#or even just like… a wild magic sorcerer whose power was recently awakened by the tadpole

[8-birdparagon]

I love Baldur’s Gate 3 but I do wish that there was a bit more diversity with the companions. Like they’re all generally well-written and interesting but also:

Out of the 10 total companions, only two of them are not some variation on a human or an elf

Every single origin companion has “I have spent a significant portion of my life in service to a powerful being” as a central part of their backstory

Half of the origin companions were either directly stated or implied to be extremely powerful but got reduced to lvl 1 bc a worm was put in their noggin

2 of the companions are druids (They also overlap a fair amount in terms of backstory)

Some of these points are probably a little nitpicky, but also there’s so many interesting characters that you only meet once who would be so cool as a companion. Let me recruit that one goblin who’s still faithful to Maglubiyet. Let me recruit Barcus and get to know him better while I help him find his friend. I want to bring stone mason Kith along so he can better investigate the Grymforge and also tell me about historical architecture. Z’rell or Aylin could both be really interesting act II additions to the party. The current companions are great, but in comparison to all the possibilities that are in the game they feel kinda bland.

[mariaslozak]

Witch-themed romance reads, some past, some future, with a couple of books from other genres.

Bewitched, an anthology by Lisa Higdon, Susan Krinard, Amy Elizabeth Saunders, and Maggie Shayne, whose novella Everything She Does Is Magick has a Sleeping Beauty-esque trio of aunts furtively wielding their magic to ensure the unwitting hero’s virginity stays intact until such a time as he and their protegee will fall for each other. Whether you’ll enjoy it probably depends on your feelings about the premise and if the enemies to lovers interaction between the heroine and hero strikes you as hilarious or immature.

Eternity by Maggie Shayne “Three hundred years ago, Raven St. James was accused of witchcraft...Only one man tried to free her from the hangman's noose--Duncan, the town minister, who died trying to save her. Three hundred years later, the accused witch still lives and longs for her love...At last, after centuries of loneliness, Raven has found her precious Duncan. But as he awakens to the passion of his past life, so too does the evil that tore them apart. Now Raven and Duncan must prove their love for all eternity.” (TBR)

The Witch and the Warrior by Karyn Monk, a medieval set in Scotland. “Suspected of witchcraft, Gwendolyn MacSween has been condemned to being burned at the stake at the hands of her own clan. Yet rescue comes from a most unlikely source. Mad Alex MacDunn, laird of the mighty rival clan MacDunn, is a man whose past is scarred with tragedy and loss. His last hope lies in capturing the witch of the MacSweens--and using her magic to heal his dying son. He expects to find an old hag....Instead he finds a young woman of unearthly beauty. There's only one problem: Gwendolyn has no power to bewitch or to heal. Now she must pretend to be a sorceress--or herself perish.” (TBR; have enjoyed a couple of non-medieval historicals by this author.)

A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper. “Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Complication One: the artifacts [she needs to unearth] are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson's book shop. Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn't need.” (Currently reading.)

Met By Moonlight by Rosemary Edghill. “When modern day witch Diana Crossways plunges back to 1647 England, she learns that a mysterious man she saw in Salem, Massachusetts is a notorious witch hunter. He holds the power of life and death over Diana--but she also inflames his desire.” (I gave this one a B a few years back.)

Magical Memories by Donna Fletcher. Contemporary set in Scotland. “As one of the world’s most powerful witches, Tempest possesses the ability to do anything - except men her own broken heart. Many years ago, her lover was corrupted by his own magic power, and she was forced to imprison him in a mystical limbo. Unable to forgive herself, Tempest has never allowed another man to get close to her... until now. While navigating her car through a fierce blizzard, Tempest accidentally hits Michael Deeds, injuring his leg. [At her home, where she has taken him to heal, the two begin to fall for each other.] But is Michael the new love she’s been searching for - or someone from her past she dared not believe she’d ever see again?” (TBR)

Bewitching by Jill Barnett. Regency. “Alec, Duke of Belmore, did as he pleased - and he wanted to marry the beautiful, bubbly girl who had positively bewitched him: Joyous MacQuarrie, who had appeared from nowhere and turned stately Belmore Park upside down with merriment and mischief. It hardly mattered that her Scottish bloodline was shrouded in mystery. But Alec's heated desire turned ice-cold when he discovered that this winsome lady was, in fact, a witch --- whose powers of white magic were not always perfectly under control ...Too late, Joy knew she was desperately in love and that nothing could stop the course of their destiny --- the scandal threatening to destroy her and the passion that held them both spellbound in a forbidden, irresistible match.” (This charmed an A from me and became an instant favourite a long time ago.)

