D&D Homebrew Classes - The Focus Witch

A homebrew class alternate for the Dungeons & Dragons 3e/3.5 Witch-Sorcerer class, created by Aboleth Eye!

The wise woman, the hermetic healer, the wicked crone, the wish-granting godparent… Who wouldn't want to be master of one's own power, wielding it however you desire?
  Witchcraft is an art often misunderstood in this modern age of alchemists and miraculous clergy. It is the progenitor to the studies of wizardry, the communal conjuring of druids, and even the call-and-response of clerics. Witchcraft is a deeply personal method to practice magic. For all its practitioners beckon power from magic’s origin: the Weave, the current of raw natural power flowing through the world.
  Through the practices of witchcraft, a Focus Witch can beckon a unique array of powers from the Weave. The Focuses are many different “domains'' of witchcraft, through which witches can tap into raw, primal energies that other spellcasters cannot. The powers of a witch blend the accessible magics of clerics and druids with the arcane beguilements and transmutations of wizards and sorcerers.
  Witchcraft blesses and curses, heals and harms, inspires and intimidates; you never know exactly how a witch will exert their powers, and through which Focus… Be polite to witches, for even the kindest among them has the potential to upend your life should they be displeased.

As always, though this homebrew was made with D&D 3.5 edition in mind, with a few tweaks you can absolutely use this material with Pathfinder 1st edition! -- Aboleth Eye

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash

Class Details

Alignment: any, see Witchcraft Focus (and the Alignment section below)

HD: d4

Skill Points: 2 + Intelligence modifier, quadruple for 1st level

Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft [any] (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (any) (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)

Table: the Focus Witch Class

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Witchcraft Focus
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Magic Circle*
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12

Table: Focus Witch Spells Per Day

Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	6	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	6	6	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-
8th	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-	-
9th	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-
10th	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-
11th	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-
12th	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-
13th	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-
14th	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-
15th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-
16th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-
17th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-
18th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Table: Focus Witch Spells Known

Level	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	5	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	6	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	6	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	7	4	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	7	5	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
8th	8	5	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	-
9th	8	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
10th	9	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-	-
11th	9	5	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-
12th	9	5	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-
13th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	-	-	-
14th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1	-	-
15th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	-	-
16th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1	-
17th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	-
18th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	1
19th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	2
20th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3

Class Features

Proficiencies: A focus witch is proficient with all simple weapons (plus any from their Witchcraft Focus). They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a witch’s gestures, which can cause spells with somatic components to fail.

Spellcasting:   A Focus Witch casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the witch spell list. They can cast any spell they know without preparing it ahead of time, provided they have the spell slots available--same as a sorcerer.
  To learn or cast a spell, a witch must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a focus witch’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the witch’s Charisma modifier.
  Like other spellcasters, a focus witch can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Their base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Spells Per Day. In addition, the witch receives bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score.
  A focus witch’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A witch begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new focus witch level, they gain one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Focus Witch Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by their Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.)
  See the Focus Witch Spell List section below to determine what spells a focus witch can obtain.
  Focus Witches cannot learn new spells through study, as a wizard can. Instead they tap into the flow of Weave magic to channel new powers and abilities.

Witchcraft Focus (Ex):   Starting at 1st level, A Focus Witch learns to channel their magic through a specific domain, known as a Witchcraft Focus. A focus is a lot like a cleric’s Domain, in that they channel a very specific set of powers through a narrow niche. This Witchcraft Focus must be chosen at first level and cannot be changed through any means--for their Focus is the cornerstone to a witch’s magic.
  Each Witchcraft Focus grants specific bonuses and abilities, powers progressing and unlocking as the witch gains levels.
  See the Witchcraft Focus section below to see available Focus choices and their bestowed powers. Some Focuses require certain alignment restrictions or code of conduct.
  A character cannot have multiple different Focus Witch class levels to obtain multiple Witchcraft Focuses. However, they may take certain class-related Feats to gain fractions of other Focus abilities; see Feat section below.

The Weave Focus: familiars and tapping into the connections of the Weave
The Beast Focus: animal companions and solidifying of one’s shape
The Cauldron Focus: enchanted cauldrons and expert alchemy
The Forge Focus: armor and weapons, protection from flame
The Broom Focus: enchanted broomsticks and unlimited flight
The Sea Focus: at one with water, plunging the depths
The Plague Focus: containing and inflicting maladies
The Dagger Focus: bloody blades and smiting goodness
The Seer Focus: incredible clarity and divining the future
The Abyss Focus: selling one’s soul and demonic familiars
The Garden Focus: communing with plants and traveling deep woods
The Guardian Focus: giving gifts and protecting innocents
The Deep Focus: communing with the earth and embracing it

Magic Circle (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a Focus Witch adds one magic circle against (alignment) spell to their list of spells known as a bonus spell known. The Focus Witch cannot choose the magic circle that opposes an aspect of their own alignment.

Witchcraft Focuses

Weave Focus

   Also known as the hedge witch…
   Throughout the Material Plane (and even other planes), there is an unseen river of magic. Neither arcane nor divine, this ceaseless flow of power is known as the Weave. Other spellcasters are unable to access this ever-shifting leyline flow. All Focus Witches use a Focus to tap into this river of power, granting them special abilities related to the aspects they champion. Weave Focus Witches are very direct with their connection to the Weave, channeling its raw power through a devoted Familiar as their conduit.
  The Witch of the Weave is fascinated by their connection to the raw power of leylines and its ever-shifting currents. Through the Weave all Focus Witches obtain their arcane power by their own traditions and rituals, but only the Weave Focus can give the Weave a voice. The Weave has no alignment, and thus binding to the Weave Focus requires only willpower. There are virtually no restrictions or limitations using this Focus.

Familiar:       Starting at 1st level, a Weave Focus Witch obtains a familiar, like a sorcerer or wizard can. Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. A familiar is a magical beast that resembles a small animal and is unusually tough and intelligent. The creature serves as a companion and servant.
  The witch chooses the kind of familiar they get. As the witch advances in level, their familiar also increases in power. See the Familiar page of the D&D SRD for more information about familiars.
  If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the witch, the witch must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means the witch loses 200 experience points per level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a witch’s experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar’s demise or dismissal. A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and day; but a slain familiar can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, and it does not lose a level or a Constitution point when this happy event occurs.
  A character with more than one class that grants a familiar may have only one familiar at a time. Class levels that grant a familiar stack with the Focus Witch’s level for familiar special abilities, etc.

Weavespeak (Sp):   Through the whole devotion to the vastness of the Weave, Weave focus witches can use its endless leylines to communicate with other witches over long distances. At 5th level, a Weave Focus Witch develops the power to use the Weave itself to transmit short messages.
  Once per day the witch can transmit a message of twenty-five words or less to the nearest witch, hag or other arcane spellcaster (the latter must have a familiar). This ability cannot jump planar boundaries; the witch knows if planar distance would prevent the message from reaching its target. It is otherwise the equivalent of a sending spell.
  At level 15 a witch obtains an additional use of their Weavespeak special ability.

Beast Focus

   Known as the predator or beast tamer witch…
  Witches can learn to bend the minds of beasts to their will, and those whose witchcraft is wild can even attract beasts to their side. And what with their access to shapeshifting spells, the Beast Witch has tapped into a primal energy that grounds them from being tamed by others.
  Many witches are able to communicate with beasts, to tame them or scare them off with a single look. But only the Witches of the Beast Focus can bind a wild animal to their service and channel the power of the wild throughout their entire bodies.
  Beast Focus Witches are well-known for shunning the restrictions of urban life, preferring to conduct their rites and hunts in the wilderness. Many Witches of the Beast Focus slowly take on personality traits and quirks like animals, such as snarling when upset, bird-like head movements, etc.

Alignment: any non-lawful (see Alignment section)

Skills: You may replace Bluff from the standard Focus Witch's class skills with Survival, starting at 1st level.

Untamable (Ex): At 1st level a Beast Focus Witch resists the shape-changing afflictions of others, refusing to be kept in any form they dislike. The magic bonus on these saving throws equals half their Focus Witch level (rounded up), applicable against any spell or effect that would change their form, such as transmutation effects. This bonus can apply towards effects like baleful polymorph and polymorph any object.
When a Beast Focus Witch makes a Fortitude save to resist the affliction of lycanthropy, they can apply their Untamable bonus to the saving throw or forgo it. If they become afflicted by any strain of lycanthropy, the witch receives the Untameable bonus to all Control Shape skill checks.

