A player is asking to play a witch but is adamantly opposed to having a familiar. She is proposing that she have a spellbook instead (a "Book of Shadows"). Should I allow this? Would having it follow the rules of a bonded object be appropriate?
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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That might work, although I think the familiar is one of the coolest parts of the witch class.
You might have them look at the Gravewalker archetype, it replaces with familiar with a creepy little inanimate doll thingy.
Give her a book, but make it a familiar. Base stats similar to a tiny animated object. Maybe give it a clumsy fly speed achieved by flapping its covers?
It would probably just pretend to be a normal book most of the time, but might open to specific pages to suggest a spell to use if the witch needs a hint. Perhaps the "wind" will blow it open to a page with a cryptic hint or warning on occasion. Or if someone other than the witch reads it, something disturbing or threatening. Maybe let the witch put Explosive Runes or other book traps in it that it can flip open to.
She can play a gravewalker and make her poppet in the form of a book.
One of the big things about Witches is that if they are targeted by AoE spells, their familiar could go bye-bye quite fast.
With a book, that's not an issue.
One of the big things about Witches is that if they are targeted by AoE spells, their familiar could go bye-bye quite fast.
With a book, that's not an issue.
Are you saying that allowing a witch without a familiar would be unbalanced?
Nope, I'm just saying it's something to keep in mind. The Gravewalker can already do it.
Perhaps its me, but I see the familiar as mandatory for a witch. The familiar is not only a witch's spell book, but the patron contacted through the familiar is the point of a witch's power.
I say, if you don't want a familiar, then play a sorcerer or wizard instead. A witch without a familiar is like a fighter without weapons. One doesn't exist without the other. The gravewalker is a cheesy mechanical way around the familiar issue, I think.
Perhaps its me, but I see the familiar as mandatory for a witch. The familiar is not only a witch's spell book, but the patron contacted through the familiar is the point of a witch's power.
I say, if you don't want a familiar, then play a sorcerer or wizard instead. A witch without a familiar is like a fighter without weapons. One doesn't exist without the other. The gravewalker is a cheesy mechanical way around the familiar issue, I think.
I play a third level gravewalker and at least so far I see nothing cheesy about it. In fact I think the gravewalker is one of the weaker archetypes, and is weaker than a straight witch.
I picked it because before they even came out with the archetype I was playing my witch as a voodoo-doll using witch, and the archetype came very close to the flavor that I was looking for.
I will say that the weak point of the familiar is what I believe balances out the extremely good hexes.
@ Adamantine Dragon - I didn't say the Gravewalker was cheesy, rather not having to have a killable familiar, is what I find cheesy. I think a rot grub familiar, or an undead small animal are far better choices and far better fitting than a voodoo doll. A voodoo doll has it's place though.
@ Cheapy, total agreement there regarding familiars and awesome hexes.
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I play a third level gravewalker and at least so far I see nothing cheesy about it. In fact I think the gravewalker is one of the weaker archetypes, and is weaker than a straight witch.
I've been wanting to play a gravewalker. Why do you think it's weaker than a "straight witch," and what would you do to fix it?
@Hiding..
Well, the first thing is to fix the fact that you can't get any hexes until level 2, so you either have to not pick any level 1 extra hex feats until level 2, or you have to go with fewer hexes than any other witch.
Secondly, the familiars aren't just a weak point for AoE spells, they grant bonuses and can do things like, oh, deliver touch spells for example.
Thirdly, the loss of a hex to take the "aura of desecration" might be great at high levels, but at level 3 it's only 25 feet, which means you've got to get in range of your target's melee move to target it with touch spells.
And you've got dang few touch spells you can use.
Finally, all the undead stuff is great, if you're in a campaign with lots of undead. Otherwise.... not so much.