I was taking a look in the prd and in my APG, but I found nothing about a witch not being able to change her patron.
I am asking primarily because I am not entirely happy with my patron choice *plague* in conjunction with where the campaign I'm in is going.
In two levels I plan on taking the improved familiar feat, and so long as there isn't any rule against changing my patron, I plan on changing it to one that will suit the campaign a little better.
Have I missed something in the rules? I do not believe I have.
Thank you.
I don't see anything specific about changing patrons in the APG, but it seems to be against the RAI as I read them. Of course it's your GM's call, and as a GM I would want you to feel your character is as viable as possible, but I suspect the designer's intent was for a patron to be determined at level 1 and never changed.
Advanced Player's Guide, pg. 70:
"Patron Spells
At 1st level, when a witch gains her familiar, she must also select a patron. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not easily understand. While these forces do not need to be named, they typically hold influence over one of the following forces... Each patron is listed by its theme. Its actual name is up to the GM and the witch to decide."
While there is nothing in the rules against it, I'd say that changing patrons is somewhat akin to a cleric changing deities. Basically, your character will have to terminate their original pact and forge a new one with a different entity. Because the patrons are largely "up to the GM and the witch to decide," this will require a lot of role-play and (possibly) additions/alterations to the campaign plotline; how will the original patron (or witches/other followers of that patron) react, how does the witch forge a deal with their new patron, etc. Your GM will need to be involved.
I think your witch may be in for some "interesting times" by switching from a Plague patron to another. Also, while your skills and feats won't change, the spells in your familiar and possibly even your hexes may (to better suit your new patron's goals).
Agree that switching patrons is about the same as a cleric switching gods; not covered by the rules and not an easy task. And what patron would want to form a bond with one who has shown willingness to break a pact?
There is also the question of the current familiar to consider because it is directly tied to your patron. If you're looking to sever ties with your current patron, the familiar will very likely get the axe as well, (metaphorically and maybe even literally).
I'd be inclined to require a new familiar to switch patrons rather than keeping the old one, probably the loss of spells too.
At the very least I would have there be a loss of the familiar. I feel that the familiar is an agent of the being granting power to the witch - a part of the pact. This would require the witch to rebuild her spells from the ground up with a new familiar from the new patron.
I would also incur a curse on the witch from the being so abandoned based on their area of power and the relative time invested in the witch (or level, if you want ;) ).
Plague is an easy one to play with. From having a low-grade fever for a year and a day which causes a penalty to, say, concentration checks to being the next Typhoid Mary in a world-altering plague at level 20.
A possible way that I would allow the avoidance of the curse would be through the protection of the new patron, however, this would involve a ban or action to be undertaken of similar severity to show that you are worthy of the protection as well to prove your dedication to your new patron. So the witch wouldn't be avoiding a hardship so much as choosing which switch they get hit with.
I was taking a look in the prd and in my APG, but I found nothing about a witch not being able to change her patron.
I am asking primarily because I am not entirely happy with my patron choice *plague* in conjunction with where the campaign I'm in is going.
In two levels I plan on taking the improved familiar feat, and so long as there isn't any rule against changing my patron, I plan on changing it to one that will suit the campaign a little better.
Have I missed something in the rules? I do not believe I have.
Thank you.
I would say you're stuck with your choice depending on what level you are. Otherwise what prevents you from making changes every time you run into a situation or adventure you're not optimized for? You have to draw the line somewhere.
Ultimately it's up to your GM, maybe he can come up with something creative to let you achieve this. I usually "lock down" character choices by level 3, until then they are free to make changes. Changes is probably the wrong word, tweaks is more like it, minor changes. Once my players reach level 3 then no more changes can be made, except how described in the corebook.
What is your exact problem with the Plague Patrons?
Unless you`re only fighting Constructs and creatures which can`t be turned into Undead, it seems like the spells should be useful...? Are you never fighting Undead, and Creating Undead would be a No-No to NPCs that matter? Even in that case, there are several useful spells, Contagion and Giant Vermin. Giant Vermin could even be a good source of bodies for Create Undead....
But rules-wise, just because it doesn`t say you can`t change the Patron doesn`t mean that you CAN. Choosing a Patron is worded more or less just like choosing Familar vs. Item Bond, or Ranger Fighting Style, or Archetypes, etc... None of which can be changed after the fact, and most of which can more gimp a character than some of your bonus spells being not optimally useful.
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i always thought if you gacked your familiar, you could choose a new familiar and patron at the same time.
the one "benefit" the witch gets, as worded, with her familiar, is if she gets a new one, she pays a gp cost / level, but gets back 2 spells / level in the new familiar: they don't have to be the same spells the familiar knew before. I thought with that, they could change patrons at that time since its a new familiar. erase the bonus spells from before, and gain the bonus spells from the new patron.
the penalty paid is 500gp / witch level. so its not something that gets done on a whim.
Loose the patron loose the familiar.
The Intelligence Check blog just had a great article that touches on this very issue. Patronizing the Witch