Now, here we are at what should have been the crowning achievement of not just the DCEU/Snyderverse, but also of DC comic movies.  The freaking Justice League. The ultimate in superhero team-ups, the royal family, as it were. 

Sadly, real life plagued this production, and director Zack Snyder had to leave the production due to the death of his daughter. So, a replacement was brought in. I mean, on paper, it sounds fine. Bring in the guy who had a successful run of genre TV shows and who directed the Avengers movie (you know the #2 team-up), and let him wrap up filming. Well...the problem is that the guy they brought in was Whedon. Now my own personal issue with the guy aside... no, actually not. But I'm jumping ahead of myself here.

For tonight's viewing, I want to cover the 2021 Snyder Cut of this movie. I can appreciate Superman II with both the Lester and Donner cuts. Each one is a good movie on its own with strengths and weaknesses. Each one is enjoyable and cringy in equal measure. I prefer the Donner cut, but the Lester one is still good. I can't say the same for Justice League. 

I enjoyed the 2017 Justice League, but things felt off. I knew it the moment in the interaction between Steppenwolf and the Amazons. These didn't feel like the elite warriors that took out Nazis in Wonder Woman. These were bikini-clad pulp fighting women. Was it Whedon? Was it Snyder? I don't know, but the dialog was Whedon. It was also not the only thing. We know that after Snyder left Whedon reshot a lot of the movie. He also rewrote the script. There were also allegations of abuse, racism and sexism on the set from Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman, though she shut him down), and Kiersey Clemons (Iris West, who's skin was lightened in the Whedon cut, that is where she was left in it). This opened the door for other actors to share their tales of Whedon's long-standing misconduct on set. 

I detailed his fall from grace already, so no need to go over that again. It was reassuring to hear some of my long-time critics tell me, "Wow, you were right back then."  So yeah I really can't watch the 2017 cut anymore, all I see are his attempts to "improve" the movie.

Now, I am not a big Snyder fan boy, but I do think the 2021 cut is superior. It explains things better, the pacing is better, and the character development is much better. 

There is only ONE thing in the 2017 cut that I enjoyed that is not in (nor would it fit in) the 2021. After defeating Steppenwolf Cyborg says "Boo-ya" as a nod to the Teen Titans show. I am sure Whedon's kid watched it, he is the same age as my kids and they loved that show. So did I. 

Oh, yeah, the plot.

Ok, Superman is dead, even though it looked like he might come back to life at the end of BvS. Bruce is feeling guilty and perceives a new threat. So he is gathering up a team of super-powered people, Meta-Humans, to help. Ok, kudos to writers Chris Terrio and Zack Snyder for having Batman build the league. That is a new one and it works here with Bat-Fleck. We get the Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg.

In the 2021 cut Cyborg is our focus hero. He is the newest and in recent versions of the comic Justice League (New 52 and beyond) he is also the newest member. This was drastically reduced in the 2017 cut.  but it makes sense to have Cyborg, Victor Stone, as our way of seeing the League.

Anyway...Parademons are attacking, Motherboxes, Darkseid, Steppenwolf. All BIG THINGS you would want the League for. Steppenwolf attacks the Amazons to get the Motherbox they are guarding. Then he heads to Atlantis to get their theirs. The third Motherbox is being studied by Victor's father. 

The new League decides they need Superman back, though Diana is reluctant. They devise a plan and bring him back. In the 2017 cut they just come out and say it, in the 2021 cut it is built up more. There is more gravitas to it. More, "is this something we should be doing?" It's not quite the same as The Return of Superman in the comics, but it...no, it really doesn't make much sense in either version. I would have done it differently. But he is back, black suited (like the Return) and they are off to battle Steppenwolf and the three Motherboxes.

The ending battle is fun no doubt. Both Cyborg and Flash prove their worth to League as the youngest members. Superman and Cyborg prevent the Unity of the Motherboxes, and Diana shows how she "takes care" of her enemies. She is a warrior with a sword after all.

Watching the two side by side again (and that's six or so hours, was up till 2:30am), I am left feeling a bit worn out, to be honest. Whedon's 2017 version comes off as creepier, a little more sexist (any scene with Wonder Woman and/or the Amazons), and honestly, like he has something against Cyborg. Is that my post hoc knowledge in the way? I don't know, but I will say this for certain: the 2017 version is weaker by any measure you care to employ. 

Though I will say this, Snyder needs to figure out how to trim down his own stories. 

In the end, the differences are best summed up for me in the scene where Steppenwolf attacks the Amazons. In the 2017 cut, he is creepily referring to the Motherbox as "Mother" and telling the Amazons they will love him.  In the 2021 cut, he is threatening them with annihilation and telling the Amazons they will fear him. To which Hippolyta asks the Amazons to show him their fear and to a woman they shout, "We have no fear."

Mera pulling the water and blood out of Steppenwolf was also pretty cool too. 

I am going to say it. If there was a scene with a woman being a complete bad-ass on her own (not counting Wonder Woman) Whedon pulled the scene from the 2017 cut.

Cameos

As I mentioned before, Marc McClure, who played Jimmy Olsen in the Salkinds/Christopher Reeve Superman film series, has a brief cameo as a police officer in the 2017 version and a different police officer in the 2021 version.

Synder himself makes a cameo appearance in his cut. He is sitting in the coffee shop Lois is leaving right before she sees the resurrected Superman. 

Another "cameo" and one very close to Zack Snyder's heart, are the billboards for the AFSP, or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. His daughter committed suicide while filming this movie. He dedicated it to her in the end credits.

I know I said I'd talk about Wonder Woman today, but it is late, and my eyes are killing me. I'll have some more to say on the the other films, Wonder Woman, and the end of the DCEU later.

 I was not really planning on doing this. I have enough projects on my plate to keep me busy for years. BUT I also kinda want to this. What is this? This is my new campaign world based on the ideas I began to present in "Why D&D 5.5 (2024) Needs a New Campaign World" and "Why D&D 5.5 (2024) Needs a New Campaign World, Part 2."

So what are my goals here?

The future's so bright.

I want a world that is bright, and the characters have a sense of place and purpose.

The new edition of D&D (2025) is much brighter. I want a world to match that. Plus, I have been doing dark, grimdark, and horror since 1979. I want to do something different. Very different. I am building this with "D&D" in mind, but in truth, it is going to be largely system-less, at least at the start. If I want to adapt it to Daggerheart or Blue Rose (two games I will be taking a lot of cues from), then I can.

This World is NOT OSR or Old School.

Look, I love my old-school games. I really do. I have a solid publishing history of this. But this is not that world. In fact this world is very much a "we are moving out of the ashes of the old world into a new one." If that sounds a bit like Star Trek, well then, so be it. 

I am also shedding the various "pulp" influences. Again, I do enough of this elsewhere. The Witches of Appendix N will continue. I still have old-school projects on my hard drive waiting to see the light of day. This is not replacing those. This is it's own thing.

This World is not for Publication

As much as I think this would sell (based on my post stats), I don't have the time or art budget to make it fully manifest in the way it deserves. So instead, I am just going to write stuff here for it, and people can take what they want. I am not precluding a publication, I am saying that is not my plan.

Welcome to Iriandor  - A New World for a New Age

The world is healing.

Iriandor is not another rehash of a Forgotten Realm or a Gray Past. It is something new, a bright world born from the ashes of a terrible war. Not just a war. The War. For a century, the devils of Hell marched across the land, collecting the debts of power-hungry Warlock Thanes who bargained away not just their souls, but ours. The Warlock Thanes and their Hierarchs are gone now, burned out of history, but their twisted magic still lingers in wild places, where the ground is scorched and the air hums with wrongness.

Now, at last, the world begins to breathe again.

The people of Iriandor are rebuilding, not just cities, but trust. They are rediscovering lost places, forging new bonds, and reclaiming their place in a multiverse that almost forgot them. Floating cities drift above wounded forests. Ancient dwarven forges ring again. The Tieflings, once Hell’s foot soldiers, seek peace as free people. The Forgekin, born as tools, now walk as citizens. And the Elves? They debate the very nature of sentience in their spire-libraries above the clouds. Humans, always eager to explore and expand seek new lands and old mysteries. 

--

That's my start anyway. I wrote the words "The world is healing" in a notebook when I first started coming up with this idea. I like it, I think it is a good introduction to the world. 

Here are some of the peoples I have in mind for this world.

Dwarves

Master artisans, artificers, and called "The First Born," dwarves live everywhere in the world. They are fiercely devoted to family and clan, which can number in the dozens and thousands, respectively. Each dwarf has a personal name, a family name, and their "forge name," the name given to them when they come of age. Most dwarves believe that Forgekin houses the souls of long-dead dwarves, returned to the world to help the dwarves forge a new future. For this reason, dwarves will often call Forgekin "brother" or "sister" even though Forgkin themselves recognize no specific genders. Forgekin prefer the title "Cousin" from Dwarves and consider it an honor to called such.

Elves

They are called Eldryn by humans, but their own name is Naelyar, "the people who endure." They are long-lived philosophers of life and existence. They believe they came to this world at the same time as the dwarves, and as such share a kinship with them. The Eldryn are divided into philosophical factions so deep that most other races see them as separate subspecies.

    The Sylarië

    These Eldryn believe that all living things are sentient. They fought to have the Forgekin recognized as living beings and believe that all life is a precious gift.  Humans call them "Greenhearts" because of their love of plants and all things natural. They are the most numerous. Most are vegetarians. 

    The Talarien

    These Eldryn believe that only humanoid life is sentient, but still all life is precious. Humans call them "Gray Elves," a name they find amusing. They are extremely fond of humans, though some say in the way a human is with a pet.

    The Vaelshari

    The least numerous are the isolationist Vaelshari. They believe that only Eldryn lives are sentient. They think humans are at best animals and Forgekin are abominations. They can and do work with other Eldryn happily, but feel uncomfortable with other species.

