Ghosts of Albion: The Cailleach Bheur

The Cailleach Bheur

It was her eyes that still haunt me.

She was abnormally tall, at least 8 ft., though that is normal if you consider her species. She was ghastly thin, weighing maybe 12 or 13 stone at the most. Her skin was a dark blue, like that of a bruise. It left the impression of having been dyed in woad for countless nights. She appeared as many of her kind; hideous countenance, with her face and body a little too sharp and too many angles. Her hair was a chaotic nest of wiry and frozen strands. Her clothing, what little remained, was a tattered rag reminiscent of a peasant’s garb of a bygone age. She stood her ground holding her staff. If she were affected by the cold then we could certainly not see it. She spoke with a voice of ice cracking tree limbs.

“Begone Protectors. These are my lands to vanguard.”
She glared at us with those bright blue, all too human, eyes.
- From the Journal of Tamara Swift

Known as the Crow of Winter, The Cailleach Bheur is deadly hag. She appears only after Samhain/All Hallow’s Eve and stays till Beltane eve. While as evil as other hags, Cailleach Bheur is more interested in eating sheep and deer than children. In Ireland and Scotland she is the personification of Winter. During the summer months Cailleach Bheur turns to stone and is indistinguishable from the other standing stones of the area.

The Cailleach Bheur was cursed into her existence back in a time before writing came to Scotland. One tale, disturbing as it sounds, describes the Cailleach as the ancient Protector of Alba, maybe even a faerie queen or goddess.

In her previous life Cailleach Bheur was a lone protector of animals and a follower of the Great Goddess. One night he fell asleep by a well. The well overflowed with the thaw and she nearly drown. She invoked powerful magics to move the water away, but in the process created Loch Awe (in Scotland) and drowning several villagers and cattle. As repentance she is to walk the snowy earth till she can feel the mid-summer sun on her face, something that can’t ever happen since she is cursed to be stone from Beltane to Samhain.

The Cailleach Bheur still protects her lands as she did before, ignoring humans unless they tread on her domain, then she kills them with glee by freezing them solid. She blames humans for her current state.

The Cailleach Bheur is believed to be at least 4000 years old.

Staff of Winter: Possibly a remnant of her former life the Cailleach Bheur carries a magical staff. The Staff of Winter is made up of holly and gorse branches intertwined to form a 7’ long staff of solid wood. It acts as a magical focus tool providing the Cailleach Bheur +2 magic to all magic related rolls and checks.

Anyone in possession of this staff can command Cailleach Bheur to leave the area by holding the staff and saying “Bì falbh buitseach!” (begone (get out) witch!). Both Cailleach Bheur and her staff will disappear after the command is uttered. This would require research into Cailleach Bheur specifically (occultism with 5 SLs) or local lore (occultism with 7 SLs).

Unisystem / Ghosts of Albion
Name: The Cailleach Bheur
Motivation: To keep winter alive, protect the local animals
Creature Type: Faerie
Attributes: Str 6, Dex 6, Con 5, Int 4, Per 3, Will 6
Ability Scores: Muscle 18, Combat 19, Brains 14
Life Points: 75
Drama Points: 2-4
Special Abilities: Attractiveness –4, Increased Life Points, Faerie, Magic 5 (+2 from staff)


Manoeuvres
Name Score Damage Notes
Bite 21 27 Must grapple first; no defence action
Claw 19 19 Two attacks per Turn
Grapple 21 — Resisted by dodge

Spellcasting 19 Varies By spell
Deflect 19 — Magic defence action; deflects spells 45º
Hold 18 — Magic defence action; delays spell
Lesser Sensing18 — Notice magical effects, nature, or possession
Volley 13 — Magic defence action; returns spell to caster
Dispel 16 — Magic defence action; dispels spell

The Cailleach Bheur by Andrew Paciorek

Victoriana
The Cailleach Bheur
Rank: 14 (Focused)
Physical Competence: +10
Mental Competence: +4
Health: 10 dice (20 pips)
Signature Skills: Fisticuffs +6; Survival +20; Thaumaturgy +5 (+2 from staff)
Talents: Ageless; Fear; Huge; Immunity (Cold); Incapacitating Attack (Freeze victims)
Combat: Claws and bite (16 dice)
Damage: Claw (5 dice) Bite (3 dice)

Savage Worlds / Rippers / Gaslight
The Cailleach Bheur
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d10, Spirit d10 Strength d12 Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Nature) d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d12, Taunt d8
Charisma: –4; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
Special Abilities:
* Arcane Background (Magic): barrier (wall of ice), blast (cold wind), deflection (winds), fly (ride the winds), obscure (create snow storm) (50 Power Points)
* Claws: Str+2
* Curse: Like a hag, the Cilleach can curse one enemy within sight each round. The target must make a Spirit roll or be Shaken.
* Fear: Anyone seeing the Cailleach must make a Guts roll at -1.

