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A tall human steps into the cavern, his cat-like eyes dilate and grow accustomed to the darkness. The wolf's head medallion on his chest vibrates as he draws a silver sword from its sheath. His quarry is here. He can smell it. A bloody and bruised elf rides back to town, the head of a griffin hanging from her saddlebags. Her hunt was tough, but the gold will be worth it. Itinerant monster slayers for hire, witchers have undergone extensive training, ruthless mental and physical conditioning and mysterious rituals from a young age. The Trial of the Grasses Taken in as children, witcher candidates are subject to the trial of the grasses, a combination of alchemical decoctions and mutagenic compounds. Three in ten survive the trial and those that do find their body permanently mutated. Cat-like eyes, enhanced strength, agility and reflexes are characteristics of a witcher's mutation. Coupled with a lifetime of training, study and conditioning and young witchers grow into formidable warriors. The trial of grasses bestows witchers with an extended lifespan. The exact limitations of their extended life are hard to ascertain due to the witchers' occupation, but some human witchers have been known to live for several centuries. Other properties of witchers' mutations include sterility and

tremendous resistance to disease, which allows them to take advantage of highly toxic elixirs. However, they are not infallible, as they can still make mistakes, take a misstep in battle against mundane men or supernatural creatures, or be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Though rare is the individual who managed to slay a witcher out of skill rather than dumb luck or by ambush. Monsters for Hire Anyone with enough coin to afford their considerable fee can hire a witcher. A lord might purchase the services of a witcher to slay a striga or vampire, or a village might pool their silver to persuade one to rid them of a griffin that's been preying on their livestock. Witchers are not assassins and most will balk at taking on a contract on a man's life. Witchers of the School of the Cat tend to have looser morals and can be persuaded to accept contracts that others wouldn't. Some will invoke the witcher's code as the reason why they can't accept a contract. In reality there is no witcher's code. Each witcher is an independent operator, free to do as they please. They rely on the enigma of their profession, invoking the code to get out of accepting a contract, or working for an individual, that they find distasteful. 1

The Witcher Level Proficiency Bonus Stamina Points Features 1st +2 -- Enhanced Physiology, Witcher's Medallion, Witcher School Feature 2nd +2 2 Killing Monsters, Stamina, Signs 3rd +2 2 Witcher School Feature 4th +2 3 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 3 Extra Attack 6th +3 4 Abolish Curse, Alchemy (Oils) 7th +3 4 Advanced Signs 8th +3 5 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 5 Alchemy (Elixirs) 10th +4 6 Witcher's Resilience 11th +4 6 Witcher School Feature 12th +4 7 Ability Score Improvement, Additional Elixirs 13th +5 7 Hardened Soul 14th +5 8 Advanced Signs (2) 15th +5 8 Improved Tolerance, Additional Elixirs (2) 16th +5 9 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 9 Witcher School Feature 18th +6 10 Uncanny Intuition 19th +6 10 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 10 Ultimate Mutant

Creating a Witcher When creating a witcher, consider the effect your character's upbringing has had on his or her personality. This invariably ties in with your background. Also consider the school you plan to join, as witchers of the various schools are known for certain personality traits. Witchers of the School of the Cat, for instance, are known to be as flexible in terms of morals and politics as they are in combat. If there is one thing that can be said for all witchers, however, it is that they are not naive. Even fresh-faced witchers have spent years training to get where they are now, and won't be soiling their breeches at the sight of a drowner or hag. Quick Build You can make a witcher quickly by following these suggested steps; first, make Strength your highest ability score (unless you plan to join the Cat school, in which case choose Dexterity instead), followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the witcher background, detailed at the end of the class description. Class Features As a witcher, you gain the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d10 per witcher level

1d10 per witcher level Hit Points at 1st level: 10 + your Constitution modifier.

10 + your Constitution modifier. Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per witcher level after 1st Proficiencies Armour: Light armour, medium armour

Light armour, medium armour Weapons: Simple weapons, battleaxes, longswords, morningstars, shortswords, warhammers, hand crossbows.

