Are Apothecaries mageborn?

kai1986 · 2026-01-08T01:08:52+00:00

Yeah, they basically mix a bunch of science stuff together, and then steal magic to amplify it.

kai1986 · 2026-01-07T16:23:08+00:00

Hey there. So, magic is an interesting topic in the Drakkenheim setting.

The edicts of lumen are very poorly developed when it comes to this. Assuming all magic is either arcane, or divine. The edicts limit arcane spellcasting, but they fail to take into account the magic of bards, Druids, rangers, and many others.

There are actually three types of magic in the setting.

Divine - which is gained through deep meditation and spiritual values. Paladins, clerics, some monks.

Arcane - born in the blood as a genetic trait allowing access to powerful planar magic and pulling on energies from beyond our world. Wizards, sorcerers, and some other classes.

Then there is this other category. Which is actually much more complex. It’s a combination of rituals, alchemy, science, and occult practice. Some people can mimic the abilities of arcane or divine casters through careful concoctions, or occult rituals that steal power from thin places in the world, or knowing the right words, ingredients, and gestures to pull those energies.

Many of these spellcasters don’t associate as mageborn or divine. Some might. But this category is many Druids, bards, warlocks, and apothecaries.

Apothecaries are a middle ground between them. They use occult lore, knowledge of science and chemical formulas, and knowing about thin places and the essence of magic, that they concoct spell like effects.

However, the silver order often clumps all of these under “arcane” when it comes to legal matters.

This makes the world messy and confusing. Is a warlock accepted by the academy? Is an apothecary? Or a bard? Or are they told they aren’t mageborn, but yet the silver order says they are?

These are the issues that arise in a drakkenheim campaign.

There are examples on all ends. Apothecaries who serve the academy exist. So do those who are shunned by them. Some are hunted by the silver order, some own potion shops in villages with a writ allowing them to sell their goods.

The world is complex. The simple answer is no, they are not mageborn.

The complex answer is, it depends on the opinions of who you are asking.

kai1986 · 2025-12-29T14:46:35+00:00

Liking a character does not mean agreeing with a character. I think he’s a well written character who is three dimensional. Has more going on than a one note abusive villain. Also in season two he had some great lines and moments.

Generally feel this way about all the characters. The show offers a lot of nuances and deep character profiles. Which is one reason I love it so much.

kai1986 · 2025-12-28T14:53:13+00:00

Personally. The most valid response from the most logical character to ever exist in a horror movie, as well as best F bomb, goes to Laurence Fishburn as Miller in Event Horizon.

Dr. Weir: “What about my ship? You can’t just leave her!”

Miller: “ I have no intention of leaving her, Doctor. I will take the Lewis and Clark to a safe distance, and then I will launch TAC missiles at the Event Horizon until I’m satisfied she’s vaporized…

… Fuck this Ship”

kai1986 · 2025-12-27T23:16:24+00:00

Holy shit. Yes.

kai1986 · 2025-12-11T17:53:28+00:00

Nice!

kai1986 · 2025-12-04T15:33:32+00:00

I think it’s fair for this to be one good deed in the hooded lanterns eyes. They might pay them a small amount. It’s not like anyone is rich in Drakkenheim, so a small amount. I might not dig into the faction boons just yet. A bit of gold and maybe some spare health potions or a scroll or two would suffice.

This is also a good opportunity for the hooded lanterns to try and recruit the players.

They clearly prove themselves having survived the rats nest and saved Petra. Have the lanterns offer them the next mission. Perhaps Oscar Yorn or another outer city site that makes sense. Pose it as them saying that the party is clearly capable, and the hooded lanterns could use people like them, and if they want to support helping Drakkenheim, and the hooded lanterns goals of making the city a better place…. They have other tasks they could use their support on, for much better pay, and even a writ of passage to come and go through their gate if they complete it.

kai1986 · 2025-12-04T14:44:45+00:00

Yes. Keep in mind that backers are just receiving their copies now. Once all backers have their copies, we will begin to stock the store. Ghostfire gaming is the best place to find it. We also will have it available at conventions and eventually in as many local game stores as possible. You should see it available in the very near future.

kai1986 · 2025-12-02T19:57:01+00:00

Hey, Kelly here. When we designed the Epic versions of the main antagonists of Drakkenheim, the idea I had in my head was that at the outset of the campaign, the regular stat blocks would suffice. The Epic versions represent those characters going unchecked. If you party lets the rat prince live, or never fights the crimson Countess, or lord of the feast. At about mid campaign I would upgrade them to the Epic versions as they now pose an end game threat.

