchange for secrets or artifacts. 

Connections to the Scaled Sisterhood

Though the Scaled Sisterhood reveres the great dragon Patrons, Tiâmat, Bahamūt, Vritraxion, Lóngzihua, and Anantanatha, there are outlier dragons, revered by certain covens, that operate on the mystical rather than the primordial axis. Chief among these is the Arcane Dragon, Draco Arcanis.

Mystic Patron of Knowledge and Spellcraft

The first Arcane Dragon is honored by a coven of the Scaled Sisterhood known as the Order of the Violet Flame. These witches believe that while the elemental dragons represent the forces of the world, the Arcane Dragon embodies magic itself; pure, ineffable, and transcendent.

Witches of the Violet Flame often act as archivists, seers, and ritual specialists within the Sisterhood.

Their robes are trimmed in violet and silver, and their focus items are often made of crystalline dragon-scale or polished amethyst.

Their magical circles often incorporate symbols of sacred geometry, representing ley lines, runes, and arcane currents.

Dragon of the Nexus

The Arcane Dragon is drawn to leyline confluences and interplanar gates, making them ideal Patrons for witches who serve as gatekeepers, wardens, or planar navigators. The Scaled Sisterhood refers to such sites as Dracogates, where the breath of the Arcane Dragon is said to thin the veil between worlds.

Some believe the first Arcane Dragon was a child of Lóngzihua and Bahamūt, combining order and mysticism into a unique being beyond the elemental hierarchy, but was cast down or out for some long forgotten crime. This is the reason Purple Dragons in general are never recorded in official histories and bestiaries. 

Others claim the first Arcane Dragon is a former consort of Tiamat, who was cast out for refusing to align with chaos or tyranny, choosing instead the neutral perfection of the arcane.

All other purple dragons are the offspring of this first Arcane Dragon. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Queen of Bones (2023)

 Another pick by my wife. Now, typically when she picks the movie, I get a veto power if it is under a certain IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes rating. She doesn't like to look at the ratings beforehand. This one did not have very good ratings at all, 4.6 on IMBD and no rating at all on Rotten Tomatoes; neither a good sign. But we watched it anyway and really liked it. This in a large part due to the performances by  Martin Freeman and Julia Butters. 

Plus, it is a perfect Witchcraft Wednesday movie.

Queen of Bones (2023)

Fearful or religious men (often the same thing) have always feared women’s autonomy. History has shown that whenever a woman becomes too independent, too willful, too curious, too powerful, someone slaps the word witch on her and decides she needs to be “saved.” That’s the heart of Queen of Bones, a quiet, moody folk horror film that takes place not in the 1600s but in 1930s rural America.

Martin Freeman plays Malcolm, a widowed father raising his daughter Lily (Julia Butters, who’s fantastic) and son Samuel (Jacob Tremblay) in a house thick with secrets. At first, Malcolm seems decent enough, even tender in his grief. But as Lily begins to change, both in body and in strange, supernatural ways, his love curdles into fear. We slowly realize that he’s not just haunted by what happened to Lily’s mother… he’s terrified his daughter might become her.

That dynamic drives the film’s tension. Lily starts having dreams, visions, and odd encounters in the woods. The line between puberty and possession blurs. Is she cursed? Chosen? Or simply awakening to her own power in a world that can’t tolerate that? By the time the third act arrives, the answer feels almost inevitable: Malcolm would rather destroy her than let her become something he can’t control.

It’s not subtle, but that’s fine, it isn’t supposed to be. Queen of Bones plays like a postscript to Robert Eggers' The Witch, set 300 years later but fueled by the same fear: that the feminine divine, if left unchecked, would upend the patriarchal order. It’s witch panic dressed in Depression-era grief, with dust, silence, and old ghosts in every corner.

There’s a scene late in the film, no spoilers, where Lily finally confronts what her father did to her mother. It’s devastating, not just for the violence but for the certainty behind it. Malcolm truly believes he’s doing God’s work. That’s what makes him the monster.

What I loved about this film, and what I think most critics seem to have missed, is how subtle its magic is. It’s not a jump-scare movie. It’s an awakening movie. The horror here isn’t in the witchcraft, it’s in the control. Freeman gives one of his best performances as a man eaten alive by righteousness, and Butters is mesmerizing as Lily, teetering between innocence and fury.

This isn’t The Witch, no. But it shares the same DNA: a girl’s coming-of-age framed as an act of rebellion against divine tyranny. The difference is, this one suggests the witch’s power was always there just waiting for her to claim it.

Queen of Bones might not be perfect, but it’s important. It’s quiet horror with something to say about generational trauma, religious oppression, and the terror of becoming yourself. The final moments hit like a benediction and a curse all at once.

NIGHT SHIFT & Occult D&D Ideas

Let's be honest here. 

I you can't see the RPG potential here I am not sure you are reading the right blog. Generational witches are a topic I discuss frequently here. Like obsessively so.

I wonder what Lily's life would have been like after the movie? She would have been 23 near the start of WWII, in her 40s when the Beatles came to America, her 60s when the 80s began and so on. Interesting. 

For NIGHT SHIT, it’s a modern folk-horror story transplanted to a rural, Depression-era America where witchcraft is whispered about in sermons. A perfect slow-burn scenario: something ancient stirs in the woods, and the townsfolk are eager to call it Satanic. The PCs could arrive as outsiders—teachers, doctors, or priests, only to discover the true evil that resides within the house. Or a perfect Call of Cthulhu game that doesn't involve the Mythos. 

