Witch
Human sisters began to chant their song with hollow voices in a language that the ogre magi couldn’t understand. The sister in front of him was practicing magic, but he didn’t care. Her breathing was all but spent, blood pouring down from the top of her head and down her face. “I will take her first.” he thought to himself, “take her and eat her in front of her petty sisters.” His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rush of pain, emerging from his back. He looked back in bafflement, realizing too late that the incantations of the magic performed by the sister in front of him was actually coming from the sister standing in the back.
“I will serve and obey, master.” a half-elf thought as he faced the priest in white, radiant in light. “I let you into me, possess me, own me and wreak havoc upon our enemies!” he shouted. Then his face grew grim, his eyes reflecting the blackness of the darkest abyss. The once glorious priest of the good god now trembled with fear in front of his new master. It was now time to end this. He held his finger towards the petty priest, and shouted “Now, you die!”. The priest’s flesh grew cold with the intensity of the magic, there was no way he could resist such power.
“Hear me god and goddess!” an elf screamed as she yearned towards the sky. “Lend me your womb, goddess, so I can give birth to the sacred magic of the living. Lend me your will, god, so I can crush these monsters who think they are above you, above nature!” she yelled with fury. The flock of bandit lumberjacks just laughed at her, until the ground beneath them began to shake.
Witches are those who practice witchcraft to cast spells. Witches draw on the essence of arcane magic to cast their spells, although the source of their magic varies greatly according to their witch’s affiliation. Witches affiliate themselves with a source to make witchcraft. As a coven, witches can learn arcane secrets and cast spells like a wizard, and as an infernal witch, channels their power from a fiendish master. The magical ability of a nature witch comes from nature itself.
Arcane Heart
Wizards may cast spells combining components of mind and logic, and sorcerers cast spells because it comes naturally to them, as magic is in their blood. Witchcraft, on the other hand, is rooted in sensation and emotion, rather than cold, hard logic and arcane symbolism.
This allows witches to be much more intuitive than other spellcasters. They rely on their instincts and insight more than a wizard or sorcerer. For a witch, magic is a glorious parade of emotions, and a bold strike of passion.
Passion and Desire
The paths and goals of witches vary greatly, but they all share one common aspect: their lust for new sensations and experiences. Whether they are the dark servants of an infernal master, the guardians of a forest’s grove, or a coven of elders in a small town, all witches strive to find emotion through something new in life. This drive frequently pushes them to some kind of adventure or another.
No matter what their aim or nature, witches try to fulfill their desires to the extreme. An infernal witch’s hunger for power would surpass even that of liches or red dragons. The faith of a nature witch to the deities of nature would oversha dow a paladin guided by the brightest light. The dedication of a coven witch to its coven is a bond that can match that between the dearest lovers.
Because of this passion, witches tend to attach too much value on people whom they accept to be true friends. A witch can easily take on the role of a paternal or maternal figure in an adventuring party, and can make the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom in the blink of an eye, with no hesitation.
Creating a Witch
When creating a witch character, think about the source of your witchcraft, or in other words, your affiliation. Unlike many other classes, witches tend to differ greatly according to their affiliation. A witch affiliated with a coven would be most fun to play if there are other members of the coven around, as they derive their magic from the power of their coven, and are able to make their magic more powerful with coven members beside them. A witch affiliated with nature tends to be more giving, wild, selfless, and less evil-hearted, which makes them similar to druids. A witch affiliated with an infernal master is often evil, although there may be special cases.
Irrelevant to their affiliations, witches can have various goals in life. No matter which path you choose for your witch character, the foundation of your witchcraft comes from sensation and emotion brought about by personal experiences. Witchcraft is an artform, a lantern, or a tool to unfold the desires within.
Quick Build
You can make a witch quickly by following these suggestions. First, the spellcasting ability tied to your witch’s affiliation should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the Acolyte background.
Third, choose the resistance and spare the dying cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells for your spellbook: bolts of waning*, charm person, command, cure wounds, detect magic, inflict wounds.
Class Features
As a witch, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per witch level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per witch level after the 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: daggers, darts, light crossbows, quertarstaffs, slings
Tools: Alchemist’s Supplies, Herbalist’s Kit
Saving Throws: Intelligence and Charisma (Infernal) or Wisdom (Coven and Nature)
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Performance, Persuasion and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: •
- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
- (a) a component pouch or (b) a fetish (a voodoo doll, an amulet, or a totem, etc.)
- (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- A spellbook (Book of Shadows)
Spellcasting
As a witch, the source of your witchcraft is your soul-bound Book of Shadows as well as the way that the spells it contains were taught to you according to your affiliation. See New Spells section of this book for the witch spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the witch spell list. You learn additional witch cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Witch table.
WITCH’S BOOK OF SHADOWS
A Book of Shadows is a witch’s special spellbook. It has a bond with the witch, which is not the case for other spellcasters and their spellbooks. A witch’s Book of Shad ows is written in the language related to the affiliation of the witch (Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, or Sylvan) as the words written in the book are connected to the source of the witch’s powers. As you discover new spells from scrolls or tomes, you can copy them in your relevant language to your spellbook.
