I posted a version of this at The Piazza a little while ago, and figured it could also generate some discussion here.
I've been looking at a lot of old 2e sources lately to pull together some ideas, and started wondering what classes could fit with the Witch kit from Van Richten's Guide to Hags. While the short description says it's a fighter/thief kit, the requirements in the longer text description are that the class doesn't have spellcasting and doesn't have psionics. This explains the short summary, since the only PHB classes that qualify are fighter and thief (since ranger, paladin, cleric, druid, mage, specialist wizard, and bard all get spells), but there are other options as well. In a lot of places below, I just use witch as a shorthand for witch/warlock so I don't have to type as much.
Havens of the Great Bay
Guilder (thief subclass) - 2,500 XP to level 2
The guilder is a thief that sacrifices every thief ability except Read Languages (which they get at 20% +5%/level) to get access to all weapons and armor and a bonus NWP every level. Mechanically, better weapons helps a bit, but gaining access to armor isn't all that helpful since witches can't cast in armor. I think I'd prefer the standard thief, although a bonus NWP every level is a little tempting.
Use in Birthright: I wouldn't, since it conflicts with Birthright's sharply limited magic.
Use in Ravenloft: I think the guilder would fit into Ravenloft nicely and there's no reason they couldn't be a witch.
Dark Sun Campaign Setting
Gladiator - 4,500 XP to level 2
The gladiator is a warrior class. They get proficiency in every weapon, can specialize in multiple weapons, and get bonuses in unarmed combat. The downside is one of their advantages is an AC boost when wearing armor that isn't compatible with the witch's spellcasting. I think I would prefer this to a fighter, although the extra XP cost is painful, because the "proficiency in every weapon" is very nice.
Use in Dark Sun: Like Birthright, I don't think I would use witches in Dark Sun because the assumptions about magic are so different from standard. This applies to all the Dark Sun classes, so I won't repeat it for the following ones.
Use in Ravenloft: I have a hard time seeing gladiators in most domains. Even ones that have gladiatorial games like Falkovnia don't seem like they'd have this sort of professional gladiator. Maybe they could come from Kalidnay, but then the problem again becomes one of compatibility with the witch kit.
Bard - 2,500 XP to level 2
Dark Sun's bard is a poisoner instead of a spellcaster. They can use any armor or weapon, get all thief abilities (at a slightly lower score than thieves), and learn to make a poison each level instead of gaining spells (they also don't learn to use written magical items).
Use in Ravenloft: This would fit in great in Borca.
Dune Trader
Trader - 2,500 XP to level 2
The trader class uses thief saves, hit dice, and THAC0, but can use any weapon or armor. In light or no armor, they get thief skills (but with fewer discretionary points each level). They also get the same poison skills as a bard, an extra language every 3 levels, and a free fast-talking NWP.
Use in Ravenloft: Like the Dark Sun Bard, this is a Borcan class if there ever was one.
Domains of Dread
Avenger - 4,500 XP to level 2
The avenger is a lot like a fighter, but can only specialize in melee weapons and gains some bonuses when fighting a nemesis. Like the fighter, sacrificing armor for spellcasting is a big deal, made moreso by the melee limitation on the avenger's best weapon. I'm not sure the "focused on revenge to the exclusion of all else" class really fits with the Witch kit. If someone wanted to play an Avenger (Witch) I'd want a good backstory/explanation before allowing it.
Tales of the Lance
Crown Knight - 5,000 XP to level 2
The Knight of Solamnia is so weird it might not count, since a Knight of the Crown can become a Knight of the Sword, who eventually gains spells if they don't become a Knight of the Rose. If they can become a witch, it's probably not a great choice mechanically. They're a fighter who needs 25% more XP in exchange for one extra hit die.
Use in Dragonlance: Between the hidebound nature of the Knights of Solamnia and the need for arcane casters to belong to one of the Orders, it's hard to see this fitting in.
Use in Ravenloft: Since there's not a population of knights in canon, a player would need a really good story to explain this class/kit combination.
Barbarian - 4,000 XP to level 2
This is just a fighter with more extreme reaction rolls.
Use in Dragonlance: This is a bit more plausible than a Knight. Someone from outside the main cultures of Ansalon could more easily be a minor renegade mage.
