The Witches of Appendix N: Jack Williamson

“The trouble began when the first witch was hounded and stoned to death by the first savage man. It will go on till the last witch is dead. Always, everywhere, men must follow that old Biblical law: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

- April Bell, Darker Than You Think

Today is the birthday of Jack Williamson. Born on this day 118 years ago. He appears near the end of Gygax's Appendix N, and he is responsible for a couple of books extremely relevant to my exploration of the Witches of Appendix N.

This is also the second of what I think of as the three big "witch-centric" authors of the Appendix N. Last time it was Margaret St. Clair and her quasi-Wicca witches and keepers of Occult Knowledge. Third is Andre Norton. Today, with Williamson, I am looking at two other witches, also keepers of Occult Knowledge, but also different. Different from St. Clair's and different even from each other.

If you go back and look at the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, something rather odd becomes apparent. When Gygax lists his authors in Appendix N, for the most part, you can find at least a couple of works listed for any given author. It was direct, straight from the book into the game (more or less). But Williamson is different. He is (and just a few others are) listed, but no works are mentioned. This was no accident, and it says a great deal about the man and his work. Williamson's contribution to early D&D was not because of any given work, but because of the ideas that are present in all of his work. Ideas of hidden worlds beneath the surface of reality, of old things wearing human faces, and of the disturbing notion that magic isn't learned, but remembered, at least for some.

There are two books of his that I think are crucial to any exploration of Witchcraft from the Appendix N starting point.

Darker Than You Think

This novel began as a novelette in the pages of Unknown back in 1940. Williamson expanded it and its themes to encompass post-War science-fiction rationalism. Occult themes are translated into science fiction, but I'll get to all of these. As a quick aside, this is a really good read. Part science fiction, part occult, and part mystery. Our protagonist, Will Barbee a rough around the edges newspaper man, gives us an almost proto-Kolchak. 

I won't go too deep into the plot of this one because it is a good read, and you look up the details yourself if you really want to (and spoil the big reveal).  Though I will talk about the bewitching (in all senses of the word) April Bell. We meet April Bell, a new reporter, very early in our tale. She is beautiful, with bright red hair (there we go again!), big green eyes, and (dare I say it) a healthy dose of animal magnetism. Our protagonist is smitten right away and, unlike some other heroes I have discussed in this series, is practically dragged around by her. Though that is the point, I think, he has no agency, he is under her spell from the moment he (we) see her.

April Bell admits to being a "witch" and a "witch child." She began her life as a witch when she was only 7. Again, I wonder how my own witches would have been different had I read this first.

April does have some magical abilities like spells, even if there is a "scientific explanation." But mostly their magic involves shape-shifting. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but it is a fairly obvious one. 

The Homo lycanthropus vs. Homo sapiens battle is a parallel to the pagan vs. monotheism/Christian battle I find so compelling.  Casting witches as another species of human is not uncommon, it is something we see in DC Comics, Anne Rice's "Mayfair Witches," and Kim Harrison's "The Hollows" series, just to name a few. And these are also related species to vampires, werewolves, and/or demons in many of these tales as well. This could be related to the psychological phenomena of "the Uncanny Valley," or the human fear of near human, but not quite human, looking beings. Granted, there is no fear of April Bell when we first meet her.  

Witches and Weretigers

While this book did not inspire Gygax to add a witch to AD&D, it very likely contributed to the weretiger we see in the Monster Manual. While many of the lycanthropic creatures are of indeterminate gender, two stand out. The werebear is male and has a rather obvious relation to Beorn of the Hobbit (and both to the berserkers of Norse myth), and the weretiger who is quite obviously female. Indeed almost all art of the weretiger from the Monster Manual on features a female weretiger. I am making the claim that this is directly related to this book and to April Bell. The image of her riding the sabre-tooth tiger must have really resonated.

Including the cover (another witch on the cover of an Appendix N book. Yes I am keeping track) there have been other depictions of April Bell with a tiger.

And then early depections of the AD&D weretiger.

Our "Exhibit A" is the weretiger from David Trampier in the AD&D Monster Manual. I mentioned back when I was exploring the origins of the various Monster Manual monsters that the Weretiger likely had an origin from 1942's "Cat People," just as I speculated that the Cat Lord was influenced by the 1982 remake. 

The original Cat People came out in 1942. The novelette of Darker than you Think came out in the pages of Unknown in 1940. So, there was enough time for the film's producer, Val Lewton, writer DeWitt Bodeen, or director Jacques Tourneur to have encountered the story, but not enough to prove they did. Though there is a more important fact.

The genesis of Cat People was Lewton's own short story, "The Bagheeta," published in Weird Tales magazine (July 1930), about a legendary panther, a "half leopard and half woman ... were-beast." This predates Williamson's tale by 10 years. Digging into this there are many tales equating shape-shifting cat people to witches. The movie Cat People, though, is closer in tone to Williamson's take than to Lewton's original tale.

This doesn't weaken Williamson's claim to the weretiger, but it does show a lineage.  Lewton's "The Bagheeta" only alludes to witchcraft via occult Satanism (or at least an enemy of the Church), Williamson's tale, and Lewton's own "Cat People" make this more explicit. Though this is lost again in the 1982 version. 

In many ways, the "witches" of Darker Than You Think are really closer to shamans than witches. They could have even been part of the mix (along with other sources) of the Druid's ability to change shape.

The Green Girl

Taking place in the far future time of May 4, 1999 (I know I shouldn't be snarky about it) we have a tale of interplanetary travel and alien life. Not really a dungeon crawl, or even magical (almost), but there are still things here to make note of. 

