Margaret Aitken — The Great Witch of Balwearie

Margaret Aitken — 5.5e / 2024

Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral Evil; Witch of the Classical Tradition

Armor Class 15 (Mage Armor active; 12 unarmoured)
Initiative +2 (12)
Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6
Skills Arcana +7, Deception +7, Insight +6, Investigation +7, Nature +7, Perception +6, Persuasion +7
Senses Passive Perception 16
Languages Scots, English
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP; PB +3)
Gear Dagger, Book of Shadows, charm satchel, inked warrant, small witch’s focus

Traits

Real Witchcraft. Margaret is a 7th-level Witch. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). Her prepared magic, hexes and black-cat familiar are genuine. Her claim that she can identify witches by a mark in the eyes is false: Detect Magic detects magic, not moral guilt or a universal witch’s mark.

Spellcasting. She has four 1st-level, three 2nd-level, three 3rd-level and one 4th-level spell slots. Her witch spells are: Cantrips (at will) Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Toll the Dead, Prestidigitation; 1st Charm Person, Hex, Mage Armor; 2nd Hold Person, Mirror Image, Suggestion; 3rd Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Fear; 4th Confusion, Greater Invisibility. The Veil Patron’s Gift grants Minor Illusion and Disguise Self; her Classical Tradition also keeps Animal Friendship, Detect Magic, Aid, Augury, Plant Growth, Remove Curse, Divination and Hallucinatory Terrain prepared. Find Familiar is always prepared. She must spend slots as normal, and Concentration rules apply.

Hexcraft. Margaret knows four Hexes and has three uses, recovered on a Long Rest; she regains one expended use after a Short Rest. Her Hex Die is d8, her Hex save DC is 15, and she can use only one Hex per turn. Her preferred Hexes are Withering Word, Slumber Hex, Evil Eye and Witch’s Ward.

Practical Lore (Nature). Through the 3rd-level Classical Tradition feature, Margaret is proficient in Nature (+7). This represents her study of herbs, animal signs and natural omens, not automatic recognition of spellcasters.

Read the Fear. Margaret has Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to tell who in an audience fears being accused. This ordinary social ability cannot prove witchcraft.

Actions

Witchfire. Ranged Spell Attack: +7, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) Necrotic damage. Margaret makes two Witchfire attacks when she takes this action. This is an original NPC attack, not a spell from her prepared list.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage.

Slumber Hex (1 Hexcraft Use). A creature she sees within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or have the Incapacitated condition and Speed 0 until the end of its next turn. Taking damage, or another creature using an action to rouse it, ends the effect early.

Bonus Actions

Withering Word (1 Hexcraft Use). A creature within 60 feet that Margaret sees makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. It takes 13 (2d8 + 4) Necrotic damage on a failure and cannot regain Hit Points until the start of her next turn, or half damage without the healing restriction on a success.

Point the Finger (1/Short or Long Rest). Margaret has Advantage for 10 minutes on Persuasion checks to convince an already fearful crowd to demand an inquiry into a person she names. This does not compel belief or establish guilt.

Reactions

Evil Eye (1 Hexcraft Use). When a creature within 60 feet makes an attack roll or ability check, Margaret subtracts 1d8 after the d20 is rolled but before the outcome is known.

Witch’s Ward (1 Hexcraft Use). When Margaret or a creature she sees within 30 feet is hit by an attack, Margaret adds 1d8 to that creature’s AC against the attack, potentially turning it into a miss.

Protective Charm (1 Hexcraft Use). When Margaret or a creature within 30 feet she can see takes damage, she can reduce that damage by 13 (2d8 + 4) instead of using another Reaction.

Spell Deep Dive — 5.5e / 2024

At the table. Margaret is a 7th-level Intelligence Witch: spell save DC 15, spell attack +7; slots 4 first, 3 second, 3 third, 1 fourth; four ordinary cantrips, eleven ordinary prepared levelled spells, plus her Veil Gift, familiar and the Classical Tradition’s always-prepared spells. Witch rules, Classical Tradition, and Witch spell lists provide the longer rules. Prepared spells are not separate free castings: spells still spend a slot unless a feature explicitly says otherwise.

Concentration limit. Only one Concentration spell can be maintained at a time. For example, she cannot keep Hold Person and Greater Invisibility active together. If Mage Armor has not been cast, AC is 12; once cast, it is 15. All spell descriptions below are encounter summaries; use the relevant edition’s complete rules for detailed targeting, components and upcasting.