For my Occult D&D ideas, it is a good example of how witchcraft is inherited via bloodlines, and there are witch families.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 25
First Time Views: 23

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Occult D&D updates and Halloween sales and more

 Stayed up last night watching The Substance, if you haven't read my review, then no big deal, but at least see the movie, might be my favorite one of the Challenge so far. 

Occult D&D

I have been playing around with this idea of "Occult D&D" for a little while now. I went into it really with no major intentions save to add some more occult feeling to my D&D games and maybe into my NIGHT SHIFT games as well. Its been a blast really. I was sorting through my notes and looking over the books I still want to read or reread for it, and I discovered that I have a lot. Like an obscene amount.

Not just in what I have written so far (an estimate of about 350 pages), but also in what I am still planning on reading.

The Enchanted World

Mysteries of the Unknown

The Supernatural

Man, Myth, & Magic

Do I *need* to read all of these? No, but I *want* to. Many of course are re-reads. I have had these for ages, but I want to be systematic about all of this. Half the joy for me is the research. Sorry, its the academic in me.

I am not 100% sure what shape the final product(s) will take, or even if it will be something I will ever publish. But I am having a lot of fun with it so far.

Halloween Sales

As always, many of my books are on sale at DriveThruRPG for Halloween!

• The Other Side - Halloween at DriveThruRPG

This includes my newest and most popular titles:

• The Witch - Book of Shadows for ShadowDark
• The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions
• The Craft of the Wise: The Pagan Witch Tradition for Old School Essentials
• The Basic Witch: The Pumpkin Spice Witch Tradition for Labyrinth Lord

Plus a lot more!

EGG Con

I'll be at EGG Con this summer! I'll be there again with Elf Lair Games, selling and running NIGHT SHIFT and Thirteen Parsecs. Hope to see you all there. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Death of a Unicorn (2025)

 Time for a change of pace.

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

There are movies that wear their absurdity on their sleeve, and then there are movies that gallop straight into it, horn first. Death of a Unicorn (2025) is one of those. The premise is crazy, Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega hitting a unicorn with their car and unleashing a nightmare of greed and magical revenge. The fact that it works as well as it does is thanks to the cast.

Paul Rudd is, well, Paul Rudd. He brings that mix of charm, mild panic, and solid dad-energy that makes him endlessly watchable. Jenna Ortega continues her streak as the reigning queen of genre roles, grounding the film with sharp wit and quiet vulnerability, giving us a protagonist we actually care about.

Téa Leoni, always a favorite of mine, doesn’t get the most screen time, but she brings her trademark brittle elegance to the mix. Every line lands with just the right shade of weary sharpness. And Richard E. Grant? He’s wonderfully smarmy, the kind of aristocratic villain you almost want more of. He struts (well...later) through the film with a silky menace that makes you grin even as you know he deserves everything coming to him. Even Will Poulter is great, even though you are really meant to hate his character.

The movie itself wavers between tones; part dark fantasy, part satire, part B-movie creature feature. The unicorn isn’t some gentle pastel icon; it’s something primal and dangerous, and its kin don’t take kindly to exploitation. There are moments that lean into corporate satire (pharmaceutical execs drooling over magical healing properties) and others that just revel in monster-movie chaos. When it sticks to the latter, it’s bloody fun. 

Is it perfect? No. The CGI stumbles in places, and the script sometimes feels torn between camp and sincerity. But it’s a strange, bold little film that earns its cult label by sheer commitment to its idea.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

Death of a Unicorn feels like a mid-campaign side quest gone horribly wrong. The party (dad and daughter) accidentally slay a sacred creature. The loot (a unicorn corpse) turns out to be cursed, attracting the attention of rival NPCs (the Leopolds) who want to weaponize it. Cue the wilderness fighting back with angry spirit-beasts.

Your players will never look at unicorns the same way!

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 20
First Time Views: 18

October Horror Movie Challenge: Ed and Lorraine Warren Documentaries - The Conjuring Series

 It's Sunday. I am coming down from my Conjuring high, but I still wanted some more. Since I allow myself at least one night of documentaries, I am taking it tonight with some documentaries about Ed and Lorraine Warren's best-known cases.

Amityville Horror House (2021)

This one covers Ed and Lorraine's most famous case, the Amityville Horror House. Interestingly enough this one was not made into a Conjuring movie. Likely because there have been so many Amityville movies already. 

We start with Ronald DeFeo Jr. and the mass murder of his family in 1974. We spend a little bit of time with this case and DeFeo making claims of ghosts and devils in the house.  

The documentary quickly shifts to George and Kathy Lutz. This is the big Amityville story. I do love how the so-called "paranormal investigators" speak with such authority. Silly for reality, but great for games.

We go through the Lutzes' stay in the house day by day. It is rather fun going through it all. 

Oh, drinking game, every time they give you the full address, 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, NY, drink. 

Ed and Lorraine Warren show up about 2/3's of the way through. And yes, that is Poison drummer Rikki Rockett giving us his expert opinion on the Amityville House.

The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

This is the case that also gave us Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) from last night. We now move to Brookfield, CT in 1981. This is the second documentary I have seen on this. I think I saw it on Netflix (very likely. Edited, yes.) and it was better than this one. This one, though, does have some footage of Lorraine Warren from 2005. 

It covers the possession of David, the murder by Johnson, and his trial. Of course, the involvement of the Warrens.

It's fun, but not as, dare I say, "good" as the Amityville Horror House one.

