Fantasy Fridays: Larina for Advanced Witches & Warlocks

Advanced Witches & Warlocks by Eugene Jaworski

 I have spent the better part of this week talking about my witch character, Larina. Mostly about where she has been and who she has been. Today I want to share the next Larina. A little bit like the cameo of the 12th Doctor in "Day of the Doctor." Is this the same witch as my Dragon #114 Larina or the AD&D 2nd Ed Larina? Yes. And maybe. 

Advanced Witches & Warlocks

I wanted to be much further along on this than I am right now. I have been picking at it for a number of years. In truth, as soon as I finished my Basic Witch book. But OSRIC had not caught on like Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy, or later on Old-School Essentials. But I kept at it, testing different ideas. Some of those ended up in other books, others got cut from drafts altogether, but the documents remained. I also had plenty of notes left over from other versions of my witch classes. Things I wrote, but never could get to work the way I wanted them to. Case in point: today's meta-topic. 

Advanced Classes

One of the ideas I introduce in AW&W is that of Advanced Classes. The examples were already there; the Thief-Acrobat, the Hierophant Druid, even the Bard to a degree. These are classes that start with one of the base classes and then move on to a specialization. I mean, I could have called them Specialist classes, but I like the sound of Advanced Classes. AW&W introduces three Advanced classes: the Archwitch, the Witch Priestess, and the Witch Queen. Each offers the witch something different. 

In playtests, it became clear that, with the restrictions I built in, the advanced classes were less powerful than the base class. To remedy this, I made some changes to spells and swapped out expanded spell lists at the cost of occult powers. Though there is the option to choose some occult powers later on, they are usually one of a choice of options. 

Of course, as you have all seen from my posts this week, this is exactly the sort of thing I use Larina for. In-game, and in my own history with her, she starts out as a witch but typically becomes more "faithful" and religious. She isn't just a witch, but a witch priestess in function. Now she can be that in form as well.

"Larina" by Djinn

I dabbled with the idea of making her a 13th-level witch and a 7th-level Witch Priestess. Taking the Witch Priestess levels later on, but in truth the differences were very minor save for choices of occult powers or other powers. The big difference is the choice of spells. Of course that also didn't track with the rules I wrote, but hey, sometimes my rules are not right, and I need to tweak them. In this case, though, my rules will stand. 

In this new book, there are spells common to every witch. There are other spells if the witch takes an advanced class, and there are spells unique to their tradition. So no two witches ever need to be alike in terms of the magic they have. This is less revolutionary and more evolutionary. We will see this with schools of magic and spheres of divine influence in AD&D 2nd edition, and we saw it in the Dragonlance Adventures book for the Schools of High Sorcery in AD&D 1st edition. This is just the logical middle ground between those two design choices. 

Traditions

Presently, the new traditions I am putting into this new book are The Atlantean Tradition, The Daughters of Baba Yaga, The Followers of Aradia, The High Order, and The Scaled Sisterhood. I am considering a sixth, but I want to work on it some more before I do. Five is a better number.

Each of these is considered to be "Higher" witchcraft. While many are depicted as older (Atlantean, Daughters of Baba Yaga, and Followers of Aradia), they set themselves above what they consider to be simple Hedge Witchcraft.

I suppose though that the Followers of Aradia *could* just be another type of Pagan witchcraft. Certainly their roots are there. I am still hashing that one out. Maybe Aradia is just the Witch Queen of the Pagan Tradition and not a Patron herself. 

See. Still work to do.

Larina Nix, Witch Queen of the High Witchcraft Tradition

Larina Nix, Witch Queen of the High Witchcraft Tradition

30th level Human Witch, Lawful Neutral
(7th level witch, 13th level Witch Priestess, 10th level Witch Queen)
Tradition: High Order Witchcraft

Secondary Skill: Translator (+1 language)

S: 10
I: 18
W: 18
D: 11
C: 11
Ch: 18

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: -1 (Bracers AC 1, Amulet of Protection +2)
HP: 66
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Dagger +1
Staff +3, Staff of the Witch Queen

Familiar: White flying cat ("Cotton-ball")

Languages: Common, Lawful Neutral, Supernal, Elven, Draconic, Celestial, Infernal, Dwarven, Undercommon, Goblin

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Circle of Warding (+2 to spell saves)
13th level (Witch Priestess/Divine Favor): Secret Formula* (one 4th level or below spell is always prepared)

19th level (Witch Queen/Occult Eminence): Witch’s Focus

Witch Priestess Powers
Divine Favor (Healing Hands, Nature’s Wrath, Invoke the Ancients, Occult Insight), Sacred Coven, Charge of the Goddess, Drawing Down the Moon.

Witch Queen Powers
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminence, A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Mantle of Sovereignty, Ninth Level Spells (5)

Spells
Cantrips: Clean, Dark Flame, Mend, Occult Mark
First level: Arcane Dart, Charm Person, Command, Faerie Fire, Glamour, Häxen Talons, Moonlight Veil, Sanctuary, Speak with Animals, Unseen Servant, Ceremony (Ritual)
Second level: Augury, Bless, I Told the Crows Your Name, Magic Broom, Mirror of the Self, Misty Step, Penny for Your Thoughts, Share My Pain, Sister to the Dark Ones, Spiritual Hammer (Witch's Hammer), Warding Circle
Third level: Call Lightning, Cauldron Sight, Circle of Rue and Iron, Curse of Withering, Eldritch Enchantment, Fey Bargain, Larina’s Eldritch Caress, Magic Circle, Power Word (Command), Tongues*
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Coven Gate, Divination, Elemental Armor, Larina's Witchfire, Lunar Winds, Protection from Evil (10' radius), Scrying, Soul Snare
Fifth level: Circle of Sevenfold Flame, Coven's Might, Power Word (Pain), Speak with Hidden Folk, Two Places At Once, Witch Gate, Larina’s Word Beyond the Veil (Ritual)
Sixth level: Aspect of the Crone (Crone of Death), Blessings of The Morrigan (Greater), Guardians of the Watchtowers, Heal, Mind Fortress, Word of Return
Seventh level: Speak with the World Soul, Storm of Crows, Witch's Writ of Binding, Wave of Mutilation
Eighth level: Coven Eternal, Larina's Liberum Libre, Ritual of the Closed Veil (Ritual)
Ninth level: Bind Soul, Command the Coven, Power Word (Kill), Rewrite the Name, Seal the Gate