Cantrips

• Chill Touch — 2024: melee spell attack, +7 to hit, 2d10 Necrotic damage at Margaret’s level 7; the victim cannot regain Hit Points until the end of her next turn. The linked spell page now separates the four editions.
• Mage Hand — Action; 30 feet. Moves and manipulates light unattended objects; cannot attack or operate beyond the spell’s restrictions.
• Toll the Dead — official 2024 compendium — Action, 60-foot range, DC 15 Wisdom saving throw; 2d8 Necrotic damage at level 7, or 2d12 if the target is missing Hit Points. This 2024 spell is linked to its published rules because a dedicated SpiralWorlds entry is not yet available.
• Prestidigitation — Action; minor sensory tricks, marks, cleaning and simple effects. Useful for a staged supernatural demonstration, not proof of a curse.
• Minor Illusion (patron gift) — Action; create a sound or an illusory object within 30 feet. Her Veil Gift grants it without spending one of her four ordinary cantrip choices.

1st-Level Spells

• Charm Person — Action; Wisdom save, 30 feet; affects an individual’s disposition but does not dominate or erase memory. Charm is not a confession.
• Hex — Bonus Action, 90 feet; Concentration, up to 1 hour; extra Necrotic damage when Margaret hits, plus a chosen ability-check disadvantage. This spell is different from her class Hexcraft.
• Mage Armor — Action, touch; AC 13 + Dexterity modifier for 8 hours. Explains AC 15 while active; unarmoured AC is 12.

2nd-Level Spells

• Hold Person — Action; Wisdom save, 60 feet; Concentration, up to 1 minute; Paralyses a Humanoid, with repeated saves as the spell specifies.
• Mirror Image — Action, Self; three illusory duplicates, generally 1 minute without Concentration. Use the spell’s d20 targeting and duplicate AC rules.
• Suggestion — Action; Wisdom save, 30 feet; Concentration, up to 8 hours. Requires an intelligible course of action; does not force obviously harmful acts.

3rd-Level Spells

• Bestow Curse — Action, touch; Wisdom save; Concentration, up to 1 minute at this slot level; choose one of the spell’s listed curses. A held victim is easier to approach.
• Dispel Magic — Action, 120 feet; ends qualifying active spells; higher-level effects may require an Intelligence ability check against DC 10 + spell level.
• Fear — Action; 30-foot Cone, Wisdom save; Concentration, up to 1 minute. Affected creatures flee; place the Cone before rolling saves.

4th-Level Spells

• Confusion — Action; 90 feet, 10-foot-radius Sphere; Wisdom save; Concentration, up to 1 minute. Affected creatures use the spell’s random behaviour table and get repeat saves.
• Greater Invisibility — Action, touch; Concentration, up to 1 minute. The target stays Invisible while attacking or casting. It is her preferred escape spell.

Patron and Familiar Magic

• Disguise Self (patron gift) — Action, Self; 1 hour without Concentration. Changes apparent appearance, not physical substance; a suspicious observer can examine the illusion.
• Find Familiar (familiar) — 1-hour casting or Ritual; 10-foot range; a spirit familiar uses an eligible CR 0 creature form. Telepathic communication works within 100 feet, and seeing or hearing through it costs Margaret a Bonus Action in 2024. It cannot attack; touch spells may be delivered using the familiar’s Reaction. See the published 2024 spell for components, dismissal and all limitations.

Classical Tradition — Always Prepared

• Animal Friendship — 1st-level animal enchantment, Wisdom save. Useful for calming a guard dog or an animal witness, not a way of controlling Humanoids.
• Detect Magic — Magic action or Ritual; Concentration, up to 10 minutes. Detects nearby magical presence and auras, not moral character or the universal identity of witches.
• Aid — 2nd-level protective spell; extends Hit Point maximums and current Hit Points for 8 hours. Cast before expected violence, not as a reaction.
• Augury — 2nd-level Ritual; interpret omens about a proposed course of action in the near future, with the spell’s limited time horizon.
• Plant Growth — 3rd-level environmental magic. Controls existing plants or enriches land; does not instantly create a forest in bare stone streets.
• Remove Curse — 3rd-level touch spell that ends qualifying curses. Removing a spell’s curse does not repair legal accusations.
• Divination — 4th-level Ritual; request an omen about a specified event within the coming week; answers are limited, not perfect prophecy.
• Hallucinatory Terrain — 4th-level illusion affecting natural terrain; 10-minute casting and 24-hour duration without Concentration; can mislead pursuers outdoors.

