I am playing around with a Dreamspeaker (racial ability) Elven Witch with a focus on enchantment/charm spells. Mechanic wise I am pretty happy with the build.
What I am having an issue with is really separating myself from stereotypical witch from pop culture. I planned on having a decent CHA and focusing on face type (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense motive) to fit that Enchanter theme.
Does any one have any ideas on ways to further flesh the character out to separate himself?
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Based on what you've got so far, a few ideas:
- A street performer who plays an instrument while his familiar performs; said familiar may be in the habit of pretending to just be a normal animal of its type
- a mesmerizing, Jaffar-and-Iago royal vizier type (need not be Evil)
- an "alternative medicine" practitioner (NOT a quack) who offers his familiar for use in animal therapy; explains his aggressive/manipulative uses of his powers by smiling sadly and saying "the butcher and the surgeon use the same tools"
- a lonely and somewhat frustrated soul who was never good at making friends, and originally learned magic from his patron in order to rectify that
- a Puckish trickster ("Lord, what fools these mortals be!" - great for an Elf)
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Witch was pretty firmly built around the stereotypical witch theme. They go and give people the evil eye, they can have a black cat, and can cook people in their cauldron, should they select the appropriate hexes.
I don't entirely agree - if you want to see a Witch class consciously based on the traditional fairy tale witch, I recommend Green Ronin's 3.0/3.5 Witch class (itself based on a great passage from the 3.0 Dungeon Master's Guide that used the fairy tale witch as an example of how one would go through the process of designing new spellcasting classes).
You could be Glenda the good witch! :D
The Feral speech and Heal hex would go well.
Bruising intellect perhaps...for those furious moments.
Fortune and Ward are "Good" hexes.
The patron theme of stars from UM is really cool. It gives wandering star motes at 8th among other things.
Play a stoner who laughs at everybody (evil eye or misfortune? "It's just karma, man" cackle? *laughs*)
I am playing around with a Dreamspeaker (racial ability) Elven Witch with a focus on enchantment/charm spells. Mechanic wise I am pretty happy with the build.
What I am having an issue with is really separating myself from stereotypical witch from pop culture. I planned on having a decent CHA and focusing on face type (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense motive) to fit that Enchanter theme.
Does any one have any ideas on ways to further flesh the character out to separate himself?
Lord of the rings:
Gandalf and Sauruman are wizards.... Lady Galadriel is a witch.
Witch was pretty firmly built around the stereotypical witch theme. They go and give people the evil eye, they can have a black cat, and can cook people in their cauldron, should they select the appropriate hexes.
However, you could play the character so that it looks like an oracle with mystic powers, a tribal shaman, or even a learned wizard who dabbles in different arcane magic than normal wizards. There's a lot of ways you could go about it without being obviously a witch. So long as you don't try to look like a tough fighter (with a CON penalty and a d6 HD class), you'll be fine.
meh.... my wifes first witch she ever made (back when they were new) never had evil eye or cackle, she took hexes like tounges n stuff like that.
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I would recommend not calling yourself a witch. My group's first pathfinder witch styled himself "Dr. So-and-So, Apothecary." He had the Cauldron and Healing hexes. "Enchantress" works very nicely, if you want to advertise. Otherwise you could use a mundane profession (scribe, herbalist, poet) or evocative "elven" title like "Dreamspeaker."
Witch was pretty firmly built around the stereotypical witch theme. They go and give people the evil eye, they can have a black cat, and can cook people in their cauldron, should they select the appropriate hexes.
The Witch class is built to allow the stereotypical wicked witch theme, not to require it.
Gandalf and Sauruman are wizards.... Lady Galadriel is a witch.
In the sense of "female magic-user," yes. Though I think the term was mostly used by those fearful of her magic rather than a title that she would have given herself. (Correct me if I'm wrong - haven't read the books in years.)
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for a male, "the goblin king" (David Bowie) from labyrinth seems like an "elven witch" to me.
for a male, "the goblin king" (David Bowie) from labyrinth seems like an "elven witch" to me.
That is a pretty good idea. I have also been looking at pulling some ideas from the Warlock pact ideas via 5th Ed (is that a no no to mention?).
