Witchcraft Wednesdays: Unearthing Arcana, 1985

 I am working on a new witch project. Shocking, I know. But this one is largely more of an experiment of sorts. It's a big one—or at least I am making it a big one. I have no idea when it will be released, but I have some plans for it that I'm pretty excited about. I should really refer to it as a project and not a book, I feel this will grow into something akin to my recent The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions project that also spawned The Witch Finder, Monstrous Maleficarum #4 - Lilith & the Lilim, and Myths & Monsters Vol. 3 - Lilith & Lilim; a whole series of related releases. 

As per my usual practice, I always go back to my research notes to ensure that I haven't missed anything or overlooked something that I really wanted to do but didn't fit in with the other books. When it comes to my research notes, I'm a bit of a packrat. I lost materials on failed floppies, dying hard drives, and just plain dumb luck, so I keep multiple copies of everything. Trust me, cheap storage has been the biggest quality of life improvement in my research since I first bought a computer for myself (in 1985) or got a library card (1977). 

As it turns out, 1985 keeps coming up for me. Part of my research involves re-reading, this time with a little more critical scrutiny, the first edition of Unearthed Arcana. I have re-read that, digging through this huge pile of notes and handwritten materials about games I played in 1985 (some of which will be headed into this new project). There are lots of forgotten treasures here. 

Memory is a funny thing.

I am a psychologist by training. My Master's Thesis was on memory, and my Ph.D. dissertation was on information processing systems. Pardon me while I turn introspective for a moment here, but it is jarring to see something you know you did or had some sort of effect on you, and you don't recall it. A lot of these notes are doing that to me now. 

Case in point. 

In another 1985 flashback, I stumbled on something I am not entirely sure how to quantify. Let me see if you, my loyal readers, have the same reaction that my oldest just had a few seconds ago. Who does this "Masters of the Universe" character remind you of? Not the Sorceress, her younger reflection. 

Red hair. Wrist guards. Magical powers. Wears a lot of purple. Blue eyes. Yeah, that looks like a younger version of my witch Larina. 

Needless to say, I was a bit stunned by this. I had totally forgotten about this episode, "Origin of the Sorceress," until I saw the picture, and then it all came back. I mean, the timing is right. This episode aired on September 23, 1985. I rolled up Larina in July 1986. 

Now, I wasn't a huge fan of Masters of the Universe, but my younger brother was, and I *know* I saw this episode. After seeing this image, I remembered it. I even borrowed the evil wizard Morgoth from this and combined him with the DC evil wizard Modru as a villain in my own games. "Morgru" can still be found in my notes.

There is no way this didn't influence me. Additionally, the Sorceress was the only character on the show, besides Evil-Lyn , that I liked. Yeah, I have a type. 

I didn’t create Larina so much as channel her. Looking back now, it’s like she stepped fully formed out of 1985, the red hair, the bracers, the purple, the attitude. Maybe she’s not of that year, but certainly from it. Keeping in mind that by this point, I had already worn out a copy of "The Wild Heart."

Teela Na or Larina? Lari Na?

Honestly, looking at this image is just so odd for me, jarring even. I feel neuron activation going on, but it's getting lost in the translation of the last four decades, like trying to remember where you got a scar. The evidence is there, but the details are fuzzy.

The episode was written by J. Michael Straczynski, the same as Babylon 5. It's not a great episode, but it was a cartoon for kids and an extended toy commercial at that. I remembered the Sorceress as having more power, but that says a lot more about me than it does about my clarity of memory.

What else was going on in 1985?

Keep in mind I didn't choose this date out of the blue. Ok, a little, but there was a lot going on in 1985 that I consider peak for my AD&D 1st Edition experiences.

Movies & TV

"Legend" hit the big screens with one of the best devil make-up effects to date; Tim Curry's Darkness. Not to mention Meg Mucklebones, who was very much like the Jenny Greenteeth that my mom used to scare all of us with when we were younger. 

"Return to Oz" was not a great movie, but it gave us Fairuza Balk as Dorothy and the recently departed Jean Marsh as Madame Mombi, one of the scariest witches in film. Marsh would later go on to give me, ok, us, Queen Bavmorda in Willow, and Morgaine/Morgan Le Fey in Doctor Who (one of three characters she played in Doctor Who over the decades). Ten years later, Fairuza Balk would enter witch royalty as Nancy Downs in "The Craft" and later open her own pagan-themed online store. With a small stop along the way as Mildred Hubble in "The Worst Witch." 

On TV "The Midnight Hour" ran. Not a great horror movie by any stretch, but damn... Shari Belafonte? Yeah, that was a good reason to tune in. I remember the soundtrack being pretty good. I think I should re-watch it. 

"The Third Eye" was on TV, I sorta remember it, but while I know it filtered into my consciousness, it didn't quite have the same impact as the young Teela Na from Masters of the Universe. 

If 1986 gave me Larina, my enduring witch, then 1985 set the stage. A stage already filled with adventures from Ravenloft, to exploring the multi-versal strangeness of Killian's Towers (that...is for another day) and more. My notes have entries for Healers, Necromancers, and Sun Priests. Now I can also add more notes on Riddle Masters and Star Adepts. It was a time great productivity. 

This project should feel like it could have sat on the shelf alongside Unearthed Arcana and other AD&D books circa 1985-6. I think I owe that to myself. 

Witches of Appendix N: Lin Carter

 In today's Witches of Appendix N, I want to dive into an author I have not read since my early college days. Back in 1987, I stumbled on a rare (for me at the time) treasure, a used bookstore! I began to hunt down all the books I had wanted to read that my home library did not have. I had not yet discovered that my new university library was the most extensive open-shelf library in the state of Illinois. So armed with my handwritten Appendix N list, and some others, I went on my first adventure. 

I found a Thongor book by Lin Carter and another one edited by him, Flashing Swords #4. I paid something like $2 for both. I read the Thongor book and I wasn't exactly impressed. Ok sure it was pulpy fun, but I think after nearly a decade of hype, I expected more. I don't know what happened to that book, but Flashing Swords #4 I kept and still have. It featured an introduction by Carter, which I found more interesting than his prose, as well as stories by Jack Vance, Poul Anderson, Katherine Kurtz, and Michael Moorcock.

The experience soured me on Carter for a long time. Which is too bad, really, because I was always a fan of Lemuria and tales about it. 

I recently decided to revisit Lin Carter and Lemuria (among other places) to see if his worlds feature any witches. I knew he had evil wizards galore, but I could remember any witches per se.

I am not going to focus on all his works; there is too much, and some of it falls outside of the "Appendix N" definition. So, for me, this means no sci-fi and only fantasy published before 1977. With one notable exception. Well...that and the cover above. But that is the only Lin Carter book I still have. 

Thongor and Lemurian Magic

When we turn to Lin Carter’s Thongor of Lemuria novels, we find a world absolutely steeped in magic, though, interestingly, witches themselves are mostly absent.