Use in Ravenloft: I guess this class could maybe be used for a Sebuan feral child or a particularly backwoods person from Vorostokov, but most of the Core is too civilized for the class.
Cavalier - 4,000 XP to level 2
This is an update to the 1e cavalier, and any witch taking this class will almost certainly be dead very quickly, since they must engage in melee whenever possible and must attack the biggest or otherwise most powerful-looking opponent. If you're in heavy armor, the cavalier's Lawful Stupid alignment might be survivable long enough to hit 2,000 XP and gain more hit points. The witch, losing their spellcasting in armor and needing double the experience, is highly unlikely to survive that long.
Use in Dragonlance: Some of the cavalier orders might be more open-minded than the Solamnic Knights, but the issue with the Orders still exists.
Use in Ravenloft: I guess they could exist somewhere, but Lawful Stupid tends to die fast in Ravenloft.
Mariner - 4,000 XP to level 2
This is a fighter that trades the ability to wear metal armor for a few thief skills and bonus NWPs in rope use, seamanship, and tumbling. This could fit a witch/warlock who's associated with a sailing community.
Use in Dragonlance: Being aboard ship and away from places where wizards go could make for as good an opportunity to hide as a witch would have.
Use in Ravenloft: This would fit a Blaustein witch nicely, and could work for other domains that have a maritime tradition as well.
Commoner - 2,500 XP to level 2
Commoners get thief hit points, warrior THAC0, bad proficiency slots (2 to 4 NWP and 1 WP at 1st, then 1 NWP/2 levels and 1 WP/8 levels) and have (usually) +2 to 2 stats and -2 to 4 stats.
Use in Dragonlance: This could work for characters who avoided coming to the notice of the Orders.
Use in Ravenloft: I think these would work great for NPC witches or PCs in a lower-powered game as the 2e equivalent to a 3e game using the NPC classes.
The Second Generation
Lily Knight - 5,000 XP to level 2
The entry-level Knight of Takhisis class. Basically the same as Crown Knight mechanically, although the KoT are more friendly towards arcane magic and have a class of arcane casters (the Thorn Knights). Instead of a linear progression from Crown to Sword to Rose, the Knights of Takhisis have a branching progression where Lily can become either Skull (cleric) or Thorn (wizard).
Use in Dragonlance: Less bizarre than a Witch Knight of Solamnia, but still a little problematic because of how Dragonlance magic is structured, and if you want to be a Wizard Knight, just go Thorns.
Use in Ravenloft: There's not a great domain for them to be from (Sithicus was pulled before the Knights existed and Falkovnia's both too early and from the wrong continent). As outlanders, they have the problems listed above. This is another one where I'd need a good backstory.
Complete Ninja's Handbook
Ninja - 2,500 XP to level 2
Ninja are mostly thieves, but can use any weapon, slightly more armor types than a regular thief, and a shield. One of the ninja kits has spellcasting, but the base class doesn't.
Use in Ravenloft: The obvious one is for witch ninjas in Rokushima Taiyoo, but if one looks past the Oriental trapping to the actual class features, they could also be useful for any organization that needs both stealth and muscle, like the Kargatane.
Vikings
Berserker - 4,000 XP to level 2
A complicated class. One disadvantage is they can't learn purely missile weapons, so spear is fine but bow is forbidden. Their AC boost when berserk would help, but overall I'm having trouble meshing the class and kit from a fluff standpoint.
Use in Ravenloft: There's not really a great domain for them to come from. Maybe Vorostokov again? And like I said, it doesn't really mesh well.
Masque of the Red Death
Soldier - 4,000 XP to level 2
A fighter without weapon specialization.
Use in MotRD: The witch is probably too powerful for Gothic Earth compared to Adepts.
Use in Ravenloft: This is straight-up worse than a fighter, but for high-culture-level domains, they could work as NPC witches.
Tradesman - 2,500 XP to level 2
A thief with no thief skills, but extra NWPs and the ability to buy thief skills with those NWPs. See soldier for their use in settings.
Warriors and Priests of the Realms
Harper - 4,500 XP to level 2
Basically a ranger without spellcasting. I'm not super familiar with the class, but it looks a little weak for its XP table.
Use in the Realms: This should be fine. It's not like a witch's spellcasting is going to be overpowered in the Realms.
