Witch

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

Spawning
Witches spawn anywhere in the Overworld at a light level of 7 or less. Unlike most other mobs, they do not spawn in groups, only individually, and their spawn rate is a bit lower than zombies, creepers, etc. making them less frequent.

Witches rarely (0.075% chance each tick) spawn 10-45 purple magic particles above their heads.

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 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


Witches are a major source of potion ingredients. They can drop:
 * (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.

They drop 5 experience when killed by a player or tamed wolf.

Potions
Witches also have 8.5% chance to drop potions of healing, fire resistance, swiftness and water breathing as an equipment drop if killed while drinking that potion. Looting increases the chance by 1% per level.

Behavior
Witches use splash potions offensively, remaining up to 10 blocks away from the target, and drink ordinary potions defensively. They have a search radius of 16 blocks, and will also attack iron golems.

Offense
Each potion is thrown in a 2-3 seconds interval.
 * 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 $1/4$ 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, that causes up to magical damage.

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 potion of Water Breathing.
 * When on fire or the last damage taken in the past 2 seconds was fire damage, and lacking Fire Resistance, 15% chance of drinking a potion of Fire Resistance.
 * If damaged, 5% chance of drinking a potion of Healing (heals ).
 * When more than 11 blocks from a target and lacking Swiftness, 50% chance of drinking a potion of Swiftness.

Witches are 85% resistant to damage from magic, including Poison, Instant Damage, and Thorns, 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

 * If 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.
 * 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.