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Here is my revised Witch suggestion. Rather than just the feedback, I wanted to show what I think it should be done.
I made Patron choice a basic class feature at level 1, and it helps determine what the character will focus on, and what the familiar is like. It provides the Key ability for the class and a skill.
Each type of familiar comes with its own benefits. The arcane familiar allows the Witch to Drain Familiar to refocus, The Occult Familiar is a Tattoo that usually stay's on the Witch (providing a bonus to Will saves), but is also able to dethatch and crawl or fly about for a few minutes each day. Both the Arcane and Occult Familiars also give extra points to spend on master and familiar improvements. The Primal Familiar is the most unique of all though. They are able to become an animal companion for a few minutes each day!
I modified the Basic Lessons to only give a cantrip + the Focus spell, but also offer a feat to allow a level 1 spell with the same theme as the lesson you learned.
I changed Witches to Spontaneous casters, since a Patron would not be willing to change the spells the Witch casts every day, it would take levelling up or retraining (begging and pleading to your Patron) to change the spells you cast.
Finally, I also changed Cackle, The free ability that comes with the class is similar to the Sorcerer's Eschew Materials ability, but it replaces the material components with a verbal component instead of a somatic one. Then I suggested a Level 1 feat (that would become the prerequisite for further Cackle feats) called Lasting Cackle that does the stated effects in playtest (extend duration for 1 spell with the verbal trait instead of concentration).
I really hope the devs and designers take a look at what I've done and get some ideas from my suggestions.
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I made a few corrections/changes. Drain Familiar doesn't allow an extra refocus, it's a Prepared caster thing. So I took it out and the Arcane familiar now gives a +2 bonus to the Witch's Perception when the Familiar is nearby (he keeps watch and reports anything back to the witch), Both the Arcane and Occult Tattoo Familiar give 1 extra point at 1st level, and another +1 at 6th, 12th, and 18th levels. The Primal Familiar provides no additional points for free, it instead allows a transformation into a young animal companion for level minutes per day at 1st level. At 6th level it becomes a Mature Animal, at 12th it can become an Incredible Companion (gains the nimble or savage ability), and at 18th it becomes a Specialized Companion.
Typically, it takes a feat for a Druid or Ranger to grow their animals, do you think giving it to the witch as an inherent growth at certain levels is too much? I could try to balance it for the other 2 types with things like additional bonuses (like the ones for Perception and Will saves).I could also change the bonus point progression... maybe the normal 2 Familiar points to spend at level 1 (since they get the bonuses for free), and then +2 points at 6th, 12th, and 18th? There are almost 20 master and familiar abilities to choose from, so even if the witch eventually gets 8 for free and takes the Enhanced Familiar feat for an additional +2, that is still only about half of the possible familiar abilities currently (and the APG might even have more)
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thanks but no thanks while I do love spontaneous casting on the witch. yours don't feel witch to me more like let me make Halloween cutesy witch and use that approach which makes it kinda worthless to brew.
What's "cutesy" about it? I pretty much just used the pieces from the playtest and the core rulebook for ideas. I didn't add any "magical girl transformation power activate" or anything like that!
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I made a few changes, The download above is now version 1.1. The Arcane and Occult familiars now only give the standard 2 Familiar ability points at level 1, but they increase by +2 more at 6th, 12th, and 18th levels. I think that is a fairer balance compared to the Primal animal companion's progression.
I also changed what happens if your familiar dies. At the next daily prep, the witch performs a ritual and sacrifices 2 points of her Constitution and a few familiar appears. It has identical spells as her old familiar. She'll recover the 2 points of Constitution after the next time she sleeps. I think this is much better solution than having to remember which spells came from the patron and which came from learning elsewhere. The ability damage to Con symbolizes giving up some of her blood to create the new familiar.