Tashanna / Iggwilv, witches, and demon binding (major Witchwar Legacy / RoW / STAP spoilers)


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

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Witchwar Legacy contains an interesting Greyhawk Easter egg regarding Queen Tashanna of Irrisen. The module strongly implies that Tashanna = Tasha = Iggwilv.

A cursory search of the forums for "Tashanna" shows that this is a pretty widely accepted idea, which, of course, no one can officially confirm because Iggwilv is somebody else's Product Identity.

Dungeon #149 happens to have a 3.5 epic level stat block for Iggwilv. Some years ago, I converted that stat block to Pathfinder, using the rules for advancing beyond 20th level in the Core Rulebook and some forward compatible epic level stuff. Now that we have mythic rules, it seems appropriate to re-stat Iggwilv using mythic tiers instead of epic levels. Epic Iggwilv was a 30th-level wizard; ergo, mythic Iggwilv is probably 20th level/10th tier.

So, what are those 20 levels? If we extrapolate from Elvanna's stat block in RoW, we might start out the banished Tashanna as a witch 10/winter witch 10, as befits a dethroned queen of Irrisen.

Here's what gives me pause. Iggwilv's a demon binder. She's always described as a witch (even "The Witch Queen"), but the definitive thing she does is bind demons.

Witches don't get planar binding, nor its lesser and greater permutations.

So how does our witch 10/winter witch 10/archmage 10 Tashanna/Iggwilv go about binding demons?


Or maybe Iggwilv just wasn't a witch from the start (she has the name, yes, but that can easily be a title, not a class description). Or maybe she started as one but retrained after she was banished. Or perhaps, like her mother, she personally researched planar binding spells (Baba Yaga's "Queen of Witches" ability means she knows all the sorc/wiz and witch spells, plus many divine spells in arcane form).

Also, while I can't find it right now, when I asked James Jacobs where he'd put Iggwilv, IIRC it was CR 29-30. So 20 levels, 10 tiers, PC wealth, and +5 CR or so in other abilities.


The witch lacking planar binding spells is something that has been noted before. James Jacobs actually created the Dimensional Occultist archetype as a bit of a fix for this, but even then, it seems that the magic circle spells were forgotten.

It's my opinion that 'Tashanna' likely retrained from a winter witch to a Dimensional Occultist witch at some point, and would indeed be a 20th level witch/10th mythic tier archmage.

The witch not having planar binding and magic circle spells on their spell list was probably unintentional, and in my opinion an errata adding them to their spell list would be appropriate. Failing that, you could simply house-rule it for your own games. Considering Pathfinder witches have 'patrons' it seems quite iconic for the witches to be able to call up various extraplanar forces; their inability to do so is a big oversight (IMO).

Concerning the planar ally and planar binding spells, Ross Byers has noted their oddity, and seems to be of the opinion that they could be combined into a single spell - planar calling - which would replace both and appear on numerous spell lists. Some weird things also occur with various clerics gaining access to the planar binding spells via domains. You could look over this thread to check it out.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

You could giver her a Mythic Ability giving her access to more spells like Baba Yaga had, or just the Binding spells specifically.


It's a fairly simple fix to just note that she's researched the planar binding spells and added them to her spell list. I'd also give her some sort of custom, higher level spells - perhaps a 9th level version of planar binding that has gate's hit dice scaling (allowing her to yank in any unique creature of __ hit dice or less if they fail the save), and a superior version of the magic circle spells - probably a single spell that works against any extraplanar creature regardless of alignment.

After all, the lady bound Grazz't. I assume that took bigger guns than a greater planar binding and a magic circle vs. evil.

Grand Lodge

As I recall, wasn't Tasha an apprentice to Zagyg? Could she have retrained under his tutaige? Or could it be that she just stole enough of his items and bound the demon's using UMD?


I don't know, guys.
To me Iggwilv kind of only works as a wizard, just keep the "witch" as title. Maybe she did retrained all her witch and winter witch levels into wizard and archmage levels (yes, I use this prestige class still in my Pathfinder games). And maybe she began this proccess under Zagyg.
Can't picture her without a spellbook.


She got chucked into a different cosmology, so she wound up having to change to the different rule system =P


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

I have that Dungeon Magazine issue you're referring to Mr. Charlie Bell, and I've thought of/flirted with the idea of converting Iggwilv/Tasha/Queen Tashanna to PF (and my thoughts/feelings echo many others on here as well).

I'm taking a break from Game Mastering (getting to play in Mummy's Mask) but when our GM concludes the story he wishes to tell ... I go back to GMing (Reign of Winter actually) and I may "play around" with some of the "Continuing the Campaign" stuff ... and may "introduce" the PCs to Queen Tashanna/Iggwilv/Tasha ... (and by extension Oerth, who knows) ...

Could be fun, who knows? :)


Personally I'd just have her a wizard class Conjurer school. Witch was just a title.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I'd say keep her as a wizard, as well. Maybe that's one of the reasons why she rebelled? She was more into research than most of her sisters?

For prestige classes darkfire adept and/or "demon binder" (a variation on genie binder) may be a decent fit. The arcane discovery (see Ultimate Magic) True Name may also be appropriate.

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