The titular Green Girl, Xenora, has many features of a classical witch, even if Williamson never uses that word here. For starters, there is her green skin, often associated with witches, but that is only superficial. Her best claim to the lineage of witchcraft is her ability to communicate with our protagonist, Melvin "Mel" Dane, via telepathy across great distances. Even more so is her ability to charm or bewitch our hero. 

There is also the Lord of Flame, who is very much like a demoniac figure in this tale. Especially when he responds to anyone speaking his name. 

A lot of this story reads like a tale of a witch and a demon told through the lens of science fiction rather than magic. Though the tech here is so fantastical, it appears like magic. 

Plus I *get* Mel. Much like his Xenora, I have been haunted by Larina. 

Williamson delves into other tales in which strange women act as oracles or seeresses, such as in "After World's End," but that one is weaker. Or even the legacy of occultism and witchcraft, as in "The Mark of the Monster." Here, witchcraft is used as a backdrop. 

Science Fiction Witches

Through both of these works, a pattern emerges that is uniquely Williamson's own. Unlike the other Appendix N authors, who situate their witches in folklore and fantasy, Williamson dresses his in science fiction. 

They are not supernatural, exactly, for they are natural, though natural in a way that ordinary humanity seems to have forgotten or suppressed. "Not supernatural, but superhuman," as quoted from Darker Than You Think. 

They are not taught from books or granted by demons. They are innate, biological, and tied to blood and bone. Telepathy, charm, and hidden sight are not spells, but evolutionary features, the inheritance of something older than civilization itself. This is the way in which Williamson views witchcraft, and this is the way in which he views it in Darker Than You Think, which stands as his definitive work on the subject.

Final Analysis

I think what we have here are two somewhat different interpretations of the witch idea using the lens of science fiction.  Both, though, are good. While I would normally spend this section lamenting that, despite all these examples, we never got a witch, I think I can see what came out of Gygax's reading of these. The weretiger and the druid ability to change shape.  

And neither of those is bad, they are just not witches.

Tales from Jackson, IL: Witchy (Wednesday) Woman, Sylvia Velasco

No game for me this past weekend. My wife was sick, so I had dinner prep all on my own (we usually work together on the big game-day meals), but even then, I think it came out looking good.

Ham, homemade Mac & Cheese, caramelized sweet corn.

It also gave me some time to work on adventures, monsters, and an NPC. 

"Hey, maybe if we get lucky, someone will drop a house on her." - Valerie Beaumont on Sylvia.

Getting ready for this coming weekend's game, and I thought I'd introduce the campaign's resident evil witch. She is not going to be a big bad or anything like that, and I might have to go after the theosophist. If there had been a witch PC in the group, that theat character would have been the target. But this character is a background threat. Like a yard with a loud dog. Sure, they look dangerous and are noisy, but as long as you don't try to get into their yard, you can ignore them.

While deciding on my witch of choice, and I have so many to choose from, one became obvious to me right away. Sylvia Velasco. Though you all know her better as Skylla. 

Sylvia Velasco

Sylvia Velasco is one of the few adults the cast of characters will interact with who are not teachers or parents. She runs an occult bookstore, El Espejo Oscuro ("The Dark Mirror"), and claims to be from Spain. While her shop never seems to have customers (and most people are afraid of the place), she dresses immaculately and drives a brand-new (1985) Ferrari 308 GTS (red, of course).

Everything about Sylvia screams style, class, elegance, and danger.

Her accent is exotic without being off-putting. She is attractive without being threatening. She is older than the characters without coming off like a stereotypical evil witch.

Trouble is, of course, she *IS* the stereotypical evil witch.

My original plan was to have her go after any witch characters in the cast to prey on their power.  But we don't have a PC witch. I might set her after the psychic and/or theosophist. I want to establish her as evil and a real witch, making her a threat (but not THE threat). Later, she is going to the target of the local mob in my "Satanic Panic" adventure. She and her shop will also serve as a resource for PCs and NPCs alike.

Sylvia Velasco
6th Level Witch, Human

*Background: Sorcerous

Base Abilities
Strength: 9 (0) 
Agility: 11 (0) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) 
Intelligence: 12 (0) N
Wits: 15 (+1) N
Persona: 17 (+2) A

Fate Points: 1d8
Defense Value: 5
Vitality: 28

**Degeneracy: 0
Corruption: 0

Check Bonus (A/N/D): +4/+2/+1
Melee Bonus: +1 (base) 
Ranged Bonus: +1 (base)
Spell Attack: +3
Saves: +3 to Spells and Magical effects (Witch) +2 to Intelligence saves (Sorcerous background).

Witch Abilities
Arcana, Arcane Powers (2): Innate Magic: Arcane Dart, Beguile Person

Witch Spells
First Level: Arcane Dart, Glamour, Gout of Flame
Second Level: Beguile Person, Magic Lock, Paralyze Person
Third Level: Dark Lightning, Dispel Magic

Heroic Touchstones
2nd Level: First Level Spell: Mystic Senses

Archetype: The "Evil" Witch
Quote: "I'll never make you do anything you don't want, and I will never lie to you." All of which is technically true.
Quirks: Looks AMAZING. Never so much as one perfect silver hair is out of place.
Theme song: "Abracadabra" - Steve Miller Band

Ok, a couple of things here.

I am going to start using the Backgrounds introduced in Wasted Lands. Though the backgrounds I am going to use are "Jock," "Band Kid," "Nerd," and other high school archetypes. since Sylvia is the first I am just using the stock "Sorcerous."  Right now, my high school background will only provide a bonus of +1 in either a skill type or a save.