Theme Song: Night Bird and If Anyone Falls

Larina is a High Order witch. These occult scholars combine Arcane, Divine, and Occult practices into one esoteric philosophy. She has always honored the Triple Moon Goddess, and it was her introduction to the craft, but her "learning" of witchcraft began in a more academic way.  

I debated whether her advanced class should be Witch Priestess or Archwitch, and there are really good arguments for both. Archwitch had the advantage of sounding cool and reflecting her origins as a Magic-user, but in the end I went with Witch Priestess because it better reflected how she had been played over the years. She always stood in for a cleric in many of my games. If given the choice between what is optimal and what sounds better for the character in my head, I will always go with the character-serving option. 

So her start was in the High Order due to her academic bent and the learning she did from books at the magic school library. As she progresses in her witchcraft, she becomes increasingly spiritual and takes up the Witch Priestess advanced class. 

Larina the Witch Queen

I am also giving out some spoilers for spell names like "Circle of Rue and Iron," "Lunar Winds," "Coven Eternal," and a personal favorite, "I Told the Crows Your Name." 

There will also be a few more Secondary Skills. Larina is a translator because of her gift for languages. Alchemist or Herbalist might have been the more meta-game choices, but I am playing her as a character here, not a min-maxing experiment. 

Her stats were what I rolled back then. I had three 18s, something like a 1-in-12,340 chance using the 4d6 drop-the-lowest method, and I knew the dice were telling me to do something special with her. Aside: I wonder what happened to the other characters I rolled up that day? I NEVER rolled up just one; it was always a group. I have the ones from right before (rolled up for my birthday game) and the ones after, including my next attempt at a healer. I wish I had kept those "classmates" or even "near Larinas." Somewhere in that lost stack might have been another character I would still be talking about forty years later. I did find her ex-husband and one of my other drow characters who apparently hated her. They were from my birthday game back in June of 1986, though. 

AD&D Characters from the 1980s and early 1990s

It seems rather fitting to me that Larina, who was featured as a 6-year-old witch girl in my first-ever publication, would go on to be the witch queen of my next *D&D-compatible witch book.

It only took me 40 years.

Character Creation Challenge: Day 31, The Simbul Witch Queen of the High Witchcraft Tradition

There are only a few characters created by others in this game that I can say I absolutely adore. Feiya is one, so is Iggwilv. And The Simbul, aka Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand, is another. As I said before, Ed Greenwood's obvious love for this character in his writing pulled me into this character, and I love her. I love her power, her madness, and her obvious tragedy. She is great, and I could not wait to add her to my games. Of course, I had to put my own spin on her.

The Simbul is often misunderstood because people take her madness at face value. They see chaos, volatility, and emotional extremity and assume a lack of control. That is a mistake. The Simbul is not mad because she is weak. She is mad because she is too strong for the structures that attempt to contain her.

Unlike Iggwilv, who burns down identities and walks away, Alassra remains. She stays. She binds herself to place, to people, to purpose. Aglarond is not merely her realm; it is her anchor, her sanctuary. Her madness is the pressure of power that refuses to dissipate. Where other archmages retreat into towers, demiplanes, or abstraction, The Simbul holds the line in the world itself.

This is the essential difference between High Witchcraft and the more solitary or liminal traditions. High Witchcraft is not about secrecy or withdrawal. It is about standing openly in the storm of magic and daring the world to endure you. The Simbul does not hide her power, nor does she soften it for the comfort of others. She bleeds magic. She leaks prophecy. She burns bridges even as she protects them.

"Do NOT presume to lecture me, Larina Nix, envoy of Baba Yaga or not."

- Alassra Silverhand, The Simbul

Her relationship to the Seven Sisters is equally telling. They are reflections of Mystra’s will, but Alassra is the one who most visibly suffers for it. She is not the most restrained, nor the most diplomatic, nor the most serene. She is the one who feels everything. That emotional intensity is not incidental. It is the price she pays for channeling magic on a scale that would unmake lesser beings.

If Iggwilv represents the witch who refuses all masters, then The Simbul represents the witch who accepts a burden no one else can carry and survives it anyway.

Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand "The Simbul"
31st level Human Arch Witch/Witch Queen (21/10), Neutral
Tradition: High Witchcraft

Secondary Skill: Initiate

S: 14
I: 18
W: 15
D: 18
C: 16
Ch: 19

Paralysis/Poison: 2
Petrify/Polymorph: 2  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 2
Breath Weapon: 4
Spells: 3

AC:  -2 (Bracers of Protection +3, Cord of Protection +2, Ring of Protection +3, Dex 18 -4)

HP: 78
THAC0: 8

Weapon
Dagger +1 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Familiar Spirit

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Witch Vision (see magic, invisible) 

Archwitch Powers: Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7), Arcane Communion (gained at level 9), Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11). 

