D&D 5E So Where my Witches at?

[Marandahir]

Bard works well: they don't need to use an instrument, but flutes, rattles and drums are there if you want them. You can definitely try to make a performance out of "maniacal cackling".

You could make a pretty good witch out of an Alchemist Artificer. In fact I think that most spellcasters could be successfully flavoured as witchy, with maybe the exception of Paladin (but even so, you might be able to pull it off with the right oath.)

Bard also works well because music could be replaced with ritual dancing, and the bard's charming and buffing fit a witch class quite well. But in my mind, a witch should also have a strong connection to nature. But perhaps that is where a druid subclass fits in.

Or ritual jumping over broomsticks, even. What's the difference between performance and ritual with an audience?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

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.

If it ends up being an issue, they could just use "Occultist" instead of "Witch". This would also fix the issue of warlock being the female version of witch.

(I have my own homebrew witch/occultist class. It's still a work in progress.)

 

[Faolyn]

If it ends up being an issue, they could just use "Occultist" instead of "Witch". This would also fix the issue of warlock being the female version of witch.

(I have my own homebrew witch/occultist class. It's still a work in progress.)

Occultist has very different vibes than witch does. More seances and ley lines, fewer cauldrons and demonic familiars.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Occultist has very different vibes than witch does. More seances and ley lines, fewer cauldrons and demonic familiars.

Why does every "Witch" have to use cauldrons or demonic familiars? That could be a subclass, or subsubclass (like Pact Boons). Like how not every warlock has to serve Asmodeus, use Hunger of Hadar, Hellish Rebuke, and have an Imp familiar. The class should incorporate those themes, but they shouldn't be required.

If someone wants to be a stereotypical witch, they can be an elderly Verdan with a pointy hat, hunched back, Broom of Flying, black cloak, and black cat familiar and call themselves Elphaba. However, there could also be a good witch named Glenda that blesses and protects others.

 

[Mecheon]

'Occultist' I definitely see as a different thing from a witch. Witches are 'earthy', if that makes sense. They gotta have that nature-y vibe even if they're using demonic stuff, with potions and old remedies being in-built no matter what they're doing. Occultists however are the forbidden knowledge side, delving into ancient tombs and taking knowledge that should not be known

 

[Shardstone]

This thread has inspired me to try creating a Witch class.

Will prob need to make about 30~ unique spells for its spell list, but I have an idea for this, with covens as its subclass themes. A Voodoo witch, Nature witch, Diabolical witch, Fate, Muse...there's some fertile ground for archtypes there!

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

'Occultist' I definitely see as a different thing from a witch. Witches are 'earthy', if that makes sense. They gotta have that nature-y vibe even if they're using demonic stuff, with potions and old remedies being in-built no matter what they're doing. Occultists however are the forbidden knowledge side, delving into ancient tombs and taking knowledge that should not be known

"Earthy" can be a subclass, as I did in my homebrew class.

 

[Remathilis]

This thread has inspired me to try creating a Witch class.

Will prob need to make about 30~ unique spells for its spell list, but I have an idea for this, with covens as its subclass themes. A Voodoo witch, Nature witch, Diabolical witch, Fate, Muse...there's some fertile ground for archtypes there!

As interesting as a voodoo witch sounds, the cultural minefield for that is (Vistani x Wiccan)^3.

 

[Shardstone]

Yep! Luckily I've done lots of studying on Voodoo, Voudoun, etc in college for various writing projects, and again in Grad School. I'm confident I can handle the material, some of which I practice, with care!

 

[Remathilis]

If it ends up being an issue, they could just use "Occultist" instead of "Witch". This would also fix the issue of warlock being the female version of witch.

(I have my own homebrew witch/occultist class. It's still a work in progress.)

Interesting take, though like others I tend to see occultist as a catch-all for a bunch of different phenomenon: demonology, mysticism, spiritualism, witchcraft, and psychic abilities. Might be cool if your class could mix some of that into it in the form of subs or such.