This tradition is based on my Family Tradition found in my
Basic Era Witch book and on the
Daughter of Baba Yaga Prestige class.
One such Daughter was
Elena the Fair.
Section 15: Daughters of Baba Yaga, Copyright 2015, Timothy. S. Brannan.
OGC Declaration: The following content is considered Open Content for term of the OGL.
New Tradition: Daughters of Baba Yaga
There is an ancient tradition among young witches to seek out the Great Crone Baba Yaga to learn arcane secrets known to no one else. The vast majority of witches never find her mysterious hut. Those that do are often killed and eaten for their impropriety and presumption. But a few, a very few, find the ancient hag and she sees something of worth or value in the witch. These witches go on become quite powerful in their own right. They are known as the Daughters of Baba Yaga.
Daughters of Baba Yaga must join this tradition as young girls. Baba Yaga molds their learning and provides the access to her great lore of spells and arcane knowledge. In many ways Baba Yaga is their Patron.
Role: These witches often become some of the smartest, cleverest and dangerous witches in the land.
Joining this Tradition: Only young girls may join. Typically they are very clever (Intelligence of 14 or higher) and often have some form of family tragedy, such as mother who died while she was young.
Daughters of Baba Yaga will meet when they are together in their fosterage, but rarely afterwards. They do recognize each other on sight regardless when they were fostered. There is something about the aura of someone that was taught magic under the cruel Baba Yaga.
Daughters for the most part are neutral, with some gravitating towards chaotic
Leaving this Tradition: There is no leaving this Tradition. Once you have been tutored by the Crone you can not give that back.
Arcane Diversity: Starting at 2nd level, the Daughters of Baba Yaga can learn any one 1st level Wizard/Magic User spell that is not on witch spell list. This spell is treated as if it were one of her witch ritual spells. Every other level after this the witch may learn a 2nd level spell at 4th level, a 3rd at 6th level and so on till 8th level spells are learned (16th level witch).
These spells are cast as rituals and will require ritual implements but do not require other witches.
Occult Powers
Minor: 1st Level:
Familiar. The daughter will gain a familiar that appears to be normal, if somewhat "worn" animal. Common familiar's have been a tiny mouse, a scrawny cat, a brow beaten dog, even a thin cow in one case. Particularily evil Daughters may be granted a demonling.
Lesser: 7th Level:
Kitchen Witchery. The Daughter of Baba Yaga can brew simple potions based on any spell she can cast. The spells can be kept fresh in potion form for a number of days equal to her level. Spells that affect the self must be drunk or rubbed onto the skin. Spells that affect others must be splashed, rubbed or forced to drink.
Medial: 13th Level:
Detect Bloodline. At 13th level, the witch is granted the ability to detect bloodlines of all types, and able to track the target’s history one generation per level. Essentially, this ability allows the witch to practically smell if someone is related or not, by supernaturally detecting tiny familial features within people. This can include royalty, inherited (but not contagious) lycanthropy and the creature’s true race. This ability might also provide a bonus against those trying to disguise themselves (say, a half-elf posing as a human, or someone disguising themselves as royalty).
The witch must be within 10 feet of a person to detect their bloodline. The Daughter of Baba Yaga can also detect undead with this ability.
The Witch also gains an insight into the target’s personality. For each round assessing the target’s bloodline, the Daughter of Baba Yaga can determine one of the following: One aspect of the character’s alignment (chaotic, lawful, or neutral), hit dice, age or personality.
For each round studying the character’s personality, the Daughter of Baba Yaga gains a +1 bonus to sense motive checks against the target.
The Daughter of Baba Yaga cannot examine the target’s personality whose level/hit dice are greater than her witch level.
Greater: 19th Level:
Curse. The Daughter of Baba Yaga can place a powerful Curse on not just a single creature, but an entire bloodline. She can only do this once per day (for a single creature) or once per month on an entire family. The curse can be of any sort, but usually the curse will bestow a -4 to all to-hit rolls and -2 to any saving throws. Other curses may be allowed, such as the Bestow Curse spell. Witch curses are quite powerful and require the use of two (2) remove curse spells to be fully removed.
A Daughter of Baba Yaga may release a person from a curse placed by another Daughter without the use of spells. The witch will know how to remove the curse intuitively.
Note: Some good witches prefer to give a Boon instead of a curse.
Major: 25th Level:
Shape Change. Once per day, the witch may change her shape to any type of natural animal indigenous to her area, as per the spell Shape Change. For 1 turn per level, the witch may move freely back and forth between her animal and human forms. Once the form is chosen though, that is the only form she can use for the day. So, a witch may choose to change between the forms of human and fox, but cannot go between fox, human and bird. Once the duration has expired, the witch reverts back to human form.
Superior: 31st Level:
Longevity. The witch stops aging. Her appearance will continue to age but her body and mind will stay the same age she was when she reached this level. She is also no longer affected by magical aging. She can still be killed by normal means.
Special Restrictions: Only women may join this tradition. Once joining the new witch must take an Oath of Fosterage. The Oath of Fosterage must be taken when Baba Yaga first considers to take on the potential daughter. Baba Yaga will often demand some sort task or quest from the witch. The task will be one that is difficult and require cleverness to complete. For example asking her to fetch water from a well but only give her a sieve to collect the water.
Once the Oath is made the Daughter cannot attack or harm in any way any other Daughter or Baba Yaga despite their alignment. All Daughters, despite when they were fostered will know each other on sight.
Equipment: None required.
The ritual tool of the Daughter is a mortar and pestle, to honor their "Grandmother". It is used much like a wand or athame is. They are also most likely to use a besom (broom) in place of a staff.
Preferred/Barred Covens: None. Daughters are typically solitaries.
Relationship to the Goddess/Patron: For all purposes the Patron of these witch is Baba Yaga herself.
Source/Views of Magic: Magic comes from wrestling the secrets of the world from those that keep them. These secrets often come from primordial spirits of nature, demon lords, heralds of the heavens and nearly forgotten fae.
Wealth: Daughters are all typically rather poor. They start with half the amount of gold typical for a 1st level witch.
