Updated White Haired Witch Optimization

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

I always thought the white haired witch was thematically awesome, but mechanically meh. Hopefully I am wrong about the latter.

What's the latest thought on the most optimized way to build a white haired witch? Is there an updated guild somewhere?

[Grandlounge]

The best thing I can see doing with the archetype (that does not involve extensive multiclassing) is delivering touch spells or going eldritch knight. Neither is great but I want to see a dwarf beat someone up with his beard so I hope I'm wrong.

[ohako]

eh, I don't know if it's optimized or not, but I'm partial to 1 level of unchained monk, breaking vows then and there (so you can never advance), 4 levels of white-haired witch, and then going evangelist of Calistria. This boosts your BaB reasonably well, and it super-charges your skills. For way-high level you'd want some way to sneak yourself into Eldritch Knight, but as far as I know there's no way other than taking a level of something that gets martial weapons (and thus losing out on spell progression).

I wish there was an option for an 'Int-based' unchained monk the way Scaled Fist works for Cha, but as far as I know there isn't yet. I also wish there was a way to combine Scaled Fist with sohei, or an eldritch knight variant that required monk weapon proficiencies, rather than martial weapon proficiencies.

let's see, what else

a) take a crab familiar, and you might want a mauler for that sweet +2
b) take the Strength patron for divine power
c) I liked the Boar Style chain of feats just for the visual (drill into your foes with your hair to dye it red), but again if there was an Int monk I might like Kraken style again for the visual.

I saw someone else go ratfolk white-haired witch for the damaging whiskers, and he was a 'many natural attacks' build, so I think he was part shaman or something too. I know he took witch as a 1-level dip.

[Ferious Thune]

The main issue with white-haired witch is that you don't get to use you INT to-hit. Just for damage. Maybe take agile maneuvers/weapon finesse and go with an INT/DEX build. For just natural attacking with hair, not grappling, Hexcrafter Magus with the prehensile hair hex is probably a better option. INT to-hit and damage, plus spell combat/Spellstrike.

[sunbeam]

This archetype was really not written up very well.

In addition to what has already been mentioned, not the description of the Prehensile Hair Hex:

"Effect: The witch can instantly cause her hair (or even her eyebrows) to grow up to 10 feet long or to shrink to its normal length, and can manipulate her hair as if it were a limb with a Strength score equal to her Intelligence score. Her hair has reach 10 feet, and she can use it as a secondary natural attack that deals 1d3 points of damage (1d2 for a Small witch). Her hair can manipulate objects (but not weapons) as dexterously as a human hand."

Then look at the actual white-haired witch write-up:

"At 1st level, a white-haired witch gains the ability to use her hair as a weapon. This functions as a primary natural attack with a reach of 5 feet. The hair deals 1d4 points of damage (1d3 for a Small witch) plus the witch’s Intelligence modifier. In addition, whenever the hair strikes a foe, the witch can attempt to grapple that foe with her hair as a free action* without provoking an attack of opportunity, using her Intelligence modifier in place of her Strength modifier when making the combat maneuver check. When a white-haired witch grapples a foe in this way, she does not gain the grappled condition.

At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, a white-haired witch’s hair adds 5 feet to its reach, to a maximum of 30 feet at 20th level.

The hair cannot be sundered or attacked as a separate creature.

In addition, a white-haired witch further improves her ability to control her hair as she progresses in level, gaining the following abilities:

Constrict (Ex): At 2nd level, when the white-haired witch’s hair successfully grapples an opponent, it can begin constricting her victim as a swift action*, dealing damage equal to that of its attack.

Trip (Ex): At 4th level, a white-haired witch who successfully strikes a foe with her hair can attempt a combat maneuver check to trip the creature as a swift action*.

Pull (Ex): At 6th level, a white-haired witch who successfully strikes a foe with her hair can attempt a combat maneuver check to pull the creature 5 feet closer to her as a swift action*.

Strangle (Ex): At 8th level, when the white-haired witch’s hair is grappling with an opponent, that creature is considered strangled, and cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.

This ability replaces hex."

I think most people assume this archetype is a Medusa from the Inhumans kind of thing. But nowhere is it written that you can actually do the same sort of cool third-hand things the hex allows you to.

Really think most DM's would assume this was an oversight, but they seem pretty RAW with these Pathfinder Society things.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Ferious Thune wrote:

The main issue with white-haired witch is that you don't get to use you INT to-hit. Just for damage. Maybe take agile maneuvers/weapon finesse and go with an INT/DEX build. For just natural attacking with hair, not grappling, Hexcrafter Magus with the prehensile hair hex is probably a better option. INT to-hit and damage, plus spell combat/Spellstrike.

Probably a better plan.