Prestige Class: Imbolc Mage

Trying some more Prestige Classes for Witches.  This one is actually quite near and dear to me.  It was also one of the first Prestige Classes I ever wrote.

The Imbolc Mage is a special sort of witch infused with the divine vengeance of the Goddess.  They are nominal leaders of the Imbolc Guard.  I wanted to create something that felt it could have been a part of witch history for a long time and work in the game.  I had help from a good friend Lisa Countryman and her ideas on the original Imbolc Mage.  The Imbolc Mage is her baby so I have kept the name closed for the OGL, but the rest is all fair game.

Section 15: Imbolc Mage, Copyright 2013, Timothy. S. Brannan & Lisa Countryman.
OGC Declaration: The terms "Imbolc Mage" and "Lady Imbolc" are closed in terms of the OGC. All other content is considered Open.
Art is Copyright © Anne- Claire PAYET 2009 and used under Creative Commons

Imbolc Mage

Incantation by `Eireen

Witches speak of Warlocks in hushed tones. Most are disgusted by these betrayers of the Goddess' law, but more than few also fear them. But there is one witch that even the darkest Warlocks of the Scholomance fear, for she is the righteous fury of the Goddess made mortal. She is the Imbolc Mage.

The Mages of Imbolc are so rare that every single one has been recorded. Most have died in the pursuit of the Goddesses’ vengeance. Imbolc Mages exist to destroy evil, and they save a special hatred for those who call themselves warlocks.

Like becoming witch, one does not chose to become an Imbolc Mage, the Goddess makes that choice.
If the witch has the potential to become an Imbolc mage a series of tests and trails are performed by a coven 19 witches trained in the martial use of the sword. The witches who train the prospective are always of the strongest Neutral Good alignment. The test is a small price to pay and only a fraction of the battles the new Imbolc Mage will certainly face. The training is tough and many do not succeed. There is no dishonor in failure, it simply means the prospective was not destined to bear the mantle of the Imbolc mage. If the prospective does succeed, she is filled with the power of the Goddess and is known to all as Lady Imbolc.
History records that nearly all Imbolc Mages have come from the ranks of strong witches. Amazon and Celtic Classical traditions being the most representative, but few chaste Tantric witches and a fewer number of Lorelei have served as well. Some druids and sorceresses have also become Imbolc Mages. With the rise of evil becoming greater more Imbolc Mages have been chosen and some have come from nonwitch backgrounds. In most cases the Imbolc Mage will join the Daughters of the Flame (q.v.) coven dedicated to the Goddess Brigit, but the Imbolc Mage works alone and is not considered to be a full member of that coven. Game Masters can choose a coven that suits their game the best.

Hit Dice: d8

Requirements
To qualify as an Imbolc Mage, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Alignment: Any Good.
Feat: any metamagic feat, except Spell Kiss.
Knowledge (religion): 7 Ranks
Knowledge (Witchcraft): 7 Ranks
Spell casting: Ability to cast 5th level spells
Special: Imbolc Mages can only be female.

In order to understand the nature of her foe, the potential Imbolc Mage must have survived an attack from an evil outsider. Note, survived does not mean she won or succeeded in defeating the outsider. Preferences are also made to witches that come from a strong family line of witches and have high Wisdom.

Imbolc Mages are not made, they are chosen. So the GM and the Player who wishes to play an Imbolc Mage must decide on the particulars of this calling. Were her ancestors powerful witches? Did she have an Imbolc Mage in her family tree? Is there some new evil that requires a new Imbolc Mage be called? What were the circumstances with her battle with the evil outsider?

Class Skills
The Imbolc Mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (witchcraft) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Imbolc Mage Progression
Class Level	Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+1	+0	+0	+2	Awesome Presence	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+1	+0	+3	Favored enemy +1	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Bilocate	+1 level of existing class
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Favored enemy +2	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+2	+1	+4	Wild Shape 1/day	+1 level of existing class
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Favored enemy +3	+1 level of existing class
7th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Ethereal Shift	+1 level of existing class
8th	+4	+3	+2	+6	Favored enemy +4	+1 level of existing class
9th	+5	+3	+3	+6	Astral Shift	+1 level of existing class
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Favored enemy +5, Extended Life	+1 level of existing class

Class Features
All of the following are class features of The Imbolc Mage prestige class.

