Witch

Witches are hostile mobs that use splash potions as their ranged weapon. They also use beneficial potions on themselves defensively.

Spawning
Witches can spawn anywhere in the Overworld at a light level of 7 or less, sometimes in groups of up to three.

Witch huts
Every witch hut spawns a witch inside during world generation, and it will never despawn. Afterwards, only witches will spawn in the 7×9×7 area that is the witch hut. This is the size of the roof and one block over the porch, from one level below the floor of the hut to two blocks above the roof.

Witch huts generated before 1.8.1 have a spawn zone of only 7×9×5. Witch huts spawned on high ground also have a reduced or eliminated spawn zone height.

Villagers
When lightning strikes within 3–4 blocks of a villager, the villager despawns and a witch spawns in its place, giving the effect of it turning into a witch.

Drops
When killed, witches drop:

Common drops

 * (12.5% chance),
 * (12.5% chance),
 * (12.5% chance),
 * (12.5% chance),
 * (12.5% chance),
 * (12.5% chance),
 * (25% chance).
 * They make 1–3 drops of 0–2 items each, for a maximum of six items total.

Each level of Looting increases the maximum items dropped by one for each of the 1–3 drops, leading to a maximum of 5 items per drop, and a maximum of 15 items total.

Potions



 * They have 8.5% chanceand 100% chance of dropping a potion, but they drop only a potion while they drinking it.
 * They have 8.5% chanceand 100% chance of dropping a potion, but they drop only a potion while they drinking it.
 * They have 8.5% chanceand 100% chance of dropping a potion, but they drop only a potion while they drinking it.
 * They have 8.5% chanceand 100% chance of dropping a potion, but they drop only a potion while they drinking it.

Behavior
Witches use splash potions offensively, and drink ordinary potions defensively. They have a search radius of 16 blocks.

Offense

 * They will throw a splash potion of slowness if the player is at least 8 blocks away and does not already have the slowness status effect.
 * They will throw a splash potion of poison if the player's health is at least and is not already poisoned.
 * They have a 25% chance of throwing a splash potion of weakness if the player is within 3 blocks and does not already have the weakness status effect.
 * If none of the above conditions are true, witches default to using a splash potion of harming.

Defense
On each AI tick when the witch is not already drinking a potion, it may choose to equip and drink a potion. Drinking the potion takes 1.6 seconds.
 * When under water and lacking water breathing, 15% chance of drinking a.
 * When on fire or lava, and the last damage taken in the past 2 seconds was fire damage, and lacking fire resistance, 15% chance of drinking a.
 * If damaged, 5% chance of drinking a.
 * When more than 11 blocks from a target and lacking swiftness, 50% chance of drinking a.

Witches are 85% resistant to damage from potions and the Thorns enchantment, but not strength, sharpness or power.

Data values
Witches have entity data associated with them that contain various properties of the mob. Their entity ID is.

Trivia

 * WitchParticles.png a witch hits another witch with a potion, the witch who is hit will become angry and target the other witch, however it is impossible for either witch to kill the other (without help from a player) due to their use of healing potions and their resistance to each other's splash potions.
 * Witches do not utilize the equipment in their huts, but they can be used by players.
 * The odds of a witch dropping the maximum amount of drops possible (6 items total) without a Looting enchantment are 1 in 81 (1.2%).
 * Witches are extremely difficult to kill via suffocation or cacti (though not impossible), due to their frequent use of healing potions.
 * When drinking a potion, a witch's nose will lift up and point forward.
 * Baby villagers, when struck by lightning, will turn into witches and thus become adult-sized.
 * You can see the short mouth of a witch from the side only if they are drinking a potion and lifting their nose.
 * Witches rarely (.075% chance each tick) spawn 10-45 purple magic particles above their heads. (See the image)
 * When the subject of witches dropping sticks was brought up, Dinnerbone jokingly replied that it's because witches are made of wood.
 * He later explained that it was a reference to this scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.