New Class: The Witch

Alrighty...I got to thinking about that Witch spell list in the DMG, and decided to do my own version of a full Witch class, using it for partial inspiration.

I'm pretty happy with the spell list, not totaly certain about the class abilities.




The Witch


Witch's are spellcasters with an inborn spark of magic that must be honed by practice, training, and experimentation. There magic focuses on manipulating both the mind and the body, and to a lesser extent, the world around them.
They also learn to create magical substances, and have a talent for infusing magic into physical objects.
A budding witch (or warlock as male witches are some times called) is often noticed by an older witch, and taken under their wing for training
Many good and neutral witch's become resident spellcasters for small communities, using their powers to heal minor injuries and uncover lost objects.
Evil witch's favor manipulation and domination in their quest for power. Witch's have access to spells of summoning, and evil witch's frequently make pacts with fiends who's alignment match's there own.


Mechanical Information:

Hit Die: d6

Skill Points: 4

Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana, The Planes, Nature, Religion, Geography, Local), Profession, Spellcraft, Survival

Weapons/Armor: No armor. Wizard weapons.

Saves: Good Will, Poor Fort/Reflex

Spells: Casts Arcane spells. Same as Sorcerer, accept one more spell known per spell level from 2nd on (for instance, a 4th level Witch learns 2 second level spells). Same spell-trade mechanic.


Other Class abilities:

1st level: Familiar. As the sorcerer ability,but the familiar gains additional hit dice like a druid animal companion, using half the witch's level.

3rd level: Brew Potion for free

Bonus Feats: 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, drawn from Item Creation, Spell Focus and Spell Penetration feats.


9th level: Witch’s Curse/Boon
At 9th level, the Witch may place a curse upon a single living being within Close range. The curse can have one of the following effects.:

-6 penalty to one ability score.

-4 penalty to all attacks, saves, and checks

-2 caster level

The curse is permanent and may only be removed by the witch who placed it, or a remove curse spell from a caster at least 4 levels higher than the witch. A Will save prevents the curse. A witch may only have a single curse active at any given time.
Alternately, once per day the Witch may grant a powerful boon to a single ally. This boon may be any one of the following benefits:

+6 enhancement bonus to one ability score.

+4 bonus to all attacks, saves, and checks.

+2 caster level

Damage Reduction X/- where X is the Witch’s Charisma bonus.

These benefits last for 1 minute per point of the Witch’s charisma bonus


13th level: at 13th level, the Witch may lay a Geas as the spell upon a single creature. The creature receives a Will save to resist. If the save is failed, the geas is permanent unless removed by the Witch or a remove curse spell from a caster at least 4 levels higher than the witch.



Spell List: (I realize I forgot cantrips. Probably most of the wizard/sorcerer ones)


1st level:
Alarm
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Colour Spray
Cure Light Wounds
Detect Animals or Plants
Endure Elements
Enlarge Person
Entangle
Faerie Fire
Feather Fall
Grease
Hold Portal
Hypnotism
Identify
Inflict Light Wounds
Longstrider
Mage Armor
Magic Weapon
Mount
Nystul’s Magic Aura
Obscuring Mist
Pass Without Trace
Produce Flame
Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law
Ray of Enfeeblment
Reduce Person
Remove Fear
Sanctuary
Sleep
Summon Monster 1

2nd level:
Aid
Alter Self
Arcane Lock
Augury
Bear’s Endurance
Blindness/Deafness
Blur
Bull’s Strength
Calm Emotions
Cat’s Grace
Continual Flame
Darkness
Darkvision
Daze Monster
Death Knell
Detect Thoughts
Eagle’s Splendor
Enthrall
Flaming Sphere
Fog Cloud
Fox’s Cunning
Ghoul Touch
Hypnotic Pattern
Invisibility
Knock
Levitate
Locate Object
Magic Missile
Magic Mouth
Make Whole
Mirror Image
Misdirection
Obscure Object
Owl’s Wisdom
Remove Paralysis
Resist Energy
Scare
See Invisibility
Shatter
Silence
Silent Image
Speak with Animals
Spider Climb
Summon Monster 2