The lost continent of Lemuria is filled with sorcerers, necromancers, and cults devoted to dark gods. We have cities like Zaar, ruled by black magicians; the Priests of Yamath, calling upon the Dark Gods with forbidden rites; and the ancient Dragon Kings, reptilian overlords who wield both sorcery and advanced science. There are even the evil druids of Lemuria. Black Druids who try to emulate the Dragon Kings, Yellow Druids, the magician-priests who worship Yamath, and the Red Druids, magician-priests of the God, Slidith.

What’s striking, however, is that named witches or sorceresses are virtually nonexistent in Carter’s original Thongor novels. While plenty of pulp sorcerers fill the landscape, female magic-users are conspicuously rare. The closest we get comes much later, in Thongor and the Witch-Queen of Lemuria by Robert M. Price, written after Carter’s death. My notable exception.

Most of the wizards and other magic-users are evil. One exception is Sharajsha the Great. A mighty wizard of Lemuria and a friend of Thongor. His exploits with Thongor could be where I got the idea for my own "Starsword." 

In short, Lemuria is rich in dark sorcery, but witches, as we think of them, never truly walk its jungles and haunted cities.

Gondwane and Magic

When we move from Lemuria to the last continent of Gondwane, Lin Carter’s World's End series, we enter a far richer landscape for magic and witchcraft. The Thongor books were light on witches, but Gondwane is filled with decadent magicians, ancient traditions, and powerful sorcerers.

In The Enchantress of World's End (1975), we meet Zelmarine, Queen of Red Magic. While Carter never calls her a witch outright, she fully embodies the pulp sorceress archetype: beautiful, dangerous, and wielding real magical power. Zelmarine easily fits the "witch-equivalent" role I’ve seen in many other Appendix N works.

Zelmarine is not just a sorceress; she is also a temptress. So fairly typical of the genre. I do find her interesting in the sense that she is entirely red, skin, hair, eyes, teeth, the lot. She would make for a great witch. But, sadly, that is about all she has to offer us. Like many of Carter's characters, she is not much more than this. 

Gondwane itself teems with magicians, enchanters, and warlocks, far more than Thongor’s Lemuria ever did. Even some that are not 100% evil in nature, our Red Enchantress here. Carter blends elements of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth and Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique with his own brand of pulp world-building, creating a setting where elaborate magical schools and rivalries dominate a decaying world.

It's also worth noting that Carter introduces The Illusionist of Narelon, in The Warrior of World's End (1974), one book earlier. The Illusionist's presence may have contributed to Gygax's inclusion of the Illusionist class in the AD&D Player’s Handbook. At the very least, he reflects the kind of specialist magician that AD&D codifies soon after. Illusion magic was rarely featured in the pulps before this.

The Warrior of World's End (1974) also gave us the Vorpal Blade's use in an Appendix N source, obviously from its previous introduction in  Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. This is not the only thing Carter borrows from Carroll. Some of the names of lands and people seem to come right out of same font of nonsense words as does Jabberwocky. 

The Gondwane books are light and never seem to take themselves very seriously. The characters are less characters and more caricatures. Plus, after a bit, I grew tired of the exceptionally silly names. But hey, kudos to Carter for making his end-of-time world sound alien. 

I *can* see a lot of what is in these books making its way into AD&D and other writings. It could be the recency effect in his reading and writing. 

A good example is Deirdre, the cavalier of "Artifact of Evil," is more or less a grown-up version of Xarda, the "knightrix" of Jemmerdy. Deirdre is likely Gygax's homage to Xarda, either consciously or not. Or maybe both are homages to Red Sonja.

According the experts, Hoi and Jeff at the Appendix N Book Club, Lin Carter was a friend of Gygax's and it is very, very likely there was a lot of cross-pollination between his tales and D&D. 

Conclusion

Revisiting Lin Carter has been a mixed bag, a blend of nostalgia and reevaluation. While I came in search of witches, I found instead a patchwork of pulp sorcery, weird magic, and the unmistakable fingerprints of an author who, despite his flaws, helped shape the genre that shaped my youth. There may not be witches by name in Lemuria or Gondwane, not in the way I hoped, but Carter’s worlds still crackle with the kind of raw, chaotic magic that feels just a few pages away from something I’d drop into a campaign. In the end, it’s not always about what’s printed on the page; sometimes it’s about what might have been, or what could still be, with a little creative license.

The Witches of Appendix N: Edgar Rice Burroughs

 Today, let's take a look at one of the key authors from Appendix N: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Gygax himself lists him, citing the Pellucidar, Mars, and Venus series. Burroughs' influence on early D&D is evident in many aspects, including weird monsters, lost civilizations, Hollow Earth settings, and pulp action. But what about witches? Do we find any in his works?

Well… not really. But that absence is interesting in itself.

Where are Burroughs' Witches?

Burroughs doesn’t give us many witches in the traditional sense. No crones stirring cauldrons, no hags in the wilderness, and very few spellcasters as we'd recognize them. Instead, his worlds are filled with cults, priesthoods, ancient science, and psionics, powers adjacent to witchcraft, but rarely crossing the line.

Barsoom: Psychic Powers and Cults

The Barsoom novels (beginning with A Princess of Mars) give us a world rich with ancient cultures and bizarre religions. The white-robed Therns and black-skinned First Born present us with sinister religious orders, but their power lies in manipulation, deception, and lost technology rather than magic. The Lotharians use mental projection to summon phantom armies, an ability that feels more psionic than arcane.

Women like Dejah Thoris, Thuvia, and Tara are formidable, but not witches in a magical sense, or in any sense really. Barsoom lacks the archetype of the spellcasting sorceress; its dangers are physical, political, and technological.  

I will point out that the "goddess" Issus reminds me a lot of the Githyanki Lich-Queen Vlaakith.  Like the Barsoomians, the Githyanki are egg-laying humanoids. The Githzerai, in fact, remind me a lot of Therns and Lotharians. The Githzerai’s ascetic discipline echoes the mental control of the Lotharians and the secretive religious structure of the Therns.

Now I love the Barsoom books. They are great pulpy reads and a lot of fun. Squint and you can see the roots of both Dune and Star Wars here. Their morality is very much black & white. There are no shades of gray. Evil is Evil with a capital "E" and good is always righteous. 

Tarzan: Witch Doctors and Jungle Sorcery

The Tarzan novels get closer to something resembling witchcraft, featuring witch doctors, shamans, and tribal magicians. These characters, as filtered through Burroughs’ colonialist lens, often serve as either dangerous manipulators or comic foils. Occasionally, they seem to exhibit powers that might be called magical, curses, rituals, spirit summoning, but most of the time it's left ambiguous whether their abilities are real or elaborate fakery.

In D&D terms, you might think of them as hedge witches, low-level druids, or non-player character wise men with access to rituals and charms.

