Witch
Added 2016-09-01 05:17:48 +0000 UTCThe witch gestures at the charging orc, as a tendril of black energy reaches out and seizes it by the neck, bringing it to its knees.
Witches are cursed -- stricken by magic so dark it imprints a lasting shadow upon their essence. Through force of personality alone, they can spin this darkness outward, hexing creatures, casting manipulative spells, and even commanding a familiar with their thoughts.
The witch is the first proper debuff class in 5th edition, and, though it takes inspiration from the Pathfinder class of the same name, it is distinctly an original Mage Hand Press creation. The witch is a master of crippling a single target, exploiting its weaknesses, and allowing your party, or your powerful familiar, to deal the killing blow. Additionally, the witch possesses full spellcasting, creating a support package that is completely unique.
With time, we'll give the Witch a wider release for free on the Middle Finger of Vecna website, but you, our loyal patrons, get it early! (And, if you're worried about limited subclasses and hexes, never fear: we're already thinking about how to expand this with a Complete class.)
You can find the most up-to-date version of this class here!
Changelog: 9/1/16: Table: Improved Cauldron changed to Cauldron improvement
Witch's Cackle: Paragraph of fluff added; no mechanical change
Improved Familiar: Red faerie dragon
White Magic: Remedy: Short or long rest, rather than 24 hours
Dire Familiar: Casting cooldown
Discord: Melee weapon attacks only
Mire: Reworded
Pestilence: Witch and familiar are immune
Disrupt Life: Typo fixed, also saves for half damage
9/2/16: Spellcasting: Spellcasting focus: Removed reference to Totems
Comments
Yes, but the vestige counts as a spell, so no concentrating on spells as well.
Mage Hand Press
2016-09-12 03:43:08 +0000 UTCRules question, just clarifing. If I have the Novice Occultist feat from the Book of Binding, can I concentrate on the vestige and a hex at the same time?
Grand Moff Xela
2016-09-12 02:30:02 +0000 UTCWith illusions/charming I'd more see it as a less 'clear' color. Both aspects deal with obscuration, so seem like they'd have a more murky aura. Purple or some technical color like wysteria would also nicely capture the mystique of illusion
Ash
2016-09-08 07:07:53 +0000 UTCIf the red magic is to be a more arcane blasty type, the parallel being abjuration focused makes sense. Fitting abjuration into Witch thematics is definitely not about counterspells and direct shields. Protection from good/evil/elements, warding spells and circle casting type spells very much suit an archetype of Witch, and for features there could be elements making use of crystals, incense, all the good witchy stuff.
Ash
2016-09-08 06:59:20 +0000 UTCThat's not the mechanical intent, but it's a fun interpretation. If this came up at my table, I would grant disadvantage for a round. (Though a hollow witch probably fits this even better, since it's a reference to the undead of Dark Souls.)
Mage Hand Press
2016-09-07 14:08:25 +0000 UTCI have a question about the With's Curse "Possessed". The DM and I were talking about it and we were wondering if the Cleric's Channel Divinity Turn/Destroy undead actually works on this spirit seeing it is kinda undead?
Patrick van der Linde
2016-09-07 12:38:57 +0000 UTCThat would be wicked! Yeah, as I wrote it out I came to the conclusion that they would be better left as VIP NPCs rather than PCs.
Kristopher Scarbrough
2016-09-04 04:25:41 +0000 UTCThe Crones would generally be covered by the Black Magic witch with the Coven Grand Hex, but a lot of their powers are a little beyond the scope of a single class. When we put out a book filled with villain archetypes (our Tome of Horrid Blackness, if you will), I think that going into more detail as a Coven Master would be prudent, as well as a hex or two devoted to taking blessing and curses levied by appeased or scorned witches.
Jaron Mortimer
2016-09-03 23:46:39 +0000 UTCAnyways, love the class! It's nowhere near as expansive as the Warmage, but then again, not every class needs to be.
