Last month, I made the claim that D&D 5.5/2024 Edition should have its own campaign world. This generated some very lively discussions. However, more than a few people were confused as to the purpose of that post.

Yes. You can make your own game world. Everyone can. Everyone does.

But that post wasn't about that.

It was about Wizards of the Coast making a new world. A product for sale and a marketing tool. Something to help emphasize and feature the new rules and vision of the D&D 2024 game. A flagship setting that tells the players, “This is what this edition is for.”

So, to be up front, here are the objectives of this post:

To identify what makes the 2024 Edition of D&D 5e different, and what a campaign world should do to support these new rules and views.

So, what should a world for D&D 5.5/2024 look like?

A world that welcomes heroes of every species, that speaks the same bold language as the rules and art? It shouldn't just retrofit old kingdoms, it should feel like the start of a new mythology. Not a museum for nostalgia, but a canvas for discovery.

What is the Point of View of the New Game?

The new D&D game is not the same Sword & Sorcery game rooted in the pulp epics of R.E. Howard, the epic fantasy of Tolkien, or the weird horror of Lovecraft. Sure, those roots are still there, but they’ve become fertilizer for something new. D&D fantasy is now its own genre, just as recognizable and distinct as High Fantasy or Grimdark.

D&D 2024 is Heroic Fantasy, Reforged.

The rules assume you are powerful, competent, and connected to a world that matters. This isn’t about crawling through dungeons looking for 14 copper pieces and a rusty dagger. This is a game where characters shape the world, not just loot it.

And the world they shape should reflect that.

This quote from early in the Player's Handbook (p. 4) sets the tone.

“There’s no winning and losing in D&D, at least not the way those terms are usually understood. Together you and friends create an exciting story of adventurers who confront perils. Sometimes an adventurer might come to a tragic end. Even so, the other adventurers can search for powerful magic to revive their fallen comrade, or the character’s player might create a new character to carry on. No matter what happens, if everyone has a good time and creates a memorable story, they all win.”

This new world is not the Realms. It is not Greyhawk. It is not born of Dragonlance’s epic saga or Eberron’s intrigue. Modules or boxed sets from the 1980s don't hold this world together. It doesn't need to be. It can stand on its own, because the new edition does. This new world draws on all of those, but it is, or should be, its own new thing.

D&D 2024 is no longer just inspired by existing fantasy genres; it has become its own unique blend: a fusion of classic fantasy, modern storytelling, video game logic, and collaborative heroism. Most of the players of this game have never read any of the books in Appendix N, nor do they need to. It's not required reading, it's not homework. 

The 2024 Rules Philosophy: Why This Edition Feels Different

The 2024 edition does not simply revise the math or tidy up the rulebooks. It reflects a new philosophy that reshapes how players engage with the game world:

• Heroic from Level 1: Characters are competent, capable, and connected from the start. They are agents of change, not fragile wanderers.
• Background Defines Destiny: Backgrounds carry some mechanical weight, adjusting ability scores, granting a starting feat, and shaping a character’s narrative role.
• Species, Not Race: The old assumptions are gone. Every ancestry is valid, integrated, and part of the world’s core mythology from the beginning.
• Epic Play Is Expected: Epic Boons and expanded high-level content create long arcs where characters leave permanent marks on the world. Bastions given them a place to grow.
• Rest and Recovery Shift: Revised rest rules and healing mechanics de-emphasize attrition gameplay and resource management in favor of narrative pacing.
• Inspiration & Heroic Dice: The system encourages cinematic moments, rewarding bold choices and emotional storytelling.
• Moral Complexity Over Alignment: The world emphasizes choices, consequences, and motivations rather than rigid alignment tags.
• Collaborative Worldbuilding: Bastions, crafting, and political influence give players tangible ways to build and shape the world around them.

This isn’t just new mechanics; it’s a new gameplay rhythm. The world that supports this edition must reflect these values: vibrant, inclusive, and full of heroic possibility.

A Place for Everyone

Last time, I mentioned that human-centric is no longer the norm. Tieflings, kenku, rabbitfolk, genasi, and goliaths are not "weird options," they are the foundation. We’re not explaining their presence as magical accidents. They are the world’s people. Full stop.

And that means designing a world where they belong from the start.

This is not just a question of species, but of society. The world needs to be built from the ground up as a multicultural setting. Not a monoculture with elves here and dwarves over there, but a place where cities are melting pots, just like our own. Diverse, imperfect, growing, and alive.

The landscape must reflect this (we are not drifting too far afield here):

• Forests for Elves, Firbolgs, and Gnomes.
• Mountains for Dwarves, Goliaths, and Dragonborn.
• Elemental zones, volcanoes, storm-swept coastlines, and crystal deserts for Genasi (and maybe Dragonborn too).
• Planar-infused regions where Githyanki, Tieflings, and Aasimar emerged from divine or infernal events not exiled, not feared, but part of the world’s mythic history.
• Underground realms and deep caverns, not evil hives, but mysterious cultures for Svirfneblin, Kobolds, even Goblinoid societies.

You don't explain these people as oddities or invaders. You explain them as native to this world’s story.

And yes, it must use 'species,' not 'race.' Background and culture shape identity as much or more than biology. This is a world that embraces the idea that what you choose matters.

By everyone, I don't just mean "Characters" but "Players" as well. A new world would not just serve veteran players looking for a fresh canvas; it would provide an accessible, self-contained starting point for brand-new players who are being drawn into D&D through its growing cultural presence.

A Place for Bastions, Magical Shops, and More

Blame Skyrim, Minecraft, Animal Crossing, or Critical Role, modern players want to build. The 2024 edition's rules for Bastions are a direct response to this.

So the world must support that mechanic. Not just as a gimmick, but as a narrative engine.

• Frontier zones and wild lands for players to reclaim and shape.
• Urban districts where old guildhalls, mage towers, or abandoned temples can be refurbished into faction bases.
• Political factions that reward player heroes with lands, titles, or responsibilities.
• Magical areas, ripe for discovery and filled with mystery and potential.

A Bastion isn’t just a stronghold; it’s a symbol of the character’s impact on the world. A forge, a sanctuary, a school, a demiplane, it should reflect the kind of hero, and the player, who built it.

And magic items? They’re not just loot anymore, they’re craft. The world should have rare components, legendary artificers, and magical economies that support the idea that players make as much as they take.  Characters no longer search for a magical weapon, they search for the items, rare and wonderful, to craft this magical weapon. 

A Place for Heroes, Not Murder Hobos

This is maybe the most important shift of all.

D&D 2024 assumes that the characters will be heroes from the start. The world should provide the challenges to allow them to do that. 

In that vein, while the emphasis on alignment is lessened, the heroic deeds of the characters, informed by their backgrounds and motivations, is pushed to the front. 

That means the world must reinforce heroism:

• Villains have goals, not alignment tags. They make choices that harm others, threaten communities, or disrupt the world’s spiritual balance, and heroes rise to challenge them.
• NPCs matter, not just as quest-givers or obstacles, but as people whose lives improve (or suffer) depending on what the heroes do.
  
• Monsters have new and updated lore. A new world needs to feature the unique abilities, behaviors, and updated lore of the 2024 monsters as integral parts of its ecosystems and mythos. Old "evil" species have new motivations, and old "heroic" creatures have new purposes. All of these have to have a place in the world
• Factions reward good deeds not only with gold and magic but with respect, stories, and influence.

When characters act heroically, the world should respond. They gain allies. They inspire others. They become part of the land’s living mythology.

This is a world that expects heroes to rise, and needs them to.

Don't get me wrong here, I have seen D&D 5e characters do things that can be classified as war crimes, but characters are always going to that. This is about the world that the new rules tries to build and how the PCs can build within it. 

A Place Worth Saving

Lastly, the world itself must be beautiful.

Not just dangerous or mysterious, it is those, but also wondrous. Filled with things worth protecting.

• Floating islands with gardens tended by treants and air genasi.
• A continent slowly awakening after a divine slumber, its forests singing with echoes of lost gods.
• Cities built in the bones of giant beasts, their spires crafted from dragonbone and crystal.
• A golden river that flows backward, carrying visions of future destinies.
• Hidden portals, ancient mysteries, new lands still becoming.
• A world that has a unique, even special, place in the D&D Multiverse.

Because players want to care. And caring starts with wonder.

Honorable Mentions

I would be remiss if I did not mention some campaign worlds that can do all of this in one form or another.

Eberron did for 3e what this new world should do for 5e. Can it do all of this now? I don't know Eberron is the world I am the least knowledgeable about.

The Forgotten Realms can also do this. And in many significant ways, it does do this. The Forgotten Realms of the Baldur's Gate 3 game does at least and still balances what the old-school gamers like. Take the questline in Act 1 for example. You need to wipe out a camp of goblins. Mind you, you are not doing this just because they are Goblins. You are doing it because they are worshippers of the evil Cult of the Absolute, bent on tyrannical conquest. If you take them out, then a group of tieflings can get to safety (in theory). The different species and factions don't have to get along in this new world.

We will be getting an updated Forgotten Realms campaign setting later this year.

Points of Light of Nentir Vale tried to do this with D&D 4e, but that had many issues of its own to deal with. That world had a mish-mash of all the previous worlds before it in a grand experiment of sorts, but it never took off as well as I think WotC wanted it to do. 

Mystara does this well. Like the Forgotten Realms, nearly every hex on this world (and in it!) has been explored or at least discussed. But my refrain for the last 30 years has been "Mystara can do that" anytime someone asks if a world can do X, Y, or Z. Mystara can do all of the above. Though there are no Gods in Mystara. This may or may not be an issue for some. Certainly, D&D 5.5 can support this, but players like their characters to have gods. 

Exandria is the world from the Critical Role actual plays and supported by four rule books. This world does in fact do all the above and has a place for all sorts of humanoids in the world.  It even has some gods from all over the D&D multiverse, including a few from Pathfinder. It was more or less custom-made for D&D 5 (2014 edition) by Matt Mercer. It is even mentioned in the new 2024 DMG. Its biggest drawback is that it is very much Mercer's world. Unless something changes, we are not likely to see any more Exandria for D&D 5. Mercer and crew have their new Daggerheart game out now, and they are going to want to support that. 

I like Exandria. I love Mystara, and I have grown to love the Realms. But maybe we do need something new. 

Why a New World Matters

A brand-new setting would do more than showcase the rules. It would define the cultural and creative identity of this edition, just as Greyhawk, Dragonlance, the Realms, or Eberron defined their eras. For new players entering through the 2024 gateway, it becomes their first mythology, one unburdened by decades of inherited continuity. 

A world that says: This is what D&D means now.

 Today, let's take a look at one of the key authors from Appendix N: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Gygax himself lists him, citing the Pellucidar, Mars, and Venus series. Burroughs' influence on early D&D is evident in many aspects, including weird monsters, lost civilizations, Hollow Earth settings, and pulp action. But what about witches? Do we find any in his works?

