I have been spending a lot of time going back to my roots and re-evaluating and even re-writing things I have done in the past. Case in point, my first real release, The Complete Netbook of Witches & Warlocks.
First "published" in 1999, I remember sitting in the hospital room after my first child was born and clicking on the button to "FTP" to my website. That was 26 years ago.
Re-reading through it now, there are a lot of things I would have done differently, but they all made sense to me at the time. But that doesn't mean I can't play a little "What If?"
One of the things I really liked about my AD&D 2nd Edition witch was that it was a Cleric subclass. I always liked clerics and played a lot of them (despite being an atheist in real life and at least one person calling me I am a pagan). AD&D 2nd ed provided me the framework in which to explore my witch ideas as a "Priest of Specific Mythoi."
These days, I am pretty set on witches being a Charisma-based caster, but that doesn't mean I can't still play around with these ideas.
I have no intention on re-publishing the CNoW&W; it exists as a moment in time both to what I wanted at the time AND what the DIY D&D movements were doing back then.
I can, however, share new ideas here.
THE WICCE
The wicce is a sub-class of the cleric, devoted not to a singular deity but to the Old Religion: an ancient, earth-centered faith that honors the divine as immanent in nature, the turning of the seasons, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Wicce are priestesses (and priests) of balance, healing, fertility, and mystery.
Rooted in the remnants of ancient cults, the Wicce uphold sacred rites passed down in secret circles and moonlit groves. Their power flows not from divine commandment but from attunement to the cosmic rhythms, the lunar phases, the wheel of the year, and the spiral dance of creation.
Wicce are communal and nurturing, often found tending sacred springs, offering blessings, leading seasonal festivals, or guiding others through spiritual transformation. Though often misjudged as eccentric or harmless, the Wicce are fierce defenders of harmony, life, and the sacred divine aspects of all life.
Like druids, Wicce are nature-connected, but their magic is symbolic, intuitive, and ritualized. Unlike clerics, they serve no formal church but gather in circles, groves, or sky-thatched temples.
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| Photo by Marina Utrabo |
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Hit Dice: d6
Armor Allowed: Any non-metal (leather, hide, padded, wooden shields)
Weapons Allowed: Staff, dagger, sickle, sling, club, spear, crescent blade
Alignment: Typically any non-evil
Spell Use: Divine and Occult (custom spell list, see below)
Special Abilities
Moon-Blessed Magicks: The Wicce may perform circle magick tied to the lunar calendar. When casting beneath the full moon or during seasonal festivals, any healing or protective spell gains +1 per die of healing or +1 to saving throw modifiers. (Modified per the GM’s world)
Shared Ritual Craft (2nd Level): Beginning at 2nd level, the Wicce (or Magus) may participate in a ritual casting alongside a witch (of any Tradition) as if they were a witch of the same level. This applies only when performing Occult Rituals that require multiple casters.
The Wicce/Magus must meet all material and ceremonial requirements and must be aligned in intent with the witch leading the ritual. In all such workings, the Wicce or Magus contributes fully to the spell's power, as if they were a witch of equal experience level.
This ability does not grant the ability to lead witch rituals or cast witch-only spells unaided, but reflects the shared cosmology and deep resonance between these occult paths.
Sacred Circle (3rd Level): Once per day per 3 levels (3rd, 6th, 9th…), the Wicce may consecrate a space with herbs, salt, and chant. This functions as a Protection from Evil (10' radius) and grants +2 on saving throws vs. possession and charm for allies within. Takes 1 turn to cast.
Blessed Be: The Wicce may offer a benediction to any creature once per day. This acts as a Bless spell (single target) but also grants +1 to Wisdom checks or saving throws vs. fear and despair for 1 turn.
Coven Bond: Wicce gain +1 to all saving throws when within 30 feet of another Wicce, Druid, Witch, or Cleric of aligned faith. This effect stacks up to +3.
Wicce may use all clerical magic items, unless tied to a particular faith, and some witch (occult) magical items. They do not worship a deity in the traditional sense, but honor the Goddess and God, the Triple Moon Goddess, or Nature Herself. Their spells are granted through alignment with the sacred cycles and the ancestral wisdom of the Old Ways.
Wicce do not build churches, but found groves, stone circles, mystic retreats, or earth temples. These sites often become places of pilgrimage for the disenchanted or spiritually seeking.
Though often dismissed as flower-wearing mystics, the Wicce represent a potent force for healing, guidance, and resistance against spiritual decay. They greet friend and stranger alike with warm smiles, words of blessing, and quiet power.
9th Level
Upon reaching 9th level, a Wicce becomes a High Priestess (or High Priest) and may establish a Circle, Grove, or Sacred Temple of the Old Ways. This site may be a stone circle, secluded glade, hilltop shrine, or ritual sanctuary aligned to lunar phases or natural ley lines. It must be consecrated by sacred rites and protected from profanation.
Once the Circle is founded, the Wicce will attract 2d6 1st-level Wicce initiates within 1d6 months. These are not servants or soldiers, but spiritual students and co-celebrants who come seeking guidance, initiation, and training in the mysteries of the Old Religion. These initiates are loyal, but not blindly obedient; they are part of the Wicce’s extended spiritual family.
In addition to initiates, the Wicce may also draw:
- Healers, herbalists, and wise folk
- Fey-blooded or nature-touched seekers
- Occult scholars, druids, or Witches of compatible Traditions
- Pilgrims or supplicants in search of spiritual insight, healing, or blessings
The Circle functions as both a spiritual retreat and a center of influence, granting the Wicce status in the hidden pagan networks of the world. It may even attract attention, welcoming or hostile, from organized religions, nobles, or inquisitors.