Witch Queen Powers: Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Witch's Blessing), A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Ninth Level Spells (5)

Spells
Cantrips: Arcane Mark, Daze, Mote of Light, Object Reading, Open,
First level: Analgesia, Bar the Way, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Eldritch Fire (Silverfire), Glamour, Mend Minor Wounds
Second level: Arcane Disruption, Agony, Alter Self, Continual Flame, Dweomerfire, ESP, Evil Eye, Web 
Third level: Bestow Curse, Clairsentience, Control Winds, Danger Sense, Dispel Magic, Fly, Lightning Bolt
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Ball Lightning, Divination, Polymorph Others, Polymorph Self, Remove Curse
Fifth level: Break Enchantment, Maelstrom, Sending, Ward of Magic 
Sixth level: Analyze Dweomer, Greater Scry, Mislead, Rain of Fire
Seventh level: Astral Spell, Chain Lightning, Greater Teleport 
Eighth level: Eye of the Storm, I Am The Fire, Storm of Vengeance, 
Ninth level: Foresight, Imprisonment, Seal the Gate, Power Word Kill, Shapechange

Theme Song: Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

The Simbul occupies a rare and precarious position. She is both an Arch Witch and a Witch Queen, but she is not defined by conquest, hierarchy, or cult. Her authority is not derived from dominion over other witches, but from presence. When The Simbul acts, reality pays attention. When she speaks, even the gods listen carefully.

She is best used in a campaign not as a quest-giver or antagonist, but as a force of nature given human form. The Simbul does not maneuver behind the scenes. She erupts. She intervenes. She is not a gentle breeze; she is a storm, she is a hurricane. 

She makes decisions that reshape the magical landscape, then lives with the consequences, in full view of the world. Player characters who encounter her should feel small, not because she belittles them, but because she reminds them of the scale at which magic can truly operate.

Yet, for all her terrifying capability, there is a deep sadness at the heart of Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand. She has given up the possibility of an ordinary life, not for ambition, but for necessity. She endures so that others may not have to. That sacrifice is what elevates her from a powerful spellcaster to a Witch Queen in the truest sense.

I am not sure what I feel about her canonical death. While I do not pretend for a moment that any Witch Queen should live forever, her end feels strangely hollow to me. Yes, she died doing something entirely in character, but the framing feels uncomfortably refrigeratory, reducing a complex, volatile, deeply loved figure to a moment of narrative utility rather than culmination.

In my games, she sacrifices herself, yes, but not in that way. It is her magic and her sanity that are consumed, burned away to seal what could not otherwise be contained. Alassra lives, but she is vastly diminished. The storm has passed, and what remains is the woman who stood at its center.

I like to think that in this state, Elminster keeps her hidden and protected, not as a guardian of the realm, but as a dear and close friend who refuses to let her story end in silence. He works without rest to restore what was lost, knowing full well that success is uncertain. Whether she will ever return as the Simbul the world knew is unclear. But she is alive. 

And for a Witch Queen, that matters.

Where Iggwilv survives by changing, and others by ruling, The Simbul survives by being remembered, even when she can no longer remember herself.

And that's another 31 Day Character Challenge!

Character Creation Challenge: Day 30, Iggwilv Witch Queen of the Demonic Tradition

 I rather love Iggwilv. 

There is a quote attributed to her that I think is spot on. "I can't remember the number of times I have burned everything to the ground and started over." It captures her well I think. From the girl Natasha to Natasha the Dark, to Tasha, to Tashanna, to Hura, Iggwilv, and now? Zyblina. I see no contradictions here. Witches are fluid, liminal creatures, and witch queens more so. 

Iggwilv has never been a creature of stasis, either in her world or ours. She does not cling to names, crowns, or even worlds. She sheds them. Each incarnation is not a disguise so much as a molting, a deliberate abandonment of what no longer serves her. Where other archmages obsess over legacy and continuity, Iggwilv embraces rupture. Reinvention is not a failure state for her, it is a strategy.

This is what separates her from the traditional wizard archetype and places her squarely in the lineage of witch queens. Wizards accumulate. Witches transform. Iggwilv understands that power calcifies if it is not periodically broken down and reforged. When she burns everything to the ground, it is not an act of petulance or nihilism. It is pruning. It is alchemy. 

There is also a deeply witchy pragmatism to her infamous dealings with demons. Iggwilv is not a supplicant, nor is she a true believer. She does not worship, and she does not kneel. Demons are tools, dangers, lovers, rivals, and sometimes mirrors, but never masters. Her greatest victories over fiends were not won through brute force or righteous opposition, but through understanding their nature better than they understood themselves. 

The Demonic Tradition she embodies is not about corruption for its own sake, but about sovereignty. To bind a demon is to assert that no cosmic hierarchy is absolute, that even Hell has rules that can be learned, exploited, and rewritten. She is part of the Demonic Tradition because she knows demons, she can gain power from them, and not let it harm herself. Well. Most times.

If Baba Yaga is the archetypal Witch Mother, eternal and terrible, then Iggwilv is the Witch Daughter who refused to remain in her shadow. She learned everything she could, then walked away.

Iggwilv
30th level Human Arch Witch/Witch Queen (20/10), Chaotic Neutral (Evil)
Tradition: Demonic (formerly Daughters of Baba Yaga)

Secondary Skill: Scribe

S: 10
I: 20
W: 17
D: 21
C: 19
Ch: 22

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: -10 (leather armor +4, Bracers of Defense +3, Ring of Protection +5, Dex 21 -4, Tastchti's Mark -2)
HP: 66
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Dagger +1 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Quasit, "Black Comet"

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Touch of Evil

Archwitch Powers: Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7), Arcane Communion (gained at level 9), Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11). 

