Rules:

• Never show to anyone else.
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At level 1, you gain the following ritual:

• Create Phylactery: 10 minutes, reagent cost (1 sp plus a sympathetic component); you create a phylactery: being an object that uses sympathetic magic to create a thaumaturgical connection to another creature. The key ingredient is a sympathetic component, such as blood, hair, or even a prized possession. The object's composition does not matter much; usually, it is a simple doll. The phylactery allows the following uses:
  • Locate Creature: at-will; as you concentrate, you sense the direction of the creature, and the rough distance (1 yard, 10 yards, 100 yards, 1 mile, 10 miles, 100 miles, etc).
  • Spirit Link: at-will; you create a mental link to the creature. You may speak to the subject through that creature. You perceive the subject and its most immediate surroundings (a few feet). Lasts as long as you concentrate.
  • Transmit Weal or Woe: at-will; you may cast a spell or use a physical attack against the doll. This transmits the effect of the spell or attack to the subject, over any distance, bypassing all wards. Each such attack has a 25% chance of destroying the doll permanently.
  • Recall Spirit: 1 minute cast, concentration, subject must be dead; you conjure the creature's spirit, allowing communication. If unwilling to cooperate, you may force the subject spirit to answer questions (Will ends effect, one save per question). Destroys phylactery.
  • Steal Visage: 1 minute cast, reserve; you take the form of subject, down to the most minute detail. You know important knowledge the subject would know, such as the names and faces of his close companions. To recall an important detail, such as a secret only he would know, when prompted for it, you may force it from the phylactery (Will ends; a passed save means you can conjure no more secrets this casting). Destroys phylactery.

Every spell requires energy to cast. Some classes prefer to think of this energy in the abstract as a system of "slots", but Witches see the plain truth: magical energy is life energy, or Vitae, and it comes from the self.

Or does it?

By understanding the nature of Vitae, a Witch can broaden her access to it, and gain new tools and techniques to harness it. Like all spellcasters, a Witch has the ability to tap her own life force to power spells, her essential Vitae.

• Essential Vitae: 2 per Witch level + Con bonus

To cast a spell, a Witch expends Vitae equal to 1 per level of the spell (with cantrips costing 0, naturally). Reaching 0 Vitae means she has drawn upon her life energy to the maximum safe extent before resting, much similar to a wizard or sorcerer bereft of spell slots. However, she can find ways around this limit in certain circumstances, should the need arise.

Among the Witch Spell List are spells and techniques a Witch may use to gain Vitae in unorthodox ways.

Blood Cantrips

Debilitation

• Infection: 1 action, touch or 60-ft, V/S, inst; you infect subject with one (if ranged) or 2 (if touch) stacks of a chosen disease. Diseases last 5 rounds; each application stacks and refreshes (max 5 stacks).
  • Blood Boil: subject suffers 1d6 fire damage per round, and when struck for physical damage, causes a burst 1 inflicting 1d6 fire damage to enemies.
  • Frost Fever: subject suffers 1d6 cold damage per round, and has a penalty of -1 to movement rate per stack. At 5 stacks, the subject is Restrained.
  • Shadow Plague: subject suffers 1d6 necrotic damage per round, and has a penalty of -1 to damage rolls per stack. At 5 stacks, the subject is Weakened (half damage, or lower of 2 results given the penalty to damage rolls).
  • At level 5, you inflict +1 stacks per casting. At level 11, +2 stacks. At level 17, +3 stacks.

Enhancement

• Let Blood: As a bonus action, you let your own blood, suffering 1d6 damage and gaining one Vitae; more at higher levels.

Utility

• Evoke Flame: Free, medium range; targeted blood, freshly spilled within last 3 rounds, burst into flames, providing heat and light and igniting flammable objects as normal. Blood burns as long as you remain in long range, or until the sun rises.
  • Reversed: Free; you suffer medium physical damage, letting your blood flow, which you then cast in a short cone. Any fires in the area, natural or otherwise, are immediately quenched.