In honor of post #114 of my blog I put up the cover from Dragon Magazine #114 by David Martin, called "Spirit of the Night".  This issue featured the witch NPC class and the first time I ever saw the class.  From October 1986. Caused quite a stir back then I recall.

The other picture is the Cailleach Bheur by Andrew Paciorek at http://www.batcow.co.uk/strangelands/.

The Return of Monstrous Mondays: The Cailleach Bheur

For a while now I have been contemplating returning to an old feature here, Monstrous Mondays.
A few other bloggers I met in the A to Z Challenge also do it, tailored to their respective audiences.  The last one I did was just over a year ago (Yog, Monster from Space) but I never kept going.

Natasha Duncan-Drake
Part Time Monster
MindweaverRPG
Dispatches from Kickassistan,

For this blog, I would feature monsters that would likely appear in my games. I would likely focus on OSR stats.  Also, I am likely to release them all as "Open" via the OGl.  Art is excluded from that of course.  Wish to join me?  Let me know each Monday and post with the hashtag #MonsterMonday (Twitter) or #MonsterMonday on Google+.

So let's get going!

I think for my "OSR" stated monsters I am going to start using the format/stat block I used for some of the vampires I did last year.

The following text is considered Open for use under the OGL.

It was her eyes that still haunt me.

She was abnormally tall, at least 8 ft., though that is normal if you consider her species. She was ghastly thin, weighing maybe 12 or 13 stone at the most. Her skin was a dark blue, like that of a bruise. It left the impression of having been dyed in woad for countless nights. She appeared as many of her kind; hideous countenance, with her face and body a little too sharp and too many angles. Her hair was a chaotic nest of wiry and frozen strands. Her clothing, what little remained, was a tattered rag reminiscent of a peasant’s garb of a bygone age. She stood her ground holding her staff. If she were affected by the cold then we could certainly not see it. She spoke with a voice of ice-cracking tree limbs.

“Begone Witch. These are my lands to vanguard.”

She glared at us with those bright blue, all too human, eyes.

- From the Journal of Larina Nix

The Cailleach Bheur by Andrew Paciorek
used with permission

The Cailleach Bheur
AKA: The Blue Hag, The Crow of Winter
Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1 (believed unique)
Size: Large 8" (L)
Armor Class: 2 [17]₁
Movement
 Basic: 120' (40')
 Advanced: 12"/18"
 3e: 30ft
Hit Dice: 10d8+5 (50 hp)
% in Lair: 50% (roaming countryside in winter, dormant in summer)
Treasure Type: None
Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite) + cold, fear
Damage: 1d6+4/1d6+4/1d4
Special Attacks: Cold 6d6 (breath), once per day. Cause Fear once per day.
Special Defenses: Immune to cold based attacks
Save As: Witch 10₂
Magic Resistance: 25%
Morale: 10₃
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Level/XP: 10/5,530 + 15/hp

STR: 19 INT: 10 WIS: 17 DEX: 16 CON: 20₄  CHA: 7₅

1 Descending and [Ascending] Armor classes are given.
2 This is used for Basic games, and S&W. Also for monsters that I think need to save a little differently than others.
3 Morale is "Basic" Morale and based on a 1-12 scale. Multiply by 1.6667 for 1-20 scale.
4 Have not decided yet if I want to use 3.x style undead Constitutions or not. (15) Reflects what their Con would be if I do use it.  I might just put a number in () like I do for Ghosts of Albion.
5 monster witches can use an "absolute value" for Charisma.  So a really bad CHA is just as good as a really good one.