Hexcraft and Tradition — Full Turn Procedure

Hexcraft resource: Three uses per Long Rest (equal to PB +3), regaining one spent use whenever she finishes a Short Rest through Hex Recovery. She knows four hexes; Hex Die d8; Hex save DC 15; only one Hex per turn. The Classical Tradition’s Protective Charm draws from the same pool. Her spell slot pool is separate. She cannot use both Evil Eye and Witch’s Ward on one triggering attack because both spend her single Reaction.

Withering Word: Bonus Action, 60 feet, Constitution DC 15, 2d8 + 4 Necrotic damage and healing restriction until the start of her next turn on failure; half damage, no restriction on success. Slumber: Magic action, 60 feet, Wisdom DC 15, Incapacitated and Speed 0 until end of target’s next turn; damage or an ally’s action to rouse it ends the effect. Evil Eye: Reaction after an attack roll or ability check within 60 feet but before its result, subtract 1d8. Witch’s Ward: Reaction on a hit within 30 feet, add 1d8 to target AC against that attack. Protective Charm: Reaction when a creature within 30 feet takes damage, reduce it by 2d8 + 4. Details: Hexcraft and Classical Protection.

Additional Witch features: Whispered Preparation lets her replace one prepared ordinary Witch spell after a Short Rest while her familiar is within 30 feet. Hex Recovery restores one expended Hexcraft use at the end of a Short Rest. She has no level-10 Old Road teleport or higher-level Witch features.

First Three Combat Rounds

1. Before combat: Mage Armor; send the cat to watch the official holding her Book of Shadows.
2. Round 1: Confusion against clustered guards (Concentration) or Slumber Hex against one strong pursuer; reposition behind cover.
3. Round 2: Witchfire or Withering Word against a pursuer; protect herself with Witch’s Ward or Protective Charm, not both on the same hit.
4. Round 3: Switch Concentration to Greater Invisibility only if escape becomes more valuable than keeping Confusion active; flee toward an arranged hiding place.

Original CR 5 witch NPC derived from the site’s 2024 Witch class. Her familiar is a normal familiar unless a different creature’s published statistics are expressly assigned to it. Her officials, guards and crowd are separate encounters.

Margaret Aitken — 5e / 2014

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil; homebrew witch spellcaster

Armor Class 15 (mage armor); Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28); Speed 30 ft.; Challenge 5 (1,800 XP; proficiency bonus +3).

STR 9 (−1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 14 (+2), INT 18 (+4), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 18 (+4).

Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6; Skills Arcana +7, Deception +7, Insight +6, Investigation +7, Nature +7, Perception +6, Persuasion +7; Senses passive Perception 16; Languages Scots, English.

Traits

Witch Spellcasting (7th Level). Intelligence is Margaret’s spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15; +7 spell attack). She has spell slots 4/3/3/1 for levels 1–4. Cantrips: Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Toll the Dead, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion. Prepared spells: 1st Charm Person, Disguise Self, Hex, Mage Armor, Find Familiar; 2nd Hold Person, Mirror Image, Suggestion; 3rd Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Fear; 4th Confusion, Greater Invisibility. She also knows protective and divinatory rites, including Detect Magic and Remove Curse, through her Classical Witch Tradition. Spell slots and Concentration work by 2014 rules.

Hexcraft (3 Uses per Long Rest). Her Hex Die is d8 and her save DC is 15. Margaret knows Withering Word, Slumber Hex, Evil Eye and Witch’s Ward. She recovers one use after a Short Rest and may use one Hex per turn.

Read the Fear. Margaret has advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to recognise fear of accusation; no such check identifies a witch automatically.

Actions

Witchfire. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) necrotic damage. Margaret makes two Witchfire attacks when taking this action.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

Slumber Hex (1 Hexcraft Use). A creature within 60 feet Margaret can see makes a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is incapacitated and its speed becomes 0 until the end of its next turn; damage or an action spent waking it ends the effect.

Bonus Actions

Withering Word (1 Hexcraft Use). A visible creature within 60 feet makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 13 (2d8 + 4) necrotic damage and losing the ability to regain hit points until the start of Margaret’s next turn on a failure, or half damage without that restriction on success.

Point the Finger (1/Short or Long Rest). For 10 minutes Margaret has advantage on Persuasion checks to provoke an investigation of a named person among a crowd already fearful of occult crimes. This is nonmagical.

Reactions

Evil Eye (1 Hexcraft Use). Margaret subtracts 1d8 from an attack roll or ability check made by a creature she sees within 60 feet, after the roll but before its result is determined.