Pellucidar and Venus: Weird Science Over Sorcery

In Pellucidar (Hollow Earth) and Amtor (Venus), we again see lost civilizations, bizarre creatures, and strange cults. But again, no true witches. The high priests and priestesses here serve more as political or religious authorities than practitioners of magic. Burroughs always leans toward "lost science" as an explanation for the strange phenomena of these worlds.

I enjoyed the Pellucidar series quite a lot, the Venus ones less so. No reason really, I just think the Venus ones paled in comparison to the Mars tales.

Why No Witches?

Burroughs was far more interested in physical adventure than in metaphysical horror or occult mystery. His heroes battle monsters, topple tyrants, and rescue lost princesses, but they rarely confront dark sorcery or the supernatural. It is possible that he was more of a product of early 20th-century American Rationalism. However, this was also a time of unprecedented expansion in claims of the supernatural, the emergence of new religions, and spiritualism. To be more blunt, ERB just wasn't into that. Perhaps it had something to do with his Military father and his Chicago upbringing, as well as his move west to Idaho as a young man. 

Where Howard or Leiber fill their worlds with sinister witches and warlocks, Burroughs replaces that with forbidden science, hypnotic mental powers, and decaying civilizations clinging to ancient secrets.

Nothing at all wrong with Weird Science. The pulp serial reels of movie houses were filled with them. I would argue that he was one of the driving forces behind the pulp serials of the 1930s and 40s. Same two-fisted action, same blend of heroes, damsels in distress, and lots of strange science. John Carter is the godfather of Commander Cody as much as he is of Luke Skywalker. This is even more evident in the Tarzan movies.

Conclusion

Though witches are virtually absent in Burroughs' works, his settings offer plenty of material for pretty much anything else you can do in D&D. His influence on D&D is undeniable, but primarily through setting and adventure rather than through magic systems. 

Adaptation

Ok, just because ERB doesn't have any sort of magic in his Barsoom books, that doesn't mean I am not going to use them. 

I have always been fascinated with Mars. Either reading about the planet or looking up at it through my old telescope, Mars is fascinating. ERB has his Barsoom tales, Clark Ashton Smith had his tales, and lets not forget H.G. Wells. Mars is a place I keep wanting to go back to. I'll have to expand this thread more.

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The new Daggerheart Warlock

 So a bit of a treat. Commenter Mike Wevanne, replied to my post from Friday about Daggerheart, to let me know there is an official Playtest section, The Void, and that there was a new playtest class, the Warlock. 

From the Daggerheart Void page:

WARLOCK CLASS

Those who’ve traded their lives, or perhaps even their souls, to an otherworldly Patron in exchange for incredible power are known as Warlocks. Often, these mortals are at a point of desperation that leads them to such a sacrifice—to protect themselves or a loved one, aid their community, seek vengeance, increase their status, or otherwise further their ambitions. 

PLAYTEST TWO NEW SUBCLASSES:

PACT OF THE ENDLESS & PACT TO THE WRATHFUL

What is interesting to me is the introduction of a new domain, "Dread." This opens up numerous opportunities in the game. 

I was working on the "Fearless Five" last night for posting today, I am going to move that one off a bit now to digest this. I need to stat up a Warlock.

So far, Daggerheart has given me a "witch" I like in the Sorcerer. I also like the Wizard and Druid. It will be interesting to see what I can do with all of these classes.

For the moment, I am happy to keep Larina as a Sorcerer/Wizard multiclass, and Skylla (spoilers) as a Wizard.  Maybe I'll redo Nik Nak as a warlock. The "increase their status" works for him.

Looking forward to trying this out.

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Heqate, Queen of Heka and the Crossroads Eternal

 I am working on my next Myths & Monsters series, this time on the Ptolemaic Myths of the combined Greek and Egyptian pantheons of the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt. While the poster children for these myths are Serapis and Hermes Trismegistus, I want to focus on a goddess who is, as far as I know, fairly unique.

While I am leaning heavily on academic scholarship here for this one, that only takes me so far. And in truth, if I am going to come up with my syncretic god here, it might as well be a Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic. 

Thankfully, one such goddess sprang, fully formed like Athena, from my mind. Or very nearly fully formed. 

Heqate, Queen of Heka and the Crossroads Eternal

This Wednesday, I want to return to the Ptolemaic Myths specifically, to the goddess known as Heqate (formerly Heka here), the Witch Queen of the Two Lands and the living embodiment of heka. This is not simply Hecate with great eyeliner, nor Heqet with a torch and dogs, nor even a distaff Heka or a Greek Weret Hekau. This is a syncretic goddess of magic, liminality, birth-life-death-rebirth, and arcane will, forged where Greek moon sorcery meets Egyptian divine speech.

If you've ever wanted to play a moonlit necromancer-priestess, a midwife-witch who communes with ghosts, or a seer whose scrolls bleed truth, this is your goddess. 

Heqate: The Torchbearer of the Threshold

In older Greek traditions, Hecate was already something liminal, goddess of the crossroads, of the moon, of ghosts, and witchcraft. And, of death, the ultimate threshold. In Egypt, the frog-headed Heqet presided over childbirth, resurrection, and divine protection in the womb and tomb alike. Add to this the Egyptian concept of heka (lower case, not the god Heka), not magic as trickery, but as cosmic creative force, and Weret Hekau, the Egyptian personification of supernatural powers, you get something entirely new. 

In the Ptolemaic imagination, these figures blur into one divine presence:

Heqate, the Queen of Witches, the Scribe of Names, the Midwife of Magic.

• She carries torches of silver flame, revealing the paths between life and death and rebirth.
• She speaks true names, unraveling illusions, enchantments, and lies.
• She presides over birthing chambers and funerary rites, the first breath and the last silence.
• Her voice is heka, and her will becomes ritual law.

The Three Faces of the Liminal Witch

Followers of Heqate often describe her as having three aspects (I can't resist a good Maiden-Mother-Crone tri-aspect):

• The Maiden of Moonlight – Patron of seers, dreamers, and witches-in-training. She guards hidden knowledge and initiations.
• The Mother of Torches – Midwife and ward-breaker. She protects the soul at its most vulnerable.
• The Crone of Ash and Word – Keeper of forbidden names and the judgment of oaths. Her word is binding.

Temples and covens devoted to her often use three altars—one facing the door, one the hearth, and one a mirror.

Final Thoughts

Heqate isn’t just a rebranding. She’s a bridge goddess, walking between systems, just as witches walk between divine and arcane, mortal and otherworld, life and death. She offers you a chance to center magic not as firepower, but as language, ritual, and transformation.

The Ptolemies ruled over Egypt as Greek-speaking elites, and their greatest symbol wasn’t a weapon or a crown, it was a library. The Great Library of Alexandria was the beating heart of the Ptolemaic worldview: knowledge as power, preservation as control, language as law.