Use in Ravenloft: Also fine.
The Scarlet Brotherhood
Assassin - 2,500 XP to level 2
Assassins use the thief as their base, then get the ability to use any weapon, use a shield, use poison, and assassinate targets that they've studied.
Use in Greyhawk: Probably fine? I think the Scarlet Brotherhood would be OK with magic-wielding assassins, and they'd be NPCs in most campaigns anyway.
Use in Ravenloft: The requirement to be evil means it should be an NPC class in 2e. As villains, I like them.
Monk - 3,000 XP to level 2
We get a unique XP requirement because monks use cleric XP and hit dice. This class synergizes very well with the witch kit, since it gets a boost to unarmored AC, can fight bare-handed, and get a bunch of special abilities. For my own campaigns I'd probably rule that the two can't be used together because the monk's focus on internal self-improvement prevents them from an external focus on the Weave.
Use in Greyhawk: The Scarlet Brotherhood would either love witch monks or be terrified of them, depending on whether they saw witch powers as a gift from Wee Jas or an impure deviation from being a "true Suel."
Use in Ravenloft: There's not a great place in canon domains for monks to be from, and I feel like witch monks would be a bit outside the style of gaming that most Ravenloft campaigns are geared toward. It could work, but it would take more effort than most of the other classes, and as I mentioned above it probably synergizes a little too well for the relatively restrained power levels (at least for heroes) of Ravenloft.
Classes for the Witch/Warlock kit
Re: Classes for the Witch/Warlock kit
I realized today that I missed an obvious one:
Complete Barbarian's Handbook
Barbarian - 4,500 XP to level 2
Under some stat generation methods it might be slightly challenging to actually qualify for this, since you need Str 12, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 10, and Wis 12. Not terribly high stats, but minimums in everything except Charisma. There's some synergy here since barbarians have great hit dice, mediocre armor (the best is Hide at AC 6), bonus offense from ranger-like two weapon fighting, and unreliable bonus defense in sometimes being able to negate back attacks. Sacrificing armor for spellcasting is a little less of a burden than for a fighter or gladiator. These could come from the less civilized domains like Verbrek or Vorostokov, taking the place of CBH's barbarian shaman class. In non-Ravenloft settings, I could see using these for Lankhmar's Snow Clan witches.
Complete Barbarian's Handbook
Barbarian - 4,500 XP to level 2
Under some stat generation methods it might be slightly challenging to actually qualify for this, since you need Str 12, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 10, and Wis 12. Not terribly high stats, but minimums in everything except Charisma. There's some synergy here since barbarians have great hit dice, mediocre armor (the best is Hide at AC 6), bonus offense from ranger-like two weapon fighting, and unreliable bonus defense in sometimes being able to negate back attacks. Sacrificing armor for spellcasting is a little less of a burden than for a fighter or gladiator. These could come from the less civilized domains like Verbrek or Vorostokov, taking the place of CBH's barbarian shaman class. In non-Ravenloft settings, I could see using these for Lankhmar's Snow Clan witches.
Re: Classes for the Witch/Warlock kit
One more cross-post since I had the great and terrible idea to dig through the classes that were added in Dragon magazine, most of which were for First Edition. Any that add thief skills will need tweaking, since 1e used fixed skill percentages per level while 2e gave discretionary points per level. Obviously, anything with magic or psionics (or the "psionics-like" powers of the Dreamer) were excluded since the Witch kit says no magic or psionics. I also left out anything with too many unique powers, like the Escrimador or Battle Dancer. Here are the ones that I think could be useful (to a greater or lesser extent) in a Ravenloft campaign:
Dragon 52
This magazine has three bounty hunter classes. I’ll refer to each with the last name of their creator(s) to keep them organized.
Bounty Hunter (Bennie) – 5,000 XP to level 2
This bounty hunter uses fighter THAC0 and saves and a d8 Hit Die and is “a combination of ranger and assassin.” They get backstabbing as a thief of their level, can assassinate like an assassin of two levels lower (3rd level bounty hunter = 1st level assassin), at fifth level gain thief skills as a first level thief, and at seventh level can track like a ranger and disguise themselves like an assassin. This might be OK as an NPC, but it’s skewed a little too much toward evil for a Ravenloft PC class (to get maximum level, a character has to assassinate the existing maximum-level bounty hunter, for example).
