Cartomancer Advice, please

[Whipstitch]

Ever since I got the Harrow Handbook, I have wanted to make a Harrow-themed character. I created a witch that I plan to see through the Harrower prestige class. I had also planned on making her a Cartomancer (Harrow Handbook, pg 15), but I'm having serious reservations. The more I compare what I'm giving up for what I'd get, the harder it is to justify. I'm hoping that someone (or preferably multiple people) can provide feedback on my train of thought.

The real benefit of a Cartomancer that I see is being able to deliver touch spells at range. The first problem is that there are a limited number of touch spells, especially worth focusing on, and are they worth it? I'm giving up the benefits of a familiar - most notably the special ability (in my case it would be the scorpion's +4 to initiative) and the alertness feat (+2 to Perception and Sense Motive). I wouldn't plan on letting my familiar out, so that's about it familiar-wise.

Next, I surrender my 2nd level hex, and realistically I think two of my early feats (to take Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot). Otherwise, I fear I won't be able to rely on hitting, and thus wasting precious turns. However, those feats could have helped me in other ways - most notably I could take two more hexes.

So, I'm trading Perception and Initiative - possibly taking me out of a surprise round or delaying how quickly I can help in battle - and a couple of hexes, all so I can more easily deliver a few spells (when I could just choose different spells anyway).

I should note that I play PFS, so if the answer is that Cartomancers make these trade-offs for benefits at higher levels, than maybe the answer is that it's just not for PFS. However, I hope to get a broader range of opinions than just those playing PFS.

Am I missing something here? What do you think? If you have played a Cartomancer or played with one, PLEASE tell us how you saw the archetype working! Thank you!

[Bioboygamer]

See, touch spells generally put the (usually squishy) caster in a very dangerous position, primarily because they require the caster to be adjacent to the target, which is generally a very bad thing for casters. To compensate for the increased risk, most touch spells are a lot more powerful than ordinary spells, and because they hit touch AC, they're more likely to be effective.

Add the ability to make touch attacks that would normally be melee at a distance, as well as the ability to have the equivalent of an unlimited supply of masterwork darts that can bypass DR/magic, plus the fact that several very useful spells (such as Mage Armor and all Cure spells) can be placed on your allies from across the battlefield, and you have a frighteningly effective ranged damage and support character.

Plus, the favored class bonuses for a lot of races can be pretty funny when applied to an inanimate deck of cards rather than a living animal.

[Whipstitch]

I appreciate your take, Bioboygamer, but I still can't see it. As much as I want to like this archetype, I think giving up the benefits of a familiar and one or more feats (which can each be an extra hex) doesn't seem to make it worth the trade. I hear you on the touch spells - this is the only reason one should become a Cartomancer.

Let me examine the other uses of actions in battle. Darts? If the best you can do on your turn is throw a dart for damage, magic masterwork or not, you must have chosen your spells and hexes poorly. Casting on allies? I also don't think spending turns casting on allies is liable to be your best use of actions. The kind of debuffs and battlefield control hexes and spells a 5th level witch can cast are too powerful NOT to be using instead of curing a single ally for (ave.) 15 hp, for instance. And if you're spending a precious round of battle casting Mage Armor? If somebody needs Mage Armor - a spells with hours per level, you should have already cast it.

So, just delivering touch attacks at range. You've already surrendered your 2nd level feat. Do you spend 2 more to get Precise Shot? You're a 1/2 BAB character, probably with a so-so dex at best. Yes, it's against touch AC, but if your target is in melee, maybe soft cover from an ally. . . you've taken a spell with a built-in chance of failure (a save negates) and added a second significant chance of failure. Considering all you're giving up just to be able to cast a few spells at range, it's easy to question whether it's worth it.

Unfortunately, I know nobody who has played one, and have seen nobody posting on these boards claiming to have played one, to be able to get first-hand anecdotal evidence.

[zza ni]

i think this is a lot more fluff class then min\max one.
it's for some1 who really want to play Gambit from x-man, hey the light spell is a touch spell, you can send glowing cards all day.

an other way to make this a viable class is multiclassing it with something taht can benefit from this.
iv seen a multiclass of the far strike monk with this that was very combat capble. the mage armor alone made the dip worth while.he took hexs that buffed rather then debuff (with feats) so he iddn't need a high int.he got the range feats from his monk bonus feats and delt his unarmed damage with the cards. was actuly kinda cool built.do mind he only took 2-3 levels of the witch class.

[Culach]

Sorry for the Necro...

I'm actually going with a Cartomancer/Hedge Witch build similar to another I found online. Sure I give up a few things, but I can now play back up healer.

This character is themed as a support character as opposed to anything more direct, but the idea of throwing cards set to inflict wounds has an appeal. On the other hand, those cure spells are also touch and I can now reach out and touch you from over there with it.