I am also bringing in Corruption, though it is not as dangerous as what Wasted Lands has. In my Jackson game, it is called "Soul Burn." The first sign of soul burn, literally burning away pieces of their soul, is white hair. This helps explain why Sylvia and Faye Thorne both have white hair. Sylvia has done hers on purpose; Faye was subjected to it by her evil aunts. 

As I mentioned previously, I am also experimenting with adding various Heroic Touchstones. But since want this to be a more "realistic" game, or at least on the more realistic side of cinematic, I am going to pretty judicious in adding these. 

Looks like witch-bait to me.

And it can hardly be the 1980s without a great soundtrack!

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

Mail Call Friday: Kibifig minis

 Rare Mail Call on a Friday since I normally do these on Tuesday. But Tuesday has become the day I report on my weekend game, so this works fine. Plus, what I have today is about my weekend games. 

I love new tech. If there is something I can do now that I couldn't do before, then I am interested. Current 3D printing is in that realm. We have a few 3D printers thanks to my youngest's major in engineering, and I take advantage of them every chance I get.  The new spate of image to 3D print has also caught my imagination. I have been playing around with many of them, they typically have similar offerings; upload a photo, pick a style, choose a size. There is typcially a preview, but I often don't trust those. But one, Kibifig, seemed a little better than the rest. Not so much with price, they are all very similar there, but in terms of features. Given I was working on my NIGHT SHIFT and Wasted Lands games while going through these, I uploaded some images of my witch, Larina. Well I got them in the mail late last night and frankly I am thrilled with the results.

Jackson, IL, Larina and Ash Witch Larina

That picture really doesn't do them justice. These are the 70-mm versions. I am certain that the 90- or 120-mm versions would be much better. In fact, they don't really recommend the 70mm, but I wanted to try it first.

It was pretty simple. Upload the photos and click through. It took about 3 weeks to get here from China, which, honestly, given everything, is pretty fast. 

The minis were packed amazingly well. 

The minis themselves are quite good and made of stronger material than I have seen in the past.

They also compare very nicely to their 2D images.

These are just 2D images. Thankfully, there was enough for the AI to work with, and it filled out the rest. 

The backpack looks good, and so does the Ash Witch's cape. 

They came with plastic disc stands, but they stand pretty well on their own. 

I did a preview of the 120 mm version of Jackson, IL, Larina, and it looks great, really. The AI even gave her Doc Marten's purple boot laces. I might have to get it just for that.

It missed some details, like the Ash Witch's streaks of gray hair and the dirt on her legs. But otherwise these are rather perfect in my mind and I am pleased with them. I mean, even "Spells" is clearly legible on Jackson Larina's schoolbooks, if the pentagram is a bit small. 

So yeah, I am happy with these. 

I threw the cover for my Advanced Witches & Warlocks and this is what it came up with. 

I might have to get that one.

The Witches of Appendix N: Margaret St. Clair

After the previous Witches of Appendix N did not yield any authentic witches, I decided to move ahead to two entries I already know offer substantial material. The first of these is Margaret St. Clair. I am going to go a bit deeper on this one than I have with other authors.

Margaret St. Clair (1911-1995) is one of only three women writers included in Appendix N, alongside Leigh Brackett and Andre Norton. Despite her relative obscurity, even among dedicated fans, her influence permeates the foundations of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, particularly in dungeon design and the portrayal of the underground as a mythic and ominous otherworld. Notably, she introduced the term "Underearth," which served as a precursor to what would later be known as the "Underdark" and, arguably, the "Shadow Dark."

Among the lesser-remembered names in Gary Gygax's Appendix N, Margaret St. Clair stands out as a particular interest of mine. Although she is not discussed with the same reverence as Howard, Tolkien, or Lovecraft, her works have made a significant and enduring impact on Dungeons & Dragons and, at least my, conceptualization on fantasy witches.

I will examine the two works by St. Clair referenced in Appendix N.

The Shadow People (1969)

The Shadow People is distinctly a product of 1969 Berkeley, California, authored by one of the prominent women in science fiction at the time. Today, it would be classified as an urban horror-fantasy novel, though it was then considered part of the "counter-culture."

Set in late-1960s Berkeley, the novel follows a young man whose girlfriend is abducted not by a human, but by the Earth itself. Beneath the surface exists the Underearth, a hidden realm isolated from the ordinary world, where ancient beings have survived on a hallucinogenic grain. These beings, reminiscent of ergot's historical associations, have now developed a preference for human flesh. The protagonist ventures into this subterranean world to rescue her, encountering phenomena that challenge his perception of reality. The narrative unfolds as a continuous psychedelic experience, with the protagonist's journey into and out of the Underearth persistently destabilizing any sense of reality.

Despite its horrors, the Underearth exerts a compelling attraction, drawing individuals in and seldom allowing them to escape. The forces of good achieve only a partial and ambiguous victory, as the surface world has itself devolved into a dystopian surveillance society.

Why It's on Appendix N

The influence on Dungeons & Dragons is both significant and highly specific. The Shadow People introduces the "Underearth," a clear precursor to the Underdark. Its subterranean inhabitants are referred to as "elves," and the narrative also features "orcs" and "ettins." The novel presents an addictive hallucinogenic food called "atter-corn," a corrupted fungal grain that maintains the Underearth's residents in a perpetual dream state, reflecting the folkloric caution against consuming food in the faerie realm. St. Clair even cites Robert Kirk's 17th-century work, The Secret Commonwealth, a treatise on faeries, within the novel.

