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5e witches, your preferred implementation?
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8299559" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Dug up my old notes on converting the Dragon 114 (etc) version of the witch. The basic premise is a caster who is recognizably part of a community of casters leaning toward the subtler magics, with features emphasizing "magical sight", a secret language, using/adapting familiarity rules (from <em>scrying</em>) as a broader class feature, and brewing potions. The spellcasting chassis is essentially the bard (with Spells Known & preparing spells), but the point of comparison I use for the spell list and overall layout of features is the druid.</p><p></p><p>Where I started first was defining what the Witch Spell List looks like, because "what magic can a witch do?" is contentious, or rather there's a lot of variety among various media representations of the archetype. I tried not to just do a rote conversion from Dragon 114, but to use my best judgment and creativity to adapt it, with some guiding principles:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em>New spell are italicized. </em>Some new spells would need to be introduced but where possible I wanted to minimize how many new spells I drafted. I looked for comparable spells in 5e, places where multiple new spells could be condensed into one, and for interesting mechanical "openings" in the 5e rules.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The "loud" and more flashy a spell, the stronger justification it needs to be on the witch's spell list. Most spells should lean toward subtler effects or effects that are more easily narrated in a subtle way.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The witch is a second-line healer but not a primary healer.</li> </ul><p>[SPOILER=Witch Class Spell List, inspired by Dragon 114]</p><p></p><p><strong>Cantrips (16 vs. druid’s 18, and 2 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 4)</strong></p><p>Blade Ward</p><p>Friends</p><p>Guidance</p><p>Light</p><p>Mage Hand</p><p>Mending</p><p>Message</p><p>Mind Sliver (TCoE)</p><p>Minor Illusion</p><p>Prestidigitation</p><p>*Produce Flame (formerly druid-only)</p><p>Resistance</p><p>*Spare the Dying (formerly cleric-only)</p><p>True Strike</p><p>*=<em>Befuddle (target has no allies)</em></p><p>*=<em>Reflected Image (display scene in a willing touched creature’s mind upon a reflective surface)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>1st Level (21 vs. druid’s 21, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 <em>entangle</em>)</strong></p><p>Beast Bond (XGtE)</p><p>Ceremony (XGtE)</p><p>Charm Person</p><p>Detect Evil and Good</p><p>Detect Magic</p><p>Detect Poison and Disease</p><p>Disguise Self</p><p>Faerie Fire</p><p>*Find Familiar (wizard-only)</p><p>Fog Cloud</p><p>Healing Word</p><p>*Hex (warlock-only)</p><p>Identify</p><p>Protection from Evil and Good</p><p>Purify Food and Drink</p><p>Sleep</p><p>Speak with Animals</p><p>Tasha’s Caustic Brew (TCoE)</p><p>Unseen Servant</p><p>Witch Bolt</p><p>*=<em>Minor Geas (affects HP worth of opponents as per sleep who are sent on an imaginary errand away from the caster)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>2nd Level (25 vs. druid’s 22, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 <em>flame blade</em>)</strong></p><p>*Augury (cleric-only)</p><p>Calm Emotions</p><p>Crown of Madness</p><p>Darkness</p><p>Darkvision</p><p>Detect Thoughts</p><p>Enhance Ability</p><p>Enthrall</p><p>Hold Person</p><p>Invisibility</p><p>Lesser Restoration</p><p>Levitate</p><p>Locate Animals and Plants</p><p>Locate Object</p><p>Mirror Image</p><p>Misty Step</p><p>*Moonbeam (druid-only)</p><p>Phantasmal Force</p><p>Protection from Poison</p><p>Ray of Enfeeblement</p><p>See Invisibility</p><p>Suggestion</p><p>Summon Beast (TCoE)</p><p>Tasha’s Mind Whip (TCoE)</p><p>*=<em>Hidden Missive (select targets hear something different than what you say)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>3rd Level (26 vs. druid’s 18, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 <em>call lightning</em>)</strong></p><p>Bestow Curse</p><p>Catnap (XGtE)</p><p>Clairvoyance</p><p>Conjure Animals</p><p>Counterspell</p><p>Dispel Magic</p><p>Enemies