Known as the Crow of Winter, The Cailleach Bheur is a very deadly hag. She appears only after Samhain/All Hallow’s Eve and stays till Beltane eve. While as evil as other hags, Cailleach Bheur is more interested in eating sheep and deer than children. In Ireland and Scotland, she is the personification of Winter. During the summer months, Cailleach Bheur turns to stone and is indistinguishable from the other standing stones of the area.

The Cailleach Bheur was cursed into her existence back in a time before writing came to Scotland. One tale, disturbing as it sounds, describes the Cailleach as the ancient Protector of Alba, maybe even a faerie queen or goddess.

In her previous life, the Cailleach Bheur was a lone protector of animals (a Ranger) and a follower of the Great Goddess. One night he fell asleep by a well. The well overflowed with the thaw and she nearly drown. She invoked powerful magics to move the water away, but in the process created Loch Awe (in Scotland) and drowning several villagers and cattle. As repentance, she is to walk the snowy earth till she can feel the mid-summer sun on her face, something that can’t ever happen since she is cursed to be stone from Beltane to Samhain.

The Cailleach Bheur still protects her lands as she did before, ignoring humans unless they tread on her domain, then she kills them with glee by freezing them solid. She blames humans for her current state.

The Cailleach Bheur is believed to be at least 400 years old.

Staff of Winter: Possibly a remnant of her former life the Cailleach Bheur carries a magical staff. The Staff of Winter is made up of holly and gorse branches intertwined to form a 7’ long staff of solid wood. It acts as a magical focus tool providing the Cailleach Bheur +2 magic to all magic related rolls, attacks, saves and checks.

Anyone in possession of this staff can command Cailleach Bheur to leave the area by holding the staff and saying “Bì falbh buitseach!” (begone (get out) witch!). Both Cailleach Bheur and her staff will disappear after the command is uttered. This would require research into Cailleach Bheur specifically or local lore.

Section 15: "The Cailleach Bheur". Copyright 2016 Timothy S. Brannan.

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 11

Day 11 - Where to Find Adventure?

Day 11-Where would we go to find 'adventure'?
We've left the relative safety of the starting area and now we're looking for action! 

Elowen's Journal

"Adventure seems to be everywhere near West Haven.

The Goblin Wood is the obvious answer. It always feels like something is watching you there, even when the branches are still, and the paths look clear. The lake seems safer, wide and open, but it is not. There are so many ghosts in the water, and not all of them are quiet. Some of them remember drowning. Some of them are still trying to get home. The Maiden Wood frightens me more than either of those places. It is too calm, too deliberate, as if it is waiting for permission to be dangerous. And the Cailleach’s Bones… I do not linger there. Some spirits are old enough that they no longer remember being human, and that is not the kind of attention I want.

My first real adventure did not even involve leaving the region. Aisling and I took what we thought would be a harmless weekend trip to East Haven to see the markets. Somewhere along the way, we ended up with someone else’s pack full of stolen jewels. By the end of the day, we had the town authorities and the thieves’ guild both looking for us, and I learned just how uncomfortable a jail cell can be when you can see the ghosts pacing outside it. Katrina had to come get us out, and I do not think she has ever let us forget it. We did manage to sort it all out and even got a reward. 

That is the thing about West Haven. You do not usually go looking for adventure here. It finds you first."

Designer's Notes

West Haven was built to make adventure feel close at hand. The surrounding locations, the Goblin Wood, the lake, the Maiden Wood, the Cailleach’s Bones, even the Broken Mountains, and the larger presence of East Haven, all sit within easy reach, but none of them are truly safe. Each presents a different kind of danger, and witches in particular learn to read those dangers before swords are drawn or spells are cast.

One of the design goals was to ensure that adventure did not always require long journeys or epic quests. Trouble can emerge from a simple trip, a bad coincidence, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For witches, danger is often social, spiritual, or situational rather than purely martial. West Haven supports this by placing mystery, conflict, and consequence not just beyond the village gates but with the alleys and buildings of the village as well. It is a place where the world presses close, and where players quickly learn that staying alert matters more than seeking glory.

Join Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and his RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE 2026!

Dream of the Blue Orcs

I had the oddest dream the other night.  I am blaming all the allergy drugs. And the Absinthe I had on Sunday.

So the the other night I dreamed about this giant orc with a blue face. Not sure if it was painted blue or was blue.  It was wielding a giant axe, but one that looked like it was more chopping word than necks.  He was screaming and running at "me".  He was also wearing a kilt.

