Introduction
The Player's Guide 2 Witch is a full Wyrd caster built around spirits, rituals, implements, and targeted bad luck. The important correction is simple: this is not an INT-prepared caster with a permanent familiar or potion subsystem. The real Witch is WIS-based, knows spells, assigns Hex dice, steals rituals through Shadow Craft, and carries haunted tools that make the table ask, "Wait, your broom does what?"
The Witch sits between controller, ritual specialist, and problem-solver. In combat, Hex lets you subtract a scaling die from a key roll at the exact moment it matters. Out of combat, Shadow Craft and Spirit Binding let you bring answers other casters have to spend known spells on. At higher levels, Otherworldly Form and Epic Boons turn you into the kind of person villagers describe with suspiciously specific local legends.
Player's Guide 2 adds the whole class package: Crimson Cord, Night Song, Twilight Soul, Spirit Binding implements, the Valedictorian talent option, new Wyrd spells, and several lineages and heritages that fit Witch builds cleanly. This guide also links back to the broader Witch spell guide, magic talents guide, and heritage guide.
Hot take: Hex is not there to make every enemy a little sad. It is there to make one important roll fail when the fight is balanced on it. Spend it like a grudge with accounting.
Disclaimer
Ratings are for the Witch specifically.
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ● | Exceptional - take this, full stop |
| ● | Strong - usually correct choice |
| ● | Situational - good in the right build |
| ● | Weak - most builds skip this |
| ● | Trap - rarely worth it |
Class Features
Wyrd Spellcasting ●
The Witch is a full Wyrd spellcaster using Wisdom. You know spells rather than preparing from the whole list each day, so every known spell needs to earn its slot. Your best picks usually do one of three jobs: force important saves, solve weird exploration problems, or give you rituals/utility that nobody else brought.
Use the Witch spells guide for class-list picks, then cross-check the circle guides for broader context:
- Cantrips
- 1st-circle spells
- 2nd-circle spells
- 3rd-circle spells
- 4th-5th-circle spells
- 6th-9th-circle spells
Rituals ●
You start with Wyrd rituals, and those rituals do not count against spells known. That matters because the Witch is a spells-known caster. Every ritual you can move out of the known-spell budget is one more real spell you can spend on combat, control, or emergency utility.
Hex ●
Hex is a bonus action that assigns a Hex die to a creature within 60 feet that can hear or see you. Once in the next 10 minutes, when that creature makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to roll the Hex die and subtract it from the result.
The die scales from d6 to d8, d10, and d12 as you level. Uses equal your WIS modifier, and at 5th level Greater Hex lets those uses return on a short or long rest. Greater Hex also lets you assign a Hex die when you hit a target with a Wyrd spell of 1st circle or higher.
This is precision control. Do not spend Hex because an enemy made a random Perception check. Spend Hex when the boss is about to pass the save against the spell that ends the encounter.
Shadow Craft ●
At 2nd, 6th, 9th, 14th, and 18th level, you learn one ritual from any spell list, with circle limited by your highest spell slot. That ritual becomes a Wyrd ritual for you.
This is one of the class's best features because it quietly ignores normal spell-list borders. Pick rituals your party otherwise lacks: scouting, identification, travel, communication, curse management, and long-form divination. When the group hits a locked supernatural problem, Shadow Craft is the feature that lets the Witch pull a labeled key from an obviously cursed drawer.
Spirit Binding ●
Spirit Binding gives you implements: haunted tools that carry passive benefits and activated powers. You learn two at 2nd level, then add more at 6th and 13th. See Spirit Binding Implements for ratings.
This feature is the heart of Witch customization. Your subclass tells the table what kind of Witch you are; your implements tell the table how you solve Tuesday.
Witch Subclass ●
At 3rd level you choose Crimson Cord, Night Song, or Twilight Soul. Each coven adds spells known and changes how your Witch pressures the table:
- Crimson Cord manipulates vitality, healing, damage, and blood-link support.
- Night Song turns stealth, darkness, bestial transformation, and pursuit into a combat style.
- Twilight Soul works through spirits, positioning, scouting, and save pressure.
Improvement ●
You get Improvements at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. WIS comes first. After WIS 20, protect concentration, then patch defense or take high-impact talents.