Well… not really. But that absence is interesting in itself.

Where are Burroughs' Witches?

Burroughs doesn’t give us many witches in the traditional sense. No crones stirring cauldrons, no hags in the wilderness, and very few spellcasters as we'd recognize them. Instead, his worlds are filled with cults, priesthoods, ancient science, and psionics, powers adjacent to witchcraft, but rarely crossing the line.

Barsoom: Psychic Powers and Cults

The Barsoom novels (beginning with A Princess of Mars) give us a world rich with ancient cultures and bizarre religions. The white-robed Therns and black-skinned First Born present us with sinister religious orders, but their power lies in manipulation, deception, and lost technology rather than magic. The Lotharians use mental projection to summon phantom armies, an ability that feels more psionic than arcane.

Women like Dejah Thoris, Thuvia, and Tara are formidable, but not witches in a magical sense, or in any sense really. Barsoom lacks the archetype of the spellcasting sorceress; its dangers are physical, political, and technological.  

I will point out that the "goddess" Issus reminds me a lot of the Githyanki Lich-Queen Vlaakith.  Like the Barsoomians, the Githyanki are egg-laying humanoids. The Githzerai, in fact, remind me a lot of Therns and Lotharians. The Githzerai’s ascetic discipline echoes the mental control of the Lotharians and the secretive religious structure of the Therns.

Now I love the Barsoom books. They are great pulpy reads and a lot of fun. Squint and you can see the roots of both Dune and Star Wars here. Their morality is very much black & white. There are no shades of gray. Evil is Evil with a capital "E" and good is always righteous. 

Tarzan: Witch Doctors and Jungle Sorcery

The Tarzan novels get closer to something resembling witchcraft, featuring witch doctors, shamans, and tribal magicians. These characters, as filtered through Burroughs’ colonialist lens, often serve as either dangerous manipulators or comic foils. Occasionally, they seem to exhibit powers that might be called magical, curses, rituals, spirit summoning, but most of the time it's left ambiguous whether their abilities are real or elaborate fakery.

In D&D terms, you might think of them as hedge witches, low-level druids, or non-player character wise men with access to rituals and charms.

Pellucidar and Venus: Weird Science Over Sorcery

In Pellucidar (Hollow Earth) and Amtor (Venus), we again see lost civilizations, bizarre creatures, and strange cults. But again, no true witches. The high priests and priestesses here serve more as political or religious authorities than practitioners of magic. Burroughs always leans toward "lost science" as an explanation for the strange phenomena of these worlds.

I enjoyed the Pellucidar series quite a lot, the Venus ones less so. No reason really, I just think the Venus ones paled in comparison to the Mars tales.

Why No Witches?

Burroughs was far more interested in physical adventure than in metaphysical horror or occult mystery. His heroes battle monsters, topple tyrants, and rescue lost princesses, but they rarely confront dark sorcery or the supernatural. It is possible that he was more of a product of early 20th-century American Rationalism. However, this was also a time of unprecedented expansion in claims of the supernatural, the emergence of new religions, and spiritualism. To be more blunt, ERB just wasn't into that. Perhaps it had something to do with his Military father and his Chicago upbringing, as well as his move west to Idaho as a young man. 

Where Howard or Leiber fill their worlds with sinister witches and warlocks, Burroughs replaces that with forbidden science, hypnotic mental powers, and decaying civilizations clinging to ancient secrets.

Nothing at all wrong with Weird Science. The pulp serial reels of movie houses were filled with them. I would argue that he was one of the driving forces behind the pulp serials of the 1930s and 40s. Same two-fisted action, same blend of heroes, damsels in distress, and lots of strange science. John Carter is the godfather of Commander Cody as much as he is of Luke Skywalker. This is even more evident in the Tarzan movies.

Conclusion

Though witches are virtually absent in Burroughs' works, his settings offer plenty of material for pretty much anything else you can do in D&D. His influence on D&D is undeniable, but primarily through setting and adventure rather than through magic systems. 

Adaptation

Ok, just because ERB doesn't have any sort of magic in his Barsoom books, that doesn't mean I am not going to use them. 

I have always been fascinated with Mars. Either reading about the planet or looking up at it through my old telescope, Mars is fascinating. ERB has his Barsoom tales, Clark Ashton Smith had his tales, and lets not forget H.G. Wells. Mars is a place I keep wanting to go back to. I'll have to expand this thread more.

 It's not a Kickstart Your Weekend, but honestly, I couldn't wait for this one. My friend, Yeti Spaghetti, has a new Kickstarter to support the next batch of Frightshow Classics adventures.  Since I wrote a couple of these in the past I guess that makes me one of the friends of "Yeti Spaghetti and Friends!"

Frightshow Classics LIVES!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frightshowclassics/frightshow-classics-lives?ref=theotherside

This Kickstarter will feature a lot of art from the late Jim Holloway. They have been working with Jim's family to get this art out there in remembrance of him and the game he did so many illustrations for, 1st Edition Chill.

This round also features an adventure adapting the famous gothic story "Carmilla" for use with this system.

What system is that? Good of you to ask! The adventures are overtly for Chill first Edition. The Pacesetter version. BUT these adventures can be played on their own with no extra rule book since everything you need is included in the adventure itself. You can even move them over to your system of choice.

I wrote a couple for this line, The Golem and The Nightmare.

I even provided a video tribute featuring my favorite Jim Holloway art. 

So check it out.

Maybe I should extend my "Year of Fantasy RPG" to include some "Urban Fantasy!"

Bowing out of a Monstrous Monday post for today since it is the start of June. 

Historically, around here, June has been my time to devote to D&D, with a particular focus on B/X and BECMI D&D. This year, I was going to focus on FRPGs that were not D&D, but I am going to bend my own rules a little here. I do have a few non-D&D Fantasy RPGs I'll cover this month (3 or 4, looking over my notes), as well as some D&D-related content.

Another theme coming up for me is "1985." Including a few projects I am working on that have that as a connecting theme. One you already know about, you just didn't know that was a theme of it yet. My 1357 DR Forgotten Realms campaign is taking on a solid "1985" feel to it.  Since the campaign setting came out in 1987 and is assumed to be 1357, I am setting by "game feel" for how I was playing in 1985-1986. 1987 was a very different sort of year for me, gaming-wise, so I opted for something more mid-80s in feeling. Plus, my son and I were talking a lot about music from that time (he is really getting into the Talking Heads), so I made a new 1985 playlist for background noise. 

June, of course, always reminds me of summers playing D&D (and some Chill, and some DC Heroes). It was a great time. Yeah, I was also working all the time. I started saving for college in 1984, but it was still a great time. 

Posts this month are going to be around this loose theme and moving me closer to completion for a couple of new projects. Among these are a new OSE "Classic Classes" release, a couple more "Myths & Monsters" for 1st Ed. And a few ideas I have been mulling over that are not really ready for the light of day. This is all still part of my efforts to finish up some of the started, but never completed, projects sitting on my hard drives. 

I am rather looking forward to it all.

 I was talking to my oldest about my desire to maybe, just maybr running a d20 Dark•Matter game sometime. He laughed at me. I asked him why and he asked if I remembered what a a pain in the ass d20 Modern was at higher levels. Characters having at least three classes, feats all over the place, a recording nightmare. He was right, but undaunted I jumped in. I figure I'd create a few characters. I have three characters from my WitchCraft game that I'd love to get back too. Then there were two others from a Cinematic Unisystem game set in Chicago, brother and sister private eyes, that I always thought migth be fun to revist. 

Yeah. That didn't work out really.

Now, to be fair, I am really, really out of practice building a d20 Modern Character, but damn I don't remember it being like this. In the end, I only did one (sorry, Scott and Heather) from my WitchCraft game. 

While I set out to try to do a fairly straightforward translation of the Alternity material to d20, that also didn't work out really. So in the end I did a "spiritual translation" of Larina's Alternity Dark•Matter version to d20.  They started out the same, but they drifted a bit apart.

I also could not find Scott's and Heather's sheets from my 1999 WitchCraft game, so at this point, I'd be basing them on their D&D alter egos, which may or may not be the best. Heather is a half-elf in D&D after all. I did find Eric MacAlister, Larina's ex-husband. But in truth, I never really did anything else with the guy after the 1999 game. She always worried that he would come after her, and he had kind of forgotten her. Plus, he was unable to fly post Sept. 11, 2001, due to all the restrictions. 

So here is my witch. She took a long time to build here, and I am not 100% sure I got her correct.

Larina "Nix" Nichols

Human Charismatic Hero 5 / Mystic 7

Strength 8 (-1)
Dexterity 12 (+1)
Constitution 12 (+1)
Intelligence 17 (+3)
Wisdom 17 (+3)
Charisma 19 (+4)

Hit Points 66

Speed 30ft.

Defense 17, touch 17, flat 16

Init +1

Fort +9
Ref +8
Will +10

BaB/Grap +5 / +5
Melee/Ranged +5 / +6

AP 115 (lifetime)
Rep +7

Academic (starting occupation) University Librarian
Decipher Script
Knowledge (arcane lore)

Feats
Alertness
Attentive
Creative
Endurance
Educated (+2 on two knowledge skills)
Meticulous
Iron Will
Simple Weapon Proficiency [free]
Trustworthy
Toughness x1
Wild Talent (Psionic, Far Hand [TK])

Talents
Coordinate
Inspiration
Great Inspiration

Skills

Skill Name Key
Ability Skill
Modifier Ability
Modifier Ranks Misc.
Modifier Balance Dex* 1 = +1 Bluff Cha 12 = +4 +8 Climb Str* -1 = -1 Computer Use Int 6 = +3 +3 Concentration Con 9 = +1 +8 Craft (Structural) Int 3 = +3 Craft (Visual Art) Int 3 = +3 Craft (Writing) Int 3 = +3 Decipher Script Int 13 = +3 +10 Diplomacy Cha 16 = +4 +6 +2 [bluff] +2 [Knowledge, history] +2 [trustworthy] Disguise Cha 6 = +4 +2 Drive Dex* 1 = +1 Escape Artist Dex* 1 = +1 Forgery Int 5 = +3 +2 [meticulous] Gamble Wis 3 = +3 Gather Information Cha 6 = +4 +2 [trustworthy] Hide Dex* 1 = +1 Intimidate Cha 6 = +4 +2 [bluff] Jump Str* -1 = -1 Knowledge (arcane lore) Int 19 = +3 +14 +1 [Academic] +1 Knowledge (behavioral sciences) Int 9 = +3 +6 Knowledge (current events) Int 7 = +3 +4 Knowledge (earth & life sciences) Int 7 = +3 +4 Knowledge (history) Int 8 = +3 +5 Knowledge (popular culture) Int 5 = +3 +2 Knowledge (theology) Int 12 = +3 +8 +1 Listen Wis 9 = +3 +4 +2 [alertness] Move Silently Dex* 1 = +1 Navigate Int 3 = +3 Perform (Act) Cha 4 = +4 Perform (Dance) Cha 4 = +4 Perform (Keyboards) Cha 6 = +4 +2 Perform (Percussion) Cha 4 = +4 Perform (Sing) Cha 8 = +4 +4 Perform (Standup) Cha 4 = +4 Perform (String Inst.) Cha 4 = +4 Perform (Wind Inst.) Cha 8 = +4 +4 Research Int 10 = +3 +7 Ride Dex 1 = +1 Search Int 5 = +3 +2 [meticulous] Sense Motive Wis 5 = +3 +2 [attentive] Spellcraft Int 15 = +3 +10 +2 [Knowledge, arcane] Spot Wis 5 = +3 +2 [alertness] Survival Wis 3 = +3 Swim Str** -1 = -1 Treat Injury Wis 3 = +3

