Introduction

Welcome to Clash of History: Witchcraft and Witch Trials, the fourth in Vigilance Press line of historical fantasy sourcebooks. Previous installments in the series have looked at the mounted cavalryman, the lofty noble and the medieval merchant guildsman. This book looks at a far darker aspect of life in medieval Europe: the Witch Trials.

Credits Author: Charles Rice Editing and Proofreading: Paul king Layout: David Jarvis Cover: Saint Dominic Presiding over an Auto-dafe, Pedro Berruguete, 1475.

Authors Note: This is a work of ction, designed to bring the medieval concept of witches and witch trials into your OGL fantasy games. I personally feel most claims of witchcraft, from the Middle Ages to the present day, to be the result of certain primitive screwheads overactive imaginations. These imaginings had real and terrible consequences for the 50-100,000 killed during the Middle Ages, most of them single women who fell outside of the accepted rules and norms of the societies of the day. I have nothing but sympathy for those people. The view of witchcraft and/or witches advanced in this book is not politically correct. This is not done to minimize real events or their consequences, however distantly they occurred.

New Core Class: The Witch

The Witch (Warlock)
Description: The witch draws her power from close contact with a supernatural entity. Usually this entity takes the form of a demon, devil or supernatural creature that serves a pagan god, such as a Dryad, Night Hag, Ogre Mage or Satyr. These are just a few examples of the types of creatures a witch can form a compact with. Regardless of the type of creature, the witchs powers are unchanged, so the game master can approve any creature he deems appropriate to serve as a conduit for the witchs magical abilities. Adventures: The witch adventures to advance the cause of the being she serves. This relationship is much more direct and personal than the relationship of a priest and deity, since the witch will often have direct contact with the being she serves. Depending on the witch and the power of the being she serves, this could be a relationship as equals or a master-servant relationship (with the witch being the master if extremely high level).

Characteristics: The witch is an arcane spellcaster who serves the function of a priest for her ock. Often this group of followers are fellow witches but also normal men and women who have joined together in service to a supernatural entity. The witch serves to recruit new followers and also advance the cause of the being she serves. Though rare, male individuals may become Warlocks (the male equivalent of a Witch). In medieval Europe, roughly one-quarter of those executed for witchcraft were male and this serves as a good barometer of the number of warlocks compared to witches. Assume one out of every four Witches encountered is in fact a Warlock. Religion: A Witch is not usually religious in the traditional sense. Though she is a priestess of an ancient, supernatural entity, that entity is not usually a god capable of granting divine powers. Some Witches may view the being they serve as a god or goddess, but a witch is receiving her power through contact with the being she serves and instruction in the magical arts by it. In rare cases a Witch might be both a member of this class and an actual priest. In this case, she gains her divine, priestly powers from a powerful god (usually an ancient, pagan deity) while gaining her arcane abilities from a fellow servant of that god.

Background: The Witch begins life as an ordinary member of medieval society. Then, for a variety of reasons, she falls through the cracks, falling outside the normal social order. Especially in villages of the Middle Ages, the social order is very delicate and someone who does not slot into an accepted role can cause a great deal of disharmony (for a example a landed widow with wealth of her own following her husbands death). Often these individuals moved into the growing urban centers of the Middle Ages, where life was more uid. A rare few however, will attract the attention of a supernatural being and be recruited into the ranks of its followers as a witch, learning arcane abilities from it. Role: The Witch is an arcane spellcaster focusing on enchantments and illusions. She also gains powers from the supernatural entity she serves, either minor healing and protection (if a White Witch) or curses of varying strength (if a Black Witch).

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4+ Int. modier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Witch. Weapon and Armor Prociency: The Witch is procient in Simple Weapons. Spells: A Witch casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below). To learn or cast a spell, a Witch must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difculty Class for a saving throw against a Witchs spell is 10 + the spell level + the Witchs Charisma modier. Like other spellcasters, a Witch can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer (found in the PHB). In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. A Witchs selection of spells is extremely limited. A Witch begins play knowing four 0level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new Witch level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known (found in the PHB). (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a Witch knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are xed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the Witch has gained some understanding of by study. The Witch cant use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however. Summon Familiar: The Witch has a familiar, as Sorcerers and Wizards do. This ability functions exactly as described in the PHB. Witchs Compact: At 1st level the Witch must bind herself to a supernatural entity that will serve as the source of her magical abilities. The Witch must have direct contact with this entity each time she gains a new level.

