Witch (Hope & Fear)
About this class
Witches are magical practitioners who commune with the forces of nature and entities from realms beyond. These spellcasters call forth power through craft, combining the tangible and ephemeral by casting spells, murmuring incantations, creating talismans, weaving illusions, and maintaining other personalized practices. They can protect their allies and harm their enemies by invoking powerful forces beyond themselves—supernatural beings such as ancestors, deities, or aspects of nature. Often, their magical knowledge is passed down from these entities or through many generations of practitioners who gather in small groups known as covens. Witches are frequently feared and misunderstood, as their methods can appear mysterious, strange, and even macabre to the uninitiated. Whichever path they walk, a witch treads the boundary between light and shadow without fear.
Included subclasses
Domains
Sage
Starting stats
Hope feature
Class features
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Hex
Mark a Stress to temporarily Hex a target within Far range. While Hexed, the target gains a penalty to their damage rolls and Difficulty equal to your tier. The maximum number of creatures you can Hex at one time is equal to your Spellcast trait.
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Commune
Once per long rest during a moment of calm, you can commune with an ancestor, a deity, a spirit, or an otherworldly being. Ask them a question, then roll a number of d6s equal to your Spellcast trait. Choose one of the results and reference the chart below for the effect.
Roll Effect
1-3 You taste a flavor, smell a scent, or feel a sensation relevant to the answer.
4-5 You Hear Souds or see a vision relevant to the answer.
6 You physically experience a scene relevant to the answer as if you were there.
Class items
- A small, harmless pet
- A scrying stone
Character questions
Background prompts
- Who from your community feared your magical craft? What rumor did they spread about you, and what truth did it contain?
- You once used your power to help someone in a dire situation. Who were they, and why did they come to you?
- Your magic once opened a door best left closed. Who or what was on the other side?
Connection prompts
- What unique ritual or practice have I taught you that we now perform together?
- I once appeared to you in a dream and shared a vision of the future. What did I tell you?
- What do you typically come to me for advice about?
Subclass cards
Printable via header menu
Hedge
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Knowledge
Herbal Remedies: When you or an ally in the scene clears 1 or more Hit Points or Stress as the result of using a consumable, increase the number cleared by 1.
Enchanted Talisman: Once per rest, you can imbue a small item with your protective essence. Spend any number of Hope to place an equal number of tokens on this card. When the person holding the talisman takes damage, spend a token to reduce the number of Hit Points they mark by one. Clear all tokens from this card when you take a rest.
Hedge
Specialization
Walk Between Worlds: During a moment of calm, make a Spellcast Roll (13). Once per rest on a success, you can mark a Stress to step beyond the veil of death and converse with any nearby spirits. Place a number of tokens equal to your Spellcast trait on this card and remove one each time a spirit answers a question. When the last token is removed or at the end of the scene, you return to the Mortal Realm in the same spot you left it.
Vexing Malison: You have advantage on attacks against Hexed creatures.
Hedge
Mastery
Circle of Power: Once per rest, mark a circle on the ground outlining a Very Close area around you, and place a number of tokens equal to your Spellcast trait on this card. While within this circle, you and your allies gain a +2 bonus to damage thresholds, attack rolls, and Evasion. Remove a token each time you or an ally within the circle makes an action roll or evades an attack. This spell lasts until the last token is removed or you exit the circle.
Moon
Foundation
SPELLCAST TRAIT: Instinct
Night's Glamour: Make a Spellcast Roll (13) to Glamour yourself in a bewitching facade. While Glamoured, you have advantage on rolls that leverage your illusory appearance. Additionally, adversaries within Close range must mark a Stress to attack you.
Unless you mark a Stress to maintain your Glamour, it drops when you mark a Hit Point or deal damage.
Moon
Specialization
Moonbeam: Once per session, you can conjure a column of moonlight that illuminates the area within Close range until the end of the scene. While bathed in this moonlight, you and your allies gain a +1 bonus to Spellcast Rolls and can see through illusions
Ire of Pale Light: When a Hexed creature within Very Far range fails an attack, they must mark a Stress.
Moon
Mastery
Lunar Phases: At the beginning of each session, roll a d6 and place it on this card. You gain the matching effect until the end of session.
Roll / Phase / Effect
1 / New / Spend a Hope to negate Minor damage
2-3 / Waxing / +2 to damage rolls
4 / Full / +3 to damage thresholds
5-6 / Waning / +1 to Evasion
Once per rest, you can spend a Hope to increase the value of this die by one. If you increase the value of a 6, it becomes a 1.