Forgekin

Created centuries ago by dwarven artificers, they began their existence as servants, aides, and domestic labor. The dwarves who created them felt there was more to them than anyone realized, thus their name of "kin." When The War broke out, the Forgekin to an individual stopped their tasks and joined the fighting. For their efforts, they were awarded the status of citizens. In the floating city of Aetherreach, the home of Eldryn and Dwarves, and where the Forgekin were created, they are the most numerous and enjoy the most rights.

Some parts of the world still refer to them by the name "Househands" but this is considered to be derogatory in polite company.

Hellspawn / Tieflings

Slaves of the devils, these poor souls were used to fight the mortals of Iriandor. When the devils were defeated and the gates of the Warlcok Thanes destroyed, they threw down their arms and refused to fight anymore. They have since been recognized not as oppressors, but fellow victims and survivors of Th War. There are many places though where they are still not trusted.

Humans

Humans make up the bulk of the world. While the Warlock Thanes were human (mostly), most of the lives lost in The War were human ones. Humans now want to reach out and see who still survives and if there is any left of the Warlock Thanes, to stamp them out. There are always a few that would like to find that power for themselves.

--

I am also planning to add Halflings and Gnomes, but I am considering lumping them together as one species, the current front-running name "Brindlekin." Dragonborn will be there, as well as various anthropomorphic animals. Orcs of course will be here as well as goblins. I do love goblins. 

Yes there will all the classes and I'll add some gods as well. 

Though, I am having my cake and eating it here, too. The time before The War, during the Rule of the Warlock Thanes, would make for a fantastic Old School style world. Gritty, war, diabolic monsters, and power-crazed spellcasters. Both sound fun.

Batman v Superman, subtitled The Dawn of Justice, from 2016 gives us our first real cinematic treatment of DC's Trinity; Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. All while asking the question, what would it be like to put "The Death of Superman" and "The Dark Knight Rises" on the screen at the same time? I guess it also asks the question, what would Lex Luthor be like if he were modeled on Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos? 

Some of these questions didn't need to be answered.

There is a lot to enjoy here, so lets do that first.

Ben Affleck makes for a great older "Dark Knight Returns" Batman. Gal Gadot is amazing as Wonder Woman (more on that later) and Cavil is still good as Superman.

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Eh...well, I at least see what they are trying to do here. It fails, but I see it.

Doomsday is under-used and wasted here. It could have been any sort of monster. Bizzaro would have been good to be honest. Plus, he doesn't even look like Doomsday. They did a much better job with him on "Smallville," and even used him as a quasi-Bizarro creature in "Superman & Lois."

Watching this right on the tail of watching Man of Steel is actually pretty good. You can see how the movie ties in better. Now I am watching my Director's Cut Blu Ray and it is a much better movie than what we got in the theatres. Even Eisenberg's Luthor comes off as a lot smarter and more evil. He is purposely winding Batman and Superman up so they go after each other. His motivation here is not some land grab, but his personal hate of Superman. And maybe a little bit of Bruce as well. While he is still annoying as Luthor, his plans at least are better.

An aside about Jeremy Irons as Alfred. In recent years Alfred has gone from a mild-mannered butler to a former SAS agent who you feel could still kick Bruce's ass if he wanted too. Well, maybe not kick his ass, but he does stand up to him. Oh. He did beat the crap out of Superman once. Anyway, Iron's Alfred is a little droll, a little caustic, and still very, very clever. You do get the feeling that he has a solid history and likely knows where a body or two is buried. 

It does make me wish we had an Affleck solo Batman movie. I know he wants nothing else to do with the role, and the Snyderverse is dead, but still, it would have been fun. Likewise I would ahve liked more  Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne and Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne. Flashbacks would have been good. Maybe Matthew Goode as young Alfred too.  But we are not even getting the Batgirl movie they finished, so there goes that idea.

All said and told, I did like this movie. It wasn't well received, and it's box office dropped the second week (a bad sign), but it was still fun despite the problems. 

Wonder Woman

Let's step aside for a moment here and talk about Wonder Woman. Honestly, has there ever been a more epic entrance of a superhero than Wonder Woman's entrance to save Batman in fight against Doomsday? The answer is, of course, no*. That swelling guitar riff of her theme song? The look on her face as she just stands there and takes his energy and then fires is back at him? 

"She with you?" "I though she was with you."

"You both are with me. And my sidekicks."

Or even later in the same battle. Batman is going to get squished, Superman has had the living crap beat out of him. Wonder Woman...is laughing. This is a true warrior in her element, fighting a foe that gives her purpose. 

Wonder Woman is the best thing about the Snyderverse, hands down. I'll talk more about this tomorrow. 

*Ok, I'll throw Marvel fans a bone here and say that Thor's entrance in Wakanda in Avengers Infinity War is pretty damn good too. But we have been wanting Wonder Woman for DECADES. I'd counter that the Thor scene above has a better analog to Wonder Woman's "No Mans Land" scene.

Cameos

Just ones from the future Justice League and Wonder Woman movies. 

Photo by Paola  KoenigContinuing in my Occult D&D related threads I have another "Advanced" Class to share. This is one I have played around with many times for various editions. I like each one, and they bring something new to the table for me each time.

This is a witch dedicated to more priestess-craft and worship aspects of the witch. A true "Priestess of the Old Ways." More so than the generic cleric or shape-shifting druid. 

Like the Archwitch, a Witch-Priestess (or Witch-Priest) begins as a witch, but then transitions to more priestly and religious duties. While the Archwitch leans more into the Arcane side of witchcraft, the Witch-Priestess focuses on the divine. Again my model for this class is the Bard (PHB), Thief-Acrobat, the Archdruid (UA), and the Wizards of High Sorcery from the Dragonlance Adventures book. I am just codifying something that was already there.  (An aside. I'd love to see other "Advanced Classes" anyone else come up with these?)

In my current 1st Edition AD&D game, I have two witches, I am hoping to get each one to choose one of these other paths.  

WITCH-PRIESTESS

Advanced Class for Witches

The Witch-Priestess is the spiritual and ritual leader of the Old Faith, bridging the gap between arcane witchcraft and divine mystery. Where the ordinary witch communes privately with her Patron, the Witch-Priestess embodies that relationship in public rites, seasonal festivals, and sacred duties. She does not merely cast spells; she invokes the will of the gods and spirits of nature, channeling divine energy through her well-honed arcane focus.

Only witches who belong to a coven and who have demonstrated piety, wisdom, and leadership are called to walk this sacred path. The calling is not common, and the burden is great, but the rewards are divine.

Requirements

To become a Witch-Priestess, a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 7th level
• Have a Wisdom of 16 or higher
• Be a member of a coven
• Have performed a significant religious service to the Old Faith, such as leading a solstice rite, sacrificing personal power for the good of the land, or invoking a successful blessing that saved a community

Restrictions

• The character ceases to gain new Witch Occult Powers after 6th level (or if not yet acquired, forfeits future access)
• Must maintain a leadership role within her faith. Either with respect to her tradition or coven.

Spellcasting

The Witch-Priestess continues to cast Witch spells as normal

In addition, she gains access to Divine spells drawn from the Cleric and Druid lists (Old Faith Spells list).

Occult and divine spellcasting remain separate; she prepares them independently

Divine Favor (Channeling Powers)

At 7th level and again at 9th and 11th levels, the Witch-Priestess may select a Divine Favor. Each may be used once per day unless otherwise noted.

Sample Divine Favors:

• Blessing of the Grove: Allies within 30' gain +1 to attack rolls and saving throws for 1 turn
• Turn Spirits and Undead: Functions as Cleric turning Undead but also affects spirits and fey as a cleric of the same level.
• Healing Hands: Cure 1d8+level hp with a touch (one creature)
• Nature’s Wrath: As Call Lightning or Earthquake (minor effect), save for half
• Invoke the Ancients: Ask a yes/no question (as Augury or Commune, once per day)
• Occult Insight: The Witch-Priestess may select one Occult Power from her tradition.

Sacred Coven

At level 9 or later, she may form her own coven. She attracts 1d6+Charisma modifier witches of 1st–5th level, with total levels equal to her own Witch-Priestess level. These followers are loyal but not fanatical, and expect guidance and regular rituals.

Charge of the Goddess

Once per day, the Witch-Priestess may enter a trance to regain spell energy lost. After 1 full round of ritual casting, she regains a number of spell levels equal to half her combined level (rounded down). She may not exceed her usual spell limits.

Drawing Down the Moon

At the 11th level, she may invoke the divine power of her Patron in full. For a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom score modifier:

• Radiates a 15' aura of fear to enemies (as Fear)
• Gains +2 to all saving throws and Armor Class
• Gains +3 to all attack rolls and damage rolls
• Usable once per day, requires a full round to activate

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

The Witch-Priestess continues to use the Witch experience table, attack matrix, and saving throws.

(unless I change my minder later on)

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

This path is open only to single-classed Witches. Dual-classed characters must fulfill all entry requirements. A typical dual-class would be a character who begins as a cleric but does not go past 6th level, then becomes a witch till 7th level, and then switches over to Witch-Priestess. Divine abilities from cleric do not stack with divine abilities from Witch-Priestess

Elves and other non-human multi-class witch characters must seek DM approval for entry.

Optional Rule - Ritual Dedication

To fully embrace this path, the character must undergo a Ritual Dedication during a solstice, eclipse, or conjunction. The rite must be overseen by another Witch-Priestess or a powerful druid, or by divine vision if none are present.

The Witch-Priestess is the living bridge between mortal and divine, arcane and natural. She is the last light of the Old Ways, a candle in the night when the stars fade.