Witch’s Ward (1 Hexcraft Use). When she or a creature within 30 feet she sees is hit by an attack, Margaret adds 1d8 to that target’s AC against the attack.

Protective Charm (1 Hexcraft Use). Margaret reduces damage suffered by herself or an ally she sees within 30 feet by 2d8 + 4; she can use only one Reaction per round.

2014 Spell Deep Dive and Edition Differences

2014-compatible conversion: 7th-level Intelligence Witch, save DC 15, attack +7, slots 4/3/3/1. She prepares eleven ordinary levelled spells; bonus Veil/Tradition spells and Find Familiar are always prepared. Witch class and spell archive. When adjudicating, use the 2014 spell wording, including casting time, components, Concentration, repeated saves and creature type limits—not newer 2024 variations.

Cantrips

• Chill Touch — 2014: ranged spell attack, +7 to hit, 120-foot range; at level 7, 2d8 Necrotic damage. On a hit the victim cannot regain Hit Points until the start of Margaret’s next turn. The linked entry has a separate 2014 rules panel.
• Mage Hand — Action, 30 feet; manipulate a light item at a distance without automatically succeeding at theft or disarming traps.
• Toll the Dead — 2014/Xanathar rules — Action, 60-foot range, DC 15 Wisdom save, 2d8 Necrotic at level 7 (2d12 if the target is injured). This spell originally appeared in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything; follow the edition-specific published rules rather than treating it as a legacy d20 spell.
• Prestidigitation — Action, 10 feet; minor non-damaging stagecraft and deliberate omens.
• Minor Illusion (patron gift) — Veil gift; Action, 30 feet. A visible object or sound, not a material transformation.

1st-Level Spells

• Charm Person — Action, 30 feet, Wisdom save. Charmed for an hour; target knows it was charmed afterward.
• Disguise Self — Veil gift; Action, Self; lasts an hour with no Concentration.
• Hex — Bonus Action, 90 feet; Concentration. Adds 1d6 Necrotic damage each time Margaret hits the cursed target with an attack; does not enhance spells that only require saving throws.
• Mage Armor — Action, Touch; AC 13 + Dexterity for 8 hours. AC is 15 while this is active, otherwise AC 12.
• Find Familiar — 1-hour casting or Ritual, 10-foot range; the cat can communicate telepathically within 100 feet. In 2014, seeing or hearing through its senses costs Margaret an Action, not the 2024 Bonus Action. The familiar cannot attack or freely cast her spells; see the published 2014 spell reference.

2nd-Level Spells

• Hold Person — Action, 60 feet, Wisdom save; paralyzes a Humanoid while Concentration lasts (up to 1 minute), with repeat saves.
• Mirror Image — Action, Self; creates three duplicates, no Concentration, duration 1 minute.
• Suggestion — Action, 30 feet, Wisdom save; concentration up to 8 hours. A specific intelligible course of action, not control of an entire town.

3rd-Level Spells

• Bestow Curse — Action, Touch, Wisdom save; 1-minute Concentration at a 3rd-level slot. Select a permitted curse outcome.
• Dispel Magic — Action, 120 feet; removes the eligible spell or requires a spellcasting ability check for an effect above 3rd level.
• Fear — Action, Self (30-foot Cone), Wisdom save; Concentration for up to a minute.

4th-Level Spells

• Confusion — Action, 90 feet; area 10-foot-radius Sphere, Wisdom save, Concentration for up to a minute. Use the 2014 behaviour table, not Pathfinder’s.
• Greater Invisibility — Action, Touch; Concentration up to one minute. Escape while maintaining ordinary magical attacks.

Classical Tradition — Always Prepared

• Animal Friendship (1st-level) — Wisdom save; persuade a Beast that she means it no harm.
• Detect Magic (1st-level) — Ritual, Concentration up to 10 minutes; locate nearby magic rather than criminal guilt.
• Aid (2nd-level) — One action; bolster allies’ current and maximum HP for eight hours, without Concentration.
• Augury (2nd-level) — Ritual; limited forecast about a course of action.
• Plant Growth (3rd-level) — Increase nearby vegetation or enrich a planted area; cannot replace investigation.
• Remove Curse (3rd-level) — Action, Touch; ends applicable curses.
• Divination (4th-level) — Ritual; omen on a particular proposed matter in coming days.
• Hallucinatory Terrain (4th-level) — Conceals natural terrain’s true appearance; long casting time and duration, so prepare before being chased.