Readers familiar with early Dungeons & Dragons modules will recognize these parallels. The inhabitants of the Underearth, who exist in a perpetual haze due to hallucinogenic cornmeal, anticipate the Cynideceans of module B4: The Lost City, who experience a similar dreamlike state induced by a comparable substance. The novel's depiction of a prolonged descent into the Underearth appears to have influenced adventures such as D1-2: Descent into the Depths of the Earth. Additionally, the inclusion of an intelligent blade, the "word of Merlin," serves as an early example of sentient swords in Dungeons & Dragons.

The Shadow People contributed to the conceptualization of both the drow and the duergar, as well as to Dungeons & Dragons' enduring fascination with expansive underground labyrinths. Gygax maintained a strong interest in eerie fairy realms, and The Shadow People provided a notably distinctive portrayal of dark elves.

The narrative also evokes Richard Shaver's "I Remember Lemuria" and his depiction of the Deros. Given that St. Clair published in Amazing Stories, she was likely familiar with Shaver's work. There is a discernible lineage from Shaver to St. Clair to Gygax (well, and Shaver directly to Gygax, too).

St. Clair's Underearth closely resembles early European conceptions of fairy mounds as portals to the underworld, where faeries, ancient deities, and the spirits of the dead coexist. This represents a unique synthesis of European paganism as interpreted by later Christian communities, forming the same cultural foundation that inspired notions of Wicca, witches, and witchcraft.

Sign of the Labrys (1963)

This is a book I have sought after for a considerable time, and I was finally able to obtain a copy through inter-library loan.

Set in the aftermath of a global pandemic that has decimated the population, Sign of the Labrys centers on Sam Sewell, a survivor residing in an extensive subterranean shelter complex. Government agents suspect that Sam is living with Despoina, a woman believed to be involved in germ warfare, and they pressure him to locate her. Sam is compelled to descend through multiple levels of the shelter, uncovering a concealed world of witchcraft and secret rituals. This narrative structure evokes not only Campbell's Hero's Journey, but also the descents of Ishtar and Inanna into the underworld, as well as the Wiccan initiation rite.

As Sam progresses through the shelter, women enter and exit the narrative, consistently demonstrating greater awareness than he possesses. St. Clair intentionally subverts the conventional pulp narrative: Sam is not a proactive hero, but rather is portrayed as naive and reliant on others to discern his purpose. The women scientists he encounters, along with Despoina, are the true agents of understanding and resolution. Over time, Sam comes to recognize that his journey parallels a Wiccan initiation ritual.

Beneath the remnants of the old world exists evidence of an even more ancient one: a concealed realm that safeguards the pagan traditions of Wicca, purportedly tracing back to the Minoan mosaic chambers. As Sam searches for Despoina, the high priestess, he gradually rediscovers his own forgotten Wiccan identity, which ultimately becomes vital to humanity's renewal.

Thus, according to the novel, witches are essential for humanity's salvation. This theme is presented with considerable directness.

Why It's in Appendix N

Sign of the Labrys likely influenced Dungeons & Dragons through its depiction of underground, multi-level dungeon complexes. The shelter's successive levels, each increasingly strange and perilous, closely parallel the structure of the classic dungeon crawl. Role-playing game enthusiasts will recognize this as a precursor to Castle Greyhawk and its intricate, multi-level design interconnected by secret passages.

Witches and Witchcraft

This aspect is where Sign of the Labrys becomes particularly noteworthy. St. Clair stated that the novel was primarily inspired by Gerald Gardner's books on witchcraft, and her research led to a friendship with Raymond Buckland. St. Clair and her husband were initiated into Wicca three years after the novel's publication, at which point she adopted the Wiccan (craft) name Froniga.

Sign of the Labrys functions almost as an endorsement of Wicca. In the novel, Wicca is depicted not merely as a neopagan religion but as a source of genuine magical abilities. The narrative is replete with traditional pagan elements, such as athames and the use of "Blessed Be" as a greeting, and St. Clair incorporated ceremonial details from Gerald Gardner. Practitioners of Wicca in the novel possess various supernatural abilities, including clairvoyance and invisibility.

What distinguishes this novel for its time is the extent to which it portrays witchcraft as a means of survival. With civilization devastated by plague and the rational, bureaucratic order rendered obsolete, the Wiccans' underground community preserves knowledge, social cohesion, and a path forward. St. Clair's publication of Sign of the Labrys in 1963 predates the formal introduction of Gardnerian Wicca in North America, granting the novel considerable historical significance in the evolution of American Paganism.

Considered together, these two novels illustrate St. Clair's significance to Gygax. In both works, the underground serves as more than a backdrop; it possesses metaphysical significance, being perilous, alluring, transformative, and older than civilization itself. The subterranean realm is associated with secret knowledge, fairy traditions, and witchcraft. In both narratives, as in Campbell's Hero's Journey, the protagonist descends into these realms and emerges fundamentally changed.

Furthermore, the figure of the witch, whether explicitly named in Sign of the Labrys or implied in The Shadow People, occupies a central role in both narratives.

How does this relate to Dungeons & Dragons? The influence is evident in the concept of the dungeon as a series of increasingly strange levels, where deeper exploration leads to a breakdown of reality. Less apparent, but still significant, is the theme that magic—and witchcraft in particular—originates from an ancient, primal stratum of existence largely forgotten by the surface world. This provides a compelling lineage for the D&D witch.

This observation raises an important question: given the significance of Sign of the Labrys within Appendix N, as it is explicitly listed, why does Dungeons & Dragons lack a dedicated witch class?

