Strange Brew: Skills & Feats is everything you need for your witch character in the Pathfinder game.
I will check with my editor, but I think this means the full book will be out soon.
Showing posts with label pathfinder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pathfinder. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2018
Strange Brew: Skills & Feats
The next book in the Strange Brew series is now out.
Strange Brew: Skills & Feats is everything you need for your witch character in the Pathfinder game.
I will check with my editor, but I think this means the full book will be out soon.
Strange Brew: Skills & Feats is everything you need for your witch character in the Pathfinder game.
I will check with my editor, but I think this means the full book will be out soon.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Kickstart Your Weekend: Pirate Campaign Compendium
Still a bit under the weather here, but not so bad I can't share this awesome kickstarter with you.
Pirate Campaign Compendium for 5E and Pathfinder RPG
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/pirate-campaign-compendium-for-5e-and-pathfinder-r
Here is some information right from their own Press Release.
10 days are left for this and it looks like it will be a lot of fun!
Pirate Campaign Compendium for 5E and Pathfinder RPG
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/pirate-campaign-compendium-for-5e-and-pathfinder-r
Here is some information right from their own Press Release.
Legendary Games launched the Pirate Campaign Compendium Kickstarter for 5th Edition and Pathfinder! This project is intended to create a spectacular seagoing supplement which includes five complete adventures plus ready-to-use nautical NPCs of every level, aquatic options for your characters, treasure troves of pirate plunder, ship combat, treasure maps, and so much more with stretch goals aplenty to create a glorious 300+ page compendium that'll shiver yer timbers!It looks like a bunch of fun and it appeals to my desire to dual (or triple) stat everything.
Publisher, Jason Nelson states, “Whether you come in as a Salty Sailor or join us for a glorious Pirate Feast, take the plunge and walk the plank with us today!” Rachel Ventura, Business Director of Legendary Games, said “Everyone loves a good pirate adventure, this book has FIVE! There’s also some fun swag like clear pirate minis, wooden engraved dice boxes, and new dice!”
10 days are left for this and it looks like it will be a lot of fun!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Iggwilv, Witch-Queen of Perrenland: Pathfinder Stats
It might feel like I am phoning this one in...and I am! But seriously, work is crazy busy right now and to be honest these stats are top notch.
Over on the Sages of Oerth-Greyhawk page on Facebook, Randy Davis is doing a hell of a job of stating up some of the "big names" in Greyhawk. I noticed his Zuggtmoy write-up a couple of days ago and thought it was great. I did some digging and found his takes on Gwynharwyf, Juiblex, Fraz-Urb’luu, Yeenoghu, Graz’zt, Orcus, and Demogorgon. I then found his take on Iggwilv and saw he used a lot of the same pictures I did. So I immediately liked it (and "Liked" it).
Here is his take on Iggwilv. You can see it on Facebook and it is reposted with his permission below.
If you like his work, pop on over the Facebook page(s) to let him know. He put a lot of work into these.
Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen of Perrenland
CR 31 / XP 13,107,200
Medium human CE female archwizard 10 / wizard (arcane crafter) 20
Init +8; Senses arcane sight, darkvision 60’, see invisibility; Perception +31
DEFENSE
AC 33, touch 24, flat-footed 27 (armor +4, deflection +5, dex +6, insight +1, luck +2, natural +5)
hp 346 (30d6+210+31)
Fort +23, Ref +22, Will +25; evasion
DR 15/cold iron and good, Immune all devices and spells that gather information (detect, scry, etc.), electricity, movement-impeding effects, poison, Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, SR 36
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft., fly 80 ft.
Melee staff of power +22/+17/+12 (1d6+8)
Ranged touch +21
Special Attacks: Archwizardry 5/day, Bypass Spell Resistance, Spell Echo 5/day
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 30, Concentration +44)
9th gate, imprisonment (DC 33), quickened maze, extended shapechange, extended time stop, wish
8th extended greater planer binding (DC 32), extended dimensional lock, quickened forcecage (DC 32), maximized horrid wilting (DC 34), extended mind blank, trap the soul (DC 34)
7th banishment (DC 31), quickened flesh to stone (DC 31), quickened greater dispel magic (2), extended project image, soul transfer
6th maximized chain lightning (DC 30), maximized disintegrate (DC 30), extended mislead, extended planer binding (2), extended repulsion (DC 30), maximized and quickened scorching ray, extended true seeing, maximized undeath to death, quickened wall of force (2)
5th maximized acidic spray (DC 31), maximized cone of cold (DC 29), dismissal (DC 29), maximized and quickened magic missile, extended overland flight, sending, extended telekinesis (DC 29)
4th extended charm monster (DC 28), extended dimensional anchor (DC 28), quickened final sacrifice, extended greater false life, extended greater invisibility, quickened magic circle against chaos, extended sacrifice
3rd extended create soul gem (DC 29), extended displacement, extended fly, extended greater magic weapon, extended protection from energy, quickened resist energy (2)
2nd blindness/deafness (DC 28), extended glitterdust (DC 28, 2), extended hideous laughter (DC 26), extended invisibility, extended mirror image (2), quickened true strike, extended web
1st maximized chill touch, extended grease (DC 27), extended mage armor, maximized magic missile (2), extended protection from evil, extended protection from good, extended shield
0 light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 23, Con 24, Int 38, Wis 13, Cha 29
Base Attack +15; CMB +17; CMD 61
Feats: Augment Summoning, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Demon Mastery, Extend Spell, Ironclad Logic, Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration, Necromancy), Greater Spell Penetration, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Knowledge – Arcana), Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Soul-Powered Magic, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Necromancy), Spell Penetration, Superior Summoning
Skills: Acrobatics +56, Diplomacy +47, Escape Artist +36, Intimidate +39, Knowledge (arcana) +55, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +44, Knowledge (engineering) +44, Knowledge (geography) +44, Knowledge (history) +44, Knowledge (local) +44, Knowledge (nature) +44, Knowledge (nobility) +44, Knowledge (religion) +44, Knowledge (the planes) +44, Perception +31, Sense Motive +31, Spellcraft +55, Use Magic Device +44
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal
SQ Arcane Servant, Metamagic Enhancement, Selective Targets, Shaped Area
Each day Iggwilv casts extended greater false life, extended mage armor, extended greater magic weapon, extended mind blank and extended overland flight.
Contingency: If Iggwilv is ever petrified, a stone to flesh spell affects her.
Demon Mastery (feat): When summoning demons Iggwilv gains a +2 on Charisma checks made to resolve the effects of planer binding and similar spells. Additionally, whenever she uses a spell to call or summon a demon her effective caster level is +1 for resolving its effects.
Permanent Spells: Iggwilv has used permanency to make the following spells permanent upon her: arcane sight, darkvision, read magic, see invisibility, and tongues.
Inherent Bonuses: Through a combination of books from Xagyg’s library, her own levels and wish spells, Iggwilv has a +5 inherent bonus to all six of her abilities.
Lilitu’s Kiss: Iggwilv has secured the cooperation of a lilitu demon named Tsatchti, and bears her name as a tattoo-like mark on her right shoulder. This gift grants Iggwilv a +2 profane bonus to her Charisma and saving throws. Iggwilv’s weapons are also treated as being chaotic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. The mark can be removed by a dispel chaos spell.
Combat Gear: scroll of limited wish (2), scrolls of monster summoning VII (4), VIII (3), IX (2), amulet of natural armor +5, belt of battle, Boots of Swiftness, bracers of mighty constitution +6, Cloak of the Witch Queen, dusty rose ioun stone, gloves of storing, headband of protection +5, ring of free action, Ring of Epic Wizardry VI, staff of power (16), Robe of the Abyss, rod of greater quicken metamagic, 25,000gp in diamond dust for wish, true seeing ointment (4), 10,000 gp in rare incense and offerings for gate, 3000 gp in ruby dust for forcecage, star sapphire worth 22,000gp for trap the soul
Belt of Battle: This belt grants a +2 competence bonus on initiative checks. This is a continuous effect and requires no activation. In addition, a belt of battle has 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Each time you activate the belt, one of the black pearls set into its buckle turns white. The pearls return to normal when the belt’s charges renew. Spending 1 or more charges grants you an extra action, which must be taken immediately (before you take any other action). 1 charge: 1 move action. 2 charges: 1 standard action. 3 charges: 1 full-round action. Caster Level 13
Boots of Swiftness (minor artifact): These soft-soled leather shoes grant their wearer a +6 enhancement bonus to Dexterity. The wearer’s speed doubles (this does not stack with any magical or supernatural enhancement to speed), she gains the evasion ability (as the rogue class feature), and the wearer’s jumping distance is not limited by her height. The wearer gains a +20 competence bonus to her CMD, and on her Acrobatics and Climb checks. Three times per day, the wearer can utter a command word to activate haste as a swift action. Caster Level 25
Cloak of the Witch Queen (major artifact): Wearing this cloak grants the wearer a +8 enhancement to Intelligence, a +6 enhancement to Charisma, SR 36 and +5 resistance on all saving throws. The wearer can plane shift at will (as per amulet of the planes). Caster Level 30
Robe of the Abyss (minor artifact): The wearer of this robe enjoys DR 15/cold iron and good, immunity to electricity and poison, and resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10. Caster Level 25
(converted from Savage Tide epic 3.5 to Pathfinder)
Over on the Sages of Oerth-Greyhawk page on Facebook, Randy Davis is doing a hell of a job of stating up some of the "big names" in Greyhawk. I noticed his Zuggtmoy write-up a couple of days ago and thought it was great. I did some digging and found his takes on Gwynharwyf, Juiblex, Fraz-Urb’luu, Yeenoghu, Graz’zt, Orcus, and Demogorgon. I then found his take on Iggwilv and saw he used a lot of the same pictures I did. So I immediately liked it (and "Liked" it).
Here is his take on Iggwilv. You can see it on Facebook and it is reposted with his permission below.
If you like his work, pop on over the Facebook page(s) to let him know. He put a lot of work into these.
Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen of Perrenland
Medium human CE female archwizard 10 / wizard (arcane crafter) 20
Init +8; Senses arcane sight, darkvision 60’, see invisibility; Perception +31
DEFENSE
AC 33, touch 24, flat-footed 27 (armor +4, deflection +5, dex +6, insight +1, luck +2, natural +5)
hp 346 (30d6+210+31)
Fort +23, Ref +22, Will +25; evasion
DR 15/cold iron and good, Immune all devices and spells that gather information (detect, scry, etc.), electricity, movement-impeding effects, poison, Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, SR 36
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft., fly 80 ft.
Melee staff of power +22/+17/+12 (1d6+8)
Ranged touch +21
Special Attacks: Archwizardry 5/day, Bypass Spell Resistance, Spell Echo 5/day
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 30, Concentration +44)
9th gate, imprisonment (DC 33), quickened maze, extended shapechange, extended time stop, wish
8th extended greater planer binding (DC 32), extended dimensional lock, quickened forcecage (DC 32), maximized horrid wilting (DC 34), extended mind blank, trap the soul (DC 34)
7th banishment (DC 31), quickened flesh to stone (DC 31), quickened greater dispel magic (2), extended project image, soul transfer
6th maximized chain lightning (DC 30), maximized disintegrate (DC 30), extended mislead, extended planer binding (2), extended repulsion (DC 30), maximized and quickened scorching ray, extended true seeing, maximized undeath to death, quickened wall of force (2)
5th maximized acidic spray (DC 31), maximized cone of cold (DC 29), dismissal (DC 29), maximized and quickened magic missile, extended overland flight, sending, extended telekinesis (DC 29)
4th extended charm monster (DC 28), extended dimensional anchor (DC 28), quickened final sacrifice, extended greater false life, extended greater invisibility, quickened magic circle against chaos, extended sacrifice
3rd extended create soul gem (DC 29), extended displacement, extended fly, extended greater magic weapon, extended protection from energy, quickened resist energy (2)
2nd blindness/deafness (DC 28), extended glitterdust (DC 28, 2), extended hideous laughter (DC 26), extended invisibility, extended mirror image (2), quickened true strike, extended web
1st maximized chill touch, extended grease (DC 27), extended mage armor, maximized magic missile (2), extended protection from evil, extended protection from good, extended shield
0 light, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 23, Con 24, Int 38, Wis 13, Cha 29
Base Attack +15; CMB +17; CMD 61
Feats: Augment Summoning, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Demon Mastery, Extend Spell, Ironclad Logic, Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration, Necromancy), Greater Spell Penetration, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Knowledge – Arcana), Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Soul-Powered Magic, Spell Focus (Conjuration, Necromancy), Spell Penetration, Superior Summoning
Skills: Acrobatics +56, Diplomacy +47, Escape Artist +36, Intimidate +39, Knowledge (arcana) +55, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +44, Knowledge (engineering) +44, Knowledge (geography) +44, Knowledge (history) +44, Knowledge (local) +44, Knowledge (nature) +44, Knowledge (nobility) +44, Knowledge (religion) +44, Knowledge (the planes) +44, Perception +31, Sense Motive +31, Spellcraft +55, Use Magic Device +44
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal
SQ Arcane Servant, Metamagic Enhancement, Selective Targets, Shaped Area
Each day Iggwilv casts extended greater false life, extended mage armor, extended greater magic weapon, extended mind blank and extended overland flight.
Contingency: If Iggwilv is ever petrified, a stone to flesh spell affects her.
Demon Mastery (feat): When summoning demons Iggwilv gains a +2 on Charisma checks made to resolve the effects of planer binding and similar spells. Additionally, whenever she uses a spell to call or summon a demon her effective caster level is +1 for resolving its effects.
Permanent Spells: Iggwilv has used permanency to make the following spells permanent upon her: arcane sight, darkvision, read magic, see invisibility, and tongues.
Inherent Bonuses: Through a combination of books from Xagyg’s library, her own levels and wish spells, Iggwilv has a +5 inherent bonus to all six of her abilities.
Lilitu’s Kiss: Iggwilv has secured the cooperation of a lilitu demon named Tsatchti, and bears her name as a tattoo-like mark on her right shoulder. This gift grants Iggwilv a +2 profane bonus to her Charisma and saving throws. Iggwilv’s weapons are also treated as being chaotic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. The mark can be removed by a dispel chaos spell.
Combat Gear: scroll of limited wish (2), scrolls of monster summoning VII (4), VIII (3), IX (2), amulet of natural armor +5, belt of battle, Boots of Swiftness, bracers of mighty constitution +6, Cloak of the Witch Queen, dusty rose ioun stone, gloves of storing, headband of protection +5, ring of free action, Ring of Epic Wizardry VI, staff of power (16), Robe of the Abyss, rod of greater quicken metamagic, 25,000gp in diamond dust for wish, true seeing ointment (4), 10,000 gp in rare incense and offerings for gate, 3000 gp in ruby dust for forcecage, star sapphire worth 22,000gp for trap the soul
Belt of Battle: This belt grants a +2 competence bonus on initiative checks. This is a continuous effect and requires no activation. In addition, a belt of battle has 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Each time you activate the belt, one of the black pearls set into its buckle turns white. The pearls return to normal when the belt’s charges renew. Spending 1 or more charges grants you an extra action, which must be taken immediately (before you take any other action). 1 charge: 1 move action. 2 charges: 1 standard action. 3 charges: 1 full-round action. Caster Level 13
Boots of Swiftness (minor artifact): These soft-soled leather shoes grant their wearer a +6 enhancement bonus to Dexterity. The wearer’s speed doubles (this does not stack with any magical or supernatural enhancement to speed), she gains the evasion ability (as the rogue class feature), and the wearer’s jumping distance is not limited by her height. The wearer gains a +20 competence bonus to her CMD, and on her Acrobatics and Climb checks. Three times per day, the wearer can utter a command word to activate haste as a swift action. Caster Level 25
Cloak of the Witch Queen (major artifact): Wearing this cloak grants the wearer a +8 enhancement to Intelligence, a +6 enhancement to Charisma, SR 36 and +5 resistance on all saving throws. The wearer can plane shift at will (as per amulet of the planes). Caster Level 30
Robe of the Abyss (minor artifact): The wearer of this robe enjoys DR 15/cold iron and good, immunity to electricity and poison, and resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10. Caster Level 25
(converted from Savage Tide epic 3.5 to Pathfinder)
Friday, September 8, 2017
Kickstart Your Weekend: Aliens in Dungeons, Wizards and Warriors in the Mean Streets.
Starfinder is the new hotness, but D&D 5 is still going strong. So it seems natural to have a product that can support both. So here is one of the first:
Alien Bestiary for Starfinder and 5E RPG
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/alien-bestiary-for-starfinder-and-5e-rpg
I am sure converting to White Star will be easy.
If Starfinder takes the Pathfinder rules to the far future, Modern Adventures takes it the dark streets.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/highergrounds/modern-adventures-tabletop-rpg
I love modern adventure games and like so many I am not yet ready to retire my 3.x-era rules.
I really like what they have here. Yes, there are LOTS of OGC/3.x based modern games out there but this one has a neat vibe about it. There is something in it that feels a little like Kult or Chill. I can also see you playing a cool Supernatural-like game. I might even pull out my notes for the long abandoned Anita Blake game I was working on to see it would work there.
Combine these two books and you could have the best kick-ass game of X-files outside of Conspiracy X.
Both look really fun!
Alien Bestiary for Starfinder and 5E RPG
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/alien-bestiary-for-starfinder-and-5e-rpg
I am sure converting to White Star will be easy.
If Starfinder takes the Pathfinder rules to the far future, Modern Adventures takes it the dark streets.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/highergrounds/modern-adventures-tabletop-rpg
I love modern adventure games and like so many I am not yet ready to retire my 3.x-era rules.
I really like what they have here. Yes, there are LOTS of OGC/3.x based modern games out there but this one has a neat vibe about it. There is something in it that feels a little like Kult or Chill. I can also see you playing a cool Supernatural-like game. I might even pull out my notes for the long abandoned Anita Blake game I was working on to see it would work there.
Combine these two books and you could have the best kick-ass game of X-files outside of Conspiracy X.
Both look really fun!
Monday, June 26, 2017
Witches are (Still) the New Vampires!
A quick pop into RPGNow this afternoon and I noticed this.
Not too bad really!
You have my Green Witch for Swords & Wizardry.
My Strange Brew: Magic Items for Pathfinder.
And Zenith Games' Paragon Hags.
Great time to pick up a new witch book!
Not too bad really!
You have my Green Witch for Swords & Wizardry.
My Strange Brew: Magic Items for Pathfinder.
And Zenith Games' Paragon Hags.
Great time to pick up a new witch book!
Monday, June 19, 2017
FreeRPG Day Haul
Really busy weekend.
Free RPG day, Father's Day, grilling, playing D&D. It was packed.
Here are the books I got at my FLGS.
I am most excited about Runequest. I have not played it in YEARS and have been itching to do so more with it.
My hat is off to +James Raggi. I admit I have been critical of his products and style over the years. The truth is his style is not my style. That is not good or bad, just different tastes.
But ALL that aside, giving out a free HARDCOVER book? Holy shit dude.
Plus his Vaginas Are Magic is actually really, really good.
It galls me, and makes me happy, that he keep proving me wrong by being good.
I might not ever play Lamentations of the Flame Princess, but damn. His production values are through the roof. He even pulled in +Stacy Dellorfano and +Elizabeth Chaipraditkul to help him on this book. I trust their opinions and judgment. I am going to have to dig into his book a bit more. Ok. A lot more.
So +James Raggi, it took me a while, but I think I finally "get it".
Free RPG day, Father's Day, grilling, playing D&D. It was packed.
Here are the books I got at my FLGS.
I am most excited about Runequest. I have not played it in YEARS and have been itching to do so more with it.