Game Rule Information

Witches have the following game statistics. Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for the Witch, since it determines the power of her spells. Alignment: Any. Witches tend to be Neutral or Chaotic, as they have fallen outside the social structure of the age. Though many Witches are intent on forming their own, alternate society to that around them, this society is still one much more debauched and much less structured than is usual. Hit Die: 1d4

Class Skills

The Witchs class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature, religion) (Int), Spellcraft (Int) Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+ Int. modier) x4

This being will teach the Witch all of her pells, though it will usually grant spells the Witch requests. Note that the being is capable of imparting power to the Witch in the form of new spells, even if it cannot cast spells. How this works is unknown and some mysteries are perhaps best left unexplained. Brew Potion: All Witches are skilled herbalists and are taught how to work magic through potions. The Witch gains this feat as a bonus feat at 3rd level. Witchs Path: At 5th level the Witch starts down the path toward her destiny. She can either be a White Witch or a Black Witch, based on the alignment of the supernatural entity she serves. Those who serve good creatures will be taught the path of the White Witch, while those who serve evil will take the path of the Black Witch. If the entity is neutral, its path will be determined by the other axis of its alignment, with a lawful neutral creature teaching the path of the White Witch and a Chaotic Neutral teaching the path of the Black Witch. In the rare instance that the supernatural entitys alignment is purely neutral, the game master will select whether it chooses White or Black Witches to serve it.

3rd: Superior Healing Drink: At 15th level, the Witch can craft the following superior potions: Cure Light Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds and Cure Serious Wounds. These potions always cure the maximum possible damage (so a Cure Light Wounds potion made with this ability would cure 8 points of damage plus 5 for the caster level). 4th: Intercession: At 20th level, the Witch can commune with the supernatural entity she serves to bring life to a dead individual. This ability functions as the spell Raise Dead in all respects except for the casting time. To perform this ability, the Witch must perform a ritual taking one hour and spending 5,000 gp equivalent in offerings (what must be offered will vary depending on the tastes of the supernatural entity).

Black Witch

1st: Familiar Shape: At 5th level the Witch can transform herself into the same sort of animal as her familiar. She can use this ability three times per day at 5th level and gains an additional use each day at levels 10, 15 and 20. 2nd: Curse, Lesser: At 10th level the Witch can bestow a minor curse on a target. This requires the Witch to be in the targets presence (within twenty feet) and to verbally curse him, though she may mutter and try to be discreet, a Listen check (DC 15) will always reveal the contents of the curse to anyone nearby. This curse grants a Will saving throw as normal but is at half strength and has one of the following effects: -3 to an ability score; -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks and skill checks; 25% chance to act normally or take no action. The Witch may only have a curse from this ability on one target at a time though she may voluntarily remove a curse in order to target someone else. The Witch may not use this ability more than once per day. If the Witch dies before this curse is removed (either by convincing her to rescind it or through the Remove Curse spell), it may only be removed through application of Atonement, Limited Wish, Miracle or Wish spells.

White Witch

1st: Healing Drink: At 5th level, the Witch can make the following potions: Cure Light Wounds and Cure Moderate Wounds. At 7th level the Witch can make the following potions: Cure Serious Wounds, Neutralize Poison and Remove Disease. The Witch does not gain the ability to cast these spells but is treated as if she can cast them at her current caster level for purposes of creating potions based on these spells. 2nd: Healing Touch: Beginning at 10th level, a Witch with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her Witch level x her Charisma bonus. A Witch may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesnt have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.