I freely admit I like Ed and Lorraine Warren. It is very, very obvious they would not have liked me; a skeptical atheist trained as a rationalist. Although I am not immune to the lure of empiricism, Warren and I would differ on what constitutes experience.  

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

While nothing for Occult D&D (as such) there two great ideas we can get from this all. First and most obviously is the haunted house. It's no exaggeration to say that Amityville is the best-known haunted house in America. 

Second is the idea of a demonic possession as a cause/reason for a crime. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 15
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Movie Challenge: Conjuring Last Rites (2025) - The Conjuring Series

 I had hoped this would happen. The last Conjuring movie became available for rent on Amazon earlier this week. So let's get to it!

Conjuring Last Rites (2025)  - Conjuring Timeline 1964, 1986

Last Rites arrives as the final chapter of the Conjuring saga (for Ed & Lorraine at least), and that weight is felt in every frame. It’s a film that knows it’s wrapping up decades of lore, and it leans into both sentiment and spectacle to try to stick the landing.

The film opens in 1964, with Ed and Lorraine (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, as steady and soulful as ever) investigating a haunting tied to an antique mirror in a curio shop. Lorraine, pregnant with their first child, experiences a devastating vision—a demon intertwined with her unborn baby. She collapses, and though Ed rushes her to the hospital, the child is stillborn. Only Lorraine’s desperate prayer revives the infant. She names her Judy.

Fast-forward to 1986. The Smurl family moves into a home in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Jack, Janet, their four daughters, and Jack’s parents. At Heather’s confirmation, her grandfather gifts her that same mirror. From there, it’s all downhill: flickering lights, things that move on their own, whispers in the dark, and the slow unraveling of a family under siege by forces they don’t understand.

Meanwhile, the Warrens are older now; tired, retired, and quietly fraying. Ed’s heart is failing. Their lectures draw smaller crowds. And Judy (Sterling Jerins returning, all grown up) is seeing visions she can no longer ignore. When Father Gordon dies under mysterious circumstances while investigating the Smurl haunting, Judy defies her parents and sets out to confront what she’s certain is her demon.

That middle act, with Judy taking the lead, is where the movie really picks up. It’s not just another haunted house story, it’s generational horror. The sins and miracles of the parents come back to claim the child.

What follows is the most intense final act in the franchise. Lorraine realizes that the three ghosts tormenting the Smurls, a man, his wife, and her mother, are merely puppets, enslaved by the demon from that mirror. Judy becomes the true target, and when the demon possesses her, the Warrens must face not just the supernatural, but their greatest fear: losing their daughter to the very darkness they’ve spent their lives fighting.

The film’s climax mirrors (pun intended) the first scene. Judy, possessed, attempts to hang herself, echoing Lorraine’s near-death childbirth from years before. Once again, prayer and love pull her back, and together, mother and daughter channel Lorraine’s psychic gifts to destroy the mirror once and for all. The demon is banished, the Smurls find peace, and the cursed artifact joins the Warrens’ museum—where we know it’s just waiting for the next poor soul to stare too long into the glass.

It all ends with Judy’s wedding to Tony (a nice bit of light after all the darkness), and Lorraine’s final vision of the peaceful years ahead. For once, the Warrens get a moment of grace.

Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga return one last time as Ed and Lorraine with all the wear, faith, and heartbreak the roles now demand. Their chemistry still holds, and there are moments late in the film where you feel the years of fights, scars, and losses between them. If you came to this movie first, you would wonder what this was all about. There is certainly a lot of "final lap" feel about this movie. 

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a fan of these characters and actors, which makes me the target audience for this fan service.

The Future

This movie did quite well in the theatres. So well, I have a hard time believing that this will be the last one. Maybe Judy (who is a real person, mind you) will pick up the demon-hunting mantle. 

I have an idea for my wrap-up of this series tomorrow.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

For NIGHT SHIFT:

This movie is a character-driven campaign come to life. Judy embodies that archetype perfectly, a character whose power is both blessing and burden. You could easily model her as a Theosophist or Psychic, haunted by inherited trauma, hunted by the very spirits she seeks to understand.

The mirror itself functions as a Cursed Relic, tied to a specific demon that imprints on bloodlines.

The multi-generational structure (Lorraine’s trauma → Judy’s possession) is a fantastic framework for a long-term NIGHT SHIFT campaign. The characters don’t just fight evil, they inherit it.

The exorcism and “last rites” sequence could be a full session in itself: simultaneous spiritual combat and physical rescue, with each failure raising the stakes for a possession save.

For Occult D&D:

In D&D terms, the demon would be a Bound Fiend, an entity once trapped by ritual, now reawakened through a cursed item. The mirror is the perfect anchor for a demonic spirit gone rogue.

Mirror Magic: Treat it as a magical focus that reflects the caster’s worst thoughts. Each time it’s used, there’s a chance to “call forth” the reflection’s demonic twin.

Intergenerational Curse: Perfect for a "Legacy Adventure," the descendants of past heroes confronting an evil they thought destroyed.

Final Rites: Could be written as a high-level Ritual spell, one that requires a familial bond between casters to complete.

Last Rites would make an excellent mini-campaign or one-shot finale: a family of psychic investigators confronting their own cursed inheritance.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 13
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Movie Challenge: Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - The Conjuring Series

 Last night's Conjuring was rather fun. Here's hoping tonight's is as good. This is the third of the Conjuring films. 

Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - Conjuring Timeline 1981

By the third Conjuring film, you’d expect the formula to start feeling very familiar: haunted family, demonic possession, big exorcism finale. But The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) takes a different angle, trading the haunted house structure for something closer to an occult detective story. It’s less about one cursed farmhouse and more about Ed and Lorraine Warren following a trail of dark magic through small towns, morgues, and courtrooms.

The film opens strong with a brutal exorcism sequence, one of the best in the series, where young David Glatzel is freed from possession only for the demon to leap into Arne Johnson. From there, we follow the Warrens as they try to prove Arne’s innocence in the first U.S. murder trial to claim “demonic possession” as a defense. Along the way, they uncover a hidden Satanic curse and a sinister occultist pulling the strings.

It’s a bold move. Instead of another “family in peril” story, this entry leans into mystery and investigation. That’s both its strength and its weakness. On the one hand, it freshens up the formula and gives Vera Farmiga’s Lorraine a lot more to do as she dives deeper into visions and psychic battles. On the other hand, the trade-off is fewer sustained scares. There are eerie moments, the waterbed sequence, the morgue encounter, but overall, it’s less terrifying than its predecessors.

What carries it, as always, are the performances. Wilson and Farmiga remain the franchise’s heart. Their relationship is the anchor in the storm, and this time their bond is tested harder than ever. Without them, the whole thing might feel like just another supernatural procedural. With them, it has warmth and weight.

In the end, The Devil Made Me Do It isn’t as tight or scary as The Conjuring or The Conjuring 2, but it’s a fascinating evolution. It opens the door for the franchise to move beyond just “scary houses” and into a broader world of occult threats. Think of it as a side quest that still matters, even if it doesn’t quite hit the natural 20 of the first two adventures.

I watched a documentary on the real case a while back. So I kinda knew what to expect here. 

Conjuring Last Rites was released as a rental earlier this week, so I am going to get to that one now.

Maybe I'll take on Insidious next. 

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

From a gamer’s perspective, this film feels like when the DM shifts the campaign from dungeon crawling to investigative play. The haunted house is behind you; now it’s about piecing together clues, following cultists, and uncovering who’s really behind the possession. The finale, with its showdown in an underground altar chamber, is pure “final dungeon” stuff, complete with cursed relics and a villain who thinks they’re untouchable.

It is a good template for occult investigation for any type of play.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 12
First Time Views: 10

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Conjuring 2 (2016) - The Conjuring Series

 After last night's disappointment, we come to the next movie, chronologically, and also a proper "main-line" sequel, 2016's Conjuring 2.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Conjuring Timeline 1976, 1977? (1979-1980)

I have run into my first dating controversy here. The movie and documentation online say this is taking place in 1977, but the movie's surroundings, Iron Lady Maggie on TV, and the Clash's "London Calling" put this more into 1979, but no later than 1980. It is based on The Enfield Case, which occurred between 1977 and 1979. The scenes with Ed, Lorraine, and Judy (who is still young here) take place in 1977, and they don't arrive in Enfield, London, until 1979 or so. Granted, I am only like 25 mins in, so this might all get explained to me later. Nope, an hour or so in Ed says it is 1977. 

The setup mirrors the first film: a struggling family, strange disturbances, and a spirit that won’t let go. This time, the Hodgson family is haunted by an old man who insists the house is his. Furniture moves, knocks echo through the walls, and young Janet Hodgson becomes the primary focus of the entity’s wrath. The Warrens (again, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) arrive to help, but soon realize something darker is at play. The setup mirrors the first film: a struggling family, strange disturbances, and a spirit that won’t let go. This time, the Hodgson family is haunted by an old man who insists the house is his. Furniture moves, knocks echo through the walls, and young Janet Hodgson becomes the primary focus of the entity’s wrath. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) arrive to help, but soon realize something darker is at play, namely our old friend Valak, the demon nun who would go on to terrify audiences in her own spinoffs, OR, if you are like me, watched first.

What makes The Conjuring 2 work is its confidence. Wan knows exactly how to stage a scare by this point, and he stretches them out like a conductor building a symphony. The “crooked man” sequence feels like something pulled straight out of a nightmare, while Valak’s appearances, especially the painting scene, are among the most iconic moments in modern horror. There is a reason these movies work so well, and this is just one of them.

But what really elevates the film is the heart. The Hodgsons are sympathetic, not just victims, and the Warrens are portrayed with warmth and sincerity. The scene of Ed singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to lighten the family’s spirits is pure magic; it’s the kind of character beat that makes the horror matter more because you want these people to survive. I am not sure if the real Ed and Lorraine could sing, but Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga certainly do. Patrick Wilson did a duet with Ghost's Tobias Forge covering the goth-rock "Stay" by Shakespears Sister. Vera Farmiga is also the lead in her own goth-metal band, "The Yagas."

I would like to give a special shout-out to the young Madison Wolfe in her dual roles as Janet Hodgson, who is fantastic as both the innocent Janet and the demon-possessed Janet. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are excellent as always. Wilson also shows a lot more of his comedic side, which is rather great. When Wilson (as Ed) picks up the gigantic VHS camera and puts it on his shoulder and exclaims, "Wow, it is so light!" I laughed out loud.

Valak

While this is the official introduction of the demon nun Valak, it's not my introduction.  Though let's be honest, her introduction here is top-notch. As a horror monster, she is right up there. Maybe not Dracula or Frankenstein's monster, iconic, but I like her better than Jason or Leatherface.  Credit to actress Bonnie Aarons for portraying her with such malevolence.  Yes, I want more of her, but I also don't want her to overstay her welcome.