Witch Queen Powers: Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Polymorph Other), A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Ninth Level Spells (5)

Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Arcane Mark, Chill, Daze, Ghost Sound, Summon Vermin
First level: Bad Luck, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Darkness, Fey Sight, Ghostly Slashing, Glamour, Protection from Spirits, Silver Tongue
Second level: Agony, Biting Blade, Discord, Enthrall, Evil Eye, Invisibility, Mind Obscure, Phantasmal Spirit, Tasha's Hideous Laughter (Ritual)
Third level: Astral Sense, Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feral Spirit, Ghost Ward, Toad Mind, Witch Writing
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Divination, Intangible Cloak of Shadows, Phantom Lacerations, Spiritual Dagger, Tears of the Banshee, Withering Touch
Fifth level:  Break Enchantment, Enslave, Greater Command, Magic Jar, Witch Box
Sixth level: Anchoring Rite, Anti-Magic Shell, Break the Spirit, Dismissal (Ritual)
Seventh level: Banishment, Draw Forth the Soul, Forbidding
Eighth level: Astral Projection, Gate, Trap the Soul
Ninth level: Bind Soul, Foresight, Imprisonment, Seal the Gate, Power Word Kill,

Theme Song: I Hate Myself for Loving You

What makes Iggwilv compelling is not that she is powerful, but that she is unfinished. Or more to the point, ever-changing and ever-growing. Even now, even under yet another name like Zybilna, she is still becoming. A Witch Queen is not a static end-state like lichdom or apotheosis. It is a road, and Iggwilv has walked it forward, backward, and sideways across multiple realities.

For a campaign, Iggwilv should never be a simple antagonist. She is an event. An inflection point. Crossing paths with her should permanently alter the trajectory of a story, even if swords are never drawn and spells are never exchanged. She might teach, betray, ignore, manipulate, or save the party, but she will never do so for their sake alone. There is always a larger calculus at work.

And yet, for all her monstrous reputation, there remains something profoundly mortal at her core. She still loves, still hates, still remembers. Her many names are not masks to hide emptiness, but scars that prove she has survived herself over and over again.

That may be her greatest magic of all.

Character Creation Challenge: Day 29, Kersy Witch Queen of the Atlantean Tradition

Kersy is a wonderful character. Bruce Heard, her creator, admits she is basically a Circe stand-in, but I saw her as something else. I have to admit, when I saw Vanessa Williams in ads for the 1997 TV mini-series "The Odyssey," I thought, "Now that is great casting for Circe!" Sadly, I got it wrong: she was cast as Calypso, and Bernadette Peters as Circe. But it stuck with me. So when I came back to D&D in the 2000s and encountered Kersy, I already knew what she looked like. She looked like 1990s Vanessa Williams. 

Kersy has an interesting character beyond her origins as a Circe stand-in. She is introduced in the D&D Masters-level module M1 Into the Maelstrom. She is using her human guise as a 30th-level Magic-user, and she is the ruler of the Island of Turkeys.  If you are thinking she sounds a lot like Circe and her Island of Pigs then you are correct. Doing some deeper research into Kersy gives me a stranger tale. Over at the Vaults of Pandius, they have expanded on her background a bit more. 

She is described as the distillation of Koryis' own unwanted thoughts, urges, and feelings.  

Koryis is the Immortal Patron of Peace.  While he was on his epic quest, he sought to purge himself of evil in impure thoughts. He was successful, and that "impurity" manifested itself as Kersy. If Kersey looks like Vanessa Williams from The Odyssey, then Koris looks like Armand Assante.

At least that is what his mythology says. 

We learn from M1 that she is a "beautiful maiden" and a "30th-level magic-user." But other details are scant. From the Vaults of Pandius, we learn that she is beautiful, with long raven-black hair and amber-colored eyes.  She is the Patroness of Witchcraft and Charms.  

What can we gather from all of this? Kersy is Koryis' "dark anima" in Jungian psychology.  The description of Koryis' quest to rid himself of these dark, impure impulses sounds exactly like a quest to confront his Anima, who is Kersy. However, Koryis failed to integrate his "shadow self" and is less than he was. 

Now, if this is what happened, then according to Jung, Koyris is now forever incomplete.  Reading over the history of VoP, it would seem that Kersy knows this. If we extend this to other Jungian archetypes, then Kersy fits one perfectly. The Witch.  She is powerful, connected to the Earth, and a source of wisdom.  Koyris, in his quest to rid himself of Kersy, only weakened himself and gave his power away.

Kersy might wish to reunite with the now forever incomplete Koryis, or not. She has grown since then. 

In my Occult D&D, they would forever be circling each other, each seeking what the other has and never feeling quite complete. An Anima and Animus, or a Yin and Yang. 

And given her history, she is also perfect for my Atlantean Tradition.

Kersy
29th level Human Witch/ Witch Queen (20/9), Neutral (Chaoic Neutral)
Tradition: Atlantean 

Secondary Skill: Astrologer

S: 12
I: 18
W: 18
D: 16
C: 14
Ch: 18

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3 
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: -2 (leather armor +3, Bracers of Protection +3, Cord of Protection +2, Ring of Protection +3, Dex 16 -1)
HP: 66
THAC0: 12

Weapon
None

Familiar: Rainbow Warbler (Song Bird) "Victoria"

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Speak to Animals
13th level: Drawing Down the Moon
19th level: Witch's Blessing

Witch Queen Powers:
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Polymorph Other), A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Ninth Level Spells (4)

