Levistus's_Leviathan
5e Freelancer
That's one of the major reasons why I didn't name my class the "Witch" and instead named it the "Occultist".
D&D 5E So Where my Witches at?
- Thread starter Remathilis
- Start date
"Using the witch archetype takes careful judgement in a table-by-table basis?" I'm sorry, but this sounds a bit ridiculous. Tell me gaming tables haven't seriously gotten this sensitive. That's like saying you have to be cautious in introducing clerics or paladins because Christians acted nastily hundreds of years ago.
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Levistus's_Leviathan
5e Freelancer
Wicca is an existing religion. Imagine if they named the cleric the "Christian" class. That would be a big no-no.
I named my class the "Occultist" to avoid the issues with "Witch" being specific to women, has offensive stereotypes, and shares the name with Wicca (Pagan Witchcraft).
Paladins don't exist anymore. No one calls anyone a cleric anymore. Bards don't exist, and neither do Warlocks. As a general rule, no one names a class after an existing religion.
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My co-writer is a witch and so is his girlfriend and all of her friends, maybe somewhere a truly offense witch stereotype exists (as silly as that seems to me,) but none of the attempts at a D&D conversion have struck them as particularly problematic so far.
Levistus's_Leviathan
5e Freelancer
Remathilis
Legend
Muslim Clerics might have something to say about that, as would members of The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids.
Remathilis
Legend
Mecheon
Sacabambaspis
Except 'Witch' is a well known fictional archetype completely divorced from Wicca. You say 'witch', I think a halloween witch or the like. Like, heck knows everyone knows what side of this I'm generally on, but witch is not one of those words we need to be worrying about. It is well since its own thing and people lean into that.
Plus, witch and occultist have very different definitions. Witches are all about folk remedies, stories passed down, homey and practical magic. Occultists are about expanding magic beyond the norm, exploring ancient tombs and delving into That Which Should Probably Not Be Known. They're two very different archetypes. You wouldn't call Granny Weatherwax from Discworld an occultist, but she sure is a witch
You uh, know D&D literately did that, right? The Wokani from 1E was originally called the Wicca. There's a reason it didn't survive past 1E. Quite a lot of reasons, in fact.
Remathilis
Legend
So I decided to toss my hat in the ring and made a subclass based mostly off 2e's witch kit. Not sure it's balanced per se, but it's a good example of what I'd like to see...
Some say there is a tradition of wizardry that is ancient, secretive, and forbidden. Its practitioners gather in small groups and combine herbalism and magic together in unique ways forgotten by other schools of magic. Misunderstood, some believe they are associated with fiends or other evil forces (and often mistaken for warlocks as being bound to serve these beings) but the tradition of witchcraft is more complex than most think they know.
Witches often form small covens on the outside of civilization. While some may deal in otherworldly entities, they are not bound to them and learn magic much as any other wizard does. However, they also learn secrets to call special familiars, create special potions, beguile the mind, and curse their foes with ill-luck. Though many legends paint them as evil, witches use their gifts for good or evil as they see fit.
You learn the find familiar spell. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.
You become proficient in the Herbalism kit and Poisoner’s kit.
Once per day, you can brew a special potion using ingredients found in any forest. This potion puts a single creature who fails a Constitution saving throw into a magic slumber (as per the sleep spell), with a duration of 1 hour unless awoken. The potion must be brewed for an hour (which can be done as part of a short or long rest) but loses its potency in the next day at dawn.
The potion is colorless and odorless and can be added to food or drink without notice, though it can be detected by detect magic or detect poison.
You can use your magic to beguile a creature you see that is a challenge rating equal or lower to your wizard level. This takes an action to do and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 hour. If the target is engaged in combat, it gains advantage on the save. The charm is broken if you or any of your allies take hostile action towards the target.
Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you’ve finished a long rest.
Once per day, you can brew a special ointment using herbs and ingredients found in any forest. This ointment gives you (and only you) a flight speed equal to your walking speed for 1 hour. The ointment requires brewing for an hour (which can be done as part of a short or long rest) but loses its potency in the next day at dawn.
You can invoke a witch’s curse on a target. As an action, you point the creature, which must make a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, it has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. The target can repeat the save each round, success ends the curse’s effects.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you’ve finished a long rest.
Witchcraft
Wizard SubclassSome say there is a tradition of wizardry that is ancient, secretive, and forbidden. Its practitioners gather in small groups and combine herbalism and magic together in unique ways forgotten by other schools of magic. Misunderstood, some believe they are associated with fiends or other evil forces (and often mistaken for warlocks as being bound to serve these beings) but the tradition of witchcraft is more complex than most think they know.
Witches often form small covens on the outside of civilization. While some may deal in otherworldly entities, they are not bound to them and learn magic much as any other wizard does. However, they also learn secrets to call special familiars, create special potions, beguile the mind, and curse their foes with ill-luck. Though many legends paint them as evil, witches use their gifts for good or evil as they see fit.
Witch’s Familiar
2nd-level witch featureYou learn the find familiar spell. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite.
Herbalist
2nd-level witch featureYou become proficient in the Herbalism kit and Poisoner’s kit.
Brew Calmative
2nd-level witch featureOnce per day, you can brew a special potion using ingredients found in any forest. This potion puts a single creature who fails a Constitution saving throw into a magic slumber (as per the sleep spell), with a duration of 1 hour unless awoken. The potion must be brewed for an hour (which can be done as part of a short or long rest) but loses its potency in the next day at dawn.
The potion is colorless and odorless and can be added to food or drink without notice, though it can be detected by detect magic or detect poison.
Beguiler
6th-level witch featureYou can use your magic to beguile a creature you see that is a challenge rating equal or lower to your wizard level. This takes an action to do and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 hour. If the target is engaged in combat, it gains advantage on the save. The charm is broken if you or any of your allies take hostile action towards the target.
Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you’ve finished a long rest.
Brew Flying Ointment
10th-level witch featureOnce per day, you can brew a special ointment using herbs and ingredients found in any forest. This ointment gives you (and only you) a flight speed equal to your walking speed for 1 hour. The ointment requires brewing for an hour (which can be done as part of a short or long rest) but loses its potency in the next day at dawn.
Witch’s Curse
14th-level witch featureYou can invoke a witch’s curse on a target. As an action, you point the creature, which must make a Charisma saving throw. If it fails, it has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. The target can repeat the save each round, success ends the curse’s effects.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you’ve finished a long rest.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
While many Wiccans would think "me".
There's certainly been some effort put in to reclaiming the word 'witch' away from the Hallowe'en stereotype, but it's generally met with limited success.
Never heard of this - what book was it in?
