Domain of Witchcraft

Source: Hexbound

Preserving an oral tradition requires dedicated members devoting their lives to the safekeeping of that knowledge. Clerics of Witchcraft are traditionally the custodians of the oral tradition of witchcraft. The biggest threat to the survival of any oral tradition is the death of those that practice it, which is why these clerics’ ability to invite spirits into their minds and learn their knowledge is vital to the survival of the practice. They are experts in the art of possession: both self-possession to learn the secrets of those that have passed, and also possession of others to weaken their foes from the inside. The clerics of this domain who choose to serve the divine generally serve the gods that rule over magic, knowledge, and death; some even act as psychopomps for them thanks to their ability to act as a bridge between the Material and the Ethereal Planes.

Covens of Witchcraft clerics are often tasked to live within the covens of other witches in order to preserve the specific teachings of that coven, but this is not what all these cleric witches do. Some Witchcraft clerics do not dedicate their lives to keeping the tradition of witchcraft alive, but rather decide to use their talents for possession to serve as a bridge between planes, giving others the opportunity to speak to those that have left the world of the living. Many of these clerics go by the term medium, as more than any witch they are the bridge that parts the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead, letting the dead communicate to the living through themselves. Whether they do so out of the kindness of their hearts, the prospective monetary gain, or to right the wrongs of those that have been killed unjustly depends on the witch.

Witchmark

Mediums usually have their witchmarks on their eyes, symbolizing their ability to contact the realm of the dead. These witchmarks often take the shape of eyes, although some mediums have pupils in the shape of stars as a witchmark. Other Domain of Witchcraft clerics sport witchmarks on their hands or tongues, once again to symbolize the connection between the two realms. When us- ing their gift and inviting spirits into their bodies or the bodies of others, the witchmark’s color and glow is known to reflect the emotional state of the spirit.

Medium Possession

Starting when you choose this domain at 1st level, you can allow spirits to come into your mind, acting as the bridge between the planes of the living and the dead. By spending 10 minutes meditating, you can reach into the Ethereal Plane and summon a creature that has died. You must know the true name of the creature you summon. When you do so, your intentions and your character become clear to the spirit of that creature, at which point it may choose to come into your mind and speak through you at the GM’s discretion. The spirit can speak the languages they knew in life through you, but they can’t move your body unless you allow them. If you do, their movements are slow and laborious. When speaking while possessed by a spirit, your voice changes to the voice of the spirit when they were alive. The connection lasts for 5 minutes, after which you must immediately take a short rest or gain 1 level of exhaustion. Once you’ve used this feature you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.