A tuft of jackalope hair, a splash of lavender oil, and three pinches of sulfur. To the layman, this strange collection of things was mundane - ordinary refuse to be discarded. The slender, darkly-dressed woman steeping them over a bubbling cauldron, however, knew better. It was an ancient trade of the esoteric sects of the arcane, passed down to her by her mother, and her mother's mother before that. It was the ability to tease the essence and aura out of all things, and to weave them together into something new - something useful. While the recipes and knowledge required remained a mystery to most, even the uninitiated know the practice as witchcraft. And, as is customary for any witch undergoing their rite of passage, she was experimenting. As she uttered an incantation and reignited the flame beneath the cauldron, she knew that this particular ritual was one never before attempted by her predecessors. She was nervous, shaken, but also exhilarated, above all else. A thick green haze filled the room, and she tugged down on the wide brim of her straggly gray hat. When the fog dissipated, however, all of her doubts were put to rest. She stepped forward, arms extended wide and a wicked grin drawn upon her face, as her newest creation crawled out of the seething pot to meet its maker.

Mages of Curse and Charm Harnessing the hidden power that lies within everything from living creatures to mundane objects, witches embrace magic through the study of hexes, curses, remedies, and enchantments. While wizards approach magic in a more conventionally academic manner, witches work to perfect their craft through practical experience. Knowledge of witchcraft is rarely documented in tomes, but rather shared among small communities through rituals, lessons, and stories. Witches draw their power from things and places that are especially revolting or macabre, allowing them to trespass taboo territories of magic unknown to other mages. Key to the practice of a witch is the ability to determine the correct set of ingredients for a spell or magical brew, as well as the hidden alcoves and dark pits where they might be found.

Forbidden Magic In the public eye, witches are generally viewed as conniving and dastardly due to their association with the darker magics. In some places where it is viewed as unholy or unvirtuous, witchcraft is outlawed, and those accused of witchery may even be sentenced to death. As such, many witches are forced to carry out their practice in secret - either in the confines of an underground dungeon or the heart of the wilderness. Those who are privy to the ways of the witch acknowledge that witchcraft is not inherently evil, but rather that it is a time-honored practice requiring knowledge and skill. While some witches live a life of solitude, most find themselves involved with a group of witches known as a coven. These groups are often bound by blood and tradition, with knowledge of potion recipes and esoteric incantations being passed down through generations. A witch's coven behaves much like a tight-knit village, with each member working to protect one another and better their community.

Level 3: Witchcraft

By 3rd level, you can harvest organs and other remnants from the corpses of monsters that you slay or find. When you are within 5 feet of the corpse of a creature of CR 1/8 or higher, you may attempt to do so by using a bonus action
to make a Wisdom (Medicine) or Wisdom (Survival) check. The DC of this check depends on the condition of the corpse when you find it:

Condition

Unmarred 10
Slightly Damaged 15
Severely Damaged 20
Unsalvageable -

The amount and types of damage the creature took (as well as any number of environmental factors) may contribute to the corpse's condition. For example, an owlbear singed by a fireball spell or a rabbit poisoned by an oozy bog may be damaged or unsalvageable. Ultimately, the DM decides the condition of corpses that you find.

On a successful check, you extract a vestige from the fallen monster. You determine the appearance of the vestige, provided it is consistent with the monster's anatomy - for example, you may pluck feathers from an owibear carcass or extract the blood of a fallen troll. The maximum number of monster vestiges you can have at once is equal to your proficiency bonus, If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest vestiges fade into dust, and you gain the newly created ones. On a failure, the corpse is unsalvageable, and no monster vestiges can be harvested from it. At the DM's discretion, it may be determined that a corpse is unsalvageable to begin with, and that certain monsters such as ghosts and wraiths do not leave behind corpses. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that targets at least one creature, you may add a monster vestige to its material components to apply a bonus effect to the spell. if the spell normally lacks a material component, the monster vestige you chose becomes the sole material component for the casting of the spell. Only one monster vestige can be used per casting of a spell, and a monster vestige is consumed upon casting a spell with it. The bonus effect granted by the monster vestige is determined by the creature type of the monster from which it was harvested. When you cast the spell, choose one creature that was targeted by it to be the target of the bonus effect. The bonus effect applies immediately after the spell's original effect on the turn it was cast, and it applies regardless of whether the spell's original effects affect the target creature. If the bonus effect requires a creature to make a saving throw, the DC is equal to your spell save DC. See the Witchcraft section at the end of the class description to determine the effect.