Copying a Spell into the Book of Shadows. When you find a witch spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your Book of Shadows if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
You can also acquire your Book of Shadows as an heir loom from a more experienced witch of your affiliation. Witches can give their Book of Shadows to other witches from their affiliation as gifts or tokens of gratitude as well. It may even have spells that are higher level than those you can yet cast. Such a spell simply fails, and you cannot prepare it even if you try until you reach the level required to cast the spell.
Copying a spell into your Book of Shadows involves recognizing the essence of the spell through feeling, and then translating and transcribing it into your book in the language related to your affiliation. You can recognize the essence of a spell if it is in draconic even if you don’t speak the language. As long as your mind and soul can comprehend the essence of the spell, you gain the ability to cast it after you transcribe and imbue it into your Book of Shadows.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you write the spell into your book, as well as the special ink you use to transcribe it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
Soul-Bound. Your Book of Shadows is a special spellbook that has a bond with your soul. The spells written in it are also written in the ethereal plane. If the book is destroyed or moved more than 1 mile from where your witch char acter is, you can replace the book by taking it out of the ethereal plane again. When you do so, the previous copy of the book’s bond to your soul is cut but it can still be used as a regular spellbook.
The Book’s Origins. It is a continuing source of debate for scholars that when the first Book of Shadows was created, as are its similarities with the warlock’s book of shadows. Witches state that their Book of Shadows is the original one as it is something that can be tied to their souls, whereas the warlock’s book of shadows is merely a magical tome provided by a patron from the outside. They believe the warlock’s book is a much simpler replica that was created by a resourceful patron and that was then given to other patrons as a useful tool.
SpellBook
At 1st level, you have a Book of Shadows containing six 1st-le vel witch spells of your choice. These spells can include the spells that have been made available to you by virtue of your affiliation.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Witch table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots after you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of witch spells that are available for you to cast. Spells provided by your affiliation are also counted among these spells. To do so, choose a number of witch spells from your Book of Shadows equal to your spellcasting ability modifier + your witch level (minimum one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you’re a 3rd-level witch, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16 (as a witch of coven affiliation, see Spellcasting Ability), your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your Book of Shadows. If you prepare the 1st-level spell false life, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells after you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of witch spells requires time spent studying your Book of Shadows and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Your spellcasting ability for your witch spells depends on the way through which you learn witchcraft, meaning, what you are affiliated with.
If you are affiliated with a coven, it means that you learn and cast magic through your coven’s traditions, which makes Intelligence your spellcasting ability.
If you are affiliated with nature, you draw your magic from the essence of nature and thus Wisdom is your spellcasting ability.
If you are affiliated with infernal masters, your master is the source of your magic, making Charisma your spellcasting ability.
You use your spellcasting ability whenever a spell refers to it. In addition, you use your spellcasting ability modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a witch spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Spellcasting Ability modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Spell casting Ability modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast a witch spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your Book of Shadows. You don’t need to have the spells prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a fetish as a spellcasting focus for your witch spells. You can create your own fetish as an 8-hour ritual with materials that are appropriate to your way of casting magic. You can also ask fellow witches to create one for you.
Learning Spells of 1st Level or Higher
Each time you gain a witch level, you can add two witch spells of your choice to your Book of Shadows. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the witch table. On your adventures, you might find other spells you can add to your Book of Shadows (see the “Book of Shadows” sidebar).
Witch’s Familiar
Witches have a familiar that is specific to, and special, for them. Familiars are beasts that have a special connection with the witches. They consider familiars as guiding spirits that take an animal form. They believe their familiar grants them additional powers of magic. Starting at 1st level, you can choose to have a familiar appropriate to your character. Your familiar understands you perfectly as if you have cast a speak with animals spell on it, and tries to fulfill any commands you give it, as much as its Intelligence score permits. You can command your familiar as a bonus action. If your familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. You can call the familiar back as a 1-hour ritual. If you do so, it appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you.
Familiar’s Guidance
Also at 1st level, you gain the ability to receive guidance from your familiar a number of times each day. The list of familiars, and the particular guidance they provide, are as follows:
| Familiar | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Cat | Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatic) checks. |
| Raven | Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. |
| Mouse | Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. |
| Rabbit | Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks. |
| Owl | Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks. |
You can use the guidance a number of times equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (a minimum of once) and receive it if the familiar is within 30 feet of you. You regain any expended uses after you finish a long rest.
Witch’s Affiliation
Choose an affiliation at 1st level as the source of your witchcraft, to what your witchcraft is dedicated. Each affiliation is quite different from one another, and they each grant you quite different benefits. You must choose wisely, as some affiliations condemn you to be evil.