Weapon Proficiency: Once becoming an Imbolc Mage, training in the sword begins. Regardless of original class, the Imbolc Mage can choose the sword and attack without penalty. Often the sword becomes the new ritual tool of the Imbolc Mage, replacing the athame. Unlike the athame, the sword is sharp and will be used for combat purposes.
Most Imbolc Mages eschew the use of armor since it interferes with their spell casting abilities. Many will have several piece of magical protection in place.

Special: The Imbolc Mage gains special powers at each level of her progression.

Awesome Presence (Su): At first level, the Imbolc Mage is infused with the power of her Goddess. This supernatural ability has two main effects. First all witches can “see” this presence as a bright aura. Witches that know of the Imbolc Mage will treat her with deference and respect. Enemies, in particular warlocks, can also detect this aura. Any morale checks made by enemies are at a –1 penalty. Natural animals are also calmed by her presence.
As a side effect of this change in her aura even the most good and lawful Imbolc Mages will appear to any magical scrying techniques as have a “touch of evil” about them. In all cases anyone who can see auras will see the Imbolc Mage’s aura is blinding bright.

Favored Enemy (Ex): The Imbolc Mage gains Warlocks as a favored enemy as per the ranger ability. All attacks, mundane, magical or martial, are done at a +1 bonus at second level and gain by +1 for every two levels. GMs who wish to have more flexibility or do not wish to use warlocks might extend this favored enemy status to any type of evil witch, wizard or spellcaster.

Wild Shape (Su): At fifth level the Imbolc Mage may Wild Shape once per day (take a shape and revert back). The shape maybe to any size that is one step removed from the Imbolc Mage. A medium-sized Imbolc Mage may wild shape to a small, medium or large creature. Unlike the Polymorph Self spell or druid ability, the Imbolc mage is restricted to natural animals. She may wild shape to a large dog, a lion or even a wolf, but never a wyvern or an owlbear. Typically the Imbolc Mage chooses one shape and sticks with that. This is a supernatural ability.

Bilocate (Sp): The Imbolc Mage can astral project (as the astral projection spell) onto the same plane she is currently occupying, in effect being in two locations at once. The projection is semi-real and may do anything the Imbolc Mage could do, including cast spells and assume a Wild Shape. The Imbolc Mage cannot do anything other than rest, though both incarnations are aware and conscious of the others surroundings. The Imbolc Mage may hold this projection a number of minutes equal to her level plus 10, or until the projection reaches zero hit points. Any damage to the projection also damages the Imbolc Mage at one half the amount loss. She may do this once per day. This is a spell like ability.

Ethereal Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Ethereal Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an Ethereal Jaunt spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day. This is a spell like ability.

Astral Shift: The Imbolc Mage can enter the Astral Plane. For spell effects this is the same as if an astral projection spell were cast by a sorcerer of the same level. This may be performed once per day and is a spell like ability.

Extended Life: Similar to the druid ability Timeless Body, the Imbolc Mage stops aging normally. Her aging is slowed to 75% of what is normal for her race. This supernatural ability also effects magical aging. Though this rarely aids her normal aging since most Imbolc Mages die due to violence rather than age.

Spells per Day: The Imbolc Mage continues training in magic as well as the sword. Thus, when a new Imbolc Mage level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell-casting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (new Occult powers, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Imbolc Mage to the level of some other spell-casting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one spell-casting class before she became an Imbolc Mage, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Imbolc Mage for purposes of determining spells per day when she adds the new level. Generally speaking this will be her highest spell casting class.

For example, Fionna is a 10th level witch and 2nd level sorceress. She is called to become an Imbolc Mage. She gains a level of Imbolc Mage and is now known as Lady Imbolc, and is a witch 10, sorceress 2, and Imbolc Mage 1. She opts to continue receiving witch spells, so she gains spells as an 11th level witch/2nd level sorceress, if she goes up a level in witch or Imbolc Mage then she will cast as a 12th level witch/2nd level sorceress. Typically though, the new Imbolc Mage will forgo any advancement in any other class she has and concentrate solely on her advancement as an Imbolc Mage.