If Hermes Trismegistus is the figurehead of recorded wisdom, the scholar-priest who catalogues and measures, then Heqate is the figurehead of forbidden wisdom and occult knowledge, the whispered name, the unwritten charm, the scroll burned before it can be copied. She is the sorcerous opposite to Hermes’ alchemical order, not in opposition, but in complement. They are a cosmic argument between forms of knowing.

Do they oppose each other? Perhaps. No more than witches and wizards clash in how they practice magic. Perhaps this ancient rivalry echoes across the ages, playing out in coven and tower, scroll and staff, moon and mercury.

In any case, it is certainly a fun way to set up a god rivalry between wizards and witches in your worlds. 

And if I am being honest. She would have great eyeliner and wear an ankh as a necklace. 

Witchcraft Wednesdays: The Archwitch

Photo by Ferdinand Studio

 Working on a new project. It should be pretty obvious, but I will wait for the full announcement. Among some of the features of this new project is the notion of "Advanced Classes." You have already seen these kinds of classes before. They are the Bard (PHB), Thief-Acrobat, the Archdruid (UA), and the Wizards of High Sorcery from the Dragonlance Adventures book. 

Mine, however, are all occult-based. I have already been play-testing a couple of them, some for a while, but today's is brand new. Based quite honestly on a dream I had Monday night/Tuesday morning. Though, the idea of the class has been running around my head for many years now.

Presently, I have four of these Advanced Classes worked out. Three for Witches and one for Magic-users.  I am toying around with about three-four others for other Advanced-era Classes/Sub-classes. 

ARCHWITCH

Advanced Class for Witches

The Archwitch is the culmination of a witch's arcane and spiritual mastery. Unlike common witches who deepen their craft through occult rites, the Archwitch transcends the circle, walking the border between witchcraft and wizardry. She gains insight into the deepest mysteries of magic and the cosmos, weaving both witch spells and high arcana into her grimoire. Figures such as Iggwilv, The Simbul, and Sagarassi exemplify this path. While many label them as mere magic-users, their roots lie firmly in the traditions of the witch.

Only those witches who have proven themselves through trial, wisdom, and power may take on the mantle of the Archwitch. This path is rare, and most witches never reach such heights.

Requirements

To become an Archwitch, a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 7th level.
• Have an Intelligence of 17 or higher.
• Complete a Great Working, an act of magical significance witnessed by their Patron or coven. Examples include banishing a demon lord, opening or sealing a planar gate, the construction of a powerful magic item or new spell or ritual, or binding a major spirit.
• Be acknowledged as an Archwitch by their Patron or a gathering of at least three witches of 7th level or higher.

Restrictions

The character ceases to gain new Occult Powers granted to witches at levels 7, 13, and 19. These are replaced by Archwitch abilities.

Spellcasting

The Archwitch retains her full Witch spellcasting progression.

In addition, starting at Archwitch level 7, the Archwitch may select one Magic-User spell per spell level, beginning with 5th level magic-user spells and advancing with her own level. These are treated as bonus spells known, castable once per day each, and are cast using her own spells cast per day.

At level 11, the Archwitch gains the ability to cast one 9th-level Magic-User spell per day, chosen from a written copy in her Book of Shadows or from a scroll. This simulates her mastery of the highest arcane knowledge.

Note: There will be spell advancement tables for magic-user spells 1 through 9.

Archwitch Abilities

Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7): Once per day, the Archwitch may combine two spells of 4th level or lower into a single casting. The casting time is doubled and both material components must be used. The effects occur simultaneously but must be directed at the same target or area.

Arcane Communion (gained at level 9): Once per week, the Archwitch may enter a trance to commune directly with her Patron or a cosmic force, gaining insight similar to the Commune spell. Additionally, she becomes immune to confusion and feeblemind effects.

Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11): The Archwitch may cast a 9th-level Magic-User spell once per day, provided she has access to the spell in a written form. This spell does not count against her daily limit of learned Magic-User spells. This ability reflects her transcendence of mortal limitations and entry into the ranks of true arcane legends.

Role and Influence

The Archwitch is no longer bound to any single coven, though she may lead one. Her word carries power in the witching world. She is often sought for advice, feared by enemies, and respected by peers. Her Patron may grant visions or quests of great import. In some traditions, the appearance of an Archwitch heralds the turning of an age.

Only a handful of witches per century achieve this status. Their names are remembered in spellbooks and whispered in ritual.

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

The Archwitch continues to use the Witch's experience table, attack matrix, and saving throws.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

The Archwitch path is only open to single-classed Witches. Dual-classed characters must complete all level requirements before entry. Elves and other multi-classed races may not become Archwitches unless the campaign permits exceptions.

Optional Rule – Ritual Ascension: At the DM's discretion, the transition to Archwitch may require an in-game ritual, quest, or magical confrontation. This may include astral travel, defeating a rival Archwitch, or recovering a lost grimoire.

Witchcraft Wednesday: The Ecneics Wand

 I am sure if you have spent any time on the internet, you have seen a meme that has had you scratching your head in utter confusion. This is one of those times. 

Now, to be fair. This looks like someone was having a bit of a laugh. "Satin," "Syantasts," yeah you should read this and naturally think that no one is going to believe that.

Well. You would be wrong.

I have seen people sharing this unironically and even posting stuff like "I have read about ecneics..." or my favorite "I have done my research into ecneics..." The fuck you have.

So if they can have their laugh, so can I.

The Ecneics Wand

Wondrous Item

In the hands of a Left-Hand Path, Mara, or a Pagan witch, this wand can be used to focus their spell casting, granting a +2 penalty to saving throws against that witch's spells. If the target of the spell is a Lawful (good) Cleric, then the penalty is +3.

Additionally, any magic circles created by the Ecneics Wand also grants an appropriate ± 2 or ± 10% bonus where appropriate to the witch or ±2/10% penalty to anyone needing to save vs spells due to the witch's magic. This is particularly helpful when used to summon demons, devils or other spirits.

There is a Greater Ecneics Wand that in addition to above powers can also summon a Lithobolia once per day. 

Witch Finders can recognize the Ecneics Wand on sight and will act accordingly.

 

Witchcraft Wednesday: The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions

 Tonight is Walpurgis Night. Witches fly to their sabbats on the Brocken to drink, dance, and make pacts with the devils and demons. It is a night of evil revelries and will not end until the cock crows at the first light of dawn. 

Sounds like a party! 

Sounds like the perfect day to release my long-awaited The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions.

The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions

Evil!

“Live ... Deliciously.”

There are creatures out there, beyond reality, beyond understanding. 

Mortal kind fear them. Clerics of law and light preach against them. Holy warriors fight against them.

Witches and warlocks seek them out for power over all!

Inside, you will find the witches and warlocks of the Left Hand Path.