Abound (XGtE)</p><p>Fear</p><p>Fly</p><p>Gaseous Form</p><p>Hypnotic Pattern</p><p>Magic Circle</p><p>Major Image</p><p>*Mass Healing Word (cleric-only)</p><p>Protection from Energy</p><p>Remove Curse</p><p>Speak with Dead</p><p>Speak with Plants</p><p>Summon Lesser Demons (XGtE)</p><p>Summon Fey (TCoE)</p><p>Summon Shadowspawn (TCoE)</p><p>Tongues</p><p>Vampiric Touch</p><p>Water Breathing</p><p>Water Walk</p><p>*=<em>Mystic Rope (conjure rope which moves of its own accord, can be commanded to grapple or attach)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>4th Level (18 vs. druid’s 21, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 <em>giant insect</em>)</strong></p><p>Banishment</p><p>Blight</p><p>Charm Monster (XGtE)</p><p>Confusion</p><p>Conjure Minor Elementals</p><p>Death Ward</p><p>Dimension Door</p><p>Dominate Beast</p><p>Freedom of Movement</p><p>Greater Invisibility</p><p>Hallucinatory Terrain</p><p>Locate Creature</p><p>*Phantasmal Killer (wizard-only)</p><p>Polymorph</p><p>Summon Elemental (TCoE)</p><p>Summon Greater Demon (XGtE)</p><p>*=<em>Mystic Wall (hard to pass through for Medium or smaller creatures, distorted images/sounds prevent targeting through wall, creatures in wall take 3d6 force damage, caster and allies can pass through safely)</em></p><p></p><p></p><p>*=<em>Lightning Shield (30’ burst of 2d8 lightning damage, then acts like fire shield vs. metal weapons within 30’ but deals 2d8 lightning) Druid, Sorcerer</em></p><p></p><p><strong>5th Level (20 vs. druid’s 18, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 2 <em>maelstrom & reincarnate</em>)</strong></p><p>Animate Objects</p><p>*Antilife Shell (druid-only)</p><p>Awaken</p><p>*Commune (cleric-only)</p><p>Conjure Elemental</p><p>Contact Other Plane</p><p>Contagion</p><p>Dawn (XGtE)</p><p>Dominate Person</p><p>Dream</p><p>Geas</p><p>Greater Restoration</p><p>Hold Monster</p><p>Insect Plague</p><p>Legend Lore</p><p>Modify Memory</p><p>Planar Binding</p><p>Scrying</p><p>Teleportation Circle</p><p>*=<em>Spiritform (turn incorporeal, gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons & gain Incorporeal Movement, bypass resistances of creatures with Incorporeal Movement like banshees, shadow demons, ghosts, specters, and will-o’-wisps; but your attacks deal no damage to corporeal creatures)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>6th Level (15 vs. druid’s 16, and 3 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 5 <em>bones of the earth, druid grove, transport via plants, wall of thorns, wind walk</em>)</strong></p><p>Arcane Gate</p><p>Circle of Death</p><p>Conjure Fey</p><p>*Contingency (wizard-only)</p><p>Eyebite</p><p>Find the Path</p><p>Flesh to Stone</p><p>Guards and Wards</p><p>Heal</p><p>*Magic Jar (wizard-only)</p><p>Mass Suggestion</p><p>*Primordial Ward (XGtE) (druid-only)</p><p>True Seeing</p><p>*=<em>Greater Bestow Curse (cancel life level/worship/love/sleep of ages)</em></p><p>*=<em>Magic Mirror (see a creature and ask 3 questions about it from entity conjured into the mirror)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>7th Level (9 vs. druid’s 6, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 0)</strong></p><p>Etherealness</p><p>Finger of Death</p><p>Mirage Arcane</p><p>Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion</p><p>Plane Shift</p><p>Regenerate</p><p>*Sequester (wizard-only)</p><p>Summon Fiend (TCoE)</p><p>Symbol</p><p>*=<em>Witch Queen’s Charm (control group of fey, goblinoids, lycanthropes, or undead of CR 3 or less)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>8th Level (8 vs. druid’s 7, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1)</strong></p><p>*Animal Shapes (XGtE) (druid-only)</p><p>Antipathy/Sympathy</p><p>Dominate Monster</p><p>Feeblemind</p><p>*Maze (wizard-only)</p><p>Power Word Stun</p><p>Trap the Soul</p><p>*=Q<em>uickening (age control / wasting or youth)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>9th Level (10 vs. druid’s 4, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1)</strong></p><p>Astral Projection</p><p>Foresight</p><p>Imprisonment</p><p>Mass Polymorph (XGtE)</p><p>Power Word Kill</p><p>Shapechange</p><p>True Polymorph</p><p>*Weird (wizard-only)</p><p>Wish</p><p>*=<em>Spell Reflection (1 min. shimmering field, when targeted by spell can spend