Andrew Six
2016-09-02 19:44:16 +0000 UTCWhat's the rationale behind limiting Witches to Totems as spellcasting foci? Orbs, crystals, and many Druidic foci could definitely also work, in my mind. Even if Witches somehow have an affinity for totems, that's not really justification enough; I mean, Warlocks have an affinity for rods, and they still get other arcane foci as well. I'd be interested in seeing a nature-based Witch subclass sometime in the future as well.
Andrew Six
2016-09-02 19:43:19 +0000 UTCI find it ironic that the post number contains '666' :P
Altanius
2016-09-01 20:11:59 +0000 UTCThanks for the kind words! I had a blast writing and perfecting this class. If you're playing with the Warmage cantrips, you should be able to convince your DM to allow you to use the Wizard, Warlock, or Sorcerer cantrips (which I believe are the same list) for the Witch. I need to check my rules, but is Hex-stacking covered in some form of general rule? Like something that says effects of the same name don't stack? If it's not, I'll include a clause that clarifies this for Hexes.
Mage Hand Press
2016-09-01 15:07:16 +0000 UTCCackle: I couldn't resist. I personally love the idea of having to spend your bonus action laughing maniacally. You're right, though, I should clarify in a sidebar that cackling can look very different for different witches. Improved Familiar: You're right on this count as well. I'll have to take another look at the MM to remind myself of which one I wanted to use. Dire Familiar: Oh, I didn't even /think/ about spamming it! This means I either need to put it on a cooldown (you can't use this hex again until your familiar is dismissed, or its duration expires) or have it only heal the first time its used. Nice catch! Discord: For reasons of balance, this is intended to be a melee attack only, and I should clarify that it's a weapon attack in the hex. Disrupt Life: Yup; typo. Mire: This isn't intended to move with you. Obfuscate: Witch can't see Pestilence: Witch is immune Grand Hexes: I can work on that. I think only Slow Death is a conventional type of Hex. Witch's Hut: I did mean Leomund's Tiny Hut, but this spell is just called Tint Hut in the SRD, which is what I'm building on. And Magnificent Mansion is extraplanar! :p I'll work on changes! Thanks for your thoughts, Matt!
Mage Hand Press
2016-09-01 15:03:02 +0000 UTCLove the class by the way! Glad I convinced my group to postpone the first adventure! I am curious, however, how this class would tie in with other characters in the group. We currently have a Warmage, and the pdf contains new cantrips for other base classes. Would Witch gain any? Or would it copy what another gains (such as Warlock)? Also, if there is another Witch in the group, how would stacking hexes be handled? I fear Bleeding would get a little out of control... With everything said, though, this is by far my favorite class I've seen in a long time! You all have certainly outdone yourselves.
Kristopher Scarbrough
2016-09-01 08:09:40 +0000 UTCDamn, this is definitely an interesting class. I might try to talk my DM into letting me play this in the Giants campaign we're starting up. The way the hexes work actually reminds me of 3.5 warlocks. Cackle? Really? If you wouldn't mind could you add some language in there allowing for other methods of extension (Incantations or something) for those of us who don't want their Witches/Hexers to go around...Cackling... Also, is it specifically cackling? Does it make noise? (It matters if you say wanted to use the 'Go Unseen' hex for an extended period.) Improved Familiar: You might want to specify what the age of the Faerie Dragon it is, since they get more spells as they age. Hexes: Dire Familiar: I'm... not sure how to handle this, but it appears dangerously like a spam heal button, since the familiar gains the HP it grants. Discord: Is this limited to melee attacks? Or could they make a ranged attack too? Mire: Does the mire move with you? Or does it stay in one place? Obfuscate/Pestilence: For pestilence is the Witch immune to the toxic cloud? For both, can they see through it? Disrupt Life: Shouldn't it be +Cha damage, not +Wis? Does it do half damage on a save? Grand Hexes: You might wanna specify which are permanent effects and which are activated. That's made clear in the regular hexes, and it's a tad confusing as is. Witch's Hut: I'm assuming you mean Leomund's Tiny Hut? (What no Mordekainen's Magnificent Mansion? :)
Altanius
2016-09-01 07:04:41 +0000 UTCKind of ironically, I literally just got done watching The Craft with my girlfriend.
Jaron Mortimer
2016-09-01 05:19:32 +0000 UTC
