Illusion • Legacy Secret Writing
Witch Writing
Witch Writing hides a true message beneath convincing false writing and reveals it only when a chosen condition is met. The caster defines both the concealed text and the trigger.
Witch Writing at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No direct conversion published here |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No direct conversion published here |
| Pathfinder 1e | Not a Pathfinder Witch spell by default |
| D&D 3.x Legacy | Witch 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3 |
Spell Rules by Edition
Witch Writing — 5.5e / 2024
Edition status: No official 2024 rules are supplied for this legacy spell. Do not import its older mechanics as a standard Witch spell.
Witch Writing — 5e / 2014
Edition status: No official 2014 version is supplied here; a conversion would require a house ruling.
Witch Writing — Pathfinder 1e
Edition status: This legacy name is not established here as a Pathfinder Witch spell. Use only Pathfinder-specific published rules or an agreed adaptation.
Witch Writing — D&D 3.5e (legacy Witch rules)
| School | Illusion (Pattern) |
|---|---|
| Level | Witch 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3 |
| Components | V, S, Arcane Focus |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | Written pages; up to one page per caster level |
| Duration | 1 day/level |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
The caster writes a true message and a false message, then chooses the circumstances that reveal the concealed writing. Suitable triggers include moonlight, a particular phase of the moon, a command word, a named reader or another specific condition approved by the Games Master.
When the spell ends, both the true and false writing become illegible. The spell can be cast again to renew the effect.
Arcane focus: a double-tipped pen or quill, plus special ink made with lemon juice and silver dust worth about 30 gp per page under the original rules.
Using Witch Writing in Play
The spell is ideal for coven records, coded instructions, conditional wills, hidden maps and messages intended for a particular time, person or celestial event.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Legacy source: Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks. The trigger examples have been cleaned of unnecessary bodily-material assumptions while preserving the spell’s conditional-reading mechanic.
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