Bounty Hunter (Armstrong) – 4,400 XP to level 2
This version uses fighter THAC0, thief saves, and a d8 Hit Die. They’re limited to chain armor but can use any weapon. They can track, but not particularly well (15% at 1st level, 30% at 6th level, then +5% per level) and get wilderness survival. They can find/remove traps as a thief and hide in wilderness settings, and are hard to surprise in the wilderness. This class seems fine for the more wilderness-oriented domains as a fighter alternative.
Bounty Hunter (Tussey and Strunk) – 4,500 XP to level 2
Our final version uses fighter THAC0 and saves and a d10 Hit Die. One of their initial weapon proficiencies must be a “capture weapon,” which consists of net, bola, or lasso. They get open locks and pick pockets as a thief of half their level rounded down and move silently and climb walls as a thief one level lower, so a tenth-level bounty hunter has fifth-level OL/PP and ninth-level MS/CW. They also have a couple different ways to knock out targets, a limited tracking ability, and a Charisma bonus when questioning people for information. This is a more urban bounty hunter that’s less evil than Bennie’s, and could work for the more developed domains.
Dragon 63
Bandit – 3,600 XP to level 2
The bandit is a fighter for THAC0 and saves with a d8+1 Hit Die (so that they have the same average but lower maximum than a fighter). They’re restricted to chain armor, any missile weapon, and melee weapons less than 5’ long (so no polearms or two-handed swords). They also won’t encumber themselves below a movement rate of 9. In return, they get some thief abilities, with climb walls effective anywhere and find/remove traps and hide in shadows effective in wilderness. They also are decent wilderness trackers, and can cover their own tracks (50% +3%/level chance to pass without trace). It’s a somewhat limited class, but has fairly low XP requirements and could work for NPCs or a player with a particular vision of a character.
Dragon 73
Duelist – 5,000 XP to level 2
The duelist is a fighter sub-class with their THAC0 and saves and a d12 Hit Die. Armor is limited to leather and weapons to swords, dagger, and staff. They get AC bonuses and to-hit and damage bonuses against targets using weapons, and are less likely to be surprised than most characters. They can also attempt to parry a blow that could potentially kill them (if the maximum damage equals or exceeds their current hit points, they can save vs death after being hit but before damage is rolled). They also take 1 less point of penalty when fighting with two weapons, and get +2 to save vs fear. The lack of ranged weapons and relative vulnerability to creatures that don’t use weapons are weaknesses, as is the steep XP table, but I think this could be used within Ravenloft’s more urban domains.
Dragon 157
This magazine has a pair of sumotori character classes. Either or both could be used, but I think Wieck's version is easier to use than Carpenter's.
Sumotori (Carpenter) – 9,000 XP to level 2
That’s...a lot of XP. Len Carpenter’s version uses priest THAC0, fighter saves, and a d10 Hit Die. No armor or shield can be used, and they get gradual increases to Strength and Constitution (+2d10 percentiles per level, gain a point if they have 100 percentiles). They also get a special martial art (sumai) that provides AC 8, 2/1 attacks per round, and 1d6 bare-handed damage. They also get 9 maneuvers over 8 levels, apparently without spending proficiency slots, and have an odd “sumotori capabilities” table that starts them at AC 10 with no bonuses, with level 8 granting them AC 5, an extra martial arts attack per round, and an extra two dice of damage on martial arts attacks. Based on the sample characters, the sumai AC is ignored once the sumotori’s base AC drops below 8. This would be interesting for a witch, but that massive amount of XP makes it borderline unplayable. A wizard will be close to gaining level 4 by the time a sumotori witch is ready to get level 2.
