Really, isn't a male witch called a Warlock? Does that not apply in pathfinder? Does anyone else find it odd to refer to a character as a gender specific class title? Do you think it odd that out of all the classes only this one is gender specific in name? Apologies for all the question marks but the subject has raised questions.
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Really, isn't a male witch called a Warlock? Does that not apply in pathfinder?
Sorcerer, hedge wizard, enchanter, warlock... all these are acceptable terms for a male witch. But in Pathfinder, all of these terms actually refer to a class except for warlock, which is why many have adopted "warlock" as the male appellation for witch. But since the name of a class is simply a packaging label for a set of abilities, the only name we need for the witch is "witch" IMO.
Does anyone else find it odd to refer to a character as a gender specific class title?
Your character is not bound to call himself after his/her class. I played barbarians that weren't barbarians and monks that weren't monks but used the classes as building frames for characters concept.
I don't see any issue with your character calling himself a warlock, even if it says "witch" (or druid, or wizard, or sorcerer) under the class entry on the character sheet.
Otherwise I don't find it odd as "witch" perfectly describes the archetype represented by the class.
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I apoligize in advance for spelling errors, I am typing this from my phone.
Witch isn't a gender specific term. It can be used to refer to a male or female practitioner. Warlock is a reference to something else entirley.
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This may be slighlty relevant, in the Wiccan religion which practices witchcraft, even the male practioners are called witches.
Warlock has a specific connotation, at least with DnD, of a particular set of powers related to binding devils and using their power.
In short, male witches are still witches. And it is not considered a gender specific title. Our culture tends to think of it as a gender specific title though.
However, gender specific expectations is a whole different and sociological/psychological issue.
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Historically, it was at one time used predominantly for men.
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This issue gets much stranger in german. Sorcerer is generally translated as "Hexenmeister" (witch master) and the german term for a male witch is "Hexer", for a female witch it would be "Hexe". So, as you see, you have it really easy.
I shall hereby call ALL male spellcasters I ever play Hexenmeisters, because that may be the best word ever
Really, isn't a male witch called a Warlock? Does that not apply in pathfinder? Does anyone else find it odd to refer to a character as a gender specific class title? Do you think it odd that out of all the classes only this one is gender specific in name? Apologies for all the question marks but the subject has raised questions.
3e and 4e had a separate warlock class. Adamant Entertainment has a supplement with a Pathfinder warlock base class.
I believe 4e had a witch subclass of wizard in one of the later books, maybe the fey one.
Keeping the class terms for reference to the classes open to both genders has a functional use in Pathfinder and similar RPGs.
That said I have heard of warlocks as the male term for witches and pretty much associate "witch" as a term generally for females only.
In Harry Potter witches are a term for female wizards and not a separate tradition of magic.
In the Reign of Winter Adventure Path there is a male witch NPC early on who is apprenticed to another witch. Looking back I only referred to him as "the witch's apprentice" and never just "the witch".
I am currently reading through the 3.5 Quintessential Witch for ideas to mine in my ROW game and they use male pronouns a lot when talking about witches. I do find it jarring.
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Really, isn't a male witch called a Warlock? Does that not apply in pathfinder? Does anyone else find it odd to refer to a character as a gender specific class title? Do you think it odd that out of all the classes only this one is gender specific in name? Apologies for all the question marks but the subject has raised questions.
I call Make Witches Witchalock (Warlock + Witch) myself.
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Out of character:
"What class are you, man?"
"Oh, just a witch, no archetype."
In character:
"Gods...what...what are you?"
*smiles sadly* "I'm complicated."
In mine most every class is fairly known as their class name in world, the exception being the nonmagical fighters, rogues, and barbarians who would probably be called something like warrior or scouts.
Everything can be known by other names as well, but every magical tradition at least is professionally named.
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Witch
To me Witch is gender neutral but then I'm viewing it from a Pagan angle. I like the idea of a character not necessary identifying themselves as their class. It's not been an issue in Pathfinder but it 3.5 I had character on his way to becoming a Wizard/Master Specialist Abjurer/Mage of The Arcane Order/War Weaver/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil - He identified as an Abjurer. Before I settled on a non-archetyped Witch (male half-orc)I was at one point briefly thinking of going the Hedge Witch rout but calling him a Cunning Man.