Imbolc Mages use the same spell list as witches.

“A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn, Do bhrat fionn dom anacal.        Oh, Brigid, spread above my head, your mantle bright to guard me.”  - Prayer to Brigid

Anyone wnat to lend me a quick hand?

I need someone (or multiple someones) to have a look at new Basic Era class I am working on.
By quick I mean something like 12-18 hours from now I would need your feedback.

Obviously not enough time to playtest, so I am looking for eyeballing it.

Shoot me an email at timothy.brannan@gmail.com and I will email you the docx file.

Thanks!

Prestige Class: Tempestarii

Trying my hand at some more witchy Prestige Classes.  This one has been rolling around in my mind for a while.  I have a couple of things going on here. First, I wanted another Prestige Class that a witch could take, but was open enough for others. I also wanted to try to convert one of my older Traditions into a Prestige Class to see how it might work.  To top it all off I found this wonderful bit of art from SirTiefling and he has graciously allowed me to use it for this post.

I chose the Tempestarrii because I felt I needed to go back and give the idea another, different go.  I am using some OGC here as well to do some of the "heavy lifting".

Section 15: Tempestarii (Storm Witch), Copyright 2013, Timothy. S. Brannan.
OGC Declaration: The following content is considered Open Content for term of the OGL.
Art is owned by SirTiefling and is NOT open and is used here with permission.
Based on the "Weather Witch" from Magic of Arcanis, Copyright 2005 Paradigm Concepts, Inc.

Tempestarii (Storm Witch)

Witch by SirTiefling

First Witch 
    When shall we three meet again 
    In thunder, lightning, or in rain? 

Second Witch 
    When the hurlyburly's done, 
    When the battle's lost and won. 

Third Witch 
    That will be ere the set of sun. 

Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1

Witches have long been suspected of raising storms or foul weather against their foes.  King James even spoke of such witches and believed they were attacking him when he had visited Scotland.  The Tempestarii is the ultimate expression of the storm raising witch.
While any class that cast spells can become a Tempestarii. Witches, druids, wizards and sorcerers of an elemental bent, and even some clerics of storm Gods choose this path.
The first Tempestarii were mighty witches that used clouds as carriages and rode storms into battle.

Hit Dice: d4

Requirements 
 To qualify as a Tempestarii, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Concentration and Knowledge (Nature): 7 Ranks each
Feats: Iron Will
Spell casting: Ability to cast spells

Alignment: Any.

Class Skills
(2 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft (any), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Profession (any), Spellcraft, Survival, and Swim.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of The Tempestarii prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Tempestarii gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies

Spells per Day: With the exceptions of 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the character’s caster level increases when a Tempestarii level is gained if she had also gained a level in a previous class that allows them to qualify for this class.

This affects her spells per day and spells known, as if they had gained a level, but she does not gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one qualifying class before becoming a Tempestarii, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day and caster level.

Resist the Elements (Su): Beginning at first level, a Tempestarii learns she has nothing to fear from a storm or a sunny day. She becomes resistant to weather conditions as if she had the relevant endure elements cast. This effect is continuously active.

Wind Dance (Sp): Starting at 2nd level, the Tempestarii may use gust of wind as a spell like ability once per day. At 5th level, the Tempestarii can use this ability an additional time each day. Whenever she casts gust of wind either as a spell or use of this ability it is treated as a 4th level spell, the range is increased to 90 ft., and affects creatures as if they were one size smaller then they actually are. At 9th level, the Tempestarii can use this ability three times per day. Whenever she casts gust of wind either as a spell or using this ability it is treated as a 6th level spell , the range is increased to 120 ft., and creatures are effected as if they were two sizes smaller then they actually are.

