The Witch, Revised

Taronwy hiked up her skirt to step over a fallen log. With her other hand, she held her lantern thrust out to her side, great white moths the size of her palm fluttering in the light. The night was dark and almost silent, broken by the tap-tap of moths against the glass of the lantern, the drip of water from fog-wet leaves onto fog-wet ferns.

The trail had changed; boards, damp and slick, laid over a criss-cross of winding streams, trickling quietly. Her boots almost slipped out from beneath her, but she caught herself on a tree, her hand sinking deep into the moss that covered its trunk. She stopped and breathed in, out.

“You’re a Holewarne, Taronwy,” she muttered. “You can manage a night-time walk.”

She kept on her way, pushing aside stories of trow and painted folk and the owlman as they tried to surface in her mind, and focused on the task at hand: her mother’s illness. Mother would have protested, of course, if Taronwy had declared her intentions this night; but no priest of the Goddess had passed through in months, and Mother only grew sicker. So other methods were required.

The forest opened into a large clearing; the light of the moon and stars glittered on wet ferns and fireweed. In the center of the clearing, the trail led to a small structure like a well-house, built of lichened grey wood, sheltering a silver bell perhaps the size of a fist. A small hammer of bone lay beneath the bell. Mounted on the structure was a hand-written sign:

Ring thrice for service and wait.

No Solicitation.

She took the hammer and tapped the bell, once, twice, three times, then set her lantern next to the bell, leaned her back against its housing, and waited.

“You seem wick enough. Good. I’ve had too many bog-wights of late.”

The voice had come from behind. Taronwy turned. A woman, pale-skinned, with thick black hair; nude, she sat side-saddle on a stout gnarled branch, floating in the air above the height of Taronwy’s head.

The Witch.

 

Witches are, in effect, the remnants of the priestesses and priests of the Old Religion. They are commonly, but not necessarily, female. In their local communities, they tend to be treated with an awed respect, sometimes bordering on fear, and are besought for healing, midwifery, charms, and protection from evil; they also tend to be skilled in healing in surgery, dreams, foresight, and second-sight. It is generally believed that they learn their powers from trows or hidfolk or other strangenesses.

Requirements: None

Prime Requisite: CHA

Hit Dice: 1d6

Maximum Level: 14

Allowed Armour: Padded or leather, no shields.

Allowed Weapons: Daggers, holy water, slings, staffs.

Languages: Common

Abilities

Learning Spells: The Witch’s spell progression is the same as the Magic-user’s, and they have access to all the same spells except for Fly. Witches’ spells are learned from other witches, or clues in old stories, or the unseen in plain sight – after all, where better to learn fire magic than by watching the spirits in the heart of a bonfire?

Spell Casting: Witches have a number of spellcasting points equal to 4+their Charisma adjustment at first level, and may use them to power any spell they have memorized. They gain spellcasting points per level equal to their Charisma adjustment (minimum 1). Spent spellcasting points are restored at the start of each day. A witch’s elemental spells can only be cast if the witch has a source of that element – for example, a Fire Ball requires a lit torch at the very least. Witch spells can never do more than 2d of damage.

Spellcasting point cost per spell level

Spell Level	1	2	3	4	5	6
Cost	2	3	5	7	9	10

Using Magic Items: A Witch can use magic scrolls and items as if they were a Magic-user.

Witch’s Transport: A witch may enchant a normal item for mobility in one fashion or another. If said item is human-sized or smaller, it can fly; otherwise, it must walk or otherwise remain earthbound. The traditional use is a flying broom, but flying carpets, floating laundry baskets, chairs that walk, houses on chicken legs, conveniently-sized flying branches, and so on work just as well. A witch may have one such item enchanted at a time.

Witch Level Progression

XP and maximum spells per level are the same as the Magic-user. HD advancement is the same, except the die size is increased to d6.

Level	THAC0	D	W	P	B	S
1-5	19	13	14	13	16	15
6-10	17	11	12	11	14	13
11-14	15	8	9	8	11	10