Animal Companion: At 2nd level, a Beast Focus Witch obtains an animal companion, much like a druid or ranger can. They are considered an “effective druid level” equal to half their Focus Witch level, rounded up. If they have the proper “effective druid level”, the witch can acquire a more powerful animal to serve them like druids and rangers can.
Unlike a familiar, a Witch of the Beast Focus’s animal companion does not channel the Weave. It remains a beast, albeit more powerful and dangerous thanks to its witch compared to others of its kind.
If the Beast Focus Witch achieves high enough “effective druid levels”, they may dismiss their animal companion and summon another animal of higher power from the Alternate Druid Companions list.

Beast Senses: Starting at 8th level, a Beast Focus Witch gains the scent extraordinary ability, allowing them to detect and track creatures through smell. See the D20SRD regarding the scent ability.
If the Focus Witch already has the scent capability, they use whichever has greater range and capabilities where applicable.

[ Shifter Racial Variant ]

Shifters are born with an inner beast they wish to embrace, and those who find themselves drawn to witchcraft find they need not link themselves to another. They instead cycle that bestial connection with their lycanthropic bloodline to obtain greater forms.

Prerequisite: Shifter, Beast Focus, non-lawful alignment

Beast Within (Ex):   Starting at 2nd level, a Shifter Beast Focus Witch gains a bonus Shifter racial feat.
  At 10th level, the Shifter Beast Focus Witch gains an additional bonus Shifter racial feat (or a general bonus feat).
  This class variant replaces the Animal Companion class feature of the standard Beast Focus Witch.

Cauldron Focus

   Known as the alchemist or kitchen witch…
  Whether it is the healing poultice of the wandering herbalist, or the sterilized syringes of a cultured alchemist; the witch of the Cauldron understands distilling the power of nature. The Cauldron Focus Witch is devoted to alchemy and the art of poisons, so much so that they invest their magic into a favorite vessel of theirs.
  The Cauldron Focus can be one of experimentation and ambition, or one of wholesome serenity and bounty. Witches of this Focus are very hard to classify on sight, because who knows if a tavern’s soup-shilling chef or a military camp’s doctor is a Cauldron Focus Witch. Only when their cauldrons, alembics or stewpots spring to life is this Focus evident.
  Those who practice the alchemical arts or kitchen magic are not jumping at the chance to tame armies or bend the elements to their will. It is a path of hard work, patience and simple. However, there are stories of hag coveys and evil witches stewing curses in their pots, some even having hordes of the undead spring from their black cauldrons...

Skills: Cauldron Focus Witches add the Heal skill to their class skill list.

Cauldron Companion (Ex):   Starting at 1st level a Cauldron Focus Witch chooses a Small sized cauldron to be their devoted vessel. This cauldron is a small Animated Object, which follows its owner around wherever they go.
  This animated object is treated to all the bonuses of an Animal Companion, treating the Cauldron Focus witch’s “effective druid level” as half their class level (rounded down, min. 1) for special abilities, Strength/Dexterity bonuses, etc.
  All Animated Cauldrons are animated constructs with four legs (base 40 foot land speed) and a Hardness equal to 5 plus ½ its owner’s witch level (rounded up).
  Any animated cauldron that serves the witch is created by a 24-hour ceremony over any mundane cauldron. This ceremony requires only 100 gold per witch level in ritual ingredients; but the witch does not need the Craft Construct feat or to experience points to gain the construct as a companion.

  At higher levels, a witch’s Cauldron Companion can be expanded into a larger size at a cost to the witch’s effective druid level.
  At 8th level, the witch’s Cauldron Companion can become a medium-sized Animated Object, reducing their effective druid level by -3 (minimum 1). A witch of Small size or smaller can ride in a Cauldron Companion of this size like a mount.
  At 14th level, the witch’s Cauldron Companion can become a large-sized Animated Object, by reducing their effective druid level by -6. A witch of Medium size or smaller can ride in a Cauldron Companion of this size like a mount. A large Cauldron Companion’s base land speed is reduced to 30 feet due to the size change.

Alchemic Study (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a Cauldron Focus Witch gains a magic bonus to three of the following skills: Craft (alchemy), Craft (cooking), Craft (poisonmaking), Heal and/or Profession (herbalism). This bonus only applies while utilizing their Cauldron Companion.
The magic bonus to their chosen skill checks is equal to half their Focus Witch level (rounded up).

Forge Focus

   Known as the blacksmithing or sun witch…
  Many witches do not fear the flame, nor the end of iron weapons. For they are witches devoted to the bending and melting of iron into forms of protection. Witches of the Forge practice their magics comfortably where their hammers ring against molten iron and smithy ovens roar. The Sun is also an important aspect of the Forge Focus and typically venerated as the First Forge, as it is the purest and oldest flame in the physical world.
  Witches of the Forge are very welcome in towns and cities, for they are often devoted artisans to metalworking and blacksmithing. By providing such valuable services, and demonstrating their practical skills, they become invaluable to their communities and those seeking their abilities.
  Forge Witches typically adorn themselves in workman’s clothes and wear symbols of flame or the sun. They look more like artisans rather than your classic witch.
  While unable to conjure fire like other showy spellcasters, the Forge Focus path of witchcraft is a strict bond between smith and flame. By remaining steadfast in their path, a Forge Focus Witch does not fear burning at the stake...

Alignment: any non-chaotic (see Alignment section)

Prerequisite: at 1st level must input at least 2 skill ranks in Craft (weaponsmithing, armorsmithing or metalworking)

Weapon and Shield Proficiencies: Forge Focus witches are comfortable moving in metal armor and wielding their own weapons in battle. They gain weapon proficiency with warhammers and light hammers, as well as armor proficiency with light armor (metal only).
A Forge Focus witch ignores the spell failure penalty of all light metal armors.

Fire’s Friend (Su): A witch of the Forge is unafraid of fire, having the resilience to work alongside powerful ovens and wield inflamed iron for an extensive period.
At 3rd level, they gain Resistance to Fire equal to 2 plus half their Focus Witch class levels (rounded up).

Bonus Feat: At 5th level a Forge Focus Witch gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat, applicable to one specific Craft skill: choosing armorsmithing, weaponsmithing or metalworking.

Broom Focus

   Known as the storm or sky witch...
  While many who study the Weave are content to remain on the ground, the Broom Focus Witch understands that their magic extends far above the soil. The Weave moves in currents of aether, which some witches feel pull them from their mundane lives on the ground. These witches can bend the winds about their favorite broom, allowing them to fly with merely a wink and a cackle.
  Witches of the Broom Focus take very good care of their flying implement, and will never allow another to wield it or leave it unattended. Their flight capabilities are tied completely to their Witch’s Broom. They typically flaunt its mundane appearance in public, proud of their secret gift of flight.
  Pride is often the downfall of this Focus. Many Broom Focus Witches remind one another that what comes up must inevitably come down…

Alignment: any non-lawful (see Alignment section below)

Witch’s Broom: At 1st level a witch of the Broom Focus bonds with a favorite broom, oar, crook or other long wooden implement. Typically a Broom Focus witch decorates their focus object to their hearts desire, oftentimes crafting the object themselves.
In the hands of its witch owner (and only its owner) this bonded object can be utilized as a weapon in battle, as their magic infuses it into a masterwork object (inflicting damage as a quarterstaff, regardless of exact form). And once a Broom Focus witch bonds with and once it becomes a witch’s focus it may be enchanted as a magic weapon.
This object grants its owner the ability to fly at higher levels. It must be in at least one hand to utilize these flight capabilities.
If sundered, the Broom Focus Witch can bond with another broom or similar implement, but cannot use the object as a weapon or as a flight implement.. The object always has Hit Points equal to twice its owner’s class levels, and has a Hardness equal to 5 + ½ its owner’s Focus Witch class levels (rounded down). It can be repaired with a full day's Craft (woodworking) check, DC 12; per day worked, this restores hit points equal to 1d4 + half the witch's Charisma modifier.
A witch may choose to replace a sundered or lost broom with another similar object. This ritual requires 200 gp per Focus Witch level, and a ceremony lasting two hours. During this ceremony the witch can adjust the decoration of this object as they wish.
At level 10, a Broom Focus witch can cast locate object once per day on their Witch’s Broom, as a sorcerer of their class level. This ability can only locate their bonded implement, utilizing their Charisma modifier.

