The Spooky Witch
The Spooky Witch is a weirdo who does their own thing while craving connection. They’ve found that many monsters are quite friendly if you give them a chance, but befriending them brands you a monster, as well.
Their central conflict lies in navigating pressures to conform versus their own desires or those of their monstrous friends.
Example Archetypes:
- Spell Dancer
- Nerdy Alchemist
- Speaker for the Unseen
Aesthetics
(circle or invent one for each)
- Focused demeanor, playful demeanor, distant demeanor
- Wispy clothes, darker-than-black clothes, specialized clothes
- An eldritch sword, a bone sword, a thirsty sword
Stats
Choose one column of stats, then add 1 each to two different stats.
| Stat | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Daring | +0 | -1 |
| Grace | +0 | +1 |
| Heart | -1 | +0 |
| Wit | +1 | +0 |
| Spirit | +1 | +1 |
The Unseen
The Unseen are mysterious beings most cannot perceive. Their very existence may be debated, but you know the truth, because they have spoken to you. You know that some are kind and some are dangerous, that they have abilities and limitations that differ from “normal” people, and that you find yourself in between.
Work with your GM to define what the Unseen are—or what your Spooky Witch thinks they are. They could be friendly spirits, phase-shifted aliens, psychic remnants, glitched-out nanites, angry poltergeists, or something totally other. When did you first interact with them? What do you think they want?
Other playbooks cannot take this move as an Advance.
Commune with the Unseen: When you perform a ritual to commune with the Unseen, give a dangerous Unseen a String on you and roll +Spirit:
-
10+: Choose 2
- Hide something in the Unseen world
- Learn something important from the Unseen
- Temporarily alter the Unseen nature of a place
- Ask a question from Figure Out a Person of anyone, anywhere, if you can name one of their deceased loved ones
- Learn the recent history of an object you hold
-
7–9: Choose 2 from the 10+ list, but choose 1 thing that goes awry
- Restless Unseen cause a haunting
- Hungry Unseen destroy all non-sentient life in a small area
- Stern Unseen judge you, inflicting a Condition
Playbook Moves
(start with the move marked and choose two more)
I Like Snails!: When you are Smitten with someone and Figure Them Out, blurt out something weird and let them ask you a question from the list. Then ask them another question from the list, even on a 6-.
Astral Dance: When you dance across the boundary into the realm beyond, describe it and roll +Grace:
- 10+: You and a small number of others who dance with you arrive at a distant destination of your choice.
- 7–9: You don’t arrive where you intend, you arrive almost too late, or you lose something important in the process. The GM will tell you which.
Divination: When you have time and safety to read the unseen truth of someone present, describe your divination process and what makes it conspicuous. The GM will tell you something interesting about the person or the obstacles they face that they don’t know. Then roll +Spirit:
- 10+: If you tell the truth, they clear a Condition. If you lie, gain a String on them.
- 7–9: They learn the truth and clear a Condition.
Dreamwalk: When you touch an unconscious, sleeping, or willing subject, you can see an impression of their thoughts and appear in their dreams. You may roll +Spirit to Figure Out or Entice them in this state.
Eerie Companion: You have a little pet monster or spirit. Choose two basic moves. The companion grants you +1 to these moves when it assists you, but its assistance is always obvious and alarming to ordinary people. In addition, you can speak with monsters.
Friends in Weird Places: You are friends with some odd people. Folx that others might not consider people at all.
Name three of them. For each one, write down one thing they’re good at, one reason why everyone else is afraid of them, and what you like to do together when you hang out.
When you call on them for help, the GM tells you what they provide. Give them a String on you and mark the Favor next to their name. Whenever significant time passes, one of your friends with marked Favor will need help from you. Clear their Favor if you help, mark a Condition if you don’t.
Talk Nerdy to Me: You may roll +Wit instead of +Heart to Entice someone. In addition, choose an area of study that holds special interest for you. You have top-tier knowledge of this area and are always prepared with an interesting fact, and sometimes even a useful fact, when you come across something within your expertise. The GM will provide the information or invite you to make something up.
Witchfire: You may roll +Spirit instead of +Daring to Fight, but you’re very conspicuous when you do. The consequences of a 6- will be severe.
Truths of Heart and Blade
Why Did I Bring up the Snails?: When you become Smitten with someone, say why, give them a String, and answer this question:
- What obvious thing about you are you sure would make them reject you?
Whispered Secrets: When you Figure Out a Person during a physical conflict, you may additionally ask one of these questions, even on a 6-:
- What makes you insecure?
- What haunts you?
Playing the Spooky Witch
Much like the Beast, you’re in tension with “civilized” society. In your case, the focus is on your monstrous friends. The “normal” people around you will judge you for making friends with slimes and ghosts and bone-crunchers, or talking about things they can’t see and don’t want to believe are real.
As you develop the Unseen, your GM can help you figure out the details, and may have suggestions if they have a pre-planned scenario in mind.
When you Commune with the Unseen to Figure Out a Person from afar, you can substitute another requirement if naming deceased loved ones isn’t a good fit for the Unseen you’ve created or if anyone has safety needs around this theme. The Unseen could require you to offer up a secret (which they’ll probably whisper to your rivals). They could require that you have an object of personal significance to the target. In each case, steer clear of too much overlap with similar moves, such as the Chosen’s Gossip and the Beast’s Tracker, if they are in play.
With Witchfire, you can only substitute Spirit for Daring. If you’re using the expanded Fight rules (page 219), this means that you can Lunge using Spirit, but you can’t use Spirit for Fight moves that don’t ordinarily use Daring.
The Spooky Witch playbook celebrates people who are different and who find friendship outside of typical circles or typical ways of interacting. The Spooky Witch can be awkward but endearing, and can be nerdy and sexy at the same time.