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 9th, 13th, and 20th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Charms and Hexes
Starting at 6th level, you can prepare charms to protect your self or your allies, or hex bags to undermine your enemies. In order to create a charm or a hex bag, you expend a spell slot of a level according to the object’s power, as shown in the table below, and perform a ritual that takes 1 hour to complete. As long as the charm or hex remains, the spell slot remains expended.
You can implant a charm or hex bag on a creature by making a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check (DC determined at Game Master’s discretion). You can also ask another person to implant it in your stead. You can withdraw the powers of a charm or hex bag by intently focusing on it as an action. When you do so, the object stops functioning and you regain your spell slot.
Charms
| Charm | Spell Slot | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity | 1 | The wearer has advantage on saving throws against being charmed. |
| Evil Eye | 1 | The wearer has advantage on saving throws against being cursed or hexed. |
| Luck | 3 | The wearer can reroll any die, up to three times per day. |
| Protection | 2 | The wearer can activate the Protection from Evil and Good spell on itself once per day by touching its charm. |
| Spirit Ward | 1 | The wearer cannot be possessed. |
| Vitality | 1 | Whenever the wearer rolls dice to heal, it takes one die as maximum |
Hex Bag
| Hex Bag | Spell Slot | Attribute |
|---|---|---|
| Burden | 2 | The wearer suffers 1 level of exhaustion, this effect cannot stack. |
| Clumsiness | 1 | The witch makes 3 attack rolls of their choosing against the wearer, with advantage, per day. |
| Entrancement | 3 | The wearer becomes charmed as if it is under the effect of the charm person spell for 8 hours. It breaks free from the effect if harmed by the witch or one of its companions. |
| Misfortune | 1 | The wearer has disadvantage on three of its rolls per day, chosen by the witch at the time of the roll. |
| Restlessness | 2 | The wearer must spend twice the time in order to finish a short or long rest. |
| Spell Vulnerability | 1 | The wearer has disadvantage on saving throws against spells that are cast by the witch, and the witch has advantage on its spell attacks that targets the wearer. |
Witch's Broom
At 11th level, you learn how to craft your trustworthy companion, the witch’s broom. In order to craft it, you must find a broom and spend 4 hours imbuing it with witchcraft. After you finish, it becomes a magical broom that obeys only you.
As an action, you can hide it in the Ethereal Plane or call back. When you summon it, the broom manifests within 30 feet of you and flies into your hand.
Additionally, you can use the following features with your broom:
- You can fly on your broom with a flying speed of 30 feet.
- By spending 10 minutes sweeping an area of 30-foot-squ are with your broom, you can cleanse the area as if you have cast protection from evil and good on all friendly creatures within it.
- As an action, you can swing your broom and cast the gust of wind spell.
- As an action, you can sweep the magic away from a target, as if you cast the dispel magic spell. You still have to make an ability check to successfully dispel a spell.
While traveling, you can walk while sweeping the ground with your broom, emulating the effects of the pass without trace spell.
When you use one of these features (except for flying, which can be used at will), you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Alter Magic
At 14th level, you learn how to create and use the witch’s altar. Your altar includes a set of objects such as a ceremonial knife, candles, a metal plate, a metal goblet, a small bell, an idol, talismans, and a rug to place the components on top. After you obtain the components, you must perform a ritual of 4 hours to imbue them with your essence before you can use them.
You can pack all components into the rug and put them into your backpack. Your altar is magically protected and cannot be destroyed except by a spell of 7th level or higher.
By using your entire turn, you can set up your altar in the space you occupy. You cannot use the benefits of your altar if you leave this space. Using your action, you can pack your altar back up.
Your altar grants you some additional benefits:
Far Reaching Magic. You can cast an enchantment spell targeting any location when your altar is set as long as you and the target of the spell is in the same plane of existence. You only need to know the location of your target. Your target still understands that you cast the spell if the spell indicates that your target does so.
Imbued Magic. If you have cast a spell that requires con centration and you wish to cast a second one, you can transfer one spell’s concentration to your familiar and thus can maintain concentration for two spells at once.
Third Time’s Charm
Starting at 17th level, while casting a spell, you can speak its last word three times. When you do so, you can choose from one of the following benefits:
- You have advantage on the spell attack roll.
- The target of the spell makes its saving throw with disadvantage.
- You can make your spell much stronger, turning it into a Heightened Spell or an Empowered Spell (using your spellcasting ability).
You can use this feature three times. You regain any expended uses after you finish a long rest.
Affiliations of Witchcraft
Every witch is affiliated with a source of magical power to practice their witchcraft. These affiliations vary greatly, and they have a significant influence on a witch’s character. The coven affiliation is closest to wizard schools. A coven is a society of witches with an arcane tradition, emphasizing magic that excels when practiced as a group. The infernal affiliation requires a witch’s agreement with and/or dedication to an infernal servant, and witchcraft of the witches with this affiliation partially resembles the magic practiced by warlocks. The nature affiliation concerns a bond between a witch and nature. Witches with this affiliation draw their powers from nature, and tend to follow both a god and a goddess of nature.
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