Malefic Witch Tradition — Curses, Ruin and Dark Patrons

Malefic Witches deliberately pursue destructive magic, cruel bargains and patrons whose goals bring ruin to others. The tradition is defined by conduct and chosen allegiance, not ancestry or sex.

lyzz hana, witch, tribal, Witch tradition, Malefic

Choose the Malefic Tradition If…

You want to play a Witch who has deliberately chosen dangerous and destructive magic.
You want curses, hostile outsiders and dark patronage to sit at the centre of the character.
You enjoy playing with temptation, ambition and consequences rather than accidental “evil by ancestry”.
You want a character whose coven and patron may become enemies if loyalty breaks.

At a Glance

Play style	Aggressive debuffer, curse-worker and dangerous occult specialist.
Signature identity	Chosen allegiance to a destructive patron or hostile supernatural power.
Best stories	Forbidden bargains, rival cults, betrayal, redemption attempts and debts to powers that do not forgive easily.
Legacy powers	Anti-good effects and destructive Occult Powers preserved below.

What it feels like to play: Malefic is not “the evil Witch because the rules say so.” It is the Witch who keeps making choices that cost other people something. The fun is in knowing exactly what your patron offers—and deciding whether the price is still worth paying.

5.5e / 2024 Tradition

Level 3: Malefic Curse

Malefic spells: Bane and False Life are always prepared. At Witch level 5 add Ray of Enfeeblement; at level 7 add Bestow Curse; at level 9 add Blight.

In addition, when a creature fails a saving throw against one of your Hexes, you can deal Necrotic damage to it equal to one roll of your Hex Die. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

Level 6: Feed the Ruin

Once on each of your turns when you deal Necrotic or Psychic damage to a creature affected by one of your Hexes, add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll. If that damage reduces the creature to 0 Hit Points, regain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Witch level.

Level 10: Patron’s Resistance

Choose Fire, Necrotic or Poison damage when you finish a Long Rest. You have Resistance to the chosen damage type until your next Long Rest. You also have Advantage on saving throws against being Poisoned.

Level 14: Manifest Ruin

As a Bonus Action, manifest your patron’s destructive power for 1 minute. Enemies of your choice that start their turn within 10 feet of you take Psychic or Necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier, and once on each of your turns when you damage a creature affected by one of your Hexes, add one roll of your Hex Die to that damage. Once used, this feature returns after a Long Rest.

Legacy rules source

Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks, Timothy S. Brannan and the Netbook of Witches and Warlocks team.

“We come into this life naked, covered in blood, and screaming. Don’t pretend the rest of it is any different”.
– Traditional Malefic Saying

Description: Malefica seek power through destructive patrons, hostile outsiders, forbidden rites and curses. Some serve powers of the Lower Planes; others follow cruel deities, spirits or entities whose demands reward domination, suffering or deliberate disorder. Their crimes often fuel wider fear of Witch covens that have nothing to do with them.

Malefic patrons include hostile outsiders, cruel deities, destructive spirits and other powers willing to reward domination or ruin. A Malefic Witch may serve a named being such as Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Dis or Set, or an entirely different destructive patron recognised by the coven. The tradition has no single universal “dark goddess” theology.

Any people can produce Malefic Witches. Recruitment follows opportunity, patron influence, ambition and moral choice rather than lifespan or ancestry.

Sometimes a difference is made between the Lawful Evil ‘Diabolic witches’ and the Chaotic Evil -Demonic witches- but in truth this is a classification system used only by outsiders. Malefic witches care less about terms of -Diabolic- vs. -Demonic-, especially when the covens- Patrons are neither devils nor demons.

Role: Malefica serve as the chaotic element in nature. They try to destabilize areas, nations, relationships, etc. They do this through the judicial use of the powers at their command. Unlike warlocks or others diabolic spellcasters, Malefica are much more motivated by whim than the will of their patrons. While they do follow their patrons as do all witches, the Malefic witches are given freer reign. Their purpose is to create as much chaos, disorder and evil, or at least ill-will as they can.

This tradition is often seen as the dark side of the Craft of the Wise. While many Craft witches would argue that the Malefic witches give all witches a bad name, most would agree that the universe is balanced with the Malefic witches. Many witches, even Craft witches, still do not get along with the Malefic witches.

Joining this Tradition: Joining this tradition is quite easy; one joins by committing oneself to the service of a deity whose portfolio consists of death, destruction or something similar. Usually an adept Malefica decides to take an apprentice at some time and will seek out one who has heard the call from the Dark Goddess and teach them all they know.