3rd: Evil Eye: At 15th level the Witch can bestow a curse with a glance. She must be within 60 feet of her target and must be able to see him. This curse is at full strength, causing a -6 to an ability score, -4 penalty to the rolls listed above or a 50% chance to take no action. Also, the Witch may have an Evil Eye active on up to three separate targets and may use this ability three times per day. However, the Witch may not target the same person with this ability more than once in a 24 hour period. 4th: Malevolent Food/Drink: At 20th level, the Witch can make a potion of the following spells: Sleep, Disguise Self (the Witch chooses the form), Touch of Idiocy, Alter Self (again, the Witch chooses the form), Deep Slumber, Suggestion (the Witch may either choose a Suggestion when making the potion or it could be the rst suggestion made to the target after consuming the potion), Confusion, Bestow Curse, Contagion and Baleful Polymorph. The Witch must know and be able to cast the spell to make a potion of it and must pay the gold

cost and XP cost for the potion normally. Further, the Witch can craft these potions into any food or drink (typically something the target nds delicious or irresistible). This potion cannot be revealed as magical, poisonous or evil by any sort of detection short of True Seeing. If the target willingly consumes the potion (in whatever form), it gains no saving throw against the effect. If the target is forced to consume the potion (physically, being tricked into consuming the potion does not count) it gains a saving throw normally. The effects of a spell delivered through this ability also have their durations increased, to one year per Witch level. Spell effects delivered by potions of this type can only be removed through the Remove Curse spell or some other effect deemed appropriate by the game master (the kiss of a loved one for example). A Thousand Faces (Su): At 13th level, a Witch gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the alter self spell.

Table 1-1: The Witch

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

Base Attack Bonus Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

Special Summon Familiar; Witchs Compact Brew Potion Witchs Path

Witchs Path

A thousand Faces Witchs Path

+5 +5 +5
+6 +6 +6

+5 +5 +5
+6 +6 +6

+10/+5

Witchs Path

New Prestige Class: The Inquisitor

The Inquisitor
An Inquisitor is part judge, part priest, empowered by an ecclesiastical authority to root out heresy. In a culture where church and state are intertwined (such as medieval Europe), or are one, an Inquisitor can hand down sentences of excommunication and even death. The Paladin has the fastest path into the Inquisitor prestige class and can achieve this class by 5th level. The Cleric has the second fastest path and can achieve this path by 7th level, though this requires considerable dedication to max out Sense Motive, a non-class skill for the Cleric. While other paths into this PrC are possible, they require taking one or more levels as a Cleric or Paladin in most cases (to gain Divine spells). Hit Die: 1d10

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5 Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks Class Abilities: Ability to cast 1st level Divine spells

Class Features

Class Skills

All of the following are class features of the Inquisitor. Weapon and Armor Prociency: The Inquisitor gains no additional Weapon or Armor prociencies. Smite Heretic: Once per day, an Inquisitor may attempt to smite a heretic with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per Inquisitor level. If the Inquisitor accidentally smites a creature that is not a heretic, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.

The Inquisitors class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana, history, local, religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int) and Sense Motive (Wis) Skill Points per Level: 4+ Int. modier

What constitutes a heretic will vary from campaign to campaign, and within campaigns by religious order. For a medieval European Inquisitor, heretics would include Protestants, Muslims, Jews and Witches at a minimum. Detect Lie: The Inquisitor can detect lie, as the spell, a number of times per day listed on the class table. Forced Confession: The Inquisitor realizes that confession is good for the soul and often essential to rooting out spiritual corruption. Through the divine power of his ofce, he can compel a target to confess to a crime by making an Intimidate skill check. This then becomes the DC of the targets Will save. If the save is successful, it may refuse to confess (or indeed to say anything) but may not lie while under the effect of this ability. In other words, if the target of this ability is guilty, he can either confess or remain silent; he may not make a lie or give a false alibi. Forced Repentance: The Inquisitor can even use the power of his ofce to force a target to see the error of his ways, at least temporarily. As with the Forced Confession ability, the Inquisitor makes an Intimidate check, which becomes the DC for a Will save. If the target fails this save, it will cease one proscribed behavior named by the Inquisitor when making the skill check. Usually this is a spiritual crime (such as heresy or black magic) but the Inquisitor could name some other behavior, such as theft as well. The target will renounce the proscribed behavior for a minimum of 1 week plus a number of weeks

equal to the Inquisitors Charisma modier (minimum of one week). After this time, the target may make a new Will save once each week, with a plus one bonus for each previous save. Once this save is successful, the target may act in any way it wants (which may or may not include a return to past activities). The target of this ability may also choose to spontaneously change alignment to match that of the Inquisitor but this is always voluntary.