Air Domain (Ex): At 3rd level the Tempestarii’s connection to the weather is strengthened. She gains the special ability of the Air Domain, and adds all of the domain spells to her list of spells known. This ability does not give domain spell slots to Tempestarii who do not already have them. If the Tempestarii already has the Air domain she may choose another, appropriate domain or sub-domain with the GM's approval.

Rain Chant (Sp): At 4th level, the Tempestarii may perform a rain chant. After ten minutes of chanting, the Tempestarii summons a rain storm which causes a light rain to fall in a 500-ft. radius for one hour per caster level. At 8th level, the radius of effect increases to a 1,000-ft. radius.

Storms Embrace (Sp): Once per day as an immediate action, the Tempestarii can enwrap herself in a cloak of whipping winds. This ability mimics a wind wall spell cast at her caster level that only affects the Tempestarii.

Weather Domain (Ex): At 6th level, the Tempestarii’s connection to the fury of the storm is strengthened. She gains the special ability of the Weather Domain, and adds all of the domain spells to her list of spells known. This ability does not give domain spell slots to Tempestariies who do not already have them.  If the Tempestarii already has the Weather domain she may choose another, appropriate domain or sub-domain with the GM's approval.

Bend the Storm to Thy Will (Su): The Tempestarii learns to manipulate the currents of air and storms around her as her innate connection and knowledge of weather increases. This acts as a limited form of control weather. The Tempestarii can affect any naturally occurring storm, be it a mild rain or raging storm. She can either calm or intensify the storm. She may do this only once per day. Storms of divine origin, such as the storm created by the Wrath of gods.

Sudden Storm (Sp): Weather responds more rapidly to the Tempestarii’s call. Once per day the Tempestarii may cast control weather, except that the casting time only requires a full round action. The storm’s effects manifest in ten rounds, instead of the standard ten minutes described in the spell.

Furious Storm of Vengeance (Sp): Becoming almost one with the flow of air and weather, the Tempestarii discovers that the forces she is bound with can express her fury. Once per day, as a full round action, the Tempestarii can unleash her anger, creating the effects of an Enlarged Storm of Vengeance cast at her caster level.

Class Level	Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+1	+0	+0	+2	Resist the Elements	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Wind Dance	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Air Domain	-
4th	+2	+2	+2	+4	Rain Chant	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+2	+2	+4	Wind Dance 2/day	+1 level of existing class
6th	+3	+3	+3	+5	Weather Domain, Storms Embrace	-
7th	+4	+3	+3	+5	Bend the storm to thy will	+1 level of existing class
8th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Sudden Storm	+1 level of existing class
9th	+5	+4	+4	+6	Wind Dance 3/day	-
10th	+5	+4	+4	+7	Furious Storm of Vengeance	+1 level of existing class

New Minor Artifact: Cloud Ship of the Magonians
The Sky Kings of Magonia called upon a group of Tempestarii to build for them giant ships of war out of clouds. From these clouds, they waged war by pelting huge hail stones and lighting on their enemies below. However, the Sky Kings failed to pay the witches for their ships. The witches chased them as they flew away in their ill-gotten magical clouds.
No one knows what happened to the Sky Kings after that. They have never been seen again, but the sky ships remain. The witches created these magic items as a way of getting back at the Sky Kings; now anyone can use their ships of war. This item appears a gallon sized earthen jug. Once the stopper is uncorked, thick cloud-like mist will roll out and form a cloud.
The cloud is secure and can carry up to 800 pounds of people and gear for 24 hours, or twice that much for 12 hours. After that point, the cloud will dissipate. Each jug contains only one cloud. The clouds themselves act much like carpets of flying, obeying spoken word commands for directions.

More New Classes from Barrel Rider Games

A while back I posted about Barrel Rider Games.
Well they have some more classes out and just like a potato chips they are cheap, fun and I can't stop at just one.
These classes are all for Labyrinth Lord or your favorite Basic Era clone.

Dhampir
The Dhampir is another Labyrinth Lord compatible class from Barrel Rider Games. For less than the cost of a 20oz Mt. Dew you can get a complete class.

