d20 Witch class books

[Kichwas]

Anyone have both Green Ronin's Witch book and Citizen Game's Witch book?

If so, have an opinion on the differences in the two?

I have the Green Ronin Wtich book, The Mongoos one, and the AEG Magic book (which has a Witch class in it). Of them I found the Green Ronin one most to my tastes. I'm wondering if picking up the Citizen Game's book would be a good investment from a player's point of view.

I can say that if the magic is too -different- I won't be able to push it past my mostly core rules focused DM...

 

[Kichwas]

Well one of the local stores is having a 20% off sale until monday...

So I just got back from buying a copy of the Citizen Games book...


After a quick glance, I think I'm going to try and talk my DM into letting me revise my character. This one so much more fits the concept of Witchcraft I grew up with as a student of such matters in our own world.

It might be interesting though, to play a character that isn't ever allowed to attack anyone... only to engage defensively.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I did a review of the Q. Witch and Citizen Games Way of the Witch over at www.ogrecave so you might want to check it out. I make mention of the ranking I give 'em. Don't forget there's also a witch in the Hunt, Rise of Evil setting.

 

[Corinth]

Green Ronin: Lack punch on the spell-list, but otherwise good.
Citizen Games: Craptastic new-agey stuff that reads as if it were written by drunk wanna-blessed-bees just after playing D&D and watching The Craft. Also filled with purple prose fluff fiction. Avoid it.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I have the Citizen Games book, and also wrote a review on it. My angle can be found here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=Isida&product=wow8

 

[Kichwas]

Citizen Games: Craptastic new-agey stuff that reads as if it were written by drunk wanna-blessed-bees just after playing D&D and watching The Craft. Also filled with purple prose fluff fiction. Avoid it.

It's sadly funny how much hate some people have in them...

There's a lot of mud slinging one could do back at those of other faiths, most of it backed by history and all of it much worse than the above list.

Watch where you cast your stones...

 

[Corinth]

It's sadly funny how much hate some people have in them...

True enough. I see and hear a lot of this from practicing witches, many of whom are gamers or geeks of another stripe, so it's not like I didn't get an informed opinion. I live in Witchcraft Central (Yes, the Twin Cities in MN; fastest growing population of pagans in the US, and home of Llewellyn Publishing) and I'm hardly without personal experience in the matter.

There's a lot of mud slinging one could do back at those of other faiths, most of it backed by history and all of it much worse than the above list.

Watch where you cast your stones...

I've gone my rounds with one of the authors. To be more specific, the book's content is badly-designed: it reinvents the wheel without need, and one of the PrCs is way overpowered. I objected to the book as much because it's a bad gaming product as I did on the ground that it's presentation of witchcraft looks too much like pop-culture crap.

 

[tleilaxu]

but... but... witches are kewl!

edit: i wanna marry one

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Well, I shall have to respectfully disagree Corinth. Maybe I don't pay as much attention to "new age" religions, because I found the ideas classic, timeless, and very much in keeping of stories about witchcraft of yore. Many of these "new age" practices seem to be outgrowths of much older ones, so perhaps that's part of it.

But I'm not saying the book is without flaws. I believe, for instance, all the prestige classes in Way of the Witch are overpowered, as there is zero reason for a witch to not chose one once she is the appropriate level.

When I cross-posted my review to RPG.net, I received feedback from one author (Stiles) and the artist about my comments. Christina justified the PrCs by saying that most witches would take a PrC, because the "color" of witchcraft (touched upon many times in the book) is so important. (Note: all PrCs, with the exception of one, are named after a color, or philosophy, of witchcraft.)

I can understand that, but I think it was handled clumsily. If all witch characters take a prestige class, then why even bother making a core class with twenty levels? I think it could have been better handled if there were some kind of "path" one had to chose around level 5-6. Then at appropriate intervals after that, one would gain "path powers," that would further delinate their roles in their color of witchcraft. The path powers for brown witches would be different than the path power for white witches, etc.

Though in regards to the truly overpowered PrC, it's the Black Witch isn't it? The evil PrCs always seem so overpowered. Though I compare the Black Witch to the PrCs in the Book of Vile Darkness; incredibly powerful, for the price of your soul. PCs, unless playing in an evil campaign, will never take that PrC. So the DM gets to use it for the BBEG and have some fun with it.

Overall I consider the witch class in Way of the Witch to have lots of flavor for roleplaying, and interesting mechanics to back it up.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Please don't criticize or threaten to criticize peoples' religions here.

Thanks.