Ka_the_Great's page

I'm running a low-level, low-magic homebrew game and I am in need of advice on how to tweak a Skald class to being more focused on the fighting and inciting rage in his allies at the cost of casting.

I want to make a Borderlands style bandit leader for my PCs to fight in an upcoming session as part of them having to take on a bandit encampment.

I don't want a spellcaster leader (low magic game and avoiding arcane casting) but rather a big hulking brute that works his men into a frenzy to up the danger and excitement a little.

The listed archetypes on the SRD don't seem to fit this flavour. Any quick fix? Take off the spells and up the BAB? Bonus feat? Rage power?

PCs are rather strong level 2s. Any help and suggestions are most appreciated. Thanks.

I'm looking to improve my witch's flavor by coming up with a few custom hexes to present to my DM.

-= optional background =-

I'm playing a witch with the Time patron in the Way of the Wicked AP. She was wrongfully burned at the stake 60 years ago but saved at the last moment by her patron. Her body was repaired, though changed in the process. Her mind never fully recovered from the event. She trained outside of civilization for a number of years and has been unleashed upon the world in present time. She's an angry, vindictive, calculating b+!@! who wants a revenge she can never truly have... or can she?

She's level 5 now, beginning book 2 of the adventure.

-= End backstory =-

Contents:
Hex
- Temporal Celerity

Major Hexes
- Bad Touch
- Giver of Gifts
- Pyrokinesis

HEX

Hex - Temporal Celerity (Su) - The Time Witch adds her INT as well as DEX bonus to her initiative rolls.

At 7th level the witch may always act in in surprise rounds. If she failed to notice the ambush, she goes last.

At 11th level the witch may roll twice for initiate and take the better result. At 19th level the witch's initiative roll is automatically a natural 20.

Requirement: Time Patron,

Compare: Time Oracle mystery with same name, Kensai Magus Iaijutsu

Considering making the 2 initiative rolls + natural 20 initiative a second Major Hex. What is fair and balanced?

MAJOR HEXES

Major Hex - Bad Touch(Su) - Hexes and spells with range can instead be channeled through a touch attack (or indeed any form of bodily contact) with +2 bonus to their DC. Hexes and spells with a range of touch do not benefit from this hex.

(I like the added risk/reward of this hex. Makes moving in for the save-or-die/suck all the more fun. Makes good use of Prehensile Hair as well.)

Major Hex - Giver of Gifts (EX) The witch gains the feat Craft Wondrous Items with a +4 insight bonus to Spellcraft checks for making wondrous items. She may also elect to purposely make cursed items; this is an evil act.

On top of this, if the witch has the Cauldron Hex, she may make potions with spells of up to 6th level. Potions with spell levels 4-6 must be made with an intended recipient. An unintended drinker takes no effect from helpful potions, but must make a Fortitude save vs the dc of the spell or be nauseated for 5 minutes by the dark energy of a harmful potion.

(Crafting call be cool when you're making horrible weapons and items for people to use against each other. Somebody has to be making Necklaces of Strangulation on purpose. I believe two feats/hexes is a fair investment, especially as it makes Brew Potion viable later in the game.)

Major Hex - Pyrokinesis (Su) - A powerful witch need not fear the flames of a pyre.

A witch with this hex may create fire at will as per the Spark cantrip.

She gains resist (fire 30) That can be used for a number of minutes equal to her witch level. These need not be consecutive.

She may cast Pyrotechnics as a spell-like ability once per day using her witch level as caster level.

She may unleash a Fireball (as per the spell, using her HEX DC for Reflex save) once per day but doing so uses up 5 minutes of fire resistance.

(I figure if a Major Hex can replicate a 7th level spell like Control Weather once a day, it can replicate a few weaker spells instead.)

-=-=-=

What do you think? Are the power levels appropriate? What should I change? Any help/suggestions are appreciated!

Under special rules for Craft they mention:

Tools & Equipment To make an item using Craft (alchemy), you must have alchemical equipment. If you are working in a city, you can buy what you need as part of the raw materials cost to make the item, but alchemical equipment is difficult or impossible to come by in some places. Purchasing and maintaining an alchemist's lab grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks because you have the perfect tools for the job, but it does not affect the cost of any items made using the skill.

Seeing as the archetypal witch uses a cauldron to mix her potions and poisons, would it be fair to say that a cauldron would count as the witch's "lab" and thus provide the +2 circumstance bonus to the check? I know you get a +4 insight bonus already with the hex... so I guess what I'm really asking is; does a witch need to lug around both a portable lab AND a cauldron to get the optimal +6 for her alchemical needs?

