Hi all,
As promised few months ago, I'm now sending what I have developed about witches in WFRP. Recently the article has been rejected by a roleplaying magazine, so I'm free to send it to the list. Its editor didn't seem to like it too much. :(( On the other hand, he will publish other articles of mine, so I'm not too whiny about this. The article is IMHO usable and does not destroy the flair of the game.
The following article is far from being complete, but I lost motivation to develop it further because my players lost contact with witches in my game. If you expect ready-to-run-enhencements, then please ignore it. Otherwise, you may feel free to use it in your home campaign and even work on the incomplete parts of it as long as you mention my original idea in your scripts.
Not all of you will like the general concept of this, because it mixes different spell types which is an unusual thing. However, if you only dislike this feature, then re-write a Witch spell with details changed for each spell listed below. For example, a Witch 'Fly' spell could be by far more powerful...
Send your comments on this to the WFRP mailing list (wfrp@gojira.monsta.com) or to me (rossi@cs.tu-berlin.de) via email. Regardless of what has been said here lately about a commentiquette (see Netiquette), also raise your voice if you dislike something. I have thick hide and will eagerly try to discuss any attempt of criticism.
If you like the stuff, feel free to blather me to develop it further (of course, donations of all types will help here :)...The most embarrassing thing to me would be that this article would be ignored totally...
So, here we go...
Description:
Most Witches in the Old World live their life as an outcast. Either shunned
by society and hunted by Witch Hunters or living a double life with a public
camouflage as Herbalist or Druid, they have a certain sense of solidarity for
their kind. While many people were falsely accused to be a Witch, real Witches
are very rare. They have the ability to use magic and know more about creating
Potions and Poison than most Pharmacists and Physicians. To become a Witch the
female human has to be chosen by an "elder daughter" (being a Witch by
herself) to become a so-called Minx. The Witch teaches and instructs the Minx
for at least two years (or longer if she doesn't think her worthy to advance
to Witch status), then takes the Minx with her to a 'Hexentreffen' on
Geheimnistag where the Minx becomes a Witch in secret ritual. Witches feel a
certain love for nature and therefore nature seems to love them (at least
sometimes). Most Witches live in remote places, deep in the forest or in a
cave-dwelling in the mountains. Only few choose to live among other humans in
small settlements. Almost all Witches have an animal familiar which they raised
and trained to obey a number of commands. A Witch is only in rare cases useful
as a player character because they normally want to be left alone. But
sometimes, a Minx is instructed to live an adventerous life for a while or a
Witch sees the necessity to accompany a group of adventurers to achieve a
certain goal.
Witches have a bad reputation in the Old World although most of them would be quite acceptable members of each community. Different reasons led to this credit. First of all, their understanding and use of magic is different from Old World college magic. Second, they do not outcast those showing mutations automatically. If the mutation didn't touch the human heart and soul, they accept it as natural and therefore not as a bad thing. This attitude is unacceptible for the majority of the Old World's cults. Third, their ability to heal (or to do harm to) people is very well, which leads authorities (and normal people) to precondemnment which has been fed by single evil Witches. For example, there is a certain tradition in the Empire to hunt down Witches for the Cult of Sigmar.
Advance Schemes:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Dex | Ld | Int | Cl | WP | Fel | Minx | +1 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Level 1 | +10 | +1 | +3 | +20 | +10 | +10 | +10 | +10 | +20 | Level 2 | +10 | +1 | +1 | +4 | +20 | +20 | +20 | +20 | +20 | +20 | +10 | Level 3 | +10 | +10 | +1 | +1 | +5 | +20 | +20 | +30 | +30 | +20 | +30 | +20 |
|---|
Career Entries:
---------------
Minx: Witch Level 1: Witch Level 2+3:
Druid Minx Witch of prior level
Pharmacist
Herbalist
Hypnotist
Career Exits:
-------------
Minx: Witch Level 1+2: Witch Level 3:
Druid Witch of next level Herbalist
Seer Herbalist
Herbalist Entertainer - Fortune Teller
Restrictions:
-------------
Only female humans (males only in VERY rare cases), who are in addition
follower of the Old Faith may become a Minx/Witch. To become a Witch, the
character has to fully complete the Minx career. In order to advance through
the ranks of this career, one must first fully complete the current Witch
career. Minxes have to spend 300 Exp to advance to Witch of level 1 (100 Exp
to change the career, and another 200 Exp to buy the skills "Cast Spells -
Level 1" and "Arcane Language Druidic/Magick") at one time.
