Witch Tradition Lorelei

Liber Mysterium

The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks

By Timothy S. Brannan and The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks Team

Description: The Lorelei is an artistic witch, who takes everything they do in life and expresses it in poetry and song. They hold the philosophy that life is a song in and of itself. Graceful and talented, the Lorelei are usually the most tolerated of the witches, because they fit in better with mundane society than other Traditions.

Lorelei are fantastically Charismatic. They dress with style and flair, and can take the worst news with a smile. With a swing in their step and a glint in their eye, they live their lives with grace and happiness.

Elven society is fundamentally established in word and song, and so elves take naturally to the Lorelei tradition, as do Gnomes and Halflings with their inclinations towards song and travel. Humans and halfelves also easily adapt to this tradition. Half-orcs seldom have the grace or personality to become part of this Tradition and dwarves are too serious to really understand the Lorelei’s philosophy.

Role: The Lorelei are travelers at heart. They record their travels nearly entirely in song. To a Lorelei, to live is to experience, and to experience is to sing.

With their chaotic tendencies, the Lorelei have trouble working with paladins and monks. They often function well with bards, as traditional bardic philosophy is closely related to the Lorelei’s.

Joining this Tradition: When a Lorelei receives a call, they receive a vision to meet a more experienced Lorelei. When the new Lorelei finds the more experienced one, they travel together and the experienced Lorelei teaches the young Lorelei the philosophy and magic of their song.

Since many are travelers, it is extremely difficult for an entire coven to meet. Only once every couple of years does an entire coven get together. These coven meetings are filled with beautiful displays of song and talent, taking place in reclusive settings where few non- Lorelei will witness.

Leaving this Tradition: A Lorelei who loses a love and understanding of music loses all of her abilities as a Lorelei. An Atonement spell is required to regain these abilities. Also, if a Lorelei ever becomes a lawful alignment, her abilities are lost until the alignment becomes non-lawful again.

Skills: Lorelei receive Perform as a Class Skill

• Minor: 7th Level: Bardic Music. At 7th level the Lorelei receives the Bardic Music ability. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/4th her Lorelei level.
• Medial: 13th Level: Song of suggestion. As a special use of the Bardic Music ability, the Lorelei can make a Diplomacy or Perform check (whichever is better) with a DC equal to 10 plus the targets hit dice plus the targets Wisdom modifier to plant a suggestion in a target. This is as per the spell suggestion.
• Greater: 19th Level: Song of Enthrall. As a special use of the Bardic Music ability, the Lorelei can perform a song of charming. This song requires targets to make a will save equal 10 + half the Lorelei’s level + the Lorelei’s Charisma modifier or be charmed as per the spell Charm Person, at a caster level equal to the Lorelei’s own caster level.

Special: Lorelei have Perform as a class skill.

Special Restrictions: A Lorelei who loses her ability to hear can no longer cast spells of any sort. In addition, all spells that a Lorelei casts contain a verbal component, even if the spell doesn’t say so. The Lorelei also may not take the Silent Spell feat.

The Lorelei may not be of Lawful Alignment. A Lorelei who becomes a Lawful alignment loses all of her spell casting and supernatural abilities.

Equipment: Lorelei generally use Musical instruments as the focus for their magic rituals.

Coven Domains: Chaos, Luck, Travel, Trickery

Preferred/Barred Covens: Lorelei often belong to covens related to music. Lorelei get along well with a surprising amount of different types of witches, and can be found in many different types of covens.

Relationship to the Goddess/Patron: The Lorelei view the goddess as the beauty all around their lives. The typical philosophy is that existence is simply a complex song that has its changes in tempo and melody.

Source/Views of Magic: To a Lorelei, the spells that they cast are manifestations of the goddess as a result of their singing. To them, magic is the manipulation of song, and song is the manipulation of life and power.

Wealth: Standard

Other: Since they are found more in cities than any other witch, the Lorelei multiclass with the rogue better than any other class. The Lorelei and bard are too similar to make an effective combination; any in existence were usually bards before they received the call to become witch.

Lorelei typically do not take prestige classes for similar reasons. But like most witches, find the Warlock to be distasteful in the extreme.