Spells

0-Level
Detect Magical Aura, Haywire, Light, Mending, Read Magic

1st-Level
Bane, Cause Fear, Comprehend Languages, Instant Identify, Sanctuary, Trace Purge

2nd-Level
Augury, Darkness, Daylight, Hold Person, Shatter

3rd-Level
Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle, Secret Pocket

4th-Level
Divination, Greater Magic Weapon, Via Negativa

Incantations
Bibliolalia, Cast into Shadow, Dedicate Site, Mystic Veil, Quartz Compulsion

Equipment

Knife [1d4, crit 19-20, range inc 10ft., 1lb., one-handed, piercing]
Taser [1d4 special, crit --, range 2ft., 3lb., electricity]
First Aid Kit [Treat Injury DC 15, one use, negates normal -4 to Treat Injury checks, 3lb.]
Vampire Slayer Kit [Mossberg, 5 wood stakes, 5 phos. shls, silver holy symbols, hand xbow, 5 wood bolts, metal mirror, garlic necklace, alum. case, 20lb.]
Business Clothing [3lb.]
Casual Clothing [2lb.]
Overcoat [3lb.]
Digital Camera [connects to computer, 0.5lb.]
Notebook Computer [5lb.]
PDA [connects with computer, 0.5lb.] Portable Occult Library
Total Weight Carried: 41lb. (medium load)

2005 Volkswagen Beetle (Purple) ARCANIX Illinois License Plates.

Larina Nichols

Human Female
Alignment: Independent (Agent of A.R.T.E.M.I.S.)
DoB: 10/25/1969 (36 in 2006)
Place of Birth: Carbondale, IL
Current Residence: Chicago, IL

Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 127 lbs

Handiness: Right* (can write with Left hand, with difficulty)

Aliases: Larina MacAlister, Larina Nix, "Nixie."

So. This is a good build, I can't say I am 100% happy with it. There is so much customization you can do with d20 that the combinations and permutations are practically endless. 

I both miss and hate, at the same time, d20's multiclassing. I love how flexible it is and how you can combine all sorts of classes to get the exact character you want. But it is also tedious. I mean I could have gone down the path of Occultist, or Acolyte, or even going into the various Prestige classes. There is so much choice. 

I showed this to my son when he got off work Wednesday night/Thursday morning. He just laughed and reminded me yet again why we tend to play 5e, AD&D 1st ed and Basic D&D instead.

This exercise has also reminded me that I wanted to do a lot more with A.R.T.E.M.I.S. as well. 

 Last year, I spent some quality time with the Alternity Game system, particularly Dark•Matter. I wanted to spend some time comparing the d20 version with the Alternity version. Actually my plans had been to cover a lot of the d20 Sci-fi games this month, but I just didn't really feel the drive to do it this year.

I wanted to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the d20 system (which I guess doesn't actually happen till Fall) but the desire wasn't there this year. I mean if Wizards of the Coast isn't going to put forth the effort then why should I?

Both games were produced by Wizards of the Coast and still have Wolfgang Baur and Monte Cook as their authors. There are "additional designers" who are basically the designers WotC had on their d20 Modern teams at the time. 

The books "feel" similar with the differences easily chalked up to different game systems, seven years, and the aid of additional designers and editors.

Rather than being the same game with different editions they feel like a "1st" and "2nd" edition of the game. The Alternity edition weighs in at 288 pages. The d20 one at 160 pages. This is expected since the bulk of the rules of the d20 version are handled by the d20 Modern book.

There is a subtle tone difference in the games. Alternity Dark•Matter is post X-files paranoia and distrust of the Government. The d20 edition is post 9/11 and distrust of everyone. Was this intentional or am I reading into it?

The two games' content is largely the same, minus system differences. 

You can play the same sorts of games with either version in basically the same way. The Alternity system was designed to cover a wide variety of Sci-Fi type "modern" games, and d20 is, well, d20. These strengths mean that you can add things to your games as you see fit. Obviously, 20 has a lot more options due to its greater success. 

This is also a weakness. To play d20 Dark•Matter, you need the Dark•Matter rule book and the d20 Modern System rule book. I also added Urban Arcana material to play with as I like. 

The thing is, I am sitting here rereading all these books that I have not touched in years, and I am feeling a little nostalgic. Will I ever run a Dark•Matter game again? No. I can't see that happening, not really. NIGHT SHIFT is where my heart lies now. Which is too bad, really, because there is a lot of fun still to be had with this game. 

As I said last year, Dark•Matter is a great game, and I love the setting. The D20 system is better suited to me than the Alternity system, but both are a lot of fun.  While I could certainly play a Dark•Matter-like game with NIGHT SHIFT, I have so many games to play.

 So a bit of a treat. Commenter Mike Wevanne, replied to my post from Friday about Daggerheart, to let me know there is an official Playtest section, The Void, and that there was a new playtest class, the Warlock. 

From the Daggerheart Void page:

WARLOCK CLASS

Those who’ve traded their lives, or perhaps even their souls, to an otherworldly Patron in exchange for incredible power are known as Warlocks. Often, these mortals are at a point of desperation that leads them to such a sacrifice—to protect themselves or a loved one, aid their community, seek vengeance, increase their status, or otherwise further their ambitions. 

PLAYTEST TWO NEW SUBCLASSES:

PACT OF THE ENDLESS & PACT TO THE WRATHFUL

What is interesting to me is the introduction of a new domain, "Dread." This opens up numerous opportunities in the game. 

I was working on the "Fearless Five" last night for posting today, I am going to move that one off a bit now to digest this. I need to stat up a Warlock.

So far, Daggerheart has given me a "witch" I like in the Sorcerer. I also like the Wizard and Druid. It will be interesting to see what I can do with all of these classes.

For the moment, I am happy to keep Larina as a Sorcerer/Wizard multiclass, and Skylla (spoilers) as a Wizard.  Maybe I'll redo Nik Nak as a warlock. The "increase their status" works for him.

Looking forward to trying this out.

I am happy to announce that my newest Basic-Era witch book is now available in print-on-demand.

The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/519741/The-Left-Hand-Path--The-Diabolic--Demonic-Witchcraft-Traditions?affiliate_id=10748

It looks great with all my other Basic Era books and it is the thickest one yet.

Available in softcover print and PDF.

 I had a plan for today, but I want to put that off till later. Mostly because I was not ready since I was too busy with today's new topic. The new game from Critical Role, Daggerheart, was released just a couple of days ago and I have been doing a deep dive into that.

I picked it up from DriveThruRPG a couple of days ago (Wednesday night) and wanted to run out and get the physical copy from my FLGS, but I was informed that, since it's close to my birthday, I am not allowed to. Fine with me, I also picked up the Demiplane Nexus Corebook so I can use the character builder. 

The core book is gorgeous. I like the art more than the art in the new D&D 5.5 core book. This book/game is certainly going after the New Schoolers who love D&D 5, but wish it had more options. 

In many ways Daggerheart takes the best ideas from a lot of games, including D&D 5.x and even D&D 4 (I'll get into that later) and combines it into a very effective whole. I have not read enough of it to notice differences from the playtest, except for some presentation differences, which I think are an improvement. Oh, and how HP are used. 

The game has shot to Gold status in a matter of 28+ hours, and that is taking into consideration that it is effectively divided between two different versions: PDF only and PDF with Demiplane Nexus access, which has gone to Silver. Not too bad really. 

The PDF comes with the Core book and the cards you use with your character. The cards are a nice gimmick, but to have the PDF is great if your group ends up with say, multiple sorcerers. I can print as many as I need and just slot them into one of my kids' old Pokémon folders. It feels like the old cards we had with D&D 4, but more useful.

The core book is huge, but complete at 415 pages. I already see lots of options for expansions for characters, so that is nice. 

It also features six "Campaign Frames" which are like mini-campaigns, or campaign set-ups to play in. All of them sound fun. Each one has a "pitch," a complexity rating, and some keywords to help describe it. 

• The Witherwild. A nature deity is attacked and then attacks back with all the power of nature.
• Five Banners Burning. Rival kingdoms on the brink of all out war.
• Beast Feast. The Monster Defense System is down and now the characters need to go in and fix it.
• Age of Umbra. A dying world in shadows. 
• Motherboard. High tech as magic in a post-apocalyptic world. 
• Colossus of the Drylands. Giant creatures versus gunslingers in the deserts. (think Attack on Titan or Godzilla meets Boot Hill).

Not all of these are for everyone, but they do all look pretty cool. Of course you can play in a D&D-like world. It does lean more toward High Fantasy and High Magic.

For amusement's sake I converted, or more aptly, translated some characters from various games that are D&D or D&D adjacent to Daggerheart to see how they might work.

Not everything had a great translation, but honestly, that could also be due more to my inexperience with the system as much as anything.  So let's see some translations.

Larina Nix. My human witch in Basic-era D&D becomes a Loreborne (culture) Human who is a Sorcerer (Primal Origin) with Wizard (School of Knowledge) multiclass. In D&D 3, multiclassing Wizard and Sorcerer doesn't get you much, but here it is a fun approach. I rather like this version, but I would have to play her more.

Johan. My human paladin, all editions, becomes Highborne Human Seraph (Divine Wielder). I actually like this one a lot and if I get a chance to play Daggerheart this might be the character I choose. There is a lot of potential here for play. 

Amaranth. A newer character, she is a Tiefling Warlock. Here is she is Wanderborne Infernis Wizard (School of War). Now it is possible that Sorcerer is a better choice for her, but I had not done a wizard full class yet. 

Roan. This guy is new, he was an NPC satyr bard (who plays the bag-pipes) from the feywild. Here he takes on his "true form" I think and Wildborne Faun Bard (Wordsmith). The wordsmith is more like an occult poet (from Ghosts of Albion) so I really excited to try this guy out as a PC.