• Four witchcraft Traditions
• Three warlock Lodges.
• Evil options for other classes.
• 400 witch and warlock spells. Including 40 witchcraft Rituals.
• 55+ warlock invocations.
• 130 demonic monsters, including Dæmons, Demons, Devils, Eodemons, Lilim, and Yaoguai.
• New magic Items.

Fully compatible with other witch books from The Other Side.

--

At 188 pages, this is my largest witch tradition book. 

It is also, as far as I can tell, the most complete collection of demons, devils, and other creatures from the lower planes for any "Basic-era" book.

There is a print version on the way. I have no end of troubles with Affinity Pro. Basically if I could have done something wrong in my set up, I did. Hope to get it sorted out today.

Until then, Happy Walpurgis Night and Joyous Beltane! 

Witchcraft Wednesday: Deborah "Elf Star" and Mistress Frost for the Left Hand Path Witch

 Last week I re-introduced two NPC Witches from my Left Hand Path Witch & Warlock book; Rhiannon and Briana Highstar.  Today I want to feature two more. Warlocks I think many of you already know. Deborah "Elf Star" and Mistress Frost.

Deborah “Elf Star”

"I used the Mind Bondage spell on my father!"

Warlock Level 8
Patron: Akelarre
Alignment: Chaos (Chaotic Evil)

STR: 10 +0
INT: 13 +1
WIS: 14 +1
DEX: 15 +2
CON: 15 +2
CHA: 16 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11
Petrification/Polymorph: 11
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12
Breath Weapon: 14
Spells: 13
Single Save: 13

AC: 7
HP: 30
To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: None

Invocations

Arcane Blast, Beast Speech, Bewitching Whispers, Eldritch Sight, Sign of Ill Omen

Spells

First Level: Allure, Charm Person, Hypnotism
Second Level: Blur, Dark Whispers, Mind Obscure
Third Level: Dark Omen, Fly
Fourth Level: Mind Bondage

Deborah was a young student of Mistress Frost’s school. Frost saw potential in Deborah above and beyond her classmates. She introduced Deborah, now renamed Elf Star, to her Warlock lodge, where they honored the Demon Lord Akelarre.

Akelarre has rewarded Elf Star with power, particularly power over others in the form of charms and mind control. 

Elf Star plans to grow in power and control all the people who wronged her in her young life.

Mistress Frost

"Don't be stupid, Debbie!"

Warlock Level 18
Patron: Akelarre
Alignment: Chaos (Chaotic Evil)

STR: 11 +0

INT: 16 +2

WIS: 14 +2

DEX: 15 +2

CON: 15 +2

CHA: 18 +3 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11

Petrification/Polymorph: 11

Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12

Breath Weapon: 14

Spells: 13

Single Save: 13

AC: 7

HP: 30

To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)

To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger

Armor: None

Invocations

Arcane Blast, Beast Speech, Bewitching Whispers, Eldritch Sight, Eye of Algol, Minion of Chaos, Sign of Ill Omen, Threefold Curse, Unholy Regeneration

Spells

First Level: Allure, Charm Person, Command, Hypnotism, Make Poppet, Vigor

Second Level: Agony, Cackle, Cause Light Wounds, Dark Whispers, Mind Obscure

Third Level: Aura Sight, Cauldron of Rage, Chaotic Mind, Dark Omen, Undetectable Lie

Fourth Level: Abjure, Cause Serious Wounds, Mind Bondage, Witch's Cradle
Fifth Level: Break Enchantment, Enslave, Mind Fog, Steal Youth

Mistress Frost is in charge of recruiting new members to the worship of the Demon Lord Akelarre. To secure Deborah's involvement and attachment to the cult she had already sacrificed her friend Black Leaf to ensure Deborah had no other attachments. 

Mistress Frost's ultimate plan is to give Elf Star to Akelarre as a bride to secure even more power for herself. 

--

I am not sure old Jack would approve, but I like them!

Coming next week, Walpurgis Night.

*OGL Section 15: COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Character Clip Art & Color Customizing Studio Copyright 2002, Elmore Productions, Inc.; Authors Larry Elmore and Ken Whitman, Art and illustrations by Larry Elmore.

Witchcraft Wednesday: The "Return" of Rhiannon and Briana Highstar

 A special Witchcraft Wednesday today. But really, aren't they all special in their own way?

Working on the final layout of my Left Hand Path book AND prepping my Weekly Forgotten Realms games with my oldest; I figure I'd do them both in one posting today.

All my Basic-era witch books have similar features. The Witch and/or Warlock classes, new Traditions, new spells, new monsters, new magic items, and new NPCs to drop into your games. I was thinking about the NPCs I have now ready to go; Babylon, Debbie "Elf Star", and her coven leader, Ms. Frost. 

But I needed one or two more. While playing last week, I figured I would start to introduce some of Grenda's NPCs to my Forgotten Realms game. That thought led right to Briana, and then that lead right to including her in the Left Hand Path book since she was already a witch of Mephistopheles. She just didn't fit, she belongs in this book. If I am going to include Briana, I might as well include Rhiannon as well.

I am using AD&D 1st Ed stats for them in my games, but will include their Diabolic Witch Basic-era Stats in my book.

So, here they are. Briana Highstar and Rhiannon. I am not sure how they interact with each other (even if they will) but I am going to have a good time finding out. 

Briana Highstar
Human Female

Witch Level 4
Diabolic Tradition
Patron: Mephistopheles
Alignment: Chaos (Lawful Evil)

STR: 12 +0
INT: 15 +1
WIS: 17 +2
DEX: 16 +2
CON: 13 +1
CHA: 17 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 13
Petrification/Polymorph: 13
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 14
Breath Weapon: 16
Spells: 15
Single Save: 15

AC: 7
HP: 19
To Hit AC 0: 20 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +0 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger
Armor: None

Occult Powers
Familiar: Cat 

Spells
First Level: Charm Person, Spirit Dart
Second Level: Burning Gaze, Grasp of the Endless War

Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 136 lbs

Rhiannon
Human Female

Witch Level 8
Malefic Tradition
Patron: Ereshkigal
Alignment: Chaos (Neutral Evil)

STR: 11 +0
INT: 17 +2
WIS: 17 +2
DEX: 16 +2
CON: 15 +2
CHA: 16 +2 (+10% XP)

Death/Poison: 11
Petrification/Polymorph: 11
Rod, Staff, Wands, or Device: 12
Breath Weapon: 14
Spells: 13
Single Save: 13

AC: 5
HP: 36
To Hit AC 0: 18 (Descending AC)
To Hit Bonus: +2 (Ascending AC)

Weapon: Dagger of Venom
Armor: Leather

Occult Powers
Familiar: Mourning Dove
Minor: Impure Touch

Spells
First Level: Charm Person, Chill of Death, Touch of Suggestion
Second Level: Beastform, Disfiguring Touch, Protective Penumbra
Third Level: Bestow Curse, Bleed for Your Master
Fourth Level: Fangs of the Strix

Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 114 lbs

--

I am happy with these two. I am looking forward to seeing how they progress in the adventures and their life in my Left Hand Path Book.