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for a male, "the goblin king" (David Bowie) from labyrinth seems like an "elven witch" to me.*Because David Bowie is an arcane fullcaster.*
He did figure out how to make permanency work with glitterdust on himself. That's some serious arcane chops. :p
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I made a weird GMPC for my Emerald Spire group.
She was a lonely, thin girl who claimed talents such as "fortune-telling" and "faith healing". She's always afraid of something, and very quiet. When spied on alone, she seemed to argue with a terrifying presence she called "Mother". She carried only a sap for weaponry and wore no armor.
What was she? See if you can guess...
Look to some of the urban fantasy characters, as well. Many of them have arcanely talented women/men. Just readjust the time period.
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I made a weird GMPC for my Emerald Spire group.
She was a lonely, thin girl who claimed talents such as "fortune-telling" and "faith healing". She's always afraid of something, and very quiet. When spied on alone, she seemed to argue with a terrifying presence she called "Mother". She carried only a sap for weaponry and wore no armor.
What was she? See if you can guess...
Emo?
Have you considered the VMC out of Pathfinder Unchained? The bard or cleric VMC could work well with a witch. With the bard you get bardic knowledge and some performances which could work well for a knowledge focused witch. Cleric works well for a healing focused witch. A witch who can spontaneously cast healing spells and channels energy is going to confuse the hell out of people.
The late Terry Pratchett differentiated his witches well and might have some examples to look at. From the typical "Maiden, Mother and Crone" witch trio it extended to all sorts - fortune tellers, midwives, village elders, shepherdesses, carnies and so on.
Not telling your party exactly what class you are sounds fun, especially if you play it well.
The late Terry Pratchett differentiated his witches well and might have some examples to look at. From the typical "Maiden, Mother and Crone" witch trio it extended to all sorts - fortune tellers, midwives, village elders, shepherdesses, carnies and so on.
Not telling your party exactly what class you are sounds fun, especially if you play it well.
Well, it is no surprise that carnies all have the misforune hex.
Actually, that could be an interesting angle- a smooth talking social butterfly and professional gambler. Give herself fortune, give her opponent misforune. Doesn't see too hard.
I made a weird GMPC for my Emerald Spire group.
She was a lonely, thin girl who claimed talents such as "fortune-telling" and "faith healing". She's always afraid of something, and very quiet. When spied on alone, she seemed to argue with a terrifying presence she called "Mother". She carried only a sap for weaponry and wore no armor.
What was she? See if you can guess...
druid or maybe a rogue
another "witch" would be the witch king of Angmar.
Id make something like that a Magus Hexcrafter.
there's also white haired witch that isnt a stereotypical witch.
I could easily make a witch that wasnt anything like a "witch".
although, I dont prefer full casters for my own PCs.
He did figure out how to make permanency work with glitterdust on himself. That's some serious arcane chops. :pfor a male, "the goblin king" (David Bowie) from labyrinth seems like an "elven witch" to me.*Because David Bowie is an arcane fullcaster.*
Except that that movie starred the other guy. Everybody knows that the real David Bowie was murdered in 1980 and then began his unlife of crime.
On the actual thread topic, witchery can be used as hedge magic. You can play them like a self-taught wizard. They don't realize that their arts are different than true wizardry.
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Fundamentally, a Pathfinder witch is a caster who derives her power from a "patron." You end up with a familiar as a go between for you and your patron. That's it - you can play around with those themes pretty much however you want.
I'm currently playing a witch in a Skull&shackles game who is terrible at sailing (Wis penalty), but he always wanted to be a pirate - so he made a deal with the sea itself to have power over the waves. A little snapping turtle came out of the ocean and whispers dark secrets of magic to him. Mechanically, he's a water patron witch, but most of his in-game flavor is of a guy who made a bargain for power.
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Given how dreadfully boring I find the pf cleric, I would be inclined to try the witch as cleric idea. Replace "patron" with "deity" and it falls right into place.
I can do no better than to recommend that you check out this Witch. Not an Elf, but not a stereotype of Witch often spoken of over here (although Eastern Europe might be another story).
