D&D 5th Edition Conversion - The Witcher

Welcome back!  So I’ve been playing The Witcher 3 of late.  This of course got me to thinking about possibly doing my own conversion of the Witch as a character class for D&D 5th Edition.  I know other folks have done this, but I have to try my hand as well.

To start I have to look at what a Witcher is.  Looking at the wiki, a Witcher is not just a profession but a mutated being who has been augmented via alchemical processes, trained extensively to fight monsters, and they become powerful combatants of monsters of any sort.  However, for all of their enhancements the Witcher is left emotionally damaged, sterile, and often feared and hated by the people they encounter.

Of course the difficulty comes in adapting this to a game system that makes use of classes and levels.  Now please keep in mind that this conversion is not a set-in-stone thing.  I did what I could to retain the feel of a Witcher as a class, so I hope it doesn't need to be toned down.  But if so, please comment on your thoughts and I'll incorporate them as best I can.

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WITCHER

The human stands in the darkness, a bestial figure circles around him in the dark.  The beast lunges but the man smiles slyly as he easily slips past the creature, his silver sword a flash in the dark.  The human’s cat like eyes see more than they should and his reflexes were above what a human should possess.

The elf crept as silent as a shadow, through underbrush that would rightly snap under foot of a lesser person.  A beast of this sort was ordinarily impossible to approach with such silence.

A half orc held his blade aloft as the men bunched up, attempting to corner him.  With a grin the made a subtle gesture and a gout of heat and sparks rolled from his hand washing over his foes causing them to burst into flames.

A Witcher is a dangerous foe for anyone who would dare to cross their path.  Trained from a young age, given dangerous alchemical mutagens and educated in a sprawling variety of creatures, the Witcher is the ultimate hunter of not just beasts and horrors of the night, but of men as well.  The path of a Witcher however is one that is not easily chosen.  Those who would be Witchers are found from amongst orphaned children whose families have been lost because of violent beasts.  The children are ones who desire revenge, and are willing to pay the price for what it will take.

Many children do not survive the alchemical process, but it is a choice they have made.  Those that do survive are drilled in the arts of fighting, educated on monsters of all sorts, and taught about Witcher alchemy and magic.  The end result is a superior hunter of beasts, monsters, and any other creature that one may conjure up.  However, Witchers are typically emotionally stunted.  They come across as being callous, unemotional, dark and brooding.  Over the years a number of Witcher schools have come and gone, but now three schools Witcher training stand that guide a Witcher in how they will evolve as a warrior.

MERCENARY LIFE

People live their lives in relative comfort not wanting for much more than a peaceful life.  But peace is easily disrupted by the dark machinations of men, or through the unexpected occurrence of a beast that rampages and destroys.  Regardless of the circumstances people often hire others to solve these problems.  While adventurers are capable of accomplishing their tasks, few are as specialized to the hunting as that of the Witcher.  Their homes, or training schools, are far removed and often hidden.  This is to safeguard their secrets, as well as to maintain the safety of young Witchers in training.

Witchers live their lives on a day to day basis.  They are shunned, often treated with a degree of contempt and inhospitality as people often view them as nothing more than uncaring attack dogs one hires as needed.  Their mutations single them out, making them stand apart from others.  They live a very mercenary life, some not providing aid unless there is coin involved.  But this is not the case for all Witchers as there are some who choose to not only take jobs for coin, but often do nice things simply because they feel like it.  Some Witchers even have a personal code that they live by.

MONSTER HUNTER

Witchers come from all walks of life, though most are typically human.  An older Witcher is often called upon to find recruits from children who are victims of monsters, who have no families to speak of.  People often believe that Witchers steal children, though this is typically not true.  A child desiring revenge must choose the life, and they are always told the risks involved.  Those few that take up the calling are put through an alchemical process and given mutagens that will forever alter who they are.  Years are spent training for those that survive the process.  They are taught a fighting art that is a part of the school from which they now call home.  They are taught about monsters in addition to basic schooling.  And as they mature they are eventually taught to use signs, a form of magic.