History of European Witch Trials

While these trials can be comfortably viewed through modern hindsight as pure folly, something so outrageous that its best viewed as black comedy (both Monty Python and Mel Brooks can be surveyed for this), in a way the search for evil, magical forces was almost inevitable. The power of God was everywhere in the Middle Ages. Priests spoke of miracles from the pulpit. Children in danger spoke the name of a Saint and were saved. Holy pilgrimages to see religious wonders, from bleeding statues to places offering miraculous cures for pain and illness were a popular pastime, encouraged and approved by the Church. It seemed the wondrous power of the divine was all around the common folk of Europe. And so, it seems almost inevitable, with wonders over every hill that Satan must be at work as well. This belief seems to have taken

Table 1-1: The Inquisitor

Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Base Attack Bonus Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Special Smite Heretic 1/day Detect Lie 1/day Forced Confession Detect Lie 2/day Smite Heretic 2/day Detect Lie 3/day Forced Repentance Detect Lie 4/day Smite Heretic 3/day Detect Lie 5/day

a rm hold even as Europe slowly emerged from the Dark Ages. Charlemagne, the grace of European kings, decreed the mere belief in witches heresy and the burning of a witch murder, punishable by death. Several centuries later, other kings were still combating the belief that evil magicians were at work, as evidenced by 11th century King Coloman of Hungary, who called for an end to all witch hunts, on the grounds that witches did not exist. Despite these early indications that witches would be consigned to the realm of superstition, the Inquisition was soon concerning itself with charges of witchcraft. First begun in 1184 to combat heretical movements such as Catharism and Waldensians, the Inquisition was also charged to investigate other charges of heresy, including witchcraft. However this was never a primary focus of the Inquisitors. The publication of the Formicarius in 1435-1437, by Johannes Nider served as evidence that trials of witches, using torture as a means to obtain evidence was well established. This book was inuential in fostering more trials (mostly by secular rather than Church ofcials).

Malleus Maleficarum: Witch Hunters Handbook

In 1486, an even more inuential book on witchcraft and witch trials was published, the Malleus Malecarum. This book was written by two Dominican Inquisitors to make a case for expanding the role of the Inquisition in the pursuit of witchcraft. The book attempts to refute all evidence that witches are the result of superstition, goes into great detail about the witches compact with Satan and the powers so gained, and details the methods of detecting, capturing, trying and executing witches. The authors hoped to gain the support of the Pope and the University of Cologne for their work. The university repudiated the book in a scathing manner, calling its proposed cure for witchcraft unethical and illegal. For his part, the Pope placed the book on the Churchs growing list of heretical books. Despite this ofcial rejection, the Malleus Malecarum proved wildly popular with the general public, going through thirteen editions

between 1487 and 1520 and sixteen printings between 1574 and 1669. Often with prefaces proclaiming the book was endorsed by both the Pope and the University of Cologne (like many of the claims made in the book, these are patently false). The Malleus Malecarum is divided into three sections. The rst refutes those who claim witches are not real and accuses them of hindering the eradication of witchcraft. The second section details the powers of witches, their recruitment strategies and ways to counteract the witches power. Finally the book turns to combating witchcraft and provides a step by step guide to conducting a witch trial, from the accusation through to the methods of execution. There is no doubt that the Malleus Malecarum is a startlingly misogynistic work, detailing more about the sexual fears and frustrations of its authors than any real phenomena. Women are singled out as the targets of Satan in the work because of their many weaknesses, especially their susceptibility to carnal temptation, the most common method of recruitment for witches. An example of the books insight can be found in the section on conducting a witch trial, in which the reader is informed that any woman who does not cry during her trial should be automatically condemned as a witch.

