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.

WitchCraft Wednesday: The Hand Mirror of the Silver Witch

Photo by Esra Korkmaz

  I have a couple of threads of things I am developing at the moment. One has been my ongoing "Occult D&D" idea, which in itself grew out of my "War of the Witch Queens" campaign. The other is an idea based on my rereading of a lot of things I have written over the decades. Some of which I "re-discovered" recently, something I have been calling "The One Who Remains." 

This is the product of the intersection of many of these ideas and threads.

The Hand Mirror of the Silver Witch

This ancient handmirror is the final relic of the Silver Witch, who gave her life to halt the unraveling caused by The One Who Remains. In her last stand, the Silver Witch allowed herself to be unmade. Her memories, power, and will were drawn into the mirror she carried, preserving a single thread of her identity.

The glass is now cool and pale, like winter water. When the light strikes it just right it glimmers with a faint silver glow, as if the moon reflects upon it even indoors.

Only witches and warlocks may safely handle the mirror. Those who seek knowledge for selfish or destructive ends invite peril.

Description

The Hand Mirror is a finely wrought hand mirror of cold iron and silver alloy. Its back bears the mark of the Triple Moon. The mirror never tarnishes and cannot be cracked by mundane force. Looking upon the glass produces a reflection that appears slightly delayed, as if the viewer’s image moves a moment behind.

When held during a ritual, witches report a soft whisper like wind through winter leaves.

Primary Powers

The mirror grants the following abilities when properly attuned. Attunement requires one hour of meditation, incense, and a whispered invitation to the Silver Witch. These powers can be used by any spellcaster.

Second Sight: Three times per day the bearer may gaze into the mirror to cast detect invisibility, detect charm, or detect spirit (witch version). Each use requires one round of concentration.

Moonlit Guidance: Once per night the mirror casts a soft argent glow. While this glow persists, the bearer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against magical fear, illusions, and enchantment effects. Duration: 1 turn.

Veil of the Silver Witch: Once per day the bearer may cloak herself in silver mist, as blur cast by a 10th-level magic-user. Duration: 5 rounds.

There is a cumulative 5% chance per non-witch use that the mirror becomes inactive in the hands of the user. Worse, echoes of The One Who Remains begin to seek out those who hold the mirror. (Treat as spectres).  

Greater Powers

The mirror holds deeper abilities tied to the Silver Witch’s sacrifice. These powers can only be used by a witch or warlock.

Memory of the Fallen Star: Once per week the bearer may commune with an echo of the Silver Witch. This functions as a limited form of contact other plane. The entity contacted is not a deity but the preserved remnant of Larina’s future self.

Answers are clear but tinged with sorrow. Each use risks emotional fatigue: after communion the bearer must save vs spells or be drained of 1 hp per level for 24 hours due to mental strain.

The Last Reflection: Twice per week the mirror allows the bearer to read a single moment from her own future. This functions as an augury, with a 75% accuracy rate. The glass reveals images of silver fire and shadow intertwined.

Mirror-Walk: Once per month the bearer may step through a reflective surface and emerge from another mirror within five miles. This requires full concentration and a quiet chant. The bearer becomes insubstantial for one round upon exit.

The Doom of the Silver Witch

The Mirror of the Silver Witch is powerful but dangerous. Within the artifact lies the remaining fragment of the Silver Witch’s mind. That remnant strives to protect others from the fate she endured, yet her presence is fading.

Each time a Greater Power is used, there is a cumulative 5% chance the mirror’s “echo” attempts to guide the bearer toward events tied to The One Who Remains. This influence is subtle. The bearer may feel prophetic dread, be drawn to gates of power, or suffer moonlit dreams.

If the chance ever reaches 25%,  the DM should require a saving throw versus spells whenever the mirror is used. A failed save means the bearer glimpses the Silver Witch’s unmaking and must roll a system shock check or fall unconscious for 1d6 turns.

If the chance reaches 50% the mirror loses one Greater Power of the DM’s choice, symbolizing the last of the Silver Witch’s memories fading away.

Texts, including the near-mythical Adnerg Codices (an artifact in it's own right), speak of even greater powers the Mirror once had. 

Destruction

The Mirror cannot be shattered, melted, or banished by mundane or magical means. It may only be destroyed if:

• It is placed at the center of a Witch Gate during a total eclipse,
• Seven witches of different traditions willingly break their coven-bonds for one night,
• And the bearer renounces her name while holding the mirror.

This ritual unravels the last thread of the Silver Witch. The mirror dissolves into silver dust. All memory of the Silver Witch fades from history unless preserved in text.

Larina Nix, The Silver Witch

Who Was the Silver Witch?