My hat is off to +James Raggi. I admit I have been critical of his products and style over the years. The truth is his style is not my style. That is not good or bad, just different tastes.
But ALL that aside, giving out a free HARDCOVER book? Holy shit dude.
Plus his Vaginas Are Magic is actually really, really good.
It galls me, and makes me happy, that he keep proving me wrong by being good.
I might not ever play Lamentations of the Flame Princess, but damn. His production values are through the roof. He even pulled in +Stacy Dellorfano and +Elizabeth Chaipraditkul to help him on this book. I trust their opinions and judgment. I am going to have to dig into his book a bit more. Ok. A lot more.
So +James Raggi, it took me a while, but I think I finally "get it".
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
New Releases Tuesday: Covencraft
It's Tuesday and that means new releases!
Out today the next book in the Strange Brew series for Pathfinder, Covencraft!
Witches can be--and often are--portrayed and represented as solitary individuals, practicing their craft alone in a cabin (gingerbread or otherwise) in the wilderness or in the scary house on the hill that children avoid. But what if they gathered in groups, forming a coven? What then, would be different about them, and how would those groups look and act? What tools would they craft and use in their rituals?
Strange Brew: Covencraft answers those questions for you, taking you inside covens and detailing how they work and how to integrate them into your character’s story and your campaign. Sample covens are provided, along with discussions of the benefits of a coven, types of covens and roles for characters within them, example ritual tools, ceremonies, and more.
Magic items to follow!
Out today the next book in the Strange Brew series for Pathfinder, Covencraft!
Strange Brew: Covencraft for the Pathfinder RPG
Witches can be--and often are--portrayed and represented as solitary individuals, practicing their craft alone in a cabin (gingerbread or otherwise) in the wilderness or in the scary house on the hill that children avoid. But what if they gathered in groups, forming a coven? What then, would be different about them, and how would those groups look and act? What tools would they craft and use in their rituals?
Strange Brew: Covencraft answers those questions for you, taking you inside covens and detailing how they work and how to integrate them into your character’s story and your campaign. Sample covens are provided, along with discussions of the benefits of a coven, types of covens and roles for characters within them, example ritual tools, ceremonies, and more.
Magic items to follow!
Monday, May 1, 2017
Witch & Witchcraft Reading Challenge: Pathfinder Tales: Winter Witch
Pathfinder Tales: Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham and Dave Gross.
Gamer Fiction is a bit of an odd thing for me. I admit I enjoy it and sometimes I find something good. But there is a tinge of guilt that I am "wasting my time" and not reading something better. I guess this makes it the very definition of "guilty pleasures".
Winter Witch is no different. Elaine Cunningham has been writing for years and has some notable titles under belt. It will not be confused with great literature, but it is also not supposed to be. It is a fun little romp through a frozen world with a wizard turned forger and cshieldmaiden looking for her sister. Ellasif, the aforementioned shieldmaiden is the hero of our tale and the most interesting. She obviously loves her sister Liv, but is also not a little afraid of her.
Her beginning story was very interesting. I could not help but feel it was nice mix of Slavic, Saxon and Celtic myths all rolled into one. The story then shifts to the tale of a wizard (we later learn) and map maker forger Declan. Declan was not as interesting to me to be honest though the mystery around him was. These two unlikely heroes, grim Ellasif and urbane Declan, set off to find Liv and take her from the clutches of the Witches of Irrisen, maybe even from the clutches of Baba Yaga herself!
The book was a fun, really quick read. Though I will admit there are parts of the ending I was not satisfied with. Unlike some game-related fiction, where you can practically hear the dice rolling in the background, this read much more like a novel. I read this one soon after a few Forgotten Realm novels so the competing descriptions of some the same spells (for example Fireball) were very interesting. I guess the question I ask myself is would I read another book by Elaine Cunningham? Yes, absolutely! Would I read another book with these characters? Maybe, depends on what the book was about.
I was hoping that Feiya would make a cameo, but no such luck really. Maybe the iconics don't appear in books.
This was another Audiobook find and the reader, Daniel Thomas May, did a great job.
Elaine Cunningham can be found on the web here:
https://www.facebook.com/elaine.cunningham
and
http://www.elainecunningham.com/
Books Read so far: 12
Level: Mother
Witches in this book: Many. All of Irrisen, Baba Yaga, Liv and Mareshka.
Are they Good Witches or Bad Witches: All the above. THough mostly they are Bad.
Best RPG to Emulate it: Well. It is a Pathfinder book. Pathfinder is the obvious choice here.
Use in WotWQ: Absolutely! I can't say for sure what or who will appear, but Irrisen will absolutely feature into the War of the Witch Queens. Expect to see Baba Yaga there too.
Don't forget. Today is Beltane!
Pick up a copy of the Warlock for Swords & Wizardry.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Kickstart Your Weekend: Forest Kingdom Campaign Compendium
The quickest way to make me interested in something is to tell it is dual stated*. Such is the case here for Legendary Games' newest Kickstarter.
(*ok, two different books one 5e and the other Pathfinder, but still)
Forest Kingdom Campaign Compendium for Pathfinder and 5E
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/forest-kingdom-campaign-compendium-for-pathfinder
There is something about old forests that scream "adventure" to me. Hiden fey realms, goblin cities, and creatures that never leave so never seen by the likes of you and me.
Plus there is so much cool stuff in this compendium.
The add-ons make it even better. Add on their Gothic Campaign Compendium? Hell yes!
There is so much great looking art and material in this I am not sure where to even start.
Just check it out for yourself and then pledge.
(*ok, two different books one 5e and the other Pathfinder, but still)
Forest Kingdom Campaign Compendium for Pathfinder and 5E
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/legendarygames/forest-kingdom-campaign-compendium-for-pathfinder
There is something about old forests that scream "adventure" to me. Hiden fey realms, goblin cities, and creatures that never leave so never seen by the likes of you and me.
Plus there is so much cool stuff in this compendium.
The add-ons make it even better. Add on their Gothic Campaign Compendium? Hell yes!
There is so much great looking art and material in this I am not sure where to even start.
Just check it out for yourself and then pledge.
Monday, March 20, 2017
New Releases: Hedge Witches and Prestige Witches
Today is the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, also known as Ostara.
To celebrate this time I have not just one, but two new releases today.
First up:
The Witch: Hedgewitch for the Hero's Journey RPG
Presenting the Hedgewitch for The Hero's Journey Fantasy Roleplaying game. Can be used with HJ or Swords & Wizardry Whitebox or Complete.
Included in these 66 pages are:
Fully compatible with The Witch, Eldritch Witchery, The Witch for Swords & Wizardry Light and The Witch: Aiséiligh Tradition for Swords & Wizardry. In fact, all are designed to work together as a complete whole. Getting these various witches to work together in your is another matter entirely.
A softcover print version is in the process of heading to the printer. I am just waiting on OneBookShelf on this, they are taking longer than expected.
Also released is the next book in the Strange Brew series for Pathfinder.
Strange Brew: Mystical Paths & Prestige Classes
From the book:
Witches and warlocks come in all shapes, sizes, genders, philosophies, alignments, and focuses. Many of these concepts are expressed through archetypes, but some concepts require a bit ... more ... to fully be expressed.
Here are 23 Prestige Classes for your witch or warlock, allowing them to focus on specific aspects of being a witch or warlock, or a specific type of witch or warlock with more control than an archetype gives you. With them, your witch isn’t "just" a witch, she’s a Tempestarii Storm Raiser, or he isn’t "merely" a witch, but an Occult Scholar.
Help find the true destiny of your witch or warlock!
Also included are some of my favorites, the Imbolc Mage and the Queen of Witches.
Regardless of what game you prefer, I have a class for you. Time to make some magic!
To celebrate this time I have not just one, but two new releases today.
First up:
The Witch: Hedgewitch for the Hero's Journey RPG
Presenting the Hedgewitch for The Hero's Journey Fantasy Roleplaying game. Can be used with HJ or Swords & Wizardry Whitebox or Complete.
Included in these 66 pages are:
- New Race: The Gnome
- New Professions
- The Witch class and Hedge Witch tradition
- 80 spells new to The Hero's Journey
- 15 new monsters
Fully compatible with The Witch, Eldritch Witchery, The Witch for Swords & Wizardry Light and The Witch: Aiséiligh Tradition for Swords & Wizardry. In fact, all are designed to work together as a complete whole. Getting these various witches to work together in your is another matter entirely.
A softcover print version is in the process of heading to the printer. I am just waiting on OneBookShelf on this, they are taking longer than expected.
Also released is the next book in the Strange Brew series for Pathfinder.
Strange Brew: Mystical Paths & Prestige Classes
From the book:
Witches and warlocks come in all shapes, sizes, genders, philosophies, alignments, and focuses. Many of these concepts are expressed through archetypes, but some concepts require a bit ... more ... to fully be expressed.
Here are 23 Prestige Classes for your witch or warlock, allowing them to focus on specific aspects of being a witch or warlock, or a specific type of witch or warlock with more control than an archetype gives you. With them, your witch isn’t "just" a witch, she’s a Tempestarii Storm Raiser, or he isn’t "merely" a witch, but an Occult Scholar.
Help find the true destiny of your witch or warlock!
Also included are some of my favorites, the Imbolc Mage and the Queen of Witches.
Regardless of what game you prefer, I have a class for you. Time to make some magic!
Friday, February 17, 2017
Kickstart Your Weekend: The Book of Passion
It's the week of Valentine's Day. My wife and I have a LONG overdue date night and Misfit Studios has released their latest Kickstarter for OGL 3.75 (D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder I take it).
The Book of Passion, by authors Will Wells and Margherita Tramontano, adds role-playing rules for love and sex to your OGL 3.75 campaign. Long-time game designer/editor/developer, Christina Stiles, will publish the book via Misfit Studios.
To find out more about this project I went to the authors to ask some questions.
Interview with Will Wells and Margherita Tramontano
(Full Disclosure: I work with Misfit Studio on the Strange Brew line of Witch and Warlock books. Margherita has contributed to my book. This book and Strange Brew share editors Christina Stiles and Robert Hudson in common as well as artists Jacob Blackmon and Peter Bradley.)