Broom Flight (Ex): With their Witch’s Broom in hand, a Broom Focus Witch gains the ability to fly in a limited capacity.
   At 2nd level a witch gains a magical fly speed equal to half their base land speed (without adjustments from spell effects or magic items). They start flying with poor maneuverability. See the D20SRD for an explanation on the capabilities of poor flight maneuverability.
   At 8th level, the witch improves their maneuverability to average.
   At 13th level, the witch’s flight speed improves to equal their base land speed.
   At 18th level, the witch can now fly with good maneuverability.

Sea Focus

   Known as the ocean or ship witch…
  There is much mystery in the depths of the sea, and water has always been revered as a source of life. The magic of he Weave does not simply end at the coastline; it travels the currents from the highest waves to the deepest trenches. The mysteries and nature of these magics draw in many Focus Witches, not to tame it but to redirect and rise on such currents.
  Witches of the Sea Focus are often found aboard ships as navigators and stormcallers, others dive into the darkest coves and sunken abysses without fear. They peer at the depths below and warn of sea serpents, or bands of vicious sahuagin or merfolk. Sometimes they even beckon such aquatic creatures to broker deals or safe passage.
  These Witches of the Sea are often the greatest allies against the dangers of the ocean, including their profane sea hag “cousins”.
  Some Focus Witches of the Sea Focus learn to manipulate the dangers and twists of freshwater and brackish waters. Swamps and deltas are often home to water witches who oversee aquatic trade or dive for valuables. River witches often live on houseboats, traveling on the currents to barter their blessings and goods.

Alignment: any non-lawful (see Alignment section)

Water’s Bond (Ex): At 1st level, a Sea Focus witch acquires a competence bonus to their Swim checks equal to their class level. They can also hold their breath underwater for a number of rounds equal to three times their Constitution ability score before the risk of drowning occurs.
At 5th level, they gain a Swim speed equal to half their base land speed. They can also take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. They may also use the run action while swimming, provided they swim in a straight line.
At 10th level they can hold their breath underwater for a number of rounds equal to three times their Constitution ability score, before risk of drowning occurs.
At 15th level, a Sea Focus witch becomes fully Amphibious, able to breathe air and water without the risk of drowning. If they already have the amphibious special quality, they instead gain a bonus feat from the Wizard Bonus Feat list.

Water Magic: At 6th level a Sea Focus Witch automatically acquires water breathing as a bonus to their spells known.

[ Sea Kin Racial Variant ]

Sea Kin are a race of humanoids that have adapted to aquatic environments, making many of the benefits of the Sea Focus Witch class null and void--when compared to what non-aquatic creatures receive.
As they are more naturally bonded to sea witchcraft, a Sea Kin who devotes themselves to the Sea Focus acquires the following as their Focus Witch special abilities:

Prerequisite: Sea Kin, Sea Focus, non-lawful Alignment

Sunken Witchcraft (Ex):   At 1st level a Sea Kin Sea Focus Witch gains a competence bonus equal to their Swim checks equal to their class level. They may take a 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. They may also use the run action while swimming, provided they swim in a straight line.
  At 5th level, the Sea Focus bestows the ability to cast summon nature’s ally II as a spell-like ability once per day, as a druid of their class level. This ability can only summon creatures native to an aquatic environment. They gain an additional use per day for every 6 Focus Witch levels they acquire above level 5, granting a maximum 3 uses per day at level 17.
  At 10th level, the Sea Focus witch becomes a fully Amphibious creature, able to survive indefinitely on land and in water without holding their breath.
  At 15th level, a Sea King with the Sea Focus furthers their bond with the deep’s creatures. They gain the ability to cast summon nature’s ally V as a spell-like ability once per day, as a druid of their Focus Witch level. This ability can only summon creatures native to an aquatic/watery environment or the Elemental Plane of Water.
  This variant replaces the normal Sea Focus Water’s Bond class feature.

Plague Focus

   Known as the blight or healing witch…
   Witches have a natural gift for influencing others. Some might call this magic “infecting” others with one’s will. But other Focus Witches understand that influence does not merely extend to the mind, but to the physical body as well.
  A Focus of contrasting ideologies, the Plague Witch is to be feared and respected. Whether a village survives or falls against the ravages of illness may very well depend on how one treats a Plague Witch. They have a remarkable resistance to contagious diseases, and can either be found tending the sick or inflicting blight against those who wronged them.
  These witches are often pariahs or unwanted outcasts to civilized areas. Many wander as pilgrims to follow the spread of a terrible blight, while others invade settlements and extort the people to hold back a nasty contagion of their own design.

Alignment: starts at any neutral

Prerequisites: Constitution 13+, must be a mortal race

Skills: You may replace Bluff from the Focus Witch’s class skills with Heal.

Immunity to Disease (Ex): At 1st Level, a Plague Focus witch becomes immune to all disease, including magical and supernatural ones.
An evil Plague Focus Witch can choose to become a carrier to a single non-supernatural disease if they are exposed to it for 1 hour, but only one disease at a time. They can change out their carried disease only by becoming willingly exposed to another.

Blight Mastery (Sp):    At 6th level, a Plague Focus witch can cast either remove disease or contagion as a spell-like ability once per week. The save for the contagion effect is Charisma-based.
  They can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).
  For every two times a non-evil Plague Focus Witch uses the contagion effect against non-evil creatures, they must make a Will save. The Will DC is 16. If the Plague Focus witch fails two of these saving throws in a row, their alignment shifts towards evil by one step. Only an atonement effect can return the witch’s alignment to their original starting alignment.

Dagger Focus

   Also known as the blood or sacrifice witch…
  For some decrepit souls, witchcraft is only potent when others suffer. To them, it is an art of pain and sacrifice--and the activity of inflicting suffering satisfies some darker perversion within them. To witches of the Dagger, blood (preferably that of others) is a powerful medium that they attain enlightenment and satisfaction from.
  The Dagger Focus is exclusively an evil focus of witchcraft, as it stems from harming others for unjustified reasons. And as lifeblood is incredibly potent but very unavailable, witches who devote themselves to it often become decadent, addicted or even maddened by the thought of blood deprivation.

Alignment: any evil (see Alignment section below)

Blood Dagger (Su): At 1st level a witch of the Dagger focus uses their lifeblood to conjure up a light melee weapon of their choice--most often a dagger or punching dagger. The witch then gives this special weapon a name to bind it to this specific form--unless sundered by an enemy it cannot be changed. The weapon is always intricate and sharp to look at, turning from their blood into a crystalline material weapon of the witch’s tastes.
  A Dagger Witch can conjure this Blood Dagger a number of times per day equal to 1 + their Charisma modifier (minimum 1/day). They may summon it as a swift action once per encounter or for 1 full hour outside of combat. Because it is bound to their blood and only exists in their hands, the witch cannot sell the item, nor can they lend it to an ally (as it dissolves into the air instantly). Once named, this Blood Dagger stays in its specific weapon form; but if sundered it can be remade or be changed into a new named form after 1 full month.
  At 1st level this Blood Dagger is treated as a masterwork weapon.
  At 5th level, the witch’s Blood Dagger becomes a +1 masterwork weapon.
  At 10th level, the witch’s Blood Dagger automatically is treated as a +1 wounding or a +1 unholy weapon--choosing one or the other. The unholy weapon overcomes damage as if it were evil-aligned starting at this level.
  At 15th level, the Blood Dagger improves into a +2 wounding or +2 unholy weapon.
  At 20th level, the Blood Dagger becomes a +2 unholy wounding weapon.
  The Dagger Focus Witch may expend gold and XP to enhance the weapon if they have the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat (on top of what the weapon is through this ability).

