Hexes, Curses, and Conjuring: The Dark Arts of the Witch DND Class

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A Witch is a class in Dungeons and Dragons (DND) that offers a unique and intriguing playstyle. Unlike other spellcasters, such as Wizards or Sorcerers, Witches draw their power from a pact they have made with a mysterious entity known as a Patron. This gives them access to a wide range of spells, abilities, and other magical powers. Witches in DND are often associated with dark and mysterious forces. They use their magic to manipulate and control the world around them, whether it be through spells that control minds, bend reality, or summon powerful demons. Despite their association with darkness, not all Witches in DND are evil.



Witch dnd class

No game this past weekend. I wasn't feeling great and my son was at a birthday party.

I was thinking about Friday's post on the witches of Rahasia and of Ravenloft and it occurs to me that D&D lacks in iconic witches. There are great examples of Vampires, Liches, Wizards, Priests, Paladins, Rangers, enough Thieves to fill a guild, even Bards.

The witches in Rahasia are one thing, but the ones in Ravenloft don't even have proper names really.

Pathfinder does a good job with their iconics. Feiya is a proper witch, but even the sorceress Seoni is often referred to as a witch. Not to mention all the witches to be found in Irrisen like Queen Elvanna.

The witches three. Larina, Feiya and Seoni

I have my iconic, Larina. But she appears mostly in my Pathfinder books.

Who do we have for D&D?

Well for starters and maybe the most iconic is Iggwilv, the Witch-Queen. We also have Elena the Fair, Witch Queen of Summer. Also, while not as a well know or even explicitly a witch is Skyla.

There is also one witch that both D&D and Pathfinder share, Baba Yaga.

There was also Koliada, the Winter Witch. a Level 26 Solo Skirmisher from the 4th ed era adventure "Winter of the Witch". But there is not a lot out there about her. Interestingly Pathfinder also has a lot Winter and Cold related witches.

Personally I'd love to see more. There might be more, I just haven't found them all yet.

Posted by Timothy S. Brannan at 8:45 AM Labels: character, DnD, Feiya, Iggwilv, pathfinder, witch

6 comments:

JB said.

Dude, can't even believe I have to tell you this one: Thingizzard.

She's mentioned in S2: White Plume Mountain (on the beautiful map/illustration inside that shows the region of the mountain), with the warning "Beware her potions." In the 2E adventure Return to White Plume Mountain, they provide her states, profile, and lair details including some pretty cool "swamp zombies" (swamp mummies? Maybe. I don't have the module here).

The "Hag" monster found in the B/X Companion is based in large part on Thingizzard, plus a combo of Night Hag and Sea Hag. Maybe a little folkloric Baba Yaga thrown in.

I'm sure folks there are folks who ran S2 back in the day that wrote their own stats for Thingizzard. I know I statted up Keraptis back in the day (since you can meet him in the "Indoctrination Center").

There are also the Witch practitioners in Glantri, though I'd hardly call them "iconic." It's possible they played prominent roles in some BECMI campaigns.

Timothy S. Brannan said.

Oh yeah! I'll have to look her up.

Sean Robert Meaney said.

Okay. lets create a witch. One with history. Protoindoeutopean has the word Ansu meaning demon. Ansu is made of two phonetic components: An (meaning ancestor) + Su (meaning swine). Imagine a little old lady who keeps a 'herd' of swine. She resides in the forest beyond the village. Children are told not to venture there least they be eaten by her pigs. While some might respect the limits of the village as An-su defines them, others might act violently toward her wild swine and she might transform the villagers into pigs. adding to her herd.

Timothy S. Brannan said.

Sounds cool! I'll have to add this to my list of characters to work up.

Hyrieus said.

Well there's the Crones of Cytorrak from the CM modules set in Norwold, perhaps Luthic from the Orc pantheon, or maybe the Witch King Zhengi. You could say Dame Sephora from Castle Amber though she really is a Clark Anton Smith creation. I'd also argue that many of the Crow are also witches, being priestesses of Lolth in the same way witches could be priestesses of Hecate

Sean Robert Meaney said.

The witch of belcadiz has progressed in my campaign. The nightdragon synn offered her immortality. The witch is now a minor artefact: a brush made of a shatter of bone, a hank of hair, and a twist of gut. In this form she can posess anyone as needed.