Heroic Boon ●
At 10th level, choose one Witch Heroic Boon. These define your high-tier identity more than a generic talent would.
Otherworldly Form ●
At 17th level you can alter your appearance as a bonus action, stop worrying about magical aging in normal play, triple your lifespan, and gain advantage on saves against effects that alter your form. It is part disguise suite, part fairy-tale immortality clause, part "the village was correct to be concerned."
Heroic Boons
Bounty of Pentacles ●
If your Hex die reduces a roll but the target still succeeds, you can recover an expended Hex die. If the Hex die rolls a 1, the die is not lost and remains active.
This is the best general Hex economy boon. It makes failed interference less painful and turns low die rolls into persistence instead of disappointment.
Mysticism of Wands ●
When initiative starts, you can expend a Hex use to assign a Hex die to a visible creature without using an action. You can also transfer a Hex die as a reaction when its creature drops to 0 HP.
This is excellent for tempo. It makes the Witch faster in the first round, which is when control casters most need to matter.
Recovery of Cups ●
When you damage a creature with one of your Hex dice, you can heal yourself or an adjacent creature for half the damage, up to your Witch level.
This is strongest on Crimson Cord and any Witch that expects to be near allies. It is less flashy than Bounty of Pentacles, but it keeps the party standing.
Might of Swords ●
You can reroll 1s on damage and healing dice, using the new roll.
Good if your spell and subclass choices roll lots of dice. Less exciting if your build focuses on debuffs, rituals, and save-or-lose control.
Epic Boons
Spirit Keeper ●
When you would drop to 0 HP or die, you can release a spirit from one implement, reverting the item and returning conscious with HP equal to your Witch level plus CON modifier.
This is the cleanest survival boon. Losing an implement hurts, but being alive to complain about it is generally optimal.
Spirit Guardian ●
You gain a saving throw bonus based on active Witch implements within 60 feet. If your game regularly reaches level 20 and you are careful about keeping implements active, this is excellent passive defense.
Spirit Avenger ●
If you start your turn with no Hex uses, you can recover WIS modifier uses as a bonus action once per long rest. This is strongest in long adventuring days where you actually run dry.
Ability Scores
Primary: Wisdom. WIS controls your spellcasting and Hex economy. Start high and push to 20.
Secondary: Constitution. You are a full caster with concentration pressure and a d8 Hit Die. CON keeps you upright and keeps your spells running.
Tertiary: Dexterity. You have light armor, simple weapons, and no reason to eat every attack in the room. DEX helps AC, initiative, and Stealth.
Useful but not core: Intelligence and Charisma. INT helps Arcana/Nature-style knowledge, while CHA helps Persuasion and coven drama. Neither replaces WIS.
Point Buy Recommendation
| Ability | Starting Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 8 | Let the broom do the carrying |
| DEX | 14 | AC, initiative, and stealth |
| CON | 14 | Concentration and HP |
| INT | 10 | Raise if your campaign is clue-heavy |
| WIS | 15 | Your first priority for lineage boosts |
| CHA | 10 | Social Witches can start at 12 if needed |
Lineage & Heritage
Use the Heritage Guide for the full matrix. The Witch wants WIS, concentration protection, stealth, ritual utility, or social leverage.
Human ●
Flexible improvements and talent access make Human excellent for any Witch. If your plan needs Valedictorian, Combat Casting, or a utility talent early, Human is the cleanest delivery system.
Syderean ●
Cosmic flavor, magic-adjacent identity, and strong roleplay fit for a Wyrd caster. Syderean Witch reads like someone who listens to the wrong stars and gets useful minutes from the meeting.
Elf ●
Good for perceptive, ritual-heavy Witches. Elf works especially well for Twilight Soul and Night Song builds that want scouting, stealth, and old-magic flavor.
Shade (Player's Guide 2) ●
Shade is a natural match for Night Song and Twilight Soul. If your Witch wants to live in dim light, talk to spirits, and make guards regret being assigned to the night watch, this is the vibe.
Rachisan (Player's Guide 2) ●
Rachisan can support a cunning, survival-minded Witch with strong table presence. The exact heritage pairing matters, but the line between "clever magical problem-solver" and "local menace with a spell list" is thin here.
