Apart from the elements patron, too. I just finished working on a witch character and was rather pleased to see the options. Now, if you go with the elements patron, you do get the iconic blast spell fireball. However, It's simply not required anymore. Am I the only one this is news to?
For one thing, I am guessing that the new Lay Line Guardian Archetype is involved.
Nope, vanilla witch. Defining a blast as something you can do without being adjacent and does HP damage, just from spells on their list naturally:
-1st-
Burning Hands
Nauseating Dart (individually weak, yes)
Ear-Piercing Scream
Snowball (it also staggers!)
Not impressive there, but with prehensile hair that gives you basically +5 ft range to all touch spells which brings in automatically:
Chill Touch
Inflict Light Wounds
You can also use the Long Arm spell to accomplish the same. That's really not bad at level 1. Let's see what level 2 has.
Aggressive Thundercloud
Boiling Blood
Burning Gaze
Flurry of Snowballs
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Molten Orb
Stricken Heart
Like I said, it's not all fireballs (but they get lightning bolt!). You can enhance them with the rest of the build, do cool things like make a level 1 spell a hex (snowball hex, anyone?), use metamagic like any other caster, and so on. When the witch first got released not nearly these many direct damage spells existed for them.
I am confused on though. Your title implies that Witches need something new to be blasters, but everything that you have mentioned so far is material that has been out for some time.
It's called click-bait.
But the Ley-Lines archetype does seem really, really awesome.
Am I the only one this is news to?
Yes.
/thread
Am I the only one this is news to?Yes.
/thread
Thank you for being so helpful.
Thank you for being so helpful.Am I the only one this is news to?Yes.
/thread
You are welcome.
I would argue that the Winter Witch or Lay Line Guardian make for better blaster Witches. Both of those archetypes have ways to increase their offensive power. The Winter Witch can do nasty things with cold spells, while the Lay Line Guardian can boost his caster level.
Also Ley Lines by being spontaneous are better versed to a blaster build, having more spell slots and choosing the blast when needed, maybe metamagicking on the fly
One answer that makes sense to me, is to have a blaster that can naturally use cure wands.
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One answer that makes sense to me, is to have a blaster that can naturally use cure wands.Sorcerer with UMD. But then again I would want a reason with a little more depth than "able to use a happy stick".
I don't think UMD is what he means as "naturally"
I think what it really boils down to is that I want a blaster who can dabble as a medic.
I think what it really boils down to is that I want a blaster who can dabble as a medic.Celestial Blooded Sorcerer then. You get a ray which heals good folk, you get Heal as a class skill, and UMD.
Celestial Blooded Sorcerer or Lay Line Guardian Witch? You have definitely given me something to think about. Thank you.
"Having access to blasting spells" does not a decent blaster make. You need a significant damage bonus and the ability to overcome elemental resistances.
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"Having access to blasting spells" does not a decent blaster make. You need a significant damage bonus and the ability to overcome elemental resistances.
Honestly I'm a little tired that the only blasters are the result of Orcs boning Dragons
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"Having access to blasting spells" does not a decent blaster make. You need a significant damage bonus and the ability to overcome elemental resistances.Honestly I'm a little tired that the only blasters are the result of Orcs boning Dragons
Lobby for changing wildblooded from being an archetype to just being alternate bloodline options, then the blasters will come off dragons boning elementals, and elementals boning orcs as well.
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Can elemental a even bone?
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Can elemental a even bone?How else do you create Ifrits?
When a daddy efreet likes mommy human very much...
If you're going to go blaster, I'm still a fan of Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 (Orc, Dragon-whatever) / Wizard X. Seems like you can end up with some super serious damage that way. Other blasters just don't really hold up on damage. UMD plus a wand of CLW and a half dozen condition removal scrolls will take care of any healing issues you might need to deal with better than witch would.
Heck, if you want a blaster who can heal a Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 (Orc, Dragon-Red) / Cleric (Fire) X has access to a few good blasting spells plus all the healing / conditional removal /etc. spells.
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If you're going to go blaster, I'm still a fan of Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 (Orc, Dragon-whatever) / Wizard X. Seems like you can end up with some super serious damage that way. Other blasters just don't really hold up on damage. UMD plus a wand of CLW and a half dozen condition removal scrolls will take care of any healing issues you might need to deal with better than witch would.
Heck, if you want a blaster who can heal a Crossblooded Sorcerer 1 (Orc, Dragon-Red) / Cleric (Fire) X has access to a few good blasting spells plus all the healing / conditional removal /etc. spells.
While this is legal, I see it as an exploit. Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/other caster x is a way to abuse the bloodline arcana by applying to all of your non-sorcerer spells, and then not have to suffer any of the drawbacks of actually playing a crossblooded sorcerer. I wouldn't build a character that does this, and I wouldn't allow it in a home game.
