Living Hair

[Chester Dorn]

I love the addition and idea that a witch can use their hair to strike foolish foes who get too close, but the pay off doesn't seem there yet.

Having it stuck as 1d4 regardless of level does limit its practical applications as a feat selection. It gains brawling, agile, disarm, grapple, parry and trip traits which make it a fun weapon to use - but it lacks the ability (as written) to benefit from etched runes in the same way that Nails (4th level feat) gains.

Story wise, could a handwraps of mighty blows be used as a hairband of sorts to gain the benefits of etching runes to the hairs unarmed attacks?

It also lacks the hex delivering power of the Nails feat, and despite the entry saying you can grow your hair instantly to several feat long you don't seem to gain any reach benefits from Living Hair either.

Ultimately, I want to use Living Hair for the aesthetic reasons but given that Nails and Living hair are only one feat level bracket off and their payoffs are very much unbalanced, I'm stuck wondering what the actual benefit of Living Hair can be beyond having a free weapon at 2nd and 3rd level.

It would be interesting if there was a way to upgrade nails/living hair through future feat selections, such as applying spellcasting modifier to damage rolls. It would certainly break up the static feeling most spellcasters have in their feat selections from 10th onwards.

[shroudb]

Handwraps does affect all types of unarmed attacks, including "hair" attacks since they are unarmed.

The nails thing with the etching on them is more specific, you could still use generic handwraps with Nails, but if you etch them you gain the bonus that they are basically permanetely "equipped" AND you free your "gloves" spot for something else, in exchange they only affect the Nails.

As for mechanical differences, the nails serve the purpose of action economy saver (you get a free strike) in exchange you might lose your hex on a miss and it becomes melee range hex instead of ranged. Hair on the other hand are amazing for maneuvers since they have a ton of maneuver traits on them and a free parry action to be able to get that +1 to AC without carrying a buckler.

Tbf, Nails seem questionable due to low martial proficiency, only reaching expert at 11 hurts. With nails you'll be losing your hexes left and right.

Hair on the other hand, since maneuvers are skill checks, thus you can have maximum proficiency on them, seem legit.

[Atalius]

Would love to see Hair remain the same with only ONE notable change, have hair give reach.

[Sin_Dark]

So it would be really cool if the Hair could apply the Hex.

[SoulknifeFan420]

Cant wait to give a monk a witch dedication to flurry with hair

[Arachnofiend]

I think you fix the hair just by making it finesse, and possibly reach. Then it works like a whip, a poor damaging option that has a ton of maneuver traits so you can use it as a third action on rounds when you don't cast attack spells.

[Dubious Scholar]

Arachnofiend wrote:

I think you fix the hair just by making it finesse, and possibly reach. Then it works like a whip, a poor damaging option that has a ton of maneuver traits so you can use it as a third action on rounds when you don't cast attack spells.

Gonna be honest - if it has reach it becomes pretty attractive to just try and trip or something as my third action even after casting. Anything off skills you should have enough bonus to afford that MAP.

[Archetype of Greg]

Living Hair seems like better feet for Fighter/Swashbuckler then it does for witch, because it give a really good utility weapon that does not require a hand.

[Chester Dorn]

shroudb wrote:

Handwraps does affect all types of unarmed attacks, including "hair" attacks since they are unarmed.

Ahhh, my bad on that one - that does make them a lot more viable. Obviously a Witch isn't going to be hardcore "I'm a battle mage!" but, it's nice to know they have an unarmed weapon when needed.

I'm definitely on board with others agreeing about the reach though. Even a simple addition of like "At 6th level you gain reach 10, at 12th level you gain reach 15".

Thematically it makes sense you'd get better control with the magic flowing through your hair as your other magic increases.

I think Nails/Living Hair both have benefits, but I don't think having -both- at once is worth it either right now.

[Kalindlara]

Arachnofiend wrote:

I think you fix the hair just by making it finesse, and possibly reach. Then it works like a whip, a poor damaging option that has a ton of maneuver traits so you can use it as a third action on rounds when you don't cast attack spells.

Seconding this.

[Evan Tarlton]

Kalindlara wrote:

Arachnofiend wrote:

I think you fix the hair just by making it finesse, and possibly reach. Then it works like a whip, a poor damaging option that has a ton of maneuver traits so you can use it as a third action on rounds when you don't cast attack spells.

Seconding this.

Thirded. It's an elegant, thematic solution that works within the theme.

[Tender Tendrils]

I like that the hair has the trip and grapple traits, as I feel like if you left those out players will want to do those things anyway, and having abilities able to do the things players will naturally want them to be able to do is good design.

I think maybe some more clarity on what the hair can or can't do outside of attacking would be nice (it specifies that it can't do "more dexterous tasks" than attacking) and doesn't specify that you can interact with things using it, so RAW I guess it can only attack?

edit: also find it very amusing that it specifies that it can be your hair, beard or EYEBROWS! Anyone who doesn't use this ability to strangle people with their eyebrows is objectively wrong and should feel ashamed of themselves.

[shroudb]

Maybe both finesse and reach is too much alongside all the other traits, at least imo.

But it would be neat if you could switch "between" finesse and reach:

Either "whipping" with them, elongating them to give reach, or keeping them close and have more agility with them (finesse).

You could even switch between the 2 modes.

[wynlyndd]

I want an iron hair feat giving the hair a high strength for grapple

[Lyz Liddell]

Tender Tendrils wrote:

edit: also find it very amusing that it specifies that it can be your hair, beard or EYEBROWS! Anyone who doesn't use this ability to strangle people with their eyebrows is objectively wrong and should feel ashamed of themselves.

It was a delight to include this. Have you SEEN gnomes' eyebrows??

[Cyder]

Be nice if you could use hair for somatic spell components.

[Zabraxis]

Can't wait for the Witch Archetype so I can finally have a proper Dwarf Beard Fighter!

[Doc Midnight]

In first edition, the corresponding hex (Prehensile Hair) used the witch’s intelligence modifier in place of strength for attack and damage modifiers, which I did not find over powered in practice and made it fun to have my puny witch occasionally bash down a door with her hair. Given the witch’s limited combat prowess and likely low strength, I would like to see this come back or at the least add the finesse trait to get the dex modifier to hit.

[S. J. Digriz]

Note that since the hair has the parry trait, you can use it to get a +1 circumstance bonus to AC. Its not as good as the shield spell, but primal witches can use it, and it frees up a cantrip.

[Knight Marshal]

How long can the hair grow?
When I first read it, I got the idea of a witch being surrounded when her hair shoots up wrapping around a beam overhead and pulling herself up by making it shorter.

[Stephan Taylor]

I would have living hair be a hex cantrip or something, not a feat. It really needs to have your spell attack modifier as it is doubtful that a witch is going to really boost their athletics to decently trip or grapple consistently. It also needs reach and to have its limits properly spelled out. Can you climb with it? Push something over?