Now a lot of this can be explained away.  I have been reading a lot of Tolkien of late and his orcs are more, for a lack of better word, demonic than the typical D&D Orc or even the typical "new" Orc as first given to us by John Wick. I have talked about orcs before and how they fit into my world and the various sub-races.
I was also at the Bristol Ren Faire that day, so that explains the axes and even the kilt.

The idea of a blue orc is a cool one, so I looked for them online.  I see there are blue orcs in Heroscape and they have sabre-toothed tigers. That is a cool idea.  The axe makes me think northern climes and the kilt, well Scottish.  I have a "White Orc", but I was thinking that these Orcs would be south of the artic areas, but still northern and cold.  Think Canada.

Given my world's population they could even  be another offshoot of the Green Orcs, like the White.   Culturewise they are not much different than the Green.  Maybe more savage and certainly more tribal.   Wars with the Green and White keep their numbers in check.   To continue the metaphor, if Blue Orcs live in Canada then the Green live in the US and the White only the most northern places.  Greenland, Iceland, Siberia and Alaska.

Blue Orcs do not differ significantly from the other strains/sub-races of Orc in terms of stats.  Though if anything I would give them a bit better survival skills in colder climates.  Though this also reminds me of the Cailleach Bheur, the hag of Winter.    Maybe Blue Orcs worship the Cailleach as some sort of Goddess figure.  Pagan Orcs...the idea has some possibility and different than the other orcs.  Perhaps they believe that their Goddess carved them from ice and stone and then breathed on them to bring them to life.

The more I think about it the more I like it.  I'll have to use these guys soon.
Plus it gives me a chance to come up some Blue Orc witches.

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 19

Day 19 - Must-See Sites

Day 19-Any 'Must See' sites?
Are there any places or things a visitor to the setting just has to check out?

Elowen’s Journal

"If you only have one afternoon in West Haven, go to the Fountain Circle. Or Fountain Square as some witches still call it. I have not figured out why. 

That’s where everyone ends up eventually. On warm days, it turns into a kind of living map of the village. Farmers resting their feet, witches arguing good-naturedly, children daring each other to toss copper coins just right. The statue of Maiden faces east, the Mother north, the Crone west, and somehow it always feels like someone is watching over you, no matter where you sit. I like to people-watch there. It makes me feel less strange.

The Library is the other place I always recommend. It might not have the book you came looking for, but it will absolutely have the book you need. Sometimes it finds you instead. I don’t understand how it works, only that it does. Knowing that Larina used to be the librarian explains a lot. I always leave with more questions than answers, and I think that’s the point.

Everyone says you should see the Cailleach’s Bones. They’re right. They’re ancient, and powerful, and full of history. I have seen them. Once. That was enough. Some places don’t need revisiting to be remembered.

Émilie’s apothecary is quieter, but no less important. I like visiting with her sister Céline. She is the strangest witch I have ever met, and after three years here, that is saying something. She has everything you could want for an alchemy lab, a healing kit, or a kitchen that takes herbs seriously. Omar’s, of course, has everything else. If you can’t find it there, you probably don’t need it yet.

Renee’s is perfect for lunch. The Purple Dragon for dinner. That’s just how the day flows. In summer, everyone drifts back toward the Fountain Circle again for evening music. Lanterns go up. The air cools. It feels like the town is exhaling.

I haven’t been to the observatory yet, but I’ve been told the stars look closer from there. I am not sure I want to see them that close. What strange ghosts inhabit those worlds? Am I meant to know?

East Haven has its own sights. A zoological garden that people speak highly of, though I don’t like seeing some of the animals in cages. They look… diminished. That would never work in West Haven. Their library is large, orderly, and very good at helping you find exactly what you're looking for. It’s just not very good at surprises.

Doireann has promised to take me to the Goblin Market one night. She won’t tell me when or where. Just “soon.” I am trying very hard to be patient. Amaranth tells me it is a great place to get ripped-off, but I am not listening to her."

Designer’s Notes

West Haven’s must-see sites are intentionally layered. Very few are strictly tourist attractions. Most are places that reward lingering, repeat visits, and emotional engagement. The Fountain Circle anchors the social life of the village. The Library reinforces discovery over acquisition. Shops like Émilie’s and Omar’s blur the line between mundane commerce and magical infrastructure.