spell slot of that spell’s level to cause spell to rebound back at caster) </em></p><p></p><p><strong>Overall Comparison to Druid:</strong></p><p></p><p>Witch gets access to 168 spells vs. Druid’s 151 – this is tempered by the witch having Spells Known they must select, and may be further refined with some spells being moved to Coven sub-class based bonus spell lists</p><p></p><p>Witch has 12 class exclusive spells, whereas Druid has 18 class exclusive spells</p><p></p><p><strong>Impact on Class Spell Lists Overall:</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Witch gains 4 cleric-exclusive spells</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Witch gains 5 druid-exclusive spells</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Witch gains 1 warlock-exclusive spells</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Witch gains 7 wizard-exclusive spells</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Introduces 1 new spell for druids/sorcerers (<em>lightning shield</em>)</li> </ul><p>[/SPOILER]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 8299559, member: 20323"] Dug up my old notes on converting the Dragon 114 (etc) version of the witch. The basic premise is a caster who is recognizably part of a community of casters leaning toward the subtler magics, with features emphasizing "magical sight", a secret language, using/adapting familiarity rules (from [I]scrying[/I]) as a broader class feature, and brewing potions. The spellcasting chassis is essentially the bard (with Spells Known & preparing spells), but the point of comparison I use for the spell list and overall layout of features is the druid. Where I started first was defining what the Witch Spell List looks like, because "what magic can a witch do?" is contentious, or rather there's a lot of variety among various media representations of the archetype. I tried not to just do a rote conversion from Dragon 114, but to use my best judgment and creativity to adapt it, with some guiding principles: [LIST] [*][I]New spell are italicized. [/I]Some new spells would need to be introduced but where possible I wanted to minimize how many new spells I drafted. I looked for comparable spells in 5e, places where multiple new spells could be condensed into one, and for interesting mechanical "openings" in the 5e rules. [*]The "loud" and more flashy a spell, the stronger justification it needs to be on the witch's spell list. Most spells should lean toward subtler effects or effects that are more easily narrated in a subtle way. [*]The witch is a second-line healer but not a primary healer. [/LIST] [SPOILER=Witch Class Spell List, inspired by Dragon 114] [B]Cantrips (16 vs. druid’s 18, and 2 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 4)[/B] Blade Ward Friends Guidance Light Mage Hand Mending Message Mind Sliver (TCoE) Minor Illusion Prestidigitation *Produce Flame (formerly druid-only) Resistance *Spare the Dying (formerly cleric-only) True Strike *=[I]Befuddle (target has no allies)[/I] *=[I]Reflected Image (display scene in a willing touched creature’s mind upon a reflective surface)[/I] [B]1st Level (21 vs. druid’s 21, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 [I]entangle[/I])[/B] Beast Bond (XGtE) Ceremony (XGtE) Charm Person Detect Evil and Good Detect Magic Detect Poison and Disease Disguise Self Faerie Fire *Find Familiar (wizard-only) Fog Cloud Healing Word *Hex (warlock-only) Identify Protection from Evil and Good Purify Food and Drink Sleep Speak with Animals Tasha’s Caustic Brew (TCoE) Unseen Servant Witch Bolt *=[I]Minor Geas (affects HP worth of opponents as per sleep who are sent on an imaginary errand away from the caster)[/I] [B]2nd Level (25 vs. druid’s 22, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 [I]flame blade[/I])[/B] *Augury (cleric-only) Calm Emotions Crown of Madness Darkness Darkvision Detect Thoughts Enhance Ability Enthrall Hold Person Invisibility Lesser Restoration Levitate Locate Animals and Plants Locate Object Mirror Image Misty Step *Moonbeam (druid-only) Phantasmal Force Protection from Poison Ray of Enfeeblement See Invisibility Suggestion Summon Beast (TCoE) Tasha’s Mind Whip (TCoE) *=[I]Hidden Missive (select targets hear something different than what you say)[/I] [B]3rd Level (26 vs. druid’s 18, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 [I]call lightning[/I])[/B] Bestow Curse Catnap (XGtE) Clairvoyance Conjure Animals Counterspell Dispel Magic Enemies Abound (XGtE) Fear Fly Gaseous Form Hypnotic Pattern Magic Circle Major Image *Mass Healing Word (cleric-only) Protection from Energy Remove Curse Speak with Dead Speak with Plants Summon Lesser Demons (XGtE) Summon Fey (TCoE) Summon Shadowspawn (TCoE) Tongues Vampiric Touch Water Breathing Water Walk *=[I]Mystic Rope (conjure rope which moves of its own accord, can be commanded to grapple or attach)[/I] [B]4th Level (18 vs. druid’s 21, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1 [I]giant insect[/I])[/B] Banishment Blight Charm Monster (XGtE) Confusion Conjure Minor Elementals Death Ward Dimension Door Dominate Beast Freedom of Movement Greater Invisibility Hallucinatory Terrain Locate Creature *Phantasmal Killer (wizard-only) Polymorph Summon Elemental (TCoE) Summon Greater Demon (XGtE) *=[I]Mystic Wall (hard to pass through for Medium or smaller creatures, distorted images/sounds prevent targeting through wall, creatures in wall take 3d6 force damage, caster and allies can pass through safely)[/I] *=[I]Lightning Shield (30’ burst of 2d8 lightning damage, then acts like fire shield vs. metal weapons within 30’ but deals 2d8 lightning) Druid, Sorcerer[/I] [B]5th Level (20 vs. druid’s 18, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 2 [I]maelstrom & reincarnate[/I])[/B] Animate Objects *Antilife Shell (druid-only) Awaken *Commune (cleric-only) Conjure Elemental Contact Other Plane Contagion Dawn (XGtE) Dominate Person Dream Geas Greater Restoration Hold Monster Insect Plague Legend Lore Modify Memory Planar Binding Scrying Teleportation Circle *=[I]Spiritform (turn incorporeal, gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons & gain Incorporeal Movement, bypass resistances of creatures with Incorporeal Movement like banshees, shadow demons, ghosts, specters, and will-o’-wisps; but your attacks deal no damage to corporeal creatures)[/I] [B]6th Level (15 vs. druid’s 16, and 3 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 5 [I]bones of the earth, druid grove, transport via plants, wall of thorns, wind walk[/I])[/B] Arcane Gate Circle of Death Conjure Fey *Contingency (wizard-only) Eyebite Find the Path Flesh to Stone Guards and Wards Heal *Magic Jar (wizard-only) Mass Suggestion *Primordial Ward (XGtE) (druid-only) True Seeing *=[I]Greater Bestow Curse (cancel life level/worship/love/sleep of ages)[/I] *=[I]Magic Mirror (see a creature and ask 3 questions about it from entity conjured into the mirror)[/I] [B]7th Level (9 vs. druid’s 6, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 0)[/B] Etherealness Finger of Death Mirage Arcane Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion Plane Shift Regenerate *Sequester (wizard-only) Summon Fiend (TCoE) Symbol *=[I]Witch Queen’s Charm (control group of fey, goblinoids, lycanthropes, or undead of CR 3 or less)[/I] [B]8th Level (8 vs. druid’s 7, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1)[/B] *Animal Shapes (XGtE) (druid-only) Antipathy/Sympathy Dominate Monster Feeblemind *Maze (wizard-only) Power Word Stun Trap the Soul *=Q[I]uickening (age control / wasting or youth)[/I] [B]9th Level (10 vs. druid’s 4, and 1 class-exclusive vs. druid’s 1)[/B] Astral Projection Foresight Imprisonment Mass Polymorph (XGtE) Power Word Kill Shapechange True Polymorph *Weird (wizard-only) Wish *=[I]Spell Reflection (1 min. shimmering field, when targeted by spell can spend spell slot of that spell’s level to cause spell to rebound back at caster) [/I] [B]Overall Comparison to Druid:[/B] Witch gets access to 168 spells vs. Druid’s 151 – this is tempered by the witch having Spells Known they must select, and may be further refined with some spells being moved to Coven sub-class based bonus spell lists Witch has 12 class exclusive spells, whereas Druid has 18 class exclusive spells [B]Impact on Class Spell Lists Overall:[/B] [LIST] [*]Witch gains 4 cleric-exclusive spells [*]Witch gains 5 druid-exclusive spells [*]Witch gains 1 warlock-exclusive spells [*]Witch gains 7 wizard-exclusive spells [*]Introduces 1 new spell for druids/sorcerers ([I]lightning shield[/I]) [/LIST] [/SPOILER] [/QUOTE]
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