Spells

Cantrips: Daze, Guiding Star*, Mote of Light, Object Reading, Open
First level: Allure, Bar the Way, Bewitch I, Burning Hands, Call Spirits of the Land, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Glamour
Second level: Alter Self, Beckon, Blight of Loneliness, Burning Gaze, Detect Charm, ESP, Evil Eye, Mind Obscure
Third level: Astral Sense, Bestow Curse, Calm Animals, Clairsentience, Control Winds, Danger Sense
Fourth level: Ball Lightning, Confusion, Divination, Masque, Polymorph Others, Threshold
Fifth level: Break Enchantment, Commune with Nature, Maelstrom, Song of Night
Sixth level: Bones of Earth, Cloak of Dreams, Greater Scry, Mislead
Seventh level: Astral Spell, Breath of the Goddess, Veneration
Eighth level: Adoration (Overwhelming), Eye of the Storm, Storm of Vengeance
Ninth level: Foresight, Mass Polymorph, Seal the Gate, Sovereign Geas, Time Stop

Theme Song: Veil of Isis

My Kersy has outgrown the original Kersy much as she outgrew the original Circe. She is my witch queen of the Jungian archetype of the Anima. So, in a way, it makes some sense to me to make her an Atlantean Witch. She also brings up something.

Baba Yaga is not a member of the Daughters of Baba Yaga tradition; she is Classical. Aradia is not a member of the Followers of Aradia tradition; she is a Pagan. Likewise, Kersy is the Queen of the Atlantean Tradition and founded the Aquarian Tradition. The Aquarians, in their own way, honor her as their Witch Queen, but they aptly refuse to have a witch queen of their own. 

I have done quite a lot with Kersy over the last five or so years, and she has been great. Truly one of the most powerful Witch Queens I use. 

Character Creation Challenge: Day 28, Areelu Vorlesh Witch Queen of the Malefic Tradition

 Areelu Vorlesh is another witch queen I adopted, this time from the Pathfinder game. She is a half-succubus witch and a whole lot of fun. In the Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous video game, she is described as something like a mad scientist and mother of monsters. So for this reason, I gave her the Alchemist secondary skill. Since a lot of her magic seems based on her occult devotion, I also decided that she would be a witch priestess, more akin to an occultist than anything. I considered archwitch, but felt this worked better. She sought to claim the authority of the gods in my games. 

The human who would become the witch Areelu Vorlesh has been lost to time. It was known that she was a witch in Deskari’s cult.  She was researching the nature of the separation of the worlds and planes.  It was her success at opening the Worldwound that caused her Patron to transform her into a half-fiend.

After her defeat at the World Wound, Areelu Vorlesh sought other allies. The ones she found became The Coven of the Shattered Crowns. Vorlesh is going after the Gods themselves. 

Witch Queen Areelu Vorlesh

Areelu’s elevation to Witch Queen came not through lineage, coven recognition, or patron blessing, but through apotheosis by catastrophe.

The creation of the Worldwound was not an accident, nor a summoning gone awry. It was a calculated experiment: to pierce planar reality and hold it open long enough to observe what crawled through. That demons followed was expected. That the wound endured was the true triumph.

In this moment, Areelu crossed the threshold from Malefic Witch Priestess to Witch Queen, for she no longer merely wielded magic, she altered the cosmological order.

This act places her above regional sovereigns and elemental queens, but below those who embody primal myth. She is not inevitable. She is possible, and that is far more dangerous.

Areelu Vorlesh
28th level Half-Succubus Witch Priestess/Witch Queen 28 (20/8), Chaotic Evil
Tradition: Malefic 

Secondary Skill: Alchemist

S: 14
I: 18
W: 18
D: 18
C: 18
Ch: 19

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: 0 (Bracers of Defense, +3 Amulet of Protection)
HP: 73
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Dagger of venom +4 1d4/1d3

Familiar: "Gimcrak" (Quasit, Enhanced)

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Evil's Touch
13th level: Devil's Tongue
19th level: Curse

Witch Queen Powers:
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Polymorph Other), A Thousand Faces, Timeless Body, Ninth Level Spells (4)

Spells
Cantrips: Arcane Mark, Detect Curse, Message, Summon Vermin
First level: Bewitch I, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Command, Increase Sex Appeal, Quicken Healing, Shattering the Hourglass, Silver Tongue
Second level: Ecstasy, Enthrall, Evil Eye, Hold Person, Invisibility, Phantasmal Spirit, Rite of Remote Seeing, Scare
Third level: Bestow Curse, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic, Feral Spirit, Fly, Tongues, Witch Wail
Fourth level: Abomination, Charm Monster, Confusion, Divine Power, Spiritual Dagger, Withering Touch
Fifth level: Baleful Polymorph, Feeblemind, Greater Command, Nightmare 
Sixth level: Break the Spirit, Mass Suggestion, Repulsion, True Seeing
Seventh level: Draw Forth the Soul, Eternal Charm Monster, Gate (Ritual)
Eighth level: Bewitch VIII, Damming Stare, Destroy Life, Wail of the Banshee
Ninth level: Bind the Soul, Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Shapechange

Theme Song: Hexenhammer & Queen of the Infernal Pantheon

Areelu Vorlesh ultimately earns her place among the Witch Queens not because she commands lesser demons, but because she refused to accept the limits imposed by gods, planes, or tradition. Where other witches bargain, rule, or endure, Areelu experiments. She treats the cosmos as a problem to be solved and suffering as an acceptable reagent. In this, she represents a uniquely modern horror, not the ancient terror of Baba Yaga or the cold inevitability of Koliada, but the relentless conviction that reality itself is flawed and must be corrected, no matter the cost.