The malefic witches, contrary to popular belief, do not attempt to convert others, either by force or magic, to their fold. Like nearly all witches, the Malefic witch believes one must be worthy and hear the Call before becoming a witch. Other than this requirement, the Tradition does not make any distinctions between male or female, or of race.

Leaving this Tradition: Usually the only way to leave this tradition is by death. Nonetheless, if a Malefica ever decided to recant from the dealing of destruction and chaos, she would also recant from her patron. Not only would she lose all powers she has gained while a Malefica, she would also be hunted by followers of her deity.

Skills & Feats: Malefic witches receive Bluff and Diplomacy as class skills.

Occult Powers:

Minor: 7th Level: Evil’s Touch. A Malefic witch can detect good, as per the spell, at will, as a free action. The Malefic witch can then attack the identified good victim with a +1 to hit and +1d4 added damage. This power only works on victims of good alignment that the witch identified with her detect
good power previously. If the witch does not know a victim’s alignment (with respect to good vs. evil) she does not gain the bonuses to hit or damage.
Medial: 13th Level: Devil’s Tongue. Once per day, by uttering a few words of Infernal, the Malefic witch can make her speech convincing. For the next hour, the Malefic Witch adds her Wisdom modifier to the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Innuendo, Intimidate, Perform, Pick Pocket, Seduction.
Greater: 19th Level: Diabolic Spell. Up to a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence Modifier, you can boost the power of your spells which target good targets. Add your Charisma Modifier to your spell’s DC.

Special Benefits: Malefic witches may use poisons (as per the Assassin ability) plus these witches have no moral or ethical problems with summoning or controlling undead monsters.

Legacy Restriction: The original d20 tradition requires an evil alignment. In play, that requirement represents sustained malicious conduct and allegiance to destructive powers; a character does not become Malefic merely because of ancestry, reputation or one questionable act.

Equipment: The Malefic witch has no special equipment, but they do make regular use of cauldrons.

Coven Domains: Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil, Law

Preferred/Barred Covens: Most covens of other traditions will avoid admitting members of the Malefic traditions. Also any Malefic coven will typically avoid other traditions.

Relationship to the Patron: Malefic patronage is transactional and dangerous. A patron may reward cruelty, conquest, corruption or disorder, but the exact demand depends on the being involved rather than a universal rule that every Malefic must create chaos.

Breaking a Malefic patron’s terms can bring consequences: suspended patron magic, hostile agents, demanded restitution or direct supernatural retaliation. The Games Master should use those consequences as story pressure rather than removing a player character without meaningful play.

Source/Views of Magic: Magic is power and often the Dark Path is the quickest way to this power.

The Malefic witch delights in perpetuating the stereotype of witches and will often claim to be using ·black· magic.

Dark fantasy Witch representing the Malefic tradition and its destructive patrons

Seven Crimes of Malefica

Inspiring impure love
Inspiring hate
Causing impotence
Causing disease
Taking a life
Depriving of reason
Injuring property or animals.

– From the Journal of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General.

Wealth: Normal for all witches. The malefic witch might have some nefarious means of obtaining more gold however.

Other: The basic nature of the Malefic witch means that nearly everyone distrusts her. In this case, the class of the associates matters less than their alignment. Malefic witches are on agreeable terms with evil priests and wizards. Barbarian’s of any alignment generally distrust the malefic witch at the best of times, or actively try to kill them in the worst. Only the paladin and the Witch Finder are steadfast in their opinions of the Malefica; they all must be stopped.

The Malefica have the worst time getting along with other witches as well. Craft witches see them as a necessary evil, Faerie witches are unconcerned with them and most others would rather see all malefic witches burnt at the stake. Many other witches feel, with some measure of justification, that the Malefic witches are to blame for all of the bad things that are said and done to witches. Evil witches of any tradition (Voodoo, Tantric, Tempestarii) will join covens with Malefic witches and vice versa.

A Malefica would take the Warlock Prestige Class if so commanded to by her Patron. Malefic witches still see most Warlocks as traitors to the patrons. Some Hermetic Lodges have accepted Malefic witches in the past, but that is a very rare thing indeed.

GM’s Note: Malefica are always evil and should not be encouraged as player characters. This game should be about heroic fantasy. Malefica make great NPCs to challenge player characters. They should be played as the typical “wicked witch” from fairytales or stories.