Seer Focus

   Also known as the oracle or stargazer witch…
  The isolation of witchcraft often leads to self reflection, and the understanding that power lies within. The Weave does not only exist in the physical world, it passes through living creatures in its eternal course. Witches of the Seer Focus have learned to identify the subliminal cycles continuing on inside themselves and others. And it is this understanding that opens their “third eye”, allowing the witch to cleave away the uncertainty of the future and predict what is to come.
Seers believe in the future with their entire being, hoping to understand time’s changing course to bring out a better future. They must also live without falling into the temptation of profiting or harming others with their gifts.
  The Seer Focus is devoted to understanding the constants of the world and sensing deviations in them. From the movement of stars in the sky to the changing of seasons, Seers see the progression of these constants as hope that the world is on the right path.
  Seers are not evil by nature, but prophecy is unpredictable and many are unaware how dangerous knowing one’s future is, and how often it cannot be usurped or changed without struggle or impossible tasks… Flowing and shifting constantly it may be, the Seer has insight about the path of fate; but they are often as subjected to its ironic whims as others are.

Alignment: any non-evil (see Alignment section below)

Skills: You may replace Knowledge (nature) from the Focus Witch’s class skills with Sense Motive. Many Seer Focus Witches take Profession (astrologer) to make smaller predictions about the world.

Mind’s Eye (Ex):   At 1st level, a Witch of the Seer Focus can muster powerful insight towards their actions, channeling their inner well of magic into their “third eye” (also known as the “mind’s eye)”.
  The Seer Focus Witch can add their Charisma bonus as an insight modifier to any single attack roll, saving throw, skill check or level check. They can use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per day for every 5 class levels acquired.
  Using this ability is a free action that can be taken out of turn if needed, but the witch must choose to use this ability before the die roll is made.

Augury (Sp): At level 8 a Seer Focus witch can cast augury as a cleric of their Focus Witch level. This ability can be used once per day as a spell-like ability.

Special: A witch of the Seer Focus can take on the Sybil prestige class from Savage Species.

Abyss Focus

   Also known as the demonic or damned witch…
   For some witches, the magic present in the natural world and themselves is not enough. These witches pursue darker powers, where even inflicting suffering on others is not enough. And they become aware of the Abyss--that roiling, shifting plane of fiendish torment. To these Focus Witches it is an endless source of power.
   And so the Abyss Focus was born, where cruel and ambitious witches sell their souls to one of the Demon Princes and obtain great power. But the Abyss is ever hungry, and its endless want infects the Abyss Focus Witch, infecting them with the need to spread devastation and domination to others.
   All Abyss Focus Witches are chaotic evil, and must remain so or else will have forfeited their soul for nothing… The Abyss reached out to these chosen few to feed its endless hunger, and the newfound power often makes witches of the Abyss Focus go mad from unearthly insight or abuse of power. The cost of binding oneself to the Abyss is also often ignored until it is too late…

Alignment: must be Chaotic Evil (see Alignment section below)

Skills: You may replace Knowledge (nature) from the Focus Witch’s class skills with Knowledge (planes).

Mark of Damnation (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a Witch of the Abyss Focus pledges their soul to a fiendish power, a chaotic evil outsider like a demon or demon prince. When the witch dies, their soul is consigned to their master. Any attempt to return them to life has a chance of failure, as their fiendish master determines the fate of their soul.
If their remains are affected by any effect that would return them to life, such as resurrection or reincarnation; the witch must make a DC 25 Bluff or Diplomacy check (their choice) to return to the living. They gain a bonus on this check equal to half their class level, as the dark lords of the Outer Planes prefer to let their more accomplished and skilled pawns return to the Material Plane to wreak further misery.

Abyssal Familiar:       Starting at 4th level, a Witch of the Abyss Focus obtains a fragment of the Abyss that forms into a familiar. This familiar begins as a standard familiar animal with either the fiendish template or the anarchic template applied to it (chosen at acquisition, cannot be changed). The effective level of the Focus Witch for familiar progression and special abilities is three lower than their class level.
  This Abyssal Familiar, if destroyed or slain, does not impart an experience point penalty to its master--due to the Mark of Damnation cost paid above. The Abyss Focus Witch may acquire a new fiendish or anarchic familiar in an 8-hour ceremony after one month.
  If the Abyss Focus Witch dies or is slain, their Abyssal Familiar goes berserk. It attacks any and all creatures in the immediate area as if affected by a rage spell. The familiar lasts until all creatures within eyesight are killed, one hour has elapsed or it is slain. If the Abyss Focus Witch is successfully brought back from death and their Abyssal Familiar still exists, the familiar’s rage ends and it falls back into line as if nothing happened.

Smite Good (Su): Beginning at 5th level; once per day, an Abyss Focus Witch may attempt to smite good-aligned enemies with a single melee attack. The Focus Witch adds their Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. If the witch accidentally smites a creature that is not good-aligned, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
At 10th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the witch may smite good one additional time per day, to a maximum of four times per day at 20th level.

Garden Focus

   Also known as the forest or flower witch…
   The natural world is not all wild beasts, roaring fire and severing gales. Some Focus Witches recognize the power of the Weave in subtler ways, choosing to invest their magical conduit into the earth itself. These practitioners of Weave witchcraft place their magical focus into a special seed and plant it in the ground, binding them to the earth they tread. The plant that sprouts the next day is infused with their Garden Focus, allowing the Focus Witch to wield nature itself to protect the land.
   Garden Focus Witches are given license to manipulate the power of nature. Their plant companion becomes an extension of the Witch, which becomes a unique specimen of nature under the witch’s care.
   Garden Focus Witches can connect their Plants to any natural environments. Deserts are home to cactus and succulent-growing gardeners. Swamps and jungles are home to witches that connect mosses, trees and vines. Mountain and tundra witches of the Garden Focuses have been known to create companions of lichen and stunted trees. Witches of moors and plains sometimes travel with moving bales of hay and ornamental grasses. Forest and woodland witches enjoy the company of trees and bushes. Rarely a witch of wastelands or blighted landscapes takes this Focus, but some have learned to manipulate petrified wood and carnivorous plants to their will.

Plant Companion (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a Focus Witch of the Garden Focus can animate a plant companion to serve them. Their effective druid level is ½ their Focus Witch Class level (rounded up). Their “effective druid level” stacks with other class levels that grant animal/plant companions, and is considered when determining the plant’s special abilities.
   A plant companion improves in much the same manner as a Druid’s Animal Companion, using the Table: The Druid's Animal Companion when determining such things as bonus Hit Dice and natural Armor Class adjustment.
   Plant Companions should have the Animal Companion’s Str/Dex Adjustments, Bonus Tricks and special abilities like Link, Devotion, Share Spells, Evasion, etc.*
  When using Handle Animal to get a plant companion to perform a trick, its master does not suffer the normal -5 penalty incurred when dealing with creatures of types other than animal.
   *Not directly stated in the original article. This is up to the Dungeon Master, but it makes sense in the long run.
   For information regarding the Plant Companion’s evolution and customizing its special abilities, see this document! Some homebrew special abilities have also been created here.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Garden Focus Witch may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at their normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the Focus Witch.
This is as the druid class feature by the same name.

Guardian Focus

   Also known as the godparent or protector witch…
  Witches are often isolated, either by their own selfish wants or communities that fear their wicked peers in the art of the Weave. However, by doing a good turn to a witch, a person (maybe even their descendants) may be granted a blessing by this same witch. Kind travelers who share bread with roadside beggars sometimes find these downtrodden people are charitable witches who foretell great deeds and blessings for them. Witches of the Guardian Focus are pledged to aid the downtrodden and worthy, protecting and aiding children especially.
  Guardian Focus Witches overflow with generosity and hope for the future, aiding those pure of heart in their own quests. Some join adventuring parties to aid multiple heroes with their magics, as well as guiding them to acts of heroism and goodness. These Focus Witches most often never reveal their magics openly, preferring to watch the actions of others before either punishing the wicked or blessing the good.
  Many other Focus Witches find Witches of the Guardian Focus strong-willed and careful regarding who deserves their blessings. In turn, most Guardian Focus Witches believe other witches are selfish, cruel or arrogant--which keeps them more interested in those unable to cast magic. Wizards, clerics and other spellcasters are often too prideful to be deemed worthy of a Guardian Focus Witch’s powers… It is those in need that the Guardian Focus witches are drawn to, to protect life and freedoms that are threatened by cruelty and violence.

Alignment: must be lawful good

Skills: You may replace Bluff from the Focus Witch’s class skills with Diplomacy.
Garden Witches often take ranks in Craft (alchemy) or Profession (gardening).