I don't know yet if these two know each other. But I do know that Rhiannon knows Larina. They began in the same coven, but they went their separate ways. Rhiannon will be my excuse to do an "evil Larina" which will be kinda fun, really.

OGL Section 15: COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Character Clip Art & Color Customizing Studio Copyright 2002, Elmore Productions, Inc.; Authors Larry Elmore and Ken Whitman, Art and illustrations by Larry Elmore.

Witchcraft Wednesday: Left Hand Path work and more Moria

 The Left Hand Path is moving on a good pace, not as far as I wanted to be right now, but I can live with that. I did want to show off another bit of new art for the book.

That's how it appears in the book. I'll add the artists names when I am doing laying out. I might tweak the page a bit, but you get the right idea. 

Here is a closeup.

The artist is Bill Blue, and you can see more of his art on his site.

Last night I wrapped up the first adventure for my 1357 DR Forgotten Realms campaign. As a GMPC, Moria only gets a fraction of the XP earned, so she has not leveled up yet. My oldest bought some HeroForge minis for some of his characters. I joked with him about it asking are you sure you want to spend money on minis, the characters could be dead before they get here! He said it was fine since a couple of characters in the group are based on characters he has going in other games, so they will get use. Wonder where he got that from?

Of course, I had to make a mini of Moria and Mesphito Fleas. Shout out to Pun Isaac for sending me suggestions for her mini!

 I am not going to buy a mini of her for the same reasons I told my son not buy his minis, she might be dead before they come in the mail! Maybe I'll just buy the STL and print here at home.

Yeah, she still only had 4hp and three spells (using my Advanced rules), but Fleas did kill a goblin last night by biting it. So maybe her chances are not so bad after all. 

We started adventure C3 The Lost Islands of Castanamir last night. I decided that Castanamir was a Red Wizard of Thay, but broke away from them to continue his own esoteric research.  This is one of the adventures I got from the Grenda Collection, so it is fun to use. 

There is a room with two thieves, Doblin and Joblo (really??). Well, I misread the entry and thought those were the names of the Leprechauns. When Liam got to the room where the thieves were, I didn't have names for them. That's OK, it was Duchess & Candella to the rescue! They were looting investigating a wizard's tower in Glantri when they got pulled in here. Obviously Castanmir was seeking advice from the wizards in Glantri with help for his tower. 

I am going to certainly be bringing them back as comic relief. I said they don't really fit in the Realms, but who am I kidding? They fit everywhere!

Speaking of reoccurring characters. I am certainly going to be using Grenda's Briana Highstar as an antagonist. They are not ready to meet her yet. I know she is an enemy to "balance," but she also serves Mephistopheles. She could even start out as ally. I don't know yet. I will see how it plays out.

I already have a mini for her!

This one is labeled as "Black Robed Mage of High Sorcery" so that works great for me. She also looks she is wearing a feathered cloak of some sort. 

This will be fun!

Witchcraft Wednesday: Introducing Moria Zami, Part 2

 Late post? Yeah, I was playing AD&D with my son until the wee hours of the morning! I have not done that in a bit. We are playing again tonight (this morning) when he gets home from work. We are going to finish up his first (playing) Forgotten Realms adventure.

Moria went over GREAT! I already love this character and I am playing her like Sabrina Morningstar (not Spellman, yes there is a difference) from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.  Her mother is a witch, that I know, her father is a devil and a pretty powerful one, but I don't know who he is yet.

I am looking forward to finding out.

The Sabrina Spellman/Morningstar analogy is good here. Little Moria here will turn quite evil, maybe even the "Big Bad" of the series. Given who I thought the Big Bad was (Orcus), I have some ideas on who her father might be. But...I am going to hold this a little closer to my chest while I figure out how that might work out. I will say this, he is a Duke if not an Archduke. But Moria doesn't know this yet either. 

I have put a mark on certain spells on her sheet that cause her to dip a little closer to evil. She speaks infernal, and her eyes go all black. The characters know something is up with her, but the paladin of the group says she is not evil.  Liam told me I should build her in BG3, not knowing yet who she is. I told him "yeah, I oughta do that."

Since this is a one-on-one game, he is playing a lot of characters, and it is very likely that they won't all make it. I am looking forward to that as well. 

She has a familiar, a hellhound disguised as a Pug/Chihuahua mix (a "Chug?" a "Pihuahua?"). It is a lame excuse for me to finally use "Mephisto Fleas" for a familiar name.  And he is an odd looking mutt.

 

No idea if he will go full Hellhound yet. But I am sure he has it in him. In the meantime, he is just a rat-mutt. 

Witchcraft Wednesday: Trese (2021)

 I just watched the Netflix series Trese. I really, really enjoyed it—more so than I was expecting to. 

I also watched a documentary about the show, which increased my appreciation.

The show focuses on the magic detective Alexandra Trese. She was inspired by detectives like Constantine and Fox Mulder and based on Filipino myths and legends.  

My knowledge of Filipino myths is, well, not great. Maybe better than most, but certainly by no means great. But this show does not penalize people for not knowing. The story-telling and animation are so rich and evocative that you are brought along for the ride. 

The documentary covers not just the monsters featured in the anime (and the comic) but also the locations in Manila. Also nearly everyone involved in the show was Filipino which is rather cool.  Also, they tend to refer to characters with AD&D alignments which was fun.

Of course, there is the big question about Alexandra Trese. Is she a witch? Well, she does use magic; she is the 6th child of a 6th child. She is also a healer and the representative of humans to the supernatural world. She even has a ritual dagger. Plus, she wears all black, her hairstyle reminds me of devil horns, and her name, "Trese," means "Thirteen" in Filipino. 

While it is not an anime per se (it is Filipino, not Japanese), it does have a solid Witch Hunter Robin vibe to it.

Now I need to check out the comics for it. 

Of course, it would be perfect to build for NIGHT SHIFT. Alexandra could be better suited as a Chosen One with some spell-casting ability. 

Witchcraft Wednesday: The Witches of Scotland Tartan

 This came across my feed today. A new tartan pattern has been unveiled to memorialize those who suffered due to The Witchcraft Act 1563 to 1736 in Scotland. 

It looks like anyone can wear it, but you can only make things out of the pattern with the permission of the Witches of Scotland. 

I am currently reading "The History of Witchcraft" by Delores E. Wren, and I am reminded anew of the horrors people are willing to commit in the name of their religion. So seeing something like this and the group asking for an official apology is a good start.

Not sure if I'll get any art of witches wearing this, but that would be fun.