Amongst the various types of adventurers, Witchers are known for being fearless and unflinching against nearly any foe.  It is not from courage that they distill this strength, but rather that they simply do not feel fear in the same way normal people do.  Typically, Witchers work alone, but some have been known to band together with like minded people, many of whom are personal friends, or even other Witchers.

CREATING A WITCHER

When making a Witcher character you will need to think about the motivation as to why they chose the life at a young age.  Not only this but you also have to think about what sort of person they are.  Witchers are stunted on an emotional level and tend to think logically about problems and situations they face.  In this regard do they have a tendency toward decent/good acts, do they prefer a more mercenary/neutral life style, or are they looking out for just themselves and have no qualms cutting down anyone who would stand in their way to finishing a job (evil)?

A Witcher can fit into most campaigns, however a GM must first agree to this and consider the impact of a professional monster hunter in a party of adventurers.  You need to also figure out why they are traveling with a party.  Do they dislike being alone all the time, is the pay better when you work with others, or is it simply safer for yourself to be in a group so as to avoid being ostracized by people who would likely hire you to kill a monster.

QUICK BUILD

You can make a Witcher quickly by following these suggestions.  First, you will want to have your highest ability score be CON, followed by either STR or DEX.  Second, choose the Outlander background. (If a mercenary like background is available then that would be a better fit.)

CLASS FEATURES

As a Witcher, you gain the following class features.

HIT POINTS

·         Hit Dice:  1d10 per Witcher Level

·         Hit Points at 1^st Level:  10 + your CON modifier

·         Hit Points at Higher Levels:  1d10 (or 6) + your CON modifier per Witcher level after 1^st

PROFICIENCIES

·         Armor:  Light Armor, Medium Armor

·         Weapons:  Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons

·         Tools:  Alchemy Tools

·         Saving Throws:  Constitution, Wisdom

·         Skills:  Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, Perception, and Survival.

EQUIPMENT

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

·         (a) Longsword, and 1 Silvered Longsword, or (b) any simple melee weapon and 1 silvered martial weapon of choice.

·         (a) Hand crossbow (20 bolts), or (b) daggers (4 of them)

·         (a) an explorers pack, or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack

·         (a) studded leather armor, or (b) chain shirt

·         Witcher Medallion

WITCHER MUTATION

Starting at level 1, a Witcher will possess a number of mutated qualities, however these qualities come at a cost.

·         Darkvision:  Witchers gain darkvision at 60ft.  If the character’s race already grants them darkvision then the range is extended to 120ft.

·         Disease Immunity:  Witchers possess an extreme resistance to diseases of all sorts.  This grants them immunity to normal and magical diseases.

·         Toxin Resistance:  Witchers possess a heightened resistance to poisons and other toxins.  When exposed to such things the Witcher has advantage on their saving throws.

·         Accelerated Healing:  The Witcher gets to add a +2 to any time they would recover HP.

·         Longevity:  The Witcher’s life span is roughly 3x greater than that of their base species.

·         Superior Physicality:  Witchers are more physically adapt at physical tasks than others.  When rolling Athletics and/or Acrobatics you may add an additional +2 to these rolls.

·         Social Stigma:  Witchers are often viewed as monsters themselves as they were created through alchemical experimentation. This has left them as appearing to be cold and emotionless, though Witchers do feel emotions like anger and even love, but are not prone to being frightened or intimidated.  In situations where the Witchers emotional stability is an asset (such as not being intimidated, or avoiding fear) the Witcher is at an advantage.  However, if the Witcher is in a situation where these their emotional stability is a liability they are at disadvantage to the roll.

·         Appearance:  Witcher’s bodies are a bit different than other of their race.  First off their eyes are yellow, cat-like eyes.  Second of all, while they heal quickly, their bodies always bear the scars of their battles.  Witchers tend to stand out because of their features and are at a disadvantage when attempting to hide one’s identity.

·         Sterile:  A Witcher can never have children as the alchemical processes used on them leaves them sterile.  This is a fact not many know.

