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Goal: She will be the ultimate debuff monkey. Slumber will come online as the 4th level hex, but the immediate concern is Evil Eye + Jinx + Malicious Eye, and Cackle.
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What is Halfling Jinx?
Halfling Jinx
You lose the halfling luck racial trait (and its +1racial bonus on all saving throws) and instead gain the ability to curse another creature with bad luck at will as a standard action. This curse has a range of 30 feet, and you must be able to see the target and have line of effect to it. The target gets a Will saving throw to resist this jinx (DC=10+ 1/2 your level + your Charisma modifier). If your target makes this saving throw, it is immune to your jinx ability for 24 hours. A jinxed creature takes a -1 penalty on all saving throws. This jinx lasts 24 hours or until you attempt to use your jinx again. A jinx is a supernatural ability, is not mind affecting, and does not allow spell resistance, and can affect any kind of creature not immune to luck effects.
Possible Stat Arrays
Stat Array 1: 9 Str, 14 Dex 12 Con, 18 Int, 10 Wis, 10 Cha
Stat Array 2: 6 Str, 14 Dex 12 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
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The most likely progression for Feats and
Level 1: + Malicious Eye
Malicious Eye
When a creature fails its save against your evil eye hex, add the effect of your jinx to the effect of the hex. The save penalties from the hex and jinx stack. Using your jinx on another creature does not end the hex or the jinx effect on the hexed target.
Halflings of Golarion
Level 2:
Level 3) Sluggish Jinx
Your jinx's penalty on savings throws also applies to the target's initiative and attack rolls.
Level 4:
Level 5) Worst Case Jinxer
Beneficial variable effects on a jinxed target (such as aid, cure spells, false life, the variable ability damage cured by a lesser restoration, and so on) always result in the minimum possible amount for the effect. For example, a 5th level cleric casting cure serious wounds on the target only heals 8 hit points (the minimum for 3d8+5.
Level 6:
Level 7) Improved Familiar (Hey there Faerie Dragon with Wand of Ill Omen!)
Level 8:
Level 9) Accursed Hex (Now when they make their save, they get to try again with the penalties from the first time! err...)
Level 10:
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Ideally, I am looking for hints on:
Patron choice: I have this down to 4.
Shadow - provides some level of stop-gap in the caster world via Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation.
Time - Haste and Teleport. What more can I say?
Insanity - thematic more than useful, though Hideous Laughter is fun.
Healing - just good 'ole status removal.
Familiar Choice:
Mini-Dino of Doom - nice, but then later I will lose the Init, and feel sad.
green sting - much like mini-dino, but it is so much easier to hide.
Thrush - can talk, so they make good scouts. Not sure how I feel about a scout spell book though). Oh, +3 Diplomacy is good though!
Ideally, I am looking for hints on:
Patron choice: I have this down to 4.
Shadow - provides some level of stop-gap in the caster world via Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation.
Time - Haste and Teleport. What more can I say?
Insanity - thematic more than useful, though Hideous Laughter is fun.
Healing - just good 'ole status removal.
Familiar Choice:
Mini-Dino of Doom - nice, but then later I will lose the Init, and feel sad.
green sting - much like mini-dino, but it is so much easier to hide.
Thrush - can talk, so they make good scouts. Not sure how I feel about a scout spell book though). Oh, +3 Diplomacy is good though!
Shadow: Sure nice, can't say much about it.
Time: Are you the only arcane caster? If that's the case haste is good. But teleport should already be on the witch list.Insanity: As you say.
Healing: Do not burden yourself too much with stuff like that or you will always have to use your spell for this sort of things.
I played a witch with the ancestors patron and I liked it. You get some nice buffs in addition to your debuffs and blessing of fervor is better for you, as a caster, than haste. And it is still good for the melees.
Don't forget about action economy. The patrons give you some nice spells, but think about when you'll have time to cast them. Precombat buffs and out of combat utilities might be better if you've got plenty of things you already want to get done once combat starts.
You should have a backup plan for cases in which you come across enemies immune to evil eye/slumber. Examples are plants, vermin and undead. One reason I liked having some buff spells.
While playing my witch we happened upon an old crypt full of large zombies (most of them fast), some other undead and a demi-lich. Despite having no chance to memorize for this crypt there was not one fight in which I felt useless.
Not to say that the witch spell-list without patron spells has nothing to offer vs undead.
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Shadow: Sure nice, can't say much about it.
Time: Are you the only arcane caster? If that's the case haste is good. But teleport should already be on the witch list.
Insanity: As you say.
Healing: Do not burden yourself too much with stuff like that or you will always have to use your spell for this sort of things.I played a witch with the ancestors patron and I liked it. You get some nice buffs in addition to your debuffs and blessing of fervor is better for you, as a caster, than haste. And it is still good for the melees.
I like the ancestors spell list, quite a few long lasting buffs to drop pre-combat. I think I will go that route on the patron. Anything I can cast out of combat just allows more in-combat actions.
========================================================You should have a backup plan for cases in which you come across enemies immune to evil eye/slumber. Examples are plants, vermin and undead. One reason I liked having some buff spells.