1st-level Blood Spells

Debilitation

• Pestilence: Bonus, short range; up to 5 stacks of any diseases are spread from target to chosen targets within 15 ft of subject.

Healing

• Transfusion: Bonus, touch; you transfer your HP into subject (max 50% of your max HP). Costs 0 Vitae, but can spend 1 per 5 levels to add +5 healing. Can use offensively as a single action to drain subject's HP and add them to your own; in this case, max is 100% of your own and the Vitae cost is 1. HP in excess of max are temporary and fade after 10 minutes.

2nd-level Blood Spells

Debilitation

• Outbreak: Single action, touch; subject gains 5 stacks of any disease you can inflict. Alternatively, short range, 3 stacks. Cannot use in the same round as Infection.

Healing

• Blood Bead: Bonus action, 1 Vitae; you create a bead of your own blood, which hardens. At any time, as a free action, a creature can crush the bead, healing himself for 1d8 + Wis damage (+1d8 per extra Vitae spent). No creature may possess more than one bead at a time. Beads not possessed by a creature melt into liquid blood and are wasted.

3rd-level Blood Spells

Assault

• Blood Nova: Single action, medium range, burst 2; inflicts fire damage to enemies equal to the number of hit points the subject is currently missing, and heals allies for half that amount.

Debilitation

• Hemophilia: Bonus action, medium range; all physical damage subject suffers becomes ongoing for 3 rds. This effect lasts for 3 rounds.

Defense

• Ring of Fire: Single action, centered circle 1-3, 3 rounds; a low ring of fire surrounds you, inscribing a pentagram. Does not block line of sight, but does block line of effect of hostile magic and projectiles. Enemies suffer 4d8 fire damage upon entering or starting turn within area.

Healing

• Death and Rebirth: ritual, 10 minutes, reagent (1 living creature of the same type as the subject, e.g. "natural humanoid"); you sacrifice a living creature, and use its passing to resurrect a subject who has been dead for up to 1 day/level.
  • Reversed: Dead subject quickly decays into dust; in a radius around the subject, verdant life springs forth from the ground, in full bloom. Radius is based on the level of subject (10 yards for minor creatures, otherwise 100 yards per level). Optionally, subject's bones remain.

4th-level Blood Spells

Defense

• Ironguard: Bonus action, concentration; you become immune to metal weapons. They simply pass through you, as if they were made of nothing at all. Has no effect on wooden or glass weapons.

5th-level Blood Spells

Mobility

• Create Hearthstone: ritual, 10 minutes, reagent (a stone from the destination hearth, plus 10 gp); you create a stone which allows you to teleport to the destination hearth. A hearthstone has a 1 hour cooldown.
  • Reversed: 10 minutes, reagent (one hearthstone); you destroy the hearthstone, and the hearth to which it is meant to teleport its user, negating the function of any other hearthstones connected to it.

Utility

• Create Greater Phylactery: ritual, 1 hour, reagent cost (1 gp plus a strong sympathetic component); as Create Phylactery, but requires the strongest of sympathetic components, such as a vial of fresh blood (no more than 5 minutes exposed at start of ritual) or a portion of subject's soul. Allows all uses of a standard phylactery, plus:
  • Transmit Weal or Woe: same as normal, except phylactery can suffer 5 "hits" before being destroyed.
  • Steal Visage: same as normal, but does not destroy phylactery.
  • Steal Spell: at-will; you may cast a spell that the subject knows, as if you knew it.
  • Magnify Harm: constant; any harm you inflict upon subject directly (not through Transmit Weal or Woe) is increased in effectiveness by 50%.
  • Domination: at-will, concentration; you may control subject's actions (Contest of Wills).

6th-level Blood Spells

Defense

• Frozen Blood: Bonus action, concentration; your hit points cannot change, up or down. You still accumulate damage, which can be healed away (though not any damage you already had when you first cast the spell). Costs 1 Vitae per round to sustain.

