AntiChri5's page

For someone coming new to the class without playing pre-Remaster Witch, I would describe the class as reasonable but not a top tier spellcaster.

It is a full 3-slot spellcaster.
No armor though, so it is behind Cleric, Druid, Bard, and a few others in that regard.

It is not a 4-slot caster, so it is behind Wizard, Sorcerer, and Oracle in that regard.

Also, it is a prepared caster - and like Wizard and Magus, Witch has to pay money for knowing more of the spell tradition. So it is behind Druid, Cleric, and Animist in that regard.

What Witch does have going for it is some rather unique and powerful Familiar abilities and some good Focus spells. There are also some really nice feats at early mid-levels.

And they are still a solid spellcaster class. INT-based, so you will have plenty of trained skills.

Minor correction - Witch doesn't have to pay to learn so long as they don't mind destroying the scroll/spellbook;

Learning Spells: Your familiar can learn new spells independently of your patron. It can learn any spell on your tradition's spell list by physically consuming a written version of that spell over the course of 1 hour. This can be a scroll of that spell, or you can prepare a written version using the Learn a Spell exploration activity.

You can just set your cat loose in a wizard's stash for a few hours and you gain a bunch of spells and a new wizard enemy for the GM to use.

Win-win.

I have a minor correction.

You describe the level 10 Inexorable Iron Feat "Sustaining Steel" as:

"When you spellstrike using one of your spell-slots, you regain hit points equal to double the rank of the spell! "

This isn't quite accurate. You have added a restriction while missing the one that is present.

Sustaining Steel requires you to be in Arcane Cascade stance, but it triggers off any spell cast from a spell slot, making it much easier to use.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=2874

The overall amount of HP gained is rather low, so it is still not the most optimal Feat, but it essentially gives you free HP whenever you spend a resource you were always going to spend. Whether it is a buff spell or an attack spell. And, importantly, it allows you to use spll slots gained via archetype.

I find defensive reaction spells an excellent trigger, taking a frankly unhealthy amount of pleasure from using Wooden Double to make an HP profit when an enemy crits me.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1416

As you rightly point out, the small amounts of HP provided by Sustaining Steel combine well with the Temp HP an II gets from Arcane Cascade, it can be fun to also throw in Mantle of the Unwavering Heart, picking the fast healing option.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1406

You can immediately regain 10HP from casting the spell, gain Fast Healing 3, and then every turn gain temp HP.