Circle of the Witch

Circle of the Witch

What is a Witch? You are a powerful spellcaster, one who is given your power from Nature via a diety to whom you have sworn absolute devotion. In lore, this arrangement is often described as a marriage, one in which the Witch has entered of their own free will. No soul selling and no ironclad pacts. Your relationship with your Other more closely resembles that of Cleric and diety than that of Warlock and patron.

Shapechanging

You are a shapechanger, as are all Druids, though you are less likely to use your other forms for combat. A Witch is not a melee subclass, but you can fall back on it in a pinch for defense.

Your shapechanging ability is not limited to the Wild Shape of other Druids. You can assume humanoid and elemental forms as well. But your shapechanging is more typically used for deception, information gathering, and access. In whatever form you take, you cannot cast spells while in your other shape. 

Spellcasting

You have access to a greater number of spells than any other druidic circle, drawing from the spell lists of Wizards, Warlocks, and Clerics.

Individual spell preferences will reflect the will and goals of your Other and your alignment. Good Witches focus more on healing and spells of radiance. Neutral focus on a balance of offense and utility, and Evil Witches focus on corruption, destruction, and necromancy.

You have two spells per level that you can learn from other classes' spell lists depending on your alignment. You also gain one spell of levels 1-5 which you can cast once per long rest without it affecting spell slots or spells known.

Unlike other Druids, you use Charisma as your spellcasting ability, your power coming from your will rather than from intellect or reason.

The Intercessor 

You have access to your diety at all times. If not directly, and that's not uncommon, then through an Intercessor assigned to you by your diety. An Intercessor is a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend who conveys certain bonuses to you and who is always available.

An Intercessor is not allowed to operate in physical form on the Material Plane, however. They can't interfere in your life physically. No other creature can see the Intercessor but you.

The Intercessor simply has a telepathic bond with you via which they can relay information and requests to their diety. Something like a lesser version of a Cleric's Divine Intervention ability. Given the special relationship between Witch and Other, it's not unusual to have a diety give direct assistance to their worldly charge of higher level, though it's still rare.

Eldritch Blast

You have access to the Eldritch Blast cantrip though it behaves differently than it does for a Warlock. Damage type depends  on your alignment. Blasts from a Good Witch doing radiant damage, a Neutral Witch doing psychic damage, and an Evil Witch doing necrotic damage. 

At 6th level, you add your Charisma modifier to your Eldritch Blast damage rolls and the spell's range increases to 300 feet. These are the only alterations given to your Eldritch Blast other than level adjustments. 

Elemental Form/Resistance

At 10th level, you have the ability to adopt the form of an Elemental when you use your Shape-shifting feature. You also gain resistance to elemental damage.

Crystal Ball

At 10th level, you are given a crystal ball by your Intercessor through which you can cast the Scrying spell.

Terrible Gaze

At 14th level, you can unleash a blast of deadly energy from your eyes once per long rest using the energy type associated with your alignment.  The blast inflicts 8d8 of either radiant, psychic, or necrotic damage with no saving throw. 

Avian Avatar

At 14 rh level, you get the ability to assume the form of a bird particular to your alignment as often and for as long as you wish.

Wraith Form 

At 14th level, you can assume a wraith-like, semi-incorporeal form for ten minutes at a time, once per long rest. Attacks against you are made at disadvantage. 

Bonus Proficiencies

You get bonus proficiency in Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Intimidation). You also have proficiency with an Herbalism Kit.

In addition to light armor, medium armor, shields, and simple weapons, a Witch gains proficiency with shortswords, rapiers, and longswords in addition to the favored weapon of their diety if there is one. 

Circle Spells

Starting at 3rd level, all Witches, regardless of alignment, get access to 8 utility spells from outside the usual Druid spell list.

CIRCLE OF WITCHES

Druid Level               Spells 

 3rd        Detect Magic, Mage Armor

5th         Knock, See Invisibility 

7th         Clairvoyance, Gaseous Form

9th         Arcane Eye, Black Tentacles

Good, Neutral, or Evil

Your alignment determines what augments you'll receive to your spell lists and what form the damage from your Eldritch Blast will take. You also gain one spell from 1st through 5th level that you can cast once per long rest without it affecting the number of spells you can know or the number of spell slots you have. 

Evil Witch

You have access to more destructive, damage dealing spells focusing on fire and necromancy. You gain resistance to radiant damage and your spell list is expanded to include the following spells (the spells marked with an asterisk at levels 1-5 are bonus spells that can be cast once per long rest each). You also gain the Chill Touch and Fire Bolt cantrips.