Tim: So with tell me who you are and what your other publications of note have been.
Will: Well, I'm an English teacher from Cleveland who has been gaming since 1999 (see next question) and has been creating fan-made rule systems and modifications to the same for basically just as long. I love to translate what I see in film, books, and video games into tabletop rules (likely from my start with the Fusion system, which did that for Bubblegum Crisis - again, see below).
Most of the time, this sort of thing has just been for my own personal use. In fact, that's how the Passion Mystery started. Sometimes I post my system modifications on the Paizo forums for others to use as well (again, as seen with the Passion Mystery).
As for official paid publications, my only current publications are outside the gaming realm - although that is about to change in a big way - Margherita and I have been doing a lot of work for Christina Stiles the past few months.
Also - fun fact - I've been trying to write a bio for the front-matter of some of the aforementioned work, and haven't been able to hit the right tone. I think I just did here, so if you don't mind, I'm going to steal basically everything I just said for my official bio.
Margherita: Well, I am an Italian Literature teacher and a mum of two boys. I always wanted to be a writer since I was a little child. I published two volumes of poetry and some chapters of my fantasy novel… then I began sending articles to Wayfinder. The Paizo forums put me in contact with so many great persons that also were authors and publishers, so I tried to send something to them too. And here I am, working with people I look up to.
In recent years, I published articles in several issues of Wayfinder, on the Kobold Press blog with a series of options for their shaman class, and in the new version of Green Ronin Publishing’s Advanced Bestiary (Teratocephalos template). I also co–authored four Letters from the Flaming Crab for Flaming Crab Games and created the Esotericist oracle archetype for The Knotty–Works; for Everyman Games, I am the author of Childhood Feats and Mysteries of Passion; and I contributed to The Colossal Creatures Bestiary for Zenith Games with the kaiju Dypthera. For Christina, Will and I co-authored and developed the Talented Adventurers of SpirosBlaak line. This year more projects in which I am involved should see the light!
Tim: I suppose I should ask how you all got into gaming. So. How did you get into gaming?
Will: Back in 1999, I picked up a copy of the Bubblegum Crisis RPG because I was a huge fan of Bubblegum Crisis. Having bought the book, it only seemed right to try it out.
From there, I jumped into 2nd Ed D&D just before the release of 3rd Ed - and 3rd Ed just made so much more sense to me than THAC0.
Margherita: It was a little tragic. I was involved in a game run by a friend, and since I always was curious about RPG, I accepted (it was a 2E campaign). It did finish well for my character, but much less well for me. I thought it would be an heroic Arthurian fantasy manga campaign, while the master and the other players were all into gothic dark Arthurian fantasy manga gaming. Like so many newbies, I couldn’t keep myself and my character separated, and the game’s flavor caused me a long period of deep depression and anger.
Fortunately, this stimulated me to learn more about the game, to understand whether I was wrong or my master was. I read manuals, tried to translate rules, created my own characters, campaign, game world and novels, and- well, ultimately I fell in love. I began to write my own rules at first just for myself. I found many beautiful netbooks of rules written by gamers (one was the Netbook of Witches and Warlocks, another the Complete Guide to Unlawful Carnal Knowledge!).
I never loved 3E or 3.5E much, however. But one day I found Pathfinder. The rest is history.
Tim: Great. Now tell me about the Book of Passion. Who’s idea was this and what are you hoping gamers can get from it?
Margherita: It was in part a coincidence. Will had started a thread on the Paizo forums with his first draft of the Mystery of Passion. I was searching for a way to convert one of my 2E characters to Pathfinder (the same that became my iconic romance oracle in the Book of Passion), and his idea was the nearest thing to her I could found then. So I answered to the thread with some ideas to make the mystery better. Before we knew, we were working together, exchanging ideas for the mystery, then for oracle archetypes tied to the mystery, then for other classes… I don’t remember which one of us had first the idea of making a book, but we liked it more and more. I had already proposed some pieces to Owen K. C. Stephens and Christina, so I thought to try sending some examples to them. And now, after some years of work, the book is nearly ready to become a reality.
Will: For me, it started with the release of Paizo's Advanced Player's Guide. I loved the Oracle class during the playtest, and was eagerly awaiting the final book to see what interesting options would be released for clerics of Calistria. I preordered the book and, when it finally arrived, I practically tore it open to get to the Oracle section and - nothing. No mystery was listed for Calistria. I was really disappointed - and after a brief snit, I decided that the best way to fix this was to make my own.
Except, of course, that Oracle mysteries are intentionally broad, so I couldn't make one specifically for her - I had to pick an aspect that she represented. Plus, since I was also a huge fan of the works of Jacqueline Carey (particularly Kushiel's Legacy), I kept Naamah in mind as well. Sacred prostitution is a shared theme between both goddesses, so that's where I started.
Tim: I am looking forward to that, I have used Naamah myself in other games. What is one of your favorite features about this book?
Margherita: Among the parts I wrote, I like the Merciful Oracle archetype -the one that my iconic uses- but also the Chasmalim angel, which is the good counterpart of a succubus, and of course my pregnancy and hybridization rules, and the stats of my character. Among the parts Will wrote, maybe the richest of hints, flavor and fantasy are his descriptions of sex-oriented societies. But the Mystery of Passion is the book’s nucleus, the one from which everything else has grown, and we wrote that together!
Tim: What sort of games/stories do you expect that people will use this for?
Will: Any story that features romance, love, or sex. Many (if not most) published Pathfinder adventures (by any publisher) feature these things, but they were usually on the "plot" side of things with no mechanical elements. For example, in one adventure I can recall off the top of my head, it is a minor background note that two of the major NPCs are in a lesbian relationship with one another. Aside from some motivations, however, this has no impact on the character builds.
With the Book of Passion, that could change. Now, if there are two characters (PC or NPC), they could choose to take "Marriage Feats" - a special kind of teamwork feat that only works between individuals in a romantic relationship (they don't actually have to be married, but if you are choosing feats together, that's pretty significant commitment).
It can be as simple as that - or as complicated as the GM and players like. During the playtesting for this book, I ran a game that resembled a fantasy romance novel. There was a lot of political machinations, covert intelligence gathering, and - yes - a lot of seductions and romances. Characters fell in love, entered into complex relationships (including a particularly complex polyamorous relationship between a married couple, their lover, her other lover, and his fiancee), suffered heartbreak, and in one case got murdered by a botched assassination aimed as the person sitting next to them. The game was high melodrama and a lot of fun, with the archetypes, feats, and spells from the Book of Passion being a great way to flavor a character. In fact, two of the three iconic character we present in the Book of Passion are from that game.
On the far end of the spectrum, we also playtested in a grim low-fantasy setting more reminiscent of Game of Thrones with a bit of Berserk (the manga) thrown in than anything like the usual Pathfinder setting. And there, too, the Book of Passion was highly useful. While there was far less magic in this game, several of the archetypes proved useful, as did a number of the more sinister monsters from the Book of Passion's Bestiary.
That's the thing - sex and romance are part of most of the stories we tell. Whether they are the main focus, like in the romance novel game, or they are part of the tragic background, like in the low fantasy game, they're almost always there, somewhere. Being able to make romance more core to a character, either through an archetype, feat, or spell, allows that oh-so important part of our characters' lives to be represented in their builds.
Margherita: I hope it will not be used to traumatize players or GMs! (Laughs) The book can be used not only to decide if a character gets pregnant or not, it also offers great tips for roleplaying many different situations and relationships in which sex must not necessarily be involved. If someone is just in search of “new positions”, then this is not the book they want.
Tim: It has to be asked, but is this just “Sex in D&D”? (nod to any old-school gamer that remembers that one).
Will: Yes - and no. We do an update to some of the more common rules for sex presented in several different 3rd and 3.5 books, but that is literally the first half of the first chapter. Sex has been part of D&D for a while now, and Pathfinder in particular has embraced that to a much greater degree than previous versions of the game. However, while sex is a present and important aspect of the game, there is little a player can do to use sex meaningfully as part of their character.
That's where a lot of our work in this book comes in. By far the largest chapter is a series of archetypes and class features for every class from Core, APG, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and Advanced Class - all of which have to do with sex or romance in some way. These features aren't just about flavor - they're about making sex and romance useful. If you are a cleric or oracle who is granted spells by a god or goddess of fertility or sexuality, you should gain powers from that deity that relate to those aspects of the deity. If you want to play a high class prostitute who uses sex to draw out information from his patrons, you can do that. Or, if you want to play a knight with a pledge of courtly love to a noblewoman, you can do that too. Archetypes for all of these concepts - and many, many more - are supported in such a way that even games that stick to a "fade to black" style PG rating can still use them. A lot of game tables don't like to get into specifics but still use sexual themes, and we wanted to make sure they were covered as well.
Margherita: Nooooo. Love has many facets, and sex is just one of them. Will appreciates quality erotism, while I have a more romantic and platonic approach. We integrated both these points of view into our work. There is the temple prostitute inside, but there also is the virginal healer, the platonic lover, the courtly love-voted cavalier and bard. Passion is a nearly limitless subject.
Tim: So a related question. What about the supposed “adult” content in this book. What do say to potential critics?
Will: First of all, I would ask where they were during 3.5 when at least five books on this topic (working sexuality into D&D) were released. The concept of this book is nothing new - it's the execution, and the fact that it hasn't been done for Pathfinder yet, that make our book special.
Secondly, if you're talking about nudity, then I would remind any potential critics that the 3.5 "Book of Erotic Fantasy" used actual photographs of real models for its nudes, often photo-shopped in a very "uncanny valley" way to attempt to create magical effects. We're using drawings - beautiful, well crafted drawings. Again, anyone in a snit about this is nearly a decade late to the barbecue.