WITCHER MEDALLION

At Level 2 the Witcher learns to craft their medallion.  Often this is an item that bears the face of the Witcher school that they came from (Wolf, Griffin, Cat).  These medallions are fairly simple to make, though their enchantment is known only to the Witchers.  As long as the Witcher concentrates they may make use of the Detect Magic spell freely.  Should the medallion be removed from them, no one else may use the medallion in the same way unless they too are a Witcher, and in turn until they get the medallion back, or make a new one, the Witcher cannot use Detect Magic unless they have the spell through some other means.  The crafting of this medallion is like crafting a low level magic medallion in general, though the cost is halved and the time taken to make is doubled.

·         At level 6 the Witcher may treat any Silvered weapon they are using as if it were a magic weapon, however this is only against creatures that normally would be immune or have resistance against slashing/bludgeon/piercing damage, or take damage only from magic weapons.

·         At Level 10 the Witcher’s ability to focus their senses through their medallion can allow them to sense more than just magic.  While concentrating, the Witcher can easily detect the tracks and trail any being leaves behind.  By using their amulet to focus on the being, the Witcher can more easily pick out things such as their scent, tracks, blood trails and so forth.  This grants the Witcher advantage on Survival rolls for their tracking and identifying creatures based upon evidence they leave behind.

WITCHER SIGNS

Starting at 2^nd level, the Witcher gains the ability to use Signs.  These are magic spells that can be cast with one hand, and are much simpler than spells often used by other types of spell casters.  At level 2 the Witcher may choose to know 2 signs from the following list below.  A new sign may be learned every 3 levels, or a current sign’s strength may be improved instead.  If a saving throw is required, the save is equal to 8 + the Witcher’s Level + their WIS modifier.  Signs cannot be used consecutively however, once a sign is used, another cannot be used again until your next turn.  Signs can be cast as a bonus action following a melee attack.  Improvements can only be taken twice.

·         Aard:  A telekinetic blast meant to push opponents away violently.  This is a short range cone effect that is 15ft long.  The blast does 1d8 Force damage and pushes the targets affected back 15ft and knocks them down, unless they make a STR save.  If they succeed they are simply take damage.  The power can be used more subtly to extinguish small flames like those from a torch, candle, or campfire, though range is still limited to 15ft for this.

o   Improvement:  Improving on this sign increases the damage by +1d8, and you may choose to target your immediate radius instead of a cone.

·         Axii:  With an action or bonus action the Witcher can use Axii to beguile a person’s mind.  The target gets to make an INT save.  If they fail the save the Witcher may have advantage in conversations with them where conversation based skill rolls may be needed.  In combat the target is stunned should they fail their roll.

o   Improvement:  Improving on this sign adds +2 to the difficulty of the targets save against it.

·         Igni:  With an action or bonus action you can unleash a jet of heat and fiery sparks upon a small group of foes.  The attack affects a 15ft cone doing 1d8 fire damage and it can cause flammable objects to combust.  The power can be used more subtly to light torches, candles and the like.  though range is still limited to 15ft for this.

o   Improvement:  Improving on this sign increases the damage by +1d8, and widens the cone by 10ft.

·         Quen:  This creates a protective shield around the Witcher that protects them from harm to a degree.  When activated the character receives damage resistance from all damage sources, including magic, but it applies only against the first hit that the character takes.  After this the character must reactivate the power on their following turn.  This may be activated as a bonus action.

o   Improvement:  Improving on this sign increases the number of attacks it may apply against by 1.

·         Yrden:  This sign appears on the ground and is something of a trap sign.  It serves two purposes.  The first purpose is that it reduces the movement of anyone who passes through it by half until the end of their next turn.  Secondly the sign negates incorporeal effects of beings like ghosts and wraiths.  They lose this ability until the start of their next turn.  Note that if anyone remains with in the 10ft radius of the sign the effects of the sign will not dissipate from them until the sign does.  The sign remains in place for 1 minute, though if the Witcher concentrates on it, the sign can be held in place past this.  Additionally, the Witcher may put down and overlap multiple Yrden signs, however they can only choose to concentrate on one at a time.

o   Improvement:  Improving on this sign allows it to deal 1d6 arcane damage to any one, (but the Witcher) that enters the circle.  If they remain in the circle, then they continue to take damage at the start of each of their turns.

WITCHER SCHOOL

At 3^rd level the Witcher can choose to follow the principles of a particular Witcher School that best suits their needs and way of doing things.  Choose from the Cat, Griffin, and Wolf schools.  The schools are all detailed later.  The Witcher School gains features at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, and 18.