ADDITIONAL SPELLS KNOWN

Spell Level           Spells            

1st      Burning Hands, Hellish Rebuke*, Thunderwave

2nd     Darkness*, Ray of Enfeeblement, Spider Climb

3rd      Bestow Curse*, Fear, Fireball

4th      Blight, Polymorph*, Phantasmal Killer 

5th      Dispel Evil and Good*, Flame Strike, Raise Dead

6th      Circle of Death, Disintegrate 

7th      Finger of Death, Forcecage

8th      Feeblemind, Incendiary Cloud 

9th      Meteor Swarm, Power Word Kill

Good Witch

As a Good Witch, you have access to more healing spells along with radiant spells. You gain resistance to necrotic damage and your spell list is expanded to include the following spells (the spells marked with an asterisk at levels 1-5 are bonus spells that can be cast once per long rest each). You s also gain the Sacred Flame and Spare the Dying cantrips.

ADDITIONAL SPELLS KNOWN

Spell Level               Spells            

1st     Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Protection from Evil/Good*

2nd     Moonbeam, Prayer of Healing*, Zone of Truth

3rd       Beacon of Hope*, Mass Healing Word, Revivify

4th        Dimension Door*, Divination, Polymorph

5th        Dispel Evil and Good*, Flame Strike, Raise Dead

6th        Heal, True Seeing

7th        Etherealness, Resurrection 

8th        Control Weather, Sunburst 

9th        Astral Projection, Mass Heal 

Neutral Witch

As a Neutral Witch, you have access to more offensive and utility spells. You gain resistance to psychic damage and your spell list is expanded to include the following spells (the spells marked with an asterisk at levels 1-5 are bonus spells that can be cast once per long rest each). You also gain the Fire Bolt and Mage Hands cantrips.

ADDITIONAL SPELLS KNOWN

Spell Level           Spells            

1st      Feather Fall*, Magic Missile, Sleep 

2nd     Blur, Spider Climb*, Web

3rd      Counterspell, Fly*, Lightning Bolt

4th      Compulsion*, Dimension Door, Phantasmal Killer 

5th      Cone of Cold, Dominate Person*, Telekinesis 

6th      Chain Lightning, True Seeing

7th      Forcecage, Teleport

8th      Mind Blank, Power Word Stun

9th      Astral Projection, Prismatic Wall

Shapeshifter

In place of the Druid's Wild Shape, you have the Shapeshifter ability. Your shape-shifting is not used for combat as much as a Circle of the Moon Druid does. Rather, it's used more typically to gather information, get access to and allow infiltration of hard to get to people and places, and sometimes as pure trickery whether its intent is Good or Evil. 

If you take on a humanoid form, you simply retain all of your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma stats and abilities, but you will mimic the voice, inflection, mannerisms, and movements of whomever you've chosen to mimic. If the form isn't patterned after anyone in particular, you can supply all of these yourself.

You do have better shape-shifting ability than other circles.You can spend an action transforming into a creature with a CR 1/4 your level rounded down.

A Circle of the Witch Druid, however, would be more inclined to become a creature that was fast, or flew well, or had amazing vision over one that just inflicted the most damage. So CR isn't as important for Witches as it is for Circle of the Moon Druids. 

The major departure for the Circle of the Witch subclass is that your Shapeshifter feature isn't limited to beast forms. As already indicated, you can adopt humanoid forms, but you can also adopt the form of any creature you've seen in Nature. An Intelligence (Nature) skill check could determine whether or not you had. So, at 20th level, a very young black dragon form would be acceptable if you have seen one to the DM's knowledge or if you succeed on an Intelligence (Nature) skill check.

Despite being able to assume the guise of humanoids and magical beasts, you still cannot cast spells in Shapeshifter form. 

Find Familiar

When accepted into the Circle of the Witch at 2nd level, a new Witch is allowed to perform the Find Familiar ritual. This will be your familiar until you die. These familiars, however, offer some bonuses not found in the normal ritual. Your alignment gives you three familiars from which to choose. 

While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

PHB p. 240

Bat

If the bat is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains the Blindsight ability and twice proficiency with Wisdom (Perception). They also get access to the Resistance cantrip to use at will. 

Cat

If the cat is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Charm Person spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Dexterity (Stealth). They also get access to the Spare the Dying cantrip to use at will.

Flying Monkey

If the flying monkey is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Jump spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Intelligence (Nature). They also get access to the Resistance cantrip to use at will.

