The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG

by Cody Pondsmith

  worshiped guardian spirits, each often an unusual druid in that he, historical y, has

  known only in a small local area. To the advised the leaders of both Skellige and Cin-

  early settlers, the forests were forbidding, tra. Some druid groups may use violence if

  but the rivers were dependable lifelines and humans invade their areas with destructive

  a source of water, so it makes perfect sense motives. When you go into a forest, be sure

  that the cult of Veyopatis should crop up on to know if there is a local circle and how

  the upper Pontar. He was a fierce god asso- they are disposed toward outsiders.

  The cult of Kreve is a church

  ciated with rivers, but colonists prayed to

  Soon humans moved beyond ap-

  of the North. It is basicaly the

  him to protect them in the forests: to clear peasing nature and developed specialized

  worship of a not particularly

  away monsters, savage animals, and ghosts. gods, and the darker and lighter sides of the

  well known sky or thunder god.

  Worshippers put posts in the ground with human mind emerged. The early goddess of

  The priests of Kreve tended to

  Veyopatis’s face on them to ward off dan- destruction Lilit is still worshipped in the

  be moralistic and did much

  gers. The cult of Veyopatis lasted as long as far east under the name Niya. The sorcerer

  admonishing. Unfortunately

  he was needed. Today, when the forests and and prophet Etibald claimed to have studied

  for them, some of their priests

  animals are known, the posts have lost their the myths of the Dauk, Wozgor, and wereb-

  were co-opted by kings. These

  meaning and he only receives sacrifices now bubb. Those myths claim that Lilit’s return

  priests’ mes ages centered on

  from a few priestesses and witches living would be heralded by a Black Sun and fifty

  the Divine Right of kings and

  deep in the forest.

  women with gold crowns who would fill the

  the efficacy of giving large

  Some people believe that the Cult valleys with blood.

  contributions to the church.

  of Veyopatis evolved into structured mod-

  The brighter side of divinity at-

  This did not endear them to

  ern Druidism. The druids don’t send out tempts to enlighten the minds and morals

  their flocks. They then made

  missionaries. In fact, they have a closed so- of everyday people. A good example of this

  the unfortunate move of going

  ciety. They live in groups in the forest called is the Cult of Kreve. Previously worshipped to Novigrad and proclaiming

  circles. They have no particular deities, but throughout Redania, Kaedwen, and points

  that the Eternal Fire was the re-

  worship nature itself and its order and har- north, it is now losing ground to the Cult of

  sult of Kreve visiting Novigrad.

  mony. They worship under the stars in sa- the Eternal Flame, which offers its follower

  One hundred years ago, when

  cred groves or stone circles. They write pe- the freedom to hate and to blame others for

  the Cult of the Eternal Fire was

  titions or supplications to local authorities their own failings. At the opposite pole from a small and somewhat tolerant

  where humans upset the balance of nature, Melitele, Kreve encourages his followers to

  faith, that was fine. But as the

  and because they are respected for their create moral crusades, accept the Divine

  Cult has grown and become

  knowledge and healing, they are general y Right of kings, and make sizeable donations.

  more martial and more intol-

  listened to. Most of the druids of the North Many followers of Kreve are very devoted.

  erant, it is winning away the

  are now at Kaer Myrkid, the Touissant circle You may have heard of Saint Gregory, who

  folowers of Kreve, who see its

  protected by the Duchess Anna Henrietta used half of his ample funds to buy food

  power and expansion as a sign

  herself. There is also a druid circle in Skel- from Nazair to save Novigrad from starva-

  of it being “more bles ed.”

  lige. The leader of a circle is called “hiero- tion.

  –Brandon of Oxenfurt

  phant” if male, and “flaminika” if female.

  Let’s look at the four religions that

  The hierophant of the Skellige circle is Er- are advancing at this time.

  208

  Melitele

  The Eternal Fire

  Many local goddess cults (always associated with fertility

  The church of the Eternal Flame started in Novigrad.

  and the harvest and childbirth) fused into the worship

  The flame symbolizes Light emerging from the Dark-

  of the All Mother, Melitele, who still has many followers

  ness, knowledge, and faith guiding the faithful. At this

  in the North today. Much like later organized religions,

  time they were tolerant of other religions. The church’s

  Melitele does have formal temples with frescoes and

  original militant arm was the Order of the White Rose.

  stained glass, but unlike them her teachings are about

  As the church grew in size in Temeria and Aedirn, the

  tolerance, practical knowledge, and being of service to

  targets of the militant arm became more widespread.

  people in need. Frequently her shrines are very sim-

  All users of magic including witchers, hedge mages, and

  ple, with offerings of fruit and flowers, and three stat-

  all non-humans, became enemies of the Order, which

  ues: Melitele as the maid, the mother, and the crone. The

  blamed them for everything from wars to the weather.