2014 Hexes — Separate from the Hex Spell

Resource: 3 Hexcraft uses/Long Rest and 1 use regained after a Short Rest; one class Hex per turn; d8 Hex Die; DC 15. Slumber: Action, Wisdom save, Incapacitated and Speed 0 until end of victim’s next turn, broken by damage or waking. Withering Word: Bonus Action, Constitution save for 2d8 + 4 Necrotic, or half on success, with a brief healing restriction only on failure. Evil Eye: Reaction, subtract d8 from one attack or ability check. Witch’s Ward: Reaction, add d8 to AC versus one hit. Protective Charm: Classical Tradition Reaction, prevent 2d8 + 4 damage. Every listed reaction competes for the same single Reaction; all consume one Hexcraft use. These are original Witch class features, not generic spells.

2014 Encounter Use

Put up Mage Armor before the hearing; use Mirror Image when guards approach. If a single Humanoid threatens the cat or her book, Hold Person can stop it, but she cannot Concentrate on Hold Person and Greater Invisibility simultaneously. When pursued, she uses Slumber and Disguise Self to break pursuit, not an automatic disappearance. She should not keep casting after spending her last slot or Hexcraft use.

2014-compatible NPC conversion of the site’s original Witch, with distinct spells and real magical powers. The witch-finding eye-mark claim is deceptive, not a special supernatural detection ability.

Margaret Aitken — Pathfinder 1e

CR 6 (2,400 XP); female human witch 7 (Classical Tradition, Trickery patron); NE Medium humanoid (human). Genuine prepared witch spellcaster with black-cat familiar.

Init +6; Senses Perception +10

Defense

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 mage armor, +2 Dex); hp 39 (7d6 + 14); Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8

Offense

Speed 30 ft.; Melee dagger +2 (1d4−1/19–20); Ranged dagger +5 (1d4−1/19–20, range increment 10 ft.).

Witch Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +11; Intelligence 18; save DC 14 + spell level; slots with Int bonus): 4th (2/day) confusion (DC 18), scrying (DC 18); 3rd (3/day) bestow curse (DC 17), dispel magic, suggestion (DC 17); 2nd (4/day) hold person (DC 16), glitterdust (DC 16), mirror image ×2 (Trickery patron); 1st (5/day) mage armor, charm person (DC 15), ill omen, obscuring mist, sleep (DC 15); 0 (at will) detect magic, guidance, message, read magic. Her black-cat familiar stores spells; lost access to the familiar can prevent preparation of new spells.

Hexes (Su; save DC 17). Slumber: one creature within 30 feet falls asleep on a failed Will save, for up to 7 rounds, ending if harmed or awakened; a target can be affected only once in 24 hours. Misfortune: on a failed Will save, one creature within 30 feet rolls twice and takes the worse result on d20 rolls for 1 round; each creature can be targeted once in 24 hours. Evil Eye: one creature within 30 feet suffers −2 to its AC, attacks, saves, ability checks or skills (chosen when used) for 3 + Int modifier rounds; Will save reduces duration to 1 round. Cackle: as a move action, extend eligible Misfortune or Evil Eye hexes on creatures within 30 feet by 1 round. Hexes are not interchangeable with 5e Hexcraft.

Statistics

Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 18; Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 14.

Feats Deceitful, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Combat Casting (five feats including human bonus). Skills Bluff +15 (6 ranks), Diplomacy +11 (5 ranks), Intimidate +13 (4 ranks), Knowledge (arcana) +14 (7 ranks), Knowledge (local) +8 (4 ranks), Perception +8 (5 ranks), Sense Motive +7 (4 ranks), Spellcraft +14 (7 ranks). All 42 skill ranks are allocated for witch 7 with Intelligence 18; Deceitful, Persuasive and Skill Focus (Bluff) are included in the modifiers. Languages Scots, English.

Read the Fear (Ex). +4 circumstance bonus on Sense Motive checks to notice who most fears an occult accusation. A Witch may use detect magic to see active auras; neither check proves the identity or guilt of a witch.

Classical Tradition — Of the Land (Sp; 1/day). The level-7 Classical Witch Minor Occult Power also appears in the site’s Pathfinder conversion. Margaret can obscure herself and up to three allied humanoids from observers for up to 7 minutes. This is a deliberate Pathfinder conversion of the legacy Mind Obscure effect: observing humanoids receive a Will save (DC 17) and any applicable Spell Resistance against the enchantment; those who resist can perceive the subjects normally. A concealed subject that attacks an observer or acts offensively toward it ceases to be concealed from that observer. Physical tracks, dropped belongings and external witnesses remain available as evidence. The effect does not actually grant Invisibility or true Witch detection.