Kindly Aura (Su):     The Guardian Focus Witch, starting at 1st level, radiates an aura of goodness around themselves. The power of their aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to their class level.
  You can also generate a protective ward as a supernatural ability once per day. The Guardian witch touches a non-evil creature and grants them a resistance bonus on their next saving throw, equal to the focus witch’s class levels. Activating this power is a standard action. If a Guardian Focus Witch uses this ability to bless an evil-aligned creature, it does not take effect but the daily use is not lost.
  The protective ward is an abjuration effect with a duration of 1 hour that is usable once per day. This functions similar to the ability of the cleric’s Protection domain.

Witch’s Blessing (Sp): Starting at 8th level, the Guardian Focus Witch can bless their allies with latent spells, they can use imbue with spell ability once per day as a spell-like ability. Their caster level for this effect is their Focus Witch class level.
While a target has a spell or spells invested into them, the Focus Witch effectively loses a number of their spell uses per day equal to that allotment.

Immunity to Aging (Ex):   Starting at 15th level, the Guardian Focus Witch becomes immune to the negative effects of aging. A Guardian Focus Witch who reaches Middle Age or any other age category beyond obtains the benefits of aging (bonuses to all mental ability scores) but does not suffer the negative effects (penalties to all physical ability scores).
  A Guardian Focus Witch who already was in the Middle Age or an older age category when they reached this level does not have their aging penalties removed.
  With this special immunity, the Guardian Focus Witch’s natural lifespan in years is effectively doubled. They may perish through accident, combat, disease, etc. however.

Grant Wish (Su):    A 20th level Guardian Focus Witch is the epitome of kindness, charity and empathy. Having obtained such power in the service of protecting others, the Guardian witch can effectively grant the heart’s desires to those downtrodden and deserving of a miracle.
   Once per month, a Guardian Focus Witch can cast the spell limited wish as a spell-like ability–so long as it is in service to another creature. A single creature cannot benefit from this spell-like ability more than once.
   If cast for the benefit of a Lawful Good-aligned creature, the Guardian witch does not incur any experience cost penalty. If cast for the benefit of an evil-aligned creature, however, the wish fails immediately and the Guardian Focus Witch who cast it suffers 1d6 negative levels and temporarily loses their class’s Immunity to Aging special quality.
  Negative levels acquired cannot be cured or reversed until the Guardian Focus Witch can grant a wish again (one entire month or 30 days, whichever is higher)--at which point the Guardian witch regains those lost levels.

Deep Focus

   Also known as the crystal or cavern witch…
  While many practitioners of magic gather power from the natural world and its untapped potential, many do not dare consider diving blindly into the depths of the earth… Beneath the world’s surface, among the Weave of leylines, are miles and miles of unexplored tunnels and caverns. Places primordial and born of darkness, where power slumbers for the taking. Many dungeons and temples are subterranean or built into the earth to hopefully tap into such power; but to willingly travel in complete darkness deep beneath a rocky sky, not many dare…
  The Deep Focus is one of places never touched by light, of the immense pressure and magnanimity that replaces the sky beneath the earth’s crust. The Underdark is also a place resonant with the Deep; endless caverns with cities and ruins that were born from lightless labor.
  Witches of the Deep Focus live in the darkest pits and caverns, attuning their magic to precious metals and minerals. They care not for the squabbles of territory or theology, for these places of the Deep have existed long before thought and shall remain. The earth is alive in a way only they understand, and they distance themselves from those who claw and conflict for ownership of stone and earth. They spend their days in meditations within the deepest caverns, divining secrets from crystals and subterranean vents.
  Witches of the Deep are incredibly solitary, and they are to be approached with extreme caution. Those who are cast out into darkness may often find them charitable, led out back to the surface and away from the true dangers found in the depths. Those who seek their ambitions deep underground may find them crafty and mysterious, offering riddles or misleading guidance to test their mettle. And those who seek a Deep Focus witch themselves, to take knowledge or power they hold, will find them incredibly dangerous, their knowledge and power over the dark stone a death sentence to ambitious invaders…

Alignment: must be True Neutral (see Alignment section)

Skills: You may replace Knowledge (nature) and Bluff from the Focus Witch class skills with Knowledge (geography) and Survival respectively.
Deep Witches often take ranks in Craft (jewelry) or Profession (jeweler) to create crystal focuses and other trinkets.

Languages: A Deep Focus Witch automatically gains Terran as a bonus language known at 1st level.

Echoes Beneath (Su): Starting at 2nd level, the Deep Focus Witch’s sense of hearing becomes more attuned to what goes on in the dark, subterranean depths of the world. A Deep Focus Witch gains a bonus to Listen skill checks equal to their class level.
At 8th level, the witch’s senses become so heightened in the dark that they can detect unseen presences close to them by shifts in the air when underground. The Deep Focus grants the witch the blindsense special capability within 30 feet, but only when underground or in a contained area like a dungeon room or cavern.

Darkvision (Sp):     At 6th level, the Deep Focus Witch automatically adds the darkvision spell (PlH) as a 2nd level spell known.
  If the Deep Focus Witch’s race has darkvision naturally (or without casting spells/using magic items), they instead gain Improved Darkvision, increasing the range of their natural darkvision by +30 feet upon acquiring this 6th class level.
  This replaces the Magic Circle class ability of the standard Focus Witch, due to their inherent neutrality.

Earth Glide (Ex):    Starting at 12th level, a Deep Focus Witch can ease their bodies into moving through stone and earth as if swimming, like an earth elemental can. The witch can glide through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water; but only for a number of rounds per day equal to their focus witch level.
  While using this ability and completely submerged in earth/stone, a Deep Focus Witch loses their natural sight capabilities but gains tremorsense up to 30 feet of themselves. Spells and other effects requiring a line of sight do not work while submerged in earth, but if a focus witch is using this ability within 5 feet of open air they may poke their head out as a swift action to cast spells, speak to allies, etc.
  The burrowing effect of this leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing Deep Focus Witch flings them back 30 feet, stunning them for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
  If a Deep Focus Witch uses their earth glide ability beyond their daily limit of rounds per day, they are forcibly moved to the nearest open space as if affected by move earth.

[Psionic Variant]

The hum of the earth has been known to resonate with parts of the mind the surface and elements normally cannot. This class variant is useful for Focus Witches who multiclass into psionic manifester classes.
The psionic variant progresses as a standard Focus Witch of the Deep Focus with the following alternate class features:

Resounding Reserve (Ex):

Level: 1st
Replaces: This replaces the Earth Glide class ability at 12th level normally acquired by the Deep Focus Witch.
Benefit: At 1st level, a psionic Deep Focus Witch counts their class levels to a single psionic class in determining their natural power point reserves, chosen upon acquiring their first level with this class variant.

Most Deep Focus Witches using the psionic variant multiclass as Psions with the Seer or Shaper Disciplines, though some crafty witches choose the Wilder or Lurk psionic classes. Deep Focus Witches devoted to protecting sacred or power-gathering caverns may become Psychic Fighters.

Focus Witch Spell Lists

Witches tap into the raw power of the Weave to cast spells, but their magics are limited compared to other arcane casters.

Witches utilize enchantments and shapeshifting magics to great effect, and have the power to create lesser illusions. Many witches use divination and abjuration magic to protect themselves as well. They can also heal to a limited capacity, inflict powerful curses and influence the natural world (unique to them). However, witch magic is subtle; so there are no outright flashy spells they can cast.

Most of the spells listed below are described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The spells added below those are possible choices from other sourcebooks than the DMG.

* When they become able to cast 3rd-level spells, a focus witch automatically gains one of the four magic circle against [alignment] spells on their spell list. Whichever spell chosen, the focus witch cannot cast it as a spell of an alignment opposed to their own.

