D&D 5E 5e witches, your preferred implementation?

[Mordhau]

I can see the first three easily, but bard seems a harder sell. What is the witch's type of performance?Which setting? We missed the obvious one in Ravenloft, but I guess Tasha was from Oerth...

Probably a new one, unless WotC acquired the Scarred Lands IP somehow.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I can see the first three easily, but bard seems a harder sell. What is the witch's type of performance?...

Singing. Think Sirens.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Thanks to this thread coming up again, it reminded me to update my blog post about the Witch class in 4th and 5th edition, as somebody released an update on their homebrew class a few days ago. They've playtested it for 7 years now, which is good for homebrew!

 

[Voadam]

I can see the first three easily, but bard seems a harder sell. What is the witch's type of performance?

I would say performance is fairly easy to strip out of bards for doing non minstrel concepts using mechanics.

I am not sure there is really a classic performance that matches up to either valor bard or knowledge bard colleges in the PH.

Skald poetry for a valor bard maybe?

When I was playing a viking style chainmail and battleaxe 5e valor bard I had storytelling, boasting, and a horn of Gondor style warhorn as the performance/instrument parts on the character sheet, but they were not central to the character.

I've played a 3e elven bard where bardic magic was narratively elven magic and the combo of arcane magic and rapier was very B/X elf narratively and played as such.

I can see charms and healing magics and buffs/curses off the bard spell list working well for a witch concept.

 

[Einlanzer0]

I don't really see a properly done version of witch as a subclass for any existing class, however, it's also a bit of a stretch to make it its own full class.

Rather, my favorite approach is to roll witch as an archetype into a broader general primal caster class that includes other concepts like witch doctors, shamans, oracles, seers, hedge wizards, animists, theurges, charmers, etc. Apart from covering a nice smattering of concepts not nearly covered by a standard class, this also gives us a nice thematic analogue to the barbarian

IThat's why the occultist by kibblestasty is my go-to for something to build off of. What I don't love about the Occultist is the lack of a single unifying mechanic other than rituals, which makes it feel like a dumping ground for things rather than a cohesive class concept. My version of this would include something like a Trance-based mechanic to mirror the Barbarian rage.

 

[Remathilis]

I would say performance is fairly easy to strip out of bards for doing non minstrel concepts using mechanics.

I am not sure there is really a classic performance that matches up to either valor bard or knowledge bard colleges in the PH.

Skald poetry for a valor bard maybe?

When I was playing a viking style chainmail and battleaxe 5e valor bard I had storytelling, boasting, and a horn of Gondor style warhorn as the performance/instrument parts on the character sheet, but they were not central to the character.

I've played a 3e elven bard where bardic magic was narratively elven magic and the combo of arcane magic and rapier was very B/X elf narratively and played as such.

I can see charms and healing magics and buffs/curses off the bard spell list working well for a witch concept.

The thing is, all bards are performers of some type, the base game mechanics inform that. I just don't see bards as the kind of performer a bard typically is. The closest I could see is something based on the Dance of the Dead, but that's still a bit of a stretch.

However, warlocks, druids, and wizards seem prime candidates. Sorcerer might be too with a kinda blood magic focus. Each class could address a different type or archetype of witchcraft.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I don't think a proper Witch class will ever exist, so long as there is also the Warlock class. Too much confusion connecting to what people know of them in real world history. Change the Warlock to a non-Good NPC subclass of Witch and it would be alright.

 

[Professor Murder]

I'm likely repeating what others have said in some fashion.
If Witch means a caster who evokes primal forces which while divine are not specifically tied to a singular deity, I go with Druid. Witches often read as nature-centered. Druids can shapechange, which is a classic witch trick in folklore. I think a dedicated Witch subclass of some sort would be a great take on a Druid. Give em "find familiar" and you are halfway there.
If Witch means a caster who makes some sort of pact with an otherworldly, possibly malign being, then Warlock.
If Witch is just a term for a divine caster of a specific faith, Cleric.
If Witch just means a spellcaster, Wizard or Sorcerer.

If I were to get a Witch class, I'd think some sort of Druid/Wizard hybrid would make the most sense.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

If Witch means a caster who evokes primal forces which while divine are not specifically tied to a singular deity, I go with Druid. Witches often read as nature-centered. Druids can shapechange, which is a classic witch trick in folklore. I think a dedicated Witch subclass of some sort would be a great take on a Druid. Give em "find familiar" and you are halfway there.

Witches are not Druids, but Druids are Witches.

 

[Mecheon]

I'd argue the witch is the intersection between wizard, druid and warlock. They're able to be put in any of those, but have their own archetype just different enough to each its not a perfect fit.

Just one of those hard things to codefy.