Mysticism Cantrips

• Presence: You alter the environment around you, causing creatures to be empowered, chilled, or unsettled. TBD
• Witchfire: Bonus, concentration; your hand or a held object is immolated by heatless blue fire, which illuminates as well as a torch. The light can only be seen by your allies or those actively detecting magic.

1st-level Mysticism Spells

Assault

• Mindfire: Psychic attack; 3d6 psychic damage + wracked (Wis negates) 1 round. Can concentrate to repeat each round.

Enhancement

• Vital Focus: Bonus action; spend 1 or more Vitae to gain +2 per point spent to a single check or save within 1 rd.

Healing

• Pain Suppression: Bonus action, touch; subject is mostly immune to pain, ignoring pain effects, and gaining the ability to take actions while disabled or dying. Rules TBD

Utility

• Emotion: Single action, medium range; subject is affected by a single, powerful emotion. Choose one of the following:
  • Calm: Subject immediately ceases all action and contemplates life. Wisdom save ends; any hostility against target ends the effect. Can also use on an ally to nullify a negative emotion effect or berserker rage.
  • Desire: Subject is overcome with desire for caster or another of caster's choice, undermining his judgment. Rules TBD.
  • Fear: Subject becomes frightened, ceasing all action but to flee and defend himself. Wisdom save ends after first round.
  • Resolve: Subject's will is hardened; he gains advantage to all saving throws for 1 minute.
  • Rage: Subject immediately becomes hostile to everyone. Wisdom save ends.

2nd-level Mysticism Spells

Assault

• Mind Flay: Single action, medium range; target suffers 4d6 psychic damage plus wracked (unable to act) for 1 rd (Wis negates).

Defense

• Veil: Bonus, concentration; you wrap yourself in illusion, becoming invisible. This requires great concentration, so if you suffer damage, or are otherwise distracted while maintaining it, you must pass a spellcasting check to avoid dropping the veil.
  • At level 5, you may spend 1 extra Mana to expand the radius by 1 square. Every 2 levels, the limit increases by another 1 mana and 1 square.

Enhancement

• Mystic Eyes: Bonus action, concentration; you gain the ability to see outlines around all creatures within short range, regardless of invisibility, stealth, concealment, cover, or presence in the current dimension.

Utility

• Detect Thoughts: You read subject's surface thoughts (click for details).
• Phantasm: Bonus, concentration, 30-ft range; you control what subject senses while you concentrate (Cha ends, but only if they realize the effect is happening; you can use Deception to fool them if your phantasm is suitably subtle).

3rd-level Mysticism Spells

Control

• Mind Control: Single action, concentration, long range; you control subject's actions while he remains within Long range (Wisdom save ends, max one save per 10 minutes). Any hostile actions by your allies against subject negates the spell.

Defense

• Counterspell: As a reaction, counter a spell as it is being cast without spending AP (click for details).
• Psychic Feedback: Bonus action, short range, concentration; chosen subject broadcasts their emotional state in a radius. Those who cause damage to the subject suffer equal psychic damage immediately.

Shaping

• Magic Circle: Inscribe a circle which extraplanar creatures cannot easily cross (click for details).

Utility

• Clairvoyance: Project your sight or hearing to a remote location (click for details).
• Greater Emotion: As Emotion, but affects all targets in a 10-ft burst. Alternatively, a single target within medium range gains one of the following effects:
  • Despair: Subject takes no actions at all, even if attacked and harmed.
  • Love: Subject loves you and no concern--not allies, nor even his own life--stands in the way.
  • Zeal: Subject is so self-assured, he becomes immune to all mental control effects for 1 minute.
  • Others TBD

4th-level Mysticism Spells

Utility

• Phantasmal Force: As Phantasm, but affects targets of your choice within an emanation of 30 ft radius.

5th-level Mysticism Spells

Assault

• Mind Blast: Single action, 30-ft cone; subjects suffer 7d6 psychic damage plus stunned for 1 rd (Wis negates).

Utility

• Co-opt Concentration: Bonus action, medium range; you seize control of an ongoing spell effect that affects a target other than the original caster himself. If the caster is currently concentrating on the effect, you must win an opposed Charisma check.