--

One of the things that makes Margaret St. Clair so important here is not just that she writes about witchcraft, but that she grants it authority, and that authority is unmistakably female. In Sign of the Labrys, the women are not standing at the edges of the story waiting to be rescued, explained, or possessed. They are the ones who understand what is really happening. They preserve the rites, hold the knowledge, and carry forward the spiritual framework that survives when the modern world fails. Sam may move through the story as the reader's, but he is not its true center of wisdom. That belongs to the women, and especially to Despoina.

That is no small thing. In a great deal of fantasy and science fiction from the period, power still tends to flow through familiar channels: male adventurers, male scholars, male priests, male rulers. Women may be mysterious, alluring, or dangerous, but they are rarely allowed to be the custodians of the deeper truths of the world. St. Clair breaks from that pattern. Her women are not merely magical in a decorative sense. They are the ones who keep the old knowledge alive. They remember what the surface world has forgotten. They do not just practice ritual; they embody continuity.

This is where the witchcraft in St. Clair becomes more than color or atmosphere. It is not a handful of spooky props scattered across the page. It is a living structure of meaning, memory, and survival. In Sign of the Labrys, witchcraft is what endures when bureaucracy, technology, and the rational systems of the old order have all proven fragile. The world above may imagine itself modern, organized, and superior. However, the hidden, female-centered religious tradition below still knows how to make sense of catastrophe and guide renewal. That is a radical move, and a powerful one.

For a series like Witches of Appendix N, that matters enormously. St. Clair is not simply one of the few women on GygGygax's list; she is one of the few writers on the list who imagines feminine spiritual power as foundational rather than secondary. Her witches are not side characters in someone else's heroic narrative. They are the keepers of the flame while the rest of the world stumbles in the dark. If we want to talk seriously about witches in the imaginative roots of D&D, that is not a minor detail. It is one of the central things worth recovering.

While the multi-tiered "dungeons" and underground ecosystems certainly were vital to the early days of D&D, it feels odd that these were the only things kept from St. Clair's works. There was so much more here that could have also been used. Rather than speculate as to why, I'll just take the material that Gygax etal discarded for my own works.

Witchcraft Wednesdays: Spellbound (2025)

 Last month, I mentioned that I got my copy of Spellbound (2025) in the mail from author Thomas Negovan. It is a treasure trove of commentary and images of all sorts of fantastic vintage paperbacks about witches and witchcraft. From fictional accounts of witches and black magic, to how-to and self-help guides, to the growing fascination with witches and the occult throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 

The book is rather fantastic, to be honest, and filled with some great memories.

The book is 7.5" x 10", so a bit smaller than letter size, but it has the feel of a larger "coffee table" book. The photos are fantastic, and it was a joy to see so many I remembered.

The binding is good, and you all know I am a sucker for a book with a ribbon bookmark. The pages are edge-painted purple. This would seem to clash with the red cover, but honestly, it doesn't. It adds to the weird vibe the entire book is going for, and it works well for me. 

We begin with a brief prelude about the Bibliomancers concept. It explains that this special hardcover edition is an expansion on the original 2023 softcover edition by Astraleyes (more on who that is later). Thomas Negovan expanded on the original copy to give us the collection of 1960s and 1970s occult ephemera. 

The Foreword is by occult book collector Astraleyes, who came up with Bibliomancers and the first edition of this book. The picture of Astraleyes and his books is also a nice stroll down the book aisles of my memories. 

The Introduction by Thomas Negovan hits me where I live. "As far back as I can remember, used book stores were my chosen houses of worship." Feels like something I would have said myself. He name-drops Man, Myth & Magic series, and more. Sounds like he was visiting my home library/office/game room. 

Negovan goes on to discuss how the growing interest in witches, witchcraft, and the occult got started in the 1960s and 1970s. A time I have called the 70s Occult Revival here in these pages. He ties it a little closer to the 1960s sexual revolution than I have, and he is spot on, really.  The role of witchcraft and feminism was always linked, either by its proponents and detractors, in ways that can't really be ignored. See my own Aiséiligh Witchcraft Tradition for how I touched on the same topic. Negovan does an excellent job, in both words and stunning photos, of setting the stage for why witches and witchcraft found such an open welcome in the city and suburban lives of many modern women. Not just witches, but also Wicca and witchcraft as a practice. 

All the while mainstream society was pushing against all of this, the market for witches and witchcraft had never been stronger. This book is a testament to that explosive growth. 

Negovan goes deeper, naturally, than I have here but covers familiar ground. He is explicit about the four distinct categories emerging from this era. The Wiccan traditions of Gerald Gardner and his adherents, such as Raymond Buckland. The later Alexandrian Tradition (which I often lump together here despite their many and manifest differences), the Sybil Leek/Horoscope boom (which I often call "Left Over Hippie Shit"), and the most dominant, Witchcraft as Aesthetic. Not just wicca guides or other self-help books popular at the time, but being a witch because it was cool.  Those were the woman my young brain imprinted on as wonderful, powerful, and sexy. These were all aided by the boom in cheap paperbacks that became ubiquitous in bookstores, grocery stores, and just about everywhere. I am still astonished to this day by how much these treasures in my own collection originally cost compared to what I would later happily pay for them.  The spread on pages 24-25, 26-27 is like unlocking a core memory of the first time I ever walked into a college bookstore at age 10. I was overwhelmed. I was ecstatic. It was akin to walking into a holy sanctum. And one thing is very, very clear. Thomas Negovan feels exactly the same way.