The Old Faith Spell List
A Witch-Priestess may choose the following spells as if they were part of her normal, Witch (Occult) spell lists. These spells are Divine in nature and come from the witch’s patron. 
1st Level

• Command
• Faerie Fire
• Portent
• Purify Food and Drink 
• Sanctuary
• Speak with Animals

2nd Level

• Augury
• Chant
• Charm Person or Mammal
• Obscurement
• Slow Poison
• Spiritual Hammer

3rd Level

• Call Lightning
• Continual Light
• Meld into Stone
• Remove Curse
• Prayer
• Speak with the Dead

4th Level

• Call Woodland Beings
• Divination
• Neutralize Poison
• Protection from Evil, 10' Radius
• Speak with Plants
• Spell Immunity

5th Level

• Animal Growth
• Commune with Nature
• Dispel Evil
• Flame Strike
• Insect Plague
• Moonbeam

6th Level

• Aerial Servant
• Heal
• Forbiddance
• Part Water
• Word of Recall
• Weather Summoning

7th Level

• Control Weather
• Earthquake
• Fire Storm
• Gate
• Holy Word
• Regenerate

--Ok. I like this. I am going to have to try it out. There will likely be some tweaks to it later on.

While Superman Returns didn't wow audiences. The Christopher Nolan Batman/Dark Knight movies were critical and commercial successes. So much so that Nolan was a producer on a new, rebooted Superman movie. Early on Nolan and director Zack Snyder considered having this movie linked with Nolan's Dark Knight series, the title certainly suggested it. They ultimately dropped the idea. The then became the genesis of what has been called the DC Extended Universe or the DCEU, or most often, the Snyder-verse. 

Man of Steel is a reboot and introduces British actor Henry Cavill to the role of Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent. Look, if you read this blog I am going to assume you know who he is even though I have not talked about him here before. Cavill is great as Superman. He is even a good Clark. His portrayal was needed to escape the long shadow of Christopher Reeve, while still being (mostly) true to Superman. Cavil also delivers one of my favorite Superman lines ever, "I grew up in Kansas, General. I am as American as it gets." Coming from an adopted alien played by a British actor. 

I say "mostly" because the most significant criticism of his performance and indeed the director's vision here was that this Superman was a little too dark both in tone and, frankly, color palette.  Jumping to the end here, yes, Superman kills Zod. BUT if you remember correctly, he also kills a depowered Zod in Superman II, the Donner cut, and implies he is left to die in the Lester cut.  Personally, I would have rather he find a way to get him back into the Phantom Zone, but no one is paying me to write movies.

On to other bits.

WHO do you get to play Jor-El following Marlon Brando? Well, Russell Crowe is not a bad place to start. Kevin Costner plays Jonathan Kent equally well. A lot has been made about Jonathan not letting Clark save him. And yeah, it was kind of stupid. I *get* what the director is trying to do here by "Uncle Ben"ing him. I mean Jonathan dies in every version of Superman except for the ABC series "Lois & Clark" so that show that superman can learn a lesson without it resulting in the death of someone. Oddly enough he has to kill Zod to get him to stop. So was the lesson learned? Was the lesson for him or us?  Again, I get what the director is trying to do here, I just don't think the execution is good.

Amy Adams is fantastic. I never considered a red-head Lois before, but here we are. For the record, my favorite Lois Lane is Elizabeth "Bitsie" Tulloch from "Superman & Lois." Though Erica Durance from "Smallville" is also great. The interactions between her and Cavill's Superman are great.

Michael Shannon's Zod is closer to what we might see in the comics. He feels like the ruthless General bent on a coup. Now that his world is dead, he will conquer and remake our world. 

Diane Lane is great as Martha Kent, one of the best, to be honest. She brings enough presence to the role to be the mother of an Earth-bound God. Well. Mostly Earth-bound. 

The movie is long on action, and unfortunately, it's a story we've seen before.

I liked Cavill as Superman. I liked the idea of the Snyderverse. But I am also glad we are moving on to something new. 

The Smallville scenes were filmed in Plano, IL. Not far from where my wife grew up, and not far from where the fictional Midvale would be in the Supergirl movie. Would this count as a cameo?

Cameos

Sadly, here the movie falls down. Look, it's a Superman tradition, and one that should be honored.

Marc McClure, Jimmy Olsen from the Salkind movies, does make a cameo later on as two different characters in  Justice League (2017) and  Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). I'll mention that one later on. Marc also makes cameos in Smallville. Smallville, like Supergirl, was great for this.

 August is around the corner. Gods? Really, didn't summer just start? Anyway, August is coming up and that means #RPGaDAY2025 is near. Dave Chapman over at Autocratik, along with CastingShadowsBlog, have announced the topics for this year. 

Here is the text version of the topics.

1) Patron
2) Prompt
3) Tavern
4) Message
5) Ancient
6) Motive
7) Journey
8) Explore
9) Inspire
10) Origin
11) Flavor
12) Path
13) Darkness
14) Mystery
15) Deceive
16) Overcome
17) Renew
18) Sign
19) Destiny
20) Enter
21) Unexpected
22) Ally
23) Recent
24) Reveal
25) Challenge
26) Nemesis
27) Tactic
28) Suspense
29) Connect
30) Experience
31) Reward

Question Prompts (roll D6)
1) Who
2) What
3) Where
4) When
5) Why
6) How

Mood Prompts (roll D10)
1) Envious
2) Nostalgic
3) Proud
4) Enthusiastic
5) Confident
6) Optimistic
7) Lucky
8) Grateful
9) Contemplative
10) Excited

Subject Prompts (roll D8)
1) Adventure
2) Character
3) Genre
4) Rule
5) Accessory
6) Art
7) Person
8) Lesson

As always, these look fun and I hope to have something good for each one.

 Twenty or so years later Legendary Pictures revives the Superman series. Complete with opening credits just like the Salkind movies and John Williams' score.  Bryan Singer is one of our producers.

Brando is back, posthumously, using some of the same lines/voice tracks we would also see/hear in the Donner Cut of Superman II (out the same year).

Also, back are Noel Neill and Jack Larson (Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, respectively, from the TV series of Superman), and weirdly enough, Martha Kent is back too, who was supposed to have been dead in Superman IV.

Oh, the plot. Ok, so Superman has been gone for five years, seeking out the remains of Krypton, looking for any survivors. Lex Luthor married a tycoon (played by the above mentioned Noel Neill), and Lois has a Pulitzer Prize for writing about how we don't need Superman anymore. Oh, and a five year old son. 

Lex is played, rather well, really, by Kevin Spacey. Spacey is *problematic* but damn, he is great here. While he is certainly channeling Gene Hackman, he is 

Brandon Routh is not just a good Superman, he is a good Clark Kent in the style of Christopher Reeve. He is wearing blue contact lens as Superman, which is a nice touch.

Both actors embody their predecessors fairly perfectly. It goes beyond saying the only actor who can pull off Brando as Jor-El is dead, CGI Brando.

The movie is good, better than I remembered to be honest, it just doesn't bring anything new to the table. It has "rebound relationship" energy about it, which was never fair to Brandon Routh. He really redeems himself in the Arrowverse. The movie has the problem of being slow and a little boring in places. 

Sadly, I never bought Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. I mean, she is a good actress, just not as Lois. Parker Posey, though, is great as always. I know she can be an acquired taste, but she is great.

The special effects are good, what you would expect from the 2000s, but this look really good. The first Superman movie had the tag line "You Will Believe a Man Can Fly," and this one does exactly that, but it takes a lot more than special effects to tell a story, and this might be a good case in point. 

BTW. HOW is that Lois, who historically has a penchant for getting into trouble, lived for 5 years without Superman? I guess Lex was still in prison. 

I do like the idea of the Fortress of Kryptonite, very Lex. 

The movie's ending scene is very much the same as one of the Christopher Reeve's one. 

Cameos

I mentioned Noel Neill and Jack Larson already. Brandon Routh would later go on to play Ray Plamer "The Atom" in the Arrowverse to what I felt was his redemption arc. He also plays an older Superman in the Arrowverse. This Superman is a combination of this Superman and the Kingdom Come Superman. 

The "Gotham Knights" baseball team is a nice touch in the post Batman-movies world. And Perry White's "Great Ceaser's Ghost!" was fun as well. 

Jason, Lois and Superman's son, suffers from asthma, which I think is a nod to Christopher Reeve himself who suffered from it as a child. 

There are also plenty of scenes in this movie that feel cribbed right out of Grant Morrison's and Frank Quitely's "All Star Superman." No surprise, it was a big hit back then. 

The biggest cameo is, of course, the Salkin Superman movies look and feel. This is part love letter, part homage. 

This movie, such as it is, marks the end of the first "Cinematic Universe"that began in 1978.

Now in its eighteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2025 took place on Saturday, June 21st. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—
Battle for Nova Rush is a scenario for Starfinder, Second Edition and in terms of support for Free RPG Day 2025, feels very much like a reset. Back in 2018 for Free RPG Day, Paizo, Inc. published Starfinder: Skitter Shot, a scenario in which four of the cheerfully manic, gleefully helpful, vibrantly coloured, six-armed and furry creatures known as Skittermanders, have an adventure and find themselves in possession of their own starship. They would then have further adventures in subsequent releases for Free RPG Day. Battle for Nova Rush involves a familiar setting, though not Skittermanders. Well, almost not Skittermanders. The scenario is designed to played with four First Level Player Characters—all of which are provided—and can be played through in a single session.

The scenario begins in classic Science Fiction fashion. The Player Characters are locked up in the brig of a starship. The vessel is the Nova Rush, previously owned by a thrill-seeking amateur archaeologist, but recently captured following a violent hijack by Captain Phaedra Firestorm. The Player Characters will need to find their way out of their cell, several methods including persuasion, intimidation, and deception, being suggested. Their gaoler is surprisingly helpful and quite happy to see them go up against Captain Firestorm. The Player Characters will soon garner the aid and advice of the ship’s Virtual Intelligence, Captain Concierge, a Skittermander, who will be very helpful. As they proceed through the ship, dealing with pirates, it will quickly become apparent that the ship is under attack by the ghastly sounding ‘Corpse Fleet’, so repairs are required before the Player Characters can climb to the bridge and face the pirate captain. Once she is defeated, they can make their escape a second time, this time from the battle.
Battle for Nova Rush comes with four pre-generated Player Characters. They consist of Chk Chk, a male Shirren Mystic; Dae, a nonbinary Pahtra Solarian; Iseph, a nonbinary Android Operative; and Navasi, a female Human Envoy. All four are given a double-page spread, which includes an illustration, detailed background, advice on playing the character, explanations of how they operate in combat, exploration, and healing modes, what they think of their fellow inmates, and lastly their full stats. The Player Characters are very well presented, just as you would expect for a release for Free RPG Day from Paizo, Inc. The scenario also includes a nicely done set of deckplans for the Nova Rush.
Physically, Battle for Nova Rush is as professionally presented as you would expect for Paizo, Inc. It is in full colour, the art and cartography are excellent, and the adventure is well written.
Battle for Nova Rush is a straightforward, even clichéd Science Fiction adventure. The Player Characters begin as prisoners, have to escape, fix a few things and fight a few things before confronting the villain of the piece and escaping once again. Consequently, it is an undemanding affair, but one that still leaves room to showcase the Starfinder, Second Edition rules and let the players have a good time.

