Witch NPC playtest notes

[Dire Gnome]

My last game session featured a group of 4 4th-level PCs (druid, fighter/barbarian, rogue, and sorcerer) going against a coven including a green hag, a 3rd-level witch, and a 2ndl-level witch. Additionally, the coven also had a centaur under their control to act as a bodyguard.

Anyway, their plan was to use trickery to lure-in one of the party into their house, and use coven magic to trap him in a forcecage. Two actually went in instead, and the 2nd-level witch was killed even before the first coven spell was completed (since it's a full-round action).

After that, the fight was interesting. The other witch was able to use her misfortune hex and several spells to great effect until she was killed (hold person, command, shocking grasp, and command). I was quite pleased with how the encounter played-out.

One change I did make was not having the witch's misfortune hex touch attack provoke any attacks of opportunity. If it had, I think she would have been toast much sooner.

[Asgetrion]

Sounds a lot like my own 4th level playtest (I also love Misfortune), but the last witch was killed after the cleric paralyzed her with 'Hold Person' long enough for the whole group to surround her.

I also suggested that witch powers should not provoke AoOs *or* they should be changed to ranged touch attacks.

[Kolokotroni]

Asgetrion wrote:

Sounds a lot like my own 4th level playtest (I also love Misfortune), but the last witch was killed after the cleric paralyzed her with 'Hold Person' long enough for the whole group to surround her.

I also suggested that witch powers should not provoke AoOs *or* they should be changed to ranged touch attacks.

I have to agree, the whole touch attack that provokes with no way to avoid it is a serious challenge for the witch. It basically means you are not using those hexes (a rather squishy character needing to get close AND provoke an AoO is not a good class ability). The witch I have seen played mostly hung back and used spells and didnt get alot of use out of it's hexes.

[Asgetrion]

Kolokotroni wrote:

Asgetrion wrote:

Sounds a lot like my own 4th level playtest (I also love Misfortune), but the last witch was killed after the cleric paralyzed her with 'Hold Person' long enough for the whole group to surround her.

I also suggested that witch powers should not provoke AoOs *or* they should be changed to ranged touch attacks.

I have to agree, the whole touch attack that provokes with no way to avoid it is a serious challenge for the witch. It basically means you are not using those hexes (a rather squishy character needing to get close AND provoke an AoO is not a good class ability). The witch I have seen played mostly hung back and used spells and didnt get alot of use out of it's hexes.

That's exactly how I ran them... I had thought of using Hexes more, but as the PCs mowed down the "minions" and summoned monsters, I realized that, for example, 'Misfortune' or 'Evil Eye' would be suboptimal choices vs. raging barbarians and fighters. I *did* use 'Evil Eye' once, as one of the witches ran out of spells (or, rather, spells she could use against the PCs) and 'Misfortune' as another witch faced a single PC in melee.