Class Features
As a witch, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per witch level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constituion modifier
Hit Die: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per witch level
after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, hand crossbows, light crossbows, longswords,
rapiers, shortswords
Tools: One musical instrument of your choice, usually the one
associated with the deity who marked you
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Religion, Insight, Medicine,
Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to any granted by your background:
-
(a) a rapier or, (b) a
longsword or, (c) a simple weapon
-
(a) a light crossbow with 20 bolts or, (b) a hand crossbow with 20 bolts
-
(a) a priest's pack or, (b) a explorer's pack
-
Leather armor and a spellcasting focus (see Spellcasting)
Witches Mark
At 1st level, you have been marked by one of the Urdvoices, turning you into a witch. Your choice grants
you features at 1st, 3rd, 10th, and 15th level.
You choose between the following three options (witches bearing other marks exist in the world, but are
not yet playable):
-
Gård, Voice av Stasis. Witches of Gård are heralds of the new
world, focusing on spells and manipulating the world.
-
Skarn, Voice av Metal. Witches of Skarn are living monuments
to the last war, using firearms and other weapons of old.
-
Tegrid, Voice av Night. Witches of Tegrid are tamers of the
beasts of night, morphing their body into powerful weapons.
Hexes
Also at 1st level you learn two Hexes. These represent the unique and bizarre magic of the Urdvoices.
Consult the Hexes Known table to see when you learn additional ones.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can change one learned Hex for another.
Each Hex will detail how it's used - action, bonus action, time-based, etc - and how many times you can use
them. You can only use one Hex per turn.
When you first start this class, choose Wisdom or Intelligence. This becomes your Witch Ability Score,
and your Witch Modifier is that ability scores modifier.
Many features in the Witch class will force creatures to make saving throws,
when they do so, you use your Witch Save DC, which is calculated as follows:
Witch Save DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Witch Modifier
A list of Hexes can be found
here.
Fighting Style
Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the
following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to
choose again.
-
Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with
ranged weapons.
-
Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet.
Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if
you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range,
unless the creature successfully hides from you.
-
Cursed Warrior. You learn two cantrips of your choice from
the wizard spell
list.
They count as witch spells for you, and your Witch Ability Score is your spellcasting ability
for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with
another cantrip from the wizard spell list.
-
Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and
no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Spellcasting
By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on arcane magic through your mark, allowing you to cast spells
like those with a patron.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Witch table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your witch spells. To cast one of your witch
spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all
expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of witch spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the
witch spell list. When you do so,
choose a number of witch spells equal to your Witch modifier + half your witch level, rounded down
(minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level witch, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a
Charisma of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any
combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a
2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of witch
spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on
your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Your Witch ability score (Intelligence or Wisdom) is your spellcasting ability for your witch spells,
since their power derives from various worldly sources.
You use your Witch ability score whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.
In addition, you use your Witch modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a witch spell you cast and
when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Witch modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Witch modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast a witch spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You use a Witches trinket or a component pouch as a spellcasting focus for your Witch spells. A Witches
trinket can be anything important to your Mark.
For example, a Witch of Skarn could carry a prayerbook that once belonged to a warrior priest while a
Witch of Gård could carry a reliquary made in gold from the old world.
Rituals
Also at 2nd level you learn a Ritual. These are powerful passive abilities unique to the witches of
Vallone.
Consult the Rituals Known column to see when you learn additional ones.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can change one learned Ritual for another.
Rituals are powerful passive abilities that also bring with them downsides. At the end of every long
rest you apply any amount of Rituals you know to you.
Every Ritual has an Effect, Curse and Activation section. The effect is its passive ability, curse the
downside, and activation is a powerful one time effect. After an activation, the Ritual effect ends
until it is applied
again.
A list of Rituals can be found
here.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability
score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you
can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on
your turn.
Shrine Creation
When you reach 6th level you can create Shrines to the Urdvoices, giving you a closer connection to the
land. Whenever you complete a Long Rest you can create a small shrine dedicated to the god that marked
you.
Afterwards, whenever you finish a Short or Long Rest within 100 ft. of this Shrine you gain the
following benefits:
-
You gain 2d8 Temporary Hit Points.
-
You regain 1 additional Hit Die.
-
If you have the Urd Malison feature, you regain one use of it.
You decide what the shrine looks like, as long as it bears the mark of the Urdvoice that marked you.
Urd Malison
At 7th level you learn a powerful curse unique to witches: The Urd Malison, a manifestation of you the
Urdvoices. Once per Long Rest you can
activate your Urd Malison as an Action, distorting your visage and creating an aura of eldritch energy extending 20 ft. out from
you. The Malison lasts for 1 minute or until you become incapacitated, during which you have the
following effects:
-
Whenever a creature starts it turn within the aura you can force them to make a Wisdom saving
throw. On a failure they are frightened until the end of their turn.
-
Whenever you hit a creature inside the aura with a weapon attack, it deals an additional
necrotic damage equal to your Witch Modifier.
-
Your movement speed is increased by 10 ft., and hostile creatures within the aura have theirs reduced by
10 ft..
At 11th and 14th level you get an additional use of this ability per Long Rest.
Swift Rituals
At 18th level, your Rituals are such second nature that you can swiftly apply them. Whenever you
complete a Short Rest you can apply any amount of Rituals you know.
Building a Witch
The witches of the Wastelands are as feared as they are revered. While many accept that they can do good,
the presence of the Urdvoices can be enough to make others uneasy. Some witches are marked while they are
young, seemingly inexplicably, while others commit some deed which grants them their mark. Think of how your
character got their mark, what they feel about it and the connected deity, as well as how the deity
influences their personality.