 It is Monday again. My coffee is hot, and my brain is bursting with ideas from the weekend. 

I have often discussed the occult spirits of the alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher Paracelsus. To recap, they are undines (water), sylphs (air), gnomes (earth), and salamanders (fire). These creatures are familiar to anyone who has ever played D&D, but they are not exactly the same in D&D as they are in Paracelsus' work ("A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits").

Now we can say that Salamanders, as shown in the AD&D Monster Manual, are pretty much as Paracelsus would have them, if a little more dangerous. Slyphs are not far off, and Undines, well I covered them a while back. That leaves the odd one out, Gnomes.

Gnomes in all D&D are a species related to dwarves and are about the size of halflings. Over the years, they have become more fae-like, but their essential character stays the same.  I touched on this idea a little bit WAY back in the beginning of this blog. In trying to align gnomes more closely to witchcraft and alchemy, partially due to the writings of Paracelsus.

In truth, his gnome is closer to the AD&D Pech. But I think there is room in the world for one more gnome-like creature. 

Gnomi (Earth Elemental Gnome)
Smallest of the Earth Elementals; Friends of Beasts and Burrow

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 2–12 (3d6)
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 6”
HIT DICE: 1+2
% IN LAIR: 70%
TREASURE TYPE: Q (x5), U
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–4 (by tiny weapon or touch)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Meld into earth, burrow, beast command
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Infravision (90’), camouflage, immune to petrification
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 20%
INTELLIGENCE: Average to High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral (Good tendencies)
SIZE: S (18–20” tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

DESCRIPTION: The Gnomi are the smallest and most elusive of all gnome-kin, standing no more than two handspans high. Their origins lie not in the mortal races, but in the ancient Paracelsian philosophies, where they were named as the Earth’s true elementals, sentient spirits of stone, root, and burrow.

They appear as squat, bearded figures with oversized hands, ruddy skin, and craggy features like worn granite. Always garbed in earthen-toned clothes and tall red or blue caps, they blend easily into the woodland underbrush or hillside burrows they call home.

COMBAT: Though not martial by nature, gnomi will defend their homes and animal companions with cunning and fierce determination.

Meld into Earth (3/day): As passwall or meld into stone. The gnomi may phase into soil or stone to escape danger or spy unseen.

Burrow (1” rate): Can tunnel through soft earth or loam without tools or collapsing walls. It is rumored that there elder gnomi who can burrow through solid stone including granite. 

Beast Command (2/day): May cast animal friendship or speak with animals to summon aid. Burrowing mammals (badgers, moles, voles) will often arrive to assist. Some gnomi even have large animals, like foxes, they can use as steeds. 

Camouflage: When motionless, Gnomi surprise on 1–4 out of 6 in natural settings.

HABITAT/SOCIETY: Gnomi dwell in hidden burrows deep in wooded hills or beneath ancient roots. Their homes are small but immaculate, filled with luminous fungi, crystals, and sleeping animals. They craft with gem dust and petrified wood, often trading tiny enchantments for fresh cream or silver buttons.

They maintain deep ties to elemental earth, druids, and witches. Some witches speak of earning a Gnomi’s trust through rituals of bread and salt, and that such a bond grants the witch access to rare earth spells or burrow magic.

ECOLOGY

Gnomi serve as caretakers of soil and seed, watching for disturbances in the root-tunnels of foxes and worms alike. They abhor undead, pollution, and unnatural mining. If slain, a Gnomi crumbles into fertile loam, often sprouting flowers the next day. 

They despise kobolds, of whom they have an ancient feud with. But they tolerate knockers, who they think are way too serious. They also hate trolls, but this has nothing to do with territory. Gnomi find trolls to be large, lumbering oafs and they can't resist pulling pranks on them. A favorite game of young gnomi is "Troll tripping."

Good-natured folk, they appear to be kin to common gnomes and speak the same languages they do. Gnomes think of them as their "country cousins." Maybe not sophisticated, but wise in the ways of earth, root, and stone. 

They are highly sought as familiars by Earth-witches and alchemists, but rarely agree to such bonds unless honored with reverence and true need.

Optional: Gnomic Magic

A witch or magic-user who befriends a Gnomi may add the following rare spells to their repertoire, with the GM’s discretion:

• Detect Metals (as detect magic, but only for veins or ores)
• Stone Whispers (commune with stone to learn the history of a site)
• Salt Circle (minor warding vs. unclean spirits, undead)
• Petrify Insect (preserve a specimen instantly)
• Lead to Gold (illusory glamor on lead, fool’s gold unless renewed daily)

Gnomi do not keep spellbooks because the "rocks and stones teach them magic."

--

Not quite sure if I captured the complete Occult feel of the Gnomi here. I got into a groove and this is what I came up with.  But I like this and will keep it. 

Now in its eighteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2025 took place on Saturday, June 21st. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—
SHIFT Roleplaying Game Basic Rules is not a quick-start, but rather than an introduction to the rules. It is published by Hit Point Press, best known for the anthropomorphic Humblewood Campaign Setting, written for use with Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition. It is designed to be quick to learn with minimal rules. Both Player Characters, their Traits and those for everything else in the game are measured in SHIFT Dice. These form a ladder that starts with the four-sided die, and then runs down the ladder with the six-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided die to the twelve-sided die. Lower dice are better than higher dice. When rolled, the aim is to a get a result of one, two, or three, no matter the die size. A result of one is a critical success, whilst results of two and three are ordinary successes. Any other number is a failure, except for the maximum number on the die, which is a critical failure. When a critical failure is rolled, the die type for the trait is shifted down and that is what the player will the next time he tests the trait. Ultimately, if the player rolls critical failure on the twelve-sided die, the trait becomes exhausted and is unable to use it until the character rests. What this means is that the lower the die type, the greater the chance of roll being successful. Of course, the lower the die type, the greater the likelihood of rolling a critical failure.

A Player Character has three Core Traits. These are Mind, Body, and Soul. A six-sided die is assigned to one Core Trait, an eight-sided die to a second Core Trait, and a ten-sided die to the third Core Trait. Other Traits are Focus Traits, the example given being ‘Ray Gun’. As well as a Keyword, the Focus Trait can also have a Drawback. A Drawback can gained because the roll with the Trait roll failed or the Trait’s die is shifted down.

Action rolls typically involve a combined roll of a Core Trait plus a Focus Trait. If both dice roll a one, then it is a critical success; if a success is rolled on one die and the highest value on the other die is not rolled, the action is a success; if a success is rolled on one die and highest value on the other die is rolled, the action is a mitigated success; if there are no successes rolled, the action is a failure; and if no successes are rolled and highest value on the other die is rolled, the action is a critical failure. A critical success grants a bonus, such as the player being able to shift a die up to a smaller die type for either his character or that of another, or shift an enemy’s die down twice to an even larger die size. Other options include a negate a Drawback, gain information, grant an advantageous situation, and so on. A roll can also be Risky or Inspired. A Risky roll means that all failures on the dice are counted as Critical Failures, and are going to be stepped down, whilst an Inspired roll means that all successes on the dice are treated as Critical Successes.

SHIFT Roleplaying Game Basic Rules explains some basics of encounters and combat. Initially, the Game Master determines which side has the advantage and acts first, whilst on subsequent rounds, each player will roll an Action Roll using his character’s Core Trait to determine if his characters acts before or after the enemies. Action Rolls are rolled as normal for anything that the player wants his character to do in a round.

And that essentially, is it as far as the SHIFT Roleplaying Game Basic Rules is concerned. There are no rules for combat included, there are no stats provided for anything other than the Ray Gun mentioned, and there is no setting or background material. Mention is made of ‘Dorado Station: A sci-Fi Western World Spark’, a micro-setting that the Game Master can download.

Physically, the SHIFT Roleplaying Game Basic Rules looks good, but the layout is untidy.

The SHIFT Roleplaying Game Basic Rules is an adequate introduction to the basic mechanic of the SHIFT Roleplaying Game. However, that is exactly what it is and no more, there is no explanation of combat, no sample Player Character or adversary, no sample setting or scenario… What it means is that the Game Master really cannot do anything with it beyond reading it.

 A lot has happened in the last four years. The Salkinds sold the rights to the Superman movies to Cannon Movie Group, and they convinced Christopher Reeve to return by promising him creative control and funding for another movie. It worked. Reeve got his anti-nuclear weapons message in and both movies were made.

We also get to see Superman's ability to speak many languages in this one. 

Again, I think this one is better than I remembered. Reeve shows off some much better acting chops. Maybe it is me, but even at the beginning of the movie, it feels like the end. 

Don't get me wrong, it is bad. But not as bad as I remembered. 

Mariel Hemingway costars as tabloid heiress and an attempt to "sex-up" the series. She plays Lacy Warfield, who is taking over the Daily Planet. The whole double date of Clark/Lacy and  Superman/Lois is a little too "Three's Company" for me. Take a drink every time she says "Daddy" and you'll be dead by the end of the movie. 

Jon Cryer, who up to this point had primarily been in teen comedies, appears here as Lex's nephew Lenny. Is he Lena's son? His parents are never mentioned, but that might be fun given the future Supergirl/Arrowverse connections. 

