Witch

Smiling with gracious joy, a half-elf woman glances between the mistleweed in her hand and her anxious ally before her. Dropping the herb into her iron cauldron, she mixes it with various spices and a touch of witchcraft. The potion is ready, and he would be cured.

Clad in folds of white robes, a witch twirls his magic staff as a giant ogre descends upon him. Knowing he will need time to defeat his foe, he erupts a wall of force, blocking his opponent. Immediately, he descends to the ground, drawing out his sulfur cross symbol. When the wall fades and his ceremony completes, he would wield the terrible fire of brimstone.

A woman, scorned by a village who refused to allow her to set up a shop of potions, rallies her arcane knowledge into a cruel, vengeful curse. They will soon change their mind as each new-born of the village is born an undead creature.

What is magic, but the intuition and deeds of a spellcaster? Witches know this more than most, as they are practitioners of magic that controls, alters, divines, or in another word, affects. While most witches choose a magical coven to focus their talents, every witch has an arsenal of magical spells that make them stand out as healers, oracles, and sages of power. That being said, witchcraft is often more subtle than other forms of spellcasting. Witches do not draw their magic from gods or divine means (though they may worship them), nor are they bestowed by patrons, beings of immense power, or diligent study; instead, witches gain their magic from their witchcraft, a form of spell preparation that connects intent, intuition, and deeds to form a mystical, or perhaps spiritual, manifestation of magic. Some say witchcraft is when intent and actions meet the weave. Because of this, witches must pay levies, or some price, to maintain their magic.

Class Features

As a witch, you gain the following class features

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your witch spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a witch spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Ritual Casting

You can cast any spell from the witch spell list or your ceremony spell list you can prepare as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Witchcraft Points

You have 2 witchcraft points to channel your magic. As an action, you can expend 1 witchcraft point and prepare one witch spell from the witch spell list, or swap out a prepared witch spell from the witch spell list for another you can prepare from that list. You cannot have more witch spells prepared from the witch spell list than your Wisdom modifier.

Additionally, witches are powerful magic users that can tether their witchcraft to others. As a reaction to an ally that is casting a spell within 60 feet that you can see, you may expend a witchcraft point. If you do so, the ally increases the spell slot level (without expending a higher spell slot) of the spell they are casting by 1 (maximum 9), or they can increase the spell save DC by 1 for every witch who expended a witchcraft point as a reaction when they casted their spell (maximum 4).

You gain additional witchcraft points as you gain levels in witch, as shown on your Witchcraft Points column of the Witch class table. You regain all expended witchcraft points when you finish a long rest.

Coven

There are distinct types of witches that interact or use similar methods of witchcraft that are defined as covens. While these covens could be actual groups of spellcasters that come together for rituals and festivals, it could also just mean a loose organization of witches who only know of each other by

rumor. A witch who interacts with the power of a particular coven could also only view the coven as a fount of power, as a source of magic that they tap into. Witchcraft and covens, then, become difficult to define as ubiquitous as their styles and flavor vary across time, place, and settings. Choose a coven wisely to connect you to the setting of your character.

Ceremony Magic

Starting at 2nd level, you can invoke certain rites during a ceremony to expand your witchcraft. You can perform a 10 minute ceremony using various sigils, candles, or other esoteric ingredients. When your ceremony is complete, choose a number of spells to prepare from your ceremony spell list equal to your Charisma or Intelligence modifier, whichever is lowest (minimum of 1). You do not need to expend witchcraft points to prepare ceremony spells, and these spells do not count against the number of spells you can prepare normally -- they are separate. Once you finish a short or long rest, you lose all prepared witch spells from the ceremony spell list.

Brew Potions

Witches have a talent for discerning the natural and magical properties of herbs and other various ingredients. You are particularly adept at combining these ingredients to create magical potions, so much so that you are likely sought after for them.