A Circle may hold sabbats and esbats, sanctify marriages and births, banish malevolent spirits, and maintain harmony with nature spirits or the local fae. The DM may treat the Circle as a minor religious stronghold, but it does not generate income like a clerical temple unless ritual services are offered to the surrounding community.
Wicce XP Progression Table
| Level | Title | Experience Points | Hit Dice (d6) |
Spell Level Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initiate of the Circle | 0 | 1 | 1st |
| 2 | Seeker of the Spiral | 1,750 | 2 | 1st |
| 3 | Blessed Sister/Brother | 3,750 | 3 | 2nd |
| 4 | Priest/Priestess of Light | 7,500 | 4 | 2nd |
| 5 | Guardian of the Grove | 15,000 | 5 | 3rd |
| 6 | Weaver of Fates | 30,000 | 6 | 3rd |
| 7 | Voice of the Goddess | 60,000 | 7 | 4th |
| 8 | Spiral Elder | 110,000 | 8 | 5th |
| 9 | High Priest/Priestess | 180,000 | 9 | 6th |
| 10 | High Priest/Priestess | 260,000 | 9+1 | 6th |
| 11 | High Priest/Priestess | 380,000 | 9+2 | 7th |
| + | High Priest/Priestess | +120,000 | +1 |
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1st-Level Spells
- Bless (PHB)
- Command (PHB)
- Cure Light Wounds (PHB)
- Detect Evil (PHB)
- Faerie Fire (UA)
- Invisibility to Undead (UA)
- Light (PHB)
- Purify Food & Drink (PHB)
- Remove Fear (PHB)
2nd-Level Spells
- Augury (PHB)
- Chant (PHB)
- Barkskin (UA)
- Cure Moderate Wounds (UA)
- Resist Fire (PHB)
- Slow Poison (PHB)
- Speak with Animals (PHB)
- Spiritual (Hammer) weapon (PHB) reflavored as moon-blessed weapon
3rd-Level Spells
- Create Food and Water (PHB)
- Cure Disease (PHB)
- Dispel Magic (PHB)
- Locate Object (PHB)
- Meld into Stone (PHB)
- Prayer (PHB)
- Protection from Fire (PHB)
- Remove Curse (PHB)
4th-Level Spells
- Cure Serious Wounds (PHB)
- Divination (PHB)
- Lower Water (PHB)
- Neutralize Poison (PHB)
- Protection from Evil, 10' Radius (PHB)
- Speak with Plants (PHB)
- Spell Immunity (UA)
5th-Level Spells
- Commune with Nature (UA)
- Cure Critical Wounds (PHB)
- Dispel Evil (PHB)
- Flame Strike (PHB)
- Plane Shift (PHB)
- Quest (PHB)
- Wall of Fire (PHB)
6th-Level Spells
- Aerial Servant (PHB)
- Forbiddance (UA)
- Find the Path (PHB)
- Heal (PHB)
- Speak with Monsters (PHB)
- Weather Summoning (PHB)
- Word of Recall (PHB)
7th-Level Spells
- Astral Spell (PHB)
- Earthquake (PHB)
- Holy Word (PHB)
- Regenerate (PHB)
- Reincarnation (PHB)
- Symbol (PHB)
- Wind Walk (PHB)
I'll add more spells, I am sure.
Behind the Scenes
This is obviously my ode to the nature-loving neo-Pagan style witch. These characters are also closer to how I used to play Druids back in the AD&D days. Less the shape-shifting guardians of nature and more the dancing in circles priests and priestesses honoring what nature provides form them.
How does it differ from the Craft of the Wise? The Craft of the Wise or Pagan Witch is a witch first and a follower of a Goddess or God second. This one is the other way around.
How does it differ from the Witch-Priestess? They serve similar purposes and even have similar spell lists but the difference is intent.
Both the Wicce and the Witch-Priestess walk a sacred path, but their focus, source of power, and approach to magic are notably different. Choosing between them depends on the kind of spiritual figure you wish to play.
Wicce: The Gentle Shepherd of the Old Ways
The Wicce is a cleric subclass who serves the Old Religion as its community priestess. She leads sabbats, blesses fields, heals wounds with herbs and chants, and welcomes all who seek comfort, renewal, or wisdom. Her spells are granted through alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon, and life itself, not a single deity. The Wicce is intuitive, nurturing, and grounded in spiritual service.
- Role: Community priestess, healer, celebrant
- Serves: The wider community
- Power Source: Divine and Occult; seasonal and lunar forces
- Connection: Tied to place, people, and the turning of the Wheel
- Ideal For: Players who want a wise village witch, spiritual counselor, or mystical healer
Witch-Priestess: The Devoted Flame Within the Circle
The Witch-Priestess is an Advanced Class for witches who place their Patron or Tradition at the center of their life. She is a witch first, but one whose devotion elevates her to a position of sacred authority. The Witch-Priestess blends occult mastery with religious fervor. She may serve as oracle, cult leader, sacred warrior, or ritualist of deep mysteries. Her path is more arcane, personal, and potent, but also more demanding.
- Role: Religious leader within the witch’s Tradition
- Serves: Their Patron/Goddess/God and the Tradition
- Power Source: Occult (primarily), with divine undertones
- Connection: Bound to a specific Patron, Rite, or Mystery
- Ideal For: Players who want a high-stakes mystic, zealous devotee, or visionary prophetess
Both are my attempts at a revision (both in the sense of revise and to look at again) of my AD&D 2nd Ed Witch Class.
If I were to expand this I would grab some spells from my CNoW&W and some of my other sources. Maybe along the lines of 12 or so spells per spell level.
As always, let me know what you think.
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