Witchcraft (Intelligence), Trained)

Liber Mysterium

The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks  

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

A sub skill of the Knowledge category, Witchcraft knowledge characteristically depends upon the notion of correspondences, or postulated relationships that unite all things stars, planets, gemstones, colours, or even parts of the human body and life events to one another and to invisible realities as well. Those who subscribe
to this view believe that they can use occult knowledge to effect healing or to predict the future, for example.

The Knowledge, witchcraft skill allows the character to recognize the basic tenets of the witch’s religion and insight into their magical nature. A witch with this skill has a +1 per level chance of identifying a particular witch coven or cult, a particular set of general witch symbols, or a spell used by a witch.

GM’s Note: In Campaigns with fewer witches, where witches play a less prominent role, a skill such as Knowledge (Witchcraft) is considerably less useful. As an optional rule, it’s possible to work a campaign without Knowledge (Witchcraft). In such cases Knowledge (Arcana) can be used to cover Knowledge: Witchcraft. In campaigns where Witchcraft and witches are very distinct and prominent, however, it’s good to distinguish the two.

In these cases GM’s may allow clerics and Wizards access to Knowledge (Witchcraft) as a class skill.

Like the Knowledge, Arcana skill, Witchcraft is a skill related to the knowledge of the supernatural. But while Knowledge, Arcana is more generally focused on magic, Witchcraft is focused on the witch’s history, religion, occult knowledge and spell-casting ability.

Witchcraft Knowledge	Task DC
Identify major occult practices (witchcraft, voodoo, Hermetic Mages).	10
Identify major occult theories or beliefs (reincarnation, Ley Lines, correspondences).	11
Identify common magical practices of one particular tradition or sub-tradition.	12
Identify common weaknesses or strengths in common supernatural monsters (undead, fey) or foes (Warlocks)	12
Identify common occult “hot spots” and their significance (The Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, Atlantis).	13
Identify or classify major sub-sections of various witchcraft practices (Celtic, Santeria) or various occult schools of thought (Gnostic, Hermetic)	15
Identify common weaknesses or strengths in rarer supernatural monsters (outsiders,demons). (Increase DC +1 for more uncommon traits or monsters)	16
Identify rarer occult “hot spots” and their significance (Nazca lines, Tihanco, Xanadu).	17
Identify or classify minor sub-sections of various occult practices (Rosicrucian, GoldenDawn) or witchcraft practices (Pictish, Bocur).	18
Identify major covens by name or by practices.	19
Identify major occult figures/personages by name or by reputation (King Solomon, Aleister Crowley).	20
Identify lesser occult figures/personages by name or by reputation (Madam Blavatsky).	22
Identify more esoteric Occult practices (Taoist Witchcraft, Ancient Mysteries).	24
Identify lesser covens by name or by practices.	26

• Check: Answering easy questions have a DC of 10 to 11, standard questions are 15 to 16, and harder questions are above 20. These ranges can also be increased by one or two points if the question is esoteric in nature.
• Retry: No. The check represents what the witch knows; thinking about it more will not yield different answers.
• Learning Witch Spells: An arcane spellcaster requires at least one rank of Knowledge, Witchcraft if they wish to learn spells from a witch’s spell book. The penalty to learn witch spells is ·5 and plus ·1 per witch spell level to all checks, thus a 6th level witch spell would be at ·11 to learn . Ranks in Knowledge (Witchcraft) will reduce this by one per rank.

Witches also need this skill if they wish to learn arcane spells from the scrolls or spellbooks of wizards with same penalties.

GMs can place limits on some spells saying they are beyond the witch’s skill to learn or beyond the understanding of the wizard.