Witch (5e Class)


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Despite their association with darkness, not all Witches in DND are evil. Some may use their powers for good, while others may walk a fine line between light and dark. One of the defining features of the Witch class is their ability to have a familiar, a small creature that serves as their loyal companion and assistant.

Contents

  • 1 The Power of the Craft
  • 2 Bonds of the Soul
  • 3 Creating a Witch
  • 4 Class Features
    • 4.1 Table: The Witch
    • 4.2 Witch's Familiar
    • 4.3 Ghostly Bond
    • 4.4 Spellcasting
    • 4.5 Witch's Coven
    • 4.6 Ability Score Improvement
    • 5.1 Black Witch
    • 5.2 White Witch
    • 5.3 Spell List (Expanded)
    • 5.4 Multiclassing

    The Power of the Craft [ edit ]

    The whole village fears the tiefling woman in the house on the corner. Rumors spread that she is in league with demons. Every night, a black cat can be seen leaving her home and spying into the windows of others. Unbeknownst to them, the cat is a vigil for the tiefling. She sees what the cat sees and now knows that the home is free of intruders and evil spirits. With that home safe, the cat moves onto the next home to help its master keep the town safe.

    An elfish man dressed completely in black enters the home of the family that called him. As soon as he sets foot inside, he is overwhelmed by a sudden chill. He is led to the ailing child, whom he was summoned to help. After completing a ritual spell of herbs and sticks, the spirit tormenting the child is revealed. The elf casts a spell, somehow more powerful than what is normally seen, blowing the spirit away. When the spirit is blown backward, a black, red-eyed dog lunges at the evil spirit, and banishes it to the realm from whence it came. The elf takes his payment and walks away.

    A human woman walks down the sunny streets, her white robes seemingly gleaming in the sun. A voice whispers in her ear about a nearby feeling of anxiety. The woman looks and sees a halfling shopkeeper stacking her merchandise. Sensing the halfling needs help, the human silently commands her unseen companion. The halfling suddenly feels a rush of confidence, and successfully, although precariously, stacks her wares to sell. Seeing that her work is done, the human walks on her way.

    Bonds of the Soul [ edit ]

    Witches acknowledge that there is a spiritual connection between all things – forces that inexplicably and randomly bind beings and happenings together in a kind of mass, shared fate. They see other witches as brothers and sisters, and other spellcasters as close cousins. As a consequence, witches are often fond of forming alliances. One kind of alliance is the circle that a witch belongs to.

    The circle that a witch joins is the manifestation of a philosophy regarding the nature of spirits. Some, like the circle of power, believe in a supreme energy that extends beyond the physical world, weaving together magic and the collective conscience of all living things. Others, from the circle of blood, for example, believe in a more intimate connection between the physical world and the other side. In this philosophy, each soul is tied to something close to it in the physical world – a body, an object, or a location that was important to it when it was alive.

    Creating a Witch [ edit ]

    When deciding on the witch class, think about what led your character to tap into the magic of the natural world. Maybe witchcraft is a tradition in the area, or your character comes from an area rife with a ghostly past. Superstition is also a good trigger for a fascination with witchcraft. What is your relationship with spirits and magic? Is there a measure of mutual respect?

    How did your character come to be an adventurer? It could be that he or she was a pariah in their community due to contact with the other side, cast out and forced to fend for him or herself. Perhaps your character is even haunted by a particular spirit, and seeks a way to control or be rid of it.

    You can make a witch quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the hermit background.

    Class Features

    As a Witch you gain the following class features.

    Hit Dice: 1d6 per Witch level
    Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + Constitution modifier
    Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Constitution modifier per Witch level after 1st

    Armor: None
    Weapons: Quarterstaffs, crossbows, daggers, darts, slings
    Tools: Herbalism kit
    Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
    Skills: Choose three skills from Arcana, Animal Handling, Deception, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion and Religion

    You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

    • (a) A quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
    • (a) A light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a sling with 20 pieces of ammunition
    • (a) A priest’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
    • (a) An athame used as an arcane focus or (b) a component pouch

    Table: The Witch

    Witch's Familiar [ edit ]

    When you start, you have an animal that is your familiar to act as an extension of yourself to nature and spirits. You may choose from any beast that is size Medium or smaller and has a CR of 1/4 or lower to be your familiar. Add your proficiency bonus to your familiar's AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block, or four times your witch level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points (shares your level, only in regard to how many Hit Dice it will have).