Character Creation Challenge: Day 27, Koliada Witch Queen of the Winter Witch Tradition

Back in June of 2009 D&D 4th edition was still on the shelves and Dungeon #162 was available for download.  Inside was an Epic level adventure by Stephen Radney-MacFarland called "Winter of the Witch". It featured the machinations of the so-called Winter Witch, the minor Archfey Koliada and her plans to freeze the world. From the adventure:

"In this epic adventure, the Winter Witch—a legendary archfey—has launched a campaign to send eternal winter cascading over large portions of the world. After a summons to Winterhaven, the characters find a land locked in ice, and an old ally in need of aid. A trek to find a artifact known as the Sun’s Sliver ensues, the only force potent enough to defeat the Winter Witch and banish her from the mortal world once more. An adventure for 22nd-level PCs."

While not totally an original plot, it was still fun, well executed and had a lot things going for it.  But mostly it had Koliada, who grabbed my attention from the start.  It also started me thinking about the witches of winter.  In particular, why are there so many? Louhi, Elsa, and the Snow Queen, Jadis, all the Jadwiga winter witches from Pathfinder, and so on.  Notably, almost all of these are also royalty, if not outright queens.

I went on to add her as a Witch Queen of my own with both Basic-era Witch and D&D 5e stats. Granted, I am not likely to run out of winter witches anytime soon, but she is still a great character. 

I think fo this new version of her I'll use my Twilight Elf species. Since this is nominally part of the "Blackmoor: Land of a Thousand Witches," I am going to say she is from my Blackmoor and the Land of the Black Ice. The area of my world where Blackmoor was destroyed.

Koliada
27th level Twilight Elf Witch Queen (Archwith 20, Witch Queen 7), Chaotic Evil
Tradition: Winter Witch

Secondary Skill: Initiate

S: 16
I: 17
W: 15
D: 15
C: 19
Ch: 20

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: 0 (Leather +4, dex, Ring of Protection)
HP: 66
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Sword** +3 1d8+3 (athame enchanted with Spiritual Sword, Biting Blade, Death Blade, Conjure Pact Blade)

Familiar: Iceling (Ice Sprite)

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Fae Shape
13th level: Curse
19th level: Shape Change

Witch Queen Powers: Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Conjure Pact Blade), A Thousand Faces, Ninth Level Spells (4)

Spells
Bonus Cantrips (Twilight Elf): Blur, Dancing Lights, Minor Charm
Cantrips: Chill, Daze, Alarm Ward, Ghost Sound, Inflict Minor Wounds, Spark
First level:  Bewitch I, Black Fire, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Chill Touch, Endure Elements, Glamour, Minor Fighting Prowess, Silver Tongue
Second level: Defoliate, Discord, Enthrall, Freezing Gaze, Hold Person, Invisibility, Phantasmal Spirit, Whispering Wind
Third level: Arctic Grasp, Bestow Curse, Bewitch III, Dispel Magic, Feral Spirit, Spirit of Hyperborea, Witch Wail
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Charm Monster, Elemental Armor (Ice), Intangible Cloak of Shadows, Phantom Lacerations, Spiritual Sword, Withering Touch
Fifth level: Blade Dance, Death Curse, Dreadful Bloodletting, Nightmare
Sixth level: Death Blade, Eye Bite, Mass Agony, True Seeing
Seventh level: Death Aura, Greater Blindness, Insanity, Wave of Mutilation
Eighth level:  Destroy Life, Mystic Barrier, Wail of the Banshee
Ninth level: Foresight, Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Shape Change

Theme Song: The Witch of the North

I rather like this version, to be honest. She compares well to both her Basic-era version and her D&D 4e one.

In 4e she can only be killed by something called the Sun's Sliver. Which is a piece of the sun. Sounds like the Sun Sword from Ravenloft. In my other games this would be a "Unique Kill" Quality.  I have debated about using something similar for all witch queens, but that would imply they are there to be killed, instead of my point of view, as near mythic-level characters who can aid or hinder characters as needed. You don't bring in a witch queen unless you plan on using her for something epic.

Character Creation Challenge: Day 26, Sagarassi Witch Queen of the Sea Witch Tradition

Today, I want to talk more about the Witch Queen Advanced Class. This updates my previous version. 

Tea with the Witch Queens by Brian Brinlee
L-R Sagarassi, Iggwilv, The Simbul, Larina, Feiya

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 Hierophant 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 (including Archwitch and Witch Priestess) of at least 18th level, but no more than 23rd level. Still thinking about this.
• Possess Charisma 17 or higher. Additionally, the witch must have an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 15 or higher.
• Be a member in good standing of a coven
• 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 gains access to limited ninth-level spells.
• Spell casting progression ends in favor of powers and ninth-level spells.
• May forego the use of Material Components. 

Level	Title	XP	hp	Powers
20*	Witch*	1,640,000 - 1,759,999	10d4+10
1	Spring Court Witch	0 - 199,999	+2	Ninth-level spell*
2	Summer Court Witch	200,000 - 399,999	+3	Awesome Presence
3	Autumn Court Witch	400,000 - 599,999	+4	Ninth-level spell
4	Winter Court Witch	600,000 - 799,999	+5	Occult Eminence
5	Baroness of Witches	800,000 - 999,999	+6	Ninth-level spell
6	Countess of Witches	1,000,000 - 1,199,999	+7	A Thousand Faces
7	Marquise of Witches	1,200,000 - 1,399,999	+8	Ninth-level spell
8	Duches of Witches	1,400,000 - 1,599,999	+9	Timeless Body
9	Princess of Witches	1,600,000 - 1,799,999	+10	Ninth-level spell
10	Queen of Witches	1,800,000 - 1,999,999	+11	Mantle of Sovereignty

Witch Queen Abilities

Ninth-level Spells: The Witch Queen gains a ninth-level spell at alternate levels. These spells are drawn from the Witch Queen Spell list.

