D&D 5E So Where my Witches at?

[SkidAce]

Personally, I would like to see a wizard subclass (for the classic curses-and-polymorphs type), a druid subclass (for the green witch type) and a warlock patron (for a more coven/dark take). Assuming we only get one, I think the wizard one has the strongest pedigree, but I'd take a warlock pact if they want to keep it confined to warlock.

Still, in an era where subclasses and feats allow for lite-multiclassing, the witch as a wizard/warlock hybrid isn't out of the realm of impossible.

Thats why I use witch as a title.

Some of our witches are wizards, some are druids, and some are warlocks. You described exactly how we play it.

 

[Lanefan]

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.

And to add to the fun, there's some (not me) who see Wizard as simply being the default term for a male Witch...

 

[Lanefan]

It originally appeared in Dragon #43, and was then revised and expanded in Dragon #114.

Ha! Thanks! Knew I'd seen it twice...

 

[rgoodbb]

Yeah I agree, Tasha's did miss a trick.

I like the Bard as a witch. Just swap out the instrument for components, and you have a good illusion, de-buffing based class with access to hold person, polymorph and a lot of nature based spells. Magical secrets lets you cherry pick the more iconic spells not on their list. Sure Warlock and Wizard are more obvious but I would do a Bard or maybe a Druid. (especially now with their wild shape familiar).

 

[Mind of tempest]

question what is the more or less conceptual niche of the witch?

 

[RangerWickett]

In the ZEITGEIST setting we had a one-shot adventure - Bonds of Forced Faith - that was all about trying to stop a coven of witches before they do something bad on the night of a lunar eclipse. Each witch was basically a wizard who could cast fun flavorful curses on offensive, could punish you with a retaliatory curse if you hit her, could turn into a raven to escape, and either messed with people's minds or flew around in a cauldron or had spooky minions.

But the curses were the big thing.

The key thing was getting the flavor right: curses need to be spooky and a little horrifying, but not something that takes you out of the adventure. At least not until you face the leader of the witches in the climax, who had a suite of curses that were some variant of "if the PC does X, they get punished with Y," and they probably have to do X to win, but maybe they can be clever and avoid the curse.

In the upcoming Adventures in ZEITGEIST book, we have a wizard subclass - the school of ravencraft. It's sort of a crime gang made up of witches, who filch enchantments off magic items and blackmail people with curses.

 

[Mind of tempest]

In the ZEITGEIST setting we had a one-shot adventure - Bonds of Forced Faith - that was all about trying to stop a coven of witches before they do something bad on the night of a lunar eclipse. Each witch was basically a wizard who could cast fun flavorful curses on offensive, could punish you with a retaliatory curse if you hit her, could turn into a raven to escape, and either messed with people's minds or flew around in a cauldron or had spooky minions.

But the curses were the big thing.

The key thing was getting the flavor right: curses need to be spooky and a little horrifying, but not something that takes you out of the adventure. At least not until you face the leader of the witches in the climax, who had a suite of curses that were some variant of "if the PC does X, they get punished with Y," and they probably have to do X to win, but maybe they can be clever and avoid the curse.

In the upcoming Adventures in ZEITGEIST book, we have a wizard subclass - the school of ravencraft. It's sort of a crime gang made up of witches, who filch enchantments off magic items and blackmail people with curses.

so lots of curses, so it is lack of a type of spell the is stoping people playing a witch?

 

[cbwjm]

Thats why I use witch as a title.

Some of our witches are wizards, some are druids, and some are warlocks. You described exactly how we play it.

I tend to do this too, in fact, I have a vague feeling I've had this conversation before, maybe on Reddit, about how many names end up being titles instead of classes/subclasses in my world. Even class names can be used as titles. A sorcerer might be called a wizard, especially if they have knowledge skills and carry around a ritual book.

Having said that, a witch subclass could be perfect for druid and wizard. They are the only two classes (I think) that gain subclass levels at the same time so you could make a witch subclass that can be taken by either a druid or a wizard as long as the abilities don't rely on the main class's abilities.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I tend to do this too, in fact, I have a vague feeling I've had this conversation before, maybe on Reddit, about how many names end up being titles instead of classes/subclasses in my world. Even class names can be used as titles. A sorcerer might be called a wizard, especially if they have knowledge skills and carry around a ritual book.

Having said that, a witch subclass could be perfect for druid and wizard. They are the only two classes (I think) that gain subclass levels at the same time so you could make a witch subclass that can be taken by either a druid or a wizard as long as the abilities don't rely on the main class's abilities.

so in the writing, it would state all abilities use your casting stat?

 

[Imaculata]

(I don't think there was ever a proper 3e witch, though PF made one)

I have a book for making 3e witches (The Witch's Handbook, by Steve Kenson), but it is not an official book. It is one of those small add on books released under the OGL. It provides the witch as a core class that is a hybrid cleric-druid, as well as prestige classes that can be good or evil. The Infernal Witch is one of the evil prestige classes I remember. Others include the Shaper, Witch Hag, Witch Priestess/Priest and Witch's Champion.