0-level:

Arcane mark, cure minor wounds, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, flare, ghost sound, light, mending, read magic, resistance, virtue

1st-level:

Cause fear, charm person, command, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, disguise self, doom, endure elements, hypnotism, identify, silent image, sleep, speak with animals, ventriloquism
- Augment familiar*, armor lock, beckon person, buoyant lifting, earthbind, energize potion, float, hold animal, ironguts, moon lust, reaving aura, rot of ages, smell of fear, snake’s swiftness

2nd-level:

Alter self, blindness/deafness, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, detect thoughts, enthrall, invisibility, locate object, minor image, scare, whispering wind

Briar web, countermoon, dispel fog, entice gift, easy trail, fog cloud, listening lorecall, misrepresent alignment, proud arrogance, quick potion, torrent of tears

3rd-level:

Bestow curse, clairvoyance/clairaudience, contagion, create food and water, dispel magic, Leomund’s tiny hut, magic circle against chaos/law/evil/good*, major image, rage, remove blindness/deafness, suggestion, tongues

Beast claws, brittleskin (ShS), circle dance, crumble (SpC), corpse candle, disquietude, inevitable defeat, miser’s envy, permeable form, shadow binding, skull watch, suppress breath weapon, weather eye

4th-level:

Charm monster, crushing despair, discern lies, divination, fear, giant vermin, good hope, locate creature, minor creation, neutralize poison, polymorph, remove curse, scrying

Entangling staff, horrid sickness, jig of the waves, know vulnerabilities, lay of the land, primal senses, rusted blade, treasure scent

5th-level:

Baleful polymorph, dream, false vision, feeblemind, greater command, magic jar, major creation, mirage arcana, nightmare, seeming, sending

Cold snap, crown of courage, dancing blade, fleshiver, graymantle, incite riot, pacification, vulnerability

6th-level:

Animate objects, control weather, eyebite, find the path, geas/quest, greater scrying, heroes’ feast, legend lore, mass suggestion, mislead, repulsion, shadow image, Tenser’s transformation, true seeing

Dream casting, cloak of hate, drown, endless slumber, imperious glare, miasma, remorseless charm

7th-level:

Creeping doom, finger of death, insanity, liveoak, repel wood, transport via plants

Evil glare, hide from dragons, swamp lung, transfix

8th-level:

Antipathy, demand, discern location, horrid wilting, polymorph any object, sympathy, trap the soul

Binding, greater bestow curse, mass charm monster, familial geas, fimbulwinter, maddening scream, maddening whispers, shifting paths

9th-level:

Earthquake, foresight, refuge, shapechange, wail of the banshee, weird

Dragonshape, hindsight, replicate casting

Alignment & Focuses

   Some Witchcraft Focuses have alignment restrictions, and thus specific character choices may negatively impact the Focus Witch’s abilities. If a Focus Witch’s alignment changes through active choices on their part, the Focus Witch effectively loses all the special abilities granted to them by their Witchcraft Focuses.
  Only by atoning for their actions through a grueling trial of some sort can a Focus Witch ever become reacquainted with their Witchcraft Focus.
  For instance, if a Sea Focus Witch ever becomes lawful-aligned they lose their Water’s Bond and Water Breathing special abilities. To actively change their alignment one step towards chaotic, the witch may be required to undertake a lengthy ritual to reaffirm their dedication to the tempestuous Sea focus and regain their class abilities.

The Weave, Cauldron and Garden Focuses do not have any alignment component, and they welcome practitioners of any philosophy.
The following are Witchcraft Focuses that have an alignment component, and the common rituals that could allow regaining a Focus and alignment readjustment. The rituals to regain ones alignment are meant to test a witch’s dedication to returning to their Focus.

Beast Focus: any non-lawful

Common Rituals: surviving in deep wilderness with no possessions for a week, hunting a dire animal singlehandedly and consuming the heart

Forge Focus: any non-chaotic

Common Rituals: locking oneself in a workshop with only rations to complete a handmade item of masterwork quality from start to finish

Broom Focus: any non-lawful

Common Rituals: living atop an isolated mountain known for winds or storms, throwing oneself off progressively larger cliffs and surviving

Sea Focus: any non-lawful

Common Rituals: hunt a sea monster singlehandedly and consume its heart, live in a tidal pool cavern with no possessions or company, tie oneself to a post and survive a terrible ocean storm

Plague Focus: any neutral

Common Rituals: work at a plague clinic or hospital without respite or magical protections for a week, prepare bodies for burial over a week straight

Dagger Focus: must be evil

Common Rituals: capture small creatures with no help or magic and sacrifice one every night for one week, submerge oneself in the blood of many creatures you’ve slain without magic

Seer Focus: must be good

Common Rituals: live nocturnally and spend every night of a week to create intricate star maps, meditate alone in a cave inhaling semi-poisonous volcanic fumes

Abyss Focus: must be chaotic evil

Common Rituals: conduct a live sacrifice of a friendly creature or loved one where the remains will be found

Guardian Focus: must be lawful good

Common Rituals: work as a kindly schoolteacher or caretaker of young rambunctious children for a month without using any magic around them

Deep Focus: must be true neutral

Common Rituals: seal oneself in a subterranean cave and live undisturbed in complete darkness with no light or magical sight allowed for a week,

Witchcraft Feats

[Witch’s Mark] Feats

These feats in the Witch's Mark category are unique to spontaneous spellcasters, such as Focus Witch, Sorcerer, Favored Soul, Bard, etc.

Witch’s Mark

Prerequisite: spontaneous spellcaster, must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: Choose a single 1st-level spell that you know, the DC of that spell increases by an additional +1, even if the spell is improved with a metamagic feat. This feat can stack with Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus for that specific spell.

For every two Witch’s Mark or Focusing feats after acquiring Witch’s Mark, enemies gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Intelligence-based checks to identify you as a Focus Witch.

Witch’s Blood

Prerequisite: Witch’s Mark, 3rd level
Benefit: Choose a 1st-level sorcerer/wizard or focus witch spell from the divination or enchantment schools. You may cast this spell once per day as a spell-like ability, as a caster of your character level.

Blood of Hags

Prerequisite: Witch’s Blood
Benefit: You gain +4 profane bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks against hags and giants, you also acquire an additional use per day of your spell-like ability from the Witch’s Blood feat.

Wooden Heart

Prerequisite: Witch’s Mark
Benefit: You gain an additional +2 magic bonus to all Fortitude saving throws.

In addition, you may cast float once per day as a spell-like ability, affecting only yourself as a caster of your character level.

Witch’s Claws

Prerequisite: Witch’s Mark, Blood of Hags
Benefit: You gain claws. You can make a natural attack with your claw, dealing damage based on your size (Small 1d4, Medium 1d6, Large 1d8), including Strength bonus. In any round when you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action, you can make a single claw attack as a swift action against an opponent you threaten.

[Dabble] Feats

Dabble category feats are options for Focus Witches to obtain the lesser abilities from Focuses they are not attuned with.

Weaving Dabble [Weave Focus]

Prerequisite: Focus Witch 8th level, cannot be a Weave Focus Witch
Benefits: A Focus Witch has expanded their magical energies, brushing up against the powers of The Weave.

This feat grants the Witch the Weavespeak ability of the Weave Focus Witch, usable once per day.

Oracular Dabble [Seer Focus]

Prerequisite: Focus Witch 12th level; cannot be evil-aligned, cannot be a Seer Focus Witch
Benefits: Once per day you may cast augury as a cleric of your Focus Witch class level, as a spell-like ability.

Bubbling Dabble [Cauldron Focus]

Prerequisite: Focus Witch 5th level, cannot be a Cauldron Focus Witch
Benefits: Choose a tiny cauldron (or mortar and pestle) of masterwork construction. So long as you have these objects on hand, you receive a magic bonus to either Craft (alchemy), Craft (poisonmaking), Heal or Profession (herbalism) skill checks equal to half your Focus Witch level (rounded up).

When you take on this feat, you must choose either Craft (poisonmaking), Craft (alchemy), Heal or Profession (herbalism) to apply to this feat.
This feat can be taken multiple times to gain the other skill bonuses. If the cauldron is destroyed it can be replaced after having the new cauldron on your person for at least 24 hours.

