Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

So, another thread spun briefly into this subject, and rather than continue to be off the topic we get this thread.

What are the features that you would want in a classic Witch?
Now, when I say Witch, I am talking of the hag with black cat and broom, Halloweeen or Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch types... and not the (real or imagined) Wicca or Earth Mother worshiper type (there is actually a pretty interesting (if not really accurate) Witch of this sort in an old dragon magazine issue). Perhaps later we can try to cover the other style.

So lets start with some ideas that make the Witch:

Generally Female
Tends to focus on Divination, Curses, Conjurations, Protections (I had the framework of a Conjurer Class that would make a good start for this).
Familiars (cats, rats, toads, crows, etc.. essentially the ad&d set, even the imps and such).
Cauldrons (what does it give such a character)
Herbalism
Lore (perhaps coming from divination, etc.), probably just give the equivalent of Bard Lore
Brooms!! (or poles, staff, carpets, vacuum cleaners)
Talismans, Protective Charms, Voodoo Dolls (sympathetic magic)
Imbued Magical charms
Walking Stick (wand)
Spell Channeling Items (per supplement, akin to all the talismans, wands, walking sticks - storing different spells to be channeled)

OK, lets add to this list your concepts.

My take on the Witch is more the natural-oriented-style, but even so, this is my take for the Cauldron:

-Sympathetic Magic: If the Witch is in possession of a personal belonging of its intended victim or spell objective she can cast a spell using his cauldron and sacrificing the possession, the Witch will be treated as having x extra Levels (don't know how many yet), furthermost the spell victim will suffer from a -1 penalty per 4 Witch Levels to his Saving Throw.

-Imbue Magic: At Level 9 the Witch can use her cauldron to imbue an object With a specific spell and a trigger action, the object will contain the spell for Y time. The spell will be released whenever someone executes the trigger action.

LOL... brooms!!! Well, those and poles, which is what they accused witches of riding in Salem, MA. But I don't see this any different, mechanically, from a flying carpet. I think the Conjurer class would be a great start for a witch class. The Cauldron is great, but a witch don't JUST stand by her cauldron to cast her magic. She does have a some offensive spells, even if they are just minor cantrips like lighting her broom on fire (ala the Wicked Witch of the West), or a minor teleport spell with a smoke screen (again, ala Wizard of Oz). I think adding the bard in there, too, is appropriate, as most Witches in fiction use rhymes to activate their magic.

I don't know how you would put herbalism in terms of mechanics. It would have to be fluff. Lore, on the other hand, is a great one. The witch might know some stuff others don't typically know, but would charge a heavy price for the information.

And don't forget the stereotypical magic wand as part of her necessary equipment. A magic wand is to a witch what a staff is to a wizard. Of course, you could make the broom double as that, or just give her a staff (which she would ride like the broom).

I suppose the question is how this works - flight with assist as a spell, an inherent power, a "standard" artifact formula (something akin to a paladin gaining a warhorse), or just a supported magic item. Wile the broom is iconic in the west, flying by cloak, or by giant mortar are fitting as well.

The wand... she seems a bit more walking stick oriented, if anything. Or a spoon. That may depend on what abilities cluster about the cauldron.

I could see the cauldron used for more long term, ritualistic magic, while the wand in combination with some cantrips would do the rest for her. She's not a Mage by any stretch of the word. However, she is what I would call a "petty magic user", or perhaps even "an opportunistic magic user". Most of her power would like in the cauldron, but she does have offensive stuff that she can use. And she gets a familiar to assist her in keeping lookout and spying. Her most effective magic would be the Bardic magic.

shadowmane wrote:I could see the cauldron used for more long term, ritualistic magic, while the wand in combination with some cantrips would do the rest for her. She's not a Mage by any stretch of the word. However, she is what I would call a "petty magic user", or perhaps even "an opportunistic magic user". Most of her power would like in the cauldron, but she does have offensive stuff that she can use. And she gets a familiar to assist her in keeping lookout and spying. Her most effective magic would be the Bardic magic.

While I agree that a Witch would in pseudo-real world be rather petty in their magic, I would work on a version that ultimately can stand toe to toe with the standard character choices. That means a 12th level Witch would be on-par with 12th level MU, only different abilities, spells, etc. Their spell power may be quite limited (no fireballs and such), but watch out for a Coven High Mistress, Queen of Hags' ability to throw down a curse, call up a demon, or send hordes of flying monkeys to do her bidding. She would likewise have various charms and protective talismans.

She might not stand toe to toe in a direct head to head fight, but is powerful in their own way by way of agents, knowledge, and their own assortment of spells. The same way a Necromancer is powerful by way of his squad of undead servants, but is not so tough if he was meant to fight a normal fireball using MU face to face.

Bear in mind also, that while this will follow general Player Character Class as a model, it is intended as an NPC class, much like many of the classes found in the old dragon magazine articles. If they were to be made 'player-character' options, there would likely be several negative aspects applied (one being rather tied to their abode for much of their power), another being role-play oriented (being outcast from towns). Perhaps other stipulations, such as when/if they take on certain iconic powers, they lose Charisma points or even have to take on crippling physical conditions like hunch back, horrible vision/blindness, club-foot walks with cane/staff (slow), etc.

Negative aspects could accumulate with level - each major special power accompanied by some vulnerability (fire, water), limitation (club foot, must eat babies), or tell (curdles milk, weighs as much as a duck). Since we're talking about an NPC class, this would be a list to help build your witch. "Accumulates" may not be quite right though - we're looking more at this for building individuals at a specific level of ability, not tracking actual growth.

You could really have fun with this. Cha loss (or reaction loss) might be better as an option rather than a definite. More than one "hero" has gotten into trouble dealing with an attractive, blind, albino, dog-scaring, baby-eating witch of middling level.

A few (not entirely serious) benchmarks:

1st level: Your mother-in-law*

3rd level: Witch from Hansel and Gretel; Village wise woman

7th level: Witch from Rapunzel (Curses, plant control, but still vulnerable to long falls); witches from Macbeth (solid divination and stage presence)

9th level+: Circe (minimum for "baleful polymorph")

10th level: Wicked Witch of the East (enough power to "rule" a direction; broom creation)
11th level: Wicked Witch of the West (as above, plus falling building avoidance)

20th level: Baba Yaga


* - I actually get along fine with mine, but we're talking stereotypes, so...

Hmmm... I don't like the "eat babies" thing. Perhaps use them to renew her life force magically. A sort of way to maintain her longevity. The same spell could work on young maidens caught unawares out in the woods. But now I'm sort of sneaking into the rhelm of the Dryad, if I recall correctly.

For some great "witch" literature that deals with this topic I suggest "The Spook's Apprentice" (or its American title, "The Last Apprentice"). Made for youthful readers, nonetheless, I find them good reads, and they can really be scary.