Simple weapons, battleaxes, longswords, morningstars, shortswords, warhammers, hand crossbows. Tools: Alchemist's supplies. Saving Throws: Strength

Strength Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature and Survival Equipment You start with the following equipment: (a) leather armour or (b) scale mail

2 martial weapons, one of which is silvered.

(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes

(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack. 2

Enhanced Physiology The trial of grasses has mutated you, fundamentally altering your physiology and enhancing your body. You gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet (if you didn't have it already), advantage on saving throws against diseases, and if your base walking speed is less than 30 feet it becomes 30 feet. Witcher's Medallion You possess a witcher's medallion bearing the face of the beast your school is named for. The medallion vibrates gently while in the presence of magic. If you are touching or wearing the medallion and are within 30 feet of a spell being cast or an overtly magical creature, such as a fey or elemental, the medallion alerts you as it hums and tugs on its chain. This effect is not triggered by your allies, the items they wear or carry, or the spells they cast, nor is it triggered by shapechangers who can assume humanoid forms. If you lose your medallion, you can create a new one over the course of a week. Witcher School You learn specific techniques and styles of fighting from your Witcher school: the School of the Bear, the School of the Cat or the School of the Wolf, each of which are detailed at the end of the class description. You gain features from your Witcher School at 1st, 3rd, 11th and 17th level. Killing Monsters When you reach 2nd level, your studies into all things monstrous grants you knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. As a bonus action, choose one beast, dragon, elemental, fey, fiend, monstrosity, shapechanger or undead you can see within 120 feet of you. You immediately learn the target's vulnerabilities, immunities, and resistances. You also learn any special effects triggered when the target takes damage, such as fire damage halting its regeneration. If you have never encountered or heard of the creature before, your DM may rule that this ability fails. You also have advantage on Intelligence checks you make to recall information concerning creatures of these types. Stamina At 2nd level your mutations allow you to push your body to it's limit. You have 2 stamina points and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Stamina Points column of the Witcher table. Stamina points can be used to cast signs or use certain features. You regain all expended stamina points when you finish a short or long rest. Signs Starting at 2nd level, you learn to cast signs, rudimentary but versatile spells that don't require extensive knowledge or magical formulae. Signs are treated as 1st-level spells, so they can be affected by counterspell, dispel magic and so on. Each sign costs 1 stamina point and requires somatic components. At 7th level, you learn to cast each sign's alternate form. At 14th level, damage you deal with signs increases by one of its damage die (e.g 1d6 becomes 2d6). Spellcasting Ability Wisdom is you spellcasting ability for your witcher signs, since your magic draws from your mutations. You use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for any sign you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier Aard Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: Self (10 foot cone)

Self (10 foot cone) Duration: Instantaneous You throw your hand forward, fingers extended and slightly parted, sending forth an aqua-tinted gust. Each creature in the cone must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 1d6 force damage and is pushed back 5 feet. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn't pushed back. Creatures of size Huge or larger automatically pass their save. Alternate form: As an action, Aard can instead be used to target any number of creatures of your choice within 15 feet of you, deals additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier, and knocks creatures who fail their saves 10 feet away. Axii Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: 30 feet

30 feet Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You cloud the mind of one non-hostile creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, for the duration you have advantage on ability checks to interact socially with the target, and they are very susceptible to suggestion, provided the suggestion seems reasonable and does not immediately harm the creature or its interests, for example a guard may be persuaded to allow you past his checkpoint. If you or any of your companions attack the target, the effect ends. Creatures that can't be charmed are immune to this effect. Alternate form: Axii can instead be cast on a hostile creature. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save the creature is stunned until the beginning of its next turn. Heliotrop Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are targeted by a spell or make a saving throw against a spell or magical effect

1 reaction, which you take when you are targeted by a spell or make a saving throw against a spell or magical effect Range: Self

Self Duration: Instantaneous You cross your wrists in loose fists and a magical blue ward appears. You can increase your saving throw roll or AC against the spell attack by 1d6. You can choose to use this sign after the creature makes its roll, or you make your saving throw, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or saving throw succeeds or fails. The die rolled increases to 1d8 at 7th level and 1d10 at 14th level. 3