Lizard

If the lizard is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Color Spray spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Intelligence (Medicine). They also get access to the Mending cantrip to use at will.

Owl

If the owl is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Identify spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Wisdom (Perception). They also get access to the Dancing Lights cantrip to use at will.

Rat

If the rat is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains the Expeditious Retreat spell three times a day and twice proficiency with Wisdom (Insight). They also get access to the Minor Illusion cantrip to use at will.

Raven

If the raven is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Feather Fall spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Wisdom (Insight). They also get access to the Message cantrip to use at will.

Snake

If the snake is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains immunity to poison damage and twice proficiency with Dexterity (Stealth). They also get access to the Poison Spray cantrip to use at will.

Weasel

If the weasel is accepted as a Witch's familiar, the Witch gains use of the Detect Magic spell three times a day, and twice proficiency with Dexterity (Stealth). They also get access to the Prestidigitation cantrip to use at will.

Eldritch Blast

Starting at 2nd level, you have access to the Eldritch Blast cantrip. The damage type dealt by the blast is determined by your alignment. At 6th level, you add your CHA modifier to the damage of the blasts and extend the blasts' range as well.

Evil Eldritch Blast

The Evil Eldritch Blast inflicts necrotic damage on a successful hit.

Good Eldritch Blast

The Good Eldritch Blast inflicts radiant damage on a successful hit.

Neutral Eldritch Blast

The Neutral Eldritch Blast inflicts psychic damage on a successful hit.

Eldritch Blast Augments

Starting at 6th level, you add your CHA modifier to your Eldritch Blast damage. Additionally, the range of the spell increases.

The Intercessor

Starting at 6th level, you gain an almost direct line of communication to your diety by way of an Intercessor. An Intercessor is an extra-planar being of a type that will match your alignment: a Celestial for a Good Witch, a Fey creature for Neutral, and a Fiend for an Evil Witch. 

An Intercessor is always available to you, but they are very limited on how much they can influence or interfere in matters of the Material Plane. There are grave consequences for the Intercessor who doesn't heed this dictate. 

An Intercessor's purpose is to communicate concerns to and from your diety. Whether a diety will intervene on your behalf or not depends on numerous factors including your level and the nature of the situation needing to be addressed. But it is very rare that a god, or even a demigod, will step in, even for a Witch of the highest levels. 

Each type of Intercessor imparts benefits to their worldly charge. The benefits correspond to your alignment just as the Intercessor does.

You can query your Intercessor about anything you wish, but contact with a god isn't a frivolous matter. It's up to the DM how much information might be conveyed from your Intercessor to you. Too much aid will be construed as interference in most cases.

The Celestial (Good)

A Good Witch gets the services of a Celestial: angel, deva, unicorn, couatl, ki-rin. It will match the Witch's alignment. 

The Celestial imparts a few benefits to their Witch. Weapon attacks made by the Witch from this point on will also deliver 1d8 + CHA modifier radiant damage. This becomes 2d8 at 14th level. 

The Witch gains a +2 bonus to initiative rolls and gets a +2 bonus to their Constitution saving throws. They also get twice proficiency in their Wisdom (Perception) skill and the ability to channel their Intercessor's power to heal, casting the Cure Wounds spell a number of times equal to their CHA modifier per long rest. 

The Fey (Neutral)

A Neutral Witch gets the services of a Fey creature: brownie, faerie, pixie, eladrin. It will match the Witch's alignment. 

The Fey imparts a few benefits to their Witch. Weapon attacks made by the Witch from this point on will also deliver 1d8 + CHA modifier psychic damage. This becomes 2d8 at 14th level. 

The Witch gains a +2 bonus to Wisdom saving throws and immunity to Charm effects.  They also get twice proficiency in their Wisdom (Insight) skill, and the ability to channel their Intercessor's power to cast the Misty Step spell on themselves a number of times equal to their Charisma modifier per long rest. 

The Fiend (Evil)

An Evil Witch gets the services of a Fiend: imp, hell hound, bone devil, rakshasa. It will match the Witch's alignment. 

An Evil Witch gets a +2 bonus to their Dexterity saving throws and twice proficiency with their Charisma (Deception) skill. They get advantage on Charisma skill checks.

Starting at 6th level, their melee weapon attacks inflict an additional 1d8 + CHA modifier necrotic damage with each successful melee strike. At 14th level, this becomes 2d8.

A number of times per long rest equal to their CHA modifier, an Evil Witch can cast Invisibility on themselves. 