LL (and Basic before it) had an interesting artifact of the the original D&D game in that races were also classes. So you could be a 3rd level Elf for example. This book takes advantage of that and gives us a race class that works rather well.
The Dhampir is the mortal offspring of a human (usually female) and vampire (usually male). So think Marvel's Blade of Rayne from the Bloofrayne video games. There are a number of features to this class that give a unique spot in the party. Combine this with a few of BRGs other classes and you could have a kick-ass party of undead hunting experts.
6 pages -1 for cover and 1 for the OGL it has everything you need.

A couple of minor quibbles though.
The HD for this guy are d6. Vampires and Dhampirs have always been portrayed as robust. Honestly a d8 would be better.
The text also says that the Dhampir is not bound for evil, but the powers it gets at 7th and 9th level pretty much mean it is destined for evil. I suppose you could argue that to stay good a Dhampir needs to stop advancing and retire and grow sugar beets or something; such is the tragedy of the character. Doing he was born to do turns him in to the thing he hates the most.

In any case this is a fun class.

Fairy
Another fun class from Barrel Rider Games. The fairy is the counterpoint to the Lost Boy class.
It's a nice combination of thief, elf and magic-user.

Honestly this, plus Lost Boy, would make for a great introduction to LL/Basic for any young children.

$1.00, full class. Art + OGL statement. A steal really.

Lost Boy
What a really interesting concept.

You can play a "Lost Boy". The Peter Pan ones, not the Kiefer Sutherland ones.
The class is, like all of BRGs, classes, simple and easy to read and use.

My only gripe with this is a minor one. The Lost Boy can "Grow up" which is fine, but he gets to convert over to a new class. I say when a Lost Boy grows up he should retain some abilities from his past (but not all) but restart at 1st level.

Otherwise this is a fun class.

Tanuki
The Tanuki is new to me. I have heard of similar creatures from other myths, but this is the first time I have seen this one. So credit to BRG for giving me something new.

I have been following Barrel Rider Games' books for a while now and they have all improved with over the course of their publication, this one being no exception.

Presented here is a class/race that is similar in many respects to the halfling; that is if halflings could shape shift into raccoon-dog like creatures. Everything you need to play is here, XP per level, to hits, saves, and special abilities. Drop this little guy into your games and watch the fun.

Ninja
You can't buy a lot for just a buck these days. But Barrel Rider Games is in the business of giving you a class for a buck.
Not a bad deal really. I used to spend $3 for a Dragon magazine back in the day, often to get a new class.

This time BRG is giving us a Ninja class. Part thief, part assassin and part ranger this class has everything you would expect to see in a ninja class (almost, and I'll get to that). I have been following BRG classes for some time now and each of these pdfs gets a little bit better. So I am pleased to say that the class book here is complete. Saving throws, attacks, xp per level, and all the special abilities of ninja are here and ready for you to drop it into Labyrinth Lord...well like a ninja.

I only noticed one small, tiny thing. Typically with a ninja class we get a number of new weapons. This doesn't have those. I did not down-grade the pdf because of this because it is outside of the scope of the call books and that material is easily found elsewhere.

Shootist
I am one of those guys that despite all real world logic I DON'T have guns in my FRPGS. That being said I do know there is a history (both in game and out of the game) to include them.

If you are playing a "Basic Era" game and want to include guns then this is the class for you. Like all BRG classes you get about 5-6 pages of a class (with cover and OGL) for a buck. Not a bad deal at all really. You also get expanded rules for firearms in this one.
The class itself is solid and has everything you need to play.

Catgirls for Old Scool Games

Here is a version of the Catgirl for "Race as a Class" flavors of Old School Games.

Catgirl spotted at Gen Con 2009

Nekojin
Requirements: DEX 9
Prime Requisite: DEX and CHA
Hit Dice: 1d6
Maximum Level: 9
Weapons: Any (must be modified)
Armor: none or leather only
Poison/Oil/HolyWater: Yes to all

Nekojin, aka Catgirls/Catboys, are a humanoid race that have prominent cat-like features.  These include furry cat ears on the the top of their head, cat eyes, canine ..feline teeth and whiskers. Their pupils are slits like that of a cat. They also have long cat tails and their hands and feet resemble a cross between cat paws and humanoid hands and feet.  Their nails are in fact retractable claws.   They typically weigh about 110 pounds and are between 5 and 5½ feet tall. Their human-ish faces give them the look of kittens. This, in addition their size, often lead non-Nekojin to treat them as if they were younger than they truly are.