Sinéad. My Forgotten Realms half-elf Sorcerer/Bard doesn't drift too far from her origins. In Daggerheart, she is a Seaborne Elf (to reflect her growing up in the Moonshae Isles). She is a Sorcerer (Elemental) with a Bard (Troubadour) multiclass. She feels the same to be honest.

Nik Nak. My goblin warlock (who talks in rhyme) for Pathfinder 2nd edition has the most changes. Here he is still a goblin (wildborne) but now he is a druid (Warden of Renewal). I like the Daggerheart goblin species, but I am not really happy with this class choice. Though I am happy with the druid. 

These are all just based on my readings of the open Beta and just a little over two days of the final rules. I am sure I'll make some tweaks to all these characters. Well, maybe not Johan and Sinéad. I am pretty happy with how they turned out. 

With Critical Role Campaign 3 now over I am pretty certain that Campaign 4, when it kicks off, will be using these rules. I can't imagine they would want to miss the chance to sell the house system. 

I'll continue to read the PDF and play around on Demiplane Nexus. When I get the physical game (it's the only thing I asked for, I don't really need much), I'll revisit this for Part 2. 

Drow have had a LONG history in D&D.  

This is a good one for me to review now. In my Forgotten Realms (even if AD&D 1st Ed) campaign has a Drow priestess of Eilistraee. I know a bit about her, but this is a good book for me now.

While I know a lot of Realms lore Drow, I would never say I am an expert. Admittedly I learned of Drow via Greyhawk lore and the Epic GDQ series from Gygax. So my first experiences with Drow were in Erelhei-Cinlu and not Menzoberranzan.

It is time I changed that. 

FOR2: The Drow of the Underdark (2e)

1991. Ed Greenwood. Artists: Jeff Easley (cover), Tim Bradstreet, Rick Harris (interiors). 96 pages. Color cover, gold, black & white interiors. Some full-color plates.

For this review, I am considering my PDF and Print on Demand versions from DriveThruRPG.

There’s a certain mystique that comes with any Ed Greenwood-penned Forgotten Realms book, but The Drow of the Underdark lands in that very specific early-'90s TSR sweet spot: prestige-format, Realms-focused, lore-dense, and just weird enough to feel like it snuck out of Elminster’s bottom drawer. 

I read Greenwood's articles fondly in Dragon Magazine, even if I was not interested in the Realms at the time. These days, not with more years of appreciation for Ed, the Realms, and these products I feel like I get a lot more out of these books than I would have say back in 91. 

This was the second entry in the "FOR" series, following Draconomicon, and it leans hard into that same idea: go deep on a singular part of the Realms and pull no punches. Where Draconomicon scattered its gaze across multiple dragon types, this one drills straight down into drow culture, religion, and society—and stays there.

And yes, this is very much a Greenwood book. That means: flavor over stats, dense Realmslore, and the occasional asides from Elminster. Honestly, I would not want it any other way. 

Note, the table of contents does not have the Chapter numbers, but the Chapters do as do the bookmarks in the PDF. 

The book feels like the AD&D 2nd Ed splat books of the time. 

Overview

This isn't just "Vault of the Drow in the Forgotten Realms." It's a deliberate reimagining of the drow as a functioning, if cruel and fractured, civilization with its own logic and diversity. Greenwood expands far beyond the Lolth-worshipping archetype that had become the default by 1991 and proposes alternative drow following other deities, traditions, and magical philosophies.

It's still evil, make no mistake. But this book provides a scaffold for playing, plotting, or writing about drow from the inside out. It dares to humanize them, not to redeem them, but to make them usable. And it succeeds.

Introduction

Classic Greenwood here. An interview between him and Elminster and a naked drow woman named Susprina Arkhenneld. She is finally detailed in one of Ed's more famous videos. In my head-canon, Simon Aumar is the distant offspring of Elminster and Suprina. Great, great grand-son according to the Realms wiki. Not sure how that works in "real" Realms lore, but it works fine for me. 

Chapter 1: The Nature of Dark Elves

The opening sections dive into drow history, physiology, life cycle, customs, language, and, most of all, their society.  We start with how Drow are similar and different from standard elves. This includes their intelligence and magic. 

We also get a bit on driders, which are different in later versions of the game. Here, in their original form, they are the misfits and rejects of the Drow society. 

Chapter 2: Dark Elven Society

Covers a lot of what we know about Drow.

The "House" system is here in all its backstabbing glory, with clear inspiration from both earlier Gygaxian sources and Greenwood's own campaigns. You get descriptions of how drow children are raised (answer: with cruelty and indoctrination), gender roles (strictly matriarchal), and the political maneuverings that dominate their lives.

We are introduced to Menzoberranzan, but many details are left out. Of course, I only know this because of future knowledge. Still, what is here is tantalizing. I am purposefully looking for differences between this and Erelhei-Cinlu. It is like comparing New York or LA (Menzoberranzan) to Chicago (Erelhei-Cinlu). 

This part reads less like a rulebook and more like a cultural ethnography written by a half-mad sage. And I mean that as praise.

Chapter 3: Religion and Deities

Lolth looms large, of course, but this book’s standout contribution is the introduction of three other drow deities:

• Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden, the Dancer, goddess of good-aligned drow
• Ghaunadaur, an oozy, mad god of slimes and the Realmsified version of the Elder Elemental God
• Lolth of course.
• Vhaeraun, the male drow god of stealth and thievery, and Drow aims on the Surface world.

Generally speaking, I like these gods. Eilistraee is interesting and makes "Good" Drow make sense to me. Vhaeraun seems like a god Drow should have. Ghaundaur, though I see less of a "version" of the Elder Elemental God and more of an aspect, or even a fragment. 

This section expands the theological spectrum of drow society and sets the groundwork for future Realms books and characters (like Qilué Veladorn and the Eilistraeean sects).

Chapter 4: History of the Drow

Similar to what we know from Greyhawk, but greatly expanded. 

Chapters 5 , 6 & 7: Magic, Spells, and Magic and Craftwork Items

A wide selection of new spells and magic items are detailed here, many built specifically for the Underdark environment. Drow necromancy, priestly magic, and magic item crafting are all treated with a specific cultural lens—these are not just elves with different spellbooks.

The book also explains why drow magic and weapons degrade in sunlight, a now-classic bit of Realms justification that threads game mechanics and worldbuilding nicely.

Chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11: Drow Language, Nomenclature, Glossary, and Symbols

Chapter 8 is just a page, but a lot of potential here. Chapter 9 covers some nomenclature and Chapter 10 has a Glossary of "Deep Drow." Chapter 11 covers various symbols. 

I do wonder why these chapters were not combined into one, more comprehensive chapter.

Chapter 13: The Underdark

It only has a page here, but the Underdark gets its "Forever Home" here in the Realms.

Chapter 14: Monsters and Allies

The book introduces new monsters, mostly arachnid or Underdark-themed. Standouts include:

Deep dragons, later seen in Monstrous Compendium: Forgotten Realms Appendix II

Yochlol, handmaidens of Lolth, finally updated for 2e

Several new giant spider and insect variants

And my favorite from Dragon Magazine, the Deep Bats.

These are presented in Monstrous Compendium format, ready to slot into your binder, a nice touch from the era. For me, the value here is to print them out and stick them all into my Forgotten Realms binder. 

Jeff Easley’s cover, with its webbed motif and brooding drow, sets the tone perfectly. The interior art is black-and-white linework typical of the time, functional and flavorful, if not always consistent. The layout is dense, with minimal whitespace, a product of both the printing economics of the time and Greenwood’s maximalist style.

The PDF on DriveThruRPG is a clean scan and includes the full content in a readable, printable format. The PoD version has the common fuzziness to the text, but still pretty sharp. Better than most of the PoDs from the same era. 

Compatibility and Use at the Table

Though it’s firmly written for AD&D 2nd Edition, most of this book is system-light and easily adapted. I've pulled material from it for 1st Edition games, OSR campaigns, and even 5e adventures. The gods, monsters, and magical quirks are timeless.

Want to run a Drow-centric campaign? This is your bible.

Want to add depth to Drow NPCs or create political plotlines among rival Houses? It’s all here.

Even just dropping in Eilistraee or Vhaeraun as rare cults in your game world adds immediate nuance to the usual "Lolth or nothing" trope.

Highlights & Favorites

Debut of Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and Ghaunadaur as active drow deities.

Deep dive into matriarchal House structure and political intrigue. Though not everything we will need or read about this, but this is where it starts.

New Drow-only spells and Underdark items.

Monstrous Compendium pages ready for use (my favorite).

Elminster flavor text. Indulgent, but charming, and honestly, I enjoy them more now than I would have back then.

A Few Quibbles

Some of Greenwood’s prose is thick, and it assumes some Realms knowledge going in. It is one of the reasons I avoided the Realms for as long as I did, which, of course, just makes the problem worse. I figured I had to dive in somewhere. I read this and I understand it, but there are still two things that I wonder about. 1. How would this have read to me back in 1991 without everything I know now? And 2. I always feel like there is some bit of Realms lore that it is assumed everyone knows, and I don't.

There's also less about specific locations than you might expect. Menzoberranzan, for example, is barely touched on, later books like Menzoberranzan (1992) and Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to the Underdark (1999) pick up that slack.

And while the book teases alternative Drow cultures, it still feels like 90% of them worship Lolth. The other sects are intriguing, but underdeveloped. Is this good or bad? I mean, I am more than happy to do more heavy lifting here. And in the end, that may be the real point. 

Final Thoughts

The Drow of the Underdark is a foundational text for Drow in the Realms and beyond. It takes what was once a one-note villain race and gives them depth, diversity, and terrifying credibility. I have to admit, after reading this, I see how Drizzt Do’Urden was not a fluke but an inevitability. 

The book holds up remarkably well. It’s a snapshot of the Realms before Drow culture became mainstream through novels and video games, offering a more alien and nuanced portrayal. Greenwood’s love of the setting shines, and his approach—dense, layered, a little chaotic—is as compelling now as it was in 1991.

More than just a monster book, this is a cultural document. And it’s one of the few early Realms supplements that still feels fresh and useful today, even across multiple editions. I am using it for AD&D 1st Ed now. I know I would get just as much use out of it if I were running 3e or 5e. I also printed out the spells for my son to use with his 1st ed Drow cleric. 

Though written for AD&D 2e, its focus on lore over mechanics makes it evergreen. 

Buy this if:

• You're running Underdark adventures in any edition of D&D
• You want to add Drow politics, religion, or flavor to your campaign
• You collect foundational Realms lore

Personally, I am happy to have it in my small, but growing Realms collection.

 I am working on my next Myths & Monsters series, this time on the Ptolemaic Myths of the combined Greek and Egyptian pantheons of the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt. While the poster children for these myths are Serapis and Hermes Trismegistus, I want to focus on a goddess who is, as far as I know, fairly unique.

