Witches and Society: Roleplaying a Witch in a World Unfamiliar with Magic in Dnd 5e

The witch is a unique class in the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition (DND 5e) tabletop role-playing game. This class offers players the opportunity to tap into the mystical powers of witchcraft, using a combination of spellcasting and other abilities to support and hinder their allies and enemies. In terms of mechanics, the witch is a spellcaster class that relies primarily on intelligence as its spellcasting ability. They have access to a diverse and powerful selection of spells, covering a wide range of magical effects such as curses, hexes, and transformative magic. This makes the witch a versatile and dynamic class to play, as they can adapt their spellcasting to suit a variety of situations. One unique aspect of the witch class is their connection to nature and the mystical forces of the world.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Fog Cloud and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Fog Cloud using either slot. Spellcasting Ability Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your witch spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to interpret and coerce the forces of nature.

One unique aspect of the witch class is their connection to nature and the mystical forces of the world. This connection allows witches to harness the power of arcane rituals and commune with otherworldly entities. These rituals can be used to perform powerful spells and summon or communicate with spirits and creatures from other planes.

D&D 5E So Where my Witches at?

Tasha's Cauldron got me thinking, where (or what) is the Witch in D&D (5e)?

Tasha is stated to be a witch. Commonly, "witches" are represented by the warlock class. There are "witch" invocations (such as witch sight) that back up the theme, and their spells are witch-y with things like hex and witch bolt. However, Tasha comes off sounding much more like a traditional wizard from her commentary, speaking of spell research and wizard academies. Seems to me WotC missed an excellent opportunity to have a "witch" wizard subclass (with all the potion-brewing, hexing, and toad-making that comes with it) but then again, isn't that the warlock's domain? And that mostly just covers the classic Halloween witch, which is to say nothing about the more traditional "nature mage" that the Pathfinder witch and 4e Witch classes filled. Again, you might argue a fey warlock kindasorta fills that niche, but there is probably some design space here (especially as a subclass for druids or sorcerers) that could have been used.

I guess I kinda feel that if you are going to make a product that features an important D&D witch, you ought to, ya know, put some witch-stuff in the book?

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Witch classes have been tried for ages - I remember one or two going by in early Dragon magazines - and have for whatever reason never caught on.

Further, using Witch as a class name risks offending parts of the sometimes-quick-to-take-offense neo-Pagan movement if there's anything the least bit negative about the class; and I very much suspect WotC are well aware of this.

Retreater

Legend

That, and all the hubbub about Harry Potter amongst some communities due to their use of "witch" to describe a female wizard. The term has a history that would alienate gamers in many walks of life, whether they feel this is anti-Christian, anti-Pagan, or something else.
I say, just leave it as a warlock and it works fine.

Remathilis

Legend

Witch classes have been tried for ages - I remember one or two going by in early Dragon magazines - and have for whatever reason never caught on.

Further, using Witch as a class name risks offending parts of the sometimes-quick-to-take-offense neo-Pagan movement if there's anything the least bit negative about the class; and I very much suspect WotC are well aware of this.

I'm not sure about the latter; neo-paganism hasn't bothered them enough to remove the Druid.

But yes, there hasn't been a true "witch" class that truly took off. There was an NPC class (1e), a wizard kit (2e), and a 4e wizard subclass, (I don't think there was ever a proper 3e witch, though PF made one) but I think its a strong enough archetype that it could at least warrant a subclass with the "samurai and knight" treatment.

Faolyn

(she/her)

Remathilis

Legend

You could make the same argument about paladin, ranger, or druid, not to mention necromancer, assassin, or cavalier.

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Only due to timing: Druid was in as a class before the neo-Pagan movement really got up any steam and thus had/has precedent on its side.

Were they to try and introduce 'Druid' as a new class today it'd get shot down for both this reason and that it's too tied to one specific culture and thus could be seen as non-inclusive.

But yes, there hasn't been a true "witch" class that truly took off. There was an NPC class (1e), a wizard kit (2e), and a 4e wizard subclass, (I don't think there was ever a proper 3e witch, though PF made one) but I think its a strong enough archetype that it could at least warrant a subclass with the "samurai and knight" treatment.

Pretty sure there was more than one proposed Witch class in Dragon during the 1980s. Maybe one was the NPC class and another was a trial balloon for a PC class?

Enevhar Aldarion

Hero

Witch classes have been tried for ages - I remember one or two going by in early Dragon magazines - and have for whatever reason never caught on.

Further, using Witch as a class name risks offending parts of the sometimes-quick-to-take-offense neo-Pagan movement if there's anything the least bit negative about the class; and I very much suspect WotC are well aware of this.