Negovan begins to leave the discussion of the zeitgeist behind to focus on the books themselves, plotting a course from the rise of pamphlets at the start of the 20th century onto the rise of Wicca in the early 1950s and on. It was not something that happened overnight, even if the boom of the 1960s and 1970s felt that way. We are treated to several different covers of Gardner's "Witchcraft Today," which fairly depict how society viewed witches and witchcraft at the time of each publication. We move to what I have always considered the tipping point of this phenomenon, Stewart Farrar's 1971 "What Witches Do" and Raymond Buckland's 1970 "Ancient & Modern Witchcraft."

The book moves on to give some of the wonderful paperback covers, and, where possible, renditions of the original cover art sans titles. 

Many of these titles should be familiar to readers of this blog. More are familiar to me from my own collections. 

The number of titles published between 1968 and 1972 alone was staggering. All of this while the background noise was Vietnam and Richard Nixon.

And the art. To say I imprinted hard on many of these covers doesn't take a Ph.D. in psychology. I flip through these pages, and I see Marissia looking back at me. I see Rhiannon, Esmé, Aeronwy, and Eria. And in the covers of "What Witches Do" and "Anita," I saw the first glimpses of Larina. 

To many readers, this is a glimpse of witchcraft's past. For me? It is a yearbook filled with photos of old girlfriends and lost loves. 

Even some of the Witches of Appendix N appear here. As with Fritz Leiber's "Conjure Wife." Indeed, with the aid of this book, I could expand my own "Appendix O."

And it fits so nicely with many of my other witch-related hardcovers.

It is hard for me to tell if this is a book for the casual reader. This book deeply resonates with so many of my own memories; it is difficult for me to detach myself from my "nostalgia gogles" (as my oldest says) or even bits of deeply ingrained memory. How can I objectively review something like this?

Obviously, I can't. Nor even do I want to try.

I am going to say that this book is extraordinary. Thomas Negovan certainly thinks so. The care, attention, and love he put into it are obvious from the first few pages.

Seeing a book like this get made is one of the best reasons for a Kickstarter. 

I see he has another Kickstarter for the third volume in this trilogy (this was the second!), Binding the Devil. 

While I am sure there might some duplication, I have books in my library that would fit that did not find their way into Spellbound.  So yes, this one should give me as much joy. Check out some of his previous 88 Kickstarters; the guy has good taste. You can pledge this new book and add on Spell Bound for another $79. 

You can also get your own copy directly from their store. While I think the limited-edition Art Nouveau version is fantastic (and, as an aside, Negovan really seems to know his Art Nouveau), the red cover I have with the model from "How to Become a Sensuous Witch" is the one that really called out to me. 

Negovan chose this cover well as one of the best examples of "Witchcraft as Aesthetic".  Why? "How to Become a Sensuous Witch" is not a guide on witchcraft, or a lurid witch tale, or even a primer on sex magic. It is a cookbook.

Monstrous Mondays: Blink Bunny (and Summon Blink Bunny)

 It is Easter Monday, or post Ostara if you prefer. So I figure I'll update one of my favorite silly monsters, the "Blink Bunny." I just love the idea of rabbits that pop in and out of reality and teleport everywhere.  

Blink Bunny

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-4
Armor Class: 7
Move: 18"
Hit Dice: 1-1
% in Lair: 0%
Treasure Type: None
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1-2
Special Attacks: Nil
Special Defenses: Blink
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
Level/X.P. Value: I / 14 + 1 per hit point

Blink bunnies are small faerie rabbits, most often white in color, though grey, brown, and black specimens are also known. They are favored by witches, warlocks, and magic-users as messengers, and are sometimes mistaken for unusual familiars. In truth, they are not familiars, but rather a peculiar sort of minor faerie creature possessed of an innate power of magical transit.

A blink bunny can remember and carry a spoken message of up to twelve words. When sent to a place it has previously visited, it may transport itself there instantly. If the destination is well known to the creature, this transit is exact. If the place is only imperfectly remembered, the Dungeon Master may use the same probabilities of error as given for the teleport spell. A blink bunny can never travel to a place it has not visited before.

These creatures are timid and avoid combat whenever possible. If attacked or threatened, a blink bunny will almost always flee by means of its blink ability. Though not brave, they are clever enough to recognize the intended recipient of a message and to wait until that person is present before delivering it.

Blink bunnies expect food upon arrival, usually greens, roots, berries, or similar fare. A blink bunny treated kindly will often bear a return message, but one that is ignored, mistreated, or left unfed will depart at once.

Blink: Once per round, in lieu of normal movement, a blink bunny may teleport up to 24". This movement is instantaneous and does not require a path free of obstruction, though the destination must be an open space large enough to contain the creature. Blink bunnies do not attack in the same round that they blink.

Summon Blink (Messenger) Bunny

(Conjuration/Summoning)

Level: Magic-user 2, Witch 1
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3 segments
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: None

This spell summons a Blink Bunny, a type of faerie creature that looks like a small white rabbit.  The rabbit can be given a small message, no more than 12 words, and then sent to someone the caster knows.  If the location is well known to the caster, then the teleportation is done without error.   If the location is unknown, then the caster uses the same table for the magic-user spell teleport.

If the caster has an object belonging to the place the bunny is to visit or something from the person the bunny needs to communicate the message to, then the teleport is improved by one step of familiarity.

The blink bunny faithfully delivers the message and, if properly received and fed, may carry a reply of up to twelve words back to the caster. It cannot be forced to fight, scout, carry burdens, or perform any tasks other than message delivery. A bunny that is not fed might refuse to the next time the caster uses the spell. 