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

When the Witcher reaches level 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 you may increase an ability score, you gain a +2 to either one chosen ability score, or a +1 to two ability scores.  As normal you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

BEASTIARY KNOWLEDGE

At 5^th Level the Witcher possesses extensive knowledge about any type of monster.  The Witcher has advantage on skill rolls made to identify any type of monster.  A Witcher may make either a Nature or Survival skill roll to know about a type of monster.  This skill roll is at an advantage.  Additionally, if the Witcher has time to study and learn about a specific target in more detail then they may gain one of the following bonuses:

·         +1d8 Bonus damage on a single attack against the target on your turn.

·         +1 to Defense against the target.

·         Advantage on a single chosen saving throw made against the target, as you possess knowledge of what powers it has and what saves they call for.  This does not apply, however, to creatures that can cast spells and thus does not apply to spells, only a creature’s inherent powers.

EXTRA ATTACK

This feature is gained at level 5 and functions the same as that of any other class in the PHB.

WITCHER ALCHEMY

At 7^th level the Witcher has gained enough understanding of the world around them to know how to create alchemical solutions in the field using any number of ingredients.  Witcher potions and mutagens are only effective on Witchers, and typically don’t work on normal people (instead acting as a deadly poison for many).  Witchers need time to harvest ingredients (all of which are typically found in the wild), but with enough in hand the Witcher can create the following potions, mutagens, and oils.  The times needed are typically significantly less than that of normal potions/oils that magic users can craft.

·         Swallow (Healing Potion):  This functions like a normal healing potion, you can brew up either a standard potion of healing (2d4+2), or a greater healing potion (4d4+4).  If used by someone who is not a Witcher they must make a CON save.  If they fail, they take the healing effect in damage instead of restoring health if they fail the save.

·         Thunderbolt (Damage Potion):  This grants the user a +3 to melee damage and lasts 5 minutes.  Once the effects end the user reduces the number of Hit Dice they have available for healing for that day by 1 until a long rest is taken.  Anyone else using the potion must make a STR save.  If they fail, they suffer a -4.

·         White Honey (Save Potion):  This grants the user advantage on their next saving throw.  When the save is made the effects pertain to all saves made with that ability score until the end of the character’s next turn.  Anyone else using the potion must make a CON save.  If they fail, they are at a disadvantage on their next saving throw up until a minute has passed.

·         Golden Oriole (Anti-toxin Potion):  This potion immediately cures the Witcher of any poison/toxin effects currently in their body.  They also gain resistance from any further effects for 1 minute.  If anyone else uses the potion they must make a CON save.  If they fail, they are instead poisoned themselves, taking 1d6 damage at the start of each of their turns lasting for a minute.  They can continue to make CON saves after they have taken damage an additional time to shrug off the effects.

·         Blade Oil:  This oil, when applied to a weapon’s blade, allows the weapon to be treated as a magic weapon.  The oil typically lasts an hour, and takes a minute to apply.  Fire can set the oil aflame and allow the weapon to do an additional 1d4 fire damage, however the oil remains viable for just the encounter if this is done.  Poison can be infused into an oil to allow it to be used against a target in that way.  Oils are water resistant, but prolong submersion in water will wash it off.

WITCHER BLADE STYLE

At level 9 the Witcher has gained immense skill in the use of fighting with just their swords, fighting in a two-handed style of fighting.  A Witcher may assume a one of two stances when making an attack, this affects all attacks made that turn however.

·         Fast Style:  The Witcher assumes a stance that focuses on speed of action.  Apply a +1 to attack rolls when using a sword with two hands.

·         Heavy Style:  The Witcher assumes a stance that focuses on heavy strikes.  Apply a +2 to damage when using a sword with two hands.

·         Evasive Style:  The Witcher assumes a stance suited for guarding against attacks, while also allowing them to attack.  Apply a +1 to AC when using a sword with two hands.

CUNNING STRIKE

At level 10 the Witcher knows that everyone and everything has a weakness.  As an action the Witcher can observe their opponent.  At the start of their next turn the Witchers attacks score a critical hit on the target if they roll a 19 or a 20.  Additionally, the Witcher deals an extra die of damage equal to that of the weapon they are using, but only if a critical hit is rolled.