Does the book talk about sex? Yes, quite a bit. In fact, I make a point in chapter 1 to define sex as "oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, tribadism (aka scissoring), manual sex (aka hand-job or fingering), brachiovaginal insertion (fisting), or any other direct stimulation of one or both partners' genitals." We don't just talk about sex - we talk inclusively about sex, making sure to cover various types of sexual relationships.
We also talk about the concept of "sex-positive" both as it applies to the book at large and to societies in various game settings. Unlike some previous books on the topic, we don't make any assumptions about what a given race's sexual mores are and instead provide guidelines how sex-positive social mores might interact with various alignments.
Of course, we also talk about love and romance. As I mentioned before, our archetypes are as likely to be focused on the emotion of love as they are to be on the physical act of sex.
Margherita: We always used a respectful language and a respectful approach to the many ways in which people see love. Some of the monsters and characters included in the book enjoy rape or non-consensual domination: these are evil. Many more enforce reciprocal trust, fealty and sincerity in a relationship, and defend even love that some would find “wrong”. These are the good ones and the model roles we hope to show to our readers.
Tim: Last question, something I always ask. Who is your favorite witch, wizard or magic-user and why?
Margherita: Tiffany Aching. Because she will be the greatest witch in the Discworld and has surpassed even her teacher. She has all her teacher’s virtues and none of her teacher’s quirks. Though if I were a witch, I’m afraid I would be more a Magrat than a Tiffany.
Oh, and the witch I created for Christina, Marena Lenoire, is cool too. (Laughs)
Will: Favorite Witch? Wow, how specific. Okay - for me, that would be Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena. While she isn't a "traditional" witch, that is how she's described in the show, and she does have the power of illusions. As to why - Anthy's story is that of a victim breaking free of her own guilt and finally walking away from her abuser. She makes mistakes along the way and betrays her best friend, but it is that very betrayal - and her friend forgiving her for it - that finally makes her see that she can't keep being that person anymore and needs to change. And change she does. Her character arc is both tragic and uplifting, horrible and beautiful, and I love her to death.
--
Personally I think it looks like a lot of fun.
The Book of Passion, by authors Will Wells and Margherita Tramontano, adds role-playing rules for love and sex to your OGL 3.75 campaign. Long-time game designer/editor/developer, Christina Stiles, will publish the book via Misfit Studios.
To find out more about this project I went to the authors to ask some questions.
Interview with Will Wells and Margherita Tramontano
(Full Disclosure: I work with Misfit Studio on the Strange Brew line of Witch and Warlock books. Margherita has contributed to my book. This book and Strange Brew share editors Christina Stiles and Robert Hudson in common as well as artists Jacob Blackmon and Peter Bradley.)
Tim: So with tell me who you are and what your other publications of note have been.
Will: Well, I'm an English teacher from Cleveland who has been gaming since 1999 (see next question) and has been creating fan-made rule systems and modifications to the same for basically just as long. I love to translate what I see in film, books, and video games into tabletop rules (likely from my start with the Fusion system, which did that for Bubblegum Crisis - again, see below).
Most of the time, this sort of thing has just been for my own personal use. In fact, that's how the Passion Mystery started. Sometimes I post my system modifications on the Paizo forums for others to use as well (again, as seen with the Passion Mystery).
As for official paid publications, my only current publications are outside the gaming realm - although that is about to change in a big way - Margherita and I have been doing a lot of work for Christina Stiles the past few months.
Also - fun fact - I've been trying to write a bio for the front-matter of some of the aforementioned work, and haven't been able to hit the right tone. I think I just did here, so if you don't mind, I'm going to steal basically everything I just said for my official bio.
Margherita: Well, I am an Italian Literature teacher and a mum of two boys. I always wanted to be a writer since I was a little child. I published two volumes of poetry and some chapters of my fantasy novel… then I began sending articles to Wayfinder. The Paizo forums put me in contact with so many great persons that also were authors and publishers, so I tried to send something to them too. And here I am, working with people I look up to.
In recent years, I published articles in several issues of Wayfinder, on the Kobold Press blog with a series of options for their shaman class, and in the new version of Green Ronin Publishing’s Advanced Bestiary (Teratocephalos template). I also co–authored four Letters from the Flaming Crab for Flaming Crab Games and created the Esotericist oracle archetype for The Knotty–Works; for Everyman Games, I am the author of Childhood Feats and Mysteries of Passion; and I contributed to The Colossal Creatures Bestiary for Zenith Games with the kaiju Dypthera. For Christina, Will and I co-authored and developed the Talented Adventurers of SpirosBlaak line. This year more projects in which I am involved should see the light!
Will: Back in 1999, I picked up a copy of the Bubblegum Crisis RPG because I was a huge fan of Bubblegum Crisis. Having bought the book, it only seemed right to try it out.
From there, I jumped into 2nd Ed D&D just before the release of 3rd Ed - and 3rd Ed just made so much more sense to me than THAC0.
Margherita: It was a little tragic. I was involved in a game run by a friend, and since I always was curious about RPG, I accepted (it was a 2E campaign). It did finish well for my character, but much less well for me. I thought it would be an heroic Arthurian fantasy manga campaign, while the master and the other players were all into gothic dark Arthurian fantasy manga gaming. Like so many newbies, I couldn’t keep myself and my character separated, and the game’s flavor caused me a long period of deep depression and anger.
Fortunately, this stimulated me to learn more about the game, to understand whether I was wrong or my master was. I read manuals, tried to translate rules, created my own characters, campaign, game world and novels, and- well, ultimately I fell in love. I began to write my own rules at first just for myself. I found many beautiful netbooks of rules written by gamers (one was the Netbook of Witches and Warlocks, another the Complete Guide to Unlawful Carnal Knowledge!).
I never loved 3E or 3.5E much, however. But one day I found Pathfinder. The rest is history.
Tim: Great. Now tell me about the Book of Passion. Who’s idea was this and what are you hoping gamers can get from it?
Margherita: It was in part a coincidence. Will had started a thread on the Paizo forums with his first draft of the Mystery of Passion. I was searching for a way to convert one of my 2E characters to Pathfinder (the same that became my iconic romance oracle in the Book of Passion), and his idea was the nearest thing to her I could found then. So I answered to the thread with some ideas to make the mystery better. Before we knew, we were working together, exchanging ideas for the mystery, then for oracle archetypes tied to the mystery, then for other classes… I don’t remember which one of us had first the idea of making a book, but we liked it more and more. I had already proposed some pieces to Owen K. C. Stephens and Christina, so I thought to try sending some examples to them. And now, after some years of work, the book is nearly ready to become a reality.
Will: For me, it started with the release of Paizo's Advanced Player's Guide. I loved the Oracle class during the playtest, and was eagerly awaiting the final book to see what interesting options would be released for clerics of Calistria. I preordered the book and, when it finally arrived, I practically tore it open to get to the Oracle section and - nothing. No mystery was listed for Calistria. I was really disappointed - and after a brief snit, I decided that the best way to fix this was to make my own.
Except, of course, that Oracle mysteries are intentionally broad, so I couldn't make one specifically for her - I had to pick an aspect that she represented. Plus, since I was also a huge fan of the works of Jacqueline Carey (particularly Kushiel's Legacy), I kept Naamah in mind as well. Sacred prostitution is a shared theme between both goddesses, so that's where I started.
Tim: I am looking forward to that, I have used Naamah myself in other games. What is one of your favorite features about this book?
Margherita: Among the parts I wrote, I like the Merciful Oracle archetype -the one that my iconic uses- but also the Chasmalim angel, which is the good counterpart of a succubus, and of course my pregnancy and hybridization rules, and the stats of my character. Among the parts Will wrote, maybe the richest of hints, flavor and fantasy are his descriptions of sex-oriented societies. But the Mystery of Passion is the book’s nucleus, the one from which everything else has grown, and we wrote that together!
Tim: What sort of games/stories do you expect that people will use this for?
Will: Any story that features romance, love, or sex. Many (if not most) published Pathfinder adventures (by any publisher) feature these things, but they were usually on the "plot" side of things with no mechanical elements. For example, in one adventure I can recall off the top of my head, it is a minor background note that two of the major NPCs are in a lesbian relationship with one another. Aside from some motivations, however, this has no impact on the character builds.
With the Book of Passion, that could change. Now, if there are two characters (PC or NPC), they could choose to take "Marriage Feats" - a special kind of teamwork feat that only works between individuals in a romantic relationship (they don't actually have to be married, but if you are choosing feats together, that's pretty significant commitment).
It can be as simple as that - or as complicated as the GM and players like. During the playtesting for this book, I ran a game that resembled a fantasy romance novel. There was a lot of political machinations, covert intelligence gathering, and - yes - a lot of seductions and romances. Characters fell in love, entered into complex relationships (including a particularly complex polyamorous relationship between a married couple, their lover, her other lover, and his fiancee), suffered heartbreak, and in one case got murdered by a botched assassination aimed as the person sitting next to them. The game was high melodrama and a lot of fun, with the archetypes, feats, and spells from the Book of Passion being a great way to flavor a character. In fact, two of the three iconic character we present in the Book of Passion are from that game.
That's the thing - sex and romance are part of most of the stories we tell. Whether they are the main focus, like in the romance novel game, or they are part of the tragic background, like in the low fantasy game, they're almost always there, somewhere. Being able to make romance more core to a character, either through an archetype, feat, or spell, allows that oh-so important part of our characters' lives to be represented in their builds.
Margherita: I hope it will not be used to traumatize players or GMs! (Laughs) The book can be used not only to decide if a character gets pregnant or not, it also offers great tips for roleplaying many different situations and relationships in which sex must not necessarily be involved. If someone is just in search of “new positions”, then this is not the book they want.
Tim: It has to be asked, but is this just “Sex in D&D”? (nod to any old-school gamer that remembers that one).
Will: Yes - and no. We do an update to some of the more common rules for sex presented in several different 3rd and 3.5 books, but that is literally the first half of the first chapter. Sex has been part of D&D for a while now, and Pathfinder in particular has embraced that to a much greater degree than previous versions of the game. However, while sex is a present and important aspect of the game, there is little a player can do to use sex meaningfully as part of their character.