Crossblooded sorc 1/ winter witch 5/ winter witch X seems decent.
Winter witch( the prestige class) has a built in way to bypass resistance and even immunity... which, for later levels effectively acts as a pure damage boost. Also Cold resist is a little less common tha fire (the traditional blaster wiz type)
On a semi-related note, Winter Witch and Ley-line Guardian do seem to stack.
While this is legal, I see it as an exploit. Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/other caster x is a way to abuse the bloodline arcana by applying to all of your non-sorcerer spells
Paizo went out of his way with a FAQ to say it works that way and has not changed in 5 years so they're pretty okay with it not being an actual explout.
and then not have to suffer any of the drawbacks of actually playing a crossblooded sorcerer.
What do they avoid? They still have to eat the -2 will, and "one less spell known" is something that is substituted to "I'm a dedicated caster that is one level behind and if I don't want to suck further I have to be a prepared one so I actually have less spell slots than a sorcerer with a comparable progression. And mandatory Magical Knack"
I'm generally not a great fan of dipping as it "stains" my progression in the main class, and the usual sorcerer dip mainly annoys me because the bloodlines used are always those two. But it's not that cheesy to use interesting arcanas to alter spellcasting in general.
Maybe I will try to take MK with the feat that gives two traits, recovering that sweet 1d6+2 on fireball
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While this is legal, I see it as an exploit. Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/other caster x is a way to abuse the bloodline arcana by applying to all of your non-sorcerer spellsPaizo went out of his way with a FAQ to say it works that way and has not changed in 5 years so they're pretty okay with it not being an actual explout.
True, but the recent batch of errata shows the desire to re-examine some options that are too strong, and there have been FAQs that were reversed or made irrelevant by errata before.When the most common advice on the advice board to make a blaster is to make a crossblooded sorcerer 1/something else x, that is a red flag that the option is more powerful than it should be.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if either that FAQ was reversed or more likely Sorcerer Arcanas, Oracle Mysteries that modify spells, and School abilities were called out to open apply to class spells.
and then not have to suffer any of the drawbacks of actually playing a crossblooded sorcerer.What do they avoid? They still have to eat the -2 will, and "one less spell known" is something that is substituted to "I'm a dedicated caster that is one level behind and if I don't want to suck further I have to be a prepared one so I actually have less spell slots than a sorcerer with a comparable progression. And mandatory Magical Knack"
Because as a Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/Wizard X you have more spells known than you would have a pure sorcerer. The -2 will is offset by the +2 will you have for two classes with a good will save. You still have equal slots per day because of school specialization (that fan give you a further bonus to damage if you go evoker) and you get to unlock new spell levels at the same character level you would have as a pure sorcerer. Oh, and you have some bonus first level spell slots, and double the cantrips of a pure sorcerer.
Because as a Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/Wizard X you have more spells known than you would have a pure sorcerer. The -2 will is offset by the +2 will you have for two classes with a good will save. You still have equal slots per day because of school specialization (that fan give you a further bonus to damage if you go evoker) and you get to unlock new spell levels at the same character level you would have as a pure sorcerer. Oh, and you have some bonus first level spell slots, and double the cantrips of a pure sorcerer.While this is legal, I see it as an exploit. Crossblooded Sorcerer 1/other caster x is a way to abuse the bloodline arcana by applying to all of your non-sorcerer spellsPaizo went out of his way with a FAQ to say it works that way and has not changed in 5 years so they're pretty okay with it not being an actual explout.
True, but the recent batch of errata shows the desire to re-examine some options that are too strong, and there have been FAQs that were reversed or made irrelevant by errata before.When the most common advice on the advice board to make a blaster is to make a crossblooded sorcerer 1/something else x, that is a red flag that the option is more powerful than it should be.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if either that FAQ was reversed or more likely Sorcerer Arcanas, Oracle Mysteries that modify spells, and School abilities were called out to open apply to class spells.
and then not have to suffer any of the drawbacks of actually playing a crossblooded sorcerer.What do they avoid? They still have to eat the -2 will, and "one less spell known" is something that is substituted to "I'm a dedicated caster that is one level behind and if I don't want to suck further I have to be a prepared one so I actually have less spell slots than a sorcerer with a comparable progression. And mandatory Magical Knack"
You're not wrong that this comes out way ahead of the pure Sorcerer, but many would argue you should be compared to the pure wizard, and there are those that feel the pure wizard is better without the dip. This also strikes me as a design failing. The advantages of playing a wizard are just too darn high in comparison to the sorcerer.
I also don't care if it's an exploit. Being able to throw big old energy blasts is one of the most basic nerd wish fulfillment scenarios out there. The hoops you need to jump through to do it well in this game are kinda ridiculous. If people wanna dip to make that happen, let them.