Timeline of European Witch Trials

Prior to 1000 CE: There is widespread belief in Europe that witches are real, primarily female and seek to harm those around them through their powers of black magic, granted through congress with Satan and his minions (especially other witches). These beliefs are ofcially discouraged by the Roman Catholic Church and punishment for witchcraft is mild: 12 months bread and water for non-violent magic, seven years bread and water if the witchs spells result in death. 1200-1321: The Catholic Church declares a holy war against the Cathars, a Gnostic Christian movement that has become popular in the south of France.

The last known Cathar is burned in 1321. 1227: Pope Gregory IX establishes the Inquisition and authorizes its tribunals arrest, try, convict and execute heretics. 1252: Pope Innocent III authorizes use of torture to obtain confessions by Inquisitors, causing the conviction rate to skyrocket. 1258: Pope Alexander IV instructs Inquisitors to conne their investigations to heresy. They are not to investigate charges of divination, occult practices, black magic or witchcraft unless there is also a charge of heresy. 1326: The Inquisition is authorized to investigate charges of witchcraft and to scientically study black magic in order to prove its existence. These studies lead to demonology, the formal theory of a demonic origin as the source of a witches power. 1330: The classic medieval picture of the witch has taken shape: she is almost always female, uses sex to seduce and recruit, forms covens, swore allegiance to Satan, had sexual relations with Satan and other demonic beings and kidnapped and ate the esh of babies as part of their Black Mass. 1347-1351: The Black Death rages across Europe. In the wake of this cataclysmic pandemic, the search for a cause begins, resulting in widespread persecution of Jews, Muslims, foreigners, beggars, lepers and witches. 1437: Johannes Nider publishes the Formicarius, a treatise on witchcraft and demonology. 1450: The rst major European witch hunts take place. Also in this year, Johann Gutenberg invents the moveable type printing press, allowing books (like the Formicarius) to be circulated much more quickly and thus have a much greater impact. 1484: Pope Innocent VIII issues a Papal decree calling for witches and other Satan worshippers to be tracked down and executed. This decree not only raties the power of Inquisitors to hunt down Stan worshippers, it also lists many of the by-now standard crimes and powers of

witches, granting an ofcial stamp to the growing popular perception of witches (and indeed serving as proof positive of the existence of these supernatural phenomena). Among other things, the decree states: that witches have sexual congress with Satan, incubi and succubi; that they use their black magic to interfere with the fertility and pregnancies of women and livestock, as well as harming crops and harvests and that they use black magic to render men impotent. 1487: Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Springer publish the Malleus Malecarum. Though this work is ofcially denounced by the Church in 1490 and thus not used by Inquisitors, it becomes the handbook for the secular witch trials which account for most of the executions during the growing witch hysteria. 1500: During the last ve decades of the 15th century, over 200 witch trials have taken place, most in France and Germany. The pace of witch trials begins to increase and its methods become more dubious: the slightest circumstantial accusation is enough to begin a trial, testimony from children begins to be accepted, and any amount of torture is allowed to obtain a confession. 1550-1650: The peak of witch trials in Europe, a time sometimes referred to in modern writings on the period as the Burning Times. These trials are almost exclusively the province of secular courts and largely take place in Switzerland, France and Germany. 1563: Johann Weyer anonymously publishes a book highly critical of the growing witch hysteria. He argues that witches do not exist and that the current hysteria is Satans work, not the supposed black magicians. He also condemns any testimony gained through torture as worthless. In cases where a person believes they have had contact with Satan or possess magical powers, he advises medical treatment for their delusions instead of punishment. 1580: Jean Bodin publishes Of the punishments deserved by Witches. In this book, he argues that investigation and punishment of witches is

