Witchers
"Indeed, there is nothing more repulsive than these monsters that defy nature and are known by the name of witcher, as they are the offspring of foul sorcery and witchcraft. They are unscrupulous scoundrels without conscience and virtue, veritable creatures from hell capable only of taking lives..." - Monstrum, or a Portrayal of Witchers, Anonymous
Witcher
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Focus Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Alchemy, Mutations | ─ |
| 2nd | +2 | Focus, Signs | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Witcher School | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Sign (3) | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Studious Eye, Meditation | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | Witcher School Feature | 3 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 9th | +4 | Empowered Signs, Sign (4) | 4 |
| 10th | +4 | Witcher School Feature | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | Extra Attack II, Focus Improvement | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 13th | +5 | Quick Wits, Sign (5) | 5 |
| 14th | +5 | Witcher School Feature | 5 |
| 15th | +5 | Evasion | 5 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | Foil | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Mutations Improvement | 5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 20th | +6 | Adrenaline Rush | 5 |
Professional monster slayers for hire, witchers are individuals who have undergone intense training and dangerous mutations to make them both capable and versatile fighters against a vast array of inhuman opponents.
Quick Build
You can make a witcher quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity or Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the outlander background.
Class Features
As a witcher, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per witcher level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your constitution modifier per witcher level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: light armor, medium armor
- Weapons: simple weapons, melee martial weapons, and hand crossbow
- Tools: Alchemist's supplies
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
- Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a longsword and a silvered longsword or (b) a silvered martial weapon
- (a) scalemail or (b) leather armor
- (a) an explorer's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
- (a) a hand crossbow or (b) a simple weapon
Alchemy
At 1st level, you have been trained in the specialized alchemy used by witchers to prepare themselves for combat. During a short rest, you can use Alchemist's supplies to craft a potion, oil, or bomb if you have the required ingredients and know the appropriate recipe, a list of which are found at the end of this class description. You can carry 2 alchemy products at any given time, and only you can use the products you create.
The number of recipes you know is equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. At the DM's discretion, other recipes may be available for purchase or found in the world.
Mutations
As a witcher, you have undergone mutations to your body including the perilous Trial of the Grasses. Starting at 1st level, you gain the following benefits:
- Your movement is increased by 5 feet. At 18th level, this increases to 20 feet, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your movement speed.
- You have darkvision, up to a range of 30 feet. At 18th level, this range increases to 120 feet, and you also gain tremorsense to a range of 30 feet.
- You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks based on smell.
- You are immune to natural diseases.
- You are completely sterile - you can have no children through natural means.
- Your lifespan is extended dramatically - you age at a rate 10 times slower than regular members of your race.
Focus
At 2nd level, you have learned the art of reading your opponent and the battlefield, allowing you to enhance your attacks and use powerful abilities. Your focus is set to 1 when you roll initiative, and you gain 1 focus each time you successfully hit with a melee weapon attack.
When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 2 focus to grant yourself advantage on that attack; if you do so, that attack cannot generate focus.
Starting at 11th level, you focus is set to 3 when you roll initiative instead of 1.
Signs
Starting at 2nd level, you are able to channel your focus to cast a few simple but practical magic hexes used by witchers called signs. You can cast a sign in place of a weapon attack when you take the Attack action on your turn. Casting a sign costs 1 focus, and you can only cast one sign on your turn. You must have an open hand available to cast a sign.
Signs are considered level 1 evocation spells with somatic components for the purposes of other magical effects, and are not considered weapon attacks.
You learn two signs at 2nd level, and another at 5th, 9th, and 13th level.
Sign Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Igni
You blast flames at a creature within 15 feet. It must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d10 fire damage on a failed save or half that on a successful save. When empowered, all creatures in a 15 foot cone are affected instead.
This damage increases by 1d10 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
You can also cast the Control Flames cantrip at will.
Quen
You place a protective shield on yourself. For the next minute, the first time you take damage from a weapon attack, that damage is reduced by 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier. When empowered, you can cast this as a reaction to being attacked.
This reduction increases by 1d8 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
Yrden
You place down a magical circle with a radius of 10 feet around you. Inside circle, moving costs double movement for hostile creatures and enemies resistant to nonmagical damage due to incorporeality lose this ability. When empowered, all ranged attacks made into the circle from without are made with disadvantage.
Aard
You blow a powerful burst of air at a creature within 15 feet. It must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet back and knocked prone. When empowered, all creatures in a 5 foot radius sphere around you are affected instead.
You can also cast the Gust cantrip at will.
Axii
You attempt to cloud the mind of a creature within 15 feet. It must make a Wisdom saving throw; on a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on the first attack it makes until the end of its next turn. A creature immune to being charmed automatically succeeds on its save. When empowered, the affected creature also takes 1d10 psychic damage.