While playing my witch we happened upon an old crypt full of large zombies (most of them fast), some other undead and a demi-lich. Despite having no chance to memorize for this crypt there was not one fight in which I felt useless.
Not to say that the witch spell-list without patron spells has nothing to offer vs undead.
I am taking the Halfling Jinx to assist with the mind-affecting effects. The Jinx applies to any enemy that is not immune to luck effects, regardless of mind or mindless.
The question left in my mind is whether or not the occurrence of such combats in PFS is frequent enough to warrant the slightly MAD build proposed as:
Stat Array 2: 6 Str, 14 Dex 12 Con, 18 Int, 8 Wis, 15 Cha
At level 4, the DC on Jinx alone would be 15 = 10+ 2 (1/2 level) + 3 (Cha Mod)
The level 4 DC of Evil Eye would be 17 = 10 + 2 (1/2 level) + 5 (Int Mod)
Evil Eye at level 1 (targeting Saves) would be -3 to all saves, -1 to Attack Rolls, -1
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Don't forget about action economy. The patrons give you some nice spells, but think about when you'll have time to cast them. Precombat buffs and out of combat utilities might be better if you've got plenty of things you already want to get done once combat starts.
I am looking at my patron for gap filler levels 1-5 or so, then Summons from level 6-10 to fill the gaps. I haven't yet considered levels 11 or 12. I am trying to build for a good action economy witch. The best help in that regard seems to be the Improved Familiar feat + wands.
========================================================I believe I have a mostly viable build set up.
Besides Ill Omen, Mage Armor, and Snowball, what spells would you recommend at level 1? I will be applying at least 1 GM credit so I start with a wand of Cure Light or Infernal Healing. Not sure which yet.
A note on party composition:
I don't have a local PFS group, so this character will be traveling with me to wherever I can play. I can't really base anything on the idea that some class will or will not be present.
Strength 6 means you can't carry much at all. You will depend on others for that. This can be a problem, as weapons can be heavy. As an 8 Str char, I had to worry about weight, because being encumbered is a major negative on attacks, movement, and such. At 6, you will hit this faster.
Wisdom 8 is a -1 Will save. This hurts.
Since you cannot carry much, you WILL be using Mage Armor a lot.
Hexes have a 30' range by default. You will be near combat in order to make them work. That means you will be attacked. You have low hit points. You are squishy. Figure out how you will deal with that, especially at low level. Take advantage of character rebuild rules to change your character from very low level. For example, take Toughness initially, and swap it out at a higher level when you are not so fragile.
/cevah
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the trait is Halfling Jinx. It can be found on page 27. It is in the blue box. The other feats relating to Jinx appear on pages 26 and 27. As an interesting side note, the Halfling can select the Ability Focus feat from the Monster Manual to affect the Jinx DC (per page 26).
Ok, looked it up. That's not a trait, it's just the Alternate Racial Trait reprinted in a blue box. Otherwise, humans or elves or ifrits could take it with Adopted.
I wanted to make a Malefactor to do this kind of same thing. Too bad its not PFS legal. :(
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Animal Companions: ankylosaurus, aurochs, brachiosaurus, dire bat, dire rat, dolphin, elasmosaurus, electric eel, elephant/mastodon, frog, goblin dog, hyena, monitor lizard, moray eel, octopus, orca, pteranodon, rhinoceros, roc, squid, stegosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus; Familiars: all familiars listed on pages 131–133; unless specifically granted by another legal source. Other: all creatures in this book are legal for polymorph effects (including a druid's wild shape ability) within the boundaries of each spell or ability's parameters.
Emphasis mine
Alternate Racial Trait: Halfling Jinx; Equipment: halfling hooch on page 10, all equipment in the table on page 22; Feats: all feats on pages 23, and 26–27; Prestige Class: Halfling Opportunist; Traits: all traits on pages 30–31.
Halflings know that the universe often shapes
itself for their benefit. Their fabled luck follows
them into dark places and gives them a sliver
of hope in even the direst moments. However, for a few
halflings—
a handful in each generation—their luck
takes on a profoundly different cast. Instead of merely
coasting on the winds of good fortune, they have learned
how to consciously and deliberately inflict misfortune
upon their foes. Most, perhaps because they have already
sampled the power magic can exert, eventually drift into
arcane careers. Though it costs them the good luck that
halflings typically regard as their birthright, few of these
jinxes would ever wish to surrender their power.
Only halflings may select the Halfling Jinx trait. All
but one of the feats in this article require the Halfling
Jinx racial trait as a prerequisite. A halfling jinx wizard
can select these feats using his class bonus feats as long
as he meets all the prerequisites. Many of these feats add
to the effect of a halfling’s jinx; unless otherwise stated,
the feat’s effect is in addition to the basic jinx’s penalty
on saving throws. For example, a halfling with the
Alchemical Obstruction feat creates jinxes that penalize
saving throws and interfere with alchemical items. A
halfling can select the Ability Focus monster feat (see
page 314 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary) to increase the DC
of his jinx.
So, Yes, a Halfling can take Ability Focus Jinx, since it is specifically granted under the Halfling Jinx, which is allowed per Additional resources.