Starting at 3rd level, you become proficient in alchemist tools. Additionally, you may craft potions using the rules for crafting magic in the Dungeon Master's Guide on page 129, but your crafting time and cost is reduced by half. Whenever you craft potions while at your sanctum artifact, your crafting time and cost is reduced to only 1/4 of the normal time and cost. Your DM may determine that you must have a specific item or ingredient in order to create a potion. If this is determined to be true, subtract the cost of that item from the crafting cost.

Sanctum Artifact

Witches are known to have strongholds of power whether they are huts, massive cauldrons with legs of a chicken, or towers. Within these strongholds are artifacts of immense power.

Starting at 5th level, you may begin to set the stage for where one day your sanctum may be. By spending at least 100gp in ingredients in a magical ritual that takes seven complete days, you may create an immovable altar, shrine, cauldron, or other artifact that your DM approves of that is the center-piece of your sanctum. This artifact has a strong magical aura that can be seen by the detect magic spell. Whenever you are within 30 feet of your sanctum artifact, you gain advantage to any saving throws against spells or other magical effects. Additionally, whenever you take a short rest or long rest when you are within 30 feet of your sanctum artifact, you regain all expended witchcraft points. Depending upon your coven, other benefits are bestowed upon you as you develop your craft. If you create another sanctum, your previous sanctum's magical energies are diffused
and it returns to a nonmagical object (unless you
are of the Coven of the Wilds, see note).

  Additionally, you can use your sanctum artifact once to perform one of the following rituals from below. This ritual takes 24 hours to complete. Once you choose your ritual, the result is permanent. You gain access to choosing an additional ritual from below at 11th level and 17th level.

Empowered Curses. If you are within 30 feet of your sanctum artifact and cast bestow curse, geas, or polymorph, you can expend 1 witchcraft point per spell level of the chosen spell and empower the magic of the spell by infusing it with the magic of your artifact. Casting these spells this way also increases the casting time to at least 1 minute. The durations of casting these spells in this way become permanent and no longer require concentration. As an action, you can end the effects of these spells.

Mystical Quickening

Starting at 9th level, you are more adept at utilizing your witchcraft to quickly prepare spells. As a bonus action, you can expend 2 witchcraft points, instead of 1 as normal, and prepare a witch spell or swap out a prepared witch spell for another for which you can cast normally.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Witchcract Supremecy

Starting at 20th level, you are so infused and accustomed to your witchcraft that you rarely are without power. Whenever you roll initiative and you have expended all of your witchcraft points, you regain 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier expended witchcraft points.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Coven Magic

Covens are the shared knowledge of other witches. The power that comes from a coven is both tangible and abstract. The options are Coven of the Dark Well, Coven of the Far Realm, Coven of White Well, and Coven of the Wilds.

Choose one coven, starting at 1st level. You gain features at 1st, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level..

As a bonus action and as part of casting a 1st-level spell or higher in which you are wielding a dagger, you deal 1d4 slashing damage to yourself, a willing creature within 5 feet of you, or an unwilling restrained or incapacitated creature within 5 feet of you. If the spell you are casting requires a spell save DC, it increases by your result, or you may instead add your slashing damage to the spell attack roll should the spell have one. You can either increase the spell save DC or gain a bonus to your spell attack, not both.

You must expend 1 witchcraft point per spell level of the spell you are casting to use this feature. Calculate the spell level before applying the bonus to determine how much witchcraft points you must expend.

Soulsteal

Starting at 14th level, you can rend a soul from a target to consume or house in a container or jar. As an action, you cast disintegrate on a creature, except if the spell kills a creature, you may choose to consume its soul or house the soul in a jar or container that you possess and display as part of casting the spell.