You can also cast the Friends cantrip at will.
Witcher School
At 3rd level, you choose a witcher school whose techniques and style you wish to employ. Choose between the Wolf, Bear, Cat, Griffin, or Viper schools, detailed at the end of this class description. The school you choose grants you features at 3rd level, then again at 7th, 10th, and 14th level.
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.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.
Studious Eye
By 6th level, you have learned to identify certain traits and characteristics in creatures you fight. After observing a creature for 1 minute or fighting it for 1 turns, you can identify the creature's Type, resistances, and one of its ability score. The DM may choose to give you false information if the creature is under an illusory effect, like the disguise self spell, that masks its true nature.
Additionally, choose one of Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Insight), or Wisdom (Survival) that you are proficient in; your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses the chosen skill.
Meditation
At 6th level, you can manipulate your metabolism to deeply meditate and stave off both hunger and exhaustion. You can enter a trance-like state for any number of hours. During this time, you accumulate hunger and thirst ten times slower than normal, and do not require sleep. After 8 hours of meditation, you receive the benefits of a long rest.
While meditating you cannot see and are less aware of your surroundings. You have disadvantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks but are otherwise conscious, although excessive mental activity will halt meditation.
Empowered Signs
Starting at 9th level, you can use signs in new, more powerful variants for an enhanced effect. By consuming 2 additional focus, you can cast an alternative form of each sign as detailed in their descriptions.
Quick Wits
Starting at 13th level, you are quick to act and ready to leap into combat at an opportune time. After initiative order is determined, you can choose to add or subtract up to your Wisdom modifier from your initiative.
Evasion
At 15th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Foil
At 17th level, you are capable of interrupting the spells and abilities of your opponents. When a creature forces you or a friendly creature to make a saving throw, you can make a weapon attack against it. If your attack successfully hits, any creature affected automatically succeeds on their save against the effect. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Adrenaline Rush
At 20th level, you can utilize your adrenaline to burst into a rush of action. At the end of your turn, you can spend 5 focus to take another turn; at the end of that turn, you gain a point of exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Witcher Schools
Wolf School
Based in Kaer Morhen, the Wolf school is perhaps the most renowned and populous school still around, although still home to few students. The school focuses on mastering the basic witcher techniques, complementing them with new maneuvers to deal with any kind of monstrous prey.
Battle Trance
Your razor sharp focus guides your attacks in combat. Starting at 3rd level, your weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to your current focus.
Spins and Pirouettes
Starting at 7th level, you can nimbly leap across the battlefield to engage opponents. Before making a weapon attack or casting a sign, you can move 5 feet without spending any of your movement. If this movement provokes an opportunity attack, it is made with disadvantage.
Arrow Deflection
Starting at 10th level, you can defend yourself from projectiles by parrying them. When a creature makes a ranged weapon attack against you, you can use your reaction and spend 1 focus to make an attack roll; if your total is higher than the creature's attack roll, their attack misses.
Aggressive Maneuvers
At 14th level, you can use your focus to execute especially aggressive attacks. You learn the following maneuvers, which you can use as an action by expending 3 focus.
Whirl - You whirl around, attacking all creatures around you. Make a weapon attack against each creature of your choice within your weapon's attack range.
Rend - You take a wide, heavy swing at a creature. Make a weapon attack; the attack automatically critically strikes if it hits, and reduces the creature's AC by 2 for one minute. This reduction does not stack.
Viper School
Based in an unknown location and possibly dissolved, the Viper school is a secretive organization, its students few and scattered. The school is known for doing whatever needs to be done for a contract, specializing in hit and run tactics some may call dirty fighting.
Dual Wielder
Starting at 3rd level, you can adopt the traditional two-weapon fighting technique of the Viper School. You can ignore the somatic requirement of signs while using two-weapon fighting; additionally, you gain the Two Weapon Fighting fighting style.
Slippery
At 7th level, you are hard to keep in place and adept at escaping sticky situations. You can expend 1 focus to use Disengage or Dash as a bonus action; if you do, you can also remove the restrained or grappled condition from yourself.
Tolerance
By 10th level, you have become accustomed to metabolizing toxic materials. You have resistance to poison damage, and advantage on saving throws against the effects of poisons and venoms. Additionally, when applying sword oil you can choose humanoid as the target creature type.
Killing Strike
Starting at 14th level, your strikes are specialized at finishing off weakened enemies. When you attack a creature whose current health is less than half its max health, your attack deals an additional 4d6 damage of your weapon's type. If your weapon attack kills the creature, you gain 2 focus and can make an additional weapon attack as a bonus action.
Bear School
Honorable and stout, the witchers of the Bear school focus on holding their ground rather than dancing around their foes. Through their unique training, strength, and tenacity, Bear school witchers can stand up to powerful warriors and beasts alike.
