White-haired Witch, Reach, and Size


Rules Questions


In the process of building a white-haired witch and picking a patron, I decided that I like Strength because it grants Giant Form at higher levels (my thinking is with a bigger size, it means a greater reach). One of the other players in my group. however, suggests that the reach on the hair is set regardless of the witch's natural reach.

White-haired witch wrote:
This functions as a primary natural attack with a reach of 5 feet.

He's suggesting that everything from a Fine to Collossal white-haired witch would be stuck at 5' (+5'/4 levels).

Thoughts?


Might not be RAW, but I think it would scale with size. A human fist only has a reach of 5’ normally, but it scales with size.


If it were unaffected by size changes, it would have stated "regardless of size". At level one, a medium WHW has a range of five feet. Enlarge Person would give it an extra five feet of hair, meaning you have ten. It's when you reach tiny that it shrinks down to an ineffective range.

I hope this helps you out. Love the WHW. What level are you starting, if I may ask?


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Spermy The Cat wrote:

If it were unaffected by size changes, it would have stated "regardless of size". At level one, a medium WHW has a range of five feet. Enlarge Person would give it an extra five feet of hair, meaning you have ten. It's when you reach tiny that it shrinks down to an ineffective range.

I hope this helps you out. Love the WHW. What level are you starting, if I may ask?

First off, you must understand that it is not a normal, nor fully serious, game. We are playing 8th level gestalt, 4th tier mythic. I pitched the character AS A JOKE, but my gm loved it and the rest of the group started making suggestions, so I have made Hagomar "Harry" Beardmeister, male dwarven witch (white-haired/mirror witch)//fighter (weapon master). With his 15' reach (at medium size) combined with orc hewer, he can conceivably sweep the battlefield with his mighty beard! Each morning he gazes longingly into his mirror, sometimes talking to it, while stroking his epic beard.

I've always liked the concept of the whw, but I've never made a character that interested me with it until now.

I almost went half-elven with a mighty mustache and magus levels, but since I couldn't do a natural weapon kensai, I
looked elsewhere. I tried to talk someone else into doing it with rogue so he could sneak attack and pick pockets with his stash.


The White Haired Witch was actually the first thing I learned about when I was introduced to Pathfinder. It holds a...special place in my heart because of it.


I built a WHW for PFS as soon as I acquired and read the Dragon Empires Primer. She's a challenge to play at times, because the witch class is NOT optimal for any melee-oriented schtick, but I still enjoy her immensely. (She just reached 7th level, and Black Tentacles was too on-theme to pass up.)


haremlord wrote:
With his 15' reach (at medium size) combined with orc hewer, he can conceivably sweep the battlefield with his mighty beard!

This image made me LoL, thank you for that. Amazing.


Sir Gavvin wrote:
Might not be RAW, but I think it would scale with size.

Why? Your movement speed does not change with your increased leg length.

---

Being size large size means you have 12 adjacent squares rather than 8. Your supernatural hair has the ability to go a certain amount based on level. From your larger base, you wind up being able to attack more squares.

The only way to increase the length to to make you higher level for this ability. There exist magic items that advance class features one step. So go to the mat with the GM to research and create such an item.

/cevah


White hair has its own reach rules. Size only affects natural reach (and, thus, natural attacks that are based on natural reach). I'm forced to conclude that size doesn't affect white hair's reach.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I would think Size would effect the Hair's reach just as it would any other weapon, just as it would with my Lashes with the Spiritualist (Ectoplasmatist)

Silver Crusade

If your Strength-based White Haired Witch carries a longspear he can be quite an effective combatant without hindering his spell casting ability. I played a witch this way once. Be large & longarmed for 25' reach. Your BaB will lag, so mostly fight minions. Fish for AoOs. Trip when possible. Generate and use difficult terrain. Be a slippery target. Never permit a foe to land a full attack.

With 25' reach, proper height,and careful positioning you can reach over allies to provide your spear screen from the second rank, hindering foes while staying safe. To do so you must stand just behind allies less than half your height, so they don't provide cover to your foes.

Position yourself for maximum safety then use your Standard Action to cast a spell. You get an AoO vs the first foe to move within 25'. This works well enough to be worthwhile with a 14+ strength and no feat investment. The Combat Reflexes feat gives you iterative AoOs.

There are lots of ways to become Large. Probably the most flexible method is the Cleric Plant(Growth) Subdomain, for Swift Action Enlarge Person. But probably don't multiclass a primary caster!


Magda Luckbender wrote:
But probably don't multiclass a primary caster!

I usually see White Haired Witch not as a primary spellcaster at all, but as way to get 1 more Natural Attack or as a way of Grappling multiple opponents.

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