I have an idea for an archetype and race I have rarely if ever seen used or discussed on these forums I would like some input on.
The archetype is a Bouda Witch, which has particularly nasty hexes and the race is Skinwalker, Bloddmarked (Werebat-kin).
The race has a +2 Int and an excellent racial feat, being:_
"Bat Shape
Your powers of transformation have been honed to the point where you can wholly become a bat.
Prerequisite: Cha 13, werebat-kin.
Benefit: You can take the form of a bat whose appearance is static and cannot be changed each time you assume this form. You gain a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as a bat. Changing from werebat-kin to bat shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as beast shape II, and your ability scores change accordingly.
If you wear a bat pelt, you may choose to adopt a form resembling the bat whose skin you wear instead of your normal bat form."
This would be my first level feat. The idea is to sneak around as a bat and use hexes on opponents while they are unaware of me.
Look at this from the Bouda archetype:-
"Bouda's Eye (Su)
A bouda's gaze can bestow ill fortune on her enemies. This hex can affect a creature within 30 feet that the bouda can see. The target takes a –2 penalty on one of the following (bouda's choice): AC, ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. The hex lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the bouda's Intelligence modifier. A successful Will saving throw reduces the duration of the hex to 1 round. Once per day when the bouda uses this hex, she can impose two different penalties on the target instead of just one. If the bouda takes the evil eye hex, it increases the number of different penalties she can impose on the hex's target by 1. At 8th level, the penalties imposed by this hex increase to –4. This is a mind-affecting effect.
This hex must be taken as a bouda's 1st-level hex, and only a bouda can take this hex."
As per the previous sentence, my level one Hex is spoken for, and at levels 2 and 4 I would take Evil Eye and Cackle.
I don't have a campaign for the character at present, so haven't done the build further. Obviously characteristics would include an Int of at least 16, a Cha of 13 at least, maybe 14 and decent Dex and Con.
It seems like an effective idea to me. Thoughts?
Is there nobody in cyberspace with ideas on this?
I remember someone mentioning a bouda witch archetype in the Monster Codex for gnolls, but I don't have the PDF to compare it. If I was building a bouda archetype, I'd stick with the gnoll + hyena + skinwalker theme. Although it is Pathfinder, so a secondary animal form of a hybrid dire bat & hyena form would probably be appropriate.
I did a skinwalker article back in Wayfinder #13 that you might find useful (the mechanics and most of the flavor text are also up on d20pfsrd). You might build a hyena skinwalker breed based on a modified witchwolf breed except +2 Con, –2 Wis (+2 Str while shapechanged), which can then use the Animal Shape and Improved Animal Shape feats to gain a hyena and dire hyena forms, respectively.
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Edit: Ah, I misread your original post; you already have the bouda archetype. Yeah, that should still work well with a bloodmarked skinwalker. Flight and the other bloodmarked bestial features are quite good. You might even go with a tweaked/reflavored "bouda" hexcrafter magus for something a bit more martial. You might also consider the shaman/witch & magus flavored class options.
Thanks for the input Ambrosia Slaad.
The Shaman/ Witch favoured class option is an excellent idea.
The Hexcrafter Magus idea may be good, but it isn't the idea I had in mind. My fiendish idea is to sneak around unobtrusively as a bat, Hexing opponents into total ineffectiveness when they don't even know I am there.
That was my original idea, and the Bouda archetype was selected as it has especially nasty hexes.
It strikes me that being able to assume a bat shape as often as desired from level 1 at the cost of 1 feat is truly excellent.