A Dnd witch hunter is a character class or archetype in the game Dungeons and Dragons (Dnd). These characters specialize in tracking down and eliminating witches, warlocks, and other spellcasters who practice dark or forbidden magic. The role of a witch hunter in the Dnd universe is to hunt down those who use their arcane powers for evil or chaotic purposes. They are skilled at tracking down these spellcasters, studying their magic, and finding ways to counter and nullify their spells. The witch hunter class typically has abilities and skills that make them effective at hunting down and neutralizing magical threats. They may have resistance or immunity to certain types of magic or damage, allowing them to withstand spells that would normally harm or debilitate other characters.

Dnd witch hunter

You have to appreciate the fact that Vin Disel is so geeky that not only was his character named Melkor, he was a Witch hunter from the Arcanum book, but now he has a movie more or less based on his character.

So what exactly is a "With Hunter"? Well I have been fairly quiet on the whole concept myself. But before that, let's talk about what has been done first.

I should begin with the Witch Hunter that Vin Disel used and the one that I think of as first anyway, the Witch Hunter from the Arcanum.

All the classes in the Arcanum and the Bard Games "Compleat" books before it were all very thin in nature. Some guidelines, some flavor, but a ton of imagination! The class is described as a dual classed hunter/mystic with "highly trained" combat abilities. They read a lot like Rangers to be honest, save with a focus on hunting down spell casting classes. They get training in two weapons (Weapon Proficiencies) and gain two more over the course of their career. They gain the skills of tracking, reading magic, stealth and spell casting. As spell casters they can't wear armor.
Advancement by level is detailed later in the book (they are on the high end) and they take spells from the Mysticism list, which are similar to Clerics. (Note: I should have covered these Mystics back when I did mystics for my first Class Struggles).
The witch-hunter gets a maximum of 3 attacks per round when they reach level 13 (remember this is 1st-2nd ed-ish). They also gain a +1 to hit every other level.

There are hunter-like kits for 2nd ed. AD&D, but no witch-hunter really.

3rd Edition and the OGL brought out a number of various witch hunter classes. Many though not till Pathfinder came out.

Super Genius Games had a bunch of books out for OGL/Pathfinder for Witch Hunters. The Genius Guide to the Witch Hunter and With a Bullet Point 9 Witch Hunter Feats. With these two there is plenty to run your witch hunter in Pathfinder. Unlike the Arcanum, this one does not use spells but instead has a number of special powers each level. Both methods are fine with me really.

Not to be outdone there is the Player Paraphernalia #11 The Witch Hunter from The Knotty-Works. This class also gets good combat ability and some powers, but it also gets spells to 4th level. This puts it on par with the Ranger. It has a couple of new feats, but no new spells. Though you are getting a lot here for a buck and half.
So between these three books there are even more choices.

On the OSR/Retro Clone side we have only one product I know of, PC3 - The OSR Witch Hunter by Jeremy Reaban. This book has a number of nice features in addition to the class. The class does not cast spells, nor does it have a lot of special powers. This is by design and owning to the stated literary source. It does have some skills such as read magic and turn undead. What I think makes this special is the level advancement tables for "First Edition", "Original Edition", "Basic/Expert" and "Cyclopedic Edition". Nice feature if you ask me.

What Should A Witch-Hunter Do?
One question not always addressed is what exactly does a witch hunter do? That's for the player. The question to ask the GMs is what do Witch Hunters hunt when there are no witches (as a class) in the game? The Arcanum version tends to focus on all spell casters. The Pathfinder ones tend to focus on the witch class.

Allow me to toss this one back to you all. Would you or do you use "Witch Hunters"? If so, who do they hunt? What do they do once they have one?

12 comments:

The 5E version definitely draws on The Witcher game series as well. I believe I read the Mercer drew up it for inspiration too.

My idea of Witch Hunters (like you mentioned) is Rangers that have Witches/Evil Spellcasters as their favored enemy. Nothing more, nothing less.

Justin, I thought that was the case, but I know very, very little about The Witcher.

Marcelo, that is what I have used in the past as well.

you know it's weird all the trailers and promotions have left me with no desire to see the last witchhunter which just makes me think of the inquisition scene in mel brooks history of the world. however your comment that it's basically vin diesal acting out his geek fantasy by having a movie made of his D&D character suddenly makes me want to see it.

Get and read the stories in "The Last Wish", you will know all you need to of The Witcher. Good stuff.