Bestial Dabble [Beast Focus]

Prerequisite: Focus Witch 8th level; Witchcraft Focus cannot be Abyss, Beast, Cauldron, Garden or Weave
Benefits: You acquire an animal companion as the Beast Focus Witch does. However, you can only choose from the following, based on your Focus. Alignment restrictions still apply.
Broom Focus: hawk, eagle, owl, raven, flying fox (as raven)

4th level (-3)*: dire bat, dire hawk, sailsnake
5th level (-4)*: air elemental (small), bat swarm
7th level (-6)*: hippogriff, mephit (air or dust)

Forge Focus: pony, horse (light or heavy), badger, dog

4th level (-3)*: dire eel1, worg,
5th level (-4)*: fire elemental (small), axiomatic creature
7th level (-6)*: homunculus, mephit (fire, glass or magma);

Sea Focus: seagull (as hawk), otter, sea snake (small or medium)1, seal1, sea lion1, tiny shark1, eel, octopus, turtle (as hedgehog--no quills)

5th level (-4)*: water elemental (small)
7th level (-6)*: homunculus, mephit (water/ooze/ice)

1 -- only available in aquatic environments

Plague Focus: dire rat, viper (small or medium), vulture

4th level (-3)*: sailsnake, viper (large), constrictor snake, horrid rat,
7th level (-6)*: locust swarm

Dagger Focus: lizard, viper (small), dog, eel

5th level (-4)*: jaculi
6th level (-5)*: stirge, vargouille (no kiss ability)

Seer Focus: toad, mink (as ferret), hawk

3rd level (-2)*: celestial creature, worg
5th level (-4)*: blink dog

Guardian Focus: owl, rabbit (as cat), hawk, mink (as ferret)

3rd level (-2)*: celestial creature,
7th level (-6)*: lantern archon

Deep Focus: badger, dire rat, snake (small or medium viper)

3rd (-2*): giant ant, soldier; giant ant, worker
4th level (-3)*: dire bat

Warding Dabble [Guardian Focus]

Prerequisite: 12th level Focus Witch, good alignment
Benefit: You can generate a protective ward as a supernatural ability. Grant someone you touch a resistance bonus equal to half your Focus Witch class level on their next saving throw. Activating this power is a standard action. The protective ward is an abjuration effect with a duration of 1 hour that is usable once per day.
Note: This functions similar to the special granted ability of the cleric’s Protection domain.
Special: A Guardian Focus Witch can take this feat once, increasing their daily uses of Kindly Aura by one.

Sanguine Dabble [Dagger Focus]

Prerequisite: 8th level Focus Witch, evil alignment, Witchcraft Focus cannot be Dagger
Benefit: Once per day you can cast magic weapon as a spell-like ability, affecting a single melee weapon in your hands. This affected weapon is considered evil-aligned for purposes of Damage Reduction.
Special: If the caster’s Witchcraft Focus is Beast or Garden, they may instead cast magic fang on their animal or plant companion within touch range as a once per day spell-like ability. The affected natural weapon of the companion is considered evil-aligned for purposes of Damage reduction. Once this variant is chosen it cannot be changed.

Verdant Dabble [Garden Focus]

Prerequisite: 4th level Focus Witch, Witchcraft Focus cannot be Garden
Benefit: You gain woodland stride as the druid class feature.

Echoing Dabble [Deep Focus]

Prerequisite: 6th level Focus Witch, must be neutral-aligned, Witchcraft Focus cannot be Deep
Benefit: You gain a bonus to Listen skill checks equal to your class level, but only while underground or in a contained area like a room or dungeon.

[Focusing] Feats

These are feats that are tied to a single Witchcraft Focus, granting a Focus Witch unique special abilities or bonuses. If a Focus Witch loses their Focus (such as through alignment shifting or class retraining), any Focusing Feats the witch has are not replaced with another--becoming effectively useless. Regaining a Focus that a Focusing Feat relies on reactivates the feat’s abilities.
Think of these feats like the Divine feats, which affect a cleric or paladin’s Turn Undead ability.

Banishing Seer [Focusing - Seer]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Seer), Focus Witch 8th level, Knowledge (religion or planes) 4 ranks
Benefits: The path of fate can often be changed by those of evil, extraplanar persuasion. Some Witches of the Seer Focus choose to steer the path of fate by cleansing the world of an embodiment of evil.

Turn or destroy Outsiders with the evil subtype as a good cleric turns undead. Rebuke, command, or bolster good Outsider creatures as an evil cleric rebukes/commands undead. Use these abilities a total number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. This is a supernatural ability, similar to the granted powers of many cleric domains.

Your cleric level is equal to your Focus Witch levels.

In addition, you add align weapon (2nd, non-evil only) to your list of focus witch spells known.

Dagger of Thirst [Focusing - Dagger]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Dagger), Focus Witch 12th level, Weapon Focus (Dagger)
Benefits: Some witches who conjure weapons out of blood find that these wicked implements are drawn to creatures full of fresh blood.

A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), as a swift action you treat your Blood Dagger as a returning and throwing weapon for a single standard attack action. Your Blood Dagger, regardless of its specific weapon form, increases its base throwing range by +10 feet for that round.
For instance, a dagger form would increase its base throwing range to 20 feet, while a sickle or light mace form would only gain a 10 foot throwing range.

Metalshaper [Focusing - Forge]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Forge), Focus Witch 8th level, Craft (armorsmithing, weaponsmithing or ironworking) 8 ranks
Benefits: Your hands glow with an intense but painless heat, as if they are a coal gently burning in a forge.

A Forge Focus Witch with this feat automatically adds weapon shift (1st) to their list of focus witch spells known.
In addition, as a spell-like ability once per day you can cast heat metal as a druid of their focus witch level. The save DC of this ability is Charisma-based.

Plague Swarm [Focusing - Plague]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Plague), Focus Witch 12th level, Heal 8 ranks
Benefit: Whenever you are agitated, your shadow often shifts to resemble the silhouettes of many tiny creatures swarming in a pile.

Once per day, you can transform your body into a swarm of rats. This ability functions like the alternate form/druid wild shape ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 minute per focus witch level, or until you change back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Each time you transform into swarm form, you regain hit points as if you had rested for a night.
Any gear worn or carried by the witch melds into their new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the witch reverts to their true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same body location that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the witch’s feet.
The witch loses the ability to speak while in swarm form because they are limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained swarm of rats can make; but can communicate normally with other rats and rat-like creatures.
While in Plague Swarm form, you are considered a swarm of ½ your Focus Witch level for purposes of swarm damage. The swarm distraction effect’s saving throw is 10 + ½ class level + Constitution modifier. Any damage you inflict while in swarm form has a chance of inflicting filth fever (Fort DC 8 + Constitution modifier); you can choose to forgo inflicting this disease as a swift action before you make a swarm attack.

At 18th level, you can use the Plague Swarm ability one additional time per day.

Protective Guardian [Focusing - Guardian]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Guardian), Focus Witch 9th level, Wisdom 15
Benefit: A witch can be a stalwart ally to those in need, and your power has expanded to bestow blessings more frequently.

You automatically add spiritual weapon (2nd) to your list of focus witch spells known.
In addition, you can utilize your Kindly Aura special ability one additional time per day.

Sunken Horror [Focusing - Sea]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Sea), Focus Witch 12th level, non-good alignment
Benefits: Your entire body becomes more and more warped to the ocean, and one of your eyes mutates into a horrific fish-like eye.

You gain a competence bonus to Intimidate checks equal to your Focus Witch class levels, and gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Intimidate checks against humanoids and monstrous humanoids.
In addition, as a spell-like ability you can cast control water once per day, as a sorcerer of your class level.

Weaver of Webs [Focusing - Weave]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Weave), Focus Witch 5th level, Craft (weaving) 8 ranks, Charisma 15
Benefit: Through your study of the Weave’s patterns, you have learned to channel power through the natural world’s greatest weavers.

When this feat is taken, you can choose to dismiss your current familiar without penalty in exchange for a small monstrous spider.
If you choose to obtain a small monstrous spider as a familiar, your focus witch level is lessened by 4 (min 1) for determining their familiar’s bonus natural armor, Intelligence score and special abilities (see Familiar table). Your small monstrous spider familiar automatically begins with 6 Intelligence, granting them racial skill points in Climb, Hide, Jump and Spot (before applying its master’s ranks, if better).
Once per day, your monstrous spider familiar as a spell-like ability can shrink itself down by one size category (as if affected by reduce person), as a sorcerer of its Hit Dice.
In addition, a Weaver of Webs automatically adds web (2nd) to their list of focus witch spells known.

Caustic Cauldron [Focusing - Cauldron]

Prerequisites: Witchcraft Focus (Cauldron), Focus Witch 8th level, Intelligence 15
Benefits: The contents of your animated vessel overflow violently with caustic liquids at a moment’s notice.