"Pop culture" made me think of a hippy-style witch, trying to make people feeling happy and cool and at one with Nature, Life and the Universe.
That one so needs a toad familiar that he/she gives to the party to lick...
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Ideas--
Fangirl-- the patron manifests as whatever they are fans of even though it might be something else in truth. Good ones for Golarion, Varian Jeggre, Baba Yaga, Minkai culture, the Pathfinder Society, whatever. Good movie for this concept is Julie and Julia.
Librarian-- I'm doing one as an half orc Aranist. Think Rachel Weiss in The Mummy or Yomiko Readman.
Cheerleader--Hexes as cheers.
Odin or a Valkyrie, preferably the less armored version i.e. lets give an eye for foreknowledge.
A patron and an archetype can be recommended for a witch at work Inquisition iomedae?
A patron and an archetype can be recommended for a witch at work Inquisition iomedae?
What he said.
Tarot, Witch of the Black Rose.
I've read that. You ought to put an NSFW with it.
I played a half-orc witch that acted like Conan the Barbarian, but played like your typical witch. He did the whole Sacred Tattoo + Fates Favored thing, too, of course. He was fun! Baelock Curse!!!!
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You know, I never really got why Witches were INT-based in the first place. They don't study magic out of a book, they cut deals with powerful forces via talking animal lawyers.
Sounds like it'd be Charisma all the way to me. Would also make Changelings better Witches.
You know, I never really got why Witches were INT-based in the first place. They don't study magic out of a book, they cut deals with powerful forces via talking animal lawyers.
Sounds like it'd be Charisma all the way to me. Would also make Changelings better Witches.
I recommend picking up Wayfinder #14 when it comes out. There might just be something of interest there for you. ^_^
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I am playing around with a Dreamspeaker (racial ability) Elven Witch with a focus on enchantment/charm spells. Mechanic wise I am pretty happy with the build.
What I am having an issue with is really separating myself from stereotypical witch from pop culture. I planned on having a decent CHA and focusing on face type (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense motive) to fit that Enchanter theme.
Does any one have any ideas on ways to further flesh the character out to separate himself?
Whatever you perceive that stereotype to be ... don't be that.
I made a weird GMPC for my Emerald Spire group.
She was a lonely, thin girl who claimed talents such as "fortune-telling" and "faith healing". She's always afraid of something, and very quiet. When spied on alone, she seemed to argue with a terrifying presence she called "Mother". She carried only a sap for weaponry and wore no armor.
What was she? See if you can guess...
I give up.
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Contributor
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I give up.I made a weird GMPC for my Emerald Spire group.
She was a lonely, thin girl who claimed talents such as "fortune-telling" and "faith healing". She's always afraid of something, and very quiet. When spied on alone, she seemed to argue with a terrifying presence she called "Mother". She carried only a sap for weaponry and wore no armor.
What was she? See if you can guess...
I forgot I posted this here!
"Misty" (short for Madame Mystique, her fortune-telling stage name) is a changeling spiritualist with the haunted archetype. "Mother" is her phantom, who has the hatred emotional focus (and was her hag mother in life).
The party has seen Mother come out to fight. As the party is now 4th level, they've also seen her use usurp manifestation - draining Misty and growing to Large size.
Lately, the party's android kineticist has been trying to brighten Misty up as part of her own evolution and emotional growth.
Now that I think about it, maybe I should do a write-up of this character for Wayfinder #15...
It's actually very easy. First purge your mind of modern goth and Elvira.
{. . .}
Wait, you can't purge Elvira!
Actually, Elvira is pretty offbeat relative to the Witch stereotype. Seems (at least from my very limited watching) more of a prototype for an atypical Chaotic Neutral/Good Succubus. Although I haven't heard of anyone actually following after this prototype.
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I have two character concepts waiting in the wings involving Strength Patron "battle Witch" characters (arcane Divine Favor...).
One is a strength-based wild 'pagan' warrior Synergist bonded with a goat familiar, wielding longsword/unarmed/claw/gore. The other is a bow/shield/rapier combatant that comes across more like a Ranger, but with a 'nature magic' on a whole other level.