Casting this spell in this way only works on creatures that are mortal and would have a soul. If the target survives, they are simply wounded, though they feel the affects of a near soul-rendering. If they die, you may steal their soul and consume it or place it in a container. If you consume it, you gain temporary hit points equal to their Challenge Rating x 2 and you also gain a Dark Boon. A dark boon gained in this way can be used to cast any spell 5th level or lower from your witch's spell list without having it prepared or expending a spell slot. If you do not use your dark boon before you take a long rest, it is lost. Creatures whose soul you steal may not be resurrected except by the true resurrection spell and if that should ever happen you take 6d10 psychic damage as you reel from their soul being wrenched from you. Using this feature is terrible on the mind. Should you kill them and take their soul you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15) or you take 5d10 psychic damage yourself during the theft of their soul as it fuses and binds to your being. You may also

decide to house their soul in a container so long as that container is in your possession when you use this ability. If you decide to do this, you may not gain a dark boon or temporary hit points. If the container is ever shattered, broken, or opened, the soul escapes and moves on as though the creature had died normally. A true resurrection spell shatters the jar that houses the soul as part of casting the spell to resurrect the creature whose soul was stolen.

You may use this feature once before you must take a long rest to do so again.

Vile Sanctum

At 18th level, your sanctum artifact grows immensely in power. Your previous Dark Sanctum radius effect now extends to 6 miles. Additionally, four permanent globes of magical darkness erupt within the area. You choose the location and treat it as if a permanent darkness spell was cast there that, once dispelled, returns after 1 minute. Additionally, when someone is within 6 miles of your sanctum artifact, you detect their type, such as being a humanoid, celestial, fey, fiend, etc., and you know that a creature of that type has entered your sanctum.

Nature’s Sanctum

Starting at 10th level, your sanctum artifact has grown in power. Within 1 mile of your artifact, the landscape exaggerates the features of its terrain. For example, if it is in the arctic, it is colder and is constantly snowing and billowing with a brisk, sharp cold air. In the forest, overgrown lush plant life bursts forth and continuously grows. If near the sea, seaweed appears all over the land as though waves continuously roll across it and the smell of salt fills the air.

These features are exaggerated and an overall sense of safety or dread fills the area. All beasts with a challenge rating lower than 1 within the area act as though they are charmed by you unless they are friendly to other non-beast creatures already. They often report to you of any new-comers to the area, offering their services as sentinels of your sanctum as a trade for protection.

Additionally, when you are within 30 feet of your sanctum artifact, you may cast conjure animals, conjure elemental, and conjure woodland beings as an action but the duration is 8 hours for each spell. You may only cast each spell once in this way before you must take a long rest to do so again.

Unbounded

Starting at 14th level, you can use your sanctum artifact to travel the world. As an action, when you are within 5 feet of one of your sanctum artifacts, you teleport you and a number of Large size or smaller creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier to another one of your sanctum artifacts. If one of your artifacts are destroyed, you can teleport to it using this

feature within 24 hours of it being destroyed.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Sanctum Refuge

Starting at 18th level, your sanctum artifact has grown in immense power. Its previous effect of nature’s sanctum now extends to 6 miles instead of 1. Additionally, beasts with a challenge rating of 4 or lower are treated as though they are charmed by you unless they are already friendly with a non-beast creature.

You gain additional spells to cast while you are within 30 feet of your artifact: antilife shell, conjure fey (duration 8 hours), sun burst, and wind walk.

Coven of the Far Realms

You are an alienist, a witch who has connected to the Far Realms of the beyond. In your reaching, you pierced the barriers of worlds unknown and have seen its horror. Most alienists are aloof, difficult to understand witches who prattle on about nonsensical things -- but to them it all make sense. Sanity becomes relative. Normalcy and morality moot.

Covens of the Far Realms are usually cultists worshipping a powerful aberration creature or some fanatical adherents to theoretical worlds, planar travel, or magical theories. These covens, however organized they may be, are usually concerned primarily with their wild notions of reality and testing the boundaries of it.

Because of your exposure to the Far Realms, you have acquired a certain quality. Choose an Alien Quality from the table or roll 1d8 to determine which you attained from your exposure to the aberrant worlds.