My elven witch considered himself a diplomat/spy. I did have bard who was the local "witch". Probably the only characters I have played that will refer to themselves as their classes were my 1 of my clerics, they other uses priest.
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Men can't be witches, just like women can't be wizards.
I use the word "Witch." It simplifies things and doesn't tick off the people in my group.
Also, be careful of using the term "warlock" for a male witch. Some people get seriously offended at that.
Since the word witch means "intelligent woman", I would call male witches, warlocks. I have always thought of warlocks as male witches and nothing is going change that even if Paizo themselves make a new class and called it a warlock.
Since the word witch means "intelligent woman", I would call male witches, warlocks. I have always thought of warlocks as male witches and nothing is going change that even if Paizo themselves make a new class and called it a warlock.
Is this 'intelligent woman' bit something specific to your campaign? I don't see it mentioned here at all.
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Weird none of the online definitions match old paperback dictionaries we used to have but they still all describe a woman.
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Warlock has the unpleasant connotation of having been the term for a traitor or oathbreaker, and etymologically coming from the word for liar, while witch has no such unfortunate connotation and was originally use for men anyway.
It's not a huge deal, but it definitely leaves a bad taste in some people's mouths.
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I'm just gonna keep going with 'Witch' for my male Witch character.
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And yet witch is used much more often as an insult then warlock.
Out of game, yes.
In game, since classes are purely metagame/mechanical constructs, any individual character can proclaim himself to be whatever profession he desires. A wizard or sorcerer could call him/herself a witch just as readily as a witch could call herself a wizard or sorcerer.
And yet witch is used much more often as an insult then warlock.
I think one of the main reasons it's used as a female-specific insult outside of it's original context has more to do with the fact that it's one letter off from another, far more insulting and less socially acceptable word.
I stick with "Witch" for male witches since Witches and Warlocks are different things in my games.
Though I have talked about it in depth in the past.
http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-is-warlock.html
Currently working on a Witch and Warlock book for Pathfinder.
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And yet witch is used much more often as an insult then warlock.
Years of witch hunting (and being in the bible in an unfortunate context). Plus Warlock not coming into common use as a male equivalent until recently.
But most witches in the real world are cool with being called a witch, and get pissed about warlock. How relevant that is to game is another matter, but it's an explanation.
I call my character "The Oracle" because of the scarcity of witches in my game. Also to mislead if the situation arises
They call themselves whatever they want generally.
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Men can't be witches, just like women can't be wizards.
Unless your name happens to be Eskarina.
Historically...witches where first female spirits (much like Pathfinder Hags), the term was later applied to mortals practicing "witchcraft" which was seen as specifically magic that was harmful to the community...and the accusation was most often leveled at women, although later men where also accused with greater frequency.
The terms Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, etc....generally didn't carry the "specific" meaning of doing harm to the community.....at least until Christianity rose to dominance.
The whole "Warlock means oath breaker" is a modern idea....and does not appear anywhere in Scots or Germanic lore prior to the modern age.
As far as "in game" goes, we try to avoid using class labels for our characters....
A Shoanti may refer to a female Wizard as a Sorceress, Witch, or whatever...based on their personal perception of what she is like.
I think the only class that we tend to heavily label is the divine classes, which are almost all referred to as "priest or priestess".
We actively discourage characters from identifying themselves as Rogue, Fighter, etc...etc...
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Wait...better answer...
I've never had a witch in a game I've ran or played.
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This issue gets much stranger in german. Sorcerer is generally translated as "Hexenmeister" (witch master) and the german term for a male witch is "Hexer", for a female witch it would be "Hexe". So, as you see, you have it really easy.I shall hereby call ALL male spellcasters I ever play Hexenmeisters, because that may be the best word ever
I approve.
In Italian "Strega" it's a clearly female noun (we don't have a neutral gender, everything is either masculine or feminine), but i nonetheless use it for male characters... Some friends of mine use "Strigo" which is the translation used for the "witcher" character already mentioned.