Crystal Ball

Starting at 10fh level, you are able to watch other people and places from afar, once per long rest, through a crystal ball given to you by your Intercessor.

The crystal ball allows you to cast the Scrying spell once per long rest. It is worth well over 1,000 gp so it covers the Material component of the spell. 

Elemental Resistance and Form

You gain resistance to elemental damage (Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, and Thunder) and the ability to cast Conjure Elemental once per day without affecting your spell slots.

You also add to your Shapeshifter feature the ability to take on the form of an Elemental of your choice (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water) using that creature's stat block and following the rules already established for Shapeshifting. 

Terrible Gaze

Depending on your Witch alignment, you emit either Radiant, Psychic, or Necrotic blasts from your eyes up to three times a day, and you gain energy immunity.

 A Good Witch will fire radiant bolts from their eyes and become immune to necrotic damage. A Neutral Witch will fire psychic bolts from their eyes and become immune to psychic damage. An Evil Witch will fire necrotic bolts from their eyes and become immune to radiant damage.

Evil Witch

You fire blasts of energy from your eyes up to 3 times per long rest that do 8d8 necrotic damage with no saving throw. You are also immune to radiant damage.

Good Witch

You fire blasts of energy from your eyes up to 3 times per long rest that do 8d8 radiant damage with no saving throw. You are also immune to necrotic damage.

Neutral Witch

You fire blasts of energy from your eyes up to 3 times per long rest that do 8d8 psychic damage with no saving throw. You are also immune to psychic damage.

Avian Avatar

Starting at 14th level, you can assume the form of a bird unique to your alignment: a crow for Evil Witches, a hawk for Neutral Witches, and an owl for Good Witches. There are no limits on how long this form may be maintained, nor are there any limits on the number of times the transformation can be made in a day.

You take on the stat block of the selected bird. If you die, you revert back to your normal form immediately. If you die while in flight, you take appropriate fall damage.  

 

Crow (Evil)

Starting at 14th level, you can assume the form of a crow whenever you wish. There are no limits on how often this may be done or for how long the transformation can last. If you die while in bird form, you revert to your normal form immediately. If you die while in flight, you take appropriate fall damage.

While in this form, you take on the crow's stat block aside from intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores.

CROW

A tiny beast with an armor class of 12 and hit points of 1. Its ability scores are strength 2, dexterity14, constitution 8. It has a speed of 10 feet and can fly 50 feet. It has a +3 proficiency bonus and advantage on perception and investigation checks.

Hawk (Neutral)

Starting at 14th level, you can assume the form of a hawk whenever you wish. There are no limits on how often this may be done or for how long the transformation can last. If you die while in bird form, you revert to your normal form immediately. If you die while in flight, you take appropriate fall damage.

While in this form, you take on the hawk's stat block aside from intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores.

HAWK 

Tiny creature.Armor Class 13, hit points 1, Speed 10, Flying 60. Perception +4, Passive Perception +4, Proficiency Bonus +2, Keen Sight: the hawk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Talons. Melee weapon attack, +5 to hit, 5 ft reach, slashing damage 1 point.

Owl (Good)

Starting at 14th level, you can assume the form of an owl whenever you wish. There are no limits on how often this may be done or for how long the transformation can last. If you die while in bird form, you revert to your normal form immediately. If you die while in flight, you take appropriate fall damage.

While in this form, you take on the owl's stat block aside from intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores.

Owl 

Tiny creature.Armor Class 11, hit points 1, Speed 5, Flying 60. Perception +3, Stealth +3, Darkvision 120 ft, Passive Perception 13. Proficiency Bonus +2, Flyby: the owl doesn't provoke opportunity atracks when it flies out of  an enemy's reach. Keen  Hearing and Sight: the owl gets advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight. Talons. Melee weapon attack, +3 to hit, 5 ft reach, slashing damage 1 point.

 

Wraith Form

Starting at 14th level, you can take on a wraith-like, semi-incorporeal form for 10 minutes at a time, once per long rest.

In this form, all attacks made against you that require a roll to hit are made at disadvantage. Further, you can evade area of effect spells so that you only take a quarter damage on a failed saving throw and no damage on a success. 

You have a flying speed and walking speed of 50, possess Truesight, and can pass through any cracks connecting two points. 

You can't use weapons while in Wraith Form, but you can still cast spells. 

In this form, you can only be harmed by magical or silvered weapons. Silvered weapons doing an additional 1d8 of fire damage on a successful hit.