RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Welcome to PFS!
The nature of scenarios will vary from dungeon delving to wilderness tracking to urban intrigue to attending a wedding to "go to place X and kill everything".
That said, you can count on a few things:
1) There will always be at least 3 possible encounters - you won't get through a mission without at least *some* combat.
2) There will pretty much always be at least a few human(oid) enemies, so take that into account when deciding on situationally-effective things like mind-affecting spells or combat maneuvers.
3) Earning Prestige will usually involve skill checks of one sort or another, so having some decent skill bonuses is never a bad idea.
Have fun!
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PFS is definitely not just a hack and slash campaign. Plenty of social interaction and skill use all over the place. In fact, I keep seeing people on these forums saying perception is the most useful skill in the game, but I'd argue that in PFS, diplomacy may actually be more important. But it's also something that you can usually get away with having just one PC at any table who's good at it, unlike combat skills.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Thanks for the suggestions!
I'm typically best at playing stealthy/social 'facemen' or 'hero support' healer/buffer types; trying to go for a combo with the urban witch, sort of 'sneaky mob doctor' kinda deal. Sounds like I'd be best to expect some combat, even though I doubt I'll be in the front line. Toughness might be a good idea, but I also like the Extra Hex feat.
So...many...choices!
If you don't mind your hexes not scaling up, you could aim for Arcane Trickster - sounds like about the right fit for your concept.
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Is the alternative Rakshasa-Spawn (aka Beastbrood) option available in PFS? That might work better for this kind of witch; also would probably have freaky eyes and pointed ears from evil catman legacy, which could be cool!
I'm not familiar with that option, so I don't even know what book it's from. For a list of everything that's allowed in Society play, go to the Additional Resources page and look for the book that contains the option you're wondering about.
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Not to confuse you with even more options, but here's my experience as a white-haired witch (i.e. no hexes, but get prehensile hair with stupid amounts of reach).
While she's neither combat nor spell focused, she's a great support character with lots of skills and creative uses for her abilities. For example, her hair is used for climbing, intimidation, dragging allies out of danger...
I have found that PFS characters do better if they don't min/max or are only good at one thing. Most of the time, the other players at your table are going to vary. Perfectly balanced tables almost never happen unless you play with the same people every week. And since every scenario is different, Meaty Meatshield might not have as much fun in one that's set in high society with very little combat if you made him dumb. In short, prepare for the unexpected, have fun, and roll with it.
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Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
My suggestion - which will not be echoed by many - is take Extra Hex a lot. If you are human you could start with an Extra Hex and Tribal Scars for more hit points (Or toughness)
Cackle is not so useful without something to cackle - so one could start out with Misfortune and Cackle off the bat -
and why not slumber - for a couple reasons. Some GMs will ask you not to use slumber (and also won't let you replace it for their game), a lot of time you are fighting things immune to mind affecting spells, and slumber is one. Also if you are fighting a bunch of things in tight quarter and they are halfway intelligent, it is not hard for NPCs to spend their action waking up their buddy especially if they can't attack anyway. Get slumber for sure, but not first. And if you take Cackle, be prepared for the GM to demand that you the player give out a cackle - even though they don't make bards sing etc.
There are hexes that are useful that are not attacks - if you look at a use of the extra hex feat - how nice is feather fall at will, +4 swim, levitate once per day (at 3rd) and fly for level minutes per day (at 5th) used as SUPERNATURAL. Or supernatural healing, or water breathing (lss useful - I took it and used it only a few times , but when it came giving the whole party water-breathing was useful.
One of the things to consider early on is whether you are going to go up close and personal. Witches get a lot of nice touch attack spells, but if you give yourself a 7 strength and a low con, you hamstring your effectiveness - unless you take prehensile hair. I'm almost of a mind to never have a strength lower than the max roll of a greater shadow - but that is my paranoia speaking.
Scar is your friend - especially if you have healing because you can heal without necessarily seeing your target and from a long way away - make sure you make your nasty scars someplace they wear clothing:)
And if your regular group is light on healing - consider the hedge witch - being able to convert spells to cures of the same level is very nice.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
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@Dhjika I agree completely.
My Human witch (lvl4) has taken Extra hex multiple times. Other than combat casting it is the only feat she has taken.
Fly is great.
I also recommend, healing, misfortune and evil eye. Ward will probably my next choice.
Cackle is a must have. Remember that it will extend the duration on multiple hexes in play at the same time. The longer the combat lasts the more hexes the witch can pile on the bad guys.
Watching the GM roll 2 d20 and take the lowest at -2 for every attack? Priceless.
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Consider taking as many skills as you can in witch class by putting a single rank in each. Be ready for everything and don't focus your character against certain types of enemies because it never ends well.
As a witch I recommend taking several summon spells on later levels and single blasting spell just in case. Witch's list of spells is mostly necromancy/enchantment based so you might have hard time against certain enemies such as construct or simple ooze so having a single summon monster spell ready might help you out and grant versatility.
Out of hexes, Slumber is one of better ones but it depends what kind of witch you plan to play.