While I am leaning heavily on academic scholarship here for this one, that only takes me so far. And in truth, if I am going to come up with my syncretic god here, it might as well be a Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic. 

Thankfully, one such goddess sprang, fully formed like Athena, from my mind. Or very nearly fully formed. 

Heqate, Queen of Heka and the Crossroads Eternal

This Wednesday, I want to return to the Ptolemaic Myths specifically, to the goddess known as Heqate (formerly Heka here), the Witch Queen of the Two Lands and the living embodiment of heka. This is not simply Hecate with great eyeliner, nor Heqet with a torch and dogs, nor even a distaff Heka or a Greek Weret Hekau. This is a syncretic goddess of magic, liminality, birth-life-death-rebirth, and arcane will, forged where Greek moon sorcery meets Egyptian divine speech.

If you've ever wanted to play a moonlit necromancer-priestess, a midwife-witch who communes with ghosts, or a seer whose scrolls bleed truth, this is your goddess. 

Heqate: The Torchbearer of the Threshold

In older Greek traditions, Hecate was already something liminal, goddess of the crossroads, of the moon, of ghosts, and witchcraft. And, of death, the ultimate threshold. In Egypt, the frog-headed Heqet presided over childbirth, resurrection, and divine protection in the womb and tomb alike. Add to this the Egyptian concept of heka (lower case, not the god Heka), not magic as trickery, but as cosmic creative force, and Weret Hekau, the Egyptian personification of supernatural powers, you get something entirely new. 

In the Ptolemaic imagination, these figures blur into one divine presence:

Heqate, the Queen of Witches, the Scribe of Names, the Midwife of Magic.

• She carries torches of silver flame, revealing the paths between life and death and rebirth.
• She speaks true names, unraveling illusions, enchantments, and lies.
• She presides over birthing chambers and funerary rites, the first breath and the last silence.
• Her voice is heka, and her will becomes ritual law.

The Three Faces of the Liminal Witch

Followers of Heqate often describe her as having three aspects (I can't resist a good Maiden-Mother-Crone tri-aspect):

• The Maiden of Moonlight – Patron of seers, dreamers, and witches-in-training. She guards hidden knowledge and initiations.
• The Mother of Torches – Midwife and ward-breaker. She protects the soul at its most vulnerable.
• The Crone of Ash and Word – Keeper of forbidden names and the judgment of oaths. Her word is binding.

Temples and covens devoted to her often use three altars—one facing the door, one the hearth, and one a mirror.

Final Thoughts

Heqate isn’t just a rebranding. She’s a bridge goddess, walking between systems, just as witches walk between divine and arcane, mortal and otherworld, life and death. She offers you a chance to center magic not as firepower, but as language, ritual, and transformation.

The Ptolemies ruled over Egypt as Greek-speaking elites, and their greatest symbol wasn’t a weapon or a crown, it was a library. The Great Library of Alexandria was the beating heart of the Ptolemaic worldview: knowledge as power, preservation as control, language as law.

If Hermes Trismegistus is the figurehead of recorded wisdom, the scholar-priest who catalogues and measures, then Heqate is the figurehead of forbidden wisdom and occult knowledge, the whispered name, the unwritten charm, the scroll burned before it can be copied. She is the sorcerous opposite to Hermes’ alchemical order, not in opposition, but in complement. They are a cosmic argument between forms of knowing.

Do they oppose each other? Perhaps. No more than witches and wizards clash in how they practice magic. Perhaps this ancient rivalry echoes across the ages, playing out in coven and tower, scroll and staff, moon and mercury.

In any case, it is certainly a fun way to set up a god rivalry between wizards and witches in your worlds. 

And if I am being honest. She would have great eyeliner and wear an ankh as a necklace. 

 I am back to work on my next set of syncretized myths, this time my poster child of syncretism, the Greco-Egyptian gods, also known as the Ptolemaic Religion.  I am taking some of the historically documented gods (Hermes Trismegistus, Serapis, Harpokrates) and mixing in my own takes (Heka, Hermanubis), and others to round this set of myths out.

There are a few monsters that fit both the Greek and Egyptian myths very well. The pegasus (as a winged horse), the sphinx, giant snakes, giant scorpions, all sorts of undead. But there are some monsters common to both cultures (Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt) that could also be used. Here is one. The Hippalektryon is an interesting creature. Since it is the combination of two creatures I decided they are sacred to Hermes Trismegistus.

Since my Myths & Monsters series is for 1st Edition, here it is in that format.

HIPPALEKTRYON

Rooster-Horse Hybrid

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1d4
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 18" (Fly: 30")
HIT DICE: 4+4
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: C
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws / 1 beak
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1–4 / 1–4 / 1–6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Sonic crow
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to illusions
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low to Average (6–10)
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M (5'–6' long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV / 210 + 5/hp

DESCRIPTION: The Hippalektryon is an odd and rare creature with the hindquarters, wings, and tail of a giant rooster and the forequarters and head of a small horse. Their muzzle ends in a sharp, rooster-like beak. Native to mythic dreamlands and prophetic realms, it is often found in sacred sites, high mountain nests, or circling the domes of prophetic temples. They most often make their nests overlooking a body of water.

Though physically awkward, they are powerful flyers and capable of delivering swift, slashing claw strikes with their rooster-like talons, followed by a sharp beak attack.

Once per day, a Hippalektryon can emit a Sonic Crow (30’ cone, 10’ wide at base, 30’ at end) that causes confusion (as per the spell) to all creatures in the area unless they save vs. spells. Creatures that fail their saves also suffer a -1 penalty to any Wisdom-based rolls for 4 rounds. The crow may also be used to dispel illusions within 60' (as dispel magic, 7th level).

They are considered sacred to Hermes Trismegistus and are sometimes summoned by priests or sages seeking omens, clarity, or inspiration. A feather plucked from a living Hippalektryon may be used to create scrolls of prophecy or truth-telling magic.

Man, Myth & Magic by Herbert "Herbie" Brennan and J. Stephen Peek and published originally byYaquinto Publications in 1982, and now published (in PDF and single softcover formats) by Precis Intermedia.  

I have always been fascinated by this game. The name of course grabbed me for two reasons. There was the whole "Myth and Magic" side to it all which in 1982 was a big draw for me.  There was the magazine and encyclopedia series also called Man, Myth & Magic that dealt with all sorts of occult-related topics.  

I read reviews for it in Dragon Magazine (#80) and White Dwarf (#41) and was actually quite curious about it.  The reviews really ripped into the game, and I needed to know if it was as bad as they made it sound.  Sadly, I never found a copy near me, and a mail-order of $19.00 + tax and shipping and handling made it a little more out of reach when it was new and all I had was a paper route for spending money.

But I was always drawn to historical games. If I could play or run a game and learn something about history at the same time, then it was time well spent. I have enjoyed quite a few, mostly Victorian-era ones, and others I ripped online so much that I promised I wasn't going to rip on them anymore. 

Man, Myth, & Magic sadly belongs to the camp of a historical mishmash, that is to say, it is about as historically accurate as an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Xena and it is very entertaining in the right frame of mind.  The same is true for this game. Great, in the right frame of mind.  In fact, I think that now, living in a post-Xena world, there is a place for this game that did not exist in 1982.   

For this review, I am going to consider my original boxed set from 1982 (now minus the dice) and the newer PDF versions found on DriveThruRPG published by Precis Intermedia.  In both cases, the material is the same minus some of the extras that came in the boxed set like the dice and a pad of character sheets.

Man, Myth, & Magic

Man, Myth, & Magic was published in a boxed set of three books (same covers), with a pad of character sheets, some maps, and dice.  The PDF combines the three books into one 132 page volume. The original boxed set retailed for $19.00 in 1982 ($55 in today's buying power) and the PDFs sell for $7.95 today.  The books feature color covers and black & white interiors. 

Book 1

Book 1 is 24 pages and covers the "Basic Game" and the game most like the one as originally conceived of by Herbie Brennan.  In this game, the players play gladiators in the time of the Roman Emperors. Which one? That is up to a random dice roll unless of course, the players want something different. 

It's an interesting idea, but...well there are some problems here. According to the back of the box, it is the Summer of 41 CE. Cool.  But Caligula was assassinated in January of 41 CE.  Tiberius ruled 14 to 37 CE and Nero was Emperor from 54 to 68 CE.  The only Emperor in the Summer of 41 was Claudius. Adding dates in parentheses would have been a nice touch.  Let's not even get into the fact that Cleopatra VII, the last of the Egyptian Pharaohs, had died back in 30 BCE, 71 years before the events of this game, but that looks like her on the cover.  I'll talk more about this later.  In theory you can tun this game from 4000 BCE to 500 (or 1000) CE. 

You begin with your Roman Gladiator and your two percentile d20s and roll up your characteristics.  The characteristics in the Basic Game are Strength, Speed, Skill (not used just yet), Endurance, Intelligence, and Courage. The scores range from 1 to 100.  You add all these up for your Life Points (so 5 to 500), you fall unconscious at 20 or below and dead at 0 or below. 

The Basic rules take your gladiator from start to a bit of combat and adventure with the maxim that the best way to learn is to do.   This is a tactic that the rest of the game uses.  At the end of this, your character is ready for new adventures.

The neat bit, and one I want to revisit, is the idea of reincarnation. That is if your character dies they can be reincarnated. 

Book 2

Book 2 covers the "Advanced Game" and includes 40 pages. Here we learn more about skills, the Power score, and the different Nationalities (10) and Classes associated with each (2-5 each).  All are completely random and no real attempt is made to explain why say an Egyptian Sorcerer, a Gaulish Barbarian, a Roman Gladiator, and a Hibernian Leprechaun would all be part of the same adventuring party.  Ok. That's not entirely true, but the explanation takes some digging. 

Up first is determining your Nationality. Again a random roll gives you African, Briton, Egyptian, Gaul, Greek, Hebrew, Hibernian, Visigoth, Roman, and Oriental. Each at 10% chance.   Within each nationality, there are character classes.  Regardless of how many there is an equal chance for any given class.  Most nationalities have a sort of "fighter" like class and all have merchant.  There are two classes open to women characters only, Wisewoman (African) and Sybil (Greek).  Details are given for all the classes, 20 in total, but not a lot of information.  In most cases only a paragraph here and some more details later on.  This brings up a persistent issue, the rules are a bit scattered everywhere throughout the book. 

Additionally, there are two "Special Categories" of players (not characters) of "Orator" and "Sage" or essentially a storyteller and a record keeper.  Much in the same way Basic D&D has a "Caller."  Not much else is mentioned about these roles however. 

This character is considered to be your first incarnation.  Anytime your character dies, you can then reincarnate.  This allows you to change your nationality, class, and gender and retain a little bit of the Skill from a previous incarnation.  It is an interesting idea, I am not 100% certain though that it works. Knowing gamers I see a situation where players would play a character only to get them to die for a chance at a better character next time. 