    Your familiar obeys your commands to the best of its abilities. It takes its turn on your initiative, though it doesn't take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can verbally command your familiar to where you want it to go. You can use a bonus action to verbally command it to take the attack, dash, disengage, dodge or help action.

    Your familiar has a magical bond to you, and the two of you are able to sense one another's location within 50 feet of one another. Beyond that limit, your familiar will actively look for you. If you are incapacitated, your familiar will try to protect you from harm.

    If your familiar dies, you can obtain a new familiar by spending 8 hours performing a ritual to get one. The new familiar must meet the size and CR requirements.

    Starting at 6th level, your bond with your familiar grows. As an action, you are able to see the world through the eyes of your familiar, and learn everything they see. You can only see what they do. You do not hear what your familiar hears, or smell what they smell, or feel what they feel.

    Starting at 14th level, your familiar becomes more powerful. Each of your familiar's ability scores increases by 2.

    Starting at 18th level, your bond with your familiar is completely profound. You and your familiar understand everything that you say to one another as clearly as if you were speaking the same language. In addition, when you use an action to see the world through the eyes of your familiar, you experience everything that they sense. You see, hear, feel, smell and taste everything that they do. You stop experiencing the world through them when your sight returns to your own body.

    Ghostly Bond [ edit ]

    Every witch has a connection to all things via the use of a spirit. You are able to choose one type of spirit to be bonded to, and gain features from your choice at the 1st level, then again at the 5th, 10th, and 18th level. You are not able to choose the same spirit twice, even if you are allowed to choose again. The spirits you may choose from are as follows:

    Jack-o-the-Green appears as a man made entirely out of leaves, moss, fungus, roots, and branches. As spirits of nature, they help a witch attune more to the natural world than most. Jack-o-the-Green grants the following features:

    • At 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Nature skill. If you are already proficient in this skill, double your proficiency bonus.
    • At 5th level, you begin to understand the natural world a little better. You may pick one type of difficult terrain to become unhindered by from forest, mountain, ruins or swamp.
    • At 10th level, your bonded spirit starts to affect your animal familiar. Your familiar can now communicate with other animals, which the information can then relay to you. You cannot understand the specific details of what your familiar is telling you. You can only understand vague messages from your familiar until you reach 18th level.
    • At 18th level, your bonded spirit makes you a master of nature. You can now breathe underwater and can walk on difficult terrain (such as deep snow or quicksand) as if it were solid ground.

    A Grey Lady appears as a woeful woman clad in grey clothing. A spirit of fear and despair, they are able to help a witch attune more to the emotions of other creatures, and sometimes their inner thoughts. A Grey Lady grants the following features:

    • At 1st level, you are only beginning to understand your fearful companion. As an action, you are able to reveal the visage of your Grey Lady to any creature within 10 feet of you. When you do, every creature in the 10 foot radius must make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute. You can use this ability once a day at 1st level, twice at 5th level, 3 times at 11th level, and 4 times at 18th level.
    • At 5th level, your bonded spirit starts to affect your animal familiar. Some of your magical power starts to rub off onto your familiar, making it more dexterous than normal. Your familiar can now use magic to levitate and carry objects that are within its ability to lift without magic. The object must be light enough for the creature to carry, and must be within 5 feet of your familiar.
    • At 10th level, when a creature attempts to deceive you through either non-magical or magical means, you are able to perform a wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the Grey Lady whispers in your ear that the creature is lying, but does not know any of the details. On a successful save, the Grey Lady whispers in your ear that the creature is lying, and knows vague details about the lie it is telling. You are able to use this feature a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), and regain expended uses upon finishing a long rest.
    • At 18th level, no emotions lie hidden. As an action, you can ask any question you want to a creature, forcing the creature you asked to make a charisma saving throw. On a failed save, they are forced to divulge the full details of their secrets to you. The creature remains friendly for one minute as if they were charmed. After one minute, the creature realizes it was charmed and becomes hostile to you.