The typical nekojin can live to about 50 years of age. They reach maturity by age 7 and will begin adventuring between  ages 6 and 8. Nekojin have their own language, but they can also learn the language of humans (Common) and Elves (Sylvan).

Nekojin can use any weapon that has been modified for their hands (increased cost +25%), but they avoid armor except for leather.   A nekojin  must have at least 12 in both prime requisites in order to get the +5% to experience. They must also have a DEX of 16 and a CHA of 13 to get the +10% bonus.

Nekojin see very well int eh dark and they have ultravision out 120'.  This combined with their sense of smell and superior hearing means a nekojin is only surprised on a roll of 1 on a 1d6.  Nekojin though can not see in color.  They gain a bonus when facing illusions, adding a +1 bonus to any save on illusion or phantasm based magic.  Due their sight nekojin can also detect an invisible creature when actively looking on a 1-2 on a 1d6. This includes creatures such as ghosts that might be ethereal rather than just invisible.

Nekojin also have the following thief skills of thief of the same level: Move Silently, Climb Walls, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise.  The nekojin can add +1 point of damage per level (max +9) to any sneak attack.

Falling: A nekojin can reduce falling damage by twisting and landing on her feet.  For each level of experience or HD she can ignore 10 feet worth of falling damage.  So a 7th level nekojin can fall 70 feet with no damage. At 100 ft she would only take damage as if she fell 30 feet.  This ability is partially due to her agility and biology, but many scholars also feel it is supernatural in nature.

Nekojin have a maximum level of 9th.  At 9th level they they may settle down to form a small Pride.

Table 1: Nekojin Advancement and Saving Throws

Nekojin		HD	Saves
Level	XP Required	1d6	Death	Wands	Paralysis	Dragon Breath	Spells
1	0	1d6	12	14	12	16	15
2	2,000	2d6	12	14	12	16	15
3	4,000	3d6	12	14	12	16	15
4	8,000	4d6	10	12	11	14	13
5	16,000	5d6	10	12	11	14	13
6	32,000	6d6	10	12	11	14	13
7	64,000	7d6	8	10	9	12	11
8	128,000	8d6	8	10	9	12	11
9	256,000	9d6	8	10	9	12	11

Table 2: Nekojin to Hit vs. AC

To Hit
Level	-4	-3	-2	-1	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7
2	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7
3	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6
4	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6
5	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5
6	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5
7	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
8	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
9	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3

OGL Section 15
"Nekojin for Basic Era Games" Copyright 2013 Timothy S. Brannan
All text is released as Open under the Open Game License.

ETA: Thanks to +Benjamin Baugh for reminding me of falling.

Xothia: The Dwarven Witch

Dwarven Witches

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, 

While hammers fell like ringing bells 

 In places deep, where dark things sleep, 

 In hollow halls beneath the fells.

I saw the Hobbit and it renewed the feeling I get every so often when playing D&D.  Dwarves and bad-asses and you should not mess with them.  This notion inspired me to post this. Enjoy!

The Xothia appear in my latest book, The Witch, but can be used in any Retro clone that has dwarves.

OGL declaration. All text below is designated as Open under OGL. All art is retained by the copyright holder and is not open under the OGL.