East Haven serves as a contrast. Its attractions are impressive, curated, and well-organized, but often lack the intimacy and improvisational magic of West Haven. This distinction reinforces the broader thematic divide between control and emergence, certainty and discovery.

Many locations are invented as needed, on purpose. West Haven is meant to feel alive, responsive, and slightly unfinished, like a place that grows around the characters rather than ahead of them. If it feels like there’s always one more place to see, that’s working as intended.

Join Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and his RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE 2026!

Monstrous Mondays: Twilight Fables (5e & OSR)

Taking a break from Pathfinder for a bit on this first Monstrous Monday of Fall 2022 to do something a little darker.  There is a chill in the air here in Chicago. I have a flannel shirt on and my mood ever shifts more and more to Halloween.  A Halloween bestiary would be nice and thankfully Izegrim Creations has just the thing I need.

Twilight Fables

I swear the Kickstarter for this had just ended and I got my DriveThruRPG notification that the hardcovers were available. 

So for this I Monstrous Monday, I want to talk about both the 5e and OSR versions of this book, the Print on Demand and PDF versions, plus all the other material that makes up this line. 

Overview

Both books are huge volumes at 336 pages (5e) and 326 pages (OSR) each. The covers are full color as is all the interior art.  And the art is fantastic.  

Both books have a solid 5e aesthetic to them; colorful art and backgrounds, text describing the creature and its place in the environment/land/myths, and followed by a stat block.

The 5e book features a standard-looking 5e stat block, the OSR one is largely a modified Basic-era stat block. It includes everything you would expect along with descending and ascending AC, an entry for THAC0, and XP. The art for both books is the same.  There is a good reason for this, the OSR version was added on a little bit later in the Kickstarter.  The 5e version, with art, was done before the kickstart began (minus some edits I am told) so adding on the OSR version was a matter of adding the new stat blocks.  One nitpick there are listings for "DCs" in the OSR version for magic item creation (more on that later). I would have preferred something that felt a little more pre-2000.

Now in most situations, I would fear translation errors, but the author Roderic Waibel had already developed that very successful Chromatic Dungeons RPG (reviewed here) which is solid OSR.  So I know he knows OSR.  My only gripe is kinda wanted the OSR stat blocks to look as nice as the 5e ones!  But that is only a gripe for people that own both.

Like many of Waibel's publications we get nice sidebar discussions from the intelligent and rather civilized Gnoll "Fleabag." It is a very nice touch (I have done something similar with my 'From the Journal of Larina Nix') and it gives these (and his other books) character. 

Regardless of which one you get (get both!) you are in for a treat.

I grabbed both and will be using the OSR version in my Old-School Essentials game. My oldest grabbed the 5e version and is using it in his weekly 5e game. So far he says it is great and he loves all the different sorts of monsters it offers.

The Fables

The name of the book is Twilight Fables.  So you can expect that these are monsters from various myths, legends, and tales. And you would be 100% correct. Waibel has done his reading and there are a lot of great creatures here.  Even ones that might be familiar get new life and feel "new."  

For example, I mentioned one of my favorites, the Basajaun who appears in three different monster books. 

Each one is a little different and yet each one 'feels' right. Perfect for DMs that want a familiar, yet different creature.

The creatures largely come from the myths, legends, and folklore of Europe. This is also what is advertised and leads to the logical assumption of Twilight Fables of other lands for future volumes. One for Africa, one for Asia, one for the Americas, all are possible.

In addition to the monsters, there are various legendary NPCs like Baba Yaga, Beowulf, Cailleach Beira, Cú Chulainn, Guy of Warwick, King Arthur, Little Red Riding Hood, Merlin, Morgan Le Fay, Robin Hood, Scáthach, Queen Úna of Faerie, and Väinämöinen. So yeah. Lots.

There is a section on Mythological Treasures and Magic items. This includes some rules on how to make magic items as well. It is a very nice value add.  You saw this sort of thing with the old Mayfair "Fantastic Treasures" and something you see Troll Lord Games do with their Monster and Treasure books.

Both books also have rules for new character species (wanna play a Pech? You can!) and for 5e there are class options such as Warlock patrons and cleric domains.

There is even a small adventure (20 pages) to introduce these new monsters. 

