Originally posted on the official website on October 15th, 2019
Witch’s Broom Core v2.03
Table of contents
Witches have been a small, recurring part in the Zelda franchise since its inception, primarily taking the form of an old woman who sells Link restorative potions. Part of Link’s journey from the very first game onwards, it’s not unfair to say that many players would never have rescued Zelda if not for these old crones’ assistance.
However, there are other witches that various Links interact with, such as Maple and Irene, who take a more active role in the world. They both help and hinder Link in his quest, as they bounce around on their own adventures.
Of course, these witches can only move so quickly thanks to their signature conveyance: the Witch’s Broom. And in this article, we’ll talk about what a Witch’s Broom can do in your own Reclaim the Wild game, as well as how to craft your very own personalized, customized, souped-up Broom!
Broom Beginnings
While anyone could attempt to pilot a Witch’s Broom, only true Witches, trained in the art of Broomcraft, will be able to do so without looking like a buffoon. Further, only trained Witches know the mystic secrets to crafting their own Brooms.
Whether your Hero begins their career as a Witch, or learns the secrets of witchcraft later in their journey, their ability to ride and craft Brooms is represented with the Broomcraft Feat, below.
New Feat: Broomcraft
3 Tokens
Requirement: Quest Reward or GM Approval Only
Effect: You can now craft Witch’s Brooms. If you are using the Master Mode rules for Witch’s Broom proficiency, you can now pilot a Witch’s Broom without suffering the Slick Terrain Penalty at the end of your turn.
Starting with a Broom
Witch’s Brooms are relatively expensive to craft (see below), so a player cannot start the game with one without a GM’s permission. Keep in mind, however, that many a young Witch’s training ends with a quest to craft their very own Broom, providing both a strong reason to not begin with a Broom, and a potent plot-hook to get the young Witch out of their teacher’s house and on the road to adventure. More experienced Witches may have suffered some hardship that ruined their previous Broom, or may be trying to ‘blend in’ with more mundane people, and thus have left their previous Broom behind.
If the GM does decide to allow a player to begin with a Broom, we recommend keeping the Broom to either Rank 1 or Rank 0, depending on the character and their circumstances. We also recommend replacing one of the character’s starting Tools with their starting Broom.
Using a Broom
Brooms have a Movement of (5 + Rank), and can carry a single person (regardless whether that person is a Tiny Fairy, a Large Zora, or a dense, heavy Goron). Brooms are flying conveyances, and are considered Natural Fliers, but are incapable of gliding, walking, or swimming.
Heroes may place Brooms in their Pack, in the Tools pouch. If left unattended, a Broom may either hover just above the ground, awaiting its next rider; or, it may just be leaned against a wall or left on the ground, appearing at first glance to be an ordinary, mundane broom.
Brooms in Combat
Riding a Broom is much like riding a Companion. All rules that apply to Mounted Combat apply to fighting while on Broom-back, as well. (This means you can’t cast Spells while on your Broom, unless you also pick up the “Dragoon” Feat!)
Brooms can also be harmed in the thick of combat, or by cruel foes who would try to break an unattended Broom over their knee. Brooms have ((Rank + 1) x 4) Durability. Brooms do not have Guard Stats of their own; while being piloted, they use their Rider’s Guard Stats (Concentration, Evasion, and Vitality).
Whenever a Broom sustains damage during combat, it loses 1 Durability. Brooms, being made of Wood, are Vulnerable to Fire; if a Broom is struck by Fire damage, it instead loses 2 Durability (and if set On Fire, it loses 2 Durability at the start of your turn).
Unlike the Master Cycle, Brooms do not lose Durability from being used as a means of transportation. Brooms can also be safely used for sweeping and general cleaning purposes, of course, without harming their Durability. However, any use besides that (excepting any use that directly stems from the Broom’s Personal Touches, below) will consume one unit of the Broom’s Durability.
Repairing Brooms
If a Broom is damaged, you can repair it, so long as it hasn’t reached 0 Durability. During a Short or Extended Rest, you may consume one Monster Part, Cloth, or Wood, restoring (Material’s Rank + 1) Durability. You can also use a Gem, which restores ((Material’s Rank + 1) x 4) Durability. You may only consume one item per Rest this way.
Crafting a Broom
For many Witches, crafting their own Broom is an important rite of passage. A young Witch’s teacher will typically require the youth to procure the materials and construct the Broom all by themselves – a kind of final thesis statement, demonstrating everything the young Witch has learned.