Alternate form: You can instead use Heliotrop to negate damage. When you are damaged by a spell or other magical effect you can reduce the damage received by 2d8 + your Wisdom modifier, increasing to 2d10 + your Wisdom modifier at 14th level. Igni Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: Self (10 foot cone)

Self (10 foot cone) Duration: Instantaneous You thrust your hand forward, with you middle and ring fingers extended, launching an arc of flame. Each creature in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d8 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Alternate form: You can instead launch a concentrated blast of fire at a creature within 30 feet. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 2d8 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a success. A flammable object hit by this sign ignites if it isn't being worn or carried. Quen Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack

1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack Range: Self

Self Duration: 1 round You wave your hand with your thumb and little finger bent inward and your index finger extended. Until the start of your next turn, your AC increases by your proficiency bonus. If you are hit with an attack while the sign is still active, the ward shatters, dealing 1d6 thunder damage to all creatures within 5 feet of you and ending the effect. Alternate form: You can instead, as a bonus action, use Quen as a sustained shield. Until the beginning of your next turn, you ignore any attack against you that deals less than 10 points of damage. Yrden Casting Time: 1 bonus action

1 bonus action Range: Self (15 foot radius)

Self (15 foot radius) Duration: 1 minute You press your open hand to the ground, fingers extended. Purple glyphs form a 15 foot circle centred on your current location. Each foot that a hostile creature moves through the area costs 2 feet of movement. Planar and ethereal travel is impossible while in the circle and invisible creatures become visible as long as they remain in the circle. Alternate form: You can instead, as an action, inscribe a single glyph of Yrden on the ground which remains for up to an hour. Any creature that steps on the glyph must make a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. The glyph is barely visible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Abolish Curse Starting at 6th level you can expend a stamina point to cast remove curse as a ritual. Alchemy - Oils At 6th level you can create oils to apply to your weapons in preparation for combat. As an action, you can apply an oil to a bladed weapon or to twenty pieces of ammunition. Oils last for 1 hour before becoming ineffective. Attacks made with oiled weapons against a specific type of creature deal acid damage equal to your Wisdom modifier in addition to the weapon's damage . You can craft 1 oil from the following list during a long rest. A herbalism kit is required to craft oils. Oils become inert if not used within 24 hours. Oil Creature Type Beast Oil Beast Draconid Oil Dragon Elementa Oil Elemental Fey Oil Fey Fiend Oil Fiend Monster Oil Monstrosity Shifter Oil Shapechanger Undead Oil Undead Alchemy - Elixirs At 9th level you learn the recipes for 2 elixirs. You learn 2 additional recipes each at 12th and 15th levels. During a long rest, you can use a herbalism kit to craft a number of elixirs equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You can choose to craft multiple elixirs of the same type. Elixirs become inert if not used within 24 hours. Elixirs are highly toxic and only a witcher's advanced fortitude prevent them from becoming violently ill or even dying from drinking them. Any non-witcher who drinks an elixir does not gain any of the elixir's benefits and must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 4d6 poison damage and becomed poisoned for 1 hour. Elixirs have a strong smell and are impossible to successfully disguise in food or drink. You can use a bonus action to drink an elixir. Consuming a second elixir before taking a long rest causes side effects detailed in the description of each elixir. You only suffer the 4