There is a fun chart on inheritance that would be fun to port over to other games.  Related there are our ubiquitous tables of equipment.   

Some of the other secondary "Optional" characteristics are also detailed.  These include Agility, Charm, Dexterity, Drinking, and so on.  These are really more akin to "skills." The trouble is that some of these you have to roll higher, some you have to roll lower and others you don't roll at all.  There is no rhyme or reason here. 

Combat rules follow and they remind me a bit of Runequest.  Nothing really special really.  Strength points over 50 can add to your damage, Skill points over 50 can add to your "To hit" chance. Combat, like all the rolls here, start with a basic 50% chance to hit.  The Basic game just has you roll. The Advanced game has you make called shots.  Classes with Combat as their "Prime Ability" can improve their ability to hit even more. All classes can spend Power to also increase their to-hit bonus; 10 points of Power to increase your chance by 1%.  Interestingly armor does not stop you from being hit, it does reduce damage taken.

The goal of the game though is the accumulation of Power.  Power advances your character and can overcome that 50% failure rate.  Power also is the, well, power behind Magic. 

The last third or so of the book covers all sorts of additional rules.  Some seem tossed in, to be honest. Poisons are covered as are spells.  

Magic, as expected, is given some special attention, though not as much as I was expecting.  Magic is assumed to be real and work, at least part of the time.  Magic is described as "Coincidence," a spell is uttered and something happens whether it caused it or not. "Science," Damascus steel is given an example. The superior technology was seen as magic. "Psychic Phenomena" which not really an explanation at all, likewise "Trance State" and as "Lost Knowledge."  Though no explanation is really given as to how magic works.  

Book 3

The adventures take up Book 3 and is 64 pages.  This book is for the Lore Master (Game Master) only and is also one of the weaker parts of the game.  The Adventures, while interesting, are a bit of a railroad. In order to succeed the players have to hit all the parts in order and then move on to the next adventure.   

The adventures include the following:

• The Dragon Loose in Rome. Not a dragon really, but a rogue T-Rex.  Not that this makes any more sense, but ok, points for effort.  
• Apollo's Temple. Emperor Caligula sends the characters to the Temple of Apollo aka Stonehenge.
• The Witches of Lolag Shlige. The characters then have to go to Ireland (Hibernia) and rescue a child from some witches.
• The Great Pyramid Revealed. Caligula has issued a death warrant for the characters. They find themselves in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

These adventures are a prelude to the published adventures.   There are some neat ideas here, but the adventures lack something for me. Actually, it lacks a lot of things for me, but I could make some changes to make them work.

There are some encounter tables, but they only cover the areas that the adventures are detailed here. I also have to note there are no monsters here. Just humans. 

One of the bigger criticisms of this game at the time was the then $19.00 price tag, which is about $55 in today's buying power. Now, $20 for a boxed set of three books, character sheets, and dice sounds like a steal. With the PDF at just $7.95, it is a price I think should attract anyone interested in this game. 

The art is in black & white, which is expected and welcome, but there is not a lot of it and some of it is repeated throughout the books.  

Man, Myth, & Magic sometimes feels like two different games, or rather two different ideas merged into one game. I feel that the classic Roman Gladiator/Basic Game was Herbie Brennan's idea and the worldwide game of various nations and types or the Advanced Game was Steve Peek's. Given that Brennan started working on a game called "Arena" which was a Gladitorial RPG. I don't have anything concrete to base this on other than a feeling. 

About Reincarnation

Reincarnation is quite a big deal in this game. This is not a huge surprise given Herbert Brennan's publication history.  His book "The Reincarnation Workbook: A Complete Course in Recalling Past Lives" could work as a guide for this game.  Personally, I would like to use the reincarnation idea to help smooth out some of the issues with different times.  So adventurers from Cleopatra VII's Egypt can then deal with Tiberius and then help in Boudicea's raid on Londinium.   Something similar to the Old Soul quality in Unisystem.  

Somehow, using the idea of the Distant Memory, which, like Old Soul, allows the characters to draw on past life knowledge and skill.  That is easy to do in Unisystem, not so easy to do in D&D like games with very rigidly defined classes. Taking a level in another class might do it. 

Not the same thing, but great fun

There is an interesting game here but I think the concept of it is greater than the rules as presented actually allow.  It never quite lives up to what the box claims.  Nor is it the abomination that earlier reviews made it out to be.  I think most reviewers balked at the price tag and the fact that the game did not offer anything new; at least not anything that meant going through the rather clunky rules. 

It is most certainly not a historically accurate game. It is historically inspired, to be sure, but not by any means accurate. 

The bottom line is that the game isn't good; in fact, it's rather bad in many respects. That is not to say that someone won't find this game interesting or fun. There are far, far better games out there. The game has some things that I enjoy, but not enough to make me want to play the RPG on a regular basis.  

Larina Nix for Man, Myth & Magic

Given this game's history and other tie-ins, a witch character is absolutely called for. As I have pointed out before in my *D&D games, witches can't use raise dead or resurrection spells, nor can they be used on them; witches can only reincarnate. This works well with Herbie Brennan's own ideas. So I am left sitting here wondering why it has taken me this long to make a witch character, especially one whose backstory (and future story) includes reincarnation. 

Indeed, the connection between Herbie Brennan, this game, and his own interest in the occult makes this character a no-brainer. A lot here works well for Larina, but nothing is perfect for her. There are sorcerers, wise-women, and even the leprechaun looks like fun. 

Larina "Nix" Nichols
Daughter of Lars

Nationality: 
Class: "Witch" (Mystic)
Prime Ability: Intelligence

BASIC
Strength: 45
Speed: 66
Skill: 78
Endurance: 60
Intelligence: 89
Courage: 75
Power: 91
LIFE POINTS: 335

OPTIONAL
Agility: 58
Charm: 15
Determination: 77
Dexterity: 60
Drinking: 22
Devotion: 20 (to the Old Ways)
Hearing: 50
Height: 5'4"

Language: 86% (3) Brittonic (Fluent), Latin (Basic), Saxon (Rudimentary)
Loyalty: 92 (to coven and outcast kin)
Luck: 3
Mental: 23
Read & Write: 92% (Brittonic runes, Latin scripts)
Senses: 45
Sight: 60
Stealth: 60

Swimming: 65
Portage: 40
Throwing: 48
Weight: 122 lbs

City Knowledge: 29 (limited, prefers villages)
Desert Knowledge: 5 (none)
Mountain Knowledge: 52 (hills, sacred sites)
Sea Knowledge: 51 (familiar with coastlines)
Woods Knowledge: 86 (knows herbs, hidden paths, spirits)

Magical/Special Fundamental Failure Rate:  5%/ 21%
First Strike Capacity: 125
Basic To Hit Number: 66
Number of Blows per Combat:  2   Per Round: 1  
Damage Bonus: +2
CMF: +10 when using spells, herbs, or improvised items

Weapons Allowed: Dagger, small blade, staff, sling
Armour Allowed: Leather or cloth robes only (prefers no armor)

Dexterity Figure: 17

Spells

• Healing - 1 pp = 2 LP
• Corn Dolly - 5 points of damage
• Woven Cross (Cross of Brigit) - Restores LP
• Pentacle - Turn Demons

Who Should Play This Game?

I would say the PDF, at just under $8, makes it worthwhile for the very, very curious. I have my boxed set, and I am happy with it, but my expectations were low, and my curiosity was really high. The PDFs are good, and Precis Intermedia did a great job cleaning them up and getting them out, so that is also a point in favor of the game.

The game itself is only worth about 2 stars.  My curiosity about it and desire to have it pushed it closer to 4 stars.  Ultimately, I will give 3 stars since I don't want to unduly affect Precis Intermedia games' overall rating.  But don't grab this unless you are really curious (which is a good reason) or want to see how not to design a game. 

There is another group that might be interested in this. Anyone who takes Herbie Brennan's ideas of reincarnation and astral projection seriously can use this game as a guide for exploring ideas in his Reincarnation Workbook. Not my thing, but some one will enjoy that aspect of it. 

Still, there is fun to be had with the right group and mindset. 

Links

• Man, Myth & Magic on RPG Geek
• Man, Myth & Magic (Classic Reprint) PDFs on DriveThruRPG
• Timeship, Herbie Brennan's other game.
• Man, Myth & Magic RPG (Classic Reprint) Published by Precis Intermedia
• PDF and Softcover store
• Character Sheet
• Roll for Sanity Unboxing video

 I am starting this in the early Winter of 2025, but I suspect it will take me a bit to finish it. I want to set up some reasons why the newest edition of Dungeons & Dragons, called the 2024 Edition by Wizards of the Coast and the 5.5 edition by me really needs it's own new campaign world.

I have spent most of this year talking about how you can, and maybe should, try out other games besides D&D 5.5.  But I get why many would not. 

Today I want to take a different track. That D&D 5.5 (2024 edition) should have it's own game world and embrace the changes they have made.

D&D is Becoming Creatively Stagnant

Let’s face it. Wizards keeps returning to the same old wells: the Sword Coast, Ravenloft, Planescape, Greyhawk. Some of it’s great, a lot of it, even. But the nostalgia engine is starting to sputter. At what point does reverence for the past become a chokehold on the future?

Look, I get it. There is 50 years' worth of lore and backstory and things people can do in D&D that rest on what has come before. It would be foolish to think D&D would abandon all of that. That would be the same as DC saying they are rolling out a new comic line that has nothing to do with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. 

But. The overreliance on nostalgia is becoming creatively thin, if not stagnant. I can buy into Iggwilv saying the hell with it all and running off to hide in Feywild. I get that. I can sorta see Bigby being transformed into a gnome or whatever. Hey, the world is weird and weird things happen. Though would it not be better to just make a new gnome character? I don't know.

I will say this by way of example. A while back, I had a 20-something explain to me who Kas was and his importance to Vecna's lore. Instead of being a dick and saying shit like "don't quote the deep magic to me..." I just let them be excited and share something that was obviously new and exciting for them. Maybe that is why we keep going back to the Keep, the Sword Coast, and Wild Space. 

Sure, it’s fun to reimagine Bigby or retcon Kas and Vecna’s ancient grudge. And I love that new fans are discovering these stories and making them their own; that’s part of the magic. But do we really need to keep dragging the same characters through the multiverse like Weekend at Bernie’s NPCs?

Where’s the creative risk? The bold new mythology? The chance to start over without decades of canon stacked like bricks around the game?

The Grogs who loved those settings will puff out their chests (and then cough a lot because, well, we are getting up there aren't we) and loudly proclaim they don't buy "WotC D&D." Fine. Then D&D should be made for the people who do buy it.

A new setting, unburdened by layers of TSR-era geopolitics and decades of novels, would give writers, designers, and players room to breathe.

