D&D General Homebrew Witch Class ideas +

[JConstantine]

That sounds great I’d love to read it.

Prepare to be disappointed! I started writing it up on paper before switching over to Homebrewery, but I've lost the Homebrewery file (which had more progress than my handwritten notes), so what follows is my half-formed thoughts from the time.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per level
HP at 1st level: 6 + Con
HP at higher levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Con

Proficiencies
Armour: Light armour
Weapons: Blowgun, club, dagger, handaxe, mace, quarterstaff, sickle, sling
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Wis, Cha
Skills: Choose 2 from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, Survival

Equipment
a) a sickle or b) any simple weapon
a) a component pouch or b) an arcane/druidic focus*
a) explorer’s pack or b) scholar’s pack
Light armour and a dagger

Spellcasting
DC = 8 + prof + wis mod
attack = prof + wis mod

Ritual casting
Arcane/druidic focus*

[Unnamed feature]
At 1st level, you’ve learnt to bargain with the spirits of the wild. Gain find familiar spell.

The Craft
2nd level. Craft spells always prepared (similar to Druid circle feature)

Black Magic
Damage and debuff focussed – Bane, Bestow Curse, Blight, Contagion
Warlock: Book of Shadows?

Grey Magic
Utility and summoning focussed – Augury,
Cleric: Charm animals and Plants?

White Magic
Heal and support focussed – Bless, Aid, Remove Curse, Cure Wounds
Cleric: Preserve Life?

I recall the homebrewery version had a potion brewing feature that gave proficiency in alchemist supplies and drew from the Artificer.

*Don't think I ever decided which to go with.

 

[rgoodbb]

Here was my first silly stab at the witch a while ago. To be honest, its a bit of a mess but feel free to pick at anything if it intrigues.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Prepare to be disappointed! I started writing it up on paper before switching over to Homebrewery, but I've lost the Homebrewery file (which had more progress than my handwritten notes), so what follows is my half-formed thoughts from the time.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d6 per level
HP at 1st level: 6 + Con
HP at higher levels: 1d6 (or 4) + Con

Proficiencies
Armour: Light armour
Weapons: Blowgun, club, dagger, handaxe, mace, quarterstaff, sickle, sling
Tools: Herbalism kit
Saving Throws: Wis, Cha
Skills: Choose 2 from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, Survival

Equipment
a) a sickle or b) any simple weapon
a) a component pouch or b) an arcane/druidic focus*
a) explorer’s pack or b) scholar’s pack
Light armour and a dagger

Spellcasting
DC = 8 + prof + wis mod
attack = prof + wis mod

Ritual casting
Arcane/druidic focus*

[Unnamed feature]
At 1st level, you’ve learnt to bargain with the spirits of the wild. Gain find familiar spell.

The Craft
2nd level. Craft spells always prepared (similar to Druid circle feature)

Black Magic
Damage and debuff focussed – Bane, Bestow Curse, Blight, Contagion
Warlock: Book of Shadows?

Grey Magic
Utility and summoning focussed – Augury,
Cleric: Charm animals and Plants?

White Magic
Heal and support focussed – Bless, Aid, Remove Curse, Cure Wounds
Cleric: Preserve Life?

I recall the homebrewery version had a potion brewing feature that gave proficiency in alchemist supplies and drew from the Artificer.

*Don't think I ever decided which to go with.

Here was my first silly stab at the witch a while ago. To be honest, its a bit of a mess but feel free to pick at anything if it intrigues.

Both have great ideas! Thanks. I’ll poke at the idea more next few days.

 

[DeviousQuail]

In my experience reading about witchcraft a familiar and a fetch are two different things. A familiar is a spirit, most often in the form of an animal, that a witch bonds with. They work together, but the familiar is always it's own being with their own distinct personality. Whereas a fetch is more like a spirit or reflection of the witch that has always been there since birth. The fetch is only revealed through journeying and growth. If it's ever revealed at all. (Please note, I'm not an expert on the matter so correct me if I'm wrong)

Assuming I'm not talking completely out of my backside, I think you can use this as two different features.

Familiar's Aid (1st level): you can cast find familiar without using components a number of times per day equal to your prof bonus (maybe 1/2 prof bonus?). Obviously, the spell should be in their spell list. Now witches can save spell slots and ensure they have their familiar for other benefits down the line.

Witch's Familiar (2nd or 3rd level): they get extra hp (2 or 3 times your witch level) and you can imbue/bless them with one power. Size change, cast any witch spell through them, act as a focus, etc are all pretty good.

Subclass: each subclass gives an additional power or enhances an existing one that you can put on your familiar. Just like CD for clerics and paladins. Mechanically, I'm thinking full pet, battlefield helper, extra healing, skill booster, thought detector, and craft helper. These don't have to be the main focus of each subclass, but they can be.

Fetch (Level 2 or 3): your fetch grants you the following spells that are always prepared: dissonant whispers, enthrall, spirit guardians, polymorph, and dream. All have saves attached to them.

Fetch Revealed (level 5 or 6): You can reveal your fetch to hinder your targets when you cast a fetch spell. When you do choose one target of the spell, they have disadvantage on the save. Either this ability needs a usage limit or the witch takes a risk in using it. Save or take exhaustion, the next damage you take reduces your max hp too, or something like that.

 

[el-remmen]

While I created a witch class by modifying the warlock a good deal, I know you are not looking to do that, I did however control for flavor (I didn't want a witch to be much of blaster either) by curating their spell list from among the lists for other classes (mostly wizard, druid, and cleric).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

While I created a witch class by modifying the warlock a good deal, I know you are not looking to do that, I did however control for flavor (I didn't want a witch to be much of blaster either) by curating their spell list from among the lists for other classes (mostly wizard, druid, and cleric).

Yeah thematically the spirits bard is closer to a witch than the 5e warlock, IMO.

Of course, the 5e bard base class isn’t related to anything except the D&D 3e And later Bard, so…eh. It’s more rogue than bard. /tangent

 

[Horwath]

Sounds good so far.

Arcane of divine?
D6 hit die with no armour proficiencies, or D8 with some armour/weapon proficiencies?
What would its main attack mode be?

d6 should be mandatory for ALL full casters, maybe some classes can get away with some armor proficiency.

 

[Bae'zel]

HM for me personally, I'd make a variant Wizard (dependency upon one's Book of Shadows, familiars and rituals). The Wizard chassis seems a perfect fit.

However, I'd modify the spell list:

• add some cleric healing spells
• add some Druidic nature spells
• remove "pew pew" attack spells (relying more on curses and hexes like a Warlock)
• create a new specialty that is less around a spell "group" (eg evocation vs. illusion) and more thematic about Wiccan ideas about magic, the seasons, the duality of the Goddess and God (perhaps tap into the Eladrin's seasonal traits??)

This could be really fun actually.

Oh and they'd have a new ritual to craft a flying household item, such as a broom.

I'd also tap into "sources of power and inspiration". Are you a good witch who thrives on helping others through cures and delivery services? Or a bitter troublemaker who sows gossip and offers gifts in exchange for trapped pacts? Or are you just a lone nature type with ambiguous parentage and who gets along with the Feywild?