Scarred Witch Doctor options


Advice


I am currently in the process of creating a Scarred Witch Doctor as a reserve character for if/when my current Druid would shed his mortal coil. However I cant find any kind of guide to aid me in creating this character.

I aim to be going full Scarred Witch Doctor with the build, however as far as I can see I am too squishy to be a front line fighter, but can make a decent full caster, at least on a 15 point buy.

My current idea is to go
Half Orc
STR 9
DEX 14
CON 16 + 2 Racial
INT 14
WIS 10
CHA 7

But I'm not sure what caster options are out there for the archtype and the class in general. Eg, Blaster, Controler, Buffer/Debuffer. It would also help for some recommendations for spells, Hex's and patrons.

Liberty's Edge

Basically just read the guides for witches and replace intelligence with con. It isn't like you have a radically different spell list or anything.

As a witch you're basically a debuffer and a god wizard. Also, it may be worth it to actually consider an 18 in your casting stat (this is one of the very few builds where I would ever suggest that).


the CON is 18 when including the half orc racial bonus.

Liberty's Edge

TLaughingMan wrote:
the CON is 18 when including the half orc racial bonus.

I know. I meant actually buy an 18 so you end up with a 20. Sorry for not being clearer.


I played a scarred witch doctor and had great fun with it. What I did was take magical lineage (Ice storm) to be able to use rime spell without increasing the spell level. In the end I used rimed frost falls much more often than ice storms so I'd suggest magical lineage (frost fall) instead.
It deals a little damage and debuffs the target. At least entangle, possibly staggered.

Another strong spell for a caster with some HP like you is call the void (level 3 if I remember right). It can win fights.
But most is just the same as for other witches.

Dark Archive

If you focus on hexes rather than spells. Then you can wear armor and be a front liner. My standard witch wears full plate and tower shield.

She only casts spells that don't have a somatic component. A great many of your hexes require you to be within 30 feet. So having a good armor class is important. With your con score, you'll have more hit points than all but a barbarian. Now for your character I would start with hide and work up to dragon full plate.


Ah. Easy mistake.

I have been contemplating it, but the only way I can see it working is by dumping STR down to 7 and eating into my DEX and/or INT. All of which I am reluctant to do as I prefer to not put more than one stat as low as 7 and rarely put more than one stat below a 0 (7 and 9 are usually my limits if I go for two negative stats) The other is that my AC is poor and Int is still used for spells per day so I'd prefer to keep those stats quite high.

I'm not looking to min/max this character to ungodly extremes, just make a decent character given the limitations.

Shadow Lodge

basically stack your HP, and con. all you want to do is make your con as high as possible, then your hexes, spells, and combat surviveability go through the roof.

one option for a seriously powerful caster would be to go one level of barbarian and use a cord of stubborn resolve to rage cycle when ever you decide to use a hex.

+2 to your save dc for all hexes and martial weapon proficiency + up to medium armor proficiency which is great for you is you decide to go with arcane armor training. celestial plate would be my armor of choice in that case.

then you have additional feats like tenacious survivor, +2 to con while raging(forgot the name), and the best of all ability focus for a +2 more to your hex save dc.


I think a stat array more like
Str 7
Dex 13
Con 20
Int 13
Wis 10
Cha 7
could be better if you want to go the Full Plate Tower Shield route and simply never make attack rolls or cast spells with somatic components in battle.

Elements, Spirits, Time and Trickery are the best patrons in my opinion. I have never seen anyone play a Witch without one of those 4 patrons.

Slumber hex is your best attack, Evil Eye and Misfortune are excellent debuffs, Cackle keeps Misfortune working. Healing is ok, Flight and Cauldron are ok as well. Fortune is a good buffing hex, but you need to commit to it from the beginning of the fight or it can be a trap.

Taking Still Spell as your first level feat and grabbing the trait Magical Lineage or Wayang Spellhunter on Ill Omen will let you still cast it in armor and grabbing the other trait on your best mid level group spell like Fireball or Confusion should make the armored route easier to work.

Dark Archive

Hi I am running a scarred witch doctor in our home game and it's really fun. He is a second line everything. Healer,fighter and magic user. I focused on hexes to help him like Healing Hex, Prehensile Hair, Fly Hex, Scare Hex, Aura of Purity. I took most of my feats I took extra hex so I was able to get many hexs by 7th level. I also went Con 20 (with half orc +2) Strength 15 and Dex 12 dropped my Charisma to 9 and all the rest 10.

Then I took mostly spells that would boost my AC or HP or Strength. I am a pretty effective fighter at 7th level.

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