Base Class: Wizard
All wizards know that certain elements of magic are forbidden. These taboo arcane practices, like blood magic and curse-weaving, are simply too potent; too potentially dangerous to be freely wielded. But there are some wizards who dare to break these taboos, who ignore the warnings and potential dangers, and instead embrace these practices. These wizards adhere to the School of Witchcraft, and have learnt how to weave powerful curses, form witch covens and summon familiars whose capabilities are unlike those of lesser wizards.
As a wizard of the School of Witchcraft you were either self-taught, having discovered and read forbidden books of lore, or you might have been taught by a powerful hag. Perhaps this hag shared their secrets freely, knowing the dangers, or perhaps you traded something for this knowledge.
Witch's Bonds
Beginning when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you've acquired a myriad of mystical effects through your journey into the forbidden.
You’ve forged a bond with a familiar and granted it a measure of your arcane power. You can add the Find Familiar spell to your spellbook. The spell requires no material components to cast but you can only cast it as a ritual.
When you cast it, the familiar you create is modified in the following ways:
- Its Intelligence increases to 14.
- Your familiar can talk, even if not normally cannot. It can understand and speak any language that you can.
- Your familiar can add your proficiency bonus to any skill checks it makes, provided it lacks proficiency in the skill.
Additionally, you can spend 10 minutes molding the ground into a cauldron and imbuing it with magic. The cauldron is 1ft tall, 1ft wide, and is already full of boiling water. The cauldron stays until dismissed by the caster. While the cauldron is summoned, You have proficiency with the 2 of the following Tools: Alchemist's Supplies, Poisoner's Kit, Herbalism Kit, or Cook's Utensils. If you are already proficient in one of those tools, you have Expertise instead.
Once you create the Cauldron, you cannot create another until a long rest.
Wicked Curse
Also at 2nd level, you’ve learnt how to weave powerful curses. As an Bonus action, you can mark a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see with a wicked curse. A cursed creature suffers one of the following effects:
- The movement speed of the cursed creature is reduced by 10 feet.
- The creature has disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on Sight, Sound, or Smell.
Additionally, as an Action, you can use the senses of the bearer of your curse. While you’re doing so, you can see and/or hear anything that the cursed creature can. Your own body is considered blinded and/or deafened while this is happening. You may remain in active control of your body despite the debuffs. The cursed creature remains unaware of you using its senses, unless it has reason to believe otherwise.
Only one creature can be under the effects of your Wicked Curse feature at a time. You can use this feature a number of times equal to twice your proficiency bonus.
Empowered Familiar
Starting at 6th level, you've learned to bestow your familiar with stronger, more diverse forms.
Additionally, your journey into the dark arts has allowed you to temporarily weave cursed energy into your familiar for combat. As an action, you can transform your familiar for one minute. While empowered the familiar can:
- Grow one size larger
- The telepathic link between you and your familiar functions as long as you are both on the same plane of existence.
- Receive temporary hit points equal to your 2x your wizard level.
- Gain bonuses to its attack and damage rolls equal to your proficiency modifier.
- Count its natural weapons as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Greater Curse
At 10th level, the curses you weave grow stronger. While you’re using the senses of a creature bearing your Wicked Curse, you can perform the following features:
Voice of the Wicked. Provided that the cursed creature has a mouth, you can speak through it, using its voice to do so. If the cursed creature normally cannot speak, the voice sounds like your own.
Puppet’s Strike. You can use your bonus action to force the cursed creature to use its reaction to make a single melee weapon attack or unarmed strike against a creature you choose within range.
Chain Curse. You can use your bonus action to move the curse to a new creature within line of sight. After doing so, the previous bearer of your curse is no longer considered cursed. This expends a use of your Wicked Curse feature as normal.
Dance of the Marionette. You can use your bonus action to force the cursed creature to use its movement in a direction of your choosing. Movement in this way does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Spiritual Manipulation
Beginning at 14th level, You can capture the essence of slain foes to utilize their abilities. When a creature you can see dies within 60 feet of you, make an Arcana check. The DC is the creature's CR. On a success, you are able to overpower the spirit of the slain creature and use its power at your disposal. One of their abilities, determined by the GM, are now your ability.
If the ability relies on a creature's morphology, like a prehensile tail or a claw, you summon a spectral manifestation of that body part when you use it. Any ability gained in this way uses your Wizard spell attack modifier and/or Wizard spell save DC. You can manipulate only 1 spirit in this way. Acquisition of another soul will set the previous one free and the ability attached will be lost.
Once you've used this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.