Human-centric is No Longer the Norm

When D&D began, the assumption was largely a human-centric worldview with some elves, dwarves, and maybe some halflings thrown in. Each edition expanded the selection of species choice. This has largely been a benefit to the game since people can play what they want. But, many of these new options are not well mapped onto the worlds in use. The Forgotten Realms has made some strides to explain why there are dragonborn and tieflings and for the most part that works for me. But it is harder to see all of these folk in, say, Greyhawk. Interestingly enough, this is exactly the sort of thing I feel Mystara does well. 

D&D’s playable species have exploded since 1974. We now have playable angels, rabbitfolk, genasi, tieflings, dragonborn, and more. The world of the player is no longer a human one with some elves and dwarves in the margins. It’s a multicultural multiverse and that is a good thing.

And yet, the game keeps returning to campaign worlds built for that older paradigm.

I am playing a my first ever tiefling in Baldur's Gate 3 now. It is interesting. There are dialog choices that were not there before, most around "will I be accepted as a tiefling?" Larian Studios at least gets some of the issue with adding some new species in lands with a ton of lore that doesn't include them. But again, maybe the Forgotten Realms was just better at this than say Greyhawk.

A new setting could make this diversity the foundation, not the patch job. 

Look how Star Wars does it. Aliens everywhere and each one is more interesting than the last. In movies and TV shows, humans are cheaper to do obviously (no CGI or makeup) but RPGs should not have that limitation. 

D&D 5.5 is Brighter than Previous Editions, And Its World Should Be, Too

The tone of the game is more hopeful. You are not really murder hobos, you are heroes. The art is brighter, too. The world is more escapist fantasy where the Grim Dark is now found in the Non-fiction and Current Events sections of the library.

Characters aren’t just delvers of dungeons or looters of crypts, they’re agents of change, defenders of ideals, aspirants to legend.

You can see it in the art. It’s vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic. You can see it in the rules, as well with an emphasis on collaboration, character backstory, and narrative arcs.

But many of the older campaign settings were built on a darker foundation. Political cynicism, gritty realism, moral ambiguity. That’s great for some stories. But it’s not the dominant tone of 5.5.

I am running an AD&D 1st Ed game on Tuesday nights set in the Forgotten Realms. I mentioned that at the time of the game's writing (1987 CE) and the time I am setting it in (1357 DR) that there were not a lot of the species running around. I said I wanted to keep the spirit of the original rules for this. I compromised and allowed a "good" Drow and a Kitsune. This is what the new players want and why should anyone tell them no?

Let’s give this new era a world that fits its heart and implied vision.

A New Setting Would Be a Statement

The release of a new setting wouldn’t just be a product; it would be a signal. A declaration that this isn’t just another iteration of D&D. That D&D is evolving and ready to explore new myths, new cultures, and new stories, in new ways. Yeah, if you want, you can still go out and commit orc ethnic cleansing if that is your desire. I'll point out that you should stick to the older editions because, honestly, they do that better than the current one.

It wouldn’t negate the old settings. Greyhawk will always be there. So will Eberron and Mystara and the Realms. But just like 3e had Eberron, 4e had the Nentir Vale, and even 2e had Birthright, 5.5 deserves a world it can own. 

Something new. Something bright. A place where all these design choices of the last 15 years can come home and say "this is our world."

I’m not saying Wizards must make a new setting to make 5.5 a success. But if they want to inspire a new generation the way Greyhawk inspired Gygax’s table or the Realms inspired Ed Greenwood’s then they might consider lighting a new torch instead of holding onto the old ones.

Next time I'll talk about what this would could be.

Photo by Ferdinand Studio

 Working on a new project. It should be pretty obvious, but I will wait for the full announcement. Among some of the features of this new project is the notion of "Advanced Classes." You have already seen these kinds of classes before. They are the Bard (PHB), Thief-Acrobat, the Archdruid (UA), and the Wizards of High Sorcery from the Dragonlance Adventures book. 

Mine, however, are all occult-based. I have already been play-testing a couple of them, some for a while, but today's is brand new. Based quite honestly on a dream I had Monday night/Tuesday morning. Though, the idea of the class has been running around my head for many years now.

Presently, I have four of these Advanced Classes worked out. Three for Witches and one for Magic-users.  I am toying around with about three-four others for other Advanced-era Classes/Sub-classes. 

ARCHWITCH

Advanced Class for Witches

The Archwitch is the culmination of a witch's arcane and spiritual mastery. Unlike common witches who deepen their craft through occult rites, the Archwitch transcends the circle, walking the border between witchcraft and wizardry. She gains insight into the deepest mysteries of magic and the cosmos, weaving both witch spells and high arcana into her grimoire. Figures such as Iggwilv, The Simbul, and Sagarassi exemplify this path. While many label them as mere magic-users, their roots lie firmly in the traditions of the witch.

Only those witches who have proven themselves through trial, wisdom, and power may take on the mantle of the Archwitch. This path is rare, and most witches never reach such heights.

Requirements

To become an Archwitch, a character must:

• Be a Witch of at least 7th level.
• Have an Intelligence of 17 or higher.
• Complete a Great Working, an act of magical significance witnessed by their Patron or coven. Examples include banishing a demon lord, opening or sealing a planar gate, the construction of a powerful magic item or new spell or ritual, or binding a major spirit.
• Be acknowledged as an Archwitch by their Patron or a gathering of at least three witches of 7th level or higher.

Restrictions

The character ceases to gain new Occult Powers granted to witches at levels 7, 13, and 19. These are replaced by Archwitch abilities.

Spellcasting

The Archwitch retains her full Witch spellcasting progression.

In addition, starting at Archwitch level 7, the Archwitch may select one Magic-User spell per spell level, beginning with 5th level magic-user spells and advancing with her own level. These are treated as bonus spells known, castable once per day each, and are cast using her own spells cast per day.

At level 11, the Archwitch gains the ability to cast one 9th-level Magic-User spell per day, chosen from a written copy in her Book of Shadows or from a scroll. This simulates her mastery of the highest arcane knowledge.

Note: There will be spell advancement tables for magic-user spells 1 through 9.

Archwitch Abilities

Mastery of the Veil (gained at level 7): Once per day, the Archwitch may combine two spells of 4th level or lower into a single casting. The casting time is doubled and both material components must be used. The effects occur simultaneously but must be directed at the same target or area.

Arcane Communion (gained at level 9): Once per week, the Archwitch may enter a trance to commune directly with her Patron or a cosmic force, gaining insight similar to the Commune spell. Additionally, she becomes immune to confusion and feeblemind effects.

Unbound by Circles (gained at level 11): The Archwitch may cast a 9th-level Magic-User spell once per day, provided she has access to the spell in a written form. This spell does not count against her daily limit of learned Magic-User spells. This ability reflects her transcendence of mortal limitations and entry into the ranks of true arcane legends.

Role and Influence

The Archwitch is no longer bound to any single coven, though she may lead one. Her word carries power in the witching world. She is often sought for advice, feared by enemies, and respected by peers. Her Patron may grant visions or quests of great import. In some traditions, the appearance of an Archwitch heralds the turning of an age.

Only a handful of witches per century achieve this status. Their names are remembered in spellbooks and whispered in ritual.

Experience Progression and Saving Throws

The Archwitch continues to use the Witch's experience table, attack matrix, and saving throws.

Multi-Class and Dual-Class Use

The Archwitch path is only open to single-classed Witches. Dual-classed characters must complete all level requirements before entry. Elves and other multi-classed races may not become Archwitches unless the campaign permits exceptions.

Optional Rule – Ritual Ascension: At the DM's discretion, the transition to Archwitch may require an in-game ritual, quest, or magical confrontation. This may include astral travel, defeating a rival Archwitch, or recovering a lost grimoire.

 Getting back to an old favorite of mine. My AD&D 1st edition Forgotten Realms game is still going great. The characters are still on a stolen boat and will land soon. I already know what is waiting for them.

PIASA BIRD

Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: –2
Move: 9" / 24" (Flying, Class C)
Hit Dice: 11 + 6 (55 hp average)
% in Lair: 50%
Treasure Type: Nil
No. of Attacks: 5 (claw/claw/horn/bite/tail)
Damage/Attack: 1–4 / 1–4 / 1–6 / 2–8 / 1–6
Special Attacks: Shriek (fear)
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Low (5–7)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: H (20' long, wingspan 40')
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
XP Value: 3,200

DESCRIPTION

The Piasa Bird is a terrible predator, said to haunt river cliffs and lonely forested bluffs. It combines the scaled body of a giant fish or serpent with the wings of a bat, antlers like a stag, claws like a dragon, and a monstrous human-like face complete with beard and gore-slick teeth. Most sages believe it to be unique, a living myth given form either by ancient curse or dark magic.

Legends trace its origin to a painted bluff near the Mississippi River, where the Illini people spoke of "the Bird That Devours Men." It is feared for its physical strength and its unearthly scream, which has driven entire camps mad with terror. It hunts mainly for pleasure and meat, especially favoring children and young adults.

COMBAT

The Piasa swoops upon its prey from above, initiating combat with its terrifying shriek. This is followed by a flurry of physical attacks: claws, horns, bite, and lashing tail. It can engage multiple foes at once, often striking with claws and bite against one target while sweeping others away with its tail or gore.

Shriek (Fear Effect): Once per day, the Piasa may emit a horrifying shriek. All creatures within 30 feet of the creature and of 5 Hit Dice or fewer must save vs. Spells or flee in panic for 1d4+2 rounds. Those above 5 HD must save or suffer –2 to hit rolls for the same duration due to overwhelming dread.

Only one Piasa Bird is known to exist, though superstitious accounts claim it disappears and reappears across generations. It lairs in a high cliffside cavern overlooking riverlands. It has no use for treasure, discarding anything it cannot eat. Its hunting cycle includes long periods of dormancy.

The Piasa feeds exclusively on fresh meat. It is a solitary apex predator. Due to its grotesque appearance and violent habits, it is considered a dire omen and subject of local legend. Some arcane scholars believe it to be a cursed spirit or manifestation of fear or ancient blood magic. Capturing one alive would be nearly impossible, but if somehow achieved, its display would command a king’s ransom.

Its shriek functions similarly to a fear spell but has a sonic origin.

Due to its chaotic nature, it may sometimes slaughter creatures without feeding, simply to instill dread.

--

I debated on whether to make him Chaotic Evil or not. I went with it since he his described as an evil monster and eater of humans, especially children. Plus tales of the Piasa used to scare the crap out of me as a little kid.

 Yeah, I said I wasn't going to do many more of these, but here we are. Though this week has some real treats and none of them really need my help.

Wandering Blades

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tonyatplusoneexp/wandering-blades?ref=theotherside

Daniel Kwan , of the Asians Represent! podcast and many RPG books, is doing something I have been wanting him to do for a while now: make a Wuxia action RPG. This one also combines that with Japanese Animation action, so yeah, I am looking forward to it. 