Sanctum Plane-Blur

At 10th level, your sanctum artifact grows in power as your place of study has begun to warp the landscape in various ways. Within 1 mile of the artifact, the terrain begins to subtly shift towards the far realm. You may cause weird disturbances, such as ghastly looking creatures that are born alien-looking or beasts may turn alien from their normal form, such as a rat with scaly patches or a hundred eyes. Plants and terrain may shift to an otherworldly shape or appearance, frightening people. Humanoid creatures that first enter this radius must make a Wisdom saving throw against your witch spell save DC or be frightened by a particular beast, plant, or aspect of the terrain. Creatures of your choice or those who succeed against this saving throw are then immune to the fear effect of your sanctum artifact.

Flash of Horror

Starting at 14th level, you can summon to you the power of the Far Realms, twisting the reality around you to demonstrate the horrific nature of the place you have become all to familiar with. As an action, a 30 foot sphere of area, centered on you, is warped from this reality to that of the Far Realms. What is natural, becomes unnatural; what makes sense, becomes madness. Strange-looking eyes, tentacles, hooks, translucence, unsettling hollowness, bulging appendages, and other terrifying aspects of reality are twisted into a truly frightening experience. Creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving

throw or take 8d6 psychic damage. Creatures within the sphere roll this save at disadvantage. You can replace this damage and instead inflict madness upon creatures. If you do so, creatures who fail their saving throw acquire a long-term madness. Afterwards, reality turns to normal, but creatures who witnessed this are likely changed forever.

Once you use this feature you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

Sanctum Plane-Shift

Starting at 18th level, your sanctum artifact has grown immensely in power. Its 10th level feature now extends to 6 miles radius. Additionally, the plane shift spell is added to your witch spell list and when you cast it, you may take the establishment that your sanctum artifact resides in (such as a hut, tower, castle, house, etc.) to the plane that you travel so long as you are within 100 feet of your artifact. All of the items and creatures within the establishment travels as well, but it must be transported to a place on the new plane that can hold it or it may crumble or the foundation may give in -- otherwise the terrain of the plane slightly adjusts to accommodate your sanctum. Most witches scout the area out before hand or are quite confidant each time they travel their abode to a different plane. Some purposefully make their homes moveable in some way, such as standing on animated chicken legs or tree trunks. After you shift your home to a new plane, the 6 mile radius effect slowly changes the environment within 7 days, progressively.

Coven of the White Well

White witches, sometimes called priestesses, are eschewers of cruelty, malevolence, and greed. They usually believe that magic should be used cautiously and often adhere to the 3-fold rule: any magic cast upon another unjustly may return to the caster by 3-fold. Thus, most white-witches prefer to use benign magic to benefit and aid others and eschew the more destructive or malignant spells.

Witches who join this coven often contend with witches of the Dark Well, engaging in duels and feuds with their antithetical ways.

Ceremonial Rites

When you gain Ceremony Magic, you can acquire ceremonial rites. These rites add to your ceremony spell list, a unique list of spells that you prepare only in ceremony using your Ceremony Magic class feature.

Rites of Foretelling

These ceremonial rites invoke the rites of foresight, of divining fate, and of learning. Knowing these rites add the following spells to your ceremony spell list.

Rites of the Lower Planes

These ceremonial rites tether you to the Lower Planes to twist your witchcraft with its horrors. Knowing these rites add the following spells to your ceremony spell list.

Rites of Passages

These ceremonial rites enhance your witchcraft to wield the power of the passageways and gates. Knowing these rites add the following spells to your ceremony spell list.

Rites of the Pentacle

These ceremonial rites use the magical sigil of the pentacle to combine the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Knowing these rites add the following spells to your ceremony spell list.

Rites of White magic

These ceremonial rites are some of the most common rites invoked, bestowing the witch with supportive, white magic meant only to heal, aid, and protect. Knowing these rites add the following spells to your ceremony spell list.