Links

• Witches of Scotland, https://www.witchesofscotland.com/
• Instagram page
• The Scottish Register of Tartans, https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=14651
• See the New Tartan Pattern Created to Honor Women Accused of Witchcraft in Scotland Between 1563 and 1736, Smithsonian magazine. 

Witchcraft Wednesday: More Witches on TV

 This past week, I finished a couple of newer witch-related TV shows. One was because we watched it all, and the other was because I just couldn't finish it. Both were based on popular books.

A Discovery of Witches

This was the treatment of Deborah Harkness's books. I read book 1 and book 2 some time back and had issues with them, enough that I avoided the series until now. But my wife wanted to watch it, and who am I to say no? 

Well. I am happy to report that the series was much better than the books. A lot of what annoyed me about the books was lessened or done differently when it hit the small screen. Diana Bishop was much more assertive in this, and any issues she had with being uncertain about the world of "creatures" were just that: uncertainty about a world she had chosen not to participate in not because she deflected to Matthew all the time. She even showed off some power which was nice. 

The casting was good, really, with Alex Kingston as a constant favorite. Matthew Goode performed well as the vampire Matthew Clairmont, making him much more interesting than he was on the page. Teresa Palmer was good as the witch Diana, though often I felt the script worked against the part she was trying to play. There were moments when the Diana I wanted to see came out. But maybe my expectations were out of line. Swedish actress Malin Buska was Finnish witch Satu Järvinen, who got a much larger role in television. Honestly, I wanted a lot more of her. Even Emily gets better treatment here, even though she still dies in the end of Season 2/Book 2. But it was not an empty, off stage death like it was in the books.

They made a little more sense of the time travel aspects, which is good, cause the book made zero sense. Still the rules of Diana's Time-Walking are a bit fuzzy.

I can't judge how well the story in Season 3 stuck to the events in Book 3, but it was much better than expected series. It also was nice to watch a series with a proper beginning, middle, and end. 

It was produced by Doctor Who's Bad Wolf Studio, which also gave us the televised version of "His Dark Materials" (for more great witch moments). Netflix described it as "Outlander meets Twilight," and that is fair. 

All in all, it was enjoyable and redeemed the books in my mind. I mean, I am not going back to re-read them, but the bad after-taste is gone.

Mayfair Witches

I really, really, REALLY wanted to enjoy this one. The AMC version of "Interview with a Vampire" has been great even with, or maybe because of, the changes. And I loved Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches books. Well...the first two anyway. And I adore Alexandra Daddario, who I still hope will get to play Zatanna one day soon.

But this show is a train wreck. Ok, the casting is great really. Harry Hamlin is brilliant as Cortland Mayfair, Beth Grant gave us a Carlotta Mayfair you both want to hate and understand at the same time. 

But there are just so many places where this show doesn't fall short; it falls right on its face.

Lasher is just annoying. Not the evil pervasive influence in the lives of the Mayfairs, but more like a stalker boyfriend or that ghost Beverly Crusher was having sex with in Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

And where the hell is Michael Curry? Some other characters are missing or seem to be merged with others. For example, Ciprien Grieve seems to be a combination between Aaron Lightner and Michael Curry. 

There is also a fair share of "idiot plot" here, the characters, who should be smarter than this, doing stupid things. 

I am not sure how far I am in this one, but I am ready to bail. I mean it has been 25+ years since I read these books, maybe my opinion of them could be less favorable now, but the series is just not great. 

Netflix still has a few more witch series I can check out, maybe one of the European ones I should check out.

Honorable (??) mention, Tidelands

Ok. I am slightly embarrassed to admit this one. 

Described as "beautiful garbage" by IMDB it is really an excuse to watch attractive Australian people run around without any clothes on. It deals with a group of people known as "Tidelanders" who are the offspring of sirens. They have a drug smuggling operation to fund their Queen's (Elsa Pataky) search for an ancient Sumerian (sure why not) clay horn that summons sirens (their mothers) and maybe destroys all the men in world? or Humans? Not clear. There is a rogue Tidelander, Cal aka Caliope (Charlotte Best), who spent 10 years in jail for a murder her human mother set her up for. She is really a powerful Tidelander and her brother (full human) sells all the drugs. 

Cal takes a lot of showers, a lot of baths, has sex with a lot of people and learns that the Queen wants her dead. 

The series ends on a cliffhanger and that was from 2018. Though given the lifespan of Tidelanders Season 2 could take place 10 from now. 

Why mention it? Well, it came up on my suggested watching and I was done with Mayfair Witches. My wife and binged watched the whole thing just to see how bad it would be. Spoiler it was bad. But like I said beautiful garbage. 

Maybe I should go back to watching questionable and dubious documentaries on Tubi.

Use in NIGHT SHIFT

I think I have done witches in NIGHT SHIFT, but the idea of Tidelanders, or more specifically the offspring of sirens or mermaids, has not been done by me.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch

Daughters of Tiamat

I'll take the Sumerian horn seriously for a minute and say that these half-sirens are offspring of the ancient Goddess Tiamat. Back when she was spawning monsters to fight the new Gods, one of her creatures was the Siren. Their role was to seduce and kill Tiamat's enemies. They also worshipped Dagon, but their ancestry is from Tiamat.

Sirens (full or half) gain the following abilities.

Saving Throws: Sirens gain +3 to Toughness Saving throws. This increases by +1 per 3 levels (3, 6, 9, etc.)

Ability Bonus: Sirens gain +1 to Strength and +1 to Toughness. This may raise their abilities above 20.

Sea Adapted: Sirens can breathe air or water with equal ease. Full-blooded sirens adapt quickly, while half-sirens need one round to fully adapt to breathing the new element. Additionally, Sirens can see in darker depths and withstand the pressures of deep-sea life.

Charming Voice: Sirens can charm as per the spell. Once per day per the number of character levels the siren has.

Slow Aging: Sirens age slower than humans to age of about 300 years. Subject to their Feed (below).

The Feed: Sirens must return to the water, particularly the oceans or seas, or they will begin to lose their abilities and age like humans. Abilities are lost at random for each month, whether the half-siren is land-bound or each day, the full-blooded siren is.

Many sirens also believe that they must lure a human to the water to drown. In truth, they are compelled to do so, and they do derive pleasure from the act, but it is not required to keep their powers. 

Witchcraft Wednesday: Larina Nix and Skylla for Lands of Adventure

A while back I picked up the classic RPG, Lands of Adventure. While it is fair to say the game is not great, there is something about it I can't quite put my finger on that I love. Is it the  Bill Willingham art? Is it Lee Gold's attention to historical detail, even when the details are wrong? Ok, to be fair, some these details may not have been "wrong" when she was writing. But she is certainly good at building an interesting world.

No. I don't know what it is, but given this is my year to try out more (and different) fantasy RPGs, I owe it at least to myself to try this game out.  It will not replace *D&D on anyone's table today. But for a moment, let me pretend it is 1983. I'll put on K-Tel's CHART ACTION '83 and work on some characters!

