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Preview of the Witch Class I am working on
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7307716" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Defining a "witch" is very challenging in and of itself, let alone making it something unique and meaningful in D&D. IMHO, any discussion of a witch class *must* start with this seemingly simple question:</p><p></p><p><strong><em>What is a witch? And where does a witch's magic come from?</em></strong></p><p></p><p>Here's an example of the process I'd take to develop a concept of what a "witch" might be in D&D...</p><p></p><p>I'd pick 3-4 mythical witches (e.g. Witch of Endor, Morgan le Fay, Medea, Cerridwen) who aren't hags like Baba Yaga or deities like Hecate. </p><p>Then I'd pick 3-4 literary witches (e.g. one from Harry Potter, one from Wonderful Wizard of Oz, one from Narnia, maybe one from something more recent). </p><p>Then I'd pick 3-4 witches from film (e.g. one from <em>The Secret Circle / The Craft</em>, Tia Dalma from <em>Pirates</em>, one from Disney, one from <em>Charmed</em>). </p><p>And then I'd break down the main traits of each that jumped out at me... For example...</p><p></p><p><strong>Morgan le Fay (mythical witch)</strong></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">enchantress, princess, queen</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">in her earliest incarnation she was a healer who could <em>shapeshift</em> and <em>fly</em>, but only used her magic for good, and may have derived from a Gaulish legend of 9 virgin priestesses who performed miraculous healing, controlled the sea, foretold the future, and changed into animals</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">can heal (her original role was as a great healer of Arthur) & in one account restores a crazed knight's sanity via crafting a potion & in another account creates a healing balm for a hero</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">one nine magical queen sisters who used magic together (coven?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">where did she gain her magic? she learned seven magical arts at a convent, specializing in astronomy/astrology & healing... later apprenticed under Merlin... may have had connection to a goddess or fey... it's ambiguous</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">possibly connected to Welsh and Breton water-spirits / Lady of the Lake</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">resided in a mysterious place called the Vale Perilous which seems to exist beyond time (a demi-plane? Shadowfell/Feywild?)... Morgan was alleged to be 200+ years old in some stories</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">gifts Arthur a cloak which is actually cursed... and burns a servant to cinders</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">in one account she could turn others to animals (improved <em>bestow curse</em>?), command beasts/dragons/evil spirits (Turn Undead variant?), and had devils as trusted companions (imp/quasit familiar?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">temporarily turns herself and entourage to stone (<em>meld into stone</em> cast on entire party?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">employs drugs, coercion, seduction, and enchantment</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">sends the devil Lucifer in disguise of a dragon against Sir Segurant (<em>shapeshifting</em> others?)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">she learn more spells than any other woman – and these very much are spells with components, though most were of the ritual variety IIRC</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">she transforms herself into any animal she desires (<em>polymorph</em>)</li> </ul><p></p><p>From just this one example, I could easily imagine using the Druid class to create a witch in the Morgan le Fay sense – you'd have most of the pertinent spells, the ability to wildshape, herbalism kit proficiency to create <em>healing potions</em> and <em>antidotes</em>, druid "circles" are already thematically akin to "covens", and at high level you age much slower.</p><p></p><p>So, from this one example, I could see a quick tweak of Druid being sufficient to model a Morgan le Fay style witch. But... you really wouldn't need any other unique mechanics. Cursing, flying, polymorphing/shapeshifting, healing, conjuring, melding into stone – those are already in D&D.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 7307716, member: 20323"] Defining a "witch" is very challenging in and of itself, let alone making it something unique and meaningful in D&D. IMHO, any discussion of a witch class *must* start with this seemingly simple question: [B][I]What is a witch? And where does a witch's magic come from?[/I][/B] Here's an example of the process I'd take to develop a concept of what a "witch" might be in D&D... I'd pick 3-4 mythical witches (e.g. Witch of Endor, Morgan le Fay, Medea, Cerridwen) who aren't hags like Baba Yaga or deities like Hecate. Then I'd pick 3-4 literary witches (e.g. one from Harry Potter, one from Wonderful Wizard of Oz, one from Narnia, maybe one from something more recent). Then I'd pick 3-4 witches from film (e.g. one from [I]The Secret Circle / The Craft[/I], Tia Dalma from [I]Pirates[/I], one from Disney, one from [I]Charmed[/I]). And then I'd break down the main traits of each that jumped out at me... For example... [B]Morgan le Fay (mythical witch)[/B] [list][*]enchantress, princess, queen [*]in her earliest incarnation she was a healer who could [I]shapeshift[/I] and [I]fly[/I], but only used her magic for good, and may have derived from a Gaulish legend of 9 virgin priestesses who performed miraculous healing, controlled the sea, foretold the future, and changed into animals [*]can heal (her original role was as a great healer of Arthur) & in one account restores a crazed knight's sanity via crafting a potion & in another account creates a healing balm for a hero [*]one nine magical queen sisters who used magic together (coven?) [*]where did she gain her magic? she learned seven magical arts at a convent, specializing in astronomy/astrology & healing... later apprenticed under Merlin... may have had connection to a goddess or fey... it's ambiguous [*]possibly connected to Welsh and Breton water-spirits / Lady of the Lake [*]resided in a mysterious place called the Vale Perilous which seems to exist beyond time (a demi-plane? Shadowfell/Feywild?)... Morgan was alleged to be 200+ years old in some stories [*]gifts Arthur a cloak which is actually cursed... and burns a servant to cinders [*]in one account she could turn others to animals (improved [I]bestow curse[/I]?), command beasts/dragons/evil spirits (Turn Undead variant?), and had devils as trusted companions (imp/quasit familiar?) [*]temporarily turns herself and entourage to stone ([I]meld into stone[/I] cast on entire party?) [*]employs drugs, coercion, seduction, and enchantment [*]sends the devil Lucifer in disguise of a dragon against Sir Segurant ([I]shapeshifting[/I] others?) [*]she learn more spells than any other woman – and these very much are spells with components, though most were of the ritual variety IIRC [*]she transforms herself into any animal she desires ([I]polymorph[/I])[/list] From just this one example, I could easily imagine using the Druid class to create a witch in the Morgan le Fay sense – you'd have most of the pertinent spells, the ability to wildshape, herbalism kit proficiency to create [I]healing potions[/I] and [I]antidotes[/I], druid "circles" are already thematically akin to "covens", and at high level you age much slower. So, from this one example, I could see a quick tweak of Druid being sufficient to model a Morgan le Fay style witch. But... you really wouldn't need any other unique mechanics. Cursing, flying, polymorphing/shapeshifting, healing, conjuring, melding into stone – those are already in D&D. [/QUOTE]
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