3rd level:
Arcane Sight
Bestow Curse
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Contagion
Cure Moderate Wounds
Daylight
Deeper Darkness
Deep Slumber
Delay Poison
Dispel Magic
Displacement
Fly
Gaseous Form
Gentle Repose
Glyph of Warding
Helping Hand
Heroism
Hold Person
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Invisibility Sphere
Keen Edge
Leomund’s Tiny Hut
Minor Image
Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law
Magic Weapon, Greater
Nondetection
Phantom Steed
Poison
Protection from Energy
Ray of Exhaustion
Remove Curse
Scorching Ray
Sleet Storm
Slow
Speak with Dead
Suggestion
Summon Monster 3
Water Breathing

4th level:
Call Lightning
Charm Monster
Confusion
Crushing Despair
Cure Serious Wounds
Dimensional Anchor
Dimension Door
Divination
Enlarge Person, Mass
Evard’s Black Tentacles
Fear
Fire Trap
Freedom of Movement
Geas, Lesser
Giant Vermin
Ice Storm
Inflict Serious Wounds
Invisibility, Greater
Leomund’s Secure Shelter
Locate Creature
Major Image
Minor Creation
Neutralize Poison
Phantasmal Killer
Polymorph
Rainbow Pattern
Reduce Person, Mass
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Disease
Rusting Grasp
Shout
Solid Fog
Speak with Plants
Stone Shape
Stoneskin
Summon Monster 4
Tongues

5th level:
Animal Growth
Baleful Polymorph
Break Enchantment
Cloudkill
Control Winds
Death Ward
Dominate Person
Dream
Feeblemind
Hallucinatory Terrain
Hold Monster
Insect Plague
Magic Jar
Major Creation
Mind Fog
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound
Nightmare
Overland Flight
Permanency
Planar Binding
Rary’s Telepathic Bond
Seeming
Sending
Scrying
Summon Monster 5
Symbol of Pain
Symbol of Sleep
Telekinesis
Transmute Mud to Rock
Transmute Rock to Mud
Wall of Thorns
Waves of Fatigue

6th level:
Acid Fog
Animate Objects
Antilife Shell
Bear’s Endurance, Mass
Bull’s Strength, Mass
Call Lightning Storm
Cure Critical Wounds
Dismissal
Dispel Magic, Greater
Eagle’s Splendor, Mass
Eyebite
Flesh to Stone
Find the Path
Fox’s Cunning, Mass
Geas/Quest
Glyph of Warding, Greater
Guards and Wards
Heroism, Greater
Inflict Critical Wounds
Mislead
Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum
Owl’s Wisdom, Mass
Planar Binding
Prying Eyes
Repulsion
Stone To Flesh
Suggestion, Mass
Summon Monster 6
Symbol of Fear
Word of Recall

7th level:
Arcane Sight, Greater
Banishment
Chain Lightning
Control Weather
Creeping Doom
Finger of Death
Forcecage
Hold Person, Mass
Insanity
Invisibility, Mass
Legend Lore
Power Word, Blind
Refuge
Scrying, Greater
Summon Monster 7
Symbol of Stunning
Symbol of Weakness
True Seeing
Waves of Exhaustion

8th level:
Animal Shapes
Antipathy
Binding
Charm Monster, Mass
Demand
Earthquake
Fire Storm
Maze
Mind Blank
Otto’s Irresistible Dance
Planar Binding, Greater
Plane Shift
Polymorph any Object
Power Word, Stun
Scintillating Pattern
Summon Monster 8
Symbol of Death
Symbol of Insanity
Sympathy
Vision

9th level:
Astral Projection
Discern Location
Dominate Monster
Foresight
Freedom
Hold Monster, Mass
Horrid Wilting
Imprisonment
Power Word, Kill
Shapechange
Soul Bind
Storm of Vengeance
Summon Monster 9
Wail of the Banshee
Weird

The problem with witches are there are so many varients. ALso note, I believe there are several witch books out there for d20.