Dabble — Gaze Magic. Her elected Gaze Magic Art adds eligible spells to the Witch list, but Pathfinder’s converted Art Power is an optional Hex, not a free power stacked onto all four existing Hexes. She does not receive Witcheye’s extra +2 DC unless she trades an ordinary hex selection for that option.

Gear Book of Shadows kept with her familiar, dagger, spell components, protected wax seal, false accusation lists.

Pathfinder 1e Spell Deep Dive — Prepared Slots

Preparation and caster level: Witch 7, Intelligence 18, CL 7, concentration +11, save DC 14 + spell level, spell resistance as specified by each spell. Spell slots per day, including Int bonus: 5 × 1st, 4 × 2nd, 3 × 3rd, 2 × 4th, plus cantrips at will. In Pathfinder she must prepare each spell in a slot; the same prepared spell cannot be reused without a second prepared slot. The table explicitly uses two slots for Mirror Image. Witch / spell archive.

4th-Level Spells

• Confusion (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, Medium range, 15-ft.-radius burst; Will DC 18 negates, SR applies, lasts 7 rounds; affected creatures roll percentile behaviour each round. Witch must have this spell prepared in its own slot.
• Scrying (1 slot prepared) — Long ritual/casting time and focus, Will DC 18 negates, SR as spell; target is observed at a distance using a magical sensor. Does not automatically reveal motives or invisible writing.

3rd-Level Spells

• Bestow Curse (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, touch, Will DC 17 negates, SR yes; imposing a debilitating curse usually requires reaching the victim.
• Dispel Magic (1 slot prepared) — Standard action; check at +7 caster level against DC 11 + caster level of the effect; no guaranteed removal of powerful wards.
• Suggestion (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, Will DC 17 negates, language-dependent; proposes one credible action, not unlimited control.

2nd-Level Spells

• Hold Person (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, Medium range, Will DC 16 negates; a Humanoid is Paralyzed but gets subsequent saving throws as the spell specifies.
• Glitterdust (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, 10-ft.-radius spread, Will DC 16 against blindness; exposes concealed creatures and creates temporary visual disruption.
• Mirror Image (2 slots prepared) — Standard action, Self; illusory doubles protect Margaret for 7 minutes. At this level ordinarily 1d4 + 2 images; two memorised slots make it usable twice.

1st-Level Spells

• Mage Armor (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, touch; +4 Armor bonus for 7 hours, giving AC 16 when active; absent it her AC is 12.
• Charm Person (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, Close range, Will DC 15 negates; not Dominate Person.
• Ill Omen (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, Close range; spoils the target’s next few d20 rolls. Short-lived misfortune distinct from the Misfortune class hex.
• Obscuring Mist (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, 20-foot-radius mist around her; grants concealment to escape, without requiring a magical damage effect.
• Sleep (1 slot prepared) — Standard action, 10-foot-radius burst with total 4-HD limit; Will DC 15 negates. Useful for ordinary guards, ineffective as a general solution to high-level characters.

At-Will Cantrips

• Detect Magic — Concentration/scan over successive rounds; shows auras and schools, not the guilt of a suspect.
• Guidance — Touch, +1 on one appropriate ability or skill check under Pathfinder’s action rules.
• Message — Quiet limited-range message to a known or indicated creature, not universal telepathy.
• Read Magic — Deciphers magical writing; a forged signature or mundane coded letter still needs investigation.

Pathfinder Witch Hexes — Not Spell Slots

Slumber: Standard action, 30 feet, Will DC 17 or target sleeps up to 7 rounds, until woken or harmed. Each target can be affected only once per 24 hours. Misfortune: Standard action, 30 feet, Will DC 17; target rolls twice and takes the worse result on d20 rolls for 1 round, once per target per 24 hours. Evil Eye: Standard action, 30 feet, choose –2 to AC, attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks or skill checks for 7 rounds; Will save DC 17 reduces to 1 round. Cackle: Move action; extends eligible Misfortune and Evil Eye effects on nearby creatures by 1 round. These are class hexes and do not spend spell slots. The normal Pathfinder action economy still limits one Standard and one Move action per turn.

Patron and Familiar Deep Dive

Trickery patron: Her familiar has the patron additions animate rope (witch level 2), Mirror Image (level 4) and major image (level 6); the fourth-level patron spell arrives at witch level 8, not 7. These additions expand spells known, not extra free slots. Use the Pathfinder patron table, not the 2024 Veil Gift table.