Goblin (Player's Guide 2) ●
Goblin is better for Night Song than for the average backline Witch. Lean into stealth, mobility, dirty tricks, and tactical positioning.
Smallfolk ●
Smallfolk builds make great hedge witches, village seers, and "harmless-looking person who absolutely has a plan" characters. Take defensive or luck-adjacent options if your table leans dangerous.
Grove ●
The classic hedge-witch heritage. Stealth and wilderness tools pair well with Night Song and ritual-focused exploration.
Vexed ●
Thematically perfect for a cursed or spirit-touched Witch. Good when you want your origin to explain why the Wyrd keeps picking up when you call.
Feysworn (Player's Guide 2) ●
Great for Wyrd flavor, social weirdness, and any Witch who treats bargains as a dietary requirement.
Covenant (Player's Guide 2) ●
Excellent narrative fit for Crimson Cord or Twilight Soul. If your magic comes with obligations, witnesses, and suspiciously formal wording, Covenant belongs on the shortlist.
Kithren (Player's Guide 2) ●
Good for social Witch concepts and party-facing support. Less raw combat value, more "I know a person, and that person owes my grandmother."
Coterminous (Player's Guide 2) ●
Plane-adjacent flavor fits the Witch's spirit-and-threshold identity. Strong choice for Twilight Soul, especially in campaigns with planar bleed or haunted geography.
Skills
Witches choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, and Survival.
Perception ●
WIS-based, always relevant, and excellent with Spirit Sentinel or scouting implements. Take it unless another party member has it absurdly covered.
Arcana ●
Still useful even though the Witch is WIS-based. You deal with rituals, spirits, curses, and spell weirdness constantly.
Persuasion ●
Good for coven politics, spirit bargains, and not getting chased out of town after doing technically helpful magic.
Nature ●
Useful for hedge-witch play, animal spirits, herbs, travel, and wilderness campaigns.
Medicine ●
Better on Crimson Cord than other covens. It fits the blood-and-vitality theme and can matter in gritty games.
Survival ●
Campaign-dependent. Strong in hex-crawl, wilderness, and travel-heavy games.
Animal Handling ●
Flavorful, but usually narrower than Perception, Arcana, or Persuasion. Take it for Night Song or animal-heavy campaigns.
Backgrounds
Sage ●
Sage is still strong, but it is no longer "best because INT." Take it for Arcana, research access, and the story of someone who studied the Wyrd until the Wyrd studied back.
Acolyte ●
Great for Twilight Soul and Crimson Cord. Spirits, rites, sanctums, and sacred obligations all fit cleanly.
Folk Hero ●
Good for the village witch who actually solves local problems. Not always optimal, but very playable.
Forest Dweller (The Old Margreve) ●
Excellent for hedge Witches, Night Song, and nature-heavy Wyrd stories. The Old Margreve spell support also overlaps well with Witch themes.
Grave Keeper (Book of Blades) ●
Great for death-facing Witches and Crimson Cord. The talent access and theme both make sense.
Judicial Champion (Book of Blades) ●
Solid if you want Combat Casting access and a Witch who treats curses like legal filings.
Talents
Valedictorian (Player's Guide 2) ●
For Witch, Valedictorian gives extra Hex dice after a long rest equal to half your proficiency bonus, minimum 1. They only recover on a long rest, so they are not spam fuel, but they give the Witch more encounter control in long days.
Combat Casting ●
Concentration protection is never glamorous. Neither is a seatbelt. Use both.
Mental Fortitude ●
Strong defensive scaling for a caster who cannot afford to lose turns to mental effects.
Mystic Visions ●
Stored d20 control is excellent on a class that cares about one critical reaction, one key save, or one social roll.
Voracious Arcana ●
Powerful but risky. Use it if your campaign rewards resource gambling and your GM enjoys watching casters make regrettable facial expressions.
Aware ●
Initiative and perception support matter because the Witch wants to act before the table turns into a furniture-destroying incident.
Covert ●
Better for Night Song and urban witches than for general support builds.
