Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+, Occult d4+
Some gain power through study, some through devotion, others through blood, but some gain power from communion with the unknown. Generally feared and misunderstood, the witch draws her magic from a pact made with an otherworldly power.
Communing with that source and using her familiar as a conduit, the witch gains not only a host of spells, but a number of strange abilities known as hexes. As the spellcaster grows in power, she might learn about the source of her magic, but many remain blissfully unaware of their patrons' true identity.
Arcane Background (Witch): Witches use Spellcasting as their arcane skill. They start with 10 Power Points and two powers chosen from the list below.
Available Powers: Baleful polymorph, beast friend, blind, burst, boost/lower Trait, conjure item, create demiplane, curse, damage field, detect/conceal arcana, dispel, empathy, fear, fly, healing, light/darkness, locate, magic jar, mind reading, plane shift, protection, puppet, relief, resurrection, scrying, slumber, speak language, stun, summon ally, teleport.
Armor Interference (Any): Witches require rapid, intricate, and unhindered somatic movements. While wearing light, medium, or heavy armor or using light, medium, or heavy shields, the character's Spellcasting rolls suffer a -4 penalty. The hero cannot use other abilities granted by this Edge or any Edge that has this Edge as a Requirement.
Familiar: Witches gain the service of a familiar that serves them and reveals secrets unknown to most mortals. The familiar uses the Familiar rules with the following exceptions:
A witch’s familiar stores its mistress' spells (but not those learned from other Arcane Backgrounds), though it can't cast them itself. The witch must commune with her familiar every morning or lose access to her spells until she does so.
A witch may only have one familiar at a time, no matter how many Edges grant her one.
Hex: Witches have access to additional supernatural abilities called hexes. They gain one hex of her choice from the list below on taking this Class Edge. A witch cannot select an individual hex more than once.
Requirements: Seasoned, Witch
The witch may select a new hex from those listed below. This Edge can be taken once per Rank.
Requirements: Veteran, Witch
The witch gains a Major Hex from the list below. This Edge can be taken once per Rank.
Requirements: Heroic, Witch
Through her dark patron, the witch unlocks the mysteries of her mystical powers. This gives her access to all her powers’ Epic Power Modifiers.
Requirements: Wild Card, Legendary, at least two Witch Edges
The witch selects a Grand Hex (see below).
As a limited action, the witch makes an opposed Spirit roll against an enemy within a Range equal to her Smarts. With success, she makes the target Distracted or Vulnerable (both with a raise).
The witch may cast the following powers as a limited free action: curse, fly (the hex doesn't grant these powers).
The witch curses an animal, plant, or a plot of land. This takes a full round of concentration, and she and her familiar must be in contact with part of the area to be corrupted. If used on a plot of land, plants wither the following day and die completely over the next week. Nothing grows in that area so long as the hex persists.
A witch may affect an area with a radius equal to twice her Smarts. Dispel can be used to remove a blight, but the caster must first walk the perimeter of the blighted area for one hour before attempting to cast.
The witch can instead take an action to blight a creature of the Animal or Plant Type. The witch touches the target and makes a Spellcasting roll. Success reduces the creature's Toughness by 4 (to a minimum of 1). At the end of each of the creature's turns it makes a Spirit roll (at -2 with a raise) as a free action to end the effect.
A witch can only have one blight in effect at a time. Casting a new one terminates the other immediately.
A witch may issue a hideous and disturbing cackle as a free action. Distracted or Vulnerable creatures don't remove these conditions as long as they remain within 10" (20 yards) of a cackling witch.
The witch may cast the following powers as a limited free action: beast friend, puppet (this hex doesn't grant these powers).
The witch may cast the following powers as a limited free action: boost/lower Trait, slumber (the hex does not grant her these powers).
The witch may cast the following powers as a limited free action: healing, relief (the hex does not grant her these powers).
The witch creates an invisible magical sensor that sends her visual information. She creates the eye within a Range of Smarts. The eye is the size of a normal human eyeball and has Flight at Pace 6. It sees exactly as the witch would if she were there.
The eye can’t leave the witch's plane for any reason. It functions for one-minute increments, up to 10 minutes per day.
The witch may automatically place a curse on a target within a Range of twice her Smarts. The victim must make a Spirit roll at -2 when it tries to sleep or be tormented by terrible nightmares, preventing him from resting (see Sleep Hazards). If the Spirit roll is successful the nightmares pass until the witch hexes him again.
The witch can grant a glimpse of the future to a creature she touches. Granting a vision takes a full minute of concentration, during which time she must remain in contact with her subject. At the end of this time, the target receives a brief image of the near future (usually no more than one year) of the Game Master's discretion. The witch can grant this individual no further visions until this one has come to pass (or not).
This is only the most likely version of the future, so such visions are unreliable at best.
A witch cannot use this ability on herself.
This hex gives the witch the puppet power if she doesn't already have it. As a limited action, she may create a crude and unnerving wax duplicate of a creature she can see within a Range of Smarts.
She may then cast puppet on the target of her waxen image from any distance. If she can see the target she adds +2 to the roll. The waxen image melts after use, so she must make a new one after each casting.
The witch can only have one waxen image at a time. If she creates another, the previous image becomes useless.
The witch may cast elemental manipulation with the Weather Power Modifier at no cost, once per day.
As an action, this hex seizes a creature’s heart, causing death in just a few moments. Death Curse has a Range of 5" (10 yards), and the target makes a Spirit roll. If failed, the creature takes Fatigue each round until it's Incapacitated, then makes a Vigor check or dies. With success, he takes 3d6 damage (ignoring Armor) and the hex ends.
Slaying the witch that hexed the creature ends the effect, though the Fatigue remains. A creature cannot be the target of Death Curse again for an entire day.
As a limited action, the witch makes a Touch Attack with Spellcasting. With success, the target makes a Spirit roll (-2 with a raise). Failing this check causes it to fall into a deep slumber from which it cannot be woken except by a wish or by slaying the witch who cast it!
A witch can also poison food or drink with her hex, causing the next person to consume it to be affected. She may only have one such poisoned dish at a time, and it loses its potency after one minute if not consumed. A creature can't be affected by Eternal Slumber more than once per day.
The witch can move and take free actions, but can take no other actions other than performing this hex. The witch makes a Spellcasting roll, targeting her victim within a Range equal to her Smarts. With success, the target must make a Spirit check (at -2 with a raise on the Spellcasting roll), or die and be immediately reincarnated into a new body (roll on the chart below to see what the creature is). The reincarnated form is still a Wild Card if it was one before the hex was cast. A creature cannot be the target of this hex more than once a day.
D100 CREATURE
1 Bugbear
2–12 Dwarf
14–25 Elf
26 Gnoll
27–38 Gnome
39–42 Goblin
43–52 Half-elf
53–62 Half-orc
63–74 Halfling
75–89 Human
90–93 Kobold
94 Lizardfolk
95–98 Orc
99 Troglodyte
100 Other (GM's choice)