Witch NPC Class
Based on the lore of Witches implied in The Crucible
Designed by Jeffrey Queen
The play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller – although an allegory – presents a look into the situation surrounding the Salem Witch Trials and some lore about the powers of a perceived “witch”. After watching the play the other night, I realized the powers of the “Witch” presented would make for an interesting NPC class.
About: Witches are normal people given powers through compacts with Demonic or otherworldly entities. By agreeing to work for the entity, to be their hand – or tentacle – on the material plane, the benefactor gives them a modicum of their power to use.
The Gifts: The powers given to the witch vary depending on their benefactor, but the main Gifts are as follows: a familiar spirit, the knowledge of rituals that can be used to contact spirits or other beings from beyond or produce great curses, the knowledge of “hedge alchemy” that can be used to make powerful potions and poisons, and a very extended aging process.
The Familiar Spirit: The Witch’s familiar can take any form it desires, and is invisible to anyone except those it wants to be seen by. The witch can see and hear through the familiar, and the familiar can effectively extend the witch’s power to wherever the familiar is located. Familiars can also physically effect the world around them should they choose too. In many cases they are used to torment victims of a witch’s curse while they sleep or go about their day.
The Rituals of Contact: The rituals presented to the witch by their benefactor are all different but ultimately produce the same results: the ability to contact things beyond the material plane – from spirits of the dead to the demons of the nine hells – and ask them questions or purchase their services. Rituals of contact don’t usually take long – maybe around an hour – and the effects last as long as needed, but more often than not the ritual requires a price, such as the blood from some creature for a low level summoning, to the bodies of many innocents for stronger beings.
The Rituals of Cursing: These rituals allow a witch to push a curse upon an individual, a town, a farm, or whatever the caster chooses. A curse can take any design the witch desires – the withering of every cow and crop of one household, making a healthy child grow sick, forcing a general storm of bad luck on someone’s head, etc. A ritual of cursing takes around two to eight hours, depending on the power of the curse.
Hedge Alchemy: The witch’s benefactor often teaches the witch about the basics of alchemic magic. They learn what herbs and body parts can be used to what effect, and how to mix them. This includes potions and poisons, powders and teas, soups and elixirs, and much, much more.
Extended Aging: The witch is blessed with an extended life span: triple that of a normal member of their race. They physical age the same as is typical, but their minds stay strong and agile until the end.
Benefactors: The witch’s benefactor changes what other powers and knowledge the witch receives. Some demons offer the powers to produce fire, or control the minds of the weak; evil fae sometimes offer the powers of illusion and great charm, or control over nature; elder beings from times long passed may simply expose the witch to the reality of existence, driving them utterly mad in the process. In any manner, the gifts of any given benefactor are left to the imagination of the Game Master.
Here’s a table to spice up the local Witch
| 1 | Cannot stand to see the light of the sun; burns when presented with sunlight. However, in moonlight grows to double the size. |
| 2 | Has compacted with a Lawful entity and is actually attempting to fight against Chaos |
| 3 | Has surpassed Life and managed to become a Lich while retaining its benefactor |
| 4 | Has been given a rubbery and impenetrable body and as such is immune to any piercing or slashing attacks and cannot be crushed to death |
| 5 | Is a great warrior who has compacted with the benefactor to gain extra power in battle – can be found leading a large warband. |
| 6 | Is actually a horse given sentience by a mad wizard and has compacted with its benefactor in order to gain control over its surroundings and revenge on its previous owner. |
| 7 | Changes its physical age constantly, in a disturbingly fluid manner. |
| 8 | Is entirely under control of its familiar, with no will of its own left anymore. |
Dungeons and Imaginings 