Occult D&D and NIGHT SHIFT

From a gamer’s perspective, The Conjuring 2 is a masterclass in escalation. Start with the simple poltergeist (moving furniture, knocking sounds), then layer in possession, then reveal that it’s all a smokescreen for a greater evil pulling the strings. That’s exactly how you’d structure a multi-session horror campaign: minor encounters building to the reveal of the true Big Bad. And Valak? She’s the perfect boss monster, introduced with just enough mystery to keep the table buzzing long after the game ends.

I am now disappointed I didn't include Valac in my Left Hand Path book.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 11
First Time Views: 9

Witchcraft Wednesday: Psychic Powers

 I have been going through my notes for my "Occult D&D" project and my list of potential movies to watch this October and they crossover at an interesting point.

Troubled Psychic Kids. 

I love the AD&D psionic system. Yes, I really do. But it is not without its problems. Ok. It has a lot of problems. I want a system that would allow me to do "Carrie" or "The Fury" or even "Scanners." Well. I don't have that yet. But I have started pencilling down ideas. Here is where I am at right now.

The Six Disciplines of the Mind

"The vulgar eye perceives magic where there is none. The vulgar mind dismisses the psychic because it is not magic. Yet to the trained investigator, these disciplines are neither miracle nor madness. They are the natural sciences of the unseen, awaiting only the patience to be catalogued."

 - Research Notes, Book I, Prof. Scott Elders

When I started sketching my ideas for Occult D&D, I wanted to treat psychic powers the same way I approached witches: something that feels like it could have sat on a hobby store shelf in 1986. These aren’t just mechanics; they’re the “folk science” of the strange, drawing from parapsychology, pulp fiction, and the endless debates of game tables where psionics were talked about but rarely used.

After sorting through decades of parapsychology claims, RPG precedents, and a few eldritch debates between Larina and Prof. Elders (yeah, characters argue in my head. It is worse than the tinnitus I have), I’ve settled on six core disciplines of the psychic arts… with a seventh, optional frontier discipline for those who dare.

Telepathy

The ability to communicate mind-to-mind, read surface thoughts, and in its higher expressions, dominate another’s will. Telepaths are the most feared of psychics, for no secret is safe.

Sub-powers: Empathy, Mind Link, Mental Domination.

Clairvoyance

The “second sight” of lore: perceiving hidden things, distant places, or future events. Often confused with prophecy, but rooted in the psychic’s own perception rather than divine revelation.

Sub-powers: ESP, Remote Viewing, Precognition.

Psychokinesis

The raw power of the mind over matter. From small acts of levitation to hurling objects across a battlefield, this is the most spectacular and physically demanding of disciplines.

Sub-powers: Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Kinetic Barriers.

Biopsionics

The mysterious link between mind and body. Practitioners can heal, alter their own form, or endure conditions no mortal should. It is whispered some can change shape entirely by thought alone.

Sub-powers: Psychic Healing, Trance, Body Control, Shape Alteration.

Mediumship

The spirit-bridge: channeling entities, communing with the dead, or casting one’s soul into the astral plane. In AD&D terms, this is where the occult and the psychic most clearly overlap.

Sub-powers: Astral Projection, Spirit Communication, Possession.

Precognition

Visions of things yet to come, sometimes crystal clear, more often symbolic and frustrating. True precogs are rare, and their gift is as much curse as blessing.

Sub-powers: Danger Sense, Probability Manipulation, Visionary Trance.

The Optional Seventh: Metapsionics

Where the others act upon mind, matter, or spirit, metapsionics acts upon psionics themselves. These rare gifts allow a psychic to alter the use of powers, dampen another’s talents, or amplify their own. Some say it is a discipline that shouldn’t exist at all, it is a loophole in reality’s design.

Sub-powers: Psionic Dampening, Psychic Harmonization, Probability Twisting.

--

None of this is written in stone, just in the pixels you see before you.

I also still need to figure out how psychic powers co-exist with witchcraft. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Late Night with the Devil (2023)

 Oh. Now this one was so good. I had been waiting to do this one for a bit, and it did not disappoint. 

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Late Night with the Devil (2023) is one of those movies that grabs you from the very start and doesn't let you go until the very end. It takes the form of a “lost” late-night talk show broadcast from Halloween night, 1977, and gradually descends into chaos, possession, and live-on-air damnation. It is rather great to be honest.

The always amazing David Dastmalchian gives the performance of his career (so far) as Jack Delroy, a talk show host desperate for ratings. He is part Carson and part Jerry Springer. His Halloween special promises seances, psychics, skeptics, and, of course, Lilly D'Abo, the young survivor of a Satanic cult. Played with equal amounts of innocence and horror by newcomer Ingrid Torelli. As the broadcast unfolds, things start to go very wrong. The brilliance of the film lies in its commitment to the format: the cheesy set, the awkward banter, and the canned applause, all slowly giving way to dread as the occult elements seep through the cracks. The cinematography is an art of its own. The on-set show, the backstage, the unfolding horror, all seen via a different lens.

What makes it work is the restraint. For most of its runtime, the horror is suggestive: a flicker on a monitor, a sound from offstage, a psychic’s nervous glance. Then, when the supernatural finally takes the stage, the gloves come off. By the finale, we’ve left the safety of “TV land" and "Standards and Practices” and plunged into something raw and terrifying.

Thematically, it hits a sweet spot. It’s about the start of the 70s Satanic Panic, the exploitation of trauma for entertainment, and the cost of ambition. But it never feels preachy, it’s too busy building atmosphere and keeping you glued to the screen. Dastmalchian is excellent, walking that fine line between smarmy showman and desperate man circling the drain.