The Freeport: The City of Adventure book for Pathfinder has a Witch Hunter archetype for inquisitors. It's tied into the setting's Hexworth Inquisition, which is focused on rooting out necromancers (and will persecute anything that smells even faintly of dark magic) but the archetype can easily be adapted to other settings.

The Freeport: The City of Adventure book for Pathfinder has a Witch Hunter archetype for inquisitors. It's tied into the setting's Hexworth Inquisition, which is focused on rooting out necromancers (and will persecute anything that smells even faintly of dark magic) but the archetype can easily be adapted to other settings.

I would in the right game. For instance, I've brainstormed a game dealing with a Matron, Mother, and Crone as the big bads and a game where Hags were the big bads. If I had a witch in the game, before I'd allow a witch hunter, I'd develop a melodramatic hook on why there would only be conflict if it drove the story (and hopefully have an arc where the two became friends ala Gimli and Legolas).

Um. I also had a Witch Hunter in The Complete B/X Adventurer. It's one of my favorite classes in the book.

[plus: neat level titles!]

In answer to your question (what do they do?) I go back to the inspiration for my write-up, the Bard Games "Compleat Adventurer" book. In all honesty, it was Sechi's rather heavy (IMO) flavor text that got my mental juices flowing. his entry showed me how the archetype could be used in different ways with different motivations simply by switching alignment. I blogged about this back in 2010 when developing TCBXA:

I would think the class would be a good one for more "late period" D&D games (thanks to the likes of Solomon Kane, I always associate witch hunters with black powder weapons). It would make a fine replacement for the cleric class (presuming you have house rules that provide alternate methods of healing PCs) in a campaign setting where magic is feared and hated. Such characters could still party with MUs providing they shared alignments (a good wizard paired with a good WH to take down evil spell-casters, or a Chaotic WH that is a hypocrite more interested in using his authority/position to prey off the fears of the populace while simultaneously partnering with dark forces that allow him to indulge in sadistic tendencies).

In a campaign that includes multiple witch or MU player characters, witch-hunters can serve as the same type of NPC antagonists that assassin guilds serve in some campaigns (hunting the PCs). I'd also think they'd be a good archetype in campaigns that feature LESS magic and more "supernatural evil" . settings akin to LotFP. the WH's ability to detect (and hunt) evil and magic would be boons to any party.

Despite the term "witch" hunter, I'm fairly against focusing the class specifically on "witches." In this case, I think the archetype title is using the word witch as a pejorative term to mean "any evil spell-caster". and even supernatural creatures (demons and the like) whose existence in the physical world is due to "witchery" or "witch-craft" (i.e. black magic or "evil" spells). It's not really a class for your typical "loot the orc/goblin" D&D campaign. unless those goblins are some sort of demonic spawn.

But it's certainly a useful class for one in which the forces of Law struggle against the tide of Chaos and Evil (in the Warhammer-style of Chaos being dimensional rifts through which pour hellish beings). In such a setting, you'll find witch hunters. some good and righteous, others corrupt charlatans. Heck, I could see a campaign in which the witch-hunter replaces both clerics AND fighters (and probably demihumans if you're doing B/X-style "race-as-class"). A fresh new party filled with young witch-hunters (and thieves and MUs) would be pretty cool. I could think of some adventures for THAT.
: )

I intend to release a Swords & Wizardry Hunter class next week for the Octhorrorfest series. I intend it to be customizable (you pic enemy type) so you could create a Witch Hunter, Vampire Hunter, Were Hunter etc. Generic bonuses to attacks and saves against the particular enemy type.

I totally forgot about The Complete B/X Adventurer!

White Witch Hunter

Miniature for “Legends of Signum” tabletop wargame.
Race: human.
Properties: unpainted, unassembled.
Download a digital game card by clicking on the button below.

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Dwellers of Signum choose to become monster hunters for various reasons. For some these reasons include fame and acknowledgment, for others – the sound of coins clinking in their purse. Conwenn gained his medallion with a grinning puma head on it when he was just a boy. He was a sole survivor from a small village, located in the very west of the Grypharim Empire, that was attacked by the undead of cursed baronies. Ludwig, the monster hunter, found him barely alive, walking by the road with bloodied pitchfork in hand.

“What happened, boy?” he asked. After the boy told him about the undead, Ludwig immediately went to the village and found no less than a hundred of them lying still on the ground with pitchfork wounds on them. He realized, that this boy has the makings of a great hunter and took him under his wing for training. Today, not only his extensive list of defeated enemies is a proof of his courage and skills, but also his gray hair, for the life of a hunter is a dangerous one and not many hunters live to see their hair turn gray. But he is still far from achieving his goal. To this day, he keeps seeking those who sent undead to his village.