The Monsters

All that is gravy.  The real meat here are the monsters.

In both cases, the monsters take up full pages. This includes the background and descriptions, the stat blocks, and whatever else is involved with this particular creature such as "Lore & Rumors", any special treasures, habitat, behaviors, and more.  In some cases, the material bleeds over to another entry, but not so much as to be an issue. 

There are, by my count, nearly 220 monsters here ranging in HD from 1-1 to 30+ (OSR) and CR 1/8 to 30 (5e).  So plenty of creatures to challenge any level of characters.

I have to say these are great books and well worth grabbing for your games, 5e or OSR, or both.  There is a lot of material here and plenty to keep many groups engaged for some time.

Extras

When you get the digital copy from DriveThruRPG you also get a bunch of tokens that can be printed and used in f2f table games or digitally online. It is another value add this game offers. There is also an RTF version of the book, a printer-friendly/no background version, and maps for the included adventure.

If you love monsters like I do then this is a must-buy.

Barking Alien's RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE! Day 15

Day 15 - Things Best Avoided

Day 15-What are some things in the setting that are best avoided?
Dangerous terrain, haunted places, angry natives, and even unpleasant beverages; name some elements in your campaign that should be given a wide berth. Obviously these are beings and things in the setting the tourist should avoid but which Player Characters would likely run towards. 

Elowen's Journal

"People warned me about West Haven when I first arrived. They said it was dangerous. Haunted. Wrong. I think that’s funny now.

The places I avoid are quieter than that.

I stay away from the lake. I can’t explain it properly, only that the ghosts there feel unfinished in a way that makes my chest hurt. Not loud. Not violent. Just… stuck. Some of them don’t even know they’re dead. Others know too well. I can stand at the shore, but I never linger. I don’t like how the water remembers.

East Haven makes me nervous. I can walk its streets. I have. But it feels like a place that watches you back. The rules are clearer there, sharper somehow, and I am never quite sure which ones I am breaking just by existing. My first real adventure started there, and I learned quickly that “safe” and “familiar” are not the same thing.

I will not go near the Cailleach’s Bones. Everyone says you can feel them before you see them, and they are right. The spirits there are old and proud and very sure they were right to die for what they believed. That kind of certainty frightens me more than anger ever could.

The Maiden Wood is worse. Everyone avoids it. Even people who pretend they don’t believe curses can affect them still take the long way around. I know better than to ask questions. I have seen Larina walk into that forest more than once, calm as if she were stepping into her own kitchen. That does not make me feel safer. It makes me feel like there are rules I do not yet understand.

What surprises me most is that people think West Haven itself is frightening. They whisper about witches and ghosts and strange folk in the streets. To me, it feels honest. The dangerous places announce themselves here. The truly terrible things do not bother with disguises.

If I have learned anything, it is this: not everything dangerous feels threatening, and not everything that feels safe actually is. West Haven taught me that. It also taught me how to listen when the land says, quietly but firmly, do not go there."

Designer Notes

This day reframes classic adventure locations as lived warnings rather than explicit hooks. Elowen’s perspective emphasizes instinct, emotional danger, and spiritual weight over physical threat. Places players will be eager to explore are introduced as areas locals avoid for reasons that are felt rather than explained. 

West Haven is a paradox: widely feared by outsiders, yet experienced by residents as a place of clarity, where danger is visible and negotiable. This reinforces the setting’s core philosophy: witches and ghosts make the world safer not by removing danger, but by naming it. This is a "witch village," the villagers are not afraid of the same things.  

This sets up future adventures while reinforcing trust in intuition, boundaries, and the idea that some places are not meant to be entered until you are ready—or ever.

There is an ancient elven ruin in the Goblin Wood. The Lake is cursed, as are the Callieach's Bones. The Maiden Wood isn't cursed, but the dryads are violent to outsiders. There are more haunted houses in West Haven than in cities five times larger. 

There are wererats fighting aligatormen in the sewers and septic pits under the village. Werewolves roam north of the village, and they are barely contained by the Rangers of the North Star. There are enough undead to keep the Church of Light and the Knights of St. Werper busy for decades. 

There's a lot to do here, and almost none of it is safe. Elowen might avoid these places, but I suspect adventurers won't. 