Heavy Gear Training
Starting at 3rd level, you can ignore the somatic requirement of signs while using weapons with the two-handed property. Additionally, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and the Great Weapon Fighting fighting style.
Vitalic Blows
At 7th level, you can imbue your strikes with your own vigor; when you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend 2 focus to use one of your hit dice and add it to your damage on that attack. Starting at 14th level, you can choose to expend 2 hit dice instead.
Thick Skin
By 10th level, you have developed natural defenses on your body to defend you from the elements; you are resistant to adverse effects due to extreme weather and temperatures, and have resistance to fire and cold damage.
Ursine Endurance
By 14th level, your ability to withstand damage and resist malignant effects has been improved through intense conditioning. You gain proficiency in Constitution and Strength saving throws; additionally, when you fail a saving throw at which you are proficient, you can choose to succeed instead. Once this feature is used, it cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.
Cat School
The only school known to accept contracts on humans, the Cat school has largely become ostracized by their fellow witchers for this breach of their honor code. The school's effectiveness, however, cannot be doubted. Aggressive and flexible, the school focuses on landing many strikes to exploit weaknesses while avoiding damage through mobility.
Improved Critical
Starting at 3rd level, you critical strike on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20. Additionally, when you critically strike you gain focus up to your cap.
Quick Reflexes
Starting at 7th level, you are quick to respond and retreat. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can choose to consume 1 focus and use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack. As a part of the same reaction, you can move 5 feet without provoking an opportunity attack from the attacking creature.
Impeccable Instinct
At 10th level, your instincts prevent you from being caught flatfooted. You have advantage on initiative rolls, and cannot be surprised. Additionally, when you make a Dexterity saving throw, you can expend 3 focus to grant yourself advantage.
Deadly Flurry
At level 14, you can use your focus to unleash a flurry of blows. When you take the attack action, you can expend 3 focus to make two additional weapon attacks as part of that action. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest or critically strike with a weapon attack.
Griffin School
With honor and dignity, members of the Griffin school pride themselves on dispatching enemies and fulfilling contracts with utmost efficiency. Witchers of the Griffin school focus on enhancing their utilitarian magical spells and weaving them into their combat techniques.
Total Focus
At 3rd level, you can close out all irrelevant sensory information to take in the battlefield. Your focus cap is increased by 1, and at the start of your turn you may mark a creature; that creature has disadvantage on saving throws against your signs. You can move or cancel your mark only as an action or by killing the marked creature.
Sign Intensity
Starting at 7th level, you can channel additional energy into your signs to grant them new applications. When you cast a sign, you can expend 1 extra focus to add an extra effect as listed below.
Igni: Creatures that fail their saving throw against your Igni sign drop any weapons or held items made of metal or flammable materials. Creatures resistant to fire damage are unaffected by this.
Quen: A creature that triggers your Quen shield with a melee attack is pushed back 5 feet. If the attack's damage is reduced to zero, the attacker is also knocked prone.
Yrden: Hostile creatures take 1d12 force damage when they start their turns inside or enter the circle.
Aard: Creatures that fail their saving throw against your Aard sign also take 1d10 cold damage and have their movement reduced in half until the end of their next turn.
Axii: A creature that fails its saving throw against your Axii sign has disadvantage on all saves to maintain its concentration on a spell until the end of its next turn.
Opulence
At 10th level, you can channel the royal pride of a griffin to command an air of authority. You gain proficiency in Charisma (Persuasion). When you make a Charisma saving throw, you can expend 2 focus to grant yourself advantage.
Elemental Flow
Beginning at 14th level, your mastery of signs allows you to use the energy they release to charge your weapon with arcane power. After you cast a sign, your next weapon attack hit deals an additional 1d6 fire, lightning, or cold (your choice) damage and generates an additional 1 focus.
Alchemical Recipes
Potions
Swallow
Ingredients: The brain of a creature with the monstrosity or abomination type, various herbs worth 10gp, 5gp of alcohol.
A light red, sweet liquid. When consumed as a bonus action, you take 2d6 poison damage and your maximum health is reduced by that much until your next short or long rest. For one minute, so long as your health is not reduced to zero, you recover 4 + your Constitution modifier (min 0) hp at the start of your turn
Starting at 9th level, you can double the poison damage and healing of this potion when crafting it.
Thunderbolt
Ingredients: Flesh of a creature with the undead type, various herbs worth 10gp, 5gp of alcohol.
A transparent green, sour liquid. When consumed as a bonus action, you take 2d6 poison damage and your maximum health is reduced by that much until your next short or long rest. For one minute, so long as your health is not reduced to zero, your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage.
Starting at 9th level, you can double the poison damage and attack bonus of this potion when crafting it.