FEARLESS

At level 13 the Witcher is immune to fear effects.

MONSTER SLAYER

At 14^th level the Witcher’s skill at slaying monsters of all kinds is without peer. When fighting against any sort of monster the Witcher does an additional +1d6 damage against them for each attack made, so long as the Witcher is doing full damage to them (is using attacks that bypass/ignore immunities or damage resistance).  If using their silver sword against a monster, the Witcher use a d8 instead of a d6.

IMPROVED WITCHER ALCHEMY

At 17^th level the Witcher’s alchemical capabilities are far greater than they once were. 

·         Swallow (Healing Potion):  The potion can be crafted to act as a superior, or supreme healing potion.  These potions require a bit more time to brew, as well as a few more ingredients.

·         Thunderbolt (Damage Potion):  Instead of a +3 the character gains a +6.

·         White Honey (Save Potion):  In addition to existing effect the character gains a +2 bonus to the roll.  This bonus remains for the full minute.

·         Golden Oriole (Anti-toxin Potion):  This still does what it does but also grants a +2 bonus to any additional rolls for the minute duration.

·         Blade Oil:  This improvement can allow you to craft Oil of Sharpness (see the DMG).  Also you can craft dragon’s breath oil.  This causes the blade of the weapon to ignite in fire, dealing +1d6 f damage with the damage type being of a type akin to the breath weapon of a dragon

LETHAL BARRAGE

At 19^th level the Witcher learns to strike swiftly, capitalizing on an opening presented by an opponent to strike swiftly and as rapidly as they can.  When an attack roll succeeds in hitting an opponent, the amount you succeed by adds one additional die of damage based on the weapon used, against the opponent (a minimum of 1 die is always added).  This feature cannot be used again until a long rest is taken.

WITCHER SCHOOLS

A Witcher is often a member of a particular Witcher school upon being taken in as an orphan.  While these schools may give some initial influence onto how a Witcher may wish to work, they can in fact choose to follow one school over the one that they were brought into.  There used to exist several different schools, but currently there exists only 3 schools.  These schools are Cat, Griffin, and Wolf.

SCHOOL OF THE CAT

The school of the cat is not a school with a good reputation.  Many Witchers of the school turned to lives of being assassin’s for hire, however this is not the case for all Witchers of the Cat School.  Agility and speed are the main focus points of this school, so training often involves stealth and fast precise strikes.

  

FLEET OF FOOT

At 3^rd level the Witcher figures out how to move quickly while staying silent.  When using Stealth, the character may move at their normal speed without penalty.  If the character is not proficient in the Stealth skill they gain proficiency in it.  If already proficient they may apply a +2 bonus to their skill roll instead.

DUAL WIELD

At 7^th level the Witcher learns to wield a blade in each hand.  The character can engage in two-weapon fighting, and can add their ability modifier to damage rolls of the second attack.  Cat School Witchers tend to use short swords instead of long swords for their fighting as they prefer to run lighter on their equipment.  As such, so long as the Cat School Witcher is using a short sword they are at a +1 to hit or +1 AC (you must choose one or the other to use on your turn).

EXPLOITING STRIKE

At 11^th level the Witcher picks up on the subtleties of exploiting their opponents.  This effectively functions like the Rogues backstab in how and when it can be used.  It grants the Witcher +1d6 damage to a single attack that is made that meets the conditions for when a Backstab attack can be made.  This does stack with other damage that the Witcher may apply to a single attack.

PIERCING GAZE

At 15^th level the Witcher’s eye sight is greater than most other Witchers.  Their darkvision distance increases by 90ft.  The Witcher has advantage on Perception rolls involving their sight.

PROWLING HUNTER

At 18^th level the Witcher is a patient stalker of their foes, slowly inching forward until the can strike at the last possible second.  When using Stealth to ambush an opponent the Witcher can designate a single opponent to stalk.  Stealth rolls are at advantage against the target, and when an attack is made you deal an extra +1d6 damage against the target.