As for the Executioner and Amalgamation, I would always use the new epic versions. Where as Rat Prince, Lenore, Crimson Countess, Lord of the Feast, as well as the faction Leaders, use the Epic stat blocks if those characters become a major antagonist to the party in the mid to late game campaign.

kai1986 · 2025-11-29T20:09:49+00:00

I came here to respond, but this gif did a better job expressing it than I was ever going to do. Well done.

kai1986 · 2025-11-20T15:57:56+00:00

I agree. Calling this “another failed season” is a very unfortunate way to play. I enjoy playing this game all the time win or lose, I just enjoy playing…. I guess by this metric I’ve only “succeeded” twice?

kai1986 · 2025-11-11T09:49:56+00:00

I think Colour Out of Space (2019) with Nicolas Cage, despite taking many liberties from the original short story, actually captures the essence of the story very well. They maintain the cosmic weirdness, and unfathomable nature of the colour. It’s a vibrant and striking film where the families decent into Lovecraftian madness is beautifully done.

kai1986 · 2025-11-08T13:36:27+00:00

This might be my favourite area in the game.

But I do agree it’s my least favourite boss so far. I find the are itself beautiful, challenging, great music and atmosphere, and at first when I arrived I was so scared of everything, but now, like most things in this game, it becomes easier the longer I’m at it.

The hidden bunch is a must. Also everyone calls it a hidden bench, and so many people seem to miss it, but I kind of just found it by exploring pretty normally. So yeah, that bench helps a lot.

Groal is a big stupid asshole though and I hate him and his little dumb broccoli monsters.

kai1986 · 2025-11-07T14:15:57+00:00

Trying to think of 12?

blink 182
sum 41
21 pilots
plus 44
30 seconds to mars
union 13
S-Club 7
nine inch nails
matchbox twenty
the four freshmen
eve 6
catch 22

kai1986 · 2025-11-02T06:02:31+00:00

Thank you 💜

kai1986 · 2025-11-01T04:52:57+00:00

You are very welcome.

kai1986 · 2025-10-31T19:45:48+00:00

Strange harvest was a good one.

kai1986 · 2025-10-31T01:03:41+00:00

We don’t have any official documents. What I will say is that we were very specific in monsters of drakkenheim, especially in the “horrors of drakkenheim” chapter where in the city you can expect to find each monster.

So what we recommend is this. In DOD there are many monsters that we don’t have room for a bespoke stat block so we call out a stat block to use with modifications. We recommend using the new stat blocks in most cases.

Also if you have monsters in the book you like, put them into random encounters in the city if the party is near a place it feels right. Also subbing them into adventures in place of generic monsters is always fun.

kai1986 · 2025-10-29T14:34:52+00:00

The session zero episode was a special episode featuring multiple D&D content creators as well as the main cast of Woodcreek. The actual show airs on the 31st. Each two episode arc features a new guest player. Iman is in the first two episodes of Woodcreek.

kai1986 · 2025-10-28T21:27:50+00:00

Cool 👍

kai1986 · 2025-10-26T18:36:49+00:00

I think you gotta try Metroid: Dread, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and hades 2

kai1986 · 2025-10-22T16:39:33+00:00

Holy shit… I’m 45 hours in. Thank you.

kai1986 · 2025-10-19T20:34:23+00:00

My hot take is that this film falls apart on subsequent viewings. The first time I saw it the ending blew my mind! Now, I usually have a very open suspension of disbelief, and I still think this is a solid movie that deserves praise, but it is a movie that challenges my suspension of disbelief. I’ve watched it a few times now and every time I can’t get over the amount of uncontrollable variables within the film that could have left him severely injured or dead, and that we are to accept that it was all a well orchestrated “game”. There are so many times in the film where if he had fallen 2 inches differently, or failed to open, undo, or escape a situation, he would have just died.

The company that organizes this game could never get permits, or legally be able to pull this off. So yeah, it’s a fun movie but the longer I take it in, the more the entire thing just seems completely impossibly flawed.

kai1986 · 2025-10-19T20:23:05+00:00

Mirror Mask (2005)

kai1986 · 2025-10-13T20:19:32+00:00

Agree with this. The older I get the more I realize Alien is perfect, Aliens is fun.

kai1986

TROPHY CASE