Black-cat familiar: Stores the Witch’s spells and enables preparation; it is not a second spellcaster. It may deliver qualifying touch spells under PF familiar rules, but exposing it to danger risks Margaret’s ability to reprepare her spell list. Refer to the Witch Familiars entry. If the cat is killed, use the Pathfinder replacement ritual and cost, not an instantaneous free replacement.

Three-round PF tactic: Open with Mirror Image (standard action); next turn Slumber a dangerous intruder; then use Cackle to extend a hex while casting another prepared Standard-action spell, provided that turn’s actions allow it. Her guards take their own turns.

Pathfinder 1e uses Intelligence-based Witch magic, familiar and class hexes. CR 6 follows the 7th-level PC-class NPC equipment guideline (character level minus one); guards are counted separately. The five feats include the human bonus feat, and the Witch has 42 skill ranks (six each level from 2 base plus Intelligence 4). Spell slots include bonus spells from Intelligence 18.

Margaret Aitken — D&D 3.5e (Legacy Witch)

Human Witch 7, Classical Tradition, Neutral Evil; Wisdom-based legacy d20 class

Size/Type	Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice	7d4+14 (32 hp)
Initiative	+6
Speed	30 ft.
Armor Class	16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (mage armor and Dexterity)
Base Attack / Grapple	+3 / +2
Attack / Full Attack	Dagger +2 melee (1d4−1/19–20) or +5 ranged (1d4−1/19–20)
Space / Reach	5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks	Prepared Witch spells, Bewitch 1/day
Special Qualities	Familiar, Dabble (Gaze Magic), Trackless Step, Brew Potion, 7th-level Classical Occult Power (Of the Land)
Saves	Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8
Abilities	Str 9, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 18, Cha 18
Skills	Bluff +19, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +12, Concentration +12, Knowledge (Witchcraft) +12
Feats	Deceitful, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Brew Potion (class)
Challenge Rating	7 (1st–20th-level Witch PC-class progression)
Possessions	Book of Shadows, witch’s familiar (black cat), talisman, dagger, prepared herbs, forged warrants

Spellcasting and Witchcraft

Witch Spells Prepared (CL 7th; Wisdom 18; save DC 14 + spell level): 4th (2/day) divination, scrying; 3rd (4/day) bestow curse ×2, dispel magic, suggestion (Coven); 2nd (5/day) calm emotions (Coven), detect thoughts, invisibility ×2, mind obscure; 1st (5/day) charm person (Coven), charm person, cause fear, command, cure light wounds; 0 (6/day) detect magic ×2, guidance, ghost sound ×2, read magic. This is a complete day’s preparation, not a spontaneous known-spells list. The three reserved Coven slots use the Charm domain’s spell progression: charm person (1st), calm emotions (2nd) and suggestion (3rd), selected as Margaret’s patron-granted Coven magic. She gains no cleric-domain granted power. Daily totals follow the legacy Witch table including Wisdom 18 bonus slots, and each prepared casting is expended after use.

Bewitch (Sp; 1/day). Margaret can use charm person as a spell-like ability (caster level 7; Will DC 15). If delivered by a touch attack, increase its save DC by 2 as specified by the legacy Witch class.

Trackless Step (Ex). Margaret leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked there by ordinary means.

Classical Occult Power — Of the Land (Sp; 1/day). Margaret obscures herself and up to three other humanoids (one per two Witch levels) from selected creatures for 7 minutes. This functions like the legacy Mind Obscure enchantment: it prevents the affected observer from registering an obscured subject, not true physical invisibility. As a legacy spell, it is mind-affecting; apply Will negates and Spell Resistance when the underlying spell requires them. The DM must decide the affected observers when the power is invoked. It is not a universal ability to recognise every Witch by eye.

Gaze Magic Dabble — Witcheye (Ex). All genuine gaze attacks gain +2 to their save DCs, and Margaret has Spot as a class skill. This does not give her a permanent Witch-detecting gaze. The Art grants access to legacy Unnerving Gaze, Fury Eyes, Darkvision, Evil Eye and Fear at the appropriate levels. Edition boundary: The legacy Witch does not gain the separate Hex class feature until 8th level, so this level-7 Margaret has Bewitch and Dabble, not the PF1e hexes or 2024 Hexcraft.

