D&D 4E making a witch in 4e

[Quickleaf]

Would you make a witch as a Cleric, Warlock, or Wizard? Or as its own class?

"Witch" I define loosely as the priest/priestess of a pagan religion gifted with magic.

So, a Cleric of a nature deity might work, but from all the "radiance" effects of a Cleric it seems an unusual fit. Also, a defender witch leaves out room for cursing and the more wicked spells.

Witches in folklore often seem to fulfill more of a controller role than a Warlock, but the pacting rules make sense for a witch and allow for some variation.

Wizard might be a good fit seeing as it's a controller (area of effects, debuffing, changing terrain, hindering targets) and rules for arcane implements & rituals are already incorporated. However, witch magic in folklore seems to be more subtle than the whiz-bang wizard magic.

Also, the witch concept seems to float between the arcane, divine, and primal power sources.

The reason I'm considering the witch as its own class is because, like a paladin, it is a powerful archetype with a unique feel and function. Places/times of power, principles of sympathy & familiarity, covens, subtle magic, chronomancy, et cetera all could make a witch class viable.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Hmm, just an idea.

But perhaps, you could use all three, each witch could be more individualized in her manner of being (which can be more brought together into a collective whole using Class-Training and other Feats/if there are floating Powers).

So in this case, you could use the term Witch not as a out-of-game class but as simply the in-game term society/themselves have branded them as being called Witches.

 

[Stalker0]

Definitely a warlock.

Witch Hexing = Warlock Curse

Heck, even one of the warlock's powers is called witchfire

 

[Voss]

What is 'pagan' in the context of D&D?

 

[Cam Banks]

What is 'pagan' in the context of D&D?

It has only two main uses, really. Either it's a member of a nature- or primal- based religion or spiritual tradition, or it's a polytheistic devotee in a setting with a monotheistic or otherwise overarching dominant church. There's no such thing as a pagan in, say, the Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[mach1.9pants]

Would you make a witch as a Cleric, Warlock, or Wizard? Or as its own class?

I'd build a bridge out of her!

 

[kennew142]

If you're defining a witch as priest/priestess of a nature religion then it would seem that the best classes we have in 4e for such a concept would be either cleric or warlock (fey pact).

The radiant damage may seem a little strange, but it is intended to model generic divine power. Even a cleric of Blood of Vol (Eberron) uses radiant effects, although they can be described differently. It could reflect the life force of gaia, or the power of the green realms.

I would probably go with fey pact warlock myself. Although the feywild (by the RAW) is all about the arcane, not about nature.

IMC the term witch can be used interchangeably with warlock (any pact), or it can be used to refer to a priest/priestess of the moon goddess Selene. It is a flavor term, not a description of character class. The witches of Sylaire are a group of fey pact warlocks; the Witch Queen Xandia was an infernal pact warlock; the priestess of Selene are known as the Moon Witches; and the the two herbalist/hedge mage/physicians who inherited their mother's business are called the witch brothers.

 

[lexoanvil]

i would think multiclass 50% warlock 25% wizard 25% cleric assuming you can muliclass that way in 4th.

 

[Mr. Teapot]

Witch is a really broad concept, which could easily fit into one of those classes or into the Druid class or other ones yet unseen. The Wicked Witch of the West is not a Wiccan priestess. I'd talk with the player who said they wanted to play a witch to see which aspects appealed to them about it, and help them choose a class that fit that person's idea of a witch. Warlock is probably most common, but it depends a lot on what they mean.

 

[ruemere]

Define "witch", first. It's a name steeped in tradition.

They could be proto-druids, pagan priests, wise women in rural areas, demon worshippers, female followers of a hag cult, elementalist or animist or spiritualist occult lore experts and so on.

Tipping the hat into Monte Cook's direction, I'd say that my favorite implementation of the class comes from Arcana Unearthed. I like its flexibility (could go toe to toe with melee oppoenents in addition to providing decent controller abilities), variety (class features depended on template applied) and distinctive, nature-themed orientation.

regards,
Ruemere