tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post1818175473589799020..comments2024-03-28T08:17:07.009-05:00Comments on The Other Side blog: Class Struggles: Clerics, Wizards and WitchesTimothy S. Brannanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-36225089566294724102016-02-25T07:14:46.049-06:002016-02-25T07:14:46.049-06:00Awesome! Thanks for this post Jonathan. I am goin...Awesome! Thanks for this post Jonathan. I am going to have to answer it in detail later today.Timothy S. Brannanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-35641227912661516162016-02-25T06:05:07.233-06:002016-02-25T06:05:07.233-06:00[no idea what's in the center]
Have you consi...[no idea what's in the center]<br /><br />Have you considered (or run) a game where witches simply replaced magic-users?<br /><br />Reading this post and your earlier ones, I'm struck by the idea that the "witch" (which I've written several times myself) may need to be something setting-specific, rather than an archetypal class. So much of the witch...and version (folkloric, historical, literary)...is intimately tied to its particular setting, mainly with regard to culture. Sure, they do magic...but that magic varies from source to source (I know you're an expert on the subject, so you can draw references from tons of sources). Real witchcraft is extremely personal to its practitioners, and in a way that parallels the media depiction of witches: each filmmaker or TV producer or book writer has their own personal interpretation of the abilities of a witch. There's a shit-ton of differences between Bewitched and the film Warlock and those Harry Potter books...and a galaxy of difference between any of those and Baba Yaga!<br /><br />The real defining thing about witches is their (sub)culture, not their powers. They are outsiders from normal society. They are close-knit (have shared ties) with each other. They're feared and often persecuted (or shunned if too powerful...see Baba Yaga). Even so, they can be helpful to non-witches. They seem to have an appreciation for the natural world, especially animals and plants. Their "natural world" also includes forces that mundane folks see as "supernatural" (whether you're talking about spirits, sympathetic magic, or whatever).<br /><br />The default setting of most editions of D&D don't really leave room for this culture of the witch. People don't shun and persecute magic-users. Magic-users are prone to secrecy and isolation in order both to guard their power and to prevent every Tom, Dick, and Jenny from banging on their door asking for help with some quest or village plight. The evil ones go crazy and live in dungeons and command legions of orcs and monsters. The helpful ones are out on adventures, fattening their purses, getting in knife fights, and acting as magical artillery. I don't know...for me, there's just nothing "witchy" there (culturally speaking).<br /><br />To really do witches, you need a specific campaign setting that works with their culture. After that, most any spells or abilities will work (and there's plenty of inspiration to draw from). But without the right setting? I don't see a real place for witches in the D&D game.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-71360310917975123252016-02-25T02:00:24.014-06:002016-02-25T02:00:24.014-06:00Istari? Istari? Dennis Laffeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03053699552003336733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-13891383912475782032016-02-24T16:43:28.201-06:002016-02-24T16:43:28.201-06:00My youngest said Baba Yaga.My youngest said Baba Yaga.Timothy S. Brannanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913319789564397699.post-10942479146548423602016-02-24T16:42:09.534-06:002016-02-24T16:42:09.534-06:00What's in the center? Hmm...Hecate?What's in the center? Hmm...Hecate?Tim Emrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03140732247799671326noreply@blogger.com