Awesome Presence: 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: The Witch Queen gains one chosen Occult Power of her Tradition.

A Thousand Faces: 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: 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. 

Mantle of Sovereignty: 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.

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. 

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

Continues to use the Witch class tables for all attack and saving throw 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.

Witch Queen Spell list

Ninth Level Spells

• Bind Soul
• Command the Coven
• Eternal Curse
• Foresight
• Imprisonment
• Mass Polymorph
• Power Word Kill
• Raise the Barrow-Lord
• Rewrite the Name
• Seal the Gate
• Shapechange
• Sovereign Geas
• Time Stop

--

Sagarassi, The Sea Witch

My next Witch Queen is from the world of Krynn, home to the Dragonlance Saga.

Not much is known about Sagarassi.  So little, in fact, it has taken me a while to collect this information. But here is what I have pieced together. The best (ok only) primary source for my information is the AD&D 2nd Edition product Otherlands. The rest comes from the Dragonlance Fandom wiki. 

She was a Silvanesti Elf, but was changed into a sea creature by the Sea Goddess Zeboim, whom she worships.  Both Sagarassi and Zeboim are known as the "Sea Witch." Sagarassi also serves Takhisis, the mother of Zebiom. 

She is not fond of humans. Nor is she fond of her own sister, Daydra Stonecipher.  This relationship parallels that between Zebiom and her twin brother, Nuitari, the god of Evil Magic in Kyrnn. It is not much of a stretch of the imagination that Zebiom would want her magic-using disciple to go against the established rules of magic. Especially since Nuitari is regarded as Lawful Evil and Zebiom is Chaotic Evil. 

We know she is old. She waged a war undersea around 1320 PC (Prior to the Cataclysm), the Dragonlance books take place in 348 AC, making her over 1670 years old. Good thing she is an elf. 

She lives in an underwater tower called Khegar, also known as the Death Tower. It is in the seas near Taladas.

Sagarassi, Witch Queen of the Sea Witch Tradition
26th level Elf Witch, Neutral Evil
Tradition: Sea Witch

Secondary Skill: Alchemist

S: 13
I: 20
W: 18
D: 15
C: 17
Ch: 20

Paralysis/Poison: 3
Petrify/Polymorph: 3  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 4
Breath Weapon: 6
Spells: 5

AC: 1 (ring AC 1)
HP: 75
THAC0: 10

Weapon
Narwhal horn +3 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Demonic eel

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar (Demonic eel)
7th level: Speak to plants/animals
13th level: Goddess Blessing
19th level: Control Weather

Witch Queen Powers
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece (Shape Change), A Thousand Faces, Ninth Level Spells (3)

Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Arcane Mark, Chill, Daze, Message
First level: Bad Luck, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Darkness, Endure Elements, Far Sight,  Moonstone, Minor Fighting Prowess 
Second level: Agony, Alter Self, Discord, Enthrall, Evil Eye, Hold Person, Mind Obscure, Suggestion
Third level: Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feral Spirit, Lifeblood, Toad Mind, Tongues, Witch Wail
Fourth level: Analyze Magic, Animal Growth, Arcane Eye, Charm Monster, Phantom Lacerations, Polymorph
Fifth level: Death Curse, Dreadful Bloodletting, Greater Command, Waves of Fatigue
Sixth level: Anti-magic Shell, Break the Spirit, Mass Agony, Mass Suggestion
Seventh level: Death Aura, Greater Blindness, Wave of Mutilation
Eighth level: Damming Stare, Destroy Life, Pit
Ninth level: Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Time Stop

Theme Song: Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Soul Cages

I am not sure where I am going level cap elves, but I am going to make an exception here like I did with Elvyra.

Sagarassi is one main Witch Queens I still use in my games. She has been great.

Character Creation Challenge: Day 25, Elvyra Witch Queen of the Faerie Tradition

 I admit, no discussion of AD&D and Witch Queens is complete without Witch Queen Elvyra from Quests of the Ancients. I already featured Sarana from the same game a while back so I figure I should also do Elvyra.

I'll present my revised rules for Witch Queens tomorrow, but today's test is what a Witch Priestess, turned Witch Queen, would look like. Elvyra is the high priestess of her coven and the queen of her tradition. 

Elvyra

25th level Elf Witch Priestess 20/Witch Queen 5, Neutral Good
Tradition: Faerie

Secondary Skill: Astrology

S: 12
I: 18
W: 18
D: 18
C: 14
Ch: 18

Paralysis/Poison: 5
Petrify/Polymorph: 5 
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 6
Breath Weapon: 8
Spells: 7

AC: 1 (Bracers of Defense)
HP: 55
THAC0: 12

Weapon
Unicorn horn Dagger +3 1d4/1d3
Staff of the Witch Queen

Familiar: White Dragon Tiger

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Speak to Plants/Animals

Witch Priestess Powers:
Blessing of the Grove, Nature’s Wrath, Invoke the Ancients

Witch Queen Powers:
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece, Ninth Level Spells (3)

Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Daze, Detect Curse, Object Reading, Warm
First level: Bewitch I, Cause Fear, Command, Faerie Fire, Far Sight, Minor Fighting Prowess, Sleep, Spirit Dart
Second level: Alter Self, Biting Blade, Blast Shield, Chant, Enthrall, Evil Eye, Hold Person, Phantasmal Spirit
Third level: Astral Sense, Bestow Curse, Continual Fire, Feral Spirit, Fly, Improved Faerie Fire
Fourth level: Air Walk, Betwitch IV, Neutralize Poison, Spiritual Dagger, Withering Touch
Fifth level: Blade Dance, Dream, Primal Scream, Song of Discord
Sixth level: Control Weather, Find the Path, Moonbow, True Seeing
Seventh level: Breath of the Goddess, Etherealness, Serpent Garden
Eighth level: Astral Projection, Mystic Barrier, Wail of the Banshee
Ninth level: Meteor Storm, Prismatic Sphere, Time Stop

Theme Song: Sisters of the Moon

I like how she compares to her Basic Witch version. Not the same to be sure, but very close as you would expect Basic and Advanced to be.  