6th-level Mysticism Spells

Defense

• Psychic Feedback Network: As Psychic Feedback, but for up to 1 target per Vitae spent.

Utility

• True Seeing (SRD)

Black Magic Cantrips

• Lifedrain: 1 action, touch or 60-ft, V/S, inst; you sap target's life force, inflicting 1d8 (if touch) or 1d4 (if ranged) necrotic damage, and gain 1 Vitae. Spell has no Vitae cost. At level 5, you drain 2 Vitae and inflict 2 dice of damage. At level 10, 3 Vitae and dice, etc.

1st-level Black Magic Spells

Defense

• Absorb Magic: Reaction; you outstretch your left hand, drawing in the energy of harmful spell targeted or centered upon you. Roll a Constitution save; on success, you absorb 100% of the spell, negating it, and on failure, you absorb 50% of the spell, reducing its effect by half for all targets. If you absorb 100%, you gain the full Vitae cost of the spell, and if you absorb 50%, you gain half.

Healing

• Death Curse: Reaction; if you are reduced to 0 hp or less, you can instantly convert 1 ore more Vitae into an effect causing 1d8 necrotic damage per point to the attacker and healing you for the same amount.
• Death Pact: Reaction, medium range; an undead minion under your control dies, and you are healed for its current HP (not to exceed your own Max HP).

Shaping

• Malevolence: 1 action, 15-ft cone, V/S; you manifest malevolent energy, achieving one of the following effects as desired:
  • Fear: Roll 6d10; the total is the number of Hit Points of creatures this spell can affect. Subjects are Frightened.
  • Malice: Your undead minions in the area are empowered, gaining advantage to all attacks and saving throws for 2 rounds, and restoring up to 3d10 missing HP each.
  • Dread: Enemies suffer disadvantage to the next check used to defend against you, within the next 5 rounds.

Summoning

• Reanimate: 1 action, 60-ft, V/S, 5 rounds; you animate one or more recently-dead (within the last hour) corpses (of humanoids or animals). The cost is one charge of Vitae per creature animated. You may control a maximum of 1 + 1 per 2 levels as a bonus action (60-ft range, language-dependent); any others act on your last command, or, lacking such command, act as crazed, starved, wild animals might. The traits of the animated dead are:
  • Undead: immune to death effects, energy drain, etc. Cannot be healed as living creatures would. Vulnerable to abilities that affect undead specifically.
  • Clumsy: -2 to Dex and movement speed.
  • Stupid: Int set to 5. They are barely able to understand the simplest of spoken commands, with the aid of gestures and nonverbal communication. They lose any spellcasting abilities, skills, feats, class features, and proficiencies. If wielding martial weapons, they are disadvantaged on attack rolls (but are fine with simple weapons).
  • Doomed: At the end of the duration of the spell, they die once more, and cannot be raised again with Reanimate.

Utility

• Anti-magic Touch: Bonus action, touch; touched magic effect is dispelled, and you gain half the Vitae cost of the spell if you pass an Intelligence check (opposed to caster).
• Spectral Hand: Bonus action; creates a ghostly hand within 60 feet that can move up to 60 feet per round and serves as a proxy for your touch spells.

2nd-level Black Magic Spells

Utility

• Gentle Repose (ritual)

3rd-level Black Magic Spells

Assault

• Corpse Explosion: 1 action, medium range; targeted corpse or undead creature explodes for medium damage in a burst 2. If the explosion strikes other corpses or undead, they explode for the same damage. Secondary explosions do not cause further explosions. Undead creatures are allowed a Con save to negate exploding; friendly undead under your control can be forced to fail this save.

Utility

• Animate Dead: Create skeletons or zombies.
• Necrosis: Single action, medium range; part of subject's body dies, then grows into a new limb, head, or whatever is needed, which wields the subject's own strength against it and its allies. Each round, for 3 rounds, you may choose one of the subject's own maneuvers or spells and execute it, with the subject's own damage statistics.