Legacy D&D 3.5e Witch Spell Deep Dive

Legacy class: Wisdom-based Witch 7 (Wisdom 18), caster level 7, spell save DC 14 + spell level. Spellbook preparation differs from the 2024 Witch and Pathfinder. Arcane Witch spells require a focus or materials as described by the legacy class; Coven spells use their own permitted selections. Read the Witch Spell Lists for spell access by level. A prepared slot is spent after casting; a spell written in her book is not thereby at-will.

Daily schedule: Six 0-level castings, five 1st-level castings, five 2nd-level castings, four 3rd-level castings and two 4th-level castings are individually allocated in the stat block. The additional 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-level Coven slots are reserved for Charm-domain spells; the Wisdom 18 bonus slots are already counted. A spell prepared twice has two castings. The Witch’s 7th-level Occult Power, Dabble Art and Bewitch are separate class features, not extra slots.

4th-Level Spells

• Divination — Time-consuming question-and-omen ritual; limited information about events within one week.
• Scrying — Magical remote observation; suitable focus, Will save and Spell Resistance apply as in the 3.5e spell entry.

3rd-Level Spells

• Bestow Curse — Touch attack, Will negates; applies one curse option to a subject in melee reach.
• Dispel Magic — Caster level check +7 vs. DC 11 + opposing caster level, where applicable. Not an automatic ward breaker.
• Suggestion — Language-dependent, Will negates; a credible instruction rather than full control.

2nd-Level Spells

• Calm Emotions (2nd-level Coven slot) — From her patron’s Charm domain; suppresses strong emotions in a 20-foot-radius spread (Will negates; Concentration, up to one round per level). This is an actual prepared Coven spell, not free magic or a Pathfinder hex.
• Detect Thoughts — Successive rounds of Concentration; Will saves can stop deeper penetration, not automatically truth-detecting.
• Invisibility — Subject invisible until the spell ends or the subject attacks; ordinary clues and tracking still matter.
• Mind Obscure — Legacy Witch 2 enchantment; close range, one creature, Will negates, Spell Resistance yes, one minute per caster level. It prevents the target from noticing Margaret until she acts offensively toward it. This is one prepared arcane slot, distinct from her once-per-day Of the Land class power.

1st-Level Spells

• Charm Person — Will negates; changes attitude for a limited time. Her separate Bewitch class power can duplicate it once daily.
• Cause Fear — Will partially negates, limited by target Hit Dice. Intimidating a target does not prove guilt.
• Command — One-word direction lasting one round, Will negates; not domination.
• Cure Light Wounds — Touch healing for 1d8 + 5 at caster level 7; use a legal Coven preparation for a healing rite.

Cantrips

• Detect Magic — Scan auras by concentrating; not an eye-mark test or guilt detector.
• Guidance — A small bonus on an appropriate skill or ability check; one-use support magic.
• Ghost Sound — Small illusory sound used to create an omen or distraction.
• Read Magic — Read a magical inscription or scroll; mundane documents must still be interpreted.

Legacy Witch Abilities — Deep Dive

Bewitch (Sp; 1/day): One action to use Charm Person on a Humanoid (Will DC 15); delivering the power as a touch attack increases the save DC to 17. It is not automatic obedience or a spell slot.

Gaze Magic Dabble: Witcheye grants +2 to the saving throw DC of actual gaze attacks, not every spell or every conversation. The Dabble spell options available by level 7 include Unnerving Gaze (0), Fury Eyes (1), Darkvision (2), Evil Eye (3) and Fear (4). These must be learned and prepared; the Art does not give infinite castings.

Classical Occult Power — Of the Land (Sp; 1/day): Margaret may obscure herself and up to three additional Humanoids from others using the legacy Mind Obscure effect for up to 7 minutes. It affects the observer’s awareness rather than making the subjects literally invisible; Will saves and Spell Resistance apply. An attack by an obscured subject ends the protection against the person attacked.

Trackless Step: leaves no tracks in natural surroundings and cannot be followed there by ordinary tracking. Brew Potion: can create eligible potions by the legacy item-creation rules, paying their normal costs. Vulnerability: select the legacy Cold Iron weakness; a cold-iron weapon’s critical threat increases as if the wielder had Improved Critical against Margaret (subject to the class limit on stacking).

Familiar and Book of Shadows: The black cat is a genuine companion, not a monster automatically capable of casting her spells. Without her book she may still cast spells already prepared but has more difficulty changing her choices later. No separate legacy class Hex feature becomes available before Witch level 8.

Encounter sequence: First prepare her Of the Land escape; Bewitch one guard; then cast Invisibility if the witness protection arrangement collapses. Her trickery can conceal witnesses from hostile observers but does not erase written orders, footprints or injuries.