Some initial thoughts.


Potions are good, most witches always brew potions. But rather than just allow them to brew them for free, give some more features:
- Reduced cost (as compared to free)
- Reduced time to make
- Increased spell level



Curses are also part of most witches tools. Again just expand the options.

Witches also are usually good at summoning. So maybe feats as powers that are related to summoning.

Just some intial thoughts.

Unfortunately, I think this is way too powerful. Compare your witch class to a sorcerer:

• better hit dice (d6 vs. d4)
• more spells
• item creation feats of a wizard
• better familiar
• access to cure spells
• more skill points
• free brew potion feat
• curse/boon
• geas

That's crazy good. I actually think your changes are in the right direction. I would leave the familiar with the normal progression (no druidic companion hit points). I would also reduce their skill points to 2/level. She shouldn't be a skills monkey. Finally, I would consider reducing drastically the number of spells she can cast. Like cut them in half. I would also slow progression and give out a maximum of maybe 7th- or 8th-level spells.

Anyway, just my opinions.

The problem with witches are there are so many varients. ALso note, I believe there are several witch books out there for d20.

Click to expand...

I know. I dont care for any of them, except Monte Cook's Witch in Arcana Unearthed, which is rather different.

Potions are good, most witches always brew potions. But rather than just allow them to brew them for free, give some more features

Click to expand...

I thought about expanding the whole potion thing, but decided against it for now. I think I just want it to be a small part of their makeup. Although I may change my mind and throw in something like a cost reduction.

Curses are also part of most witches tools. Again just expand the options

Click to expand...

I do want to do more with this, and I was hoping to get some ideas. More uses per day? Access to more powerful curses? I just cant really decide how I'd like to handle it.

Witches also are usually good at summoning. So maybe feats as powers that are related to summoning.

Click to expand...

This has occured to me to, although I dont want to give them too much...perhaps just add Augment Summoning to the bonus feat list, and maybe give them the Planar Ally spells instead of the bindings? Or give them the bindings but some small bonuses on working with the called creatures?

Compare your witch class to a sorcerer

Click to expand...

I intentionally did not use the Sorcerer as my primary comparison with this class, because I feel the Sorcerer is an underpowered class.


Many of the advantages you list (more skills, d6 hit die, more spells known) are benefits the Sorcerer class would also recieve in any game I ran.

And access to cure spells isnt an advantage, its just a difference...could in fact be considered a disadvantage in some circumstances.

would also reduce their skill points to 2/level. She shouldn't be a skills monkey

Click to expand...

Why not? The Druid recieves only slightly lesser spells, far better base statistics (hit die, saves, BAB, armor etc) and better class abilities (Wildshape) and yet has 4 skill points and an extensive, useful list of class skills.

Finally, I would consider reducing drastically the number of spells she can cast. Like cut them in half

Click to expand...

Again, why? Spontaneous casters always have large numbers of spells per day. I could perhaps see reducing the spells per day by 1 per level, but cutting them in half would leave them with no more...in some cases less...than a Wizard.

I would also slow progression and give out a maximum of maybe 7th- or 8th-level spells.

Click to expand...

They already have the slowed down progression of the Sorcerer. And they are meant to be a primary caster class, so reducing them to 7th or 8th level spells is not in the cards. Doing that would make them an entirely different class and require them to be much stronger in other areas

The Witch in AU only has 7 levels of spells, but also has powerful Witchery abilities, and medium BAB.

I think they mean the variety of spells they hvae to choose from, not the amount they can cast per day

I'm pretty sure they are refering to daily spells, but its about the same either way.

The Witch spell list has 266 spells. The Wizard/Sorcerer list has about 371. Thats about 105 less spells. And many of them are rather important. The Witch doesnt get the main teleportation spells, almost no anti-magic magic, crappy damage, crappy illusion and mid-grade divination for instance.

