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I really like the suggestion of some cantrip/bard composition style hexes suggested here:
https://paizo.com/threads/rzs42u2w?Witch-should-be-inspired-by-the-bard
As it allows for my PF1 witch playstyle of hexing multiple enemies/allies and cackling to keep all the debuffs/buffs going.
It's a unique playstyle that benefits folks who want to roll as little as possible and it gave a very strong and useful mechanical niche of premier reliable debuffer at the cost of action economy.
PF2 witches of course can't do this as Hexes are a focus spell and so you can only have one up at a time at the start and a max of only three up. Having some cantrip hexes would alleviate that.
Is there something about the common PF1 Witch Strategy that is somehow not a good fit for Pf2?
Given how major some of the changes were from the playtest to the CRB, I wouldn't panic just yet. I think perhaps they wanted to see how this would work in play since they know people like the other way. Like when they tested resonance knowing there might be a violent dislike for it. Keep giving your feedback on it. :)
Is there something about the common PF1 Witch Strategy that is somehow not a good fit for Pf2?
Yes: that's not how PF2 works.
Bottom line is that PF2's design is significantly "flatter" than PF1. Characters are given access to abilities that do less in raw numbers, but in this system a smaller variance in numbers has a broader effect. Then, PCs are given abilities that occasionally do slightly-more-very-small-numbers, which - again - has a broad effect. Focus abilities are meant to be once-per-encounter-if-that abilities. Anything that is truly at-will needs to be either straightforward hitpoint damage (basic martial abilities or cantrips) or... nope.
This is not a complaint. It's just observation. There just isn't room in the design space for at-will abilities of the scale that the PF1 witch had. That was done for a myriad of reasons, but it was done.
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I agree with what you're saying Anguish, but I feel like if the numbers are kept low and non stackable then the PF1 witch ability to spread out a lot of debuffs and keep them all running is something that shouldn't imbalance PF2.
A concept like that is already there with Bard Composition Cantrips buffs. I think the Witch would REALLY benefit from 'Hex Cantrips' debuffs.