Constitution, and the rest depends on what you want to do with it.
The point-buy also matters.
Well without stats I would even begin to assign them. Once they are rolled they are easier to place.
What are your secondary roles? That will determine how the other stats are placed?
They don't stack because they both modify or replace the familiar.
I believe the secondary role question was intended as "What do you do out of combat?".
random!
= 8
= 14
= 14
= 15
= 14
= 12
I would:
Low to Str, High to Con, 14s to Dex, Wis, Cha (saves and social are important to me) and 12 to Int for skills.
How to optimize a Scarred Witch Doctor:
Step 1: Convince your GM to let you play one
Step 2: Play one
I hope you have enjoyed my guide on optimizing the Scarred Witch Doctor.
Seriously, though, you cast with Constitution. This could not be easier.
General witch advice:
Sleep Hex + Ability Focus: Sleep Hex + Accursed Hex = amazing DC shut down ability that you can use twice per target. Carry a Scythe. You don't need to be proficient to coup de grace. My witch named his "The Dream Reaper."
Prehensile Hair consolidates your stats even further, by letting you attack with your casting stat.
The Extra Hex feat is almost all you ever need (except possibly Ability Focus and Accursed Hex) other than Split Hex later.
Oh, with spell selection, make sure you can deal with mindless creatures somehow. Chill Touch is good vs. undead, the rare few blasts you get (burning hands) works on anything (but it obviously sucks, so it's back up only). Later on, your best debuffs (like Bestow Curse) work on everything.
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If your GM allows it, try to go half-orc over orc. The stats are more appropriate (what are you going to do with +4 strength?), and you can still grab Ferocity with a feat.
Prioritize your stats as such:
CON > Dex > Int > Wis > Cha = Str
Great feats include:
- Extra Hex
- Improved Initiative
- Ability Focus
- Ferocity (if Half-orc, to replace Orc Ferocity)
Great hexes include:
- Evil Eye
- Misfortune
- Cackle
- Slumber
Work on getting these, and I don't see how you could go wrong.
Just remember that Dexterity (and to a lesser extent Wisdom) are still useful stats. Initiative, AC, ranged attacks, reflex saves, some skills. Intelligence also isn't a total wash, as it still modifies your skill points and intelligence based skills. While the archetype is great because it lets you stack a survival stat as a casting stat, it doesn't do everything.
You're likely to have lower modifiers to things that would normally be higher with a different stat spread, so feats like Improved Initiative and traits like Reactionary, as well as save-boosting traits for Reflex and Will, are going to be valuable.
I do agree that a constitution based caster is ridiculously good but wasn't sure what feat progression would be the most favorable
Split Hex and Improved Familiar asap, Extra Hex for just about every other feat, unless you want to go for total shutdown with Ability Focus and Accursed Hex. Improved Initiative is worth it, but you'll have a hard time running out of hexes that you want.
also still looking for what traits may be worth picking up.
As a controller, you want to go first, so any of the +2 initiative traits will work.
I went for the all or nothing Sleep buffing, so I took Honeyed Words as my second trait, for the +1 DC to my sleep hex (since it's a compulsion that doesn't provide ongoing control), and I was also an Elf with the alternate racial feature that gave +1 to the DC of sleep effects. It was a DC: 20 save at level 3! :D
If you're not going to super buff Sleep Hex, you could pretty much take anything you want.
Choosing a patron is important. I suggest Time or Agility as patrons because they both get the spell Haste. With your very melee oriented party, Haste will be amazing! If you want to add a little direct damage to your spell list, then Elements is the patron for you.
As a Half Orc with a very high constitution, you're going to start out the game pretty good at fighting just by picking up a greataxe, activating Scarshield, and wading into melee. A few levels along, that will be a very bad strategy. I suggest that you plan on some melee at 1st and 2nd level, but don't invest any feats or other permanent resources into it.
Choosing a patron is important. I suggest Time or Agility as patrons because they both get the spell Haste. With your very melee oriented party, Haste will be amazing! If you want to add a little direct damage to your spell list, then Elements is the patron for you.
Those are both very good choices (I'd lean Time, myself), but I have a soft spot in my heart for the Shadow patron. Silent Image is so useful for so many things. The next few spells blow (darkness and deeper darkness kind of suck), but if you can hang in there, I think the insane versatility of Shadow Conjuration/Evocation and ultimately Shades is well worth it.
IMHO, these are the hexes worth learning:
Fortune - An outstanding buff for your melee heavy party. Better once you get Cackle.
Misfortune - An excellent debuff to use against enemies. Better once you get Cackle.
Slumber - Disappointing at 1st level, outstanding starting at 2nd or 3rd level. (It lasts rounds/level, and one round isn't much.)
Cackle - Great with Fortune & Misfortune, good with Evil Eye, so don't take it until you have at least two of those three hexes.
Evil Eye - Evil eye can be your best friend, or a horrible trap. On the plus side, it's long lasting, has many possible effects, it's usable multiple times on a single target, and improves at 8th level.
The reason it can be a trap is that many people are tempted to spend a round casting Evil Eye for -2 on saving throws before spending another round forcing a save. Sure, it's great when your effects work, but it's frequently better to simply try a different target on each round than spending two rounds on a single target.
Flight - Great at 5th level, not worth taking before 5th.
Healing - A solid choice, but in a party with someone who wants to focus on healing, I'd hold off to see if you end up needing it. You can cast cure spells and wield cure wands, so rely on those before committing one of your few hexes to healing.
Scar - Good if you do a lot of Fortune & Healing hexes, otherwise of minimal use.
How is Half-Orc better than Human or Aasimar in this build?
They have no more constitution than the other.
The Scarred Witch Doctor is a racial archetype for Orcs and Half Orcs only.
The racial restriction can always be removed by the DM, and it's hinted at in the book that the restriction is not mandatory.
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The Scarred Witch Doctor is a racial archetype for Orcs and Half Orcs only.How is Half-Orc better than Human or Aasimar in this build?
They have no more constitution than the other.
No, Orcs only.
Half-Orcs do not qualify. See here.