Monday, September 18, 2017

Campaign Design - Base Classes: Witch

Witch
(from The Witch's Handbook)

For wizards, magic is an art, both scholarly and complex, to be studied and mastered. For sorcerers, it is a talent, born in their blood, to be practiced and strengthened. For divine spell casters such as clerics, favored souls, druids, and spirit shamans, magic is a gift, whether from the gods, the natural world, or the spirit world.

And for some, magic is a craft, one of the oldest crafts, time-honored and handed down from generation to generation. It is the craft of weaving and making, the craft of charms and spells, the craft of witchcraft.

The witch is a spell caster who sees magic as a humble craft to be practiced and learned like any other. Witches are often rural folk, but that doesn't mean they're not every bit as sophisticated as other spell casters.

Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a witch can cast, how many spells a witch can cast per day, and how difficult those spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a witch must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level. A witch gets bonus spells based upon her Wisdom. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a witch's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the witch's Wisdom modifier. Witches benefit from a high Dexterity since they wear little or no armor, and a good Constitution grants a few extra hit points and helps a witch to better survive.
Race: Hag-Blooded.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4.
Luck Die: d3.

Class Skills
  • Skill List: The witch's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft: Any (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge: Arcana (Int), Knowledge: Nature (Int), Profession: Any (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
  • Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
  • Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Intelligence modifier) x4.
  • Skill Points at Each Additional Class Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the witch:
  • Base Attack Bonus: Poor. A witch gains +½ base attack bonus per class level.

  • Fortitude Base Save Bonus: Poor. A witch gains +13 base Fortitude save bonus per class level.

  • Reflex Base Save Bonus: Poor. A witch gains +13 base Reflex save bonus per class level.

  • Will Base Save Bonus: Good. A witch gains a +2½ base Will save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Will save bonus per class level.

  • Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Witches are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor, or with shields.

  • Spells: A witch casts arcane spells from the witch spell list. Witches begin play knowing a limited number of spells. At each level, the witch learns one or more new spells, as indicated on the table below. These spells must come from the witch spell list. Witches cannot normally learn or cast other arcane spells, although I may add more thematically appropriate spells to the list as I go through various supplemental sourcebooks. Witchcraft focuses on spells of divination, healing, illusion, and transformation, and not the flashier magic associated with sorcerers and wizards.

    A witch is limited to casting a certain number of spells per day, but she does not need to prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows, provided she has an available spell slot of that level. Higher-level spell slots can be used to cast lower-level spells, if desired. The number and level of spells a witch can cast per day improves with her level.

    Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered witch level after that, a witch can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the witch “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be at least two levels lower than the highest level witch spell the witch can cast. A witch may swap only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

    To learn and cast a spell, a witch must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against a witch's spells is 10 + the spell's level + the witch's Wisdom modifier. Witches gain bonus spells per day based upon their Wisdom score.

  • Bonus Languages: A witch may add Sûlic of Jattalaic to the list of bonus languages available to her normally because of her race. Arcane spells are often written in Sûlic, so witches learn it as part of their studies, and witches have an ancient association with giants, so their language is used among them.

  • Familiar (Sp): A witch can summon a familiar in exactly the same manner as a sorcerer. Witch familiars are often either black or pure white albinos with red eyes. Common familiars for witches include cats, owls, ravens, and toads.

  • Bonus Feats: Every five levels, a witch gains a bonus feat. This feat must be an item creation feat. These feats are in addition to the normal feats granted by the character's character level. The witch must meet the prerequisites for any bonus feats.

  • A Thousand Faces (Sp): At 13th level, a witch gains the supernatural ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the spell alter self.

  • Timeless Body (Su): At 17th level, a witch no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already suffered, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the witch still dies of old age when her time is up.
Witch                              Spells per Day
Level
Special
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
Familiar
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
-
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
-
6
5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
-
6
6
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
Bonus Feat
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
-
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
-
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
-
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
9th
-
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
10th
Bonus Feat
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
-
11th
-
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
-
12th
-
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
-
13th
A Thousand Faces
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
-
14th
-
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
-
15th
Bonus Feat
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
-
16th
-
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
-
17th
Timeless Body
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
-
18th
-
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
3
19th
-
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
20th
Bonus Feat
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6

Spells Known
Level0th1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1st
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2nd
5
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3rd
5
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4th
6
3
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5th
6
4
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6th
7
4
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
7th
7
5
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
8th
8
5
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
9th
8
5
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
10th
9
5
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
11th
9
5
5
4
3
2
-
-
-
-
12th
9
5
5
4
3
2
1
-
-
-
13th
9
5
5
4
4
3
2
-
-
-
14th
9
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
-
-
15th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
2
-
-
16th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
2
1
-
17th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
2
-
18th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
2
1
19th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
20th
9
5
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
3

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