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Portrayal of witches and witchcraft in older D&D and OSR?

Started by RNGm, April 25, 2025, 10:55:15 AM

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Chris24601

#15
April 26, 2025, 08:00:58 AM
In D&D terms I'd be more inclined to make Witches (and Warlocks) not be linked to arcane casting at all, but rather the names are a pejorative for Clerics of an evil deity (sorta like Blackguard sometimes is for the Anti-Paladin).

Mishihari

#16
April 26, 2025, 03:09:18 PM
There was a Dragon magazine, I think it might have been #80, that was a feature on witches and witchcraft.  Sadly my collection is mostly boxed up so I can't verify that right now.  I recall that I thought it was a pretty good representation of literature witches translated to D&D terms.

BoxCrayonTales

#17
April 26, 2025, 03:28:26 PM
The conceptual space for witches is already split among wizards, sorcerers, druids, and warlocks.

RNGm

#18
April 26, 2025, 07:23:24 PM
Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on April 26, 2025, 03:28:26 PMThe conceptual space for witches is already split among wizards, sorcerers, druids, and warlocks.

Absolutely that's the case now but half of those didn't exist as a class in the editions I'm asking about (pre-3e).   IIRC (and I admit my memory is spotty on the subject), I think druid was at times a subclass flavor of cleric for some of those earlier editions leaving just wizards/magic user as the fully supported arcane type.

RNGm

#19
April 27, 2025, 07:22:17 PM
I forgot about Symbaroum witches both in the original and the 5e variant.   They're more of the naturalist earth magic druid hybrid type and inherently evil entity pact worshippers but the setting is plenty dark and corruption rules are core to it as well scratching the evil witch itch as well.

jhkim

#20
Today at 12:54:31 PM
Quote from: RNGm on April 26, 2025, 07:23:24 PM
Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on April 26, 2025, 03:28:26 PMThe conceptual space for witches is already split among wizards, sorcerers, druids, and warlocks.

Absolutely that's the case now but half of those didn't exist as a class in the editions I'm asking about (pre-3e).   IIRC (and I admit my memory is spotty on the subject), I think druid was at times a subclass flavor of cleric for some of those earlier editions leaving just wizards/magic user as the fully supported arcane type.

In 1E AD&D (1978), there are four dedicated casting classes: cleric, druid, magic user, and illusionist. Each has their own spell lists and advancement table, so they are all fully supported casters. Sorcerer was introduced in 3E (2000) and Warlock in 4E (2008).


Quote from: RNGm on April 27, 2025, 07:22:17 PMI forgot about Symbaroum witches both in the original and the 5e variant.   They're more of the naturalist earth magic druid hybrid type and inherently evil entity pact worshippers but the setting is plenty dark and corruption rules are core to it as well scratching the evil witch itch as well.

If you're interested in wicca / earth magic type witches, there is a D20 hardcover book "The Way of the Witch" (2007) dedicated to those, and including darker options.

For purely Satanic witches, I think Chivalry & Sorcery is the best resource. (I have 2E.)

RNGm

#21
Today at 01:24:52 PM
Quote from: jhkim on Today at 12:54:31 PMIf you're interested in wicca / earth magic type witches, there is a D20 hardcover book "The Way of the Witch" (2007) dedicated to those, and including darker options.

For purely Satanic witches, I think Chivalry & Sorcery is the best resource. (I have 2E.)

Thanks and I'll take a look.   I'm not tied to a Judeochristian aspect specifically to witches (i.e. Satanic) but definitely am interested in a general grimdark evil (whether older shamanistic, wicca, polytheistic, or whatever) basis to them so that sound useful regardless.
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