Subclasses
Crimson Cord ●
Crimson Cord is the vitality coven. It heals, harms, links allies, and punishes enemies that try to recover. Its coven spells include major healing, restoration, revivification, death magic, and blood-flavored pressure.
Why play it: You want to be the party's strange healer without becoming a pure support caster.
Key features:
- Life Transfer: Spend your own HP to heal allies or harm enemies. Efficient, dramatic, and very Witch.
- Wasting Hex: Adds no-healing pressure to Hexed enemies, which is excellent against regenerating or support-heavy foes.
- Sanguine Link: Link to an ally for long-range support and status awareness.
- Bloodborne: Spend Hit Dice to shake off conditions or recover HP.
- Scarlet Web: A late-game aura that suppresses hostile healing and boosts friendly recovery.
Hot take: Crimson Cord is the coven for players who think healing should involve risk, blood, and a party member saying, "Are you sure this is medically sound?"
Night Song ●
Night Song is the stealth predator coven. It works with darkness, stealth, claws, climbing, curses, and pursuit. It is the most aggressive Witch subclass and the easiest to build into a creepy skirmisher.
Why play it: You want the Witch who hunts things, not just curses them from a porch.
Key features:
- Night Blessing: Pick from Night Children, Night Crawler, or Night Creature after each long rest.
- Rending Hex: Adds weapon damage pressure and makes wounded Hex targets easier for allies to attack.
- Draining Curse: Lets you heal from damage dealt to a marked target.
- Enhanced Blessing: Improves each blessing and lets you change after short or long rests.
- Apex Predator: The capstone turns you into a temporary nightmare with extra blessing access and strong survival.
Best pairings: Shade, Goblin, Grove, Feysworn, Covert, Aware, Nightflyer, Hollow Blade.
Twilight Soul ●
Twilight Soul is the spirit coven and the best all-purpose Witch subclass. It gives scouting, positioning, protection, save pressure, and excellent spell access without forcing you into melee or blood economy.
Why play it: You want the flexible controller with a spirit proxy, teleport escape, and deep utility.
Key features:
- Obscuring Hex: Your first Hex use can make you invisible to the target, forcing it to solve a very personal mystery.
- Spirit Sentinel: A Tiny spirit proxy for scouting, casting-position tricks, and Perception support. It is not a normal creature and is not a class-native familiar.
- Ephemeral Shroud: Reaction teleport when hit by a single-target attack. The attack misses. This is rude in the best way.
- Welcomed Spirits: Spend Hit Dice to access spirit-mediated information magic.
- Soul Sanctum: A late-game control zone around you and the sentinel.
Best pairings: Coterminous, Covenant, Syderean, Elf, Spirit Book, Oracle's Aid, Soul Candle, Valedictorian.
Hex Tactics
Pick the Moment ●
Hex is strongest when you wait for the roll that matters. A d6 or d8 used against a random weapon attack is fine. The same die used to turn a passed save into a failed save can decide the entire encounter.
Use Greater Hex Aggressively ●
At 5th level, Hex uses return on short rests and can be assigned when you hit with a Wyrd spell of 1st circle or higher. This is the point where Hex stops feeling precious and starts feeling tactical.
Know Your Reaction Budget ●
Hex spends your reaction when you use the die. If your subclass or spell choices also demand reactions, plan the turn. Twilight Soul especially has to choose between Hex interference and Ephemeral Shroud.
Stack With Save Pressure ●
The ideal sequence is simple: force an important saving throw, wait to see if the target barely passes, then spend the Hex die. The Witch is excellent at making "almost saved" become "absolutely did not."
Spirit Binding Implements
Spirit Book ●
The best all-purpose implement. It gives three cantrips from any spell list, then adds one extra spell of each circle from any spell list as you level. Those spells count as Wyrd spells for you.
If you want flexibility, take Spirit Book. If you do not want flexibility, still consider taking Spirit Book and pretending it was your idea.
Oracle's Aid ●
Initiative advantage, AC support, stored d20 results, and spirit consultation. This is outstanding for any Witch who wants control, scouting, and "I knew this would happen" moments.
Nightflyer ●
Movement speed, bonus-action Disengage or Dodge, animated broom/staff/branch flight, and later Swift Spell. Mobility solves caster problems before they become obituary material.