  Goddess experiences all the ages of women and under-

  Jacques de Aldersberg became the first Grand Master.

  stands the problems of each, but her concerns go well

  When a white rose in his hand burst into flames, the re-

  beyond women. There is no complex structure and no

  named Order of the Flaming Rose became even more

  requests for donations.

  militant than before, leading some to suggest that his fa-

  Melitele’s worship is centered in Temeria at the

  naticism had impaired his sanity.

  main temple in El ander. The head priestess is Nen-

  After his death, Grand Master Siegfried of De-

  neke. Anyone in need—for food, for peace, for strength

  nesle tempered the Order somewhat and changed the

  to withstand the horrors of war—can come to her. Her

  flaming rose banner to a rose banner with gold ribbon.

  temple is well known for offering education in reading,

  Stil , persecution continued. In Radovid, the Flaming

  writing, math, ethics, history, and healing. Melitele, like

  Rose has their perfect monarch. He granted the Order

  any good mother, is extremely understanding, although

  land near Roggeven in Redania and encourages their

  Nenneke is not above nudging situations in her commu-

  mage hunts. The Eternal Fire is now the official religion

  nity. Healers who train at the temple go wherever they

  of Redania. It is expanding rapidly, pushing out Kreve

  are needed, including the battlefield at Brenna. Melitele

  in the Northern countries. Recently, for unknown rea-

  is a godd
ess of the harvest and of abundance as wel .

  sons, the Order of the Flaming Rose has disbanded, with

  Farmers and other people who live off the land come

  some of the order remaining as police forces in Novigrad

  to her temple. Her goodwill is very important to people

  and guardians of the now greatly enlarged Grand Picket

  whose livelihood depends on the seemingly unpredict-

  Temple. Others have become official Witch Hunters and

  able factors of weather, drought, insects, and warriors

  some have been sent to the Temerian-Nilfgaard front,

  (who rarely consider that their chosen battlefield might

  which is an opportunity for great works by the knights,

  be someone’s life-blood).

  but also a virtual death sentence.

  209

  Freya

  The Great Sun

  Freya is the Great Mother, or Modron, of Skellige: the

  There is only one official religion in Nilfgaard and the

  patroness of domesticity, fertility, love, childbirth, and

  provinces. Other religions are often tolerated, but the

  the harvest. The people in Skellige live close to nature

  Religion of the Great Sun ties the Emperor to nature and

  and still organize themselves by clans, and Freya is part

  thus to the people. It is a very, very old religion. Long ago

  of their day-to-day lives. Her favorite sacred grove is

  the people believed the Emperor was the Sun incarnate.

  called Hindar, on the island of Hindarsfjal . Nearby is

  Backward vil ages still believe that he is an intermediary

  the temple to Freya where the High Priestess Sigrdrifa, a

  between the people and the forces of nature, and make

  plain, straightforward woman, cal s upon and interprets

  sacrifices (not humans) to the Sun at the solstices and

  the will of the Mother. Many have heard of the temple on

  equinoxes. During the Winter Solstice, families come to-

  Hindarsfjal , if only in tales of Brinsingamen, the great

  gether at home and recite the Winter Prayer, asking the

  diamond that is embedded in the statue of Freya that

  Sun to return and make their lives and harvests abun-

  is part of the altar. People from all of the islands come

  dant. They attend a service where their holiday foods,

  to Hindar to collect blessed mistletoe, which they hang

  based on the winter crops, can be blessed. In some plac-

  everywhere as protection, and to perform rituals in the

  es, babies born since the last winter are blessed by the

  Great Modron’s name.

  priests as wel . In the beautiful Church of the Great Sun

  Freya is also the patroness of prophetesses,

  in Nilfgaard’s capital the Emperor may even give the ser-

  seers, and telepaths. She herself can take the form of

  mon and take part in the blessings. In the cities of Nilf-

  the cat, who hears and sees the invisible, and the falcon,

  gaard close to the center of the Empire, the tax collectors

  who sees from above. She is worshipped as the maid, the

  of the Nilfgaardian Treasury Department go house to

  mother, and the crone, as she understands the hearts of

  house distributing oranges and large sun-shaped sweet

  al . Her worship has recently expanded onto the main-

  cakes to symbolize the blessings of the Emperor and the

  land in small pockets in Cintra, and Nazair, where the

  Sun, and the promise of plenty in the coming year. It is

  people crave protection and understanding and are wil -

  the one day of the year when people are happy to see

  ing to reach out to others.

  the tax man. In many places throughout the Empire, The

  There are many similarities between Melitele

  Church of the Great Sun is that “sweet” that balances the

  and Freya, but suggestions that they are one and the

  sometimes “bitter” of the Imperial Wil . Missionaries

  same are not appreciated.

  have been sent to the North as wel , to preach the virtues

  of family, working on the land, loyalty to the Emperor,

  and the responsibility of nobles to care for their land and

  the people on it.

