System
What makes Sickest Witch different – The Severed System
You're checking out Sickest Witch for a reason. Maybe you like really dark games or maybe you love witches—or both. You might just like the name. Sickest Witch is a dark, low-fantasy system. There are no dragons or fairies. Demonology is prevalent among the poor common folk who populate the towns. Black magic, plague, and famine are routine. This is folk horror with a twist. We are going for The VVitch meets Elden Ring meets Old School Roleplaying.
Nostalgia is not what Sickest Witch is going for. There are many old school systems that do that great. Even though this system borrows heavily from the past, it is not looking to recreate it.
SICKEST WITCH - What Makes this d20 System Different?
Harvest Body Parts to Create Magic - Yes, gross! Players must harvest human body bits to create spells. Magic is dangerous and vile in this system, but this mechanic also turns every body into an asset. Remember though, Witches always punch up meaning you should only take parts from evil people.
Shared Magic Point System - In order to keep every player engaged in every magic spell, I created a shared magic point pool. This is both thematic and mechanical. The GM tracks those points, but the players can too.
The Cauldron - When players perform a long rest (named a Long Caldron or Long Call), they can optionally drop items into the ghostly Cauldron that appears before them. They can also pull an item out/ Visit www.sickestwitchcauldron.com to see the interactive database of items all players across all Sickest Witch games can share.
Leveling Up - This, ideally, always happens at the beginning of the next game session. Players will retell their adventure from the previous session to help justify the experience they gained. This acts as a "what happened in the last episode" storytelling device and as a treat for players who come back to play again. You'll start your subsequent games on a high note.
Drop Spine Ritual - Open the core rulebook or player’s guide and you will find the Drop Spine Ritual. This literally turn the book into a drop table where 3d6 rest inside the spine, making two tops per die. I wanted this to literally turn your reference guide into a grimoire.
Graphic Design Principles - I am a function over form designer that sweats the small stuff. The embossed back cover of the core rulebook has text that I want you to feel when you hold it. You are literally touching the credo of the Covens along your fingertips.
OPEN THIRD PARTY LICENSE
Sickest Witch will be open to anyone to create a module using the Severed System. We will have a robust website with resources. Of course, you can't create anything abusive towards people. We will have more on that later.
IS THIS SYSTEM OUT TO KILL ME?
Not really. I want you Witches to have a great time and keep coming back. That said, if your party does love a great Rogue-like or OSR experience where you will probably die, just make the Obstacles tougher.
GENERAL RULE - NARRATIVE RULES
Narrative should always override any rule when the rule isn’t rational. That said, we have tried to make every rule work as best we can, but my style of gaming has always been “story first, rules last.” Also, if a rule doesn’t work for your group, kill it. I trust you. You’re a Game Master for a reason. And that’s what makes this medium unlike any other.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Sickest Witch is for 3-6 players. You could have a larger group, but that’s up to your preference and skill level. Game Masters are encouraged to add more enemies per battle if they think the game is getting too easy. You can also toggle the Obstacle Difficulty.
THE SYSTEM
If you’re familiar with old school gaming systems, you’ll be right at home here. The Severed system is very simple and relies on the shared resources to increase tension and fun. You’ll be rolling a 20 sided die (d20) to test Obstacles using your stats which are named Oracles.
Oracles are Witches’ abilities. They are what sets them apart from normal humans and gives them an edge in combat, preserving, magic, and more.
Oracle Types
- Fist (strength) - fight, lift, grapple
- Flesh (durability) - resistance to physical damage
- Nerve (agility) - balance, swim, jump, climb
- Network (mental) - perceive, aim, charm
- Cauldron (magic) - cast spells
DO I HAVE TO BE A DAMN WITCH?
You’re all meant to be Witches, but you can all yourself whatever you want: Wizards, Warlocks, Wingnuts. Who am I to tell you who you can be? If you don’t like a rule, throw it away. There are also non-magic user classes like Butchers and Archers who provide vital support to their Coven.
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