Brewer's Cauldron ●
Extra HP, rest-based temporary HP for allies, and stronger healing/temp HP output. This is the sustain implement, especially good for Crimson Cord.
Soul Candle ●
Light only the chosen can perceive, several sight modes, and advantage on spell attacks against creatures in the flame's radius. Strong in exploration, darkness, and investigation-heavy games.
Thundering Aegis ●
Anti-surprise, Perception/Investigation support, keensense, and a warding chime against several creature types. Excellent if your GM likes ambushes, invisible threats, or planar trouble.
Hollow Blade ●
A WIS-based dagger with scaling bonus, condition transfer, and spell-breaking utility. Great for Night Song or a melee-adjacent Witch, but most backline Witches should take a broader implement first.
Spells
The Witch wants Wyrd spells that either punish saves, add ritual value, or solve problems outside combat. See the Witch spell guide for the full class breakdown.
Player's Guide 2 Highlights
- Luck Bait: The cantrip for turning "missed by 1" into table evidence.
- Influence and Swift Stash: Social and intrigue utility that make a Witch better at getting into trouble and storing the receipt.
- Demonic Pact: A defensive Wyrd cantrip for cursed, infernal, or desperate builds.
- Stumble and Withering Gaze: Low-circle control that fits the Hex rhythm.
- Pain Wrack, Spirit Ward, and Shadow Guardians: Strong 2nd-circle pressure and protection. Spirit Ward is the practical pick; Shadow Guardians is the formation pick.
- Aura of Bane: Excellent save and roll pressure around the Witch. It is not subtle. Neither is winning.
- Spirit Rend and Psychic Barrage: Mid-circle Wyrd upgrades for supernatural threats and save-pressure turns.
- Delay Spell, Power Word Petrify, Star Well, and Wraithblade: High-circle PG2 tools for timing control, threshold shutdown, cosmic disaster, and stylish blade builds.
Cantrips
Take one reliable damage option, one utility illusion/manipulation option, and one table-facing utility pick. Luck Bait is the easiest PG2 support add, Swift Stash is excellent intrigue utility, and Spirit Book can massively expand the list.
Rituals
Rituals are the Witch's secret power budget. Your regular known spells should handle urgency; rituals should handle preparation, investigation, travel, and "we should not touch that yet."
PG2 rituals worth flagging include Lucky Charm, Warding Charm, Enhance Familiar, Beneficent Effigy, Maleficent Effigy, Veteran Spirit, Curse Shuffle, Phantom Chariot, Hidden Path, Portentous Dreams, and Soul Entanglement. That is not a spell list; that is a suspicious drawer full of campaign solutions.
Build Your Tales of the Valiant Character
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Start BuildingWeapons & Armor
Simple Weapons ●
You are proficient with simple weapons, but most Witches should not build around weapon attacks. Hollow Blade and Night Song can change that, but the baseline Witch is a caster.
Dagger ●
Useful as a backup, focus-adjacent prop, or Hollow Blade target. Do not mistake it for your primary plan unless your build says so.
Staff ●
Good flavor and practical implement identity, especially for Nightflyer. A staff that becomes transportation is peak Witch nonsense.
Light Armor ●
The PG2 Witch has light armor proficiency. Use it. You are still not a frontliner, but starting with real armor makes low levels much less silly.
Magic Items
Wands, Rods, and Staves ●
Anything that increases spell DCs, adds spell options, or improves Wyrd casting is excellent.
Defensive Cloaks and Rings ●
Saving throw and AC boosters keep concentration alive. They are boring in the same way a locked door is boring: only until something tries to get through it.
Ritual and Divination Items ●
The Witch already plays well in the information game. Items that expand scouting, languages, ritual access, or spirit contact push that identity hard.
The Old Margreve Items ●
Old Margreve items remain flavorful for hedge witches, forest seers, and strange village casters. Check them when the campaign leans wilderness or fey-haunted.
Multiclassing
The Witch is a full caster with level-gated subclass features, Shadow Craft, implement scaling, and high-circle spells. The default recommendation is simple: stay Witch.
Druid Dip ●
WIS synergy is real, but delayed Witch progression hurts. Only consider this for a very specific nature-coven concept.