Witch (Hope & Fear)
Witches are magical practitioners who commune with the forces of nature and entities from realms beyond. These spellcasters call forth power through craft, combining the tangible and ephemeral by casting spells, murmuring incantations, creating talismans, weaving illusions, and maintaining other personalized practices. They can protect their allies and harm their enemies by invoking powerful forces beyond themselves—supernatural beings such as ancestors, deities, or aspects of nature. Often, their magical knowledge is passed down from these entities or through many generations of practitioners who gather in small groups known as covens. Witches are frequently feared and misunderstood, as their methods can appear mysterious, strange, and even macabre to the uninitiated. Whichever path they walk, a witch treads the boundary between light and shadow without fear.
Domains
Sage + Dread (Hope & Fear)
Starting Evasion
10
Starting Hit Points
6
Class Items
- • A small, harmless pet
- • A scrying stone
Witch (Hope & Fear)’s Hope Feature
Witch's Charm : When you or an ally within Far range fails an action roll, you can spend 3 Hope to change it into a success with Fear instead
Class Features
Hex
Mark a Stress to temporarily Hex a target within Far range. While Hexed, the target gains a penalty to their damage rolls and Difficulty equal to your tier. The maximum number of creatures you can Hex at one time is equal to your Spellcast trait.
Commune
Once per long rest during a moment of calm, you can commune with an ancestor, a deity, a spirit, or an otherworldly being. Ask them a question, then roll a number of d6s equal to your Spellcast trait. Choose one of the results and reference the chart below for the effect. Roll Effect 1-3 You taste a flavor, smell a scent, or feel a sensation relevant to the answer. 4-5 You Hear Souds or see a vision relevant to the answer. 6 You physically experience a scene relevant to the answer as if you were there.
Witch (Hope & Fear) Subclasses
Choose either the Hedge or Moon subclass.
Hedge
Play the Hedge if you want to use your craft to empower yourself and your party.
Spellcast Trait
Knowledge
Foundation Features
Herbal Remedies: When you or an ally in the scene clears 1 or more Hit Points or Stress as the result of using a consumable, increase the number cleared by 1.
Enchanted Talisman: Once per rest, you can imbue a small item with your protective essence. Spend any number of Hope to place an equal number of tokens on this card. When the person holding the talisman takes damage, spend a token to reduce the number of Hit Points they mark by one. Clear all tokens from this card when you take a rest.
Specialization Feature
Walk Between Worlds: During a moment of calm, make a Spellcast Roll (13). Once per rest on a success, you can mark a Stress to step beyond the veil of death and converse with any nearby spirits. Place a number of tokens equal to your Spellcast trait on this card and remove one each time a spirit answers a question. When the last token is removed or at the end of the scene, you return to the Mortal Realm in the same spot you left it.
Vexing Malison: You have advantage on attacks against Hexed creatures.
Mastery Feature
Circle of Power: Once per rest, mark a circle on the ground outlining a Very Close area around you, and place a number of tokens equal to your Spellcast trait on this card. While within this circle, you and your allies gain a +2 bonus to damage thresholds, attack rolls, and Evasion. Remove a token each time you or an ally within the circle makes an action roll or evades an attack. This spell lasts until the last token is removed or you exit the circle.
Moon
Play the Moon if you want to embody celestial power to amplify your magic.
Spellcast Trait
Instinct
Foundation Features
Night's Glamour: Make a Spellcast Roll (13) to Glamour yourself in a bewitching facade. While Glamoured, you have advantage on rolls that leverage your illusory appearance. Additionally, adversaries within Close range must mark a Stress to attack you.
Unless you mark a Stress to maintain your Glamour, it drops when you mark a Hit Point or deal damage.
Specialization Feature
Moonbeam: Once per session, you can conjure a column of moonlight that illuminates the area within Close range until the end of the scene. While bathed in this moonlight, you and your allies gain a +1 bonus to Spellcast Rolls and can see through illusions
Ire of Pale Light: When a Hexed creature within Very Far range fails an attack, they must mark a Stress.
Mastery Feature
Lunar Phases: At the beginning of each session, roll a d6 and place it on this card. You gain the matching effect until the end of session.
Roll / Phase / Effect
1 / New / Spend a Hope to negate Minor damage
2-3 / Waxing / +2 to damage rolls
4 / Full / +3 to damage thresholds
5-6 / Waning / +1 to Evasion
Once per rest, you can spend a Hope to increase the value of this die by one. If you increase the value of a 6, it becomes a 1.
Background Questions
Answer any of the following, or create your own.
- • Who from your community feared your magical craft? What rumor did they spread about you, and what truth did it contain?
- • You once used your power to help someone in a dire situation. Who were they, and why did they come to you?
- • Your magic once opened a door best left closed. Who or what was on the other side?
Connections
Ask one of the following, or improvise.
- • What unique ritual or practice have I taught you that we now perform together?
- • I once appeared to you in a dream and shared a vision of the future. What did I tell you?
- • What do you typically come to me for advice about?
Discussion
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