There is no way this movie would have been as good as it was without the talents of David Dastmalchian. Though even then it would have been good. This one is my favorite movie of the challenge so far. 

NIGHT SHIFT

Found footage is a great tool. We saw this in "The Blair Witch" and now in "Late Night." Found footage of, well, anything, is a great hook. Found footage of demonic possession? That's a golden hook.

Occult D&D

This movie is the Occult era gift wrapped. It is the start of the modern occult era, so to speak, and everything I want to try to capture here. I love it.

 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 4
First Time Views: 3 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Demons (1985)

Again, this October Horror Movie Challenge, I am going "themeless." Well, not entirely themeless, I am going to hit some movies I have been wanting to see for a while. I am going to hit some movies with a strong occult themes to help with my Occult D&D ideas. And a lot of movies that are random picks. 

Tonight's movie is a bit of all the above. It was on my list, so when flipping through Tubi (Tubi is a GOLD MINE of old horror!) I figure, let's give it a go. 

Demons (1985)

One of the things about my Occult D&D project that I keep coming back too is I want it to feel like a book I would have been able to by in 1986. So in addition to reading all the Appendix N books, I am filling my brain full of events from the mid-1980s and horror movies that would have had an enfluence on my writing. Demons for 1985 seems to fit the bill well.

Some movies are subtle. "Demons" is not one of them. This Italian splatterfest from Lamberto Bava (with Dario Argento producing) is pure, unfiltered 1980s horror excess: neon lights, heavy metal, gore by the bucket, and a “plot” that’s basically just a vehicle to get from one outrageous set-piece to another. And you know what? It’s great. I love it. 

The story is simple: a group of people are invited to a special screening at a mysterious Berlin movie theater. During the film, a cursed mask displayed in the lobby starts turning viewers into ravenous demons. Soon, the audience is fighting for their lives as the theater itself becomes a trap, sealing them in with the growing horde. From there, it’s a descent into chaos, blood sprays, limbs fly, and at least one person rides a motorcycle through the aisles swinging a samurai sword while a metal soundtrack blasts in the background. It’s that kind of movie.

Gods, I love the 80s.

What I love about Demons is how it feels like watching someone’s horror RPG campaign go entirely off the rails in the best way. You start with a spooky hook (a cursed mask, a haunted theater), then unleash wave after wave of enemies until the players stop caring about logic and just lean into survival mode. It’s less about character development and more about whether you’re going to get your head ripped off before the next guitar riff kicks in. It FEELS like the Nightlife RPG or the way I like playing NIGHT SHIFT.

The effects are gloriously practical. The transformations are gooey, gross, and wonderful, faces bulge, teeth sprout, and eyes ooze in ways that would make even David Cronenberg nod in approval. The demons themselves are nasty, feral things, closer to zombies than elegant vampires, but with enough supernatural menace to keep them distinct. 

Of course, none of this makes a bit of sense if you think too hard about it. Why is the theater cursed? Who set it up? How does the mask work? Don’t worry about it. Demons isn’t here to answer questions. It’s here to drench the screen in gore while Claudio Simonetti’s score and a soundtrack full of 80s metal make sure your head keeps banging as the blood keeps flowing.

It has been years since I have seen this and I admit I got it all mixed up in my memories with other, similar movies, from the time.  Still, it was nice to come back to this one after so long. 

NIGHT SHIFT

If I were to drop this into a NIGHT SHIFT game, the Metropol Theater would be a perfect one-shot dungeon: a closed environment with escalating waves of monsters, random NPC allies turning into enemies, and no real “solution” except trying to survive until dawn (or until you blow the place to pieces). It’s survival horror at its most distilled.

Occult D&D & NIGHT SHIFT

Demons is not high art. It is not even low art. But I do love the 1980s, Lamberto Bava, and Dario Argento movies. Argento gave me a lot with his Mothers Trilogy, so I am not looking for a lot here except for atmosphere. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2025
Viewed: 3
First Time Views: 2

Witches of Appendix N: Poul Anderson

 It is the start of October and time for another foundational author for D&D from Gary's Appendix N. As always with this feature I am focusing on the witches presented in these tales.

Poul Anderson (1926-2001) is much better known for his Science Fiction tales, but he does have three (well, 2.5) fantasy stories on the Appendix N list, and two of these feature witches rather prominently: "Three Hearts and Three Lions" and "The Broken Sword."

I will take each in turn and also expand a little from "just witches" with these.

Three Hearts and Three Lions (1953)

Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions is already famous in D&D circles for giving us Law vs Chaos, the Swanmay, regenerating trolls, and even the proto-paladin in Holger Carlsen. But nestled amid the elves, trolls, and Moorcock-before-Moorcock cosmology is one of the first proper "witches" of Appendix N.

The unnamed witch of the forest hut is classic fairy-tale witchcraft: ugly, corrupt, but wielding real power. She brews potions, dabbles in deviltry, and represents the Chaos side of Anderson’s moral spectrum. Anderson clearly has one foot in the folkloric hag tradition; this witch could have walked right out of the Brothers Grimm, but her function in the story is thematic as much as narrative. She exists as a living symbol of the Chaos that Holger is pitted against, an incarnation of superstition and malice. While her interactions with Holger are not long, she is his first clue that magic, chaos, and evil are real, tangible things in the world/time.