I am not 100% sure where elves get a limit cap on witch levels. I am inclined not to give them one, or if I do still allow them to take levels of witch queen past that.

I also like these new changes to my Witch Queen Advanced class. 

Character Creation Challenge: Day 24, Elena the Fair Witch Queen of the Daughters of Baba Yaga

We are getting to the part of the Challenge where my high-level characters come out, and in this case, that means Witch Queens! Since it is the weekend, I am not going to detail what a Witch Queen is in the context of AD&D and Occult D&D, but I'll do so on Monday. So, for today, I have one of the most misunderstood Witch Queens. Elena the Fair.

Elena the Fair, Witch Queen of Summer, Daughter of Baba Yaga

Among the daughters of Baba Yaga, Elena the Fair is the most misunderstood. Tales name her "the beautiful one," "the gentle sister," or "the bride who never was," and from these epithets, many assume she is merely ornamental, a soft contrast to her dread mother and her infamous sister. This is a grave error.

Elena is not gentle because she is weak. She is gentle because she understands the terrible cost of power.

In the oldest Russian tales, Elena appears as a radiant princess, bound by enchantment, wagered in impossible trials, or held captive by sorcerers, dragons, or deathless kings. Yet in every telling, she survives not through brute magic, but through patience, kindness, clever bargains, and the quiet certainty that summer always returns. These stories are not disguises. They are masks worn by a Witch Queen who learned early that overt rulership invites hunters, heroes, and gods alike.

Where her sister Natasha, later known as Iggwilv, turned away from Baba Yaga in hunger for mastery, Elena remained.

Not out of fear. Out of love.

Elena is the Witch Queen of Summer, but she does not sit upon a court of marble or command a realm bound by banners and borders. Her dominion is seasonal, wandering, and alive.

Summer, as Elena embodies it, is not conquest or fire alone. It is growth that must one day wither. It is beauty that exists because it cannot last. Elena does not demand fealty. Those who serve her often do not realize they have done so until years later, when they look back and recognize the invisible hand that guided them safely home.

Elena and Natasha

If Natasha is Baba Yaga’s ambition, Elena is her memory.

The sisters represent a fork in the witch’s road. Natasha sought dominion over demons, kings, and gods. Elena sought harmony with cycles older than all three.

Elena does not hate her sister. She mourns her.

In some legends, Elena foresaw what Natasha would become and tried to stop her. In others, she stepped aside, knowing that fate cannot be unmade, only endured. What remains constant is this: Elena never joined Iggwilv’s wars, nor did she oppose her openly. Summer does not challenge winter head-on. It waits.

There are whispers that Elena alone can still speak to Natasha without drawing blades or binding circles, though such meetings are rare and leave scars on the land.

In darker places still it is whispered something even rarer. Natasha, who is Iggwilv, who is Zybilna, also wishes she could reconcile with her sister, but fears that someone as good as Elena could never forgive her over what she has done.

Elena the Fair
24th level Human Witch (Witch 20/ Witch Queen 4), Lawful Good
Tradition: Daughters of Baba Yaga

Secondary Skill: Herbalist

S: 11
I: 16
W: 10
D: 17
C: 17
Ch: 18

Paralysis/Poison: 5
Petrify/Polymorph: 5  
Rod, Staff, or Wand: 6
Breath Weapon: 8
Spells: 7

AC: 1 (Ring of Protection, Garter of Defence, Dex)
HP: 77
THAC0: 12

Weapon
Dagger +1 1d4/1d3

Familiar: Mouse, "Myshi"

Occult Powers
1st level: Familiar
7th level: Kitchen Witchery
13th level: Detect Bloodline
19th level: Boon (instead of Curse)

Witch Queen Powers
Awesome Presence, Occult Eminece, Ninth Level Spells (2)

Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Detect Curse, Object Reading, Warm
First: Bewitch I, Burning Hands, Command, Drowsy, Faerie Fire, Far Sight, Sleep, Handfasting (Ritual)
Second: Alter Self, Blast Shield, Ecstasy, Enthrall, Fever, Hold Person, Phantasmal Spirit, Rose Garden
Third: Astral Sense, Bestow Curse, Continual Fire, Feral Spirit, Fly, Imbue Witch Ball (Ritual)
Fourth: Air Walk, Elemental Armor, Grandmother's Shawl, Moonlit Way, Neutralize Poison, Spiritual Dagger
Fifth: Anti-Magic Candle, Dream, Primal Scream, Song of Discord
Sixth: Control Weather, Find the Path, Heroes' Feast, True Seeing
Seventh:  Ball of Sunshine, Breath of the Goddess, Etherealness, Serpent Garden
Eighth: Astral Projection, Greater Mislead, Mystic Barrier 
Ninth: Imprisonment, Time Stop

Theme Song: The Mystic’s Dream

As the Queen of Summer, one of Elena's duties is to guard the gates of the Summerlands.  This is the afterlife of the Witches, and where their spirits go for rest prior to being reincarnated to their next life.

She is also the Protector of Midsummer and sees to it that all witches are protected on the night of Midsummer's Eve. Elena has both the smallest and largest courts. Small in that there is no formal court that she holds, but also the largest since all witches pay her at least some homage.