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart. From a different period than her wonderful vintage romantic suspense, this book has a much subtler, quieter flavour, being sweet and gentle instead of tense and gothicky. The romance is secondary. “To Cilly, the house, deep in the wild wood, was an enchantment, left to her by the cousin whose occasional, magical visits had brightened her childhood. And as she explored, she discovered more about the woman who had come to seem like a fairy godmother to her: her herbalist’s skills, her still room, her abilities to foresee and heal. She discovered also that the local people believed that Cilly had inherited not just the house but the magical spell-weaving powers that lived on in the house and garden. Slowly, she came to realise that they were right.” (This one needs a reappraisal from me as my original, long ago C+ was based on disapponted expectations.)

50 Ways To Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom. @ameliafeministpeabody‘s recent mention inspired me to add this humorous contemporary paranormal, first in a series, to my TBR! The heroine is “a witch who can’t stay out of trouble” and the hero “a vampire cop on the trail of a serial killer.”

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. Romantic historical fantasy. The author apparently has mentioned Georgette Heyer and Susannah Clarke (Jonathan Stange and Mr. Norrell) as her major influences. “At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large...” (Reading next)

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay. Gilded Age fantasy fiction. “Two hundred years after the trials in Salem, Adelaide Thom has left her life in the sideshow to open a tea shop with another young woman who feels it's finally safe enough to describe herself as a witch: a former medical student and "gardien de sorts" (keeper of spells), Eleanor St. Clair. Together they cater to Manhattan's high society ladies, specializing in cures, palmistry and potions--and in guarding the secrets of their clients. All is well until one bright September afternoon, when an enchanting young woman named Beatrice Dunn arrives at their door seeking employment. Beatrice soon becomes indispensable as Eleanor's apprentice, but her new life with the witches is marred by strange occurrences. She sees things no one else can see. She hears voices no one else can hear. Objects appear out of thin air, as if gifts from the dead. Has she been touched by magic or is she simply losing her mind? Eleanor wants to tread lightly and respect the magic manifest in the girl, but Adelaide sees a business opportunity. Working with Dr. Quinn Brody, a talented alienist, she submits Beatrice to a series of tests to see if she truly can talk to spirits. Amidst the witches' tug-of-war over what's best for her, Beatrice disappears, leaving them to wonder whether it was by choice or by force.As Adelaide and Eleanor begin the desperate search for Beatrice, they're confronted by accusations and spectres from their own pasts. In a time when women were corseted, confined and committed for merely speaking their minds, were any of them safe?” (TBR, thanks to @seashells-and-bookshelves)

Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts. One of the consistently best loved romances by this genre legend. “When Nell Channing arrives on charming Three Sisters Island, she believes that she’s finally found refuge from her abusive husband - and from the terrifying life she fled so desperately eight months ago. But even in this quiet, peaceful place, Nell never feels entirely at ease. Careful to conceal her true identity, she takes a job as a cook at the local bookstore café - and begins to explore her feelings for the island sheriff, Zack Todd. But there is a part of herself she can never reveal to him - for she must continue to guard her secrets if she wants to keep the past at bay. One careless word, one misplaced confidence, and the new life she’s created so carefully could shatter completely. Just as Nell starts to wonder if she’ll ever be able to break free of her fear, she realizes that the island suffers under a terrible curse - one that can only be broken by the descendants of the Three Sisters, the witches who settled the island back in 1692. And now, with the help of two other strong, gifted women—and with the nightmares of the past haunting her every step—she must find the power to save her home, her love…and herself.” (TBR)

The Witches of All Saints by Jill Tattersall. Vintage gothic Regency. “It is February, 1811, in the countryside outside Brighton, England. In every house are people who have been terrified by the most brutal murder ever to occur in the area. Not only has this murder of well-known young woman shocked and repulsed them; it has also raised their deepest suspicions and fears for the safety of their own lives. For the murder had been the handiwork of more than one person, in fact of a group. A group of witches.Tansy Tremayne, coming to live with her aunt's family on their estate, arrived at the dreadful moment of the murder itself - indeed, witnessed a part of the ritual. Witnessed and was witnessed - by one of the participants. He was wrapped in witch's robe, the thin, diabolical music of the flute playing around him. He was someone Tansy would recognize...“ (Tattersall wrote several of the better gothics in the sixties and seventies. B- from me.)

