(A) Workings of the Witch – quick petty magic subsystem (based on OSE)
...or it could be a Magic-User of any kind (actually you can even use it for cook, bard ot any entertainer character if you like it) the case is – why does your witches don’t have their petty magic? I think it is important for game flavour and general gamplay mechanic to keep your mages occupied with their magic. And there is nothing better to do that without making them overpowered (I’m looking at you, cantrips) than pettiest of magic – Subtle Art.
Inspiration for it came to me, again, from Fate Core materials. If you check out System Toolkit https://fate-srd.com/fate-system-toolkit/magic it has a lot of great ideas for magic conceptually. Voidcallers for questionable, creepy and dangerous magic, Six Visiers for magic of wondrous skills and abilities, but I took a look at Subtle Art https://fate-srd.com/fate-system-toolkit/subtle-art. The idea itself doesn’t play too much for me – I don’t think I’d ever be able to pull a game with such subtle magic system (not that I wouldn’t like to). But the concept is amazing.
Okay, what petty spells do we have on the list?
Annoyance – target becomes more annoying to others, irritates and angers them (-1 to Reaction roll) Charisma – target becomes more appealing for everyone around them, is treated better (+1 to Reaction roll) Clarity – target has sharpened thoughts and cleared mind, also is washes off weak hexes (clear other effects of this kind, +1 to first test) Clumsiness – target becomes clumsy and confused (-1 to AC) Confusion – target becomes confusing and hard to understand for other people (-1 to Loyalty) Love – target becomes more likeable for the world (+1 to Loyalty) Health – target heals easier and is more immune (1 HP more on healing) Luck – target is more lucky and fate seems to be smiling at them (+1 to AC and +1 to any first test) Obscurity – target becomes easier to forget and overlook (+1 to Hide or any Stealth related test) Prosperity – target has higher chance for financial gratification (get one minor item for free, like a meal, drink or ride) Rage – target becomes more irate and angry because of minor things (-1 to Loyalty and Reaction rolls, but +1 damage) Safety – target area grants better safety against magical influences (+1 to Magic Save)
There is another layer to those effects. Each of them can work in three permanency levels. First one is just common curse/blessing – witch splashes magical fluid or throws powder on a person/item/place to create the effect viable only for first test of the mentioned type. In order to give it more power – and it being active for whole day – witch has to create a token of some kind with something target owned previously and then dip it in fluid/powder (+1 to any first test in Clarity and Luck charms works only once even with token). One thing can be such magical token only once. For curses they can work indefinitely once witch slips prepared token to the target – they can wear it or have it in their backpack. For obvious reasons blessings do not have such option.
In order not to make it too much consider blessings don’t stack and override each other. If you are Appealing you cannot get better health or magical safety. What to do with ingredients? Make it up beforehand but don’t count it or note it. Assume witch always has it. If players travel through wilderness assume witch is looking for ingredients in an area. Once they get to non-hostile settlement you may always assume the witch of the group is checking up with local witch or magic-user. If you want make it a plot hook.
First and foremost have fun with it. Let the “witch” player describe process of mincing and mixing ingredients. Let them use portable cauldron and make elixir of Clarity during camping scene. Mention their portable dryer (made of sticks and plank) full of poisonous mushrooms. Let them bump into fairy or a gnome doing something random in the woods, willing to trade their luck powder for something of value (or something worthless but cute). Let them become archetype of “snake-oil salesperson” if they really want to!
Have fun and be safe (and spooky) during Halloween!