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. 




This is what sets the Severed System apart from others. Firstly, Witches have to harvest body parts to cast magic. Piece by piece, you become more powerful as you hack up your enemies. Additionally, nearly all magic points are shared in a pool named the Cauldron. This makes for somewhat tense moments as your Coven discusses what to do next. 

The Severed System also has a Dark Souls/Elden Ring style resource and character sharing mechanic. Each time you do a long rest, your Cauldron can summon NPCs and special items. This relies on the network of players who contribute to the pool via social media and forums. 

Not final design

Leveling up happens at the beginning of the next game session and functions as both a cliffhanger and incentive for groups to get back together again. It also acts as a fun recap of what happened in the previous session. 

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.