This is not something players would know, and it is certainly not in the histories of the mirror. But the Silver Witch is a future version of my witch, Larina. 

Back in January, I did TardisCaptain's New Year, New Character challenge where I took a lot of Grenda's characters and revised them for Wasted Lands. I mentioned before that in his stack of characters were a bunch of his versions of my characters. 

One of them was Larina. 

I didn't use her then because I was saving her for something special. But in my writings about The One Who Remains, I figured it out. Those versions of my characters? They are all gone. Unmade. Well, maybe one or two survived, but Larina, that Larina, did not. 

Why would I kill off one of my beloved characters? It was because of love that I did it. Or rather, that Larina's sacrifice. She loved her world enough to warn others via her Mirror. Since here she was an NPC her fate was entirely of my own design. Her world, a reflection of my own game world, was unraveled by The One Who Remains, or at least a part of him. Funny, I can hear Grenda in my head now saying, "You destroyed my version of your world, all because I am dead? What a dick!" 

That is the REAL power of the Mirror. Not the magics in it, those are just side effects. The real power is that it will fall into the hands of those who could do something about The One Who Remains and maybe, just maybe, prevent it from happening to their own world.

Who, or What, it The One Who Remains? Well. That is going to be a much longer post.

Mail Call: Witch and Stone by Pacesetter Games

 Just in time for Halloween is Pacesetter Games' latest adventure, Witch and Stone.

This Basic-era (B/X) adventure is designed for 3rd-level characters. I would say 6 characters. 

The premise is simple enough, yet effective; the PCs need to investigate an old wizard's stronghold that a witch has taken up in. 

I have not played it yet. Just got it today, but it looks fun and I plan to slot it into my War of the Witch Queens campaign. 

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Expanding the War of the Witch Queens

 I mentioned a bit back that I need want to revise my War of the Witch Queens. The first idea was to redo it all for Wasted Lands. Good so far.  Plus I found some other adventures I want to add, namely The Folio Black Label #3 White Witch and Black Stone from Art of the Genre.

I also found this resource online that details all the adventures from Dungeon Magazine issues #1 to #100. These are all AD&D 1st ed, 2nd ed, and BECMI adventures with some 3rd edition. So, I went looking for all the "witch" adventures.

Here is what I found.

• Added: "Monsterquest" by Vince Garcia, Issue #10, Levels 1-3, AD&D 1st Ed.
• "The Wards of Witching Ways" Issue #11, Levels 3-5, AD&D 1st Ed.
• "Things That Go Bump in the Night" Issue #38, Levels 3-6, AD&D 2nd Ed.
• "The Price of Revenge" Issue #42, Levels 4-6, AD&D 2nd Ed. Ravenloft
• "The Witch of Windcrag" Issue #51, Levels 2-3, BECMI
• "The Witch's Fiddle" Issue #54, Levels 2-5, AD&D 2nd Ed.
• "Witches' Brew" Issue #67, Levels 3-5, AD&D 2nd Ed Forgotten Realms
• "Visiting Tylwith" Issue #77, Level 1, AD&D 2nd Ed.
• "The Witch of Serpent's Bridge" Issue #95, Level 3, D&D 3rd Edition

Now I just need to find these issues! Thankfully, I have a game auction coming up, and old Dungeon magazines always come up. Yeah, I know they are probably somewhere online, but I don't want those; I would rather have physical copies.

Once I review these (when I get them), I'll need to see how to integrate these into the large adventures.

I also just found out about this one, La arboleda de la Bruja Muerta (The Dead Witch's Grove). A new witch adventure AND a chance to practice more Spanish! It is not out yet.

But this one was just released!

Witch and Stone from Pacesetter Games. Grabbed it this morning. 

Looks like War of the Witch Queens will be back on!

Mail (and Yard Sale) Call Tuesday, 80s Style!

 Double hitter today. Went out on a hunt for some old-school D&D and came home to some mail.

Dragged my wife and youngest out to a yard sale way north of Chicago because I saw online they had a ton of D&D books. A box of adventures, hardcovers, a box of Dragons, and a bunch of old Ral Partha minis. We got there in plenty of time, but the boxes were stanched up by, well... I never got a satisfactory answer. My wife and kid suspected (with some good reason) that the people running the sale held it back for someone. I kept getting a different answer from the workers (it was a managed sale) and the person buying them all didn't seem like a gamer because they really couldn't answer and questions.

Oh well. I did get a chance to look into the boxes, and I had about 95% of it all anyway.

I DID manage to score boxed sets of Top Secret and Indiana Jones. This gives me more evidence that person buying didn't know what they had. These were right next to the books and were ignored. That's fine, I didn't have these, so score for me! I also got the Doctor Who Technical Manual to replace my old one that was lost. 

