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

[Remathilis]

Wasn't there a witch class in 3e DMG as some sort of example of customising classes or something? Because I remember playing in a campaign in which one of the other players played such...

It was given as an example of modifying the sorcerer spell list to include some clerical and druidic spells at the cost of the flashier arcane spells. Barely more than a customized spell list.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

It was given as an example of modifying the sorcerer spell list to include some clerical and druidic spells at the cost of the flashier arcane spells. Barely more than a customized spell list.

Ah! That was it then. I remember it producing the desired flavour pretty decently though.

 

[Greg K]

Wasn't there a witch class in 3e DMG as some sort of example of customising classes or something? Because I remember playing in a campaign in which one of the other players played such...

As mentioned, it was showing how to tailor a class. The three most prominent third party witch classes for 3e were found in Green Ronin's Witch's Handbook (2002) by Steve Kenson, Way of the Witch (2002) by Citizen Games, and Mongoose's Quintessential Witch (2002) by Robert J. Schwalb.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

@Whizbang Dustyboots Not 5e, but I'm doing some work on another campaign/game. What's your opinion of the PF 1e Witch (in terms of fluff and basic powers ideas, even if you don't know the 3.5/PF system).

Witch – d20PFSRD

www.d20pfsrd.com

It looks like a successful and, apparently, reasonably popular class.

 

[Sithlord]

Wizards join guilds. Witches join covens. That’s all the difference you need to know.

 

[Cadence]

It looks like a successful and, apparently, reasonably popular class.

I guess my question is if it looks like it successfully hits the bases you think it should. I'm mulling it over for something I'm working on for a possible campaign, and if it's missing something your hypothetical new player would want... I'd like to add that in. (I understand if that sounds like me asking for free labor and if so I'll appreciatively mine you earlier responses).

 

[Voadam]

I guess my question is if it looks like it successfully hits the bases you think it should. I'm mulling it over for something I'm working on for a possible campaign, and if it's missing something your hypothetical new player would want... I'd like to add that in. (I understand if that sounds like me asking for free labor and if so I'll appreciatively mine you earlier responses).

Pathfinder 1e witches are a fun class with a lot of flavorful options that can execute a lot of narrative witch types.

They are arcane full casters with a less direct damage spell list than wizard/sorcerer, they use their familiar as their spellbook, and they get some patron flavor and hex powers.

Their hex powers are generally interesting and can do things like curse to debuff, have your hair extend to strangle people, cackle to keep curses going round to round instead of 1 round, create potions, sniff out children, and put people to sleep.

Sleep hex can be a powerful at will save or suck effect at max spell dc useable against single targets (but one shot only per target). This can be problematic on the DM challenge side as while many monsters are immune to sleep effects, many monsters have weaker will saves and so are vulnerable to being effectively one shotted by a character with this power, particularly tough ones who would otherwise be a decent combat challenge. When running an adventure path with lots of trolls and giants I asked the witch PC to swap it out after a while.

The patrons are kept vague as is the exact nature of the class so people can flavor it a lot as they like and it can fit a bunch of witch narrative archetypes. It fits a halloween witch archetype well but can easily handle a Charmed style good will worker as well as others.

The Paizo world has a big nation run by a succession of Baba Yaga's witch daughters and their own witch progeny aristocracy, with the current ruler being very Narnia White Witch flavored. There is a whole Adventure Path set of six modules that is very witch focused and is well regarded (Reign of Winter).

 

[Neonchameleon]

Pathfinder 1e witches are a fun class with a lot of flavorful options that can execute a lot of narrative witch types.

They are arcane full casters with a less direct damage spell list than wizard/sorcerer, they use their familiar as their spellbook, and they get some patron flavor and hex powers.

Pathfinder 1e Witches are cousins of 5e Warlocks. They get hexes instead of invocations, and get incomplete and slightly odd casting. And are known for having a single spell they spam the living daylights out of (the pathfinder one puts you to sleep).

Hmm... maybe I should make a couple of witch-style patrons for the warlock.

 

[Flamestrike]

Pathfinder 1e had a witch class that was an arcane full caster that made pacts with a mysterious themed patron, gained specific witchy powers, and used their familiars as spellbooks.

Isnt that just a Warlock?

Warlock is the masculine form of Witch after all.

 

[Necrozius]

I would love to see a Wicca-inspired occultist, personally. Rituals of a cleric, nature magic of a Druid, enchantment from a Bard merged together.