Social Level: -2 if known (or even accused) as a Witch, otherwise the social
------------- level according to the 'public career'.
Skills:
-------
Minx:
- - -
Animal Care
Chemistry
Concealment Rural
Disguise
Heal Wounds
Identify Plant
Secret Signs - Witches
Witch Level 1:
- - - - - - -
Arcane Language Druidic/Magick*
Cast Spells - Witches level 1*
Charm Animal - familiar species only
Herb Lore
Magical Awareness
Palmistry
Prepare Poisons
Train Animal - familiar species only
* - see Restrictions above
Witch Level 2:
- - - - - - -
Cast Spells - Witches level 2
Charm
Charm Animal
Cure Disease
Hypnotise
Immunity to Poison
Magic Sense
Meditation
Witch Level 3:
- - - - - - -
Astronomy
Cast Spells - Witches level 3
Immunity to Disease
Manufacture Drugs
Manufacture Potions
Train Animal
Magic Points:
-------------
Minx : none
Witch : 2D8 per level
Notes on Witch Magic:
---------------------
Witches do not have the same understanding of magic as other magic-users have.
For them, there is no division between the different collegues of magic.
Therefore, a Witch doesn't know anything about Petty or Battle Magic, Elemental
or Necromantic Magic. Hence, Witches do learn spells from other Witches and
cannot learn them otherwise (from written sources, from other magic-user-types,
etc). Experience point costs are 100 Exp for level 1 spells, 200 Exp for level
2 spells and 300 Exp for level 2 spells. Witch spells don not
differ in their type (ie. Battle or Daemonic, for example) but only in levels.
On the other side, Witches have a limited repertoire of spells of all these
magic types (see list below).
Whenever a spell description states that the ingredients for this spell are
from an animal (ie. here anything other than humanoid), Witches can replace
these ingredients by other organic ingredients (GM may decide which will fit).
Spell List:
- - - - - -
Level 1: Curse (P), Glowing Light (P), Magic Alarm (P), Remove Curse (P),
Sleep (P), Aura of Resistance (B1), Cure Light Injury (B1),
Flight (B1), Zone of Hiding (E1), Hand of Death (N1), Animal
Mastery (Dr1), Cure Poison (Dr1), Heal Animal (Dr1), Contact Familiar
Level 2: Immunity from Poison (B1), Mystic Mist (B2), Summon Magical Aid (Dae2),
Cause Rain (E2), Move Object (E2), Ghostly Appearance (I2), Illusionary
Woods (I2), Tanglethorn (Dr2)
Level 3: Cause Fear (B3), Curse of Arrow Attraction (B3), Dispel Aura (B3),
Change Allegiance (B4), Cure Severe Wound (B4), Banish Elemental (E3),
Foul Air (E3), Summon Elemental (E4), Summon Swarm (E4)
Notes:
------
The abbrevation in brackets behind the spell name shows where to find this
spell:
P - rulebook Petty Magic
Bx - rulebook Battle Magic Level x
Ex - rulebook Elemental Magic Level x
Ix - rulebook Illusionary Magic Level x
Nx - rulebook Necromantic Magic Level x
Drx - rulebook Druidic Priest Magic Level x
Daex - rulebook Daemonologist Magic Level x
NEW SPELLS:
Spell Name : Contact Familiar
Spell Level : Witch Magic Level 1
Magic Points : 1 per round
Range : Eyesight
Duration : Instantaneous
Ingredients : twig of an elm
Upon casting this spell the Witch must break the twig and is now able to
send a mental message to her familiar. This message will come into the mind
of the animal as its own instincts, so the message has to be designed this
way. For example, no familiar will ever be able to know or learn what the
word 'sword' in the command "Put sword into mouth and bring it to master"
means. The command "Put glittering, long, sharp, cold thing into mouth and
bring it to master" will be alot better. The familiar will try to obey this
command (because it's its own instinct), but will do so normally by trying to
avoid any physical danger. If such danger is inevitable, the familiar is
allowed a WP test to ignore this 'instinct' (GM may decide whether any bonus
or penalty to this test applies). Each round (ie 10 seconds) of contact between
caster and familiar costs 1 MP. The caster can end the duration of this spell
at will.
The actions of the familiar is to be decided by the GM according to the kind
of command.
Familiars:
----------
Favourite familiars are intelligable animals like owls, hounds, cats, sometimes
even rats and certain snakes...
More to do....