Dnd witch hunter

Barbarians who follow the Witch Hunter’s path are determined to seek out and destroy practitioners of dark magic wherever they may hide. Harnessing their rage, these mighty hunters can shrug off powerful magic and pursue their foes by any means necessary. Such a Barbarian may have personal experience with dark magic, perhaps even being the victim of a Witch’s curse themself once, or they may be motivated to destroy Occult mages by a higher power.

Subclass Features

Rage through Curses

At 3rd level, you learn how to channel your rage to resist spells. When you fail a saving throw against a spell while you’re raging, you can use your reaction to re-roll the saving throw and use the new result. If this re-roll makes you succeed, your Rage ends.

Sense for Magic

At 6th level, your senses become honed to catch the subtle limits of deceptive magic. You may use your Charisma modifier instead of Intelligence on Investigation checks, and on your turn you can use a bonus action to expand your senses, becoming aware of any invisible objects or creatures within 15 feet of you. You can activate this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, and you regain all spent uses when you complete a long rest.

Fists of Cold Iron

At 10th level, you know how to wrestle even the most wily adversaries. Whenever a creature grappled by you takes an action or bonus action other than attempting to break free from the grapple, they take damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Additionally, if any creature grappled by you attempts to cast a spell with Somatic or Material components, you can use your reaction to stifle their spell. Make an Athletics check, contested against the enemies Spellcasting modifier. If you succeed, the spell fails, and any held material components are dropped. If you fail, the spell is cast, and they break free from your grapple.

Unending Pursuit

At 14th level, you are now so savvy to the ways of witches that you can use their own tricks against them. While you’re raging, you are proficient in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. Whenever an enemy within 5 feet of you teleports, you can follow their teleport, arriving within 5 feet of them in a square of your choice at the teleport destination.

They may have resistance or immunity to certain types of magic or damage, allowing them to withstand spells that would normally harm or debilitate other characters. In addition, witch hunters often have special abilities or tools specifically designed for combating magical foes. These may include anti-magic or dispelling abilities that can counter or cancel out the effects of spells, as well as weapons or items that are particularly effective against magical creatures or constructs.

Witch hunters in Dnd may have a unique set of spells or abilities that allow them to detect or sense magical energy, enabling them to identify and locate witches or warlocks in their vicinity. They may also have abilities that grant them protection from curses or hexes, making them less susceptible to the dark magic of their enemies. Overall, the Dnd witch hunter is a formidable character class that specializes in hunting down and eliminating spellcasters who wield dark or forbidden magic. They are skilled in combat and have unique abilities that allow them to counter and nullify magical threats, making them an essential asset in any campaign or adventure where magic plays a significant role..

Reviews for "Witch Hunter Relics: Powerful Artifacts for Battling the Supernatural in DND"

1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Dnd witch hunter". The storyline felt forced and unoriginal, and the characters lacked depth. The dialogue was also cheesy and cliché. I had high hopes for this book as a fan of both fantasy and witch hunting stories, but it fell flat for me. I found myself struggling to stay engaged and ended up skimming through parts just to finish it. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to others looking for a thrilling and well-written fantasy read.

2. Sarah - 1 star - I found "Dnd witch hunter" to be incredibly dull and predictable. The plot was weak and lacked any real surprises. The pacing was uneven, with long stretches of excessive detail and slow-moving action. The main character was supposed to be a formidable witch hunter, but I found her to be quite underdeveloped and uninteresting. The writing style was also lackluster, with little to no descriptive language or depth. I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone seeking an engaging fantasy read.

3. Mark - 2 stars - I found "Dnd witch hunter" to be generic and uninspired. The world-building lacked originality and depth, and the magic system felt underdeveloped. The main character's motivations and actions were difficult to understand, making it hard to empathize with her. The pacing was also off, with large chunks of repetitive dialogue and unnecessary scenes. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to fans of the fantasy genre. There are much better options out there that offer more engaging storytelling and well-rounded characters.

4. Lisa - 1 star - "Dnd witch hunter" was a complete letdown for me. The writing was amateurish, with awkward sentence structure and grammatical errors. The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. The plot was predictable, and the overall story lacked any real depth or complexity. I struggled to finish this book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling and well-crafted fantasy tale. There are far better options available in the genre that offer more satisfying reading experiences.

Witch Hunter Lore: Uncovering Myths and Legends about Witch Hunting in DND