side effects of the second elixir, which last until your next long rest. Drinking more than 2 elixirs before taking a long rest causes the toxicity to finally overcome your natural resistance. Any further elixirs have the same effect on you as they do non-witchers. Black Blood Duration: 1 hour For the duration your blood becomes poisonous. You gain resistance to poison damage and any creature that ingests your blood, through a bite attack or similar, takes 6d6 poison and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw agains your spell DC or be poisoned for 1 minute. Side Effect: You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws. Cat Duration: 1 hour For the duration your sight is heightened, allowing you to see in complete darkness. Your darkvision is extended to 120 feet and you can see in darkness as though it were bright light. You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and your passive Wisdom (Perception) increases by 5. Side Effect: You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Full Moon Duration: 10 minutes Your body is pushed beyond its normal limits. You gain 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier temporary hit points and +1 AC. Side Effect: After the elixir's duration ends you gain a point of exhaustion. Golden Oriole Duration: 10 minutes When you drink this elixir, you neutralise and gain immunity to any poisons. Additionally, your body adapts to the poison. You heal for half of any poison damage you would be dealt for the duration Side Effect: You gain vulnerability to slashing damage. Swallow Duration: 18 seconds (3 rounds) When you drink this elixir, your heartbeat slows and with each pump your blood clots more. At the beginning of each of your next three turns, you regain hit points equal to your witcher level. Side Effect: You cannot regain hit points with potions or magical effects. Thunderbolt Duration: 10 minutes Your muscles are hardened as your strikes become more formidable. Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d6 of damage. Side Effect: Attacks against you score critical hits on a roll of a 19 or 20. Witcher's Resilience Starting at 10th level, if you roll an 18, 19 or 20 on a death saving throw, you instantly regain hit points equal to twice your witcher level. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Hardened Soul When you reach 13th level, you can no longer be frightened, and you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Improved Tolerance Starting at 15th level, you can drink 3 elixirs per long rest instead of 2, only suffering the side effects of the third. Additionally, the number of elixirs you can prepare during a long rest increases to 2 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 2). Uncanny Intuition Beginning at 18th level, if your total for a Wisdom check is less than your Wisdom score, you can use that score in place of the total. Ultimate Mutant At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no stamina points remaining, you regain 2 stamina points. Witcher Schools There are three main witcher schools, and although all train in the ways of weaponry, alchemy, and the bestiary, each practices a unique style of fighting. School of the Bear Witchers of the Bear School favour raw strength over agility, and crushing blows over fancy dances. Bear's Fortitude When you choose this school at 1st level, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws and one of Athletics, Animal Handling or Nature. Bear Hug Starting at 3rd level, you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks you make to grapple a creature or to escape a grapple yourself. If you are successful in escaping a grapple, you can immediately use a free action to make a grapple attack against the creature that was just grappling you. Sweeping Blow When you reach 11th level, you can cause your strikes to cleave into a number of nearby enemies. When you hit a creature with a Strength-based weapon, you can spend a stamina point to cause another enemy within 5 feet of the first to take additional damage equal to your witcher level. 5

Dismembering Strike When you reach 17th level, your blows can send limbs sailing across the battlefield. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can deal additional damage equal to your strength score. If the creature has 50 hitpoints or fewer after this attack, you can use your bonus action to force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency + your Strength modifier. If it fails, you lop off one of its limbs. This feature can't be used against a creature with legendary actions. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. School of the Cat Witchers of the Cat School developed fighting styles focusing on speed, precision, and agility. Cat's Reflex When you choose this school at 1st level, you gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws and one of Acrobatics, Deception or Stealth. Inhuman Agility Starting at 3rd level, you can spend a stamina point to take the Dash, Disengage or Dodge action as a bonus action. Pirouette When you reach 11th level, your fighting style takes on a fluid, dance-like quality. When you're hit with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to expend a stamina point and halve the damage. You gain advantage on your first attack against that creature next turn. Perfect Poise When you reach 17th level, your sense of balance is so perfect that you cannot be knocked prone. Additionally, the superior control with which you strike your enemies allows you to deal exceptional amounts of damage with a single blow. When you hit with a melee attack, you can turn the hit into a critical. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. School of the Griffin Witchers of the School of the Griffin e

School of the Wolf Witchers of the Wolf School practice a blend of fighting styles, and excel at tracking and combating spellcasters. Wolf's Will When you choose this school at 1st level, you gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws and one of Insight, Persuasion or Survival. Hunting Instinct Starting at 3rd level, tracking no longer slows you or your companions' progress, and you can expend a stamina point to gain advantage on Stealth and Survival checks for the next 10 minutes. Disrupting Strike When you reach 11th level, your blows can break the concentration of even the most steadfast of spellcasters. When you hit a creature that is concentrating on a spell with a melee attack, you can expend one stamina point to end its concentration on that spell. Cornered Animal When you reach 17th level, you can explode into a frenzy of attacks. As an action, you can make 4 attacks instead of the usual 2. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. 7