SCHOOL OF THE GRIFFIN

The school of the griffin is an unorthodox school in that it focused on the Witcher’s use of signs and magical capabilities.  As such these Witchers are more versed in the use of magic and what can be done than other schools.

MAGIC ADEPTATION

At 3^rd level the Witcher possesses extensive skill in magic.  If the character doesn’t already possess the Arcana skill they gain it now.  The character may then choose one of the following options at this level, and levels 7, 11, 15, and 18

·         Gain a Sign:  If the Witcher is lacking a sign they may select one that they don’t have yet.

·         Sign Improvement:  The Witcher can select the improvement option of a sign they already have.

·         Cantrip:  The Witcher may choose the use of a cantrip that they do not have from the Sorcerers list.

·         Leveled Spell:  The Witcher knows a spell of level 1 to level 4.  The spell is from the Sorcerer’s list, and the level at which it can be chosen is like that of a Sorcerer of the same level.  Spells cast can be cast again after a short rest.  When the character gains a level them may choose to swap out the spell known for an alternative spell that they meet the requirements for.

·         Improved Level Spell:  The leveled spells that the character can use may be used more than just once per short rest.  The spells known can be used 1 additional times each. If this is taken again the spells can be used another 1 time.

SCHOOL OF THE WOLF

The school of the wolf is one of the more balanced Witcher schools.  Those of the wolf school tend to boast better overall senses than other Witchers.  Those of the wolf school are swift and capable trackers over other schools.

HEIGHTENED SENSES

At 3^rd level the Witcher’s senses are on an animalistic level.  The range of the Witchers hearing is doubled, and you can track beings by scent alone.  You can even distinguish individual scents amidst others.  You can use either the Survival skill for tracking or your Perception skill roll for tracking.

MEDITATION

At 7^th level the Witcher learns how to meditate with the patience of a monk.  When meditating a short rest is halved.  The Witcher may also choose to meditate instead of sleep for a long rest, which reduces the rest time by two hours.

CIRCLE THE PREY

At 11^th level the Witcher takes on fighting characteristics of animals.  Against a chosen opponent the character may circle around them and not draw attacks of opportunity from adjacent opponents while doing this.  Additionally, opponents who gain bonuses to attacks for fighting adjacent to an ally against the character do not gain that bonus against the Witcher while they circle.

ADRENAL SURGE

At 15^th level the Witcher learns how to control their adrenaline allowing them to become physically stronger.  The Witcher gains a +2 to melee damage and is immune to charm/sleep spells and effects while using this.  The effects of Adrenal Surge last for a number of turns equal to 1 + the Witchers CON modifier.  This cannot be used again until a short rest is taken.

SWEEPING BLADE

At level 18 the Witcher’s attacks become sweeping strikes.  When attacking the Witcher can choose to make a melee attack against a target and any adjacent opponents to the target (no more than 3).  The attack roll is made and compared against all targets adjacent to the main target.  The main target of the attack gets the full lot of damage dice rolled for the attack, however each additional target hit only takes damage based upon the weapon being used (and ability modifier).

--SUPPLEMENTAL SCHOOLS--

The Witcher schools were once more extensive in their offerings beyond the Cat, Griffin, and Wolf schools.  There exist at least two other schools that are now extinct, though writings of their teachings still can be found in the many Witcher strongholds around the world.

SCHOOL OF THE BEAR

The school of the Bear is one of the oldest Witcher schools.  They preferred to use heavy armor and weapons over that of other Witchers, however one must not ignore the fact that while they still have the breadth of other Witcher capabilities at their disposal.

URSINE WARRIOR

At 3^rd level the Witcher gains proficiency in Heavy Armor, and greater skill in the use of heavy weapons.  When using Heavy Armor, you are not at a disadvantage to Stealth skill rolls.  Additionally, when using weapons that have the “Two-Handed” property you can wield them with only one hand.  When using the weapon with two hands the damage die type increases by 1 if only one die is rolled.  If more than 1 die is rolled an additional die of the type is added.

RESILIENCE OF THE BEAR

At 7^th level the Witcher boasts toughness comparable to a bear.  While wearing heavy armor the Witcher has resistance to non-magical Bludgeoning, Slashing, & Piercing attacks.

