It seems alot of the witch playtests I read say that hexes are fun, but they will often have to wait for oppurtunities to use them, etc.
But you know what? A witch's main arsenal isn't the hexes, but her spells! And that seems the get little or no mention. Are people just not using that class feature because the want to playtest hexes?
Because really, 10+ level witch would only be using hexes on turns where its either uniquely beneficial or they want to conserve spell slots. It'd be like a wizard complaining he can't do anything in combat because his school abilities are only 3+int per day, at any level past 5 its just silly.
Has anyone else noted this trend?
P.S. This is nothing to do with touch hexes, or the power of hexes, etc. I just find it wierd that witch playtests don't always seem to mention using spells.
I think there is a tendency to want to play with the new toys instead of the known quantities. I'll admit that I'm somewhat guilty of this, in that I made up an Inquisitor, and despite wanting to make it a ranged hunter type, I made it into a melee fighter because I wanted to make sure I could always use the Tactical Feats that it qualified for.
A witch without hexes is just a weaker version of the wizard with cure spells, isn't it?
But I think the point is that the witch is suppose to be "spells + hexes" to reach their full potential, whereas some playtests may be trying specifically to see if witches running on hexes all of the time are viable.
But I think the point is that the witch is suppose to be "spells + hexes" to reach their full potential, whereas some playtests may be trying specifically to see if witches running on hexes all of the time are viable.
Exactly, hexes are better than wizard class features because their spell list isn't quite as powerful, however, they are still 9 levels of spellcasting power, and that means something.
I see alot of complaints that the witch is a bit weak, and they can only get their hexes off safely every other round, yet none of these reports mention actually using say lightning bolt or slay living.
Are people playing witches like a warlock, rather than a more wizardly spellcaster? And is that skewing perceptions of the class?
Exactly, hexes are better than wizard class features because their spell list isn't quite as powerful, however, they are still 9 levels of spellcasting power, and that means something.I see alot of complaints that the witch is a bit weak, and they can only get their hexes off safely every other round, yet none of these reports mention actually using say lightning bolt or slay living.
Are people playing witches like a warlock, rather than a more wizardly spellcaster? And is that skewing perceptions of the class?
The main selling point to the Witch is the Hexes.
I am playtesting at witch starting at level 1 and my best offense are the hexes I've chosen.
Particularly because of the opening spells at low levels, a good majority of the witch's spells are mind affecting, which are horribly useless against creatures of the construct, undead, swarm, elemental, ooze,and vermin subtype. Even dragons will have a good resistance to a witch's arsenal of spells.
In a particular adventure, which I posted the feed back on, I ran into a swarm, an undead, and a construct one right after another.
So this class is relatively weak game mechanic wise.
Roleplay wise possibilities are practically infinite.
But I think the point is that the witch is suppose to be "spells + hexes" to reach their full potential, whereas some playtests may be trying specifically to see if witches running on hexes all of the time are viable.
Right, but if the hexes don't work very well in practice (and I think that's the point of some of the playtest reports), then it doesn't say anything very interesting or novel about the witch if you say "Sleep/Glitterdust/Stinking Cloud is a great spell" in your playtest report. I mean it may be true, but what does it have to do with the witch class?
Debuffing to reduce saves is a great synergy with the Witch's (and other party memebers') spells. My group's party also has a Bard who is constantly Demoralizing with Intimidate as well. My NPCs' saves are HORRIBLE versus this group.
But I think the point is that the witch is suppose to be "spells + hexes" to reach their full potential, whereas some playtests may be trying specifically to see if witches running on hexes all of the time are viable.Exactly, hexes are better than wizard class features because their spell list isn't quite as powerful, however, they are still 9 levels of spellcasting power, and that means something.
I see a tendency of comparing:
Witch: Spells + Hex
to
Wizard: Spells
I disagree with this analogy. This is inferring that wizards don't get anything but spells.
IMO the comparison needs to be:
Witch spells to Wizard spells
Witch Hexes to Wizard School powers + Bonus feats
It can be argued that the wizard end on this isn't quite as good. I disagree. Take Evocation for example: Being able to do more damage as an Evoker and getting bonus Meta-Magic feats enhancing damage and how many spells you can get off in a given round is, arguably, as good if not better than any of the hex powers you get from witch. You can make this argument for any of the schools.
One thing the witch really needs is elaboration on the Improved Familiar Feat. The familiar is a bigger part of the Witch than the hexes. So is a Witch going to lose familiar-learned spells by taking a feat that is supposed to give them a better familiar.
Right. Easy... except what the spells a familiar adds to your spell list? Right? And it happens to take a number of hours equal to the spell level to be able to do it, and then you have to bargain with the familiar you just ditched, and have it talk to it's replacement...
Changing a Familiar
Top of p18 first paragraph states what spells a new familiar gets. If you use Improved Familiar or choose to replace your existing familar because you wanted a different list of spells then I would say that you follow that list of rules for what spells the new familiar starts knowing.
As a DM, I would likely not allow a player to do a full spell change and swap but then again considering the price is 500gp per witch level, you can afford to be kind and allow them to rechoose the spell list from the witch list.
Beyond those basics, if you plan to change familar then it would be worthwhile to buy or make a scroll with any spells that were not on the list of spells that you wanted to know.
Another choice would be to 'give' any and all spells that your familiar currently knows (and won't get when it completes the 8 hour ritual) to another witch's familiar prior to dismissal. This way you can have your new familar got to 'witch's school' to relearn the lost spells.
Being part of a coven could be a real advantage if you plan to switch your familiar or if you suffer the lost of a familiar.
Witch Advantages
1> Hexes allow the casting of some abilities that are not dependent on slots. This is a big thing for some of the hexes that have been given though it takes some looking to realize which are better then others. Some are more cinematic and good for a DM to use with a villian (like Blight ~ useable 1/Day but a second usage removes the first blight) then others which are better for an adventuring party.
Slumber, for example, is an amazingly good hex for an adventurer. It is better than the 1st level sleep spell. No HD cap. Affects a creature. No cap on usage provided applied to different creatures. Duration is the witches level in rounds.
2> Technically, the witch learns more spells as a result of leveling then a wizard. They get the same to start, the same two per level of increase, plus the familiar provides some bonus spells. Both have ways to learn more spells.
3> Loss of a Familiar verses loss of a spell book (library). The familiar costs quite a bit of money to replace but comes fully loaded with a selection of spells and bonus spells. A lost spell book has to be started from scratch with the spells that the wizard knows in their brain.
4> Witches spell lists and bonus spells available through the choice of familiar give acess to a range of divine spells that a wizard would not normally have acess to gain (without using feats from books like Complete Divine ~ which not every DM will allow).
5> A Witch gets two different ways to personalize their character. The first is the choice of hexes and the second is the choice of familiar. Each of these brings some extra bonuses to the character.
Overall, I would consider a Witch as the equall of any Wizard in value on an adventuring team and the with abilities like the Hex Slumber, Evil Eye, or Ward they should be able to easily contribute in combats both offensively and defensively no matter how much dungeon crawling a group chooses to do instead of worrying that they only have so many spells memorized.