In Arcana Unearthed, there are six types of Witches, but the door is left open for others:

• Iron Witch
• Mind Witch
• Sea Witch
• Wind Witch
• Winter Witch
• Wood Witch

There could be more, like the Desert Witch or the Night Witch or whatever, but I leave those to your imagination.

Regardless of type, Witchcraft consists of five "full manifestations."

• Blade
• Storm
• Fire
• Song
• Word

...each of which has its own special power and is represented by a Secret in the Solar System. Each of these must reflect the theme of your witchcraft--you cannot have an Iron Storm and a Wood Song, for example.

Witchcraft in this Setting

Witchcraft isn't like Eldritch Magic: for one thing, only women may practice it.

Also, Witchcraft is somewhat less flexible. A Magister can improvise any number of spells, but a Witch has (at most) five "full manifestations." This usually means that Witches are good at something besides Witchcraft; a few learn the rudiments of Eldritch Magic, while others learn how to fight or steal.

But more importantly Witches, unlike magicians, don't require much special training. Some women are just born with the power of Witchcraft, particularly in the Waste Lands. Witches, in other words, don't have the same social constraints that come with other forms of magic: a Greenbond must serve the Green, a Magister is shaped by her university, and a Rune-Priest obey his church... but a Witch answers to no one, and can use her powers however she likes. This has led to some trepidation and suspicion about Witches: even in a setting with a fair amount of magic, Witches aren't held accountable by any cosmic or political force, and they're seldom trusted.

Witchcraft, then, is most commonly practiced in the Waste Lands. The primitive tribes and struggling villagers can't be too picky about the magical aid they receive; in fact in these societies a Witch may even occupy a place of high honor. And if not, there are plenty of deserted places to hide if absolutely necessary.

Witchcraft Crunchy Stuff

In order to practice witchcraft you must purchase the Secret of Witchcraft for a particular "theme"--see the themes at the top of this page, or invent your own; the other manifestations are optional, and can be taken in any order. All manifestations, however, must share the same theme, which cannot be changed.

Secret of Witchcraft.

You have +1 armor against everything related to your theme. An Iron Witch would have +1 physical protection against iron weapons, +1 protection when haggling with a blacksmith, and so on. A Winter Witch would have protection against the cold... but also would be protected if her boyfriend tried to break up with her in the depths of winter. Prerequisite - Must be female. Cost - None.

Secret of the Witch's Blade.

You can summon a particular kind of melee weapon, like a sword, axe, or staff. It does +2 physical damage against targets related to your theme. An Iron Witch, for example, might summon an axe that does +2 damage against woodland creatures. A Mind Witch's magical dagger might do +2 damage against thinking beings, but not harm animals or objects. Prerequisite - Secret of Witchcraft. Cost - None.

Secret of the Witch's Fire.

You can unleash a blast of energy at a target, inflicting harm appropriate to your theme. Make a resisted Aim skill check; if you win, you inflict SL x 2 damage on the target. Prerequisite - Secret of Witchcraft. Cost - 2 Vigor.

Secret of the Witch's Storm.

You can unleash a crazy storm of thematic energy. You can roll Bash & Hold vs. the Reaction roll of anyone within a radius; any successes are damage. Prerequisite - Secret of Witchcraft. Cost - (number of targets) Vigor.

Secret of the Witch's Song.

This gives some other person bonus dice to a thematically appropriate task, equal to the Witch's Music check SL's. It lasts for as long as the Witch sings. Prerequisite - Secret of Witchcraft. Cost - 1 Instinct.

Secret of the Witch's Word.

The Witch may command the thematic substance. The level of obedience is attained through an Orate skill check. Prerequisite - Secret of Witchcraft. Cost - personal space, 1 Instinct; roughly room-sized, 3 Instinct; roughly house-sized, 6 Instinct; roughly fortress or neighborhood sized, 9 Instinct.

Secret of Witch Mastery.

Select one of the five manifestations--Blade, Fire, Storm, Song, or Word. This gets +1 SL. You can select this secret again, but must choose a different manifestation. Cost - None.

A Few Examples

Sea Witch

• Witchcraft: gets +1 armor for things related to the sea
• Blade: "drunken pirate style" harms landlubbers
• Fire: may make a target helplessly seasick
• Storm: summon a terrible gale
• Song: help sailors, pirates or fishermen
• Word: govern the progression of a boat, calm the seas

Wood Witch

• Witchcraft: gets +1 armor for things related to the forest
• Blade: quarterstaff shatters manmade objects
• Fire: makes people terribly scared to be outdoors
• Storm: sorcerous swirl of autumn leaves blinds enemies
• Song: help woodsmen, animals, fairies
• Word: govern wooden objects and trees

Mind Witch

• Witchcraft: gets +1 armor in social situations
• Blade: dagger harms thinking beings only
• Fire: a piercing, agonizing headache
• Storm: a fog of confusion blankets your enemies
• Song: helps people when they use Social abilities
• Word: give commands to other people.