required to maintain the security of both church and state. He says anyone accused of being a witch should be punished if the merest scrap of evidence exists that might prove their guilt. 1584: Reginald Scot publishes Discoverie of Witchcraft, which argues that all supposed supernatural phenomena are mere superstition, thus witches do not exist. 1608: Francesco Maria Guazzo publishes Compendium Malecarum, combining and updating many past witch hunters treatises and detailing the powers and abilities of witches. 1609: A witch panic strikes Spain. In response to this growing hysteria, the Spanish Inquisition issues the Edict of Silence, prohibiting discussion of witchcraft. The panic dies down as a result. 1610: Execution of witches in the Netherlands ceases. 1616: A second witch panic strikes Spain and the Spanish Inquisition issues another Edict of Silence. This time, however, the edict is struck down by the king and as a result, the panic grows and as many as 300 accused witches are burned at the stake. 1631: Jesuit Friedrich von Spee publishes perhaps the nest and most effective condemnation of the witch trials to date. In Cautio Criminalis or Circumspection in Criminal Cases, he condemns the German witch trials in the strongest possible manner, detailing the sadistic tortures used to extract confessions from the accused. Following the publication of this work, von Spee uses every manner at his disposal to combat witch hysteria and call for calm on the part of courts and judges. 1684: The last witch is executed in England. 1690 (circa): Twenty-ve men and women are killed during witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. During this decade there are other trials and executions in the British colonies of New England. 1745: Executions of witches ceases in France.

1775: Executions of witches ceases in Germany. 1782: Executions of witches ceases in Switzerland. 1792: Poland executes the last witch killed by an ofcial court in Europe. Illegal lynch-mob executions of witches continues into the 21st century. (Though somewhat outside the scope of this work) 1980: Dr. Lawrence Pazder publishes Michelle Remembers, a book detailing the activities of a Satanic cult, with depictions of witches and witchcraft very similar to those of the European Middle Ages. The book purports to have recovered this information through repressed memories recovered from one of Pazders patients. This work sparks a new wave of witch hysteria in the United States and Canada based around Satanic Ritual Abuse, the belief that Satanists are ritually abusing and brainwashing victims, usually children, who later have no memory of their abuse (until recovered under hypnosis). Most medical and law-enforcement authorities currently believe SPA claims to be mythical or greatly exaggerated, usually the result of the unreliability of testimony gained through hypnosis or by direct questioning of young children (another link between this most recent witch panic and those of the Middle Ages).

10

Using Witch Trials in your campaign

The historical materials in this book are geared toward a campaign set in medieval Europe. But regardless of where the campaign takes place, the ideas in this book can be applied to any fantasy campaign, no matter where it is set. This section provides some guidance for the game master in using witch hunts during her campaign.

The Burning Times:

Suffer Not a Witch to L ive:

Casting the PCs as the arcane casters, being hunted by a powerful organization of priestly Inquisitors could make for an interesting campaign. The arcane casters might be evil, misunderstood spellcasters or even heroes on the run from an evil church. This type of campaigns casts the PCs as underdogs, feared by a mistrustful public and hunted by a vast, powerful church. White Witches will probably have the easiest time gaining the trust of the populace, since their healing abilities will not seem dark or malevolent.

A clash between arcane and divine spellcasters could have far-reach implications for a campaign. Even in campaigns not using the Witch core class presented here, a church could decide that arcane magic represents a corrupting inuence. If arcane spellcasters are a common feature of the campaign, this could represent the fantasy equivalent of a world war as arcane casters ght their pariah status openly. In campaigns where arcane magic is rare (or the arcane casters have already lost to their divine counterparts), they will be forced underground, attempting to avoid exposure and prosecution by church Inquisitors (this would closely mirror the circumstances found during the height of the witch trials in Europe during 1550-1650).

The Devils Greatest Trick:

In this type of campaign, an evil inuence is at work: within the church. Malevolent forces have inltrated a once-good religious organization, turning it ever more toward paranoia, hunting heretics and witches. Soon these forces will turn the church on its own, seeking out divine spellcasters as well, while also prosecuting eversmaller heresies. Here the PCs might be arcane and divine spellcasters working together to uncover the demonic forces at work within the church, exposing them and rooting them out.

11

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Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identication: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game

Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Clash of History: Witchcraft and Witch Hunters Copyright 2007 Charles Rice Open Gaming Content Designation of Product Identity: The following terms are designated product identity as outlined in section 1 (a) of the Open Gaming License: Clash of History. Designation of Open Gaming Content New Core Class and new Prestige Class: The class features are open content, the class descriptions are closed content. History of European Witch Trials, Timeline of European Witch Trials and Using Witch Trials in your campaign: all of these sections are closed content.