Nuclear Man gets a lot of grief, but honestly, the idea is no stranger than some ideas about Bizzaro. I mean that is basically how Bizzaro was created in the Superman animated series and how some versions of Superboy were created. Indeed, an early version of Nuclear Man was more Bizzaro-like. Unlike some of the made-for-the-movie characters, Nuclear Man does make an appearance in the comics. 

The two spend a lot of the last half of the movie fighting, as expected, really.  

Mark Pillow, the actor (but not voice) of Nuclear Man, has made a name for himself in the fine wine industry. 

The headline of "Superman Dead?" in this is a spoiler for the comics' Death of Superman a few years later. 

Supeman finally defeats Nuclear Man by moving the moon to block the sun and then dumping him into a nuclear reactor. Perry White defeats Warfield and gets the Daily Planet back.  

The final speech is very optimistic. Makes me miss 1987. 

Funny note, Superman tells Luthor, "See you in 20" at the end. The sequel, Superman Returns, was released in 2006. So, a year off for good behavior?

Cameos

Jon Cryer would later return in the Arrowverse as one of the best Lex Luthors I have seen. And I have seen them all.

This would be Christopher Reeve's last turn as Superman. In 1995 he had a riding accident leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He would later appear as Dr. Virgil Swann, a Stephen Hawking-like character on the Smallville TV series.  

The Third Horizon is a place of mystery and mysticism. The location of the thirty-six star systems that comprise the third wave of colonisation from Earth via a series of portals built and abandoned long ago by an alien species now known as the Portal Builders, it stands isolated once again following an interstellar war between the First Horizon and the Second Horizon that closed the Portals. The identity of the Portal Builders remains a mystery, as does the identity of the recently arrived faceless aliens known as the Emissaries who rose from the gas giant Xene. Compounding that is the fact that one of the Emissaries claims to be an Icon and ordinary men and women have been seen to use abilities said to be the province of the Icons themselves. Are they heretics, evolving, or the result of Emissary meddling? Then what secrets are hidden in the dark between the stars and the portals? This is the situation in the Middle East-influenced Science Fiction roleplaying game, Coriolis: The Third Horizon, originally published in Swedish by Free League Publishing, but since published in English. It is also the situation at the start of Mercy of the Icons, a campaign trilogy for Coriolis: The Third Horizon, that will explore them in detail and reveal some of the secrets to the setting.
By the end of the Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost, the first part of the campaign, the Player Characters discovered starting revelations in the wake of the disappearance of the Emissary. These were the identity of the organisation behind the death and disappearances of mystics from aboard the Coriolis station, the so called ‘The Mysticides’, and more information about who the Emissaries are and that they in danger after receiving a vision of the Second Horizon. It seems that despite the Third Horizon having been long isolated from both the First Horizon and the Second Horizon, the former is attempting to make long lost contact and manipulate events in its favour, whilst the latter is trying to prevent it. The action having shifted from Coriolis station to tracking across the world of Kua below, the first part of the campaign ends with the Player Characters wanting to get off planet knowing that some of the most important figures in the Third Horizon are in danger.
To continue playing the campaign, it is recommended that at least one Player Character be combat capable. In addition, a Player Character with the Data Djinn skill is definitely going to be useful and whilst a Mystic character is not mandatory, the presence of one will add an extra dimension to the campaign. The Player Characters do not necessarily need to have their own starship, but should have access to one. That said, they may able to recover their own spaceship, which they lost access to in Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost, and carry one from there. One way in which the Player Characters can acquire a ship from the start of the campaign is in playing The Last Voyage of the Ghazali, a prequel scenario to the Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost. It is worth running Last Voyage of the Ghazali before Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost, but it should be noted that the connection between The Last Voyage of the Ghazali and Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost is never really explored from the perspective of the Player Characters. However, it becomes much more important in Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade and then Mercy of the Icons – Part 3: Wake of the Icons. As with Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost before it, the Atlas Compendium is likely to be useful in running the ongoing campaign
The second part of the campaign, Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade, published following a Kickstarter campaign, is divided into three very different parts. The first part, ‘The Uharan Echo’, is really divided into two highly contrasting halves. It opens with the Player Characters having been hired to investigate the possible reappearance of the Zafirah, the destroyer lost during the rescue operation conducted during The Last Voyage of the Ghazali. This requires that they run a blockade from the long way round into Uharu system via the Taoan-Uharu portal, before the Player Characters literally dive on the wreck submerged in the chemical waters of a moon, perhaps prefiguring the tone of Coriolis: The Great Dark. This gives it a claustrophobic, unworldly feel that escalates as they reach the wreck where it lies on a cliff, ready to tip over and fall into the depths below, and begin to search the ship. Inside they make a startling discovery, a second wreck, that of one of the strange Butterfly Ships that the Player Characters encountered at the end of the first part of the campaign. The inside of the Butterfly Ship is nothing like the Player Characters will have seen before and is almost ‘alien’ in its creepiness. The scenario ends in a rush as the Butterfly Ship begins to collapse and force the wreck off the cliff, and then attacking the portal itself, which disrupts the whole of the Uharu system. The unexpected discovery of the Butterfly Ship is a fantastic payoff to the Player Characters’ encounter at the end of Mercy of the Icons – Part 1: Emissary Lost.
The second half is a radical shift to the first, taking place back on the Coriolis station where the Player Characters find themselves the centre of attention, feted as heroes after the events in the Uharu system. After recovering in hospital, the Player Characters are approached by multiple factions wanting to employ them whilst also being the guests of honour at a grand banquet to celebrate the end of the year or Cyclade. They are dressed to nines and effectively paraded through the scenario, but there are plenty of opportunities for the Player Characters to interact with the great and the good along the way, with plenty of opportunities to roleplay and with some good Manipulation rolls potentially learn what each faction wants. What each faction wants and knows is nicely detailed, as is the support they will provide the Player Characters, what they will do if the Player Characters do not enter their employ, and what they will do if the Player Characters betray them. There are also plenty of other scenes too that the Game Master can add to contrast and display the varied reactions to the Player Characters’ being treated as the heroes of the hour.

By the end of the banquet (or not long after), the Player Characters will themselves having taken up one faction or another as a patron. It is possible to maintain links with some of the other lesser factions, but in the main, they will be working for and supported by a single patron throughout the next part of the campaign. What the different factions want is explored in further detail as the campaign shifts again in tone and structure. ‘The Cyclade Dance’, the second part of Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade is more open in structure, being built around a mission generator and a series of events that the Game Master can weave the Player Characters’ progress around. The Player Characters will not be present for every event nor do they have to play through all of the suggested adventures. Some of the events will take place off screen and the Player Characters will only learn about them afterwards, but they do serve to keep them updated as to ongoing events across the Third Horizon. Sixteen missions are detailed to varying degrees with the final four being more detailed and necessary to continue the campaign. The missions focus on the investigation of the Nazareem’s Sacrifice cult, originally a Firstcome faction, but long since reviled for its nihilistic and brutal practices, including alleged human sacrifice, performing dark rituals, and making unholy pacts with evil spirits and djinn. The Nazareem’s Sacrifice has long been driven underground in the Third Horizon, operating in secret, but has become more active in recent years. For the majority of the factions in the Third Horizon it is seen as the primary threat. The types of missions begin with the Player Characters hunting lone agents and cultists to Tier I and infiltrating Nazareem’s Sacrifice cells, through Tier II and exploring ruins associated with the cult, to Tier III and actually conducting a strike mission against active cells. Throughout, the Player Characters will have been gathering information that will ultimately set up the Tier III mission. However, not every mission involves Nazareem’s Sacrifice directly and one of the creepier missions is ‘Curse of Rusah’ in which the Player Characters explore the Ash Belt in the desolate Odacon in search of a rumoured lost weapon. The encounter verges on cosmic horror and has a creepy, weird feel that echoes the earlier exploration of the Butterfly Ship. The last mission, ‘The Fire of the Icons’, is the assault upon a Nazareem’s Sacrifice temple and it holds some weird encounters of its own, that again verge on being horrifying.
The last part of Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade is ‘In the Shadow of the Zenith’ returns the Player Characters to the Coriolis station, and Kua, it hangs over, for a more direct finale. Against a backdrop of a hastily called election to the Council of Factions called in the face of continued political polarisation and growing distrust by the electorate, the Player Characters’ patron asks them to locate a defector who has valuable information. Coriolis station is packed with pilgrims and refugees and this only adds to the tension as the Player Characters locate and search safehouse after safehouse and then, as they locate the defector and learn the truth behind the election, its results are called, the previous administration is denounced, martial law is declared, and rioting breaks out in response. It is against this backdrop that the Player Characters race to get off the station and the Emissaries make an open move that brings Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade to a shattering conclusion.
Physically, Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade is a good-looking book. The artwork is excellent, but the writing does need an edit in more than a few places, and it does feel as if the English translation of the campaign has been rushed. The campaign is light on handouts and there are very few physical clues. This is not an issue, but the campaign does feel as if a few more maps would have been useful, certainly ones suitable for use by the players and their characters.
The Mercy of the Icons campaign is a demanding campaign to play and run. There is a lot of information for the Game Master to take in and impart that to her players, and in Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade that comes to the fore as politics plays a big role in the story and there is a lot going on in the background as the events of the foreground where the Player Characters play out. Even if the players have characters who do not have as much interest in the politics of the Third Horizon as others, for example, agents and journalists versus merchants and ship’s crew, they are still going to need the same background since they are going to be dealing with the same factions. And whilst the Nazareem’s Sacrifice are definitely evil, the other factions are definitely shaded in a lot of grey. Nevertheless, Mercy of the Icons – Part 2: The Last Cyclade very effectively pushes the plot on, gets the Player Characters’ involved, and reveals more of the secrets and the horrors of the Third Horizon.

