Here it is, a Witch Archetype that focus' around cats. Go to [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FkZ64gqy16RIF6H-rD66SuissGEDlVRDJQJ3U854NGE/edit?usp=sharing] Please give constructive critisizim.
I personally would have gone for a nekromancer pun but that's just me...
Anyway, I haven't gone super in depth but the archtype feels...extremely weak at a glance.
From what I can see you're trading all your hexes to basically play a neutered cat druid (weaker wildshape, weaker animal companion, lower BAB). It's flavorful sure and I like nabbing all the catfolk things (what happens if you already are a catfolk?) but still, it lacks much of a reason to play over say, a druid (the witch spell list certainly doesn't endear itself to many).
I'd personally shy away from just trying to poach all those druid abilities and two abilities that basically do the same thing (the cat polymorphs) and try to emphasize maybe something like a cat focused brown fur transmuter. Give people cat eyes for dark vision, kitten-like innocence for diplomacy, claws and maybe eventually pounce, etc etc. It would be like a toolbox polymorph support witch which is a fairly untapped niche as far as I recall.
Do you have any suggestions to replace with those abilities?
To me, I'd replace the (baleful) polymorphs and either the animal companion or the wildshape function. At least in my mind, the cat piece buffs would take up half your hex progression and maybe be attained at something like 2/6/10/14/18 and the other half can taken by your wildshape or AC.
The other parts, such as the claws or speak with cats can just swap out the L1 hex or be folded into modifying the familiar or Patron.
Of course this all lends itself to a fairly support focused archtype with a bunch of toolbox options for helping other people (or your AC maybe) in combat and utility (depending on what the substitute "cat hexes" are) and is a lot less face smashy than what the original proposal reminded me of. What role did you intend for this archtype to have?
I did not intend for it to have a specific role, other than the fact that I saw something that made me want to have cat based caster. I feel as though I could throw in a summon monster ability that only works for cats? You also said something about AC, did you mean to say that there should be an ability that gives and AC bonus, similar to monks? If that is the case, I can totally agree, it makes sense to me, a dodge bonus possibly?
Oh no, no, by AC I meant Animal Companion. Sorry about that one.
Either way, it would behoove you to pick a particular focus on cats rather than trying to muscle in everything.
Is a nekomancer a master of controlling cats? If that's the case you'd focus on summoning cats and having a cat animal companion with maybe a few poached Hunter abilities for it.
Or perhaps it could be a caster who bestows the abilities of cats onto themselves or others by way of polymorph esque hexes (this is more or less my idea).
Heck, you can even go for a concept of a nekomancer being something like a buff and crush cleric with them polymorphing themselves into bestial cat forms and scratching away.
Any one of those concepts can fill out an archtype fine but trying to cram in bits and pieces of them all tends to leave it feeling a bit scattershot and unfocused. Hope this helps!
It does help thank you, I think the way of the summoning cats or cat morphing themselves/allies would be the best, any ideas on how to make that work?
I like this a lot better than the previous attempt, but I'm still not a fan of it. My biggest issue is that the archetype replaces almost all of the witch's hexes with abilities they could do anyway.
Kitty Speech: Not a terribly useful ability for something that replaces your first hex, but it totally fits the archetype. I'd honestly give the class the ability to charm, befriend, or manipulate cats. For an archetype called "nekomancer" there's no actual mancery in the class. Kitty Speech would be really awesome if you could command a legion of cats to scout for you.
Avatar of a Cat: While giving a bonus for being a catfolk was a smart idea, I'd personally remove this ability. I hate witch archetypes that replace both the 1st and 2nd level hexes because it means I can't learn a hex until most of my character's career is over. Ontop of it, the ability's not as good as a hex. I'd rather have an ability that turns me into a half-cat person with a tail, ears, and claws than this. It shocks me there isnt an ability like this on the archetype.
Combat Cat: I'm not a fan of this ability. Not only does it steal from the druid, but also I feel it doesn't fit thematically. when I think of a magic anime catgirl, I don't think of someone siccing a tiger on people. There IS a spell that lets you turn your familiar into powerful creatures, so this isn't necessary.