[vaultsofthefirstage]

Jade Dew (Green Jade Reaper Daiklave ****)

When mothers tell their children of a sacred grove whose sole tree blooms only once each lifetime, the sole guardian changes with each and every telling. It is a beast with claws that crush intruders; it is a demon that lures men in to eat their flesh; she is a woman, as elegant as a flower and deadly as nightshade with emerald eyes and cloven hooves. It is she who wields Jade Dew. It is her grove, 100 miles from any mortal city, that inspires the legend.

In ages past, Solars often sought the nature of her grove and she struck them down with crippling blows. Gods and spirits alike avoided the region marked by sorcerous borderlines. Lunars have theorized she is a Fair Folk drawing on tales of a sword that was forged before her conception. Others see her as an elemental whose sole duty is to protect the tree. The few cults who revere her see her as an incarnation of Mara, the Shadow Lover. She does not speak an answer if any have asked her.

The grove is always shaded, the sun just below the treeline, with grass as deep green as jade. One look reveals its beauty, a second look reveals that throughout the perfect circle of the grove, a single blade of grass is sewed in and out of the ground to mark the edge of the domain where nothing grows except for it, the single tree in the center of the enclosed wood, and the swordswoman with her blade. Those who step beyond the boundaries are intoxicated, but the emerald eyes glare at them and the guardians hand drops to her blade. She allows no trespassers.

Attunement: 5m Type: Medium (+3 ACC, +12 DMG, +1 DEF, OVW 5) Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced Hearthstone slots: 2 Era: War of the Gods

Evocations of Jade Dew

When the wielder of Jade Dew faces someone with an addiction, they add bonus dice to their attack rolls equal to the intimacy representing that addiction. If the character lacks a relevant intimacy but has the addiction flaw, add +2 dice as if it were Minor. If the character suffers from Sweet Sapling Blight, calculate this bonus with the Intensity of the disease instead (+2 for Minor, +3 for Major, +4 for Defining).

Jade Dew resonates with the guardian of the grove, regardless of the Storyteller’s choice of who or what she is.

Dew-Eyed Guardian

Cost 2m; Mins: Essence 1

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Dissonant

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: None

The scent of intoxication becomes visible as the wielders eyes briefly flicker the color of her sword. When she rolls Join Battle with an Awareness based roll, activating this charm allows her to apply her result against the Guile of all enemies in the scene as a Profile Character action, immediately learning if any of them suffer from an addiction. If they do, she gains a point of initiative and her base initiative becomes one higher for the scene.

Special Activation Rules: As long as she is not dissonant with Jade, the Exalt unlocks this evocation as soon as she attunes to Jade Dew.

Sweet Sapling Blight

Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 1

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Decisive-Only, Dissonant, Resonant

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: Dew-Eyed Guardian

Her blade long and deep green, verdant with wild essence, deadly with nature’s bounty. Its cuts remind trespassers of their failings and drive them wild for them. As long as a Decisive attack supplemented by this evocation deals at least one level of lethal damage, her target suffers withdrawal no matter how recently he has indulged his habit and is exposed to Sweet Sapling Blight, a supernatural disease with the following rules:

Sweet Sapling Blight:  Virulence (3+highest addiction intimacy), Morbidity (3), Interval (One Week) Anyone who does not have an addiction is immune to Sweet Sapling Blight

It is resisted with Stamina + Integrity and only magically-enhanced medical treatment can prove effective.

Minor: As all minor disease, but the character also suffers from withdrawal (-1 penalty to all actions) unless he is able to indulge his addiction each day.

Major: As all major diseases, but the character suffers from withdrawal unless he indulges his addiction each hour. In addition, anytime that he is able to acquire his addiction in a scene, he must roll current temporary Willpower against the Morbidity to indulge unless he spends a 1wp to resist.

Defining: As all defining disease, but the character suffers from withdrawal unless he indulges his addiction each scene. In addition, any time he is able to acquire his addiction in a scene, he must spend 1wp and then roll current temporary Willpower against the Morbidity to indulge unless he spends an additional Willpower to resist.

Dissonant: The Exalt’s enemies only suffer withdrawal if they contract Sweet Sapling Blight.

Resonant: Each 1 and 2 rolled in the Virulence and Morbidity rolls (and any rolls to treat the disease) subtracts one success from the end result.