That's where a lot of our work in this book comes in. By far the largest chapter is a series of archetypes and class features for every class from Core, APG, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and Advanced Class - all of which have to do with sex or romance in some way. These features aren't just about flavor - they're about making sex and romance useful. If you are a cleric or oracle who is granted spells by a god or goddess of fertility or sexuality, you should gain powers from that deity that relate to those aspects of the deity. If you want to play a high class prostitute who uses sex to draw out information from his patrons, you can do that. Or, if you want to play a knight with a pledge of courtly love to a noblewoman, you can do that too. Archetypes for all of these concepts - and many, many more - are supported in such a way that even games that stick to a "fade to black" style PG rating can still use them. A lot of game tables don't like to get into specifics but still use sexual themes, and we wanted to make sure they were covered as well.
Margherita: Nooooo. Love has many facets, and sex is just one of them. Will appreciates quality erotism, while I have a more romantic and platonic approach. We integrated both these points of view into our work. There is the temple prostitute inside, but there also is the virginal healer, the platonic lover, the courtly love-voted cavalier and bard. Passion is a nearly limitless subject.
Tim: So a related question. What about the supposed “adult” content in this book. What do say to potential critics?
Will: First of all, I would ask where they were during 3.5 when at least five books on this topic (working sexuality into D&D) were released. The concept of this book is nothing new - it's the execution, and the fact that it hasn't been done for Pathfinder yet, that make our book special.
Secondly, if you're talking about nudity, then I would remind any potential critics that the 3.5 "Book of Erotic Fantasy" used actual photographs of real models for its nudes, often photo-shopped in a very "uncanny valley" way to attempt to create magical effects. We're using drawings - beautiful, well crafted drawings. Again, anyone in a snit about this is nearly a decade late to the barbecue.
Does the book talk about sex? Yes, quite a bit. In fact, I make a point in chapter 1 to define sex as "oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, tribadism (aka scissoring), manual sex (aka hand-job or fingering), brachiovaginal insertion (fisting), or any other direct stimulation of one or both partners' genitals." We don't just talk about sex - we talk inclusively about sex, making sure to cover various types of sexual relationships.
We also talk about the concept of "sex-positive" both as it applies to the book at large and to societies in various game settings. Unlike some previous books on the topic, we don't make any assumptions about what a given race's sexual mores are and instead provide guidelines how sex-positive social mores might interact with various alignments.
Of course, we also talk about love and romance. As I mentioned before, our archetypes are as likely to be focused on the emotion of love as they are to be on the physical act of sex.
Margherita: We always used a respectful language and a respectful approach to the many ways in which people see love. Some of the monsters and characters included in the book enjoy rape or non-consensual domination: these are evil. Many more enforce reciprocal trust, fealty and sincerity in a relationship, and defend even love that some would find “wrong”. These are the good ones and the model roles we hope to show to our readers.
Tim: Last question, something I always ask. Who is your favorite witch, wizard or magic-user and why?
Margherita: Tiffany Aching. Because she will be the greatest witch in the Discworld and has surpassed even her teacher. She has all her teacher’s virtues and none of her teacher’s quirks. Though if I were a witch, I’m afraid I would be more a Magrat than a Tiffany.
Oh, and the witch I created for Christina, Marena Lenoire, is cool too. (Laughs)
Will: Favorite Witch? Wow, how specific. Okay - for me, that would be Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena. While she isn't a "traditional" witch, that is how she's described in the show, and she does have the power of illusions. As to why - Anthy's story is that of a victim breaking free of her own guilt and finally walking away from her abuser. She makes mistakes along the way and betrays her best friend, but it is that very betrayal - and her friend forgiving her for it - that finally makes her see that she can't keep being that person anymore and needs to change. And change she does. Her character arc is both tragic and uplifting, horrible and beautiful, and I love her to death.
--
Personally I think it looks like a lot of fun.
Monday, January 2, 2017
2017 A Look Ahead
I like to be optimistic. I like to look forward to things. So here is my look forward to 2017 and what it might hold for me and the Other Side.
First things first I know my posting frequency is going to take a hit. I have a lot of projects I need to wrap-up and the only time to do that is blogging time.
Strange Brew is hitting the shelves, both virtual and physical. There is a Pathfinder version, a Castles & Crusades version (that I am really pleased with) and there is talk of a D&D 5 version. So expect to see more of that here.
Additionally, I am working on the Swords & Wizardry Witch. There is already a "Lite" version now, I will release "White Box" and "Complete" versions too. One thing I have not decided on yet is whether or not to include monsters.
Gaming I see Sci-fi games being big in the Brannan House. We played some Star Trek over New Year's eve and that was a blast. I got a bunch (all but the 11th Doctor) of the Doctor Who "Doctor" supplements for Christmas, so doing something with that would be great.
Starfinder in on the way and that looks like a lot of fun. Depending on how it is I *might* update the Sisters of the Aquarian Order for it. But that is not till later in the year.
I have my fingers in a couple of other projects that are not mine specifically, but I am helping out on.
Having fun with Star Trek.
I also have three books I'd love to get out this year for White Star. One has been on my "to do" list for 7 years (many different systems).
I am also really looking forward to the new Blue Rose.
So far 2017 is shaping up to be BUSY.
What are YOU most looking forward too?
First things first I know my posting frequency is going to take a hit. I have a lot of projects I need to wrap-up and the only time to do that is blogging time.
Strange Brew is hitting the shelves, both virtual and physical. There is a Pathfinder version, a Castles & Crusades version (that I am really pleased with) and there is talk of a D&D 5 version. So expect to see more of that here.
Additionally, I am working on the Swords & Wizardry Witch. There is already a "Lite" version now, I will release "White Box" and "Complete" versions too. One thing I have not decided on yet is whether or not to include monsters.
Gaming I see Sci-fi games being big in the Brannan House. We played some Star Trek over New Year's eve and that was a blast. I got a bunch (all but the 11th Doctor) of the Doctor Who "Doctor" supplements for Christmas, so doing something with that would be great.
Starfinder in on the way and that looks like a lot of fun. Depending on how it is I *might* update the Sisters of the Aquarian Order for it. But that is not till later in the year.
I have my fingers in a couple of other projects that are not mine specifically, but I am helping out on.
Having fun with Star Trek.
I also have three books I'd love to get out this year for White Star. One has been on my "to do" list for 7 years (many different systems).
I am also really looking forward to the new Blue Rose.
So far 2017 is shaping up to be BUSY.
What are YOU most looking forward too?
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Strange Brew: Book of Shadows - On Sale Now
Welcome 2017!
A reminder that Strange Brew: Book of Shadows is for sale at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.
Over 100 new witch spells for your Pathfinder game!
A reminder that Strange Brew: Book of Shadows is for sale at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.
Over 100 new witch spells for your Pathfinder game!
Monday, December 5, 2016
Strange Brew: Book of Shadows
My next book out for Pathfinder is now out!
Strange Brew: Book of Shadows
From the blurb:
Legends say that witches keep their spells inscribed into a Book of Shadows that holds their accumulated wisdom and power.
Here, in Strange Brew: Book of Shadows, you’ll find magic drawn from real-world legends, mythology, and folktales, as well as pure flights of fancy. Within Strange Brew: Books of Shadows, you will find over 100 spells and a half-dozen rituals, enough to delight your characters, bedevil your foes, and make your witch (or other spellcaster, whether arcane or divine) a formidable opponent.
Witches are magical creatures.
All for your Pathfinder Role-Playing Game!
50 pages, full color.
Again. Special thanks to +Rich Howard and +Robert Hudson for helping me get this together. And of course my editor/publisher +Christina Stiles The cover art is by +Jacob Blackmon, whom I have featured here many times.
Strange Brew: Book of Shadows
From the blurb:
Legends say that witches keep their spells inscribed into a Book of Shadows that holds their accumulated wisdom and power.
Here, in Strange Brew: Book of Shadows, you’ll find magic drawn from real-world legends, mythology, and folktales, as well as pure flights of fancy. Within Strange Brew: Books of Shadows, you will find over 100 spells and a half-dozen rituals, enough to delight your characters, bedevil your foes, and make your witch (or other spellcaster, whether arcane or divine) a formidable opponent.
Witches are magical creatures.
All for your Pathfinder Role-Playing Game!
50 pages, full color.
Again. Special thanks to +Rich Howard and +Robert Hudson for helping me get this together. And of course my editor/publisher +Christina Stiles The cover art is by +Jacob Blackmon, whom I have featured here many times.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Pathfinder Strange Brew: Book of Shadows
My next book out for Pathfinder now has a cover!
Part of the Strange Brew line from Misfit Studios this book contains a few hundred spells for the Witch class (and others) for the Pathfinder game.
Special thanks to +Rich Howard and +Robert Hudson for helping me get this together. And of course my editor/publisher +Christina Stiles. The cover art is by +Jacob Blackmon whom I have featured here many times.
The character on the cover is my iconic half-elf witch Taryn. Here she is seen casting the spell "Moonbow".
Not exactly sure when it is hitting the shelves but I'll keep you all posted.
Part of the Strange Brew line from Misfit Studios this book contains a few hundred spells for the Witch class (and others) for the Pathfinder game.
Special thanks to +Rich Howard and +Robert Hudson for helping me get this together. And of course my editor/publisher +Christina Stiles. The cover art is by +Jacob Blackmon whom I have featured here many times.
The character on the cover is my iconic half-elf witch Taryn. Here she is seen casting the spell "Moonbow".
Not exactly sure when it is hitting the shelves but I'll keep you all posted.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Review: Pathfinder Occult & Horror Adventures
I don't review a lot of Pathfinder material here. Mostly because I have been writing a lot of Pathfinder material and I don't want to read much of it so as not to unduly influence myself. Well, those manuscripts are off (more or less) so I picked these up for a review.
The Pathfinder Occult Adventures and Pathfinder Horror Adventures are the two most recent books I have picked up. Like all Pathfinder books these books are compatible with D&D 3.5 and still fairly compatible with D&D 5 and other OSR games. How compatible depends on how much work you want to put into it.