Then there is Morgan Le Fey. She is Holger's former lover in a past life, and she is the main antagonist. She is a representative of the "Old Ways," the paganism of Europe, dying out in the face of rising Christianity. She is also representative of chaos, evil, and magic. Where the old hag is evil and ugly, Morgan Le Fey is evil and beautiful. Representing that evil does come in many guises and our hero needs to recognize that.

The battle is a parallel of the one Holger left in his time, World War II.

Both witches represent the two types of witches most often seen: the old Satanic Hag and the beautiful Pagan. Both, however, represent evil and mostly Chaos. 

The notion of Paganism/Old Ways versus Christianity is a recurring theme in Anderson's other significant Appendix N book.

The Broken Sword (1954/1971)

The Broken Sword gives us a much darker, more primal vision of witchcraft. 

Here we get another hag-witch who is close enough to the elves and trolls to have dealings with them, but is also very explicitly Satanic. She lives in a run-down cottage/hut, deals with the dark forces of evil, and has a talking rat familiar. Honestly, she could even be the same witch if so many years were not between them.

She also tempts our main antagonist, the Changeling Valgard, by glamouring herself into a beautiful woman. It is her desire for vengeance that sets the plot into motion. 

Like Three Hearts, the Witch, and she never is given a proper name, is a force of evil and chaos. Also like Three Hearts, the story centers around the battle between Pagans and Christianity, which Anderson casts here as Evil/Chaos vs Good/Law, respectively.

The elves and trolls of The Broken Sword are more similar to each other; both are forces of Chaos, for example, and an elf/troll child is a Changeling. Their magic is also described as akin to witchcraft ("witchsight" allows humans to see the world of faerie) and to the witchcraft the old hag employs. Many elves and trolls have "Warlocks" in their ranks.

Here, also, the big Pagans vs. Christians war takes a back seat to two warring factions of Pagans, the Elves/Faerie and the Trolls/Giants. The interaction our protagonist Valgard has with the displaced Faun is very telling. This area of England/British Isles is one of the last holdouts of the Pagan ways. 

The mixing of the various mythologies, Norse, Irish, Welsh, British, and Greek, is very D&D. 

That Last Half

I joked above, 2.5 books in Appendix N. The ".5" is "The High Crusade" which is more appropriately a Science Fiction or Science Fantasy novel. I didn't include it here because, simply, I have not read it. 

A Note About Trolls

Three Hearts and Three Lions is notable for giving us the "D&D Troll," but the ones in The Broken Sword are much more interesting. Yes, they are ugly and brutish, but they are also smarter, and while they have enough similarities to elves to produce offspring (with the help of magic), they are explicitly related to the Jotun of Norse myth. 

Closing Thoughts

Anderson gives us some compelling stories. While not explicitly set in the same world, they are also not not the same world. His epic war of Good vs. Evil, Law vs. Chaos, is something that rings loudly even today in all editions of D&D. His wars of Christians vs. Pagans ring loudly to me.

His witches are less characters and more caricatures at times, but this fits into the world view these books have: the witches are just pawns and tools. Even when they have agency, their fate is already predetermined.

The entire time I was reading The Broken Sword, I could not help but wonder why witches didn't play a more prominent role in the game. Of course, the reason is simple. I was reading this looking for witches and not the larger themes. Gary, I assume, read these and saw the cosmic battle of Law vs. Chaos.  

None of the witches in these two tales would make for good Player Characters. They would, however, make for great NPCs using the Dragon Magazine witch class. 

In the AD&D Player's Handbook, it is mentioned that the Druid class is the same as the pre-Christian (not Gary's words) druid that has survived to Medieval times. If this is the case then certainly other "pagans" have survived. The witches of Poul Anderson certainly could be among those numbers.  

Monstrous Mondays: Archangels

 I was looking for an idea to post today and saw that it was Michaelmas. Now I am not Catholic (I am not even a Christian, or a believer) but I thought this was a good excuse to round out my hierarchies of angels both for my Occult D&D project and for my Basic Bestiary.

A Word About My Basic Bestiary

This one is taking a bit. I am climbing the dual mountains of editing close to 400 monsters AND finding good art for them. I am funding the art myself, as I don't want to rely on crowdfunding for this. 

Angels

I have talked about the various angels and related creatures in my games before. 

• Monstrous Mondays: Angels
• Monstrous Mondays: The Agathós (and other Angels)
• Monstrous Mondays: Starchild (Occult D&D)

What I want to do is create groupings of various good-aligned outsiders (Celestials) and assign them hierarchies similar to those found in the lower planes. Angels, then, are the Lawful Good-aligned Celestials. 

The trick has been finding the right way to group them all, figure out the hierarchies as the Medieval scholars would have classified them, AND (and maybe the most important) find something that works well for the games I play.

The Archangels

The generals of Heaven's armies are the seven Archangels. While some scholars equate an archangel to a particular layer of the Seven Heavens, this is not really the case.  Of these seven, St. Michael is considered to be their leader and the most powerful. 

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL
General of the Heavenly Hosts

FREQUENCY: Unique
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: –6
MOVE: 24”/36” (flying)
HIT DICE: 22 (231 hp)
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Special (holy relics only)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 (flaming Holy Avenger sword +6)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d12 + 12 (STR and magic bonuses) + 1d8 fire per hit +6d6 damage to the "unholy."
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Holy Word at will; spell-like abilities as a 22nd-level cleric; Voice of Authority (as Command on all evil within 60’, no save vs. 6 HD or less); Haste 3/day; may summon 2–20 angels once per day.
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better weapon to hit; immune to fire, lightning, charm, petrification, poison, death magic; regenerates 3 hp/round; 90% magic resistance.
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius (25)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Good
SIZE: Huge (9’–10’ tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: 350
— Attack/Defense Modes: All/All

“I have seen demons in their true forms, nightmare creatures born in dreams of madmen, and even sat in the galleries of a diabolic auction to bid back a mortal soul from the clutches of a Duke of Hell. I have faced things that should have unmade me, yet I walked away with laughter still on my lips.

