What are some good spell options for Witch?

[Drastic Monkey]

I'm currently running a game with a fella whose girlfriend is playing an elf witch. Trying to keep her engaged with cool spells, but hexes seem to be the meat and potatoes of the class.

I've gone over their spell list, and it seems like they are in a weird zone of spellcasters, not quite up to snuff, quasi-bardic.

Anyone got any suggestions for spells? We're up to 6th level now, just about to get their first Mythic Tier.

Anyone with experience in Witches is welcome to chime in.

[Captain Zoom]

Witches get the Summon Monster line of spells. You could focus on that.

If the Witch's patron can be changed, the ELements Patron gives fireball if you want a good damage spell.

But you are correct, the Witch spell list is a bit wonky and Hexes are the "thing" for Witches.

[Kaouse]

Ill Omen, Ill Omen, Ill Omen.

It might not seem like much at level 1, but when you get to level 9, you can quicken it, and force a reroll twice. Combine that with a persistent save or suck and the enemy has to make 4 consecutive saves against the same effect. This can turn an 50% chance for passing a save into a 6.25%. I don't know about you, but that's pretty ludicrous to me.

[avr]

Spite + Vampiric Touch is one of a witches' few means of defence outside possible patron spells.

Barrow Haze is another; you get concealment which doesn't apply to you. The extra range on hexes is gravy.

Otherwise you want area attacks if possible to round out your single-target hexes. Stinking Cloud, Loathsome Veil, maybe Vomit Swarm.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

Magic jar is very nice.

Vomit swarm, confusion, cloud kill, ill omen, enervation, greater dispel magic, dispel magic, animate object.

Hexs are the bread and butter of a witch lol. Its a very strong ability.

But the spell list is still very good. Strong spell list. So strong they are still a tier 1 class.

[pH unbalanced]

As a Winter Witch, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of cold spells, but they're available to all witches: Frostbite, Snowball, Winter's Grasp, Ice Spears.

Also Enlarge Person, Reduce Person, and Vomit Swarm (or Summon Swarm if you want to be boring).

Definitely keep an eye on your Patron Spells -- they are usually quite useful.

Alter Self can be handy. I kept Unbreakable Heart on hand at low levels when our martials were regularly getting hit by fear effects. Unseen Servant and Comprehend Languages are decent utility spells.

['Sani]

A fun Witchy way of shutting down enemy spellcasters is Lipstitch. Sure, its a save or suck, but its a Fort save or suck, and casters don't always have great Fort saves.

Plus you're a witch sewing your enemies mouth shut. What's not to love?

Get a hold of a wand of Spectral Hand, use familiars to deliver touch spells, or be a Cartomancer, and you'll have distance ways of delivering some truly NASTY debuffs, like Bestow Curse, Excruciating Deformation, Touch of Bloodletting, or the bane of golems: Disable Construct.

And the there's Cape of Wasps. It's a cape. Of WASPS.

[ChainsawSam]

Fruian Thistlefoot wrote:

Magic jar is very nice.

Vomit swarm, confusion, cloud kill, ill omen, enervation, greater dispel magic, dispel magic, animate object.

Hexs are the bread and butter of a witch lol. Its a very strong ability.

But the spell list is still very good. Strong spell list. So strong they are still a tier 1 class.

Emphasis mine.

Glad someone said it.

To talk briefly about how thematically cool the spell is: Vomit up a 10x10 swarm of spiders/bees/army ants? That's awesome all on its own.

Then we've got a spell that acts as a form of soft terrain control (making an area unappealing to move through or be in), which can move towards enemies as needed, does decent damage without roll or save, and can occasionally stack up a decent poison. It's essentially a summon which is difficult to attack and not particularly worth killing.

Pretty neat spell that stays fairly relevant through mid levels through automatic upgrades (spider -> bee -> army ant), no save, no SR involved, and again, it's just cool to imagine the character doubling over and puking out tens of thousands of insects.

Damage Reduction poops in its cereal pretty hard, but its a fun spell that's worth learning.

[pH unbalanced]

'Sani wrote:

And the there's Cape of Wasps. It's a cape. Of WASPS.

I love Cape of Wasps -- especially as a Calistria worshipper.

At that level you also get Vermin Shape 2 -- in case you want to actually *be* a Giant Wasp.

And let's not forget Whip of Spiders/Centipedes/Ants -- assuming you can use a whip.