Just three weeks left on this one and I am looking forward to seeing it hit more stretch goals.

The Necromancer's Game: A Complete Boxed Set

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/necromancergames/the-necromancers-game?ref=theotherside

I certainly don't *need* this game, but I rather like the looks of it. I am sure it will be fun.

Heroes of Might and Magic TTRPG

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lmpublishing/heroes-of-might-and-magic-ttrpg?ref=theotherside

From Mōdiphiüs and based on Heroes of Might and Magic video games. This one should also be fun. And they have a native Witch class, so you know that has my attention!

OSRIC 3

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/mythmere-games/osric-3?ref=theotherside

Ah. The big one. This game caused quite a stir on the old Open Gaming Foundation lists back in the day. It would go on to be one of the biggest names in the OSR scene.

All three aim to give you a similar experience. All three are currently killing it in their respective crowdfunding campaigns. 

I am sure there is something here for you all. 

This one is partly a "Witchcraft Wednesday" post and partly "In Search Of..." and a whole lot its own thing.

For the last couple of years, I have been rereading all almost all the books listed in Gary Gygax's Appendix N. 

In case you don't have your DMG handy, here is the list.

Anderson, Poul. Three Hearts and Three Lions; The High Crusade; The Broken Sword
Bellairs, John. The Face in the Frost
Brackett, Leigh.
Brown, Fredric.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Pellucidar series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin. "World's End" series
de Camp, L. Sprague. Lest Darkness Fall; Fallible Fiend; et al.
de Camp & Pratt. "Harold Shea" series; Carnelian Cube
Derleth, August.
Dunsany, Lord.
Farmer, P. J. "The World of the Tiers" series; et al.
Fox, Gardner. "Kothar" series; "Kyrik" series; et al.
Howard, R. E. "Conan" series
Lanier, Sterling. Hiero’s Journey
Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" series; et al.
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A. Creep, Shadow, Creep; Moon Pool; Dwellers in the Mirage; et al.
Moorcock, Michael. Stormbringer; Stealer of Souls; "Hawkmoon" series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre.
Offutt, Andrew J., editor. Swords Against Darkness III.
Pratt, Fletcher. Blue Star; et al.
St. Clair, Margaret. The Shadow People; Sign of the Labrys
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit; "Ring Trilogy"
Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld; The Dying Earth; et al.
Weinbaum, Stanley.
Wellman, Manly Wade.
Williamson, Jack.
Zelazny, Roger. Jack of Shadows; "Amber" series; et al.

This is not the first time I have talked about this list, but this series is likely going to be the most in-depth.

I talked about "Reading Appendix N" and what books I have added to it. My own "Appendix O" of occult and other supernatural-type books that have influenced my own games. I have that page linked under the banner for this blog. And last year, I mentioned I was getting started on this project.

With this new feature I want to go back to these books and talk about the witches who have appeared in them.  I am not going to talk about every book. I am not going to talk about every witch, even. Just the ones that spoke to me. 

There are many ways to do this, but I'll just jump in and go with the ones I remember the best and work around that.

Tolkien, J. R. R. 

Let's start with the heaviest hitter on the list. I should not have to explain the level of influence Tolkien had on D&D to anyone reading here. So let go past that and on to the topic at hand.

Where are Tolkien's witches?

Well, they are there, if you don't mind squinting a little. 

The Necromancer. This guy shows up in The Hobbit and is the reason the Dwarves have to go through Mirkwood instead of around it. Now we know that this guy was later retconned to be Sauron in The Lord of the Rings Lore. But for a moment, for me, before reading The Lord of the Rings, I had *ideas* about who or what The Necromancer was. So much so that "the Necromancer" has become a consistent villain in many of my games, D&D and others. 

But he is not really a witch is he? Reading The Silmarillion, Sauron certainly has aspects of a witch or a necromancer, including the ability to turn into a large vampire bat. 

Witch-king of Angmar. Now this guy has "witch" in his name. He is introduced in the Lord of the Rings and he is the captain of the Nazgûl. We is set up to be the counterparts to Gandalf in many respects (but not "overmatched") and Aragorn, but he is not a Wizard. Are there differences between Wizards (immortal) and Witches (mortal)? Maybe. He could be called "witch" because of the parallels with his fate and what Shakespeare writes in Hamlet; "No Man may slay me." "Not of Woman born." 

He is interesting, for certain. But is he a witch? Reading some of Tolkien's letters it would also seem that the Witch King was associated with necromancy.

Galadriel. Sometimes referred to as a "witch" of the Elven woods, Galadriel is not exactly a witch, but she isn't not not exactly one either. What do we know about her that is witch-like? She has magic. She has her pool where she can see things beyond time and space. She acts as a guide to Frodo, a role similar to that of Circe or Calypso. She is one of the wise. Or even one of Wise. If you can catch my meaning of the difference there. She gave out magical gifts as well. The Phial of Galadriel, the dirt she gave to Sam, the "cloaks of elvenkind," and even her hair had magic. Just ask Fëanor.

In Peter Jackson's movies, ok not a perfect source, but bear with me, her witch-like qualities are even more pronounced. 

Is she a witch? Not really...her powers are due to being a really old, really powerful elf. Though we don't see anyone else doing this.

Melian and Lúthien. On the topic of elves, I have to mention Lúthien (elf) and her mother Melian (Maia). Melian was a Maia, so the same as Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. Pretty much every power she has screams "witch." She could cast enchantments, magic "circles" of protection ("Girdle of Melian"), and while she was of the Light, she loved the Shadows. 

Lúthien Tinúviel was by every account a complete bas ass. I mean she was not out there defeating armies or slaying ancient evils. But she was powerful. When Morgoth had stolen the Silmaril her lover Beren (a human man) went to go get them to prove his love. He got captured. Not taking this lying down, Lúthien rides Huan, the Hound of Valinor. Confronts Sauron while he is in the form a great vampire bat, breaks into Morgoth's stronghold, sings everyone to sleep, saves Beren and gets a Silmaril from his iron cown. She later dies, comes back to life, and then goes off to the West.

She might not explicitly be a witch, but I think she should get honorable mention.

Hobbits. Wait, what? Ok, hear me out on this one. How does Tolkien describe hobbits?

Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools. Even in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of ‘the Big Folk’, as they call us, and now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find.

- Concerning Hobbits, The Hobbit

Sounds rather Pagan to me, and their magic sounds very much like Hedge Witchcraft. Hobbits are supposed to be the "everyman," the sensible Englishman/Englishwoman, the everyday folk. The same people were talked about by Gerald Gardner when he was creating Wicca. I am NOT trying to draw a connection between Tolkien and Gardner. Tolkien was one of the greatest authors ever to draw from his Christian upbringing, and you can find evidence of it in all his works. But their heroes are the same people.  In my games, halflings are completely pagan in their lifestyle and practices. I even say in my The Witch that every halfling village has a witch, and she is seen as a source of wisdom. 

I am currently reading "The Fall of Gondolin," which was one of the reasons I picked Tolkien for today. It is interesting on how much closer to Old English faerie lore Tolkien's work started out as. The Noldor were originally gnomes, and their name comes from gnomes and gnōsis. Though he later abandoned this idea. This also happened with his idea of "Fairy." Though there is still a reference to that in The Hobbit with one of Bilbo's ancestors described as a fairy, and the rather frivolous elves in Rivendell.  

Letters and Other Details

We know from Tolkien's letters that he envisioned two types of magic in Middle-earth, using the Greek words μαγεία (mageia "ordinary magic") and γοητεία (goeteia, "witchcraft"). While there are some good-evil connotations, Tolkien points out that Elves use "witchcraft." Hmm. Maybe Galadriel is a witch.

I think one thing is overly clear and that is magic has a price. Abusing it leads to evil and corruption.  It would have been interesting to see this difference in magic played out a little more in his works, I think.

There are more examples, but these are good enough for me for now. 

While I could dive more into his letters, other books and even other RPGs about Middle Earth, I think a rule I should establish for myself is to limit these posts just to the books mentioned. With the occasional step outside. For example I can't imagine talking about Fritz Leiber and not mentioning "The Conjure Wife."

Maybe Leiber will be my next post.

 I am sure if you have spent any time on the internet, you have seen a meme that has had you scratching your head in utter confusion. This is one of those times. 

Now, to be fair. This looks like someone was having a bit of a laugh. "Satin," "Syantasts," yeah you should read this and naturally think that no one is going to believe that.

Well. You would be wrong.

I have seen people sharing this unironically and even posting stuff like "I have read about ecneics..." or my favorite "I have done my research into ecneics..." The fuck you have.

So if they can have their laugh, so can I.

The Ecneics Wand

Wondrous Item

In the hands of a Left-Hand Path, Mara, or a Pagan witch, this wand can be used to focus their spell casting, granting a +2 penalty to saving throws against that witch's spells. If the target of the spell is a Lawful (good) Cleric, then the penalty is +3.

Additionally, any magic circles created by the Ecneics Wand also grants an appropriate ± 2 or ± 10% bonus where appropriate to the witch or ±2/10% penalty to anyone needing to save vs spells due to the witch's magic. This is particularly helpful when used to summon demons, devils or other spirits.

There is a Greater Ecneics Wand that in addition to above powers can also summon a Lithobolia once per day. 

Witch Finders can recognize the Ecneics Wand on sight and will act accordingly.

 

 A while back, there were three games called Night Shift. There was ours, NIGHT SHIFT Veterans of the Supernatural Wars. Another RPG, which became Nightbound when they discovered our trademarked name. And another, a board game about exotic dancers.  I already had Nightbound, and last week Nightshift came in the mail.

The box and contents are great. High-quality material with a really sturdy game board. Rules are fun and easy to learn. Exotic Cancer also lets you have the rules for free.  There is even a "How to Play" video.

The game pieces are your characters in the game. Each has their own personality, advantages, and goals.  You can meet them all here: Ruby, Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, and Amethyst.

The minis are a bit taller than your average D&D mini. Reminds me of that couch meme. Just don't spill my coffee, ladies.

I can't help but think this would be a perfect representation of my own Mayfair's Gentlemen's Club from our NIGHT SHIFT.

It would work more or less exactly the same way. Only my version the dancers are all demons, vampires, and fae creatures. Amethyst is certainly a vampire. Topaz is fae. Sapphire is some sort of daimon or spirit of gnosis. Emerald is a demon. And Ruby? Ruby is human. The fact she can hold her own may make her the most mysterious of all!

But the game is great and the creator, Exotic Cancer, knows her stuff. This is another example of Kickstarter working out fantastically. 

Yes. There will be a Plays Well With Others post for all the Night Shifts! Maybe I can grab Exotic Cancer's Tarot set for it. 

You can find this game and the designer here:

• Night Shift Game
• Exotic Cancer site
• Instagram
• Patreon
• Twitter/X