Material Components: A bit of lettuce, a dandelion leaf, and a tuft of rabbit fur.

Tales of Jackson, IL: For Whom the Bell Tolls

 It's April and I want to kick off a semi-regular feature on my Jackson, IL game for the NIGHT SHIFT^® RPG.

I want to talk about the characters and the adventures from my "Tales of Jackson, IL" game.

The NIGHT SHIFT^® Character Keeper!
The MUST-HAVE school supply for the 1986-87 school year!

For Whom the Bell Tolls

This first adventure, For Whom the Bell Tolls (all adventures will be named for songs from the 1980s) begins over the Fall of 1985. The large school bell, which hasn't worked since 1935, begins to ring. The problem is that only people and creatures of supernatural backgrounds could hear it. So PCs and some NPCs do. So do all the monsters in the nearby area, and they are all coming to Jackson. If that sounds uncomfortably like a "diner bell," then you would be right.

The antagonist of this adventure is/was "The Bell Ringer." His job is to announce the arrival of an even bigger bad guy later on. I have not hinted this yet, but this Big Bad is known as The Hollow King. He was pretty easy to deal with once found, but he had already done his damage.

I'll detail some of the player characters in future posts. One of the characters that was here for this adventure did not make it to later ones. No character death, just new characters. But I wanted to make this so that characters can come and go as needed. 

For levers, this is a Cinematic game, with Cinematic violence and healing. 

Look, I am wearing my influences here on my sleeve. This is Stranger Things meets Charmed meets Buffy meets Supernatural meets The Craft. But also a little bit of Dark, since I do pick up these characters many years later. 

Welcome to Jackson, IL!

The Cheerleader, The Outsider, and The New Girl

Jackson, Illinois, seems like the kind of town that blends in with a hundred others in the mid-west, at least until night falls. On the surface, it is all Friday night football, crowded school hallways, two local colleges that give the town just enough polish to feel more important than it is, and grown-ups going through the motions as if nothing is wrong. 

It is the 1980s in full neon color, with mixtapes, faded denim, old trucks, pay phones, greasy diners open too late, and gossip that never stays quiet for long. But under the steady pulse of small-town life, something far older and far stranger is waking up. Forces beyond understanding are creeping into the edges of everyday life, and the kids of Jackson are about to learn that coming of age can be just as frightening as anything lurking in the dark.

At the center of the story is a close-knit group of friends and families: outsiders, golden boys, first loves, brainy overachievers, and kids who have already seen too much. Each of them carries private wounds and hidden truths into the shadows. Some have never left Jackson. Some have only just arrived. Some already know that the town is not what it pretends to be. Together, they become the emotional core of the campaign, a web of teenagers and adults bound together by fear, loyalty, and survival in one deeply haunted American town at the tail end of the Reagan years.

What I want to do with this series, at least, is present some of the games we have played and the NPCs. The NPCs were where I started here because I wanted these halls to feel like they were filled with people, not archetypes like "The Jock." "The Wierd Girl," "The Cheerleader." I wanted them to have names and motivations. So I started building them based on characters I have posted here before, which gave me instant personalities and buy-in. But not every character I have is a good fit. Grýlka and Doireann, for example, are a lot of fun, but to fit them into this game, I'd have to take so many liberties with the characters that I might as well have started from scratch. So I used mine, and since I had a pack of Pathfinder minis sitting on my desk here, I started adding them as well. 

I also very specifically did not want to do a modern version of West Haven. West Haven does appear in the NIGHT SHIFT^® rules, but that is the future (or rather the present day). I wanted something smaller. Plus, I already have a NIGHT SHIFT^® version of West Haven going with Elowen. But that is not an ongoing game at the moment.    

I have teased some characters, but again, I want this place to feel alive. I think I owe that to the players. 

The Witches

I knew from the start I wanted three witches who look like they come from three different walks of life. I knew Larina was going to be one of them; in fact, I wanted to use the date I first created her, July 1986, as the time when this game starts. But I needed at least one summer break, so I pushed it back to 1985. Why are you so specific about the dates? One big reason. Music. Music was a big deal in your 1980s high school. So I wanted to build authentic playlists.

• 1985
• 1986
• Tales from Jackson, IL (Campaign playlist)

Of course, with three witches, they all can't be "the weird one," so I split that up a bit. Since Pathfinder was at hand, I adopted Feiya and Seoni as Faye and Stephanie, respectively. 

Everyone starts out at 1st level, but the girls here are just a notch higher in case they need to rescue anyone.

Larina "Nix" Nichols

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 9 (0)
Agility: 10 (0) 
Toughness: 11 (0)
*Intelligence: 18 (+3) P
Wits: 17 (+2) s
Persona: 17 (+2) s

Vit: 3 (1d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Steph and Faye)

Skills: Research (Int)

Languages: English, Latin, German, Greek

Spells
1: Magic Missile
2: Continual Flame

This is not witch queen Larina, or even really powerful Larina. This is "new girl in town" Larina. Normally, she is the "weird one," but here I am opting to make her "the smart one." She is the one with the research books and systematized knowledge. So if the PCs need help they can go to her.

Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue

Archetype: The New Girl
Quote: "I am sure I just read that somewhere..."
Quirks: Right-handed, wears her watch on her right hand.
Theme song: "Night Bird" - Stevie Nicks

Family: Her father, Lars Nichols, is a professor at MacAlister College. Mother died 18 months ago.