To craft a Broom, you must spend an Extended Rest (typically, a full day) in the act of crafting, casting, and concentrating. The exact methods and principles of Broom-crafting are closely held secrets, and vary from one Witch to the next – making it a great opportunity to explore how your Witch does things, and what that says about them. Crafting a Broom does not require a Forge, but it does require a heatsource, like Cooking does. You might use a campfire, a house’s kitchen, or yes, even a Forge.
Crafting a Broom consumes:
- 1 Unit of Wood
- 3 Gems (of any type, mix-and-match)
- 5 Units of Cloth
- 7 Monster Parts
…all of the same Rank. This creates a Witch’s Broom of that Rank. (You can, of course, use higher-Ranked Materials, but the Broom will be of the lowest-Ranked unit of Material used in its construction.)
The Rank of Materials you can use to craft a Broom is limited by your Enchanting Trait: you may only use Materials of a Rank equal to (Enchanting / 2) or less.
Deconstructing a Broom
Brooms can be deconstructed, much like most things. This might come up if your Heroes defeat an evil Witch, but don’t want to use her ill-gotten Broom; or if they make a new, spiffier Broom, and want to dispose of last year’s model.
Deconstructing a Broom returns 1 Gem, 2 Cloth, and 3 Monster Parts, of the Broom’s Rank.
Upgrading a Broom
Brooms can be upgraded, allowing you to improve their abilities and alter their Personal Touches (below).
Upgrading a Broom is mechanically the same as creating a new Broom, and deconstructing the old Broom at the same time: you consume Materials to create your new Broom at the new Rank, and you receive the Materials of the Broom’s old Rank from deconstructing it.
Personal Touches
When you craft a Broom, you also decide on its Personal Touches, much like when you build a Castle using the rules found in Rebuild the Wild. Brooms may have up to (Rank) many Personal Touches. Each Personal Touch may only be taken once, unless otherwise stated.
When you upgrade a Broom, you may change any existing Personal Touches it had, in addition to adding new Personal TOuches based on its Rank.
Below are just a handful of the Personal Touches your Broom might have – but don’t be afraid to discuss your own ideas for Personal Touches with your GM!
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Attuned: This Broom is specifically attuned to you. Treat this as if the Broom had the “Loyal” Enchantment on it, of a Rank equal to the Broom’s Rank. Further, anyone who does not have your explicit permission to pilot this Broom will suffer the “Slick Terrain Penalty” as if they did not have the Broomcraft Feat.
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Clean Sweep: During an Extended Rest, you may take a few minutes to use your Broom as an actual cleaning instrument, sweeping up your immediate surroundings. This produces a single Critter, based on the terrain you’re in, of a Rank up to (the Broom’s Rank). This does not prevent you from seeking out or harvesting other Materials during that Extended Rest.
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Cupholders: Your Broom has (Rank / 2) cupholders, or other small containers that can easily be accessed while riding on your Broom. Treat these as Belt slots, accessible to any person(s) currently riding the Broom or otherwise adjacent to it.
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Enchanted, Dark: As a Minor action, this Broom’s rider may command it to exude acrid black smoke from its bristles, covering the squares it traverses for the remainder of the turn. Perception checks made through the smoke take a (Rank) penalty, and light sources within the smoke have their Rank (or radius) reduced by (Rank).
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Enchanted, Light: This Broom is enchanted with light. It may exude light as a Lantern of its Rank would, in either a Burst or a Cone; it may also leave a thin line of light behind it as it flies through the sky. The Broom’s rider may change the light’s shape, its color, dim it (reducing its Rank temporarily), direct it, or completely turn it on or off, as a Minor Action.
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Glamoured: The Broom is enchanted with a glamour, changing the appearance of itself and anyone riding on it. It might look like a cloud, to hide in the sky; or it might look like a flying saucer, to really draw attention. The Broom’s pilot may activate and deactivate this glamour as a Minor Action. You may select this Personal Touch more than once, each time selecting a different glamour to add to the Broom’s repertoire.
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Room for More: Your Broom takes up an additional (Rank / 2) squares, and thus has room for (Rank / 2) additional Creatures to sit upon it. This might be in the form of a motorcycle-style sidecar, a basket hanging beneath it, or the broom may simply be longer than normal. Regardless, only one person (the Pilot) may be in control of the Broom at a time.