A number of rounds per day equal to 1 plus your Charisma modifier (minimum 2), the natural slam attack of your animated Cauldron Companion can be bolstered with acid elemental energy. As a swift action before any attack or full-attack is rolled, all successful natural weapon attacks made by your Cauldron Familiar automatically inflict +1d6 acid damage for 1 full round.
In addition, you automatically add acid splash (0-level) to your list of focus witch spells known.

Cauldron Reservoir [Focusing - Cauldron]

Prerequisites: Witchcraft Focus (Cauldron)
Benefits: The animated vessel suddenly has an animal face on one side, molded from its metal casing or painted on. The face moves suddenly and opens its terrible mouth to unleash a torrent of alchemical fluids.

Your Cauldron Companion has a secret reservoir you can fill, allowing it to unleash the liquid as a spray, or ingest it to gain its benefits. This reservoir can hold one liquid alchemical item (alchemist’s fire/holy water/etc.), one potion or up to 2 gallons of water at a time.
Once ingested, the Cauldron Companion holds the chosen liquid in a hidden hollow space. The companion’s master can fill the animated object while adjacent to it as a standard action. Once inside its reservoir, the liquid can only be sprayed out, consumed by the animated object, or vomited out. Once inside a cauldron companion, there is no way to regain the liquid in a viable form (potions become fouled, alchemical liquids lose their potency). The Focus Witch may not have the animated object hold more than one liquid in its reservoir at a time.

Mixing multiple alchemical liquids and/or potions together will instantly destroy the cauldron companion, and replacing a destroyed companion in this case requires 1 hour, rather than the normal 24 hour wait. Mixing an alchemical liquid or potion into reserved water will instantly dilute it, losing its effects.
Liquid poisons and other unique liquids (e.g. blood/mucus/etc) can be fed to the cauldron’s inside, but they foul up the cauldron companion and inflict a circumstance penalty to any Craft checks made with the cauldron as a vessel, equal to the focus witch’s level and lasting 1d4+1 days unless properly cleaned for 2d4 hours.
With a potion inside its reservoir, the cauldron companion can consume it or grant its benefits to an adjacent ally as a standard action on its turn. The potion is consumed in this manner.
With alchemical liquids or a full bottle of poisons in its reservoir, the cauldron companion can unleash its effects as a 10 foot cone spray. All creatures within the area of effect take the full effect of the alchemical liquid, utilizing any saving throws mentioned in the item’s description.

Untamable Skies [Focusing - Broom]

Prerequisites: Witchcraft Focus (Broom), Focus Witch 8th level, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks
Benefits: Your hair is almost always tousled by a gentle breeze, and feathers randomly appear within the folds of your clothes.

Once per day, you can transform your body into a murder of crows (or flock of birds of your choice). This ability functions like the alternate form/druid wild shape ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 minute per focus witch level, or until you change back. Changing form (to murder form or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you transform into murder form, you regain hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Any gear worn or carried by the witch melds into their new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the witch reverts to their true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same body location that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the witch’s feet.
The witch loses the ability to speak while in murder form because they are limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained flock of crows can make; but can communicate normally with other birds and bird-like creatures.

While in flock of birds form, you are considered a swarm of ½ your Focus Witch level for purposes of swarm damage [see the Swarm Attack table of the D20SRD Swarm Subtype].

The saving throw for your murder form’s distraction effect is 10 + ½ class level + Constitution modifier.
Any damage you inflict while in murder form has a chance of blinding (10 + ½ class level + Dexterity modifier); you can choose to forgo inflicting this blinding effect as a swift action before you make a swarm attack.

At 18th level, you can use the Untamable Skies ability one additional time per day.

Abyssal Vassal [Focusing - Abyss]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Abyss), Focus Witch 8th level, Knowledge (religion or planes) 4 ranks
Benefit: The path of fate can be changed by those of evil, extraplanar persuasion. Witches tied to the Abyss become extensions of these great evils; severing the ties of good from the Material Plane with great fervor.

You now turn or destroy Outsiders with the good subtype as a good cleric turns undead; as well as rebuke, command, or bolster evil Outsider creatures as an evil cleric rebukes/commands undead. You can use these abilities a total number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. This is a supernatural ability, similar to the granted powers of many cleric domains.

Your cleric level for this ability is equal to your Focus Witch levels.

In addition, you add align weapon (2nd, chaotic or evil only) to your list of focus witch spells known.

Primal Companion [Focusing - Beast]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Beast), Focus Witch 8th level, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks
Benefit: The animal companions you associate these days are much more vicious and unfriendly to everyone, except you. Their eyes are sharper, and your eyes often assume the shape and color of your companion’s in times of wrath.

Your animal companion automatically begins with an additional +1 hit point per Hit Die, and a +2 enhancement to two physical ability scores of your choice: Strength, Dexterity or Constitution--chosen upon acquiring the companion. Unfortunately, the animal is especially suspicious of humanoids--starting with an initial attitude of "unfriendly" around humanoids who aren't its master. In addition, the animal refuses to enter a humanoid settlement larger than a thorp. The animal does not leave you completely, however, and lurks on the outskirts of the settlement until you rejoin it in the wilds.
Your animal companion also gains an enhancement bonus to all natural attacks equal to ¼ your class level (rounded down).
Other druids or rangers can increase your animal companion's attitude to "neutral" using the wild empathy ability.
In addition to the bolstered companion above, the Beast focus witch continuously benefits from the effects of speak with animals, but only towards animals of your current animal companion’s species (or similar).

Verdant Flourishing [Focusing - Garden]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Garden), Focus Witch 12th level, non-evil alignment
Benefit: Your connection to the lifeforce of plants has allowed you to store it within your companion.

Your plant companion now has a storage of life energy within them, as the paladin lay on hands ability. The plant and the focus witch share this life pool, the total number of hit points of damage equal to your focus witch level multiplied by your Charisma bonus (min 1). You may choose to divide this healing among multiple recipients, and you do not have to use it all at once.
Using this ability is a standard action, requiring the focus witch or the plant companion to touch the recipient. So long as the plant companion is alive and within 100 feet, the focus witch has access to this hit point pool through their touch.
Alternatively, you can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using this ability in this way requires a successful melee touch attack against the undead target; this melee touch attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The focus witch, whether it is them or their plant companion, decides how many of their daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching the undead creature.

Crystalline Companion [Focusing - Deep]

Prerequisite: Witchcraft Focus (Deep), Focus Witch 8th level
Benefit: Your devotion to the secrets within the earth has been answered by a fragment of its innate, slumbering knowledge.

You gain a medium earth elemental, as a druid gains an animal companion, using your focus witch level halved (rounded down) as your effective druid level. It does not gain any extra HD, natural armor adjustment, Strength or Dexterity adjustment, or extra tricks (it is intelligent enough to follow your spoken commands and thus needs no tricks). It does gain all other special abilities normally granted to an animal companion, with the exception of Multiattack.
At 20th focus witch level (effective 10th druid level), you can choose for your elemental companion to grow to a Large elemental of the same kind, with the appropriate changes to its statistics. If you choose for your elemental to remain Medium, it instead gains 2 HD, +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, and damage reduction 5/–.

Photo by Bruno Souza on Unsplash

Author's Note:

Wow, this was a ton of work! But the Focus Witch is finally written out for you all to read, and I am so glad for that.
   In the Player's Handbook for Dungeons & Dragons 3e/3.5, the base Witch class is one of the first class alternates a Dungeon Master can potentially utilize in their own games. It is pretty much just a Sorcerer, but with a different spell list. Being a fan of witches from folklore and fairytales, I didn't enjoy it as a simple reskin--I wanted witches to be as potentially powerful and fully-fleshed out as other arcane classes like the Wizard and Sorcerer.
  Therefore, I created this Focus Witch class as an alternative, should a player or campaign setting itself wish to utilize a more broad and customizable archetype in their stories! We hope you enjoy the Focus Witch.
  It was literally my first huge attempt at Homebrewing altogether, and as the years go by it is one of my most well loved and well-tested experiments in game design!

Hopefully you find the Focus Witch interesting for your own games and campaign. Play with the concepts of the Weave and witchcraft to create unique stories and tales! Thanks for reading!

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