Now in its eighteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2025 took place on Saturday, June 21st. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—

In the Beast’s Wake is a scenario for the Grim Hollow setting published by Ghostfire Gaming, one of three released by the publisher for Free RPG Day 2025. All three scenarios and settings are written for use with Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition and designed to be played by a party of five to six Player Characters of Third Level. The scenario opens with ‘Welcome to the Grim Hollow’, a much needed description of the setting and its key features, because the scenario does not have a back cover blurb. What it tells the reader is that the setting for Grim Hollow is called Etharis, a realm of grim fantasy and horror in which true goodness is rare and beautiful, and darkness and terrible evil prevails such that moral choices are not between good and evil, but between the lesser of two evils. The specific setting for In the Beast’s Wake is the former Bürach Empire where a civil war instigated by Emperor Leopold I to determine which god should reign over the others led to both the provinces of the empire and the gods themselves fighting each other. God’s End led to The Era of the Beast in which there are no gods and the common folk turn to fake deities and demons for succour from the Great Beast that stalks the remnants of the Bürach Empire and casts its shadow long and deep. It is a grim dark setting not a little reminiscent of Ravenloft for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Second Edition and in its Germanic setting, not a little reminiscent of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay or even the Diablo series of computer games.
In In the Beast’s Wake, the Player Characters are hired by Lord General Vassily Roemer of Ulstenburg to investigate the violent attacks on trade caravans and villages near the village of Niederhalde. There are rumours of lycanthropes stalking the roads and of members of a cult dedicated to the Arch Daemon Tormach being responsible, and as such scurrilous talk verges on heresy, the puritanical Hearthkeepers have decided to conduct a spiritual intervention. The Player Characters are sent to aid Adele of the Hearthkeepers, beginning with investigation in the neighbouring village of Grünbach, before going on to Niederhalde. The investigation involves questioning those who have fled Niederhalde, which is actually quite challenging as they are reluctant to talk, either because they do not want to recall what they saw, have secrets to hide, or both.
The focus of the adventure, Niederhalde, is described in more detail and the Player Characters will have to investigate and literally dig deep in order to uncover the secrets of what has been going on the village. This includes the church and the cemetery, as well as a farm that is currently home to the most fearsome of beasts in all of fantasy roleplaying—the Gasdra! This is a three-headed goose with teeth. After that, it is probably going to be a relief that the Player Characters discover signs of demon worship and human sacrifice of the worst kind before confronting the creatures responsible for the attacks on the nearby villages and trade routes. Armed with the secrets uncovered in Niederhalde, the Player Characters can return to Grünbach and make choices as to what they should with the information they have learned.

The scenario comes with just the one appendix. This is the bestiary for the scenario, which of course, includes stats and description for the Gasdra. It is debatable whether the creature should have the Alignment of Neutral Evil, as opposed to just ‘Evil Evil’. A set of resources is also available for all three of the scenarios published by Ghostfire Gaming. They include maps, tokens, and pre-generated Player Characters for each. For In the Beast’s Wake, the Player Characters consist of a Grudgel Monster Hunter who belongs to the Carver Guild; a Wechselkind—a type of Construct—Rogue who is a Misfortune Bringer; a Wulven Barbarian of the Fractured Path; an Elf Wizard of the School of Sangromancy; a Human Cleric with the Purification Domain; and a Gnome Bard from the College of Fools. All six are nicely detailed and come with some background as well as an illustration and an explanation of all their abilities and features.

Physically, In the Beast’s Wake is well presented. The artwork and the maps are excellent, and the scenario is well written. The only disappointment is the lack of a back cover blurb to inform the reader what In the Beast’s Wake actually is.

In the Beast’s Wake is much more accessible than the other scenario published by Ghostfire Gaming, Whispers of Chaos. The background is easier to explain and there is a greater familiarity with its mix of horror and grim fantasy. Overall, In the Beast’s Wake serves up a dark and nasty mix of investigation and combat that reveal dreadful secrets and make the Player Characters deal with the consequences.

 Ok. We all know this one is not great. But it has somethings going for it.

First, Richard Pryor is a comic genius, and he is still pretty funny here. He is also a huge Superman fan, which is what got him this role.

Secondly, we really get to see some acting chops from Christopher Reeve here. The scenes of him being evil and fighting his "evil self" are always talked about (rightly so), but rarely mentioned, and even better, in my mind, is his acting as Clark in Smallville. Maybe he has a better grip on his character here, though I would argue Reeve was born to play Clark/Superman from the start. 

Richard Pryor is playing Gus Gorman a computer genius. A computer genius who programs in BASIC, but hey it was 1983. I guess Gorman was supposed to have been the human version of Brainiac but the producers nixed the idea because audiences would know who he was. Like we knew who Gus Gorman is/was.  I mean, don't me wrong. I love Richard Pryor and Gus is not a bad character. Although I can see why we may never see him in any Superman media again. And honestly, sometimes he is a bit too much "Richard Pryor" in this. 

Interesting aside, Pamela Stephenson who plays Lorelei Ambrosia, the "smart blonde, pretending to be dumb" has a Ph.D. in psychology. She is also married to comedian Billy Connolly. Another, people freaking out over gasoline at $2 a gallon. 

The story itself is not terrible; the execution is. In fact, the "Superman" scenes are much better than I remembered. 

Is it me, or are "evil Superman's" darker outfit colors exactly the same as Cavil's in "Man of Steel?"

And of course, everyone remembers the final scene where Gus's supercomputer comes to life and assimilates Vera Webster. Yeah, not as scary as everyone thought it was really. Gus gets off kind of easy here in the end. 

This one did not have much of Lois Lane/Margot Kidder in it.

Cameos

Ok this one is a bit of a stretch but the wind-up peguins from the opening credits get a mention in the Zack Snyder Justice League movie. 

A far better one is Annette O'Toole here as Lana Lang and later in Smallville as Martha Kent, adoptive mother of Clark Kent. Apparently, the casting directors were unaware that she had already been part of Superman history before. 

Now in its eighteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2025 took place on Saturday, June 21st. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—
Published by Magpie Games, Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is a roleplaying game based on the award-winning Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, about conflict and power, featuring struggles between cats, birds, mice, and more. The Woodland consists of dense forest interspersed by ‘Clearings’ where its many inhabitants—dominated by foxes, mice, rabbits, and birds live, work, and trade from their villages. Birds can also be found spread out in the canopy throughout the forest. Recently, the Woodland was thrown into chaos when the ruling Eyrie Dynasties tore themselves apart in a civil war and left power vacuums throughout the Woodland. With no single governing power, the many Clearings of the Woodland have coped as best they can—or not at all, but many fell under the sway or the occupation of the forces of the Marquise de Cat, leader of an industrious empire from far away. More recently, the civil war between the Eyrie Dynasties has ended and is regroupings its forces to retake its ancestral domains, whilst other denizens of the Woodland, wanting to be free of both the Marquisate and the Eyrie Dynasties, have formed the Woodland Alliance and secretly foment for independence.

Between the Clearings and the Paths which connect them, creatures, individuals, and bands live in the dense, often dangerous forest. Amongst these are the Vagabonds—exiles, outcasts, strangers, oddities, idealists, rebels, criminals, freethinkers. They are hardened to the toughness of life in the forest, but whilst some turn to crime and banditry, others come to Clearings to trade, work, and sometimes take jobs that no other upstanding citizens of any Clearing would do—or have the skill to undertake. Of course, in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, Vagabonds are the Player Characters.

Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, the mechanics based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, Apocalypse World, published by Lumpley Games in 2010. At the heart of these mechanics are Playbooks and their sets of Moves. Now, Playbooks are really Player Characters and their character sheets, and Moves are actions, skills, and knowledges, and every Playbook is a collection of Moves. Some of these Moves are generic in nature, such as ‘Persuade an NPC’ or ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’, and every Player Character or Vagabond can attempt them. Others are particular to a Playbook, for example, ‘Silent Paws’ for a Ranger Vagabond or ‘Arsonist’ for the Scoundrel Vagabond.

To undertake an action or Move in a ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, a character’s player rolls two six-sided dice and adds the value of an attribute such as Charm, Cunning, Finesse, Luck, or Might, or Reputation, to the result. A full success is achieved on a result of ten or more; a partial success is achieved with a cost, complication, or consequence on a result of seven, eight, or nine; and a failure is scored on a result of six or less. Essentially, this generates results of ‘yes’, ‘yes, but…’ with consequences, and ‘no’. Notably though, the Game Master does not roll in ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

So for example, if a Player Character wants to ‘Read a Tense Situation’, his player is rolling to have his character learn the answers to questions such as ‘What’s my best way out/in/through?’, ‘Who or what is the biggest threat?’, ‘Who or what is most vulnerable to me?’, ‘What should I be on the lookout for?’, or ‘Who is in control here?’. To make the Move, the player rolls the dice and his character’s Cunning to the result. On a result of ten or more, the player can ask three of these questions, whilst on a result of seven, eight, or nine, he only gets to ask one.

Moves particular to a Playbook can add to an attribute, such as ‘Master Thief’, which adds one to a character’s Finesse or allow another attribute to be substituted for a particular Move, for example, ‘Threatening Visage’, which enables a Player Character to use his Might instead of Charm when using open threats or naked steel on attempts to ‘Persuade an NPC’. Others are fully detailed Moves, such as ‘Grab and Smash’. When a Player Character wants to smash through some scenery to reach someone or something, his player rolls the character’s Might in a test. The Move enables the character to reach the target on a hit. However, this is not without its consequences. This can the character hurting himself and the player marking an injury, break an important part of his surroundings, or damage or leave behind a piece of gear. One a roll of 10+, the character suffers one of these consequences; on a roll of 7-9, he suffers two; and on a miss, he smashes but is left totally vulnerable on the other side.

Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is the Free RPG Day 2025 from Magpie Games for Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game. It includes an explanation of the core rules, six pre-generated Player Characters or Vagabonds and their Playbooks, and a complete setting or Clearing for them to explore. From the overview of the game and an explanation of the characters to playing the game and its many Moves, the introduction to the Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is well-written. The publisher is well practised when it comes to presenting these Root quick-starts. It is notable that all of the Vagabonds are essentially roguish in nature, so in addition to the Basic Moves, such as ‘Figure Someone Out’, ‘Persuade an NPC’, ‘Trick an NPC’, ‘Trust Fate’, and ‘Wreck Something’, they can ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’. This covers Acrobatics, Blindside, Counterfeit, Disable Device, Hide, Pick Lock, Pick Pocket, Sleight of Hand, and Sneak. Each of these requires an associated Feat to attempt, and each of the six pregenerated Vagabonds has one, two, or more of the Feats depending just how roguish they are. Otherwise, a Vagabond’s player rolls the ‘Trust to Fate’ Move.

The six pre-generated Vagabonds include Nimble the Thief, a stealthy raccoon burglar and pickpocket looking to prove his skill; Saga the Chronicler, a possum and fearlessly inquisitive scholar; Lucasta the Raconteur, a weasel storyteller and singer who wants to hold truth to power in her performances; Keilee the Tinker, a messy, but adept beaver who advocates freethinking and is hunting her enemy, Minuet de León; Laeliana the Arbiter, a mole mercenary looking to defend those who cannot defend themselves; and Umberto the Raider, a mouse who loves the fight and being adored as a hero. All six of these Vagabonds have links to the given Clearing and its NPCs in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart, and all six are complete with Natures and Drives, stats, backgrounds, Moves, Feats, and equipment. All a player has to do is decide on a couple of connections and each Playbook is ready to play.
As its title suggests, the given Clearing in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is Laurel’s Canopy. Its description comes with an overarching issue and conflicts within the Clearing, important NPCs, places to go, and more. The situation in Laurel’s Canopy is different to that of most Clearings, dominated as it is by the diktats of power from before the Grand Civil War. It is part of the Eyrie Dynasty, led by Nanit Osprey, whose uncle, Pandion, instituted a set of Decrees that ensured stability in the Clearing. However, in the wake of Grand Civil War, the strict interpretation of the decrees has led to famine with fish left rotting the warehouses, over foraging in the surrounding forest, and a standoff between Nanit Osprey and the Clerkdom which enforces the Decrees. Meanwhile, Corvid Conspiracy Leader Ambrosius Conroy campaigns for fairer representation of all, whilst seeking to undermine Nanit Osprey’s rule and Silver Sally leads a rebellion which gives her cover for her own objectives. Lastly, the mouse scholar, Theodore Twitchwhisker has been accused of plagiarism by Mister Stubby, a lizard who runs the Lost Tail Bakery. He contends that the mouse’s Book of Twin Dragons, an inflammatory description of the Lizard cult orthodoxy, was based on a work of fiction of his own, for which the manuscript is missing. This has led to the bakery being picketed, the relationship between the lizards and non-avian citizens of Laurel’s Canopy becoming strained.

These four Conflicts make up the plots to be explored and developed in the Clearing and each is fully detailed and includes notes on what happens if the vagabonds do not get involved and leave the Conflict to develop on its own. For the Game Master there is a good overview of the Clearing and notes of where to begin when running the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart and getting the Vagabonds involved. This is enhanced by each Vagabond having a link to and thus a motivation for visiting Laurel’s Canopy. There are suggestions also as to how escalate the situation for each of the Vagabonds to draw them further into the ongoing events in Laurel’s Canopy. Some of the conflicts are a little subtle too, often with NPCs attempting to achieve the same quite personal aim, so the Game Master will need to read them more closely to understand them and be able to impart them to her players.

Physically, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is a fantastic looking booklet, done in full colour and printed on heavy paper stock. It is well written and the artwork, taken from or inspired by the Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, is bright and breezy, and really attractive. Even cute. Simply, just as Root: The Pellenicky Glade Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2020, Root: The Bertram’s Cove Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2021, the Root: Talon Hill Quickstart for Free RPG 2022, and the Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart for Free RPG Day 2023, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is physically one of the most impressive of all the releases for Free RPG Day 2023.

If there is an issue with Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart it is that it looks busy and it looks complex—something that often besets ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying games. Not only do players need their Vagabond’s Playbooks, but also reference sheets for all of the game’s Basic Moves and Weapon Moves—and that is a lot of information. However, it means that a player has all of the information he needs to play his Vagabond to hand, he does not need to refer to the rules for explanations of the rules or his Vagabond’s Moves. That also means that there is some preparation required to make sure that each player has the lists of Moves his Vagabond needs. Another issue is that the relative complexity and the density of the information in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart means that it is not a beginner’s game and the Game Master will need a bit of experience to run Laurel’s Canopy and its conflicts.

Ultimately, the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart comes with everything necessary to play and keep the attention of a playing group for probably three or four sessions, possibly more. Although it needs a careful read through and preparation by the Game Master, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is a very good introduction to the rules, the setting, and conflicts in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game—and it looks damned good too. For the Game Master who is already running a Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game campaign, the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart provides another Clearing that she can add to her campaign with the others available in the proper quick-start for the roleplaying game as well as releases for previous Free RPG Days.

A sidestep tonight, mostly because I need to work up the courage to deal with the last two Superman movies. Though, admittedly, this one is not much better.  

Ok, so Helen Slater is playing Kara Zor-El, Kal-El's cousin, aka Supergirl. She is more or less the unknown here. Speaking of which, where is Superman? Oh, he is on a "peacekeeping mission" to a galaxy several hundred trillion light years away." Ok. Why...oh never mind, it is better than the proposed idea for this movie with a sex scene between Superman and Supergirl. I think I read that in Starlog.

Anyway. Supergirl ends up in Chicago, of all place,s where the Omegahedron, the powersource from Argo City (that she lost) ends up in the hands of two would-be witches played by Faye Dunaway and Brenda Vaccaro, and their sidekick played by Peter Cook. Even Supergirl's mother was played by Mia Farrow. Her mentor is even played by Peter O'Toole.  Helen Slater might have been the biggest unknown here.

Ok. I kind of forgot how bad this movie was. I mean I knew, but damn. Also, did A&W sponsor this? Lots of product placement in this one. It's remarkable how many great actors are in this, yet it's still so bad. 

According to the map Kara is using to look for the Omegahedron, Midvale is just a bit north of Peroria, IL (home of tomorrow night's guest Richard Pryor), and south of Ottawa, IL (near where "Man of Steel" was filmed for the Smallville scenes.  So, an area I'm familiar with. Funny, I don't remember a Midvale there. 

Ok, so I did like the magic aspect of it. Magic and Superman are sometimes an ify mix, but given everything else, it works here. There is even a great example of the "Mirror Image" spell. 

There's little point in going through the plot here, as the story is thin at best. 

The Shadow Demon is kind of cool looking.

Don't get me wrong, Helen Slater was awfully fun as Supergirl. Melissa Benoist is still my favorite Supergirl, but Slater was still fun.

Cameos

Helen Slater will go on to play Kara's Earth mother, Dr. Eliza Danvers, in the Supergirl CW series. Marc McClure plays Jimmy Olsen, but that shouldn't really count. The Supergirl series is a great one for repeat cameos. 

 I mentioned this one last night when I discussed Superman II and its credited director, Richard Lester. This movie is the original vision of the original director, Richard Donner. Watching this along with the Richard Lester cut is a great experience.  

I will not recount the entire movie here, but I would like to focus on some of the key differences. There are still scenes directed by Lester here, Donner did not complete the entire movie, so this is still not 100% Donner's film, but it is close.

 - Maybe one of the big ones is the fact that Brando is back as Jor-El. It seems that some of the "lost" footage for this cut had been part of his estate and was returned to Warner Bros. after his death in 2004. He appears in the Fortress of Solitude to tell us about Zod, Ursa, and Non.

 - The movie doesn't recap the entire first Superman movie, but it does replay some key scenes. 

 - This cut makes it more explicit that the Phantom Zone prison was pulled along with Kal-El's pod. Also it is not some random French H-Bomb that frees Zod, Ursa, and Non, but the missile from the first movie that Superman sends into space. The whole French terrorism scene is gone. 

- Side note. The special effects of the "new" scenes seemed improved. Another side note, there are subtle dialog changes. Generally, I think they are better here. The changes in the "Lester Cut" seem like they were designed to be "funnier," but often without any point. 

- Lois seems smarter here, and the movie is a little less campy. The big reveal of Clark as Superman plays out differently here. Lois is smarter, but the scene is somehow less satisfying. 

 - The first attack of the Kryptonians is cut a bit, almost to the point where it doesn't make as much sense. Or rather, it is not as clear as the Lester cut. They are deadlier here, too, with a higher body count.  

 - The "depowering" scene plays out differently as well. Brando is back for this scene, which makes more sense as well, but a key scene is missing: the one where Lois misplaced the Master Crystal. Turns out it is not needed, since the Master Crystal survived. It also sets up the Brandon Routh "Superman Returns" (also 2006) a lot better. (Except as noted below.)

The battle in Metropolis is the same, mostly. The fight in the Fortress of Solitude is different, briefer, and it makes a lot more sense. All the issues I had with it in the Lester cut are gone. Well, almost, they all still just disappear into Superman's basement.  Ok, in this one, Superman blows up the Fortress. That likely kills them all. 

No "Super kiss" but Superman "rewinds" time again. I guess I shouldn't be irritated by this, I mean this is something the Flash does all the time.  Though I do like Lois and Clark together. It doesn't explain why the guy in the diner ("Rocky") remembered who he was.

Watching this, twice now, I do wish we had had more of Zod and Ursa. They are great villains, really. Non is not that interesting. 

When that European couple starts buying you drinks.

I can't say that the Lester cut is worse; there are places where Lester had the benefit of the Donner scenes to make improvements. Superman "calling out" Zod when he is at the Daily Planet, for example, is better in the Lester cut.  I did miss Lara, Superman's Mom, getting some spotlight. 

Cameos

Again, nothing different here than the Lester cut, at least nothing jumped out at me. Donner is plainly visible smoking a pipe outside the diner again. 

What if the real treasure at the heart of the dungeon wasn’t gold but knowledge no one was meant to possess?