Cut the spell list in half and you've got about 133 spells, which is less than the Druid's 170, and even less than the Bard, a minor caster (about 164)

Merlion said:

I intentionally did not use the Sorcerer as my primary comparison with this class, because I feel the Sorcerer is an underpowered class.

Many of the advantages you list (more skills, d6 hit die, more spells known) are benefits the Sorcerer class would also recieve in any game I ran.

Click to expand...

Hmm, I disagree. I used to think the same way until a sorcerer joined our high-level party. So I felt it was a good basis for comparison. I'll try to avoid comparing witches to sorcerers in my analysis.

And access to cure spells isnt an advantage, its just a difference...could in fact be considered a disadvantage in some circumstances.

Click to expand...

I didn't look carefully at your list of spells. I actually don't think its bad seeing that you removed most of the mass-damage spells.

Why not? The Druid recieves only slightly lesser spells, far better base statistics (hit die, saves, BAB, armor etc) and better class abilities (Wildshape) and yet has 4 skill points and an extensive, useful list of class skills.

Click to expand...

Because that fits the concept of a druid; to have survival and knowledge (nature), etc. Just because you can give someone extra skill points, doesn't mean you should. IMO, it doesn't fit the witch concept. You might consider dropping it to 2 skill points per level, but giving out free access to Craft (Alchemy).

Again, why? Spontaneous casters always have large numbers of spells per day. I could perhaps see reducing the spells per day by 1 per level, but cutting them in half would leave them with no more...in some cases less...than a Wizard.

Click to expand...

Again, this was compared to a core rules sorcerer. I would suggest reducing their max spell level to either 7 or 8 and adding something to compensate. Another poster suggested expanding curses. You might check out the hexblade curses from the complete warrior. They get the curses much lower level and each gets progressively nastier. But the duration was much shorter. Hmm, that might be a good level progression - having the curse duration getting longer and longer in addition to the penalties getting worse.

I also like the idea of expanding the power of potions. The easiest would be to include 4th-level spells.

IMO, it doesn't fit the witch concept

Click to expand...

~shrug~ I dont see why it wouldnt. I also fall into the camp of those who feel just about everybody could get more skill points, and it would be a good thing.

I would suggest reducing their max spell level to either 7 or 8 and adding something to compensate

Click to expand...

As I said, they are ment to be primary casters. I could toy with the idea of reducing spells per day slightly, but if the Druid and Cleric can have 9 levels of spells with all the other powers/advantages they have, I think they witch can too.

Another poster suggested expanding curses. You might check out the hexblade curses from the complete warrior. They get the curses much lower level and each gets progressively nastier. But the duration was much shorter. Hmm, that might be a good level progression - having the curse duration getting longer and longer in addition to the penalties getting worse.

Click to expand...

I am considering removing the bonus feats, and trying to expand the curses (and therefore also the boons). The curse duration is likely to stay the same...otherwise its just a Bestow Curse spell-like ability...but I will probably continue to have it be that you can only have one "copy" of a given curse operative at any time. Thats the big balance factor to that.


Ideas for types of curses and possible progressions would be nice. I probably will check out the Hexblade for additional inspiration as well.

I also like the idea of expanding the power of potions. The easiest would be to include 4th-level spells

Click to expand...

I might throw that in at some point.

I think I am going to do up a curse mechanic, where they are much like spells, but permanent (unless the witch removes it or dies, or you get it removed by a 4 levels higher caster) and with the whole only one "copy" of a given curse active at a given time. And some curses will have level (or perhaps even other) requirements.

You get one at 5th, 10th 15th and 20th level.

They would all require a save, with a DC of 10 +Cha bonus + half Witch level.

And with each Curse you get a Boon thats the reverse of the curse (for instance one curse could be a -4 penalty to all attacks...the Boon would be +4)

The boons will have uses per day, and durations. I'm thinking a number of times per day equal to Cha bonus perhaps...or maybe tied to level...and probably 1 minute/point of Cha bonus.