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Alright! The guide's been updated with the stuff from Champions of Purity. Maybe it won't be another six months before witches get some more love.Witches have gotten some serious love with a new item from the Dragonslayer's Handbook. Here's the link:
Hexing RunesIt may not seem like much, but for 10,000gp you can get +1 to the save DCs of your favorite hex every day, and you get a free ward hex cast on yourself once per day. It's a great item for any Witch!
It's grossly over priced for what it does but there is some usefulness in it.
Oh and you misread the ward hex part. It's ANYONE who wears the hexing rune, not just the witch. That +3 deflection and resistance bonus is very nice though it doesn't stack with the 2 most common items a PC usually has.On the other hand that ward only lasts until the first time the wearer gets hit or fails a save. Kinda crappy to be honest.
I appreciate that I have missed the boat somewhat here but I think you're being too hard on Elements Patron.
There are so many critters with immunity to mind-effects that having some serious Evocation for those critters is really important. Targeting reflex instead of fort or will is also a plus.
Having the ability to cast intensified shocking grasps via spectral hand is bloody awesome. First level pearls of power are dead cheap and give you a constant 10d6 option when nothing else is working and they conserve your big spells when your adventuring day lasts longer than 15 minutes!
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I appreciate that I have missed the boat somewhat here but I think you're being too hard on Elements Patron.
There are so many critters with immunity to mind-effects that having some serious Evocation for those critters is really important. Targeting reflex instead of fort or will is also a plus.
Having the ability to cast intensified shocking grasps via spectral hand is bloody awesome. First level pearls of power are dead cheap and give you a constant 10d6 option when nothing else is working and they conserve your big spells when your adventuring day lasts longer than 15 minutes!
My guess is you've been playing around with a Magus lately. The tricks that work for that class really don't work well for a Witch.
A. For every critter that is immune to Mind Affecting there are at least 3 that are immune to one (or all) of the main energy damaging spells the Witch gets access to.
B. Devoting a trait AND a feat to be able to use shocking grasp as a 1st level spell on the EXTREMELY rare time when we have nothing else to do in combat (here's a hint, when in doubt misfortune something, it affects EVERYTHING) is a very expensive waste.
C. Blasting is a sub-par option 75% of the time and when you have a poor bab and crappy HP's trying to through touch attacks out there is very dangerous even with spectral hand. (Burning 2 spells to do 3.5*lvl in damage once per round every round is a bad exchange rate).
D. Finally we are witches, we don't care about 15 minute or 15 hour adventure days. We have hexes witch are at will, unlimited and more potent then any equivalent combat spell in the game.
If someone wants to through around 10d6 damage 1x a round (avg 35 points of damage out of a 2nd level spell slot) more power to them, I'd rather fling out 2 DC 30 Fort/Will save or die hexes a round, every round and leave the spell slots for utility spells and quickened debuffs.
But you play your character however you want to.
The trait isn't a big cost tbh, and the feat is useable on a number of spells to keep the 1d6/level exchange up and running. With a host of pearls the spell is only using up 1 slot.
I use a maximise rod to make it 60 damage and being sad the save isn't made 50% of the time.
Spectral hand is used for a number of good spells and even with a poor bab I'm touching with a +8 at level 10 which hits very often.
All the resources are being used for multiple things, I'm not, as you suggest, wasting much for a combo.
I will play my character my way, which doesn't include slumber because I don't want to just spam out the same thing every round. Variety is the spice of life you know!
The elements patron is underrated imo.
And it's throw not through.
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The trait cost IS a big deal since taking it prevents you from ever taking two-world magic, gifted adept, focused mind, arcane temper or any of the other more useful magic traits. I'd much rather have something that boosts ALL of my casting then this trait which only helps one spell I'll never WANT to use.
As for the feat let me understand this correctly, You want to burn a feat for the corner case that when I CAN'T use a Hex or mind affecting spell on a target AND I know that a day in advance THEN I can use a non-optimized spell to MAYBE do a few extra d6's in damage?
If I'm aware of a target that far in advance I would much rather prep something with an effect like Thanatopic spell so that it CAN be affected by my vastly superior mind affecting spells or simply prep a different spell that will actually do more to it then maybe add 15 more points of damage.
Trying to be a damage dealer on a class designed to be a Debuffer/SoD specialist is generally a sub-par activity. Not saying it CAN'T be done, merely asking is it worth the effort and resources just to do average damage when you can spend half that much to be GREAT Debuffer/SoD specialist.
Up to you but if I wanted to just do damage I'd be a fighter, their are better at it and it's cheap for them.
Witches spells are mainly enchantment, necromancy and evocation. Where enchantment doesn't work (including some popular hexes) you can either attack with necromancy touch spells (I use spectral hand as it has a range of medium - keeping me safely away from monsters) or you can blast them.
I don't subscribe to the munchkin school of thought that evocation is sub-par. There is a place for all the options open to witches. I enjoy using all the spells. I'm choosing to play my witch as a full caster with hexes for support. It's a challenge to be limited to only a few schools but I'm enjoying the challenge. Not everyone wants to be a sheep.
I use knowledge skills to determine the weakest save and attack that save in whatever way I can.
To the OP, elements is better than red.
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Firstly, apologies for being away for so long. It seems I have some new material to sift through to update the guide.
Secondly, stuart, You can certainly get some use out of the Elements patron, but the bonus spells are so far outside the wheelhouse of the Witch that it's almost pointless. Witches are primarily debuff specialists, and their spell list reflects that.
