Primary Stats/Alignment:
Main Stats - Intelligence, Dexterity
Roles - Primary Spellcaster, Party Support, Secondary Healer
Class Basics:
Witches are somewhere between arcane and divine caster, relying on a patron and familiar to gain power and having a mixed spell list. Hexes add a capable punch to their power allowing them to buff or debuff with them. Similar in many ways to a wizard as a preparation caster.
History in Dycides:
Witches first gained influence over the Dycides after the great departure. In this Age of Vacancy calling on the elements of Geniekind became accepted. This was seen as honoring the new Lords, and Witches were favored in the courts of Genie Lords. As the Genie Lords began to disperse, the witches were forced to find new patrons and allies as their influence waned. This eventually lead to patrons of many sources and those of religious views to assume the worst of the witch.
Religious Influence:
While witches can gain power by making a pact with a deity or a servant of a deity this has become incredibly rare. Witches rather gain their power from unknown forces which have intentions and ideals beyond the understanding of outsiders. Witches often pay alms and respects toward deities of the Dycides but few give any form of devotion to them, unless with the permission of their patrons.
Society:
0 to - (Neutral to Slightly Negative)
Witches often find roles in smaller communities. If they join a larger community they often go through the steps of appearing as a wizard, lugging a useless oversized spellbook and finding ways to keep their truth a secret. Since the Genies departed many treat witches with concern. If they decided to worship deities that might be of, or take their magic as a Wizard. Their reliance on other otherworldly forces makes them have to work uphill to prove themselves as contributors rather than disruptors to a community.
Archetypes:
While known for their Magi, the Vetmir schools are also home to another old tradition, the Hex Channeling witches of Vetmir. Their ability to replicate the channeling of clerics is more often channeled toward inflicting damage than healing these witches can be extremely focused on refining their channeling or more lax, concentrating on their hexes instead. They train in the Grove of Elements, and claim to be descendants of the people that lived on the island before Elinor arrived. All information about their order is kept is secret.
In the Molten wood, the Family of Flame has established a balance among the monstrous creatures that are raised on the island. The leaders of the island culture are all witches, and the greatest are the Beast-Bonded. Having a deeper connection to their familiar they can change their shape to mimic a creature associated with their patron and can even hide their soul in their familiar if needed. Though a few prodigious witches have achieved this goal themselves, most in the Dycides speak to the masters on the Caldera to learn. Few escape their training without joining the Family.
In Sightborn the first organization of Hedge Witches formed. Similar to the people of Maven’s Sanctuary, they believe that all deserve healing and take any wounded person. Their mastery of dealing with poisons and diseases is unmatched outside of the Sanctuary, they have since spread “Agents of the Hedge” throughout the world to discover greater sicknesses to purge from the world. While most witches are approached with caution, Hedge Witches are generally seen as a bit of good luck in most places they show up.
The cruel Coalhearts of the Iron Grasp often rely on magic to further reinforce their dominance over their slaves, others use their connection to the earth of the volcanic range to enhance themselves. The Mountain Witches consider themselves the protectors of the law in the region. They can demand the obedience of mountain dwelling beasts and gain a suite of connection to the stone of the Redridge Mountains. They will teach an outsider their talents only if they deliver their entire family to a life slavery in the mithril mines. Few have the cruelty to join them.
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