Given that most people reading this are likely not Pathfinder gamers, I am also going to talk about how to port these over to your own games.
Pathfinder Occult Adventures
Hardcover 272 pages, full color cover and interior.
This book is essentially the psychic powers book for Pathfinder. It uses the same 3.x spell system that Pathfinder has always used only now there is Divine, Arcane, and Psychic magic. This makes porting over to other systems a lot easier, but it certainly lacks some of the flavor of some other psychic books.
Chapter 1: covers Occult Classes. The classes are the elemental Kineticist (which has powers and not spells), the Medium (powers and spells), the Mesmerist, the Occultist (which is a rather cool class), the Psychic (the star of the book really), and the Spiritualist. Some racial options are also given for the classes. Of all these, the psychic could be ported over the easiest. They are, essentially, magic-users with a unique spell list.
Chapter 2: Archetypes give an "occult" or psychic bend to the Pathfinder classes (of which I think there are about 135 by now). We start out with the classes in the book, lots of different ideas to swap out powers and feats for other types of characters. The more interesting one is the Tome Eater Occultist; this archetype actually eats books and scrolls to gain their magical powers. We get to archetypes for the previously published classes. Cavalier + Spiritualist, for example, gives us a Ghost Rider. Which is actually really cool. Occult Witches are known as Ley Line Guardians. There is a lot if interesting ideas here.
Chapter 3 Feats details all the new feats. Now either you love feats or you hate them. I am hitting a little bit of feat fatigue myself.
Chapter 4 is all about the Psychic Spells. Now the advantage of using the existing spell system for a new class is that other class spells can be used for the new classes and the new spells can be used for the older classes. So everyone gets something new. At 46 pages this is one of the larger sections in the book.
Chapter 4 covers Occult Rules. This covers a wide variety of rules and rulings for an occult game. In particular rituals, possessions, and auras.
Chapter 5 gives advice for running an Occult game. This includes planes of existence and other locales for adventuring.
Finally, Chapter 6 covers Occult Rewards or magic items.
The book is a lot of fun and has a lot of material that I have seen elsewhere in different games over the last 35+ years, this just has them all in one place with the same system.
Pathfinder Horror Adventures
Hardcover 260 pages, full color cover and interior.
Playing a good horror game is not easy. It takes work on the part of the DM and the players. But for me I find it one of the more rewarding types of games. Playing "Horror in D&D", even if that D&D is Pathfinder, is a bit trickier. Horror relies on a certain sense of powerless and unknown. D&D characters are largely powerful. The difference is the same as a horror movie versus and action movie.
Chapter 1 covers some horror rules. The usual suspects are here; Fear, Corruption, and Sanity. I am as a rule pretty particular about using Sanity in my games. I spent years as a Qualified Mental Health professional only see some game rules that were beyond embarrassing. These rules work well enough due to their simplicity. Though I question the actual use of sanity in heroic fantasy. In gothic fantasy, sure. But here it feels, well, perfunctory. Corruption is interesting since your character can now slowly become the monster they hunt.
Chapter 2 covers the various archetypes for all the Pathfinder classes (453 at last count). There are some neat ones here too. Alchemist + Horror gives you a Mad Scientist. Cleric + Horror gives us a Elder Mythos Cultist. Various types of hunters, slayers, killers, and collectors are also given.
Chapter 3 is Feats.
Chapter 4 gives us horror themed Spells and Rituals. The rituals use the same rules as does the Occult Adventures book.
Chapter 5 details various Horror Rules. This chapter also has a section on curses and diseases and how to use them in a horror game. Different environments and their effects on the characters are also detailed. One of these changes includes Madness. Again, I am generally very critical here but nothing jumped out at me save that I am not sure I need another set of sanity rules at this point. There is also a great section on horror domains. So yes you can add some Ravenloft-like areas to Pathfinder, but also Dreamlands, Far Realms and more.
Next we get the main focus of this book, Chapter 6 Running Horror Adventures.
There is some good stuff here. In particular ideas on running a D&D-style horror game. Now there is a section on "Consent". Sorry Paizo, but I have been running horror games for decades. So have others. Consent is given by sitting down at the table. I hate to sound like a jerk here, but seriously. Pick up a copy Vampire the Masquerade, Call of Cthulhu or Chill to see how this can be done.
The various horror sub-genres are covered here. Not all of them, but enough and some ideas on how to run a game using those sub-genres.
Chapter 7 lists our Horror Gear and Magic Items. Yes, there is something similar to the Lament Configuration.
Chapter 8 Bestiary, was an unexpected surprise. There are not a lot of creatures here but there are some interesting ones.
The book ends with a list of horror inspirations in print and film.
Both books are fun, but they are viewed through the lens, naturally, of the Pathfinder game.
Either book has something to offer the Pathfinder GM/DM but also the D&D/OSR DM willing to do a little work and little tweaking. Classes and Archetypes can be converted as can spells and magic items. Advice on running the games is good for any sort of game system really.
They are good guides, not the best, but still pretty good.
The Pathfinder Occult Adventures and Pathfinder Horror Adventures are the two most recent books I have picked up. Like all Pathfinder books these books are compatible with D&D 3.5 and still fairly compatible with D&D 5 and other OSR games. How compatible depends on how much work you want to put into it.
Given that most people reading this are likely not Pathfinder gamers, I am also going to talk about how to port these over to your own games.
Hardcover 272 pages, full color cover and interior.
This book is essentially the psychic powers book for Pathfinder. It uses the same 3.x spell system that Pathfinder has always used only now there is Divine, Arcane, and Psychic magic. This makes porting over to other systems a lot easier, but it certainly lacks some of the flavor of some other psychic books.
Chapter 1: covers Occult Classes. The classes are the elemental Kineticist (which has powers and not spells), the Medium (powers and spells), the Mesmerist, the Occultist (which is a rather cool class), the Psychic (the star of the book really), and the Spiritualist. Some racial options are also given for the classes. Of all these, the psychic could be ported over the easiest. They are, essentially, magic-users with a unique spell list.
Chapter 2: Archetypes give an "occult" or psychic bend to the Pathfinder classes (of which I think there are about 135 by now). We start out with the classes in the book, lots of different ideas to swap out powers and feats for other types of characters. The more interesting one is the Tome Eater Occultist; this archetype actually eats books and scrolls to gain their magical powers. We get to archetypes for the previously published classes. Cavalier + Spiritualist, for example, gives us a Ghost Rider. Which is actually really cool. Occult Witches are known as Ley Line Guardians. There is a lot if interesting ideas here.
Chapter 3 Feats details all the new feats. Now either you love feats or you hate them. I am hitting a little bit of feat fatigue myself.
Chapter 4 is all about the Psychic Spells. Now the advantage of using the existing spell system for a new class is that other class spells can be used for the new classes and the new spells can be used for the older classes. So everyone gets something new. At 46 pages this is one of the larger sections in the book.
Chapter 4 covers Occult Rules. This covers a wide variety of rules and rulings for an occult game. In particular rituals, possessions, and auras.
Chapter 5 gives advice for running an Occult game. This includes planes of existence and other locales for adventuring.
Finally, Chapter 6 covers Occult Rewards or magic items.
The book is a lot of fun and has a lot of material that I have seen elsewhere in different games over the last 35+ years, this just has them all in one place with the same system.
Hardcover 260 pages, full color cover and interior.
Playing a good horror game is not easy. It takes work on the part of the DM and the players. But for me I find it one of the more rewarding types of games. Playing "Horror in D&D", even if that D&D is Pathfinder, is a bit trickier. Horror relies on a certain sense of powerless and unknown. D&D characters are largely powerful. The difference is the same as a horror movie versus and action movie.
Chapter 1 covers some horror rules. The usual suspects are here; Fear, Corruption, and Sanity. I am as a rule pretty particular about using Sanity in my games. I spent years as a Qualified Mental Health professional only see some game rules that were beyond embarrassing. These rules work well enough due to their simplicity. Though I question the actual use of sanity in heroic fantasy. In gothic fantasy, sure. But here it feels, well, perfunctory. Corruption is interesting since your character can now slowly become the monster they hunt.
Chapter 2 covers the various archetypes for all the Pathfinder classes (453 at last count). There are some neat ones here too. Alchemist + Horror gives you a Mad Scientist. Cleric + Horror gives us a Elder Mythos Cultist. Various types of hunters, slayers, killers, and collectors are also given.
Chapter 3 is Feats.
Chapter 4 gives us horror themed Spells and Rituals. The rituals use the same rules as does the Occult Adventures book.
Chapter 5 details various Horror Rules. This chapter also has a section on curses and diseases and how to use them in a horror game. Different environments and their effects on the characters are also detailed. One of these changes includes Madness. Again, I am generally very critical here but nothing jumped out at me save that I am not sure I need another set of sanity rules at this point. There is also a great section on horror domains. So yes you can add some Ravenloft-like areas to Pathfinder, but also Dreamlands, Far Realms and more.
Next we get the main focus of this book, Chapter 6 Running Horror Adventures.
There is some good stuff here. In particular ideas on running a D&D-style horror game. Now there is a section on "Consent". Sorry Paizo, but I have been running horror games for decades. So have others. Consent is given by sitting down at the table. I hate to sound like a jerk here, but seriously. Pick up a copy Vampire the Masquerade, Call of Cthulhu or Chill to see how this can be done.
The various horror sub-genres are covered here. Not all of them, but enough and some ideas on how to run a game using those sub-genres.
Chapter 7 lists our Horror Gear and Magic Items. Yes, there is something similar to the Lament Configuration.
Chapter 8 Bestiary, was an unexpected surprise. There are not a lot of creatures here but there are some interesting ones.
The book ends with a list of horror inspirations in print and film.
Both books are fun, but they are viewed through the lens, naturally, of the Pathfinder game.