Level 3: Vestige List

List of a monster to the material component of a spell that you cast, refer to this list to determine the bonus effect added to the spell, which depends on the creature type of the monster from which
the vestige was harvested.

Aberration

The target's mind becomes gripped by a strange psychic energy. It must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take psychic damage equal to your proficiency bonus and be stunned until the end of your next turn or until it takes damage.

Beast

The target becomes filled with a primal rage. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (which it can choose to fail) or immediately use its reaction to make one melee weapon attack against a creature of your choice that you can see. On a hit, this attack deals extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Celestial

The target becomes swathed in a burning light. It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take radiant damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus and become blinded until the end of your next turn.

Construct

The target's motions become sluggish as it begins to transform into an inanimate object. It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (which it can choose to fail) or become petrified until the end of your next turn. Its body turns to a solid material of your choice, such as stone, wood, or porcelain.

Dragon

The target becomes consumed by material desire. It must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become fixated on an object of your choice that you can see. On its next turn, the target must use its movement to approach the object by the shortest and most direct route, ending its movement if it moves within 5 feet of the object. The target can use its other actions as normal.

Elemental

The target becomes enveloped in an elemental energy. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. Each time the target takes damage of the chosen type until the end of your next turn, the damage is either reduced or increased (your choice) by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.

Fey

The target becomes deeply infatuated with a creature. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by a creature of your choice that you can see
until the end of your next turn.

Fiend

The target begins burning with a sinister fire. It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take fire damage equal to three times your proficiency bonus.

Giant

The target begins to feel weak and small compared to the world around it. It must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become light and feeble. Each time the target takes damage from an attack until the end of your next turn, you may move it up to 5 feet in any direction.

Humanoid

You attempt to magically foll the target's next moves. The next time the target makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, they suffer a penalty to the roll equal to your proficiency bonus.

Monstrosity

The target is magically rent by an unknown, monstrous force. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take bludgeoning piercing or slashing damage (your choice) equal to twice your proficiency bonus and be knocked prone.

Ooze

The target begins oozing acid that corrodes its body. It must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take acid damage equal to your proficiency bonus and suffer a penalty to its AC equal to your proficiency bonus. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the penalty to its AC on a success.

Plant

Tangled vines and grasping weeds writhe around the target. It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have its speed halved. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the penalty to its movement on a success.

Undead

The target becomes filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus and become frightened of a creature of your choice that you can see until the end of your next turn.

Reap Essence

At 3rd level, when you cast a spell that has a material component and you cast it using those components rather than casting it through a spellcasting focus or component pouch, you may gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. If you expended a spell slot in the casting of the spell, you also add your Witch level to the total number of temporary hit points you gain. If you gain temporary hit points using this feature, the components used in the casting of the spell are consumed, regardless of whether they would otherwise be consumed.

Level 3: Savage Spellcasting

At 3rd level you gain access to special spells. You can learn spells with savage requirements if you learn it from another spellcaster that has the spell rather than from the monster. You still are required to get the spell component to cast the spell.

Level 6: Faux Morsum

By 6th level, you've gained the ability to construct facsimiles of monster appendages using raw materials. You can spend 10 minutes with Brewer's Supplies to create one monster vestige without needing a monster's corpse. This vestige must be of a creature type that you have seen before, Once you use this feature to create a monster vestige, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. At 14th level, you regain a use of this feature on a short rest rather than a long rest, and you may create up to 2 monster vestiges at once when you use it.

Level 10: Preserve Essence

At 10th level, when a creature succeeds on a saving throw made against a bonus effect from your Witchcraft feature, the monster vestige used to produce it is not consumed.

Level 14: Witching Hour

At 14th level, as a bonus action, you can enter a harrowing state. For the next minute, you gain the following benefits:
• When you gain temporary hit points you gain double that amount instead. When the effect ends you lose half your temporary hit points.
• Creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells and bonus effects from your Witchcraft feature.
• Material components that would normally be consumed when you cast a spell are instead not
consumed. (Does not work with Diamonds or spells with cast times over 1 min)

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you take a long rest or expend a 6th level or higher spell slot.