HEAVY BLOW

At 11^th level the Witcher knows techniques for dealing staggering blows to their foes.  When a melee attack hits an opponent it must make a CON save vs. a difficulty of 8 + your total attack bonus (STR or DEX modifier + Proficiency Bonus).  If the save fails, the target is Stunned.  If successful, then the target’s movement is halved and it is at disadvantage on its next attack roll.

DIRE CONDITIONING

At 15^th level the Witcher’s toughness has reached a new peak.  The character is at advantage on skill rolls made to remain standing when they would otherwise normally be knocked prone.  The character is also at advantage on rolls made to escape being grappled or entangled.

URSA MAJOR

At 18^th level the Witcher is capable of devastating combat.

·         The character scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.  However this is only if the character is using a two-handed weapon.

·         You may add your proficiency bonus to the damage you deal.  If you score a critical hit you may also double this damage as well.  This cannot be used again until a short rest is taken.

  

SCHOOL OF THE VIPER

The school of the viper is one of the most secretive of Witcher schools.  Those of the viper school are often very secretive and possess extensive knowledge of poisons.  Witchers of this school have some similarities with those of the cat school.

SHORT BLADED DUAL WIELDER

At 3^rd level the Witcher learns to wield a blade in each hand.  The character can engage in two-weapon fighting, and can add their ability modifier to damage rolls of the second attack.  However, this is only usable with weapons that have the “light” quality.

POISONEER
At 3^rd level the Witcher possesses knowledge on how to make poisons and how to apply them.  The character can apply poison safely to their weapons, and never runs the risk of poisoning themselves when doing so.  When crafting poisons from natural elements the character needs only ½ the time and half the gold to make the poison.  Animal poisons however must still be harvested from the animals, but the character does possess knowledge on how to safely remove/acquire such poisons.  Poisons applied to weapons are done so as an oil and last the same length as any oil.

SERPENTS GUILE

At 7^th level the Witcher is able to move silently and patiently like a snake.  The character has advantage on Stealth rolls, and makes no noise when moving when doing so, so long as they are moving at half your speed on your turn.

SERPENT’S STRIKE

At 11^th level the Witcher is able to strike with both their blades in a single deadly strike against an opponent to strike in two places making it an attack that is difficult to guard against.  When you attack, the target must make a DEX save against a difficulty of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your DEX modifier.  If the target fails their save you do damage of both weapons, including your STR or DEX modifier to damage for both weapons (as well as any additional effects from the weapon).  If the save is successful, you still land the hit for one of your weapons.  Note that you must be using a “light” weapon in each in order to use this.

AXII STARE

At 15^th level the Witcher learns to use the Axii sign without gestures to hypnotize a foe, relying upon just their gaze.  The target of this must make a WIS save vs. a difficulty of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your WIS bonus.  If the target fails their save, you can apply one of these two conditions:

·         Charmed:  The target will remain charmed so long as you concentrate and maintain view of them.

·         Paralyzed:  A paralyzed target requires that you maintain eye-contact (and concentration) on them for them to remain paralyzed.  If eye-contact is broken they are allowed an immediate save to break free.  Attacks on the target by anyone but the character also allow the target to make another save.

After this ability is used, the character must take a short rest before it can be used again.

POISON MASTER

At 18^th level the Witcher is a master of poisons.  The character knows techniques for making any poison more potent.  The time taken is double that for making a normal poison, (note that this does not count the effect given for the Poisoneer feature).  The concentrated poison has double the overall effect that it once did.  The character knows how to make a potion known as “Black Blood.”  This potion turns the Witcher’s blood into a poison (based upon the poison it’s made from).  The effect lasts for 10 minutes, and during this time the character is immune to poisons.  Should any creature with a Bite attack, or that drains blood, attacks the character with their attack they will take the poison effect, even if they would normally be immune.  A Black Blood potion cannot be used again until a long rest is taken.  If used a second time, or more, in a day the character suffers half the poison effect themselves.  Note that the Black Blood potion can be taught to other Witchers to be used, however those that do learn to make it do not gain immunity to poisons, and if used more than once in a day they Witcher takes the full effect of the potion themselves instead of just half.