Either book has something to offer the Pathfinder GM/DM but also the D&D/OSR DM willing to do a little work and little tweaking. Classes and Archetypes can be converted as can spells and magic items. Advice on running the games is good for any sort of game system really.
They are good guides, not the best, but still pretty good.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Class Struggles: Cthonic Warlocks and The Return of Tharizdûn
Through the various adventures, the big plot emerging is that Orcus, Lolth, Yeegnohu and others are taking advantage of the death of all the Sun Gods, but no one has yet confirmed or not if they have any actual involvement in it. They suspect Orcus.
In truth it is all going to be Tharizidûn. This is something I have built up over the last couple of campaigns. The "Dragonslayers" (the generation before the "Order of the Platinum Dragon") uncovered the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdûn. His big plan, of course, is to get free.
Currently, I have him in a cage deep in the lowest part of the Nine Hells. Asmodeus is still his jailer and in many ways is the very first Warlock of Tharizdûn. He has been siphoning off Tharizdûn's power for centuries, it is how he took control of Hell in fact. But Tharizdûn knows this and while Asmodeus has been doing this, Tharizdûn has been pulling him deeper and deeper into his thrall.
In my games Tharizdûn also has another title, "The Whispering God". This comes from his warlocks who say their god whispers in their ears and tells them secrets. And convinces them to do terrible things. He is also known as the Elder Elemental Eye and worshiped by elemental-demon cults. He is also worshiped by the Drow that do not follow Lolth.
Recently Strange Brew: Warlocks was released. It includes a version of the Whispering God that I used in my games. I am particularly proud of it to be honest.
WARLOCK PATRON: THE WHISPERING GODFor Pathfinder this is a "Cthonic" Patron. For D&D 5 this would be an "Old One".
Deep in forgotten tombs, hidden in forsaken forests, and haunting long-abandoned churches of long-dead gods, you can hear it. It is soft, but it is there. Once you hear it, then it is always with you—day and night, sleeping and waking. It is the voice of the Whispering God. No one is for sure who or what the Whispering God is.
There are no churches or priests dedicated to him. No stories of creation. No heroes. No tales of battles. Just the constant whispering. Those warlocks who follow this entity are blessed and cursed: blessed with great power and cursed with the voice of their patron in their ears forever. No one knows what the Whispering God wants or even why he/it needs warlocks and not clerics.
The speculation is that he is a god trapped in prison so dark and so perfect only his voice can escape, but just barely. He needs these warlocks to spread the word so he can escape. Others claim that the god is nothing more than the madness that will consume all “his” warlocks.
For my players, it means trouble.
Here is a Cthonic Tradition for the Basic Era Witch.
New Tradition: Cthonic
Witches of the Cthonic Tradition honor and some say are slaves of, very, very ancient powers. Some are inhuman powers from beyond our reality and understanding. Some are ancient Primordial Beigns from before the times of gods or mortals. A few are Dead Gods whose worship continues and whose power remains.
More so than any other witches, these are most often called Warlocks.
Role: These witches and warlocks represent a tie to the ancient past or to other unworldly powers. They represent classical villains or the scholar that has delved too deep into things that mortals were never meant to know.
Joining this Tradition: To join one must either discover the Cthonic Patron of be discovered by one. For example, the Cult of the Whispering God hears their Patron's whispers when they uncover hidden knowledge about the God or venture deep into areas that were formerly His centers of worship.
These witches tend to be Solitaries or be involved in small cults.
They are for the most part are chaotic, with some gravitating towards neutral. Rare is the lawful Cthonic witch, but it is not unheard of.
Leaving this Tradition: Often there is no way to leave this tradition; not even in death.
Occult Powers
Minor - 1st Level: Grimoire. The warlock does not gain a familiar like other witches, but rather a semi-aware tome known as a Grimoire. These tomes replace the Book of Shadows for these witches. These Grimoires are often sought after by occultist, magic-users.
Lesser - 7th Level: Immune to Fear. Exposed to so many horrors or alien minds warps the mind of the warlock to a point where normal fear has no effect on them. Magical fear is also given a -4 bonus on saves.
Medial - 13th Level: Alien Mind. The Cthonic witch has become so accustomed to dealing with alien and ancient minds that she becomes immune to charm and hold spells. Her mind can't be probed or read via telepathy, ESP or similar powers.
Major - 25th Level: Shape Change. Once per day, the witch may change her shape to any type of aberrant monster, like the spell Shape Change. For 1 turn per level, the witch may move freely back and forth between her aberration and human forms. Once the form is chosen, that is the only form she can use for the day. So, a witch may choose to change between the forms of human and a roper but cannot go between roper, human and bird. Once the duration has expired, the witch reverts back to human form. The witch does not have the special abilities of the aberant form save for those that she can manage with the form. So the roper's tentacles would be replicated, but not the basts of a Sphere of Many Eyes.
Superior - 31st Level: Apotheosis. The witch becomes something else. This new form and powers are dependent on the Patron she serves. For witches of the Whispering God her voice barley rises above a whisper, but her voice can be used as a Command spell once per day, a Charm spell 3 times per day, and a suggestion seven times per day.
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I am up for an ENnie this year for Best Blog!
Please click on the link and vote "1" under "The Other Side".
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Starfinder
Paizo has announced "Starfinder", a new Sci-Fi game that is compatible with their Pathfinder game.
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5litw?Announcing-the-Starfinder-Roleplaying-Game
http://paizo.com/starfinder/
I am cautiously optimistic. This could be a lot of fun and I have a ton of d20 compatible Sci-Fi games to play with. But of course, I have to ask what will this give me that White Star doesn't already do?
Well it looks like I'll have to wait till 2017 to find out.
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5litw?Announcing-the-Starfinder-Roleplaying-Game
http://paizo.com/starfinder/
I am cautiously optimistic. This could be a lot of fun and I have a ton of d20 compatible Sci-Fi games to play with. But of course, I have to ask what will this give me that White Star doesn't already do?
Well it looks like I'll have to wait till 2017 to find out.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Strange Brew: Warlocks
I am interrupting this A to Z Challenge to talk about my newest book. The first part of "Strange Brew" is now out. This book features Warlocks for the Pathfinder game.
Strange Brew: Warlock
Power.
Sorcerers are born into it. Wizards spend their lives in rigorous study for it. Witches gain it through devotion to their patron. But some who seek power are unlucky enough to have been born mortal, with no access to or desire for arcane education; ordinary people who know little of witchcraft’s ancient traditions. Unlike witches, who are called by their patrons, warlocks seek out powerful beings to grant them the power they crave or desperately need.
That power can now be in your hands.
Included in these 30 pages is the new Warlock class for the Pathfinder RPG.
All for your Pathfinder Role-Playing Game!
Strange Brew: Warlock
Power.
Sorcerers are born into it. Wizards spend their lives in rigorous study for it. Witches gain it through devotion to their patron. But some who seek power are unlucky enough to have been born mortal, with no access to or desire for arcane education; ordinary people who know little of witchcraft’s ancient traditions. Unlike witches, who are called by their patrons, warlocks seek out powerful beings to grant them the power they crave or desperately need.
That power can now be in your hands.
Included in these 30 pages is the new Warlock class for the Pathfinder RPG.
- Also inside are new rules on Grimoires, the ancient and living texts of warlocks.
- Details on new warlock pacts, including unique powers and spells.
- Examples of several new warlock Patrons.
- New feats
- New hexes
- New spells
- And a new warlock NPC
All for your Pathfinder Role-Playing Game!
Monday, March 14, 2016
The Iconic Witches of D&D
No game this past weekend. I wasn't feeling great and my son was at a birthday party.
I was thinking about Friday's post on the witches of Rahasia and of Ravenloft and it occurs to me that D&D lacks in iconic witches. There are great examples of Vampires, Liches, Wizards, Priests, Paladins, Rangers, enough Thieves to fill a guild, even Bards.
The witches in Rahasia are one thing, but the ones in Ravenloft don't even have proper names really.
Pathfinder does a good job with their iconics. Feiya is a proper witch, but even the sorceress Seoni is often referred to as a witch. Not to mention all the witches to be found in Irrisen like Queen Elvanna.
I have my iconic, Larina. But she appears mostly in my Pathfinder books.
Who do we have for D&D?
Well for starters and maybe the most iconic is Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen. We also have Elena the Fair, Witch Queen of Summer. Also, while not as a well know or even explicitly a witch is Skyla.
There is also one witch that both D&D and Pathfinder share, Baba Yaga.
There was also Koliada, the Winter Witch. a Level 26 Solo Skirmisher from the 4th ed era adventure "Winter of the Witch". But there is not a lot out there about her. Interestingly Pathfinder also has a lot Winter and Cold related witches.
Dungeon Crawl Classics gives us Lady Kyleth, The Witch Queen.
Personally I'd love to see more. There might be more, I just haven't found them all yet.
I was thinking about Friday's post on the witches of Rahasia and of Ravenloft and it occurs to me that D&D lacks in iconic witches. There are great examples of Vampires, Liches, Wizards, Priests, Paladins, Rangers, enough Thieves to fill a guild, even Bards.
The witches in Rahasia are one thing, but the ones in Ravenloft don't even have proper names really.
Pathfinder does a good job with their iconics. Feiya is a proper witch, but even the sorceress Seoni is often referred to as a witch. Not to mention all the witches to be found in Irrisen like Queen Elvanna.
 |
| The witches three. Larina, Feiya and Seoni |
Who do we have for D&D?
Well for starters and maybe the most iconic is Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen. We also have Elena the Fair, Witch Queen of Summer. Also, while not as a well know or even explicitly a witch is Skyla.
There is also one witch that both D&D and Pathfinder share, Baba Yaga.
There was also Koliada, the Winter Witch. a Level 26 Solo Skirmisher from the 4th ed era adventure "Winter of the Witch". But there is not a lot out there about her. Interestingly Pathfinder also has a lot Winter and Cold related witches.
Dungeon Crawl Classics gives us Lady Kyleth, The Witch Queen.
Personally I'd love to see more. There might be more, I just haven't found them all yet.
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