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Shrinkable: This Broom can shrink and grow back to size on command. (This does not allow its pilot to shrink with it, nor any items kept in cupholders.) It can be safely placed within a Pack’s Key Items pouch, rather than in the Tools pouch. It can also easily be used when the Hero is under the effects of any shrinking effects that the Broom was not also affected by.
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Sorcerer’s Broom: Your Broom is capable of moving, acting, and maybe even thinking, all on its own. At Ranks 0-1, it has Instinctual intelligence, capable of following you and reacting to stimuli, but unable to follow commands. At Ranks 2-3, it possesses Limited intelligence, and can follow short commands and perform some simple tasks on its own, rather like a dog. At Ranks 4-5, the Broom has Rational intelligence, and is as smart and capable as you or I, and may even be able to speak. Regardless of the Broom’s intelligence, it does not count against your number of Companions.
- Sorcerer’s Brooms, unlike other Brooms, have a Concentration, Evasion, and Vitality of (10 + (Rank x 2)). They can even use the “Strike” and “Sweep” Basic Attacks, rolling (3 + Rank + 2d6) To-Hit, and dealing ((Rank + 1) x 4) Blunt damage if the attack lands. Note that using this attack still consumes the Hero’s Standard Action. Thus, while Sorcerer’s Brooms can fight back on their own, they’re generally well outclassed by even a moderately skilled Hero.
- Generally speaking, Sorcerer’s Brooms will object to being deconstructed. They may also take things too far or too literally when given orders. Be aware of the consequences when your Broom can think for itself!
- Weatherproof: Select one type of Weather. This Broom, and all persons riding this Broom, treat that selected Weather as (Rank) Ranks lower when calculating its effect on them. This Personal Touch may be chosen multiple times, each time selecting a different Weather.
Brooms and Master Mode
Brooms, as a kind of unique vehicle, invite a certain level of complexity. By default, much of this complexity is pushed aside in the name of simple fun, as is the general style of Reclaim the Wild. However, if you wish to see Brooms be harder to pilot without practice, less maneuverable than a person on the ground, or even unrepairable at all, then read on.
Unpracticed Pilot Penalty
You may wish for Broom-riding to be limited solely to Witches, something that most mundane folks can’t up-and-do, even if they somehow got their hands on a Witch’s Broom. If so, then this Master Mode rule is for you.
For inexperienced Witches, Brooms can be a bit difficult to control, which can lead to them bumping into things, or even falling off their Broom. This is known as the Unpracticed Pilot Penalty: If the Broom’s pilot does not possess the Broomcraft feat (above), then at the end of their turn, they must roll as if they were on either a Slightly Slick surface (if they used half or less of the Broom’s Movement) or a Severely Slick surface (if they used more than half of the Broom’s Movement). This roll occurs even if the Broom’s pilot would otherwise be immune to Slick surfaces.
Master Mode: Vehicular Movement
You may wish to treat Broom-riding more like riding a vehicle than like riding a mount. Perhaps you’d like to see Brooms have maneuverability concerns that companion mounts do not typically suffer from, such as difficulty making sharp turns while moving at full speed. With this Master Mode rule, Heroes riding Brooms will be less maneuverable than Heroes riding more traditional mounts.
While on a Broom:
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Generally, you may only turn up to 90 degrees from your starting facing during a single turn on a Broom. This means you can end your turn facing ‘right’ or ‘left’ from where you were, but no more than that.
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Before you make any movement, you may declare your Broom Slowed for the remainder of your turn. If you do so, you may turn up to 180 degrees from your starting facing while on the Broom. This means you can turn completely around over the course of your (Slowed!) turn.
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If you Sprint (moving twice the Broom’s Movement), you cannot turn more than 45 degrees from your initial heading, give or take. This means Sprinting on a Broom is best used for a direct dash or charge, when you’re already lined up with where you need to be!
Irreparable Brooms
As a Master Mode rule, your GM may disallow Broom repair and upgrading. This brings Brooms into line with Weapons and most other equipment, which cannot be safely repaired unless inhabited by a Weapon Spirit.
Changelog
July 23, 2020:
- Added information about upgrading Brooms.
September 21, 2020:
- Fixed a minor error where Belt slots were referred to as “Hip slots”.
May 09, 2021:
- Minor wording edit and header change, to clarify the purpose of the Master Mode rule for having a turning radius and such. Also, changed Brooms from having HP and Defense, to just having Durability, similar to the Master Cycle in the Core Rulebook.