The boxes are in worn shape, but the contents are good. Missing dice, save for the saddest looking d10 I have ever seen.

On the mail front, this was waiting for me when I got home.

The Folio Black Label #3 White Witch and Black Stone from Art of the Genre.

And it looks like I got the last copy! Sorry all. But honestly, how could I have said no? It features Duchess and Candella as NPCs and the main antagonist is "the White Witch."  I mean, come on? 

While print is sold out, the PDF is still available. 

I'll get a proper review of this up soon. Now I just need to figure out where I am going to slot this into my War of the Witch Queens.

War of the Witch Queens, Wasted Lands Edition

 I have put my massive War of the Witch Queens on pause for a little bit to focus on my 1st Edition Forgotten Realms game. It is fine, since I am using it to build up some of the myths and legends that War of the Witch Queens will rely on. While my current War of the Witch Queens uses Old School Essentials, I have been enjoying it a lot, but...I am running into some issues. Well. Issues of my own creation.

Limitation #1: Level Caps and Limits

Limits on levels. I love OSE, but one of its selling points/strengths is its limiting issue for me. Sure, 14 levels is a lot, but I am running into ideas that I want to run for characters of 15+ level. 17th level comes up a lot for me. This is also one of the reasons why I dropped Hyperborea early on for this reason too. 

This campaign isn’t just a dungeon crawl or hex-crawl, it's a mythic saga that spans worlds, timelines, and divine destinies. Characters in this game aren't just heroes; they are on the path to becoming legends, saints, or even immortals. And I keep finding myself writing material that expects 15th level and beyond. More and more often, 17th-level content crops up in my outlines. That’s not a comfortable fit for OSE without some heavy modification.

Not to mention level limits on any demi-human species. Of course Hyperborea had not demi-humans at all. 

Limitation #2: Multi-Classing

I love OSE. But one place it really falls down is Multi-classing. Yes, there are some rules, but the elegance of the system is lost when you try to do it. It's not my strongest reason, but it is a reason all the same. 

Limitation #3: Multiversal Storytelling

I want to explore various worlds and settings. OSE can do this, it can even do it well, but I want to go a little beyond the norm. 

OSE can absolutely be used to tell stories that span worlds. In fact, it does it better than many modern systems, since its rules are modular and light. But for War of the Witch Queens, I want to go beyond the norm. I’m not just talking about visiting the elemental planes or spending a session in Ravenloft. I’m talking about fully developed worlds with unique metaphysics, rules of magic, and mythic gravity, all of them linked by a larger cosmological mystery, the Witch Queens, their empowered thrones, and the shadow of The One Who Remains.

OSE can be made to do this. But I need a system that does this out of the box.

Solution: Wasted Lands

When I was participating in the 2025 Character Creation Challenge, I was reminded of how flexible Wasted Lands/O.G.R.E.S. really is.  

Wasted Lands is mythic fantasy turned up to eleven. It was designed for heroes who become gods, for magics that shape and warp reality itself, and for worlds so ancient they crumble under the weight of memory. The core assumption of Wasted Lands is that the characters matter in a way that changes the cosmos, which aligns exactly with my vision for War of the Witch Queens.

Why Wasted Lands Works for War of the Witch Queens

No Arbitrary Level Caps

Characters in Wasted Lands are meant to grow in power until they ascend to the ranks of the divine. There’s no artificial ceiling to limit storytelling or advancement. If I want characters to bind a dying god to a black star, I don’t need to “homebrew” Epic Levels; I just use the Divine/Heroic Touchstone system as written.

Built-In Mythic Scope

Wasted Lands expects multiversal and mythological play. Characters can literally change the nature of reality. That’s not just compatible with War of the Witch Queens; that’s the point of the entire campaign.

Flexible Mechanics for Multiple Worlds

O.G.R.E.S. is modular, allowing me to shift between gritty sword-and-sorcery realism, dreamlike metaphysics, or high-magic cosmic horror as needed. That’s ideal when a single session might take place in ancient Atlantis, the post-apocalyptic future, or a faerie world frozen in regret.

Ties to Night Shift and Thirteen Parsecs

Since Wasted Lands is cross-compatible with Night Shift (another system I use for witchy, modern supernatural tales), I can link stories and characters across eras and genres. My witches don’t just belong in this kind of cosmology; they thrive in it.

While the Wasted Lands mythology will certainly be in play here, I may or may not set any of these adventures in the time of The Dreaming Age or even the Earth of the Dreaming Age. I'll use this more as my Rosetta Stone to translate between all the various games I'll be using.