    A black dog appears as a large dog with shaggy black fur and glowing red eyes. A spirit of magic, they are able to help a witch attune more to the ethereal powers that permeate the material plane. A black dog grants the following features:

    • At 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. If you are already proficient in this skill, double your proficiency bonus.
    • At 5th level, your black dog spirit is able to alert you to the presence of dangerous magic. As an action, you are able to sense the location of any magical trap, structure or object within 30 feet of yourself. In addition, you are able to sense the presence of magically hidden traps, structures, or objects. When used this way, you can sense the magic that hides the trap, structure or object, but do not know what trap, structure or object is, or how to find it. You are able to use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), and regain expended uses upon finishing a short or long rest.
    • At 10th level, your bonded spirit's magic starts to rub off onto your familiar. Your animal familiar is now able to use 1 cantrip of your choice from the witch's spell list, and is only able to use 1st level spells from the witch's spell list. Your animal familiar may choose 2 spells to use for themselves, and may cast a spell as an action on their turn.
    • At 18th level, your bonded spirit greatly augments your magical ability. As an action, you may choose to add 2d8 element damage from acid, cold, fire and lightning to add to your spell's regular damage. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), and regain expended uses upon finishing a long rest.

    Spellcasting [ edit ]

    Starting at 2nd level, your contact with the natural magic of the world and intuitive knowledge of the magic which allows it to persist grants you the use of spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this class description for the witch spell list.

    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.

    Preparing and Casting Spells

    The Witch table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and above. To cast one of these witch spells, you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

    You prepare the list of witch spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the witch spell list. When you do so, choose a number of witch spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your witch level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

    For example, if you are a 5th level witch, you have four 1st level and two 2nd level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level spell slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

    You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of witch spells requires time spent in communion and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

    Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your witch spells, since your magic comes from knowledge of the natural world. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom 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 Wisdom modifier

    Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

    Ritual Casting: You can cast a witch spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

    Spellcasting Focus: You can use an athame as a spellcasting focus for your witch spells.

    Witch's Coven [ edit ]

    Starting at 3rd level, you choose to join a coven of witches to determine which practice of magic you'll be perfecting: White Witch or Black Witch, both of which are detailed at the end of this page. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 20th level.

    Ability Score Improvement [ edit ]

    When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, 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.

    Witch dnd class

    This familiar can take the form of a small animal, such as a cat or a raven, or even a magical creature like a pseudo-dragon. The familiar can aid the Witch in many ways, such as scouting ahead, delivering messages, or even providing a source of magical power. Witches are also skilled at curses and hexes, which they can use to afflict their enemies with various negative effects. From inflicting disease and confusion to causing pain and suffering, a Witch's curses can be devastating. They can also channel their magic through their familiars, allowing them to cast spells at a distance or through barriers. In addition to their magical abilities, Witches in DND have access to a variety of skills and abilities that make them formidable in combat. They are skilled at using a variety of weapons, both melee and ranged, and can also wear light armor to protect themselves. They are also skilled in deception and manipulation, with abilities that allow them to disguise themselves, create illusions, or even charm others into doing their bidding. Overall, playing a Witch in DND offers a unique and exciting role-playing experience. With their mix of dark magic, familiar companions, and versatile abilities, they are a class that can be both challenging and rewarding to play. Whether you choose to be a benevolent healing Witch or a malevolent spellcaster, the Witch class in DND will surely leave a lasting impression on both you and your fellow players..

    Reviews for "Moonlit Shadows: Playing a Lunar Witch in DND"

    1. John - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to playing the Witch DND class, but upon trying it out, I was quite disappointed. The class seemed underpowered compared to others, and the abilities felt limited and lackluster. Additionally, the spell list didn't offer much variety, making the gameplay repetitive. I also found the mechanics of the class confusing and hard to grasp, which made it frustrating to play. Overall, I would not recommend the Witch DND class to others.
    2. Sarah - 1 star - I had high hopes for the Witch DND class, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The class lacked depth and complexity, and the abilities felt unbalanced. It seemed like the Witch class was half-baked, with incomplete or poorly explained mechanics. The spell list was also limited, making it difficult to adapt to different situations. Overall, I found the Witch DND class to be a disappointing addition to the game.
    3. Mike - 2 stars - I tried playing the Witch DND class, and it just didn't work for me. The class seemed to lack a defined role or purpose within the game, and the abilities didn't feel impactful. The spellcasting mechanic was confusing, and the limited spell options made it hard to feel like a true witch character. Overall, I found the Witch class to be underdeveloped and uninteresting, and I would not choose to play it again.

    Magical Allure: Using Charms and Enchantments as a Witch in DND

    Witch's Brew: Creating Magic Potions and Elixirs in DND