Witches and Witchery

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Nomster
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Witches and Witchery

Unread post by Nomster »

I was a bit confused at the term witch and witchery used IG. I can't seem to dig up anything useful in source material except for one thing but its 4th edition.


https://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.asp ... x/20111024
Unlike the witches of the Feywild, who usually receive their gift from Sehanine or the archfey, human witches are endowed with power from any number of sources, not the least of which include devils and demon lords. For this reason, witches in the world have an evil reputation, and clerics of many deities hunt and destroy witches of any kind.

While it may be similar on some points, witches aren't warlocks and warlocks aren't witches. Why was the terms 'witch' and 'witchery' used when 1) as far as I can tell only hags are witches 2) the correct one should have been warlock?
"I don't want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic."

Telia Santraeger - Emotional sorceress & priestess of Mystra. [Retired]
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Re: Witches and Witchery

Unread post by DM Mouse »

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/W ... f_Rashemen

There's a number of "witches," it's a pretty plain term that doesn't mean much on it's own.
Hopefully someone else can pipe in with relevant info on something more specific.
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Considerate_
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Re: Witches and Witchery

Unread post by Considerate_ »

There's only a suggestion for the Witch Class in the DMG, and a spell list for her, but the actual class isn't fleshed out in detail:
The Witch. A staple of fantasy literature and fairy tales, the witch dabbles in many kinds of magic - minor illusions, spells dealing with health or life, nature-based magic, simple divinations, and spells that alter the shape and appearance of things - but excelt at just a few. Hence, her list is somewhat limited but it containts wizard, cleric and druid spells. She casts spells as a sorcerer, using the sorcerer's Spell's per Day table (see page 52 of the Player's Handbook) and her spells are based on Charisma. The witch's spell list is designed with the following considerations in mind.
Cure spells: Only the weakest of these, and the witch doesn't have the cleric' ability to cast cure spells spontanously. The witch isn't blessed with a cleric's (or druid's) plethora of healing spells but she can offer a little aid to those she favours
Illusions: Only through the middle levels. A witch can trick her foes, but not to the extent a wizard can.
Divinations: Only the straightforward divinations, such as clairvoyance/clairaudience and scrying, and not even all of them.
Charms: Many. A major feature of this class.
Form-Changing: another strong point for the witch. From alter self to shapechange, the witch has most of the spells relating to changing her (or someone else's) form
Nature: From speaking to animals to controlling the weather the witch dabbles in this type of magic, if for no other reason than she usually lives a secluded life in the wilderness.
No flashy spells: Anything from a lightning bolt to a wall of fire to Bigby's hand spell is right out. The witch's archetype doesn't suggest overt attack spells or spells that create massive magic constructs. She doesn't summon monsters, place wards, or teleport from place to place. Her magic is subtle.
Miscellaneous: Spells such as whispering wind, Leomubnd's tiny hut, bestow curse (and a few other curselike spells) and a few communication spells round out the list.

((it goes on listing all the spells sorted after spell level, but I can't quite bring myself to type them all in right now, and I'm not sure if you need them, with the above explanation?))
Source: Dungeon Masters Guide v3.5, page 175


Here's a homebrewed class of the Witch: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Witch_(3.5e_Class)


Witches could be emulated on this server by picking a sorcerer, and then following the above to the best of your ability. Possibly mixing it with a Favoured Soul for five levels or so, for a little healing oomph.

Otherwise, witches in my perspective is just another layman term for a female wizard/sorcerer, and often a derogatory one at that. Least it's in Rashemen where a witch is a symbol of pride and authority.

Hope that helped somewhat! :)
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Rasael
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Re: Witches and Witchery

Unread post by Rasael »

Witches and witchery is generally a negative and derogatory term for those who practice arcane magic with assumably evil intent. You can regard the term as a counterpart to warlocks, which also has a strong negative connotation. Especially in the Forgotten Realms.

But there are some exceptions. And in some regions the term regarded positively, such as in Rashemen.

In general, witches and warlocks are assumed to traffic with the spirits of the dead, and with dead. So they are bad folk that you will want to avoid or track down and kill.
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Nomster
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Re: Witches and Witchery

Unread post by Nomster »

To clarify, I witnessed an event where a DM called a warlock a witch and accused the warlock of witchery.

I'm wondering if that's a term that is regularly used by people in the Realms, calling warlock magic witchery instead of invocations. I had the impression that most called warlocks for what they were - warlocks. Just a bit confused why that term was used and if it indeed made sense in lore.


I forgot about the Rashemen witches :D
"I don't want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic."

Telia Santraeger - Emotional sorceress & priestess of Mystra. [Retired]
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Lockonnow
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Re: Witches and Witchery

Unread post by Lockonnow »

how do a person get the title Witches or a hag

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