Character Creation

This is the most tedious process of this game, really. The rules for playing are largely pretty simple. However, I do admit that I am really in the mood for a complicated character-creation process today. 

For this I'll start with the Lands of Adventure core rules and make adaptations based on the Culture Packs I have. I will do my two favorite witches, Larina and Skylla, for Medieval England and Ancient Greece, respectively. If I had had the other proposed Culture Packs I would have tried something for them as well. 

The game has 11 (yes, eleven) primary stats, but of those, only four are purely random. The others are often the averages of the others with some more randomness added in.  You can roll the d20 or d10 as needed, OR you can allocate 110 + 2d10 points among the 11 characteristics. 

The minimum score is 1, and the max is 20. 

Piety is also important and has it's own means of calculation, but to get that, I'll need some skills for the characters. Skills can also increase other stats.

This game also has three different "Hit Point" pools; Energy Points (EP), Body Points (BP), and Life Points (LP). Damage affects them differently, but none should be 0.

Skills are a roll-under mechanic of percentages, with 5% (96-00) always as a fumble. To roll 10% under your skill is a maximum or flawless success. There are 10 Skill categories and their base scores are based on a Major Characteristic and Minor Characteristics. So for example MAG (Magic) is TAL (Talent)/2 and then squared + INT (Intelligence).  Unlike some games, height and weight have mechanical effects on how fast you can move and how much you can carry respectively.

You have as many skills as you do PRU, the max you can have in any skill area at the start of the game is 10% of the skill area score. Given that this are also not starting characters I will use the options for Prior Experience Points to buff up some skills and spells.

Spells are an odd mix to be honest. I am not sure what would be right to choose since I am not 100% certain of all the game effects. But I can say that the magic section does feel like it is bolted onto this system and there are bits of game-design bondo and duct-tape holding it together. Not that this can't be fun, AD&D did it for decades. 

For Larina and Skylla here, I am certainly aiming to give them a witch-like background. Turns out that is pretty easy to do with this game. The Ancient Greece Culture Pack has the Pelasgians who are characterized as worshipping a Maiden-Mother-Crone Moon Goddess from the belief that older civilizations were more Matriarchal than Patriarchal. Following in the same logic, or even from the same logic, in the Medieval England Culture Pack, Gold lists Margaret Murray's now discredited "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe" as part of the suggested reading. I say "discredited," but I still use the central thesis in my own game writing for my books. Hey. I am writing about witches, not an academic anthropological treatise.  Though given Gold's inclusion of Murray, I would also have gone with Jane Harrison for Ancient Greece and Jessie Weston for Medieval England for a trifecta of Late Victorian/Early 20th Century independent women scholars.

Makes my choice of witches to stat up for this game even more appropriate. 

Larina Nix

Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 125 lbs (light frame)

Culture/Religion: Medieval England/The Old Faith
Piety: 6

CRF (Craft): 12            DEX (Dexterity): 12
TAL (Talent): 18          VCE (Voice): 19
INT (Intelligence): 16  PRU (Prudence): 14
APP (Appearance): 18 AGY (Agility): 12
STR (Strength): 10       CON (Constitution): 10
CHA (Charisma): 19   

COM (Communication): 52%
KNW (Knowledge): 44%
MAG (Magic): 97%
MAN (Manipulation): 32%
MIR (Miracle Working): 99%
MOV (Movement): 28%
OBS (Observation): 36%
PER (Persuasion): 55%
Melee: 16%
Missile 26%

Local KNW: 144%
General KNW: 84%

Non-Combat Specialized Skills
Reporting Accurately (Com), Legend Lore (Knw), Medical/Herb Lore (Knw), Astronomy/Astrology (Knw), Languages Speak (Knw) (English, French, Celtic)

Specialized Spell Skills
Stop Behaviors (Compulsion) PL 5, 10x10, 5 rounds, 1, 200 ft.
Energy Shield (Energy) PL 3, 10x10, 5 rounds, 1, 10 ft.
Energy Bolt (Energy) PL 4, 10x10, 1 round, 1, 200 ft.
Enchantment (Enchantment) PL 6, 10x10, 30 min, 1, 10 ft.
Darkness (Illusion) PL 5, 30x30, 5 rounds, 1, 10 ft.

EP: 36
BP: 12
LP: 10

Weapons: Dagger, Staff

Armor: None
Shield: None

Free Load: 60lbs

--

Skylla

Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130 lbs (average frame)

Culture/Religion: Ancient Greece/Moon Mother
Piety: 4

CRF (Craft): 12            DEX (Dexterity): 11
TAL (Talent): 16          VCE (Voice): 14
INT (Intelligence): 14  PRU (Prudence): 10
APP (Appearance): 14 AGY (Agility): 12
STR (Strength): 9        CON (Constitution): 10
CHA (Charisma): 17   

COM (Communication): 37%
KNW (Knowledge): 34%
MAG (Magic): 78%
MAN (Manipulation): 29%
MIR (Miracle Working): 80%
MOV (Movement): 23%
OBS (Observation): 36%
PER (Persuasion): 42%
Melee: 22%
Missile 24%

Local KNW: 134%
General KNW: 74%

Non-Combat Specialized Skills
Lying (Com), Legend Lore (Knw), Medical/Herb Lore (Knw) x2, Astronomy/Astrology (Knw), Languages Speak (Knw) (Greek, Egyptian)

Specialized Spell Skills
Stop Behaviors (Compulsion) PL 5, 10x10, 5 rounds, 1, 200 ft.
Energy Bolt (Energy) PL 4, 10x10, 1 round, 1, 200 ft.
Enchantment (Enchantment) PL 6, 10x10, 30 min, 1, 10 ft.

EP: 31
BP: 13
LP: 10

Weapons: Dagger, Staff

Armor: None
Shield: None

Free Load: 65lbs

--

Ok. There is a lot here and even more that I didn't do. These are better than starting characters, certainly, but not 100% reflective of stats for them I have posted in the past. For the Point Allocation method, Larina has 160 points (30 above max) and Skylla has 137 points (7 above max). 

Magic is an odd affair, mostly using the "Spells on the fly" method. I could explore it more IF I ever choose to play this game. But I have enough here for now.

A few interesting quirks. The Culture Packs give a lot more detail to the characters, BUT you should have them next to you when you develop the characters. Skylla, for example, ended up having the Goddess Athena in her maternal line and thus added to some of her stats. Not sure how a virgin goddess was able to do that, but ok. Skylla gained an extra Herbalism skill as well. Larina had a mystical encounter. Since I was recently re-reading her 4th Edition D&D stats, I am going to say she saw a unicorn when she was a little girl. 

This game is rich in atmosphere, but the system itself leaves a little to be desired. Maybe I am just used to simpler systems now or unified mechanics. I do admit I am still very happy I have this game and I will likely come back to it.