Cat Shape: Stealing wildshape isn't necessary when you can only turn into one type of animal. I'd completely rewrite this ability to the following:
Cat Shape: At 4th level, the nekomancer can assume the form of a Tiny common cat as beast shape II for a number of hours equal to her level. The duration does not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1 hour increments. At 6th level, the nekomancer can assume the shape of any Medium or Tiny feline. At 8th level, the nekomancer can assume the shape of any Large feline. This replaces the witch's 4th level hex.
Catmorph: Losing two major hexes and one grand hex for this ability is a really horrible trade. Especially when grand hexes are better than baleful polymorph.
Monster Cat: Transforming an enemy into your giant kitty minion is really cool, but this ability is so poorly written. I'd change it to something like this:
Feline Thrall (Su): At 20th level, a nekomancer can transform a creature within 60 feet into a Tiny common cat as baleful polymorph. The saving throw DCs equal 10 + 1/2 the nekomancer's witch levels + the nekomancer's Intelligence modifier. A creature cannot be targeted more than once by this ability within 24 hours. Once per day when a humanoid creature fails its Will save against this ability, the nekomancer can choose to enslave the transformed creature as her feline thrall. The creature becomes a Large feline instead and must obey the nekmancer's commands as dominate person. This lasts until the polymorph effect gets dispelled or the nekomancer enthralls another creature (causing the previous thrall to become a Tiny cat instead). This replaces the witch's 20th level hex.
Feline Patron: I'd replace baleful polymorph with something else, considering you have a better version of it as an archetype ability. The 12th-level slot should have a 6th level spell anyway.
As for morphing, first thing you need is a bunch of polymorph-esque effects that grant the target bonuses similar to what I described upthread (eyes for darkvision, claws and pounce, etc) that would ultimately replace (but still behave as) hexes. As you gained levels, the nekomancer could possibly learn to apply multiple transmutations in a single standard action, or distribute them over multiple people simultaneously (perhaps at the Greater/Grand hex access). If you really want, you could make a modified hex list consisting of some core witch hexes (such as say Charm) and a bunch of new ones to pick from as you level up.
Do you mean that they should have a hexes that grant those abilities instead of them being an ability for them?
I like this a lot better than the previous attempt, but I'm still not a fan of it. My biggest issue is that the archetype replaces almost all of the witch's hexes with abilities they could do anyway.
Kitty Speech: Not a terribly useful ability for something that replaces your first hex, but it totally fits the archetype. I'd honestly give the class the ability to charm, befriend, or manipulate cats. For an archetype called "nekomancer" there's no actual mancery in the class. Kitty Speech would be really awesome if you could command a legion of cats to scout for you.
Avatar of a Cat: While giving a bonus for being a catfolk was a smart idea, I'd personally remove this ability. I hate witch archetypes that replace both the 1st and 2nd level hexes because it means I can't learn a hex until most of my character's career is over. Ontop of it, the ability's not as good as a hex. I'd rather have an ability that turns me into a half-cat person with a tail, ears, and claws than this. It shocks me there isnt an ability like this on the archetype.
Combat Cat: I'm not a fan of this ability. Not only does it steal from the druid, but also I feel it doesn't fit thematically. when I think of a magic anime catgirl, I don't think of someone siccing a tiger on people. There IS a spell that lets you turn your familiar into powerful creatures, so this isn't necessary.
Cat Shape: Stealing wildshape isn't necessary when you can only turn into one type of animal. I'd completely rewrite this ability to the following:
Cat Shape: At 4th level, the nekomancer can assume the form of a Tiny common cat as beast shape II for a number of hours equal to her level. The duration does not need to be consecutive, but must be spent in 1 hour increments. At 6th level, the nekomancer can assume the shape of any Medium or Tiny feline. At 8th level, the nekomancer can assume the shape of any Large feline....
Thank you for the advice, I will try to apply it the best I can. I want to try and make sure I get this archetype right.
Good to haz some free Nekomancy stuff out there. ;)