Join Adam Dickstein of Barking Alien, and his RPG CAMPAIGN TOUR CHALLENGE 2026!

Interview with David Martin

Black Gate has an interview with artist with David Martin.
http://www.blackgate.com/2014/04/23/art-of-the-genre-an-interview-with-david-martin/

Long time readers here will know I am big fan of his work, but in particular the witch cover to Dragon #114.

Pop on over and have a read.

Monstrous Monday: Monsters From the Other Side

I have been working on monsters since the earliest days of this blog. I still intend to complete my Basic Bestiary someday. Art is the biggest issue. Editing is the other big hurdle. 

But in the meantime, here are all, as far as I can tell, the monsters I have created here, and the system I created them for.

Monster	Basic	AD&D	D&D3/d20	D&D5	NightShift	Unisystem	Other
Aglæc-wif	1
Aglæca	1
Ahrimanes, Demon Lord	1
Álfar, Dökkálfar		1
Álfar, Ljósálfar		1
Álfar, Skald	1
Allip	1
Almas	1
Alp		1
Alraune	1
Amphicyon	1
Angel, Dirae	1
Angel, Lunar	1
Ankou		1
Ape, Gargantuan	1
Apple Sprite	1
Apple Tree Man	1
Archangel, Michael		1
Astaroth	1
Astral Spider, Greater					1
Astral Spiders	1
Aswang	1
Bagman	1
Bánánach	1
Barghest	1
Basajaun	1
Bat, Olitiau	1
Berbalang			1
Bionic Bigfoot	1
Blink Bunnies	1
Blood Goblin (Hæmogoblin)	1	1
Blood Trees of Yule	1
Bluff Creek Woodwose (Bigfoot)		1
Bonnacon	1
Boo Hag	1
Brindlekin		1		1			1
Brownie, Boggart	1
Caliban	1
Camazotz	1
Cat-sìth	1
Chenoo		1
Chupacabra	1
Cimeris	1
Confessor	1
Corn Goblins	1
Cù Sìth	1
Dearg-Due						1
Death Dog	1
Demogorgon (The Creature)		1
Demon Lord Camazotz				1
Demon, Fohat	1
Demon, Gargantua	1
Demon, Leviathan	1
Demon, Prince Akelarre	1
Derro					1
Devil, Aamon	1
Devil, Buer	1
Devil, Malarea	1
Devil, Valac		1
Dird	1
Doppelgänger, Pod	1
Doppelsauger		1
Dragon, Anantanatha		1
Dragon, Bahamūt		1
Dragon, Faerie Dragon	1
Dragon, Hell Drake	1
Dragon, Lóngzihua		1
Dragon, Pseudo Dragon	1
Dragon, Purple	1
Dragon, Purple		1
Dragon, Sea	1
Dragon, Tiâmat	1
Dragon, Vritraxion		1
Dragon, Wood	1
Dragon, Zinc	1
Draugr		1
Drude	1
Duke Bartzabel	1
Dúlachán	1
Dybbuk	1
Elf, Shadow	1
Elves, Shadow	1
Estrie	1
Farkaskoldus	1
Faun	1
Fenodyree	1
Fire Nymph				1
Five Spirits of the Grimorium Verum							1
Frost Maiden	1
Galley Beggar	1
Gargantua Demons				1
Geryon	1
Ghost Lights		1
Ghost Spiders	1
Ghoul, Sand				1
Giant, Frost Undead	1
Giant, Mist		1		1
Gierach		1
Gladyolus	1
Glaistig	1
Glory Hound	1
Gnomi		1
Golem, Awakened	1
Golem, Brass	1
Golem, Snow	1
Green Martians		1
Greys (Zeta Reticulians)	1			1	1
Grimlock	1
Groundling	1
Grýla the Christmas Witch	1
Guardians of the Library		1
Gwragedd Annwn (Swan Maidens)	1
Gwragedd Annwn (swan-maidens)	1
Hag, Chaos	1
Hag, Hyrrokkin	1
Hag, Urban					1
Halfling, Trow	1
Hamingja	1