Petri's Philter
Ingredients: Dust from the remains of a creature that has resistance or immunity to nonmagical damage, various herbs worth 10gp, 5gp of alcohol.
A deep blue, tasteless liquid. When consumed as a bonus action, you take 2d6 poison damage and your maximum health is reduced by that much until your next short or long rest. For one minute, so long as your health is not reduced to zero, your signs's effects act as if you were 6 levels higher.
Tawny Owl
Ingredients: Blood of a creature with the beast type, various herbs worth 10gp, 5gp of alcohol.
A bitter, deep purple liquid. When consumed as a bonus action, you take 2d6 poison damage and your maximum health is reduced by that much until your next short or long rest. For one minute, so long as your health is not reduced to zero, you gain 1 focus at the start of your turn.
Starting at 9th level, you can double the poison damage and focus generation of this potion when crafting it.
Blizzard
Ingredients: Remains of a creature with the elemental type, various herbs worth 10gp, 5gp of alcohol.
A refreshing, cold, clear blue liquid. When consumed as a bonus action, you take 2d6 poison damage and your maximum health is reduced by that much until your next short or long rest. For one minute, so long as your health is not reduced to zero, your AC increases by 1.
Starting at 9th level, you can double the poison damage and AC bonus of this potion when crafting it.
Sword Oil
Ingredients: Remains of a creature of the desired type, various herbs worth 10gp.
You can create and apply to one of your weapons an oil for slaying creatures of a specific type (besides humanoid). Until your next long rest, when attacking creatures of that type, your weapon attacks with that weapon deal an additional 1d4 damage of the weapon's type. Applying another oil replaces any oils previously applied.
This damage increases to 1d6 at 9th level.
Bombs
Dancing Star
Ingredients: Salts worth 10gp
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates dealing 2d6 fire damage to each creature within a 10 foot radius, or half as much damage on a successful DC 14 Dex save. The bomb creates a 10 foot radius patch of fire, dealing 1d6 fire damage to creatures that enter it or start their turn in it. The fire lasts 1 minute or until extinguished.
Devil's Puffball
Ingredients: Salts worth 5gp, herbs worth 5gp
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates releasing poisonous gas in a cloud of radius 10 feet. Creatures that enter or start their turn in the cloud take 2d8 poison damage, or half as much on a successful DC 14 Con save. The gas disperses after 1 minute.
Dimetrium Bomb
Ingredients: Salts worth 5gp, an enchanted stone worth 100gp
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates releasing grains of magic-nullifying Dimetrium into a cloud of radius 10 feet. Creatures inside the cloud cannot cast spells, and magic items inside the cloud temporarily lose their magical properties. Any ongoing magical effects from spells of 6th level or lower are dispelled within the cloud. The cloud disperses after 1 minute.
Moondust
Ingredients: Salts worth 5gp, 10gp of Quicksilver
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates releasing finely powedered silver into a cloud of radius 10 feet. Creatures inside the cloud cannot transform, and shapechangers affected by this revert to their normal form. The dust disperses after 1 minute.
Northern Wind
Ingredients: Salts worth 5gp, a pearl worth 5gp, acidic solution worth 5gp
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates releasing freezing cold gas in a cloud of radius 10 feet. Creatures that enter or start their turn in the cloud take 1d8 cold damage, or half as much on a successful DC 14 Con save. Creatures that take this cold damage have their movement reduced by half until the end of their turn. The gas disperses after 1 minute.
Samum
Ingredients: Salts worth 5gp, herbs worth 5gp
When lobbed up to 30 feet as an action, the bomb detonates in a bright flash. Creatures within 10 feet of the explosion take 1d8 radiant damage and must make a DC 14 Con save or be blinded until the end of their next turn.
Crafting Costs
These costs may not be appropriate for the income level in your game; your DM may adjust the price of Alchemy ingredients and where they are found.
Credits
Artwork used, in order of appearance:
Wallpaper on CD Projekt Red's Witcher website; I couldn't find the illustrator
"Vesemir" by Bartlomiej Gawel (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/gyroe)
"Quen Sign" from Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, illustrated by Lorenzo Mastroianni
"Ciri Meditating" by Wojtek Fus (https://www.deviantart.com/wojtekfus/art/Ciri-Meditating-The-Witcher-3-Wild-Hunt-570279619)
"The Witcher 3" by Patrick Brown (https://www.deviantart.com/patrickbrown/art/The-Witcher-3-483461541)
"Witcher" by A BUBU (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/6goZV)
"Thunderbolt" from Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, illustrated by Aleksandra Wojtas and Anna Podedworna
"Northern Wind" from Gwent: The Witcher Card Game (Illustrator unknown)
Based on the world and characters of Andrzej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red