Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Winterthorn" data-source="post: 911241" data-attributes="member: 1702">I have the QW from Mongoose. It is a good resource. I am still tempted, if I have some extra $$, to pick up GR's book...However, my interpretation of the Witch is based upon the DMG's suggestion... IMO the Witch, like the Cleric, should not borrow too heavily from RL history. I don't see the fantasy Witch as a practicioner of Paganism, just as the Cleric is not a practicioner of Christianity. YMMV of course <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I feel a more fanciful concept suits D&D better. D&D monsters are typically derived from mythology--often quite incredible--so why shouldn't classes, races and magic? It's fantasy after all! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />So here are my assumptions for the D&D Witch:1) Race: Always human (or half-breed human), and otherwise rare compared to other classes. Usually female too. (In balance, I consider Shamans typically male.) I would never prevent a player from playing a male Witch, or a female Shaman, but somehow these two classes "suggest" some gender specificity in my mind--so my NPCs will follow through on this. I'm not bothered by a few instances of roles divided along gender lines (as long as there are no strict barriers), nonetheless I consider all core classes free of any gender "leanings"...2) Magic: They are arcane casters. They acquire spells and normally cast them like sorcerers do. They have their own spell list (I modified the suggested list from the DMG), and many of their spells are borrowed off of the divine casters' lists that other arcane casters cannot access. (That's very much for flavour--I lean toward nature, illusion, enchantment, summoning and necromantic spells.)3) Alignment: never Lawful, usually Chaotic. Other than seaonal, lunar, and solar events, I see Witches as solitary, often adventuring when important/mysterious reasons arise...4) Skill Points: 4 skill points per level--Witches can be an interesting source of knowledge on the frontier when sages are hard to find...5) Familiars: Witches, being solitary in day-to-day life, would benefit greatly from extra allies and servants, so they can acquire more than one familiar with experience... (I still have to work out the details here too.) I imagine the 20th level Witch would have a whole menagerie of critters at her service. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />6) Spellbooks: Unlike sorcerers, a Witch can sacrifice a spell slot for a day with a prepared spell from a spellbook--but this requires spellcraft checks (just as a Wizard would need with a borrowed book) and she must be literate. By default, Witches are considered illerate like Barbarians and Shamans, so skill points must be invested to enjoy this privilege. Unlike Wizards, Witches do not start with spellbooks; they must procure them in game somehow... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> (I have some mechanical details to work on here for game balance!)7) Once a Witch, always a Witch: Witches cannot multiclass. (Too do so would break the flavour and power of this class IMO.)Okay, that's what I'm working with. Because this class is very much a flavour variant, I took liberties with restrictions otherwise not appropriate with core classes. Of course more polish is required <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I've used elements and ideas from the QW to help me out...-W.PS: thank you, trancejeremy, for the comparisons! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

Verification