Cleric Dip ●
Also WIS-based and potentially useful for armor, support, or divine flavor. Still expensive because every non-Witch level delays Hex die scaling, spell access, implements, and coven features.
Ranger Dip ●
Usually too weapon-facing for a Witch. Night Song can make a case, but a single-class Night Song Witch already has better scaling for the concept.
The Real Answer ●
Single-class Witch. Get your higher-circle spells, more Shadow Craft rituals, more implements, Otherworldly Form, and Epic Boon. The spirits did not haunt your cookware so you could abandon the bit at level 3.
Example Build: The Twilight Problem-Solver
A Twilight Soul Witch focused on Hex control, spirit scouting, ritual breadth, and survival.
Build Summary
| Choice | Pick |
|---|---|
| Lineage | Human |
| Heritage | Coterminous (PG2) |
| Background | Acolyte or Sage |
| Subclass | Twilight Soul |
| Implements | Spirit Book + Oracle's Aid first, then Nightflyer or Soul Candle |
| Talent | Valedictorian |
Level Plan
| Level | Feature | Play Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyrd Spellcasting, Hex, rituals | Cast control spells and save Hex for the roll that matters |
| 2 | Shadow Craft, Spirit Binding | Take Spirit Book and Oracle's Aid for maximum flexibility |
| 3 | Twilight Soul | Use Spirit Sentinel for scouting and spell-positioning tricks |
| 4 | Improvement | Raise WIS or take a key talent if your table rewards it |
| 5 | Greater Hex | Hex becomes a short-rest tactical resource |
| 7 | Ephemeral Shroud | Use reaction teleport when a hit would break your plan |
| 10 | Heroic Boon | Bounty of Pentacles for Hex economy or Mysticism for tempo |
| 11 | Welcomed Spirits | Spend Hit Dice for information magic when clues matter |
| 13 | Spirit Binding improvement | Add another implement for campaign-specific coverage |
| 15 | Soul Sanctum | Control space around you and your sentinel |
| 17 | Otherworldly Form, 9th-circle spells | Become very hard to pin down, socially or magically |
| 20 | Epic Boon | Spirit Keeper if survival matters, Spirit Guardian if saves do |
Tactics by Tier
Levels 1-4: Play carefully. You are a full caster with a d8 Hit Die and light armor, not a wall. Use Hex only when it can change an important roll.
Levels 5-10: Greater Hex makes your reaction control much easier to spend. Spirit Book and Oracle's Aid should make you feel like the party's supernatural toolbox.
Levels 11-16: Twilight Soul becomes a powerful information and positioning engine. Your Spirit Sentinel should be part scout, part spell marker, part tiny unpaid intern from the afterlife.
Levels 17-20: High-circle Wyrd spells, Otherworldly Form, multiple implements, and an Epic Boon turn the Witch into one of the best late-game problem solvers in the system.
Hot Takes
The Witch is WIS-first, not INT-first. If a Witch guide tells you to rush INT 20, that guide is haunted by the wrong book.
Spirit Book is probably too good to ignore. Extra cantrips and cross-list spells solve the main spells-known pressure of the class.
Twilight Soul is the cleanest default coven. Crimson Cord and Night Song are cooler when you know exactly what you want, but Twilight Soul is the easiest to recommend blind.
Valedictorian is not just a school joke. Extra Hex dice on a Witch are real encounter control, especially before the class has a large comfort buffer.
Hollow Blade is stylish, not mandatory. It makes a great Night Song build. It is also how some Witches end up too close to the problem they personally created.
PG2 gave the Witch enough identity. You do not need permanent familiar chassis assumptions or invented brew systems. The class already has spirits, rituals, haunted implements, and a broom that can unionize.
Final Notes
The Player's Guide 2 Witch is a full Wyrd caster with a very specific rhythm: pick the right known spells, hoard rituals, bind implements that match the campaign, and use Hex at the moment failure becomes useful.
Do not play it like a generic curse mage. Play it like a WIS-based ritual specialist who brought a bag full of haunted tools and exactly one reaction reserved for ruining someone's best roll. That is the class.
Running this build yourself? Find a professional game master who knows the system to help you get the most out of it at the table.