So What Happens Next?

While I’m still using my Forgotten Realms game to build some of the core myths behind War of the Witch Queens, I’ll be shifting the main campaign engine to Wasted Lands going forward. I may still post some OSE conversions or support for it, especially early-level material, but to experience War of the Witch Queens the way I envision it, it will live and breathe in the mythic realms of the Wasted Lands.

This also gives me an instant hook into my multiversal threat, The One Who Remains. I will already be featuring this threat in my Forgotten Realms game, and absolutely for War of the Witch Queen.  

The Witch Queens of the Wasted Lands

One of my conceits of the War of the Witch Queens was to "adopt" all sorts of witches from various games, settings, and the like, and bring them into this campaign. Given the Sword & Sorcery roots of Wasted Lands, I wanted to grab some witches from various S&S games. Some of these are familiar to you all here since I have already mentioned them in conjunction with War of the Witch Queens before: Methyn Sarr, Miriam, and newcomer, Tamsin Shalles. I will feature their native games tomorrow. 

Each of these characters is found on different worlds in vastly different times. But the wonderful thing about Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age is that versions of these characters can exist at the same time and place. Wasted Lands, Barbarians of Lemuria, Hyperborea, and Sword & Sorcery Codex all share enough of the same DNA to be cousins. I will say this: anyone playing one of these games can get a lot out of playing, or at least owning and reading, the other three.

I am also going with a pure D&D feel to these, so humans are humans and not the proto-humans of the Dreaming Age. I have already done Wasted Lands stats for Larina, Aradia, Darlessa, Kersy the Sea Witch, Skylla, Tanith Winters, and for two of Grenda's Forgotten Realms witches, Rhiannon and Briana Highstar. And of course, the current Big Bad of the War of the Witch Queens, Kelek the Cruel.

Note: The sorcerer of Wasted Lands is mechanically the same as NIGHT SHIFT's witch. But I am going to call them witches here. Also, since I am moving away from Hyperborea and OSE for this, I can go beyond their level limits of 12 and 14, respectively. 

Each also has a homeland in the Wasted Lands that is the closest analogue to their lands in their original games.

Methyn Sarr, Witch Queen of the Fire Coast
From Barbarians of Lemuria

I have mentioned Methyn Sarr here before; she is a great character and one of my favorite things about Barbarians of Lemuria. 

Methyn Sarr
Class: Sorceress (Witch) / Necromancer
Level: 10 / 5
Species: Human
Alignment: Dark Evil
Background: Cult
Homeland: Lemuria (West coast)

Abilities
Strength: 10 (0) 
Agility: 12 (0) 
Toughness: 10 (0) 
Intelligence: 17 (+2) N
Wits: 16 (+2) N
Persona: 18 (+3) A

Fate Points: 1d12
Defense Value: 4 (Battle Harness)
Vitality: 55
Degeneracy: 11
Corruption: 2 (Eyes turned yellow, Aura of discomfort)

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +7/+4/+3
Melee Bonus: +3 (base) 
Ranged Bonus: +3 (base)
Spell Attack: +5
Saves: +3 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer)

Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers: Beguile Person, Enhanced Senses, Succubus, Psychic Power: Pyrokinesis 

Necromancer Abilities
Channel the Dead (43%), See Dead People, Summon the Dead (65%), Command Spirits, Protection from Spirits, Death Knell, Suggestion (Spirits), Protection from Undead, Taste the Grave

Sorceress Spells
First Level: Arcane Darts, Command, Drain Vitality, Mystical Senses
Second Level: Defile, Eternal Flame, Invoke Fear, Subtle Influence
Third Level: Concussive Blast, Dark Lightning, Globe of Darkness
Fourth Level: Beguile Monster, Kiss of the Succubus, Protection against the Deeper Dark
Fifth Level: Dominate Other, Shadow Armor

Heroic/Divine Touchstones 
1st Level: Unique Mode of Defense (Battle Harness) 
2nd Level: Additional Vitality Points
3rd Level: Charm Creatures
4th Level: Magical Recovery
5th Level: Great Power (Fire)

Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Evil

Gear
Blood Dagger of Zaggath (adds +1d6 damage due to dripping fire blood), Battle Harness, crown

I gave her levels of Necromancer in this version to replicate her levels of "Druid of Zaggarth" from Barbarians of Lemuria. I figure she gets a Heroic/Divine Touchstone every 3 character levels. 

Miriam, Witch-Queen of Yithorium
From Hyperborea

Miriam is the name I have given to the Witch-Queen of Yithorium from the Hyperborea RPG. Though I view her through the lens of Greyhawk. She is rather great, and I love using her. I have also decided that her loyal Cowan is a mighty warrior (10th level) named Zavoda. 