Haunted Dolls					1
Hautveränderer		1
Hell Hound	1					1	1
Heuler		1
Hippalektryon		1
Hodag	1				1		1
Horned Women	1
Hsi-Hsue-Kue	1
Iblis					1
Illinois Hominds (Bigfoot)	1
Imp of the Perverse	1
Impundulu	1
Incubus	1
Inguma	1
Initiate	1
Jack O'Lantern	1
Jackalope	1						1
Jann	1
Jigarkhwar	1
Jötunn, Inferno		1
Jötunn, Rime		1
Kelpie	1
Killer Rabbits	1
Kobold, Knockers	1
Kôkabîêl	1
Lamassu	1
Leviathan	1
Lilith	1
Lilith	1
Lilith	1
Lithobolia	1
LordʾIblīs	1
Lycanthrope, Were-Amphicyonidae	1
Mammon	1
Mastodon, Undead	1
Melinoë (Moon Nymph)	1
Melonheads	1
Memento Mori	1
Meowl	1
Merrow	1
Monster of Lake Fagua	1
Nauga Beast	1
Neh-thalggu (Brain Collector)							1
Nekojin (Catgirl)	1
Nergal	1
Nicnevin, Faerie Queen of Witches	1
Noidan Tytär (Daughters of the Crone)	1
Nøkk		1
Nosferatu	1
Nuckelavee	1
Nymph, Fire	1
Nymph, Keres	1
Ophidian					1
Ophidian, Abomination	1
Ophidian, Emissary	1
Ophidian, Lesser	1
Ophidian, Noble	1
Ophidian, Progenitor	1
Opinicus	1
Orc, Desert	1
Ördög	1
Ovegua	1
Paimon	1
Pĕnanggalan	1
Philosopher Lich	1
Philosopher Lich, Notion	1
Piasa Bird	1
Piasa Bird		1
Piasa Bird		1
Piasa Bird					1
Piasa Bird				1
Poludnitsa, Lady Midday	1
Púca	1
Pumpkin Golem	1
Pumpkin Headed Demon	1				1
Pyewacket	1
Qliphoth, Gamaliel	1
Rakshasa	1
Red Lizards	1			1
Rolang	1
Rübezahl	1
Rusalka	1
Rust Monster, Magiphagous	1			1			1
Sasquatch	1
Satan		1
Saurian (Worker, Scientist, Noble)	1
Saurian, Psionist	1
Saurian, Warrior	1
Scarecrow	1
Scarecrows	1
Schreckengeist	1
Scorpion Men	1			1
Sennentuntschi	1
Serpent Men of Lemuria		1
Shadowcat	1
Shattered Knights	1
Shattered Knights, Commander	1
Shedu	1
Skeleton, Electric	1
Soucouyant	1
Spider, Unlight	1
Star Jelly	1
Starchild		1
Street Faerie	1
Street Faeries		1
Strix		1
Tabonga	1			1
Tartalo	1
Tenatz	1
The Cailleach Bheur	1
The Monster	1
The Yule Cat	1
Thunderbird	1
Titania, Queen of Faerie	1
Troll, Cave	1
Troll, Demonic	1			1
Troll, Jötunn		1
Troll, Swamp	1
Troll, Wood	1
Trolla	1
Trollkönig (Troll King)	1
Typhon, the Thanatonic Titan		1
Ulmenfrau		1
Umbral	1
Umu	1					1
Undine	1
Upierczi	1
Utukku	1
Vampire, Children of Darkness	1
Vampire, Children of Twilight	1				1
Vampire, Eretica	1
Vrykolakas	1
Wendigo	1				1
Wendigo	1
Wendigo Matron	1
Wight, Barrow	1
Wind Wraith	1
Wine Nymphs	1
Wolf-Witch	1
Woodwose	1
Wurdalak	1
Wyrdcat		1	1	1
Xana	1
Xiāng-shī (殭屍)	1
Xing-tian	1
Yaksha	1
Yaoguai, Hóu Yaoguai	1
Yaoguai, Hǔ Yaoguai	1
Yaoguai, Niú Yaoguai	1
Yaoguai, Shé Yaoguai	1
Yaoguai, Shǔ Yaoguai	1
Yara-ma-yha-who	1
Yeti, Almas	1
Yog, The Monster from Space	1
Zburător	1
Zombie Witch	1				1
Zombie, Alchemical	1
Zombie, Drowned	1
Zsusr	1
Zugarramurdi Brujas	1				1
Zugarramurdi Brujas	1	1

I'll have to make sure I keep this updated. Maybe add it as a page.