But when Michael appeared, when the sky split as if dawn had come at midnight, my laughter died. I had thought devils horrific, but they are at least comprehensible: greedy, ambitious, vile. The Archangel is none of these things, and that is what made him terrifying. His presence was like a storm that judged the worth of every breath I had ever drawn. His eyes pierced every spell, every secret and lie I had cloaked myself in, and for a moment, I was naked in truth before the heavens. And he saw all. 

I confess, the most dreadful creature I have ever faced was not a demon or a devil or some abomination from beyond the veils of reality, but the Archangel himself. Not because he is cruel, but because he is absolute and just.”

- From the Journal of Larina Nix

Michael is one of the seven archangels and the greatest warrior among them. He appears as a towering, armored figure of radiant fire, bearing a great Holy Avenger that burns with divine light. His voice alone can turn entire legions of fiends.

When encountered, Michael is always on a mission of cosmic import, never idly wandering the planes. He may be summoned only by direct decree of the highest divine power. In battle, Michael is the equal and opposite of the greatest demon princes and arch-devils, such as Demogorgon or Asmodeus.

Michael is the war-leader of Heaven, the one who cast down Lucifer in the First Rebellion, and who wields the flaming sword at the threshold of Paradise. He is invoked in exorcisms, called upon as protector of the dying, and hailed as the angel of judgment. In many myths, Michael weighs the souls of the dead upon golden scales, determining whether they ascend or fall.

Unlike other celestials who guide, heal, or inspire, Michael exists to fight. His presence is a living reminder that the heavens themselves are not pacifistic, but hold a sword against the darkness. He embodies both the mercy of the divine and the implacable wrath of cosmic law.

The sword borne by Michael is no ordinary weapon, but a Holy Avenger of such potency that it channels his immense strength and divine fire together. Each strike inflicts 1d12 damage, to which both his +6 Strength bonus and +6 enchantment bonus are added, followed by an additional 1d8 points of searing flame. Against demons, devils, undead, and those faerie creatures which are inimical to Law and Good, the sword delivers an additional 6d6 points of radiant destruction. Few beings can withstand even a single blow.

Michael’s arsenal of powers extends beyond his martial prowess. He may utter a Holy Word at will, casting down evil beings as if by the decree of heaven itself. His Voice of Authority compels obedience in all creatures of non-good alignment within 60 feet, with no saving throw allowed for those of 6 hit dice or less. In battle, he moves with preternatural swiftness, able to Haste himself and his allies thrice per day, and once per day, he may summon an entire host of angels (2–20, of any order) to his side.

In defense, Michael is nearly unassailable. Only enchanted weapons of +2 or better may harm him. He is wholly immune to fire, lightning, charm, petrification, poison, and all death-dealing magics. His body regenerates 3 hit points per round even if dismembered or disintegrated, so long as a spark of his divine essence remains. In addition, he possesses a 90% magic resistance, rendering most spells against him useless.

To mortals, the sight of Michael is awe beyond bearing. His radiance is said to blind the unworthy, and even those of good heart find their voices stolen in his presence. Against him, demon princes falter, and arch-devils bow in bitter hatred.

Michael as a Patron of Celestial Warlocks

Unlike the dark bargains made with demons and devils, pacts with Archangel Michael are covenants rather than contracts. The warlock does not “steal” or “bind” power from him; instead, Michael bestows divine might upon the worthy as part of their service to the Cause of Law and Good. Such warlocks are sometimes called Knights of the Flame or Champions of the Dawn.

The requirements and duties of the Warlock of St. Michael are so strict that few can adhere to them. 

Requirements

Alignment: Lawful Good. Any deviation severs the pact.

Vows: The warlock must swear oaths of courage, protection of the innocent, and resistance to evil in all its forms. They may never knowingly ally with demons, devils, or the unseelie fae.

Service: At least once per year, the warlock must undertake a holy quest of Michael’s choosing (via vision, angelic messenger, or dream).

Gifts of Michael

Warlocks in covenant with Michael receive invocations suited to battle and the banishment of evil:

(Minimum level in parentheses.)

Radiant Smite (1st): Once per day per level, the warlock’s weapon shines with holy fire, dealing +1d6 radiant damage to undead, demons, devils, or evil faerie creatures.

Shield of the Host (3rd): The warlock may call upon angelic warding, granting them protection from evil 10’ radius for 1 turn once per day.

Voice of Command (5th): Once per day, the warlock may issue a single-word command (as the spell Command), affecting all evil creatures of 6 HD or less within 30’.

Flame of Michael (7th): The warlock may invoke Michael’s light, striking a foe with 3d6 holy fire (save vs. spells for half). Usable once per week.

Summon the Dawn (9th+): Once per month, the warlock may summon a single Agathós (Aurora, Astral, or Lunar) to aid them for 1 turn per caster level.

Drawbacks

Michael is implacable in judgment. Warlocks who deviate from his vows may find their powers withdrawn instantly. Should they betray their covenant or consort with the unholy, Michael himself may appear, not as a teacher, but as an executioner.