Miriam, Witch-Queen of Yithorium
Class: Sorceress (Witch)
Level: 15
Species: Human
Alignment: Dark Evil
Background: Scholar
Homeland: Hyperborea (Near the Blood Sea)

Abilities
Strength: 12 (0) 
Agility: 12 (0) 
Toughness: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 18 (+3) A
Wits: 16 (+2) N
Persona: 18 (+3) N

Fate Points: 1d12
Defense Value: 9
Vitality: 68
Degeneracy: 6
Corruption: 1 (Aura of discomfort)

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +7/+4/+3
Melee Bonus: +3 (base) 
Ranged Bonus: +3 (base)
Spell Attack: +8
Saves: +4 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer).

Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers (5): Astral Projection, Succubus, Psychic Power: ESP, Beguile, Shadow Walking

Sorceress Spells
First Level: Beast Speech, Command, Chill Ray, Night Vision, Drain Vitality
Second Level: Invoke Fear, Animal Summoning, Subtle Influence, Defile, See Invisible
Third Level: Dark Lightning, Curse, Clairvoyance, Globe of Darkness
Fourth Level: Black Tentacles, Protection against the Deeper Dark, Forbearance of Dimensional Travel, Kiss of the Succubus
Fifth Level: Banishment, Create Soul Vessel, Dominate Other, Shadow Armor
Sixth Level: Destroy Undead, Shadow Duplicate, Uluation of the Deeper Dark
Seventh Level: Wave of Mutilation, Widdershins Dance
Eighth Level: Gaze of the Abyss

Heroic/Divine Touchstones
1st Level: Sense the Presence of the Deeper Dark
2nd Level: Luck Benefit
3rd Level: Spirit Guide
4th Level: Magical Recovery
5th Level: Glamour

Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Evil, Deeper Dark

Gear
Leather Armor, dagger, crown

Miriam has evolved some since I first stated her up. She has been moving to a witch of the Old Ones for some time now. In the Wasted Lands she would likely be that witch trying to bring the Old Ones back. 

Tamsin Shalles
From Sword & Sorcery Codex

Tamsin is a new one for me. I have been playing around with the Sword & Sorcery Codex (see tomorrow), and it is a great system and has a lot to offer in terms of feel and style. It can do about 80% of what I want. She is not as powerful as the other two, not yet anyway. 

Tamsin Shalles
Class: Sorceress (Witch) / Renegade
Level: 5 / 2
Species: Human
Alignment: Dark Evil
Background: Barbarian
Homeland: Fennokarelia

Abilities
Strength: 11 (0) 
Agility: 13 (+1) N
Toughness: 13 (+1) 
Intelligence: 16 (+2) N
Wits: 14 (+1) 
Persona: 16 (+2) A

Fate Points: 1d8
Defense Value: 8
Vitality: 30
Degeneracy: 2
Corruption: 0

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +4/+2/+1
Melee Bonus: +2 (base) 
Ranged Bonus: +2 (base)
Spell Attack: +x
Saves: +2 to Spells and Magical effects (Sorcerer).

Sorcerer Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers (2): Beguile Person, Succubus

Renegade Abilities
Improved Defense, Ranged Combat, Stealth Skills, Climbing, Danger Sense (1-2), Perception, Vital Strike x2

Stealth Skills
Open Locks: 25%
Bypass Traps: 20%
Sleight of Hand: 30%
Sneak: 30%

Sorceress Spells
First Level: Summon Familiar (Imp), Mystical Senses, Armor of Earth
Second Level: Vampiric Augmentation, Eternal Flame
Third Level: Oily Cloud of the Deeper Dark

Heroic/Divine Touchstones
1st Level: Psychic Power: Glamour
2nd Level: Additional use of Beguile

Heroic (Divine) Archetype: Magic, Summoning

Gear
Dagger

She isn't quite there yet, but her specialty will be demon summoning and control. Right now, she relies on her charms (natural and supernatural) along with her renegade skills to cheat and con her way through most situations. 

I gave each of them the Beguile and Succubus powers to cover the levels of "Temptress" both Tamsin and Methyn have, and I assume Miriam would have. Beguile to well...beguile, and succubus to cause the up close damage.

These women are all evil and up to no good and I can't help but love them all. If they could put aside their mutual hate, they could team up and be a force to be reckoned with.

I kinda want a mini-series of War of the Witch Queens now to just cover these three and their drama. They are not responsible for the death of the High Witch Queen, but they are all vying for her throne. 

Doing these reminds me how much fun Wasted Lands really is.