Of the 22 9th level spells they get, 6 are Necromancy, 7 are Conjuration, 5 are Enchantment, 1 is Divination, 2 are Abjuration, and 1 is Transmutation. Evocation is nowhere to be seen.
It's a similar state for all other spell levels, with the witch only getting a handful of damage dealing spells, usually dealing cold or sonic damage, with some electricity tossed in.
Witches are designed for a primary purpose, and my guide is written through the filter of that purpose. I mean, you could make a fighter and max out Charisma and Use Magic Device, but it certainly wouldn't be optimal.
Don't get me wrong, Elements is full of great spells and it's flavorful as hell, but as far as furthering a witch's primary agenda, it's red.
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Firstly, apologies for being away for so long. It seems I have some new material to sift through to update the guide.
You may want to bump Half-Orcs up to blue as well - a recent FAQ ruling lets them qualify for Scarred Witch-Doctor (and they can even get a racial Con bonus.)
You may want to bump Half-Orcs up to blue as well - a recent FAQ ruling lets them qualify for Scarred Witch-Doctor (and they can even get a racial Con bonus.)Firstly, apologies for being away for so long. It seems I have some new material to sift through to update the guide.
hmm? i thought that was confirmed way back in the ARG's release
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So, i guess the lack of response means that a witch can only hex once per round then as i understand it? Please correct me, as this would be great to find out how.
Maybe i'm daft, but how can you cast 2 hexes a round? Cackle as a move action isn't the same as a 'hex'. I've been looking to see how this is possible but so far I've not seen it myself.
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If someone wants to through around 10d6 damage 1x a round (avg 35 points of damage out of a 2nd level spell slot) more power to them, I'd rather fling out 2 DC 30 Fort/Will save or die hexes a round, every round and leave the spell slots for utility spells and quickened debuffs.
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Split Hex and Split Major Hex.
Hey, thanks for the guide, I just recently built my first witch and it's been huge for me! Having chosen a ratling familiar in part for flavor reasons (how can a ratfolk witch not want an ugly man-faced rat running in and out of his sleeves?!?) I'm finding scroll use is *HUGE* and I think takes ratlings to BLUE easily.
I carry 20 scrolls of Ill Omen (25GP each even without crafting, a negligible price at 10th level) and the ratling can cast them immediately before my key spells/hexes. It's a whole lot like a free Lesser Rod of Quicken Spell (worse in some ways, but way better in others). Commune 1/wk and dimension door 3/day as SLAs (taking along the witch) are just icing.
I guess the main argument against BLUE for them is that they don't have the great defensive abilities (immunities, DR, fast healing) that some improved familiars do. So far I'm hoping that invisibility + dimension door + scroll use give sufficient defense to keep it alive, but I guess I'll see!
Anyway, thanks again for the guide.
Thanks as well for the guide and apologies for resurrecting this thread.
This is my first look at witches and I was wondering what people's thoughts on Spell Hex (Web Bolt) would be? Not everybody might be able to get access to the spell since it is listed under drow in the Advanced Race Guide supplement. However it would give a witch a Reflex based control option. Unfortunately it only gives the target the grappled condition.
Thoughts?
Thanks as well for the guide and apologies for resurrecting this thread.
... Unfortunately it only gives the target the grappled condition.
Thoughts?
Do not dismiss grappled. The webbed for cannot move, take -4dex, and are pretty much restricted to v only spells. Spell hex means the Escape/CMB DC will keep 80% of your foes still till well after the fight is over. Or if you don't want to wait that long. Good old strangling hair or Aboleth's Lung will remove the problem.
Note Limp Lash is a nasty addition to the fun here. No save, a self directed Fortune /evil eye vs their AC should ensure a hit. Now they are trying to escape a scaled DC while losing d6 str & dex per round. Escape becomes difficult to say the least.
Teleportation/freedom of movement will bolix this tactic but them's the breaks.
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What is your take on the boundaries and devotion patrons?
I am looking at playing a half-orc scarred witch doctor, is strength a solid patron or should I just be considering transformation, time, deception, and shadow?
Vikingirishman, your guide is wonderful. Of the ones up, I like your format and language a bit better, though they all have useful information. I have one small quibble with a rating that you should revisit. As another poster has suggested, the Craft Wondrous Item feat allows "single use-activated slotless items" as a potion-replacement. This ignores a rather key note in the custom item creation rules.
Respect Each Crafting Feat's Niche: You might be tempted to create rings that have charges like wands, or bracers with multiple charge-based effects like staves. A GM allowing this makes Craft Wondrous Item and Forge Ring even more versatile and powerful, and devalues Craft Staff and Craft Wand because those two feats can create only charged items.
Before allowing such an item, consider whether the reverse idea would be appropriate—if someone with Craft Wand can't make a wand of protection +1 that grants a deflection bonus like a ring of protection +1 , and if someone with Craft Staff can't make a handy haverstaff that stores items like a handy haversack, then Craft Wondrous Item and Forge Ring shouldn't be able to poach item types from the other feats.
Only a very lenient DM will allow you to make "potions" without Brew Potion, and it's FOR SURE Rule 0 territory to allow it in the first place (as it is for all custom items). Not sure, then, that the suggestion has use in the guide. Additionally, the Cauldron hex gives the equivalent of 2 feats (one early access) and grants access to the witch's crafting niche through Witch's Brew. I know as a DM and with those I've played with, someone wanting to make this type of item would be directed to Brew Potion and the subject would be closed, and I don't think that is uncommon. I'd stick to RAW as much as possible, especially for a guide.