No, males in the real world who consider themselves witches are much more offended by being called a warlock, and it's negative meaning, whether the modern meaning was once historically not accurate. Don't ever label someone who takes this seriously as an oath breaker. As for Witch, you have to deal with the stereotype that only females can be witches, so in the early days of D&D, when the vast majority of players were male, of course a Witch class failed.

Alzrius

The EN World kitten

As others have noted, official D&D has always had a hard time getting a witch character role off the ground; it's not that there haven't been attempts (there've been many), it's just that none have really caught on. Conceptually, the niche remains unfulfilled, which is why the community keeps trying with everything ranging from new classes to warlock patrons to wizard traditions.

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Weiley31

Legend

Witch as a class is more a Pathfinder type deal since its in it.(On the other side of the coin, the Pathfinder 2E Witch is more like the Warlock in the fact that both the Warlock/Witch has/deal with a Patron.)

Plus the Witch brings up the image of the Hag. Which is its own buckets of apples in DND.

Blue Orange

Gone to Texas

There was a semi-official version in the 3e DMG that consisted of just a spell list as I recall, in addition to the 2e kit, Pathfinder, and the 4e wizard subclass and the various Dragon magazine, third-party, and homebrew versions produced throughout the various editions. (Where was the 1e NPC class? There was a witch-doctor for goblinoids that had some cleric and mage spells. )

The warlock in D&D is a little different, though--it's much more offense-oriented, and is actually closer to the older idea of the witch as someone who made a pact with the devil. The idea of "potion-brewing, hexing, and toad-making" rural spellcaster, which could be good or evil, is more of a 'hedge mage', someone who lives in the country and doesn't have access to the complicated scholastic training of the wizard but does minor magics for (or against) their local community, has become somewhat separate. Somewhere between wizard and druid.

I also suspect that it's usually seen as more of a minor character and people aren't as familiar with what the epic endgame would look like--we have a pretty good idea of the legendary warrior, high priest, or archmage, but nobody's really sure what a 20th-level witch would look like.

You could clarify that it's open to any gender and have art examples. And there's no reason it has to be evil-only. Even warlocks can be any alignment, and they've sold their souls to something.

When creating your Witch, consider how you acquired your power. Were you instructed by another witch? Or maybe you discovered your power through careful study and evaluation. Perhaps you discovered a long-lost tome that gave you the basics of natural magic. Or you could have a natural talent for bending the forces of nature to your will.

In addition to their spellcasting abilities, witches have a number of other features that set them apart from other spellcasters. For example, they have a knack for brewing potions and crafting magical items. This can be a valuable skill for helping the party prepare for upcoming challenges or create powerful artifacts. Witches also have a special ability called Hexcasting, which allows them to augment their spells with additional effects. This can include things like making a spell more difficult to resist, dealing additional damage, or even imposing debilitating conditions on the target. Overall, the witch class in DND 5e offers players a chance to embrace their magical side and play a character who specializes in the twisted and mysterious arts of witchcraft. With a wide array of spells, unique abilities, and a connection to ancient mystical forces, the witch is a formidable and enticing class to explore in the world of Dungeons and Dragons..

Reviews for "Witchcraft Rituals: Performing Powerful Rites and Ceremonies in Dnd 5e"

1. John - 2/5 stars - I wasn't a fan of the Dnd 5e witch class. I found it to be underpowered compared to other classes and lacking in versatility. The limited spellcasting options and lack of unique abilities made the witch class feel like a watered-down version of other spellcasting classes. Additionally, the focus on curses and hexes felt repetitive and limited in real gameplay scenarios. Overall, I was disappointed with the witch class and would not recommend it to others looking for an interesting and powerful class option.

2. Sarah - 3/5 stars - The Dnd 5e witch class was decent, but it definitely didn't live up to my expectations. While I appreciated the concept of a witch class and the potential for unique spells and abilities, I found that the execution fell short. The class options felt limited and the spellcasting abilities were not as diverse as I had hoped. Additionally, the lack of a clear role in a party left me feeling unsure of how to effectively contribute to gameplay. Overall, the witch class had potential, but it needs some refinement to truly stand out and provide a compelling gameplay experience.

3. Alex - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to try out the Dnd 5e witch class, but unfortunately, it was a letdown. The class lacked depth and felt very one-dimensional. The limited spellcasting options and lack of unique abilities made the witch class feel like a reskinned version of existing spellcasting classes. There was nothing particularly exciting or innovative about the class that set it apart from others. I was hoping for a more unique and powerful spellcaster experience, but the witch class fell short in delivering on that front. I would recommend exploring other class options instead.

Nature's Coven: Embracing Mother Nature as a Dnd 5e Witch