Welcome to Occult D&D! This is a new series dedicated to the strange, the symbolic, and the spiritual side of Dungeons & Dragons. Over the coming weeks/months, we’re going to crack open the dusty grimoires, draw some chalk circles on the floor, and invite a little witchcraft, ritual, and folklore into our tabletop worlds. Well...more than I typically do every day, that is. 

Why? Because there’s a whole dimension of play that D&D brushes up against, but rarely fully explores. One that I also find rather fun.

The Occult Thread in D&D

The earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons were steeped in fantasy literature, pulp horror, and old-school myth. You had demons and devils in the Monster Manual, magic-users who studied arcane formulae, and clerics calling down divine wrath, but precious little that felt like real occultism.

Not real as in "real-world belief," but real as in resonant; rooted in symbolism, ritual, superstition, and the tension between hidden knowledge and spiritual power. The stuff of witches’ charms, cursed bloodlines, forbidden books, and crossroads bargains.

That’s the sweet spot this series wants to hit.

What You Can Expect from This Series

Each Occult D&D post will focus on one of two things:

1. Bringing Occult Themes to the Table

We’ll explore ways to deepen your game’s tone with elements like:

• Symbolic magic and ritual casting
• Occult monster design
• Haunted locations, cursed items, and secret traditions
• Folkloric mechanics: second sight, lunar phases, witch trials

2. Spotlighting Witchcraft in Your Game

I’ve written a lot about witches over the years, how they work, how they cast, and how they’re more than just “distaff wizards.” I want to integrate them deeper into the game. Taking cues from my "Witches of Appendix N" series on how witches should have been a distinct part of the games we play.  I'll also likely pull in some of the Satanic Panic era notions where D&D was seen as a "gateway to the occult!"

If you've ever wanted your campaign to feel like a midnight séance instead of a tavern brawl, or your dungeon crawl to veer just a little closer to The Witch than The Hobbit, this series is for you.

I am also likely to review various occult-themed RPGs and related products. I'll talk about some of my own books too, but not as a review (that's tacky). 

Let’s Begin...

Next post, we’ll start with a foundational question: What does “occult” even mean in the context of D&D? Is it just another word for “magic,” or something more primal, more forbidden, and more personal?

Let’s peel back the veil and find out. 

Have you used occult themes in your own games? Run a séance in your campaign? Performed a tarot card reading? Designed a cursed grimoire? Used real folklore in your monster design? Tell me about it below, I’d love to hear how the occult has haunted your table.

Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear what haunted your players, and what kind of magic you’ve brought to the table.

Before there was a "Snyderverse," before there was a "Marvel Cinematic Universe," there were the Superman movies.
Superman II (1980) was filmed back to back with Superman (1978) and picks up more or less where the first movie left off.

This movie begins by spending a considerable amount of time revisiting the ground covered in the first movie during the opening credits. 

We get right into it in typical Superman fashion; Lois chasing a story that gets her into trouble, this time some French terrorists with a stolen Hydrogen bomb. 

Superman flies it into space where, even with what was it 27 galaxies, it was near Earth. Maybe it got dragged alone with Kal-El's pod.

Some janky animation when the H-bomb goes off to free Zod, Ursa, and Non.

I have to comment on the Artemis II moon lander. Obvious choice after Apollo, but we won't get a real-world Artemis mission for another few years.

Zod appears to possess some form of telekinesis, and Ursa is remarkably violent.  Zod is just a great villain here, and Terrance Stamp is fantastic, and my love for Sarah Douglas knows no bounds. Interestingly enough, Ursa was almost played by Caroline Munro, a regular of Hammer Films. Instead she took the role of Naomi in the Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. I think it all worked out for the best really. 

The third act of this movie is the best, where Superman battles the Kryptonian criminals.

There feels like more silliness in this one. The Superman duplicates (ok in the comics it would have been his robots, or just him moving really fast), and the cellophane "S" symbol is still weird. 

They fight, and Superman tricks them into giving up their powers. Of course, after their powers are taken, what happens to them? They fall into the mists and ... what?

I am disappointed in the "Super kiss." Not just that it was some new weird-ass power Superman never had before, but that he couldn't trust Lois enough to have her keep his secret.  

So I do really enjoy this movie, but I am not immune to it's issues. 

For starters, there was a huge blow-up between Brando and the producers, causing his scenes to be removed. His interactions now fall onto Lara, Kal-El's mother, played by Susannah York. 

The fighting was not limited to Brando. Richard Donner, the director of Superman and the director of this movie had a falling out with the Salkinds. They brought in Richard Lester, who they had worked with before and was a "silent" producer of the first Superman. Donner said that if Lester's name was on it then his wouldn't be and that was that. I am going to cover the Donner cut tomorrow and I'll share thoughts on which is the better version.

Cameos

There are not as many here since it was filmed alongside the first movie. There is an interesting cameo, though, of Director Richard Donner in the scene as de-powered Clark and Lois drive up to the diner. It was one of the scenes he directed that was retained for the Lester-cut of the film. 

Cover by Margaret Brundage Of all the authors listed in Appendix N, few loom larger than Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian and father of sword & sorcery as we know it. Howard’s blend of grim heroism, lost civilizations, black magic, and fierce women has shaped the DNA of Dungeons & Dragons more than most give credit for.

So much so that I need to split his contributions into two posts. There may be three by the time I am done. That is how much of a footprint Howard and Conan left in D&D and other RPGs.

Witches were very much part of Conan's Hyborian world. Witches are mentioned and alluded too, but rarely seen, save for the ones mentioned below. 

So today, for the Witches of Appendix N, let’s journey into the Hyborian Age and meet some of the women who wielded magical power in the world of Conan.

Salome: A Witch Shall Be Born

Howard’s most explicitly witch character is Salome, the titular witch of A Witch Shall Be Born (Weird Tales, 1934). A sorceress and twin sister of the noble Queen Taramis, Salome is the archetype of the evil twin usurper. She commands dark forces, imprisons and tortures her sister, and rules in her place through cruelty and bloodshed.

Salome is described as consorting with demons and sorcerers in her youth, and her magical power is seen in how she influences, manipulates, and brings ruin to a kingdom. She is every inch the pulp sorceress, beautiful, deadly, and corrupted by ancient evil. She was promiscuous where her sister Taramis was chaste, moral, and innocent. In the 1930s, this was akin to evil.

Sarah Douglas (who I'll be talking more about tonight) played the movie version of her, now named Taramis, in Conan the Destroyer. Did all that torture finally break poor Taramis, and she became more like her twin sister? (No, I know the producers didn't want her to be named Salome.)

Salome (and Taramis) have sparked a lot of imaginations, not just the Sarah Douglas movie, but also comics. These two images show the evolving look of Conan from the pulp days to modern comics. 

Honestly, that John Buscema art might be one of the most famous pieces of Conan art ever produced. 

I have even used Salome in my own games, after a fashion, when developing a few of my Witch Queens. 

Tascela: Red Nails

In one of Howard’s best Conan stories, Red Nails (Weird Tales, 1936), we meet Tascela, a woman of ancient Stygian blood, still alive centuries after her time. Like Salome, she is both queen (well...called a "Princess of Tecuhltli") and enchantress. Tascela’s sorcery is tied to life-draining rituals and forbidden rites. She maintains her youth and beauty by absorbing the life force of others, literally sacrificing maidens and children to keep herself young. Valeria is a lot of things, but I never got "maiden" vibes off of her. 

While not explicitly called a witch (except as an exclamation), her power is subtle. She appears regal, composed, but with an air of the perverse and profane. She leers at Valeria throughout the tale. Obviously, in the way a cat does a mouse, but there is a not-so-subtle sexual dimension to it all. Like Salome, Tascela is a witch and morally corrupt. Also, not a very subtle message. 

Tascela’s magic has an Aztec flavor, marked by blood, sacrifice, death, and timeless horror. While "witch" is good, she is more likely some sort of profane necromancer. 

From the unfinished "Red Nails" animation, designs by Jim Stenstrum

Special Mentions

Witches and Wizards: Black Colossus

We meet the wizard Natohk, and "Vampires were abroad that night, witches rode naked on the wind, and werewolves howled across the wilderness."

Zelata and Akivasha: The Hour of the Dragon

Old Zelata admits she is a witch when she first meets King-in-exile Conan.  Unlike many of the other witches, sorceresses, and spellcasters, Zelata actually helps Conan out. She is also helpful in uncovering the Heart of Ahriman. 

Though not called a witch by name, Akivasha, the Stygian princess turned vampire from The Hour of the Dragon (1935–36), is one of the most enduring witch-like figures in Howard’s canon.

Akivasha is undead, beautiful, and incredibly dangerous. Her vampirism is not accidental or cursed; it is the result of necromantic sorcery meant to preserve her youth and power. She resides in the depths of an ancient dungeon and attempts to seduce Conan, not just with charm but with supernatural influence.

“I was a princess in Stygia... more than a thousand years ago... I was beautiful, and I would not fade. So I went into the shadows to cheat age with dark magic. I became... what I am.”

Howard describes her as cold and radiant, her beauty somehow terrible. She evokes the kind of ancient magical evil that remains alluring even as it damns. Or as I always say, "Evil always looks sexy."

An aside. There are lots of Stygian witches here.

Conan's Long Shadow

Without a doubt the Conan stories of Robert E. Howard are fundamental to the foundations of D&D and RPGs in general. Conan is the quintessential adventurer. Penniless one day, rich beyond dreams the next, penniless again. He ranges far and wide, he battles monsters, sorcerers, and entire armies.  He is as much a part of D&D as Gandalf and Bilbo.

It is no shock that there have been so many Conan and Hyborian/Hyperborian RPGs out there. I could talk about them all here, but that is a better topic for my Fantasy Fridays.

Given this, I do find it a little odd that witches were not a more prominent part of D&D. I suppose it has been up to me to fill this gap.

No "Conclusion" today, I have Kull and Solomon Kane to deal with next, and maybe a third post on Howard's contributions to the world of RPGs beyond just witches.