Sumotori (Wieck) – 6,000 XP to level 2
This is also a slow leveling class, but not as much as the other sumotori. This one uses fighter THAC0 and saves and gets a d12 Hit Die, and their Hit Die roll can’t be lower than double their Con bonus. They use no armor, shield, or weapons, so only their martial arts can be used in combat. This could be a problem once things that can only be hit by magic weapons start appearing in a campaign. Like Carpenter’s sumotori, they gain martial arts skills automatically, but Wieck mentions that their proficiency slots are reduced to compensate – they get four at first level (two of which go to ceremony and cooking) and one every four levels after that. They get a pair of ki abilities, one to reduce damage from blunt weapons and one to boost Strength. Their version of sumo is AC 7, 2/1 attacks, 1d6 damage, with 6 maneuvers over 10 levels plus AC and initiative bonuses in the “dead” levels, so they’ll end up with AC 2 at 10th level. I think this is more playable than the other sumotori, either as Rokushiman characters or from a homebrew domain inspired by Japan.
Dragon 161
Scout – 2,500 XP to level 2
This is a “non-thieving thief” class. It uses thief saves and a d6 Hit Die, but gets 1 extra hit point per level above 9th. They also get thief armor and can only use one-handed weapons shorter than 3.5 feet in length. They get a number of detection abilities, being able to track underground, avoid attacks from the rear, and detect secret doors or illusions. They also get tumbling and tightrope skills similar to a thief-acrobat. As an alternative to a thief, I think it could work, especially for characters from more wilderness-oriented domains where the traditional thief skills might be less plausible/useful.
Dragon 164
Piao Shih – 4,000 XP to level 2
This is a caravan guard built using Oriental Adventures rules. They use fighter THAC0 and saves, a d8 Hit Die, any weapon or armor, and get a small bundle of special abilities. Among them are +1 to attack and damage with darts, tracking like a ranger, fighting like an (OA) monk with kung fu, and a pair each of tactical and strategic abilities out of a set of five tactical and eight strategic abilities. A couple of these could be very useful for the (unarmored) witch piao shih, since Base Defense and Combat Horsemanship both provide circumstantial AC bonuses. I could see a witch piao shih working for both an OA campaign and a Ravenloft campaign, with Nova Vaasa seeming like a likely place for similar characters types to appear.
Dragon 52
This magazine has three bounty hunter classes. I’ll refer to each with the last name of their creator(s) to keep them organized.
Bounty Hunter (Bennie) – 5,000 XP to level 2
This bounty hunter uses fighter THAC0 and saves and a d8 Hit Die and is “a combination of ranger and assassin.” They get backstabbing as a thief of their level, can assassinate like an assassin of two levels lower (3rd level bounty hunter = 1st level assassin), at fifth level gain thief skills as a first level thief, and at seventh level can track like a ranger and disguise themselves like an assassin. This might be OK as an NPC, but it’s skewed a little too much toward evil for a Ravenloft PC class (to get maximum level, a character has to assassinate the existing maximum-level bounty hunter, for example).
Bounty Hunter (Armstrong) – 4,400 XP to level 2
This version uses fighter THAC0, thief saves, and a d8 Hit Die. They’re limited to chain armor but can use any weapon. They can track, but not particularly well (15% at 1st level, 30% at 6th level, then +5% per level) and get wilderness survival. They can find/remove traps as a thief and hide in wilderness settings, and are hard to surprise in the wilderness. This class seems fine for the more wilderness-oriented domains as a fighter alternative.
Bounty Hunter (Tussey and Strunk) – 4,500 XP to level 2
Our final version uses fighter THAC0 and saves and a d10 Hit Die. One of their initial weapon proficiencies must be a “capture weapon,” which consists of net, bola, or lasso. They get open locks and pick pockets as a thief of half their level rounded down and move silently and climb walls as a thief one level lower, so a tenth-level bounty hunter has fifth-level OL/PP and ninth-level MS/CW. They also have a couple different ways to knock out targets, a limited tracking ability, and a Charisma bonus when questioning people for information. This is a more urban bounty hunter that’s less evil than Bennie’s, and could work for the more developed domains.
Dragon 63
Bandit – 3,600 XP to level 2
The bandit is a fighter for THAC0 and saves with a d8+1 Hit Die (so that they have the same average but lower maximum than a fighter). They’re restricted to chain armor, any missile weapon, and melee weapons less than 5’ long (so no polearms or two-handed swords). They also won’t encumber themselves below a movement rate of 9. In return, they get some thief abilities, with climb walls effective anywhere and find/remove traps and hide in shadows effective in wilderness. They also are decent wilderness trackers, and can cover their own tracks (50% +3%/level chance to pass without trace). It’s a somewhat limited class, but has fairly low XP requirements and could work for NPCs or a player with a particular vision of a character.