Faye Thorne

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 10 (0)
Agility: 12 (0) 
Toughness: 14 (+1) s
Intelligence: 18 (+3) 
*Wits: 18 (+3) P
Persona: 17 (+2) s

Vit: 4 (1d6)
DV: 7 (leather jacket)
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Steph and Larina)

Skills: Intimidate (Cha)

Languages: English, German

Spells
1: Chill Ray
2: Cause Fear

Fiona Voss, or as she is known now, Faye Thorne, is the creepy goth girl outsider. She lives with her two very strict and terrifying aunties (really hags in disguise), and hides under headphones, a leather jacket, and enough sarcasm to power a small city. She and Steph used to be best friends until their falling out a couple of years ago. Unlike Larina, Faye has learned all about witchcraft by doing it.

Hair: White
Eyes: Gray

Archetype: The Outsider
Quote: "Wow. You really think your opinion matters to me."
Quirks: Always wears headphones and a pentagram necklace. Loves super spicy food, scary spicy.
Theme song: "A Forest" - The Cure

Family: Her parents, the Vosses, died in a car crash when she was a toddler. She was raised by her aunties, who changed her name. Her aunties are really disguised hags hoping to use her natural magic.

Stephanie "Steph" Vale

2nd-level Witch, Human

Strength: 12 (0)
Agility: 14 (+1) s
Toughness: 13 (+1)
Intelligence: 13 (+1) s
Wits: 10 (0) 
*Persona: 18 (+3) P

Vit: 4 (1d6)
DV: 9
Fate Points: 1d6

Check Bonus (P/S/T): +2/+1/+0
Melee bonus: +0  Ranged bonus: +0
Saves: +3 to spells and magical effects

Special Abilities: Arcana, Casting 60%, Enhanced Senses, Arcane Bond (Larina and Faye)

Skills: Drive (Agl), Gymnastics (Agl)

Languages: English, French

Spells
1: Charm Person
2: ESP

To the outside world, Stephanie Vale is a ray of sunshine, but on the inside...yeah, she is pretty much the same. Stephanie is a nice girl who moves in and out of social situations with the skill of an adult twice her age. She just broke up with her long-time boyfriend, Val, and her mother and father wish she would start dating Andy Thompson. But Andy is so deeply in love with Rowan that Hallmark follows them around for ideas. She is captain of the Cheer team, but now she is involved with new girl Larina and Faye Thorne, of all people. 

Like many things, witchcraft comes naturally to Steph.

Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue

Archetype: The Cheerleader
Quote: "Alright, everyone! Teamwork makes the dream work!"
Quirks: Positive attitude hides a crippling desire to please everyone.
Theme song: "We Got the Beat" - The Go Go's

Family: Second-richest family in town (behind the town founders, the Thompsons). Father Arthur is a lawyer, and Mother Beatrice is a stay-at-home mom. She has an older brother in college, whom she thinks is the best ever, and a younger sister who spends a lot of time on a computer.

--

My NPCs are coming along. I will likely talk about the "nice" ones, since they are most likely to help the PCs. By halfway through the first quarter, watching Stephanie, Faye, and Larina always hang out together will be the stuff of talk and darker gossip. 

I will say this. These characters have been a blast to use, and I am so pleased with them.

Because I like to think of these things, I also have plans for everyone some years later. Just have not nailed all that down at all yet.

Steph, Faye, and Larina at breakfast. Why is Larina wearing sunglasses? Photogray lenses? Maybe she is hungover.

--

Night Shift^® is a registered trademark of Elf Lair, LLC.

The Witches of Appendix N: Philip José Farmer

Philip José Farmer had one of the most enduring legacies on the earliest days of Dungeons & Dragons; the endless underground dungeons. His "World of Tiers" series detailed a world (multiple worlds) stacked on top of each other, providing the archetype of the dungeon and even the planes of existence. It is no suprise then really that Gygax was a huge fan of his work.

*I* became a fan of Philip José Farmer due to his Wold Newton family concept (along with Win Scott Eckert), something I spent a lot of time on working through back in the 1990s. I discovered it for myself in the earliest days of the Internet, and I was absolutely fascinated. I was already a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, and this concept was OCD gold for me. One day, I need to dedicate some time to do this properly. But he even manages to connect it to Angelique of Dark Shadows. So you know, I have to dig into it more for that reasn alone.

But today I want to discuss his Appendix N books and his potential witches.

World of Tiers

The World of Tiers gave us an archetypal dungeon environment, a place where monsters of all sorts from myth and legend lived. This includes some witch-like characters, but not a lot. The secret here, of course, is that these are not monsters of myth but a science fiction setting in which the magic of the Lords of the tale is really high technology.  

There are a few characters that might qualify, but none of which are a great fit. At least none that are close to what I am defining as a witch.

Riverworld

I want to make a quick mention of this series. I remember flipping through it in the 80s, but it never really grabbed me. I revisited it again in college and had pretty much the same opinion. I recall the GURPS book for it, but I don't believe there were any witches in this at all, unless it was a historical figure that was accused of witchcraft. 

Image of the Beast

This is an odd one. First, it is a modern tale, though one set in a supernatural, horror world. Secondly, it is often referred to as "porn," which is not... unmerited. There is witchcraft, of sorts, but no named witch. There are ghosts, vampires, and even snake women. 

Flesh

I mention this one only because it deals with a future where Earth has reverted to Paganism and Goddess worship. It has some witch-like trappings, but it is a sci-fi tale. While often derided, it is not as salacious or lurid as Image of the Beast.

So easy to see why Gary Gygax went with World of Tiers, but not a lot of witches here.