-=-=-=-
I am really enjoying playing a witch, but feel that Paizo can and should do more to give the class more flavour text and official hex options.

I'm playing an evil witch with the Cauldron Hex who enjoys making attack potions and plotting clever ways to make opponents drink them, much in the way a poisoner would.

My question is, if I make a potion of say... Blindness, a level 2 spell on the witch's list, what would be the DC of the fortitude save for the drinker to avoid being permanently blind?

I've looked all over and haven't had any luck.

(btw, She is now level 4, with 21 INT.)

Hi, I'm planning my witch build and have a few questions regarding the Spell Hex feat.
Spell Hex

Spell Hex allows a witch to choose any first level spell and make it into a Hex that permits her to use that spell 3 times a day as a SLA using the Hex DC as a saving throw. There are a few stand-out spells for this, but I believe Charm Person is the way to go for my CHA 11 witch to get what she wants from people. (I know there's a Charm hex, but the duration is horrible.)

My question is this; if you are using the spell as a SLA and thus are not waving your hands, speaking or giving any indication that the spell is being cast by you... does the target receive the +5 bonus to their save as per the original spell description of its use in hostile situations? What if you were surrendering at the time?

This would be potent with Spell Focus(Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus(Enchantment), and Spell Specialization (Charm Person)
-=-=-=-

I think even if the target gets a +5 to their save during a fight, this would still be a very powerful option outside of a fight.

Imagine a busy tavern. The hapless target is doing their thing when all of a sudden they feel doubt creep into their mind (Evil Eye! -4 to saves!) A woman nearby laughs at her friend's joke (Cackle!). The doubtful victim turns around and lock eyes with the laughing lady who appears to be the person they've been waiting for all their life (SLA Charm!) All doubt fades and they leave together; the victim is never seen again.

Hi, I'm just starting to play my first evil witch in a Way of the Wicked campaign. She's a level 1 human with Heart of the Wilderness, Evil Eye, Cackle, and Slumber hexes. Her Patron is "Time" themed.

My GM has informed me that he's out-right banning the Scar Hex, to keep me within 30 feet of my targets to maintain the risk/reward balance to Hexing.

I have some defensive measure in mind, namely an Orc Barbarian and Tiefling Magus hopefully standing in the way of trouble. Also, I will take the Flight hex at level 4. I'm also hoping that when fighting "good" aligned people, they're a bit hesitant to hit a girl :)

But for a squishy full-caster always within 30ft without wizard staples such as shield, mirror image, displacement, or even blur for that matter... what else can I do to keep her alive when her meat shields eventually fail at their job?

Any and all advice is appreciated! Thanks.

Hi, I'm looking for clarification. I'm playing my first Witch, and she's a level 1 human female with Evil Eye, Cackle, and Slumber Hexes (thank you, Extra Hex feats!)

I'm fairly certain of most things pertaining to the class and her abilities, except for this:

In the first round of combat, my witch moves into hex range and attempts an Evil Eye on an enemy, targeting their saves. The enemy makes their Will save and thus the effect is reduced to one round. She cannot cackle because she had to move close enough to perform the Evil Eye.

Will the effect end just before her next turn, and thus require she attempt the Hex again? Or will the -2 to saves still apply until the end of her turn in the second round, allowing her to cackle, and/or throw on another Hex or spell?

I want to make sure I'm doing things fairly because I feel as though my GM has concerns over the witch's ability to turn even a failed save into cycle of shame for her enemies.

Thank you for any/all help.

Say I have a ring of Counterspells or comparable protection from a greater dispel magic spell.

Could someone circumvent the blocking by using an area dispel version of greater dispel to not "target" the creature with the protection and dispel a buff affecting a creature?

For - The person affected wasn't targetted and isn't trigged because the spell wasn't cast on the wearer, rather the area they're standing in.

Against - The spell AFFECTS the creature, and thus is cast on them.

What do you think?

In my campaign, our level 12 party is travelling through deep, underdark tunnels on Phantom Steeds (CL12) Tunnels are described as difficult terrain and dark. Every party member has racial darkvision...

My question is: Will difficult terrain and darkness require the party to move at half speed on Phantom Steeds? Or is terrain not an issue at CL12 and is only player vision relevant?

Our DM argues that the spell doesn't state if the "horse" has darkvision and the spell doesn't state anything about rocky, underdark terrain thus requires the party to move at half speed while traveling.

I'm also curious is the Phantom Steed's insubstantial hooves would be subeject to detection by tremorsense.

Thanks for your help.