The Xothia of the Rock

   “Where are we headed Jornek?” asked Tuir, a young hill dwarf of only 80 summers.  They were walking in the rain up a mountain path, and Tuir hated the rain.
   “We are going to get answers.” repeated the older dwarf for what seemed like the thousandth time this morning.  Jornek did not care for the rain either, but it was not as annoying as his young nephew’s constant complaining.  Were he not his sisters son…
   “I thought we were going to go to the human city and seek out one of their sages?” replied Tuir.
   “That is what I wanted the clan to think.” came Jornek’s short reply. “We are going to see Royrn, the Xothia of the Rock.”
   Tuir stopped dead in his tracks.  “A Xothia!” he cried out. “what could *she* possibly do?  Except maybe to bewitch us and make us her slaves!”
   Jornek grabbed his young charge and pulled him back on to the path. “Put your lips together you fool.  You have the tongue of a gnome but none of their sense!  This is why I did not tell you or anyone.  The Xothia of the Rock has been known to our clan for centuries.  Our problem is magical, no human sage could understand!”
   Tuir was so quiet the rest the trip that Jornek almost regretted not telling him sooner.  But soon enough they approached a small cave opening.  Outside was small, but ornate gold gong.  Jornek took the striker and hit the gong three times. Tuir looked at the gong quizzingly and then to Jornek.  The older dwarf guessing his question only replied, “who would *dare* steal it?”  Jornek then walked into the cave with a nervous Tuir close behind.
   The sight that met Tuir’s eyes was almost overwhelming.  He had expected the cave to be dark, damp and gloomy, like a goblin’s hole, but instead it seemed, well more “elf” like.  There were brightly colored lamps hanging from outcroppings in the walls that sent an array of colors everywhere.  The floor was amazingly flat and clean.  To the back of this chamber were several doors.  But Tuir was not prepared for what, or rather who, he saw next.
   She was young, maybe no older than himself. She wore brightly colored clothes that were still dwarven style, but some how seemed more elfish.  Her most striking feature to Tuir was her face.  While she was obviously beautiful, she had no beard.  Among his clan a woman without a beard had no prospects of finding a husband.  This woman seemed not to care.
   “Merry Greetings, Jornek, Gornek’s son.” she said with a voice that sounded musical to Tuir’s ears.    “Please do us the honor of your presence.” And with that she bowed slightly.
   “Greetings to you and may I return some of the hospitality that you show today.” Jornek said as he bowed even lower.
   “You’re the…the Xothia of the Rock?” Tuir stammered out.  This got him a angry glare from Jornek, but a small musical laugh from the woman.
   “Not yet young Tuir, that honor belongs to my mistress and teacher.  Come, she is waiting.”
   The followed the woman to another, even larger chamber filled with lights.  Tuir was surprised to see a few other women, even a gnome woman. Most were writing in long scrolls, some were to busy starring at the new guests.  Then an unbelievably old woman entered the room.  The rest of the women snapped to attention, she made a motion with her hand and they all left.  Like the first and the current old woman, none of the women had beards.
   She repeated the greeting to Jornek as the younger woman had, only she added his grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather as well.  Jornek had bowed even lower than he had before, his great beard sweeping the floor.  She then addressed Tuir. Jornek, as custom dictated, answered for his young charge. Tuir was too dazed to say anything or even move.  It was not till he got a withering glance from the elder dwarf that he too bowed low.
   Finally the Xothia looked at Tuir, starring at him, or through him, as if to divine his need.  She seemed to be unbelievably ancient to the young dwarf, and yet he still saw something in her eyes that spoke of youth. She addressed him in voice that reminded him of the echo of a subterranean pool.
   “Got yourself into a bit of trouble have we Tuir? Magic trouble no less.”  She asked, but not waiting for an answer. “My, my quite a bit of trouble for one so young.”
   “He is a fool Xothia, were he not my sister’s son.” Jornek started but was cut short by the woman. To Tuir’s surprise, and he admitted delight, Jornek seemed quite taken aback at this.
   “It is the privilege of youth to be foolish, but the responsibility of the aged to be wise.  If we wish not our young ones to be fools then we must teach them.” She said without even looking at Jornek.  In their clan no one would have silenced Jornek as if he were child. But no one in their clan was the Xothia either.
   “Now young Tuir” she continued “will you allow a old woman the chance to help and maybe even teach you a thing or two about this world?”

The Xothia

Xothia of the Rock by Daniel Brannan

The dwarven witch feels isolation from her normal community due the distrust of arcane magic among dwarves.  This distrust seems to date back in time to the first recorded appearance of dwarven witches, a coincidence that seems too strong to ignore.

