The Witch

This week we introduce the last remaining new class in the Tome of Whispers. The Witch is a primary spellcaster but approaches magic very differently from other magical classes. A Witch does not have spell slots and, though they have a spellbook, they do not prepare spells. A Witch instead focuses on ritual casting. Ritual casting is a powerful, but limited, tool available in the core rules. No other classes or characters gain automatic access to ritual casting. Typically, ritual casting is only available if you have ritual instructions or have learned a ritual by heart, often through a perk.

Rituals are also only available for spells which have a casting time of 1 minute or longer, too long to be useful in a combat situation. Rituals offset this power by having no theoretical upper limit to the level at which they can be cast. Instead, they require a check using the skill associated with the magical tradition of the spell. A ritual caster can offer sacrifices during the process to reduce the effective level of the check, and thus the difficulty. It can even be possible to make enough sacrifices to bring the effective difficulty level to zero, in which case a check is no longer needed. This is a great tool, if you can find it, for longer-form casting without spending more limited spell slots.

Combat Rituals

A Witch's has the ability to cast any spell as a ritual, even those with a casting time too short to normally work as a ritual. Their spellbook functions as ritual instructions for any spells contained within. This lets a Witch cannel the theoretically unlimited power of rituals even in combat, but has the tradeoff that they always need to make a check to pull off their spells. While normal rituals can have their effective difficulty reduced to zero, the stress of a short casting time means that these rituals cannot have their difficulty reduced below 1.

Even a first-level Witch has immediate access to great power, but the difficulty of the check to pull off the easiest possible ritual can be quite a challenge. It takes a lot of experience as a Witch before you can feel totally comfortable with your ability to pull off a spell when you need it, and only truly exceptions Witches can ever achieve enough skill to be able to pass this check even on a natural 1. Witches must grow into their power but, since they don't have to keep track of spell slots, they can keep trying until they get it right. Assuming, of course, that they have the time to do so.

Spell Points & Cantrips

While the majority of a Witch's spells require a check to cast, and thus have an inherent chance of failure, this class does offer a limited safety net. Cantrips cast by a Witch do not require a ritual or a check. These spells are never the most powerful option, but their reliability makes them a useful tool that can never run out on you. A Witch's cantrips scale like those of any other caster, so they will always be a steady option in your back pocket.

A Witch also gains a small pool of Spell Points. Like any character doing ritual casting, a Witch can sacrifice spell points to reduce the effect challenge level of the ritual. This can bring a very powerful spell's difficulty down to the baseline level. But a Witch can also use these spell points to cast a spell at its base level without requiring a check. This gives your Witch a few spells that they can reliably cast in an emergency. The expenditure of an extra spell point heightens a spell cast this way like a cantrip. The power level may not be as impressive as a Witch might be able to muster with a ritual, but sometimes you just need your spell to work without drama.

Secondary Casting

Esoteric rituals, a particular subset of rituals that have a casting time of a downtime shift, can allow for secondary casters. These secondary casters participate in the casting, making the final check easier. Spell rituals do not generally allow for secondary casters, but a Witch can act as a secondary caster for anyone's spell ritual, even in combat. This lets a group of Witches access far more power together than they can apart. Even a coven of low-level Witches can work together to produce magic effects that rival high-level casters of other classes.

Covens

Witches are taught their power by a coven. Your choice of coven influences how you use your power, which magical tradition you can learn your spells from, and even which stat you use as your key ability when casting spells. Many class perks have additional effects for Witches of a specific coven. Aside from each coven's signature perks, which have membership with a specific type of coven as a prerequisite, any Witch can take any perk even if they do not belong to a coven that gain extra benefit from that perk. There are several different coven options in the base class, though new coven options could be invented through house rules or included in future expansions.

Cult

Magical Tradition: Occult

Casting Modifier: Intelligence

Cult witches study the esoteric cosmos, carefully siphoning power from mysterious eldritch entities. Knowledge is power for a cult witch, and it can be quite difficult for newcomers to gain the right to learn the coven's secrets for themselves. Many cult witches prefer the safety and anonymity of solitude, only gathering with other members of the coven when need or protocol forces it. Cult witches tend to keep their true power secret and often lead a double life as dusty academics or itinerant researchers. You treat all divination spells as part of your tradition, and you have a class bonus to ritual checks with these spells.

Faerie

Magical Tradition: Primal

Casting Modifier: Wisdom

Faerie witches learn their magic by studying the power of fey, like the Hags who form their own covens. Some faerie witches get their start as a rare outsider member of a Hag coven. Witches of this coven harness the power of nature, often with an ironic sense of humor, and are often mistaken for hags themselves. You treat any spell with the curse trait as a primal spell and have a class bonus to ritual checks with these spells. A faerie Witch's curses are especially difficult to remove.

Hedge

Magical Tradition: Arcane

Casting Modifier: Intelligence

Hedge witches study the arcane, but without rigorous training and discipline. Many hedge witches are failed Wizards who never managed to achieve the consistent power required to prepare spells. Most wizards pity or despise hedge witches, and therefore greatly underestimate the power available to the desperate and motivated. Hedge witches learn whatever they can, however they can, and often have nothing but disdain for more formal magic. You do not add new spells to your spellbook when you level up, but you have a class bonus to ritual checks with any spell you know.

Vestal

Magical Tradition: Divine

Casting Modifier: Wisdom

Vestal witches learn their magic from studying deities. Although not technically required to follow a deity, most do for the additional power they can gain from doing so. Vestal witches are often mistaken for Clerics, intentionally or otherwise. If you follow a deity, add all of that deity's signature spells to your spellbook. You have a class bonus to ritual checks with your deity's signature spells. You do not lose access to all of your spells if you violate your deity's anathema, but attempting a ritual for one of your deity's signature spells automatically fails until you Atone.

Warlock

Magical Tradition: Any

Casting Modifier: Intelligence

Warlocks gain magic from a powerful patron. Some patrons make their nature and agenda known, while others remain mysterious. It is your patron's choice which magical tradition you access, and this cannot be changed by Retraining. Choose your patron in collaboration with the GM when you become a warlock. Once a deal with a patron is struck, it is binding. Your patron cannot cut you off from its power if your relationship becomes antagonistic, but it can find other ways to act against you if it chooses. Your patron is always a secondary caster for your rituals, granting access to immense power right from the start.

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The witch is an interesting class. By not relying on spell slots, witches can potentially cast their spells all day. But a witch's road is not an easy one, and they must risk failure to tap into their limitless potential. We've now looked at all of the new classes from the Tome of Whispers! Next time we'll return to the Card Game to start introducing some of the villains you can face off against, so stay tuned!