Mariko Snowtop's page

I've not played either an arcanist or a psychic, so can't speak about those. I've not played a wizard to high level in Pathfinder (my PFS diviner only ever got to 3rd level, so never got to start the harrower PrC I was aiming at for her).

I have played a sorcerer to 10th level and witch to 14th level in PFS. The sorcerer was primarily a blaster with a smattering of other spells (enchantment and summoning from his serpentine bloodline, and basic personal buffs like mirror image). He was almost more "diplomancer" than spellcaster, who acquired land and titles during his career--despite being a obvious foreigner (nagaji) in Taldor.

The witch was interesting because I gave her an archetype (white-haired witch) that gave up one of the class's signature abilities (hexes). The big challenge with her was keeping the hair schtick useful and relevant with only a half-BAB class. Around level 9 or so, she had finally learned enough potent offensive spells that she rarely ever used her hair in combat again except to provide flanking to others, and make the occasional AoO (both with hefty reach). She didn't really specialize in any particular kinds of spells, but her spellbook did end up having a few distinct groups of spells:

* "Fix this problem tomorrow" spells (remove blindness, remove curse, etc., and eventually even raise dead). With the exception of heal, she rarely prepared these unless she already had a patient to treat.
* Mobility (fly, overland travel, dimension door).
* Nasty tricks that she had experienced as the victim at some point (blindness, black tentacles, feeblemind) and was petty enough to want to try on others. These spells basically filled the save-or-suck hex itch for her.

Aquarium ball (both the nonmagical and magical versions). Pretty much a necessity if your familiar is aquatic, like my undine white-haired witch's king crab. Carrying it encumbered her until she acquired muleback cords, but the +2 bonus to grapple from her familiar made a huge difference for her archetype's suboptimal melee schtick.

I've played a white-haired witch up to Seeker level in PFS, but keeping her effective in melee has been a challenge for her entire career. In particular, her AC has never been as high as I wish it could be. Her build includes things like: king crab familiar for the +2 to grapple; Weapon Finesse for accuracy; false life to offset damage; extended mage armor (using a metamagic rod); spite spell to punish those who do hit her; corrosive amulet of mighty fists for extra damage (and spell storing later for extra effects); Arcane Strike for extra damage (and not having spend for +1 on the amulet); and keeping her Int as maxed out as possible (because the hair uses Int for damage and CMB).

By the time she reached around 7th-8th level, her spells had vastly outpaced her melee abilities, so she rarely entered melee except to threaten enemies with her hair's extra reach, provide flanking for the better melee strikers, and deliver the occasional touch spell from a safe distance.