  210

  211

  Game Master’s Guide Player Comfort

  A big part of getting to know

  your players is getting to

  “Were I to attempt to be good to everyone, to the entire world and to

  know what they are and

  all the creatures living in it, it would be a drop of fresh water in the

  aren’t comfortable with. The

  salt sea. In other words, a wasted effort. Thus, I decided to do specific

  Witcher is a mature setting

  that often deals with un-

  good; good which would not go to waste. I’m good to myself and my

  comfortable topics (racism,

  immediate circle.”

  sexism, rape, torture, etc.).

  You can derail a game very

  -Andrzej Sapkowski, Baptism of Fire

  quickly by involving some-

  thing that makes your play-

  ers uncomfortable, angry, or

  depressed so it’s a good idea

  to work out boundaries and

  limits ahead of time.

  As the GM, or game master, you are the thetical questions about their character or

  most important part of the game. Without ask them what they enjoy about gaming.

  you there truly is no game. But don’t let The better you know your players, the better this power go to your head. It’s important you can keep them entertained. Entertained to always remember that while the GM players are happy players. The worst thing

  wields unequalable power within their you can have is bored players or players

  game, they are there to serve a purpose. who feel cheated out of an experience. These As the GM you apply your godlike power players will be a pain to run—bored play-to provide a fun and exciting story for you ers may unconciously derail or try to mess and your players. In this section we’re gon- up the game so they can get something in-na explain what a GM does and give you teresting. If you keep your players happy, in some guidelines for GMing well.

  general the game will go wel . This does not,

  however, mean ‘give the players whatever

  What a GM Does

  they want’. Your players should still have to

  As the GM, you are the storyteller. You are work for every victory they get.

  the god beyond the gods. You plan the ad-

  ventures your players go on, the plot twists Players Are NOT The Enemy

  they encounter, and the sub-plots they chase Always remember: the players are not your or ignore. This means you need to know enemy. In most games it should not be your

  what’s going on in your game. It’s also im- goal to kill your party. You will sometimes

  portant to know that as the GM you play run into players with the “player vs. GM”

  every character that is not your players: the mentality. In most games, if you kill your

  inn keeper, the monsters, the merchants, players, the game ends. Good GMs create

  and so on.

  threats that could kill players, but will not

  necessarily kill them. Even games that are

  Get to Know Your Players

  supposed to be “player vs. GM” are more or

  If you don’t already, make a point of learn- less “player vs. the game.”

  ing about your pla
yers. Find out what style

  of games they like and what they like to do.

  Don’t feel embarrassed to ask them hypo-

  212

  Look, if you want to kill your players, then that strays from the path you want them on,

  Hounding Players

  they are dead. Want to kill your party in let them. Then draw them back onto the

  Witcher? Make an enemy with a base 20 in main path afterward. Here are some ways to One interesting thing you

  all abilities and have them show up in town keep your players on path:

  can do is hound a player

  with 10 rock troll bodyguards, the most

  that is particularly difficult

  powerful relic gear in the game, and a one- The Employer: This is a pretty easy way to to get into the group. Often-track mind to kill the players. No matter how get your players back on track. If they’re

  times this player will already

  smart your players are, they will die. As the working for somebody, have said employer be one of the more radical

  god of your world you control everything— show up and get them in line. The players

  players. Set a powerful NPC

  there’s no point in pitting yourself against may still disagree. In that case, their em-

  on them: a bounty hunter,

  the players in a straight-up battle. They have ployer might use force to get them back to

  assassin, mage, or the like.

  limits. You basical y don’t.

  it. This in itself could get the players back on

  You don’t want to make your

  Running your game should come track: what’s so important to their employer

  players feel like they can’t do

  down to engineering scenarios with an ap- that he’d threaten their lives?

  anything but follow your

  propriate amount of danger. If you have a

  plot, but oftentimes giving

  player who is getting in your face about be- Can’t Escape: In any situation with an

  a player (or players) a threat

  ing able to “beat the GM,” feel free to smack opposing force, your players could get at-

  which will catch them if they

  them down. But remember that you don’t tacked. They know too much and now they

  don’t keep moving gives

  have to destroy them. A game is a joint ven- have to be destroyed! Your players can hare

  them the perfect impetus to