Dragon 73
Duelist – 5,000 XP to level 2
The duelist is a fighter sub-class with their THAC0 and saves and a d12 Hit Die. Armor is limited to leather and weapons to swords, dagger, and staff. They get AC bonuses and to-hit and damage bonuses against targets using weapons, and are less likely to be surprised than most characters. They can also attempt to parry a blow that could potentially kill them (if the maximum damage equals or exceeds their current hit points, they can save vs death after being hit but before damage is rolled). They also take 1 less point of penalty when fighting with two weapons, and get +2 to save vs fear. The lack of ranged weapons and relative vulnerability to creatures that don’t use weapons are weaknesses, as is the steep XP table, but I think this could be used within Ravenloft’s more urban domains.
Dragon 157
This magazine has a pair of sumotori character classes. Either or both could be used, but I think Wieck's version is easier to use than Carpenter's.
Sumotori (Carpenter) – 9,000 XP to level 2
That’s...a lot of XP. Len Carpenter’s version uses priest THAC0, fighter saves, and a d10 Hit Die. No armor or shield can be used, and they get gradual increases to Strength and Constitution (+2d10 percentiles per level, gain a point if they have 100 percentiles). They also get a special martial art (sumai) that provides AC 8, 2/1 attacks per round, and 1d6 bare-handed damage. They also get 9 maneuvers over 8 levels, apparently without spending proficiency slots, and have an odd “sumotori capabilities” table that starts them at AC 10 with no bonuses, with level 8 granting them AC 5, an extra martial arts attack per round, and an extra two dice of damage on martial arts attacks. Based on the sample characters, the sumai AC is ignored once the sumotori’s base AC drops below 8. This would be interesting for a witch, but that massive amount of XP makes it borderline unplayable. A wizard will be close to gaining level 4 by the time a sumotori witch is ready to get level 2.
Sumotori (Wieck) – 6,000 XP to level 2
This is also a slow leveling class, but not as much as the other sumotori. This one uses fighter THAC0 and saves and gets a d12 Hit Die, and their Hit Die roll can’t be lower than double their Con bonus. They use no armor, shield, or weapons, so only their martial arts can be used in combat. This could be a problem once things that can only be hit by magic weapons start appearing in a campaign. Like Carpenter’s sumotori, they gain martial arts skills automatically, but Wieck mentions that their proficiency slots are reduced to compensate – they get four at first level (two of which go to ceremony and cooking) and one every four levels after that. They get a pair of ki abilities, one to reduce damage from blunt weapons and one to boost Strength. Their version of sumo is AC 7, 2/1 attacks, 1d6 damage, with 6 maneuvers over 10 levels plus AC and initiative bonuses in the “dead” levels, so they’ll end up with AC 2 at 10th level. I think this is more playable than the other sumotori, either as Rokushiman characters or from a homebrew domain inspired by Japan.
Dragon 161
Scout – 2,500 XP to level 2
This is a “non-thieving thief” class. It uses thief saves and a d6 Hit Die, but gets 1 extra hit point per level above 9th. They also get thief armor and can only use one-handed weapons shorter than 3.5 feet in length. They get a number of detection abilities, being able to track underground, avoid attacks from the rear, and detect secret doors or illusions. They also get tumbling and tightrope skills similar to a thief-acrobat. As an alternative to a thief, I think it could work, especially for characters from more wilderness-oriented domains where the traditional thief skills might be less plausible/useful.
Dragon 164
Piao Shih – 4,000 XP to level 2
This is a caravan guard built using Oriental Adventures rules. They use fighter THAC0 and saves, a d8 Hit Die, any weapon or armor, and get a small bundle of special abilities. Among them are +1 to attack and damage with darts, tracking like a ranger, fighting like an (OA) monk with kung fu, and a pair each of tactical and strategic abilities out of a set of five tactical and eight strategic abilities. A couple of these could be very useful for the (unarmored) witch piao shih, since Base Defense and Combat Horsemanship both provide circumstantial AC bonuses. I could see a witch piao shih working for both an OA campaign and a Ravenloft campaign, with Nova Vaasa seeming like a likely place for similar characters types to appear.