Bleeding Poppy Reaping

Cost: 3m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Decisive-Only, Resonant, Dissonant 

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: Sweet Sapling Blight

When a poppy is cut, it bleeds out its sweet addicting nectar. The blood of the addicted is merely Jade Dew returning the favor. A decisive attack supplemented by this evocation rolls only half the Exalt’s initiative, rounded down, as damage. It however increases their intimacy towards their addiction by one step or decreases the same intimacy by one step. An intimacy cannot be raised above defining, but a character with a Minor (or no relevant intimacy) can instead be cured of their addiction.

This evocation can only be used once per scene per target and cannot be reset by the Dawn caste anima power.

An Essence 3+ repurchase allows a character to cause an infected character damaged to immediately make a Morbidity check against Sweet Sapling Blight.

Dissonant: A dissonant character cannot repurchase this evocation.

Toxin Rooting Flow

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Resonant

Duration: Indefinite

Prerequisite: Bleeding Poppy Reaping

Expelling what is impure, Jade Dew soaks in the taint like a root in toxic soil. Whenever the Exalt succeeds on a roll to resist a poison or addictive substance that she has ingested or inhaled, she roots the toxin through her weapon. By releasing the commitment to this charm’s motes she can cause her blade to drip with the substance as a reflexive action at the start of her turn. Her next decisive attack, if it hits, will cause her victim to suffer the same poison or substance.

Resonant: The Exalt gains one non-charm success on the roll to resist ingested and inhaled poisons and addictive substances, even if she does not plan on using this evocation to hold them.

Guardian Lion’s Temperance

Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3

Type: Permanent

Keywords: None

Duration: Permanent

Prerequisite: Toxin Rooting Flow, Righteous Lion Defense

The grove’s guardian protects the grove without ever falling for its addictive charms. This evocation causes any social influence aimed at indulging in an addicting activity to be treated as unacceptable influence as if protected by Righteous Lion Defense.

The Solar may choose (or be forced) to indulge in taking drugs, addicting substances, or be exposed to the Wyld’s taint, but never talked into doing so. If she does become a victim of such things, this evocation causes her to roll twice to resist and take the higher result or for the effect to roll twice and apply the lower result - whichever is applicable at the time. 

Indulgent Battlefield Delusions

Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 3

Type: Supplemental

Keywords: Dual, Dissonant

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: Bleeding Poppy Reaping

Those who fight in the grove of the guardian falter as their senses lure them away from the battle, but into the edge of her daiklave. A withering damage roll supplemented by this evocation doubles 9s against a character suffering from a Minor addiction or Sweet Sapling Blight intensity, doubles 8s against a character suffering a Major addiction or intensity, or doubles 7s against a character with a Defining addiction or intensity. A decisive attack supplemented by this doubles up to (1+steps of intensity) dice of damage.

Dissonant: A character dissonant with Jade cannot double more than (Essence) damage with this evocation.

Special Activation Rules: This evocation can only be used once per scene unless reset by increasing Sweet Sapling Blight’s intensity with a use of Bleeding Poppy Reaping.

Heart-Pleasing Razor

Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 3

Type: Simple

Keywords: Resonant, Dissonant

Duration: One scene

Prerequisite: Indulgent Battlefield Delusions

The groves beauty is a taint that touches her sword and as the blade is sheathed and drawn, her enemies feel their minds fog. The wielder makes a simple action of sheathing and drawing her sword, when she does, she rolls (Manipulation+Presence) against the resolve of any enemies who she has struck. On a success, enemies find themselves addicted to her blade and being cut by it. They must spend a point of temporary Willpower in order to apply their defense to the swordsman’s attacks, but need only pay this price once per scene. Even if they do, they take a -1 penalty to their defense for the remainder of the scene. This evocation can only be used once per scene.

Resonant: The addicted opponents take a penalty to their Resolve equal to the steps that Sweet Sapling Blight has progressed

Dissonant: Wielders dissonant with Jade cannot awaken this evocation.

Reaper of Intemperate Weeds

Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3

Type: Reflexive

Keywords: Decisive-Only, Perilous, Resonant

Duration: Instant

Prerequisite: Heart-Pleasing Razor

The guardian is also reaper and harvester - anything that flowers in her grove is hers to cut. Only a wielder Resonant with Jade can awaken Reaper of Intemperate Weeds.

As soon as an opponent who holds an addiction to her sword moves within Close range of her, she may make an immediate decisive attack against them, even if she has already acted this round. Her opponent cannot clash this attack. This decisive attack has a base damage of (Essence) plus a bonus equal to the current level of their addiction or Sweet Sapling Blight intensity, whichever is higher (+2 for Minor, +3 for Major, +4 for Defining) and benefits from the effects of Indulgent Battlefield Delusions even if the wielder has already used that charm this scene.