In dwarven society, men and women are regarded as equals.  The dwarven witch is seen as contrary to this established reality.  Most dwarven witches feel deep fear when they first hear the Call and either leave their communities or try to suppress what they now know and feel. Dwarven witches become Solitaries, learning their art and faith directly from the Mother of Dwarves herself.

The social stigma of being a magic-using dwarf is tough to bear; and due their nature, dwarven witches tend to be far more chaotic than the normal dwarf population. While some find content with this life, others are constantly reminded that they will never truly belong, either as a dwarf or as a witch.  Dwarven witches are the rarest form of witch one will encounter.

The Xothia (“Zoe-thee-Ah”) witch of dwarven communities has taken her nearly insurmountable odds and turned them into unique advantages.  Feared for her power, isolated because of her ideals, and respected for her knowledge, the Xothia has become a living repository of dwarven lore, knowledge and magic.  All Xothia are female -- no male has ever joined their ranks -- and all are beardless.  Whether the Xothia are born that way or have their beard removed is one of but hundreds of their closely guarded secrets.  The leader of a coven of Xothia is often known as the Xothia, and is usually centuries old.  She is regarded as an advisor and sage to dwarven leaders; many will travel days or weeks to seek her out.

The Xothia lives apart from the main community of dwarves, where she and her coven can use magic to scry and record all that needs to be known.  Often such answers cannot be gathered by magic and the Xothia witch must travel the world in search of them.  A full coven of Xothia is nine witches, eight members and the Xothia.  Their manner and style of clothing have often been described as “elf-like,” not in insult, but as a means for the common dwarf to label what she does not know.  The ritual tools of the Xothia are the “Labrys” or small double bladed axe, and the “Malleus” or hammer. The labrys may be wielded with one hand.  It has two semi-circular blades on either side.  The labrys has a small knob on top of the shaft located between the two blades.

The Xothia Tradition is most similar to the Craft of the Wise, Classical or Family Traditions of Witchcraft and they may take the same Occult powers of those traditions.

The highest level witch regardless of level or title is known as The Xothia.

XOTHIA (Dwarf) WITCH EXPERIENCE TABLE
Level	Title	XP	HD	1	2	3	4	5
1	Dwarf Initiate	0	1d6	1
2	DwarfNeophyte	3,000	2d6	2
3	Dwarf Apprentice	6,000	3d6	2	1
4	Dwarf Sybil	12,000	4d6	2	2
5	Dwarf Adept	25,000	5d6	3	2	1
6	Dwarf Mystic	50,000	6d6	3	2	2
7	Dwarf Enchantress	110,000	7d6	3	3	2	1
8	Dwarf Sorceress	220,000	8d6	4	3	2	2
9	Xothia	400,000	9d6	4	3	3	2	1
10	Xothia	600,000	9d6+1	4	4	3	2	2
11	Xothia	800,000	9d6+2	4	4	4	3	2
12	Xothia	1,000,000	9d6+3	4	4	4	4	3
13	Xothia ("The Xothia")	1,200,000	9d6+4	4	4	4	4	4

XOTHIA (Dwarf) SAVING THROWS
Level	1-3		4-6		7-9	10-12	13
Death Ray or Poison	12		10		8	6	4
Magic Wands*	12		10		8	6	3
Paralysis or Turn to Stone	13		11		9	7	5
Dragon Breath	15		12		10	8	6
Rods, Staffs and Spells* *Includes the bonuses Dwarven Witches also gain.	14		11		9	7	4

CHARACTER HIT ROLLS (on 1d20)
Level	Target's Armor Class
Dwarf	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	-1	-2	-3	-4	-5	-6	-7	-8	-9
1-3	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	22	23	24
4-6	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	22
7-9	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	20	20	20	20
10-12	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	20	20
13	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20

Section 15.
The Witch Copyright 2012 Timothy S. Brannan
"Dwarf Xothia" Copyright 2012 Timothy S. Brannan