| Meirril |
A little tongue and cheek archetype for the Witch, inspired by the popular book and video game series the Witcher.
"The Witchers are a backwoods cult of men who have an unhealthy love/hate relationship with witches. They feel it is their 'sacred duty' to bridge the gap between witches and the rest of society. They do this by attempting to mediate between witches (and other female spell casters. Or any woman that happens to live away from society really), and the common folk.
The main every day activity of a Witcher is to resolve problems the common folk usually attribute to Witches. This has gone from finding kidnapped babies, solving livestock mutilations, and removing warts to a legitimately respectable profession of hunting monsters and supernatural terrors.
Most Witchers work in small groups consisting of only Witchers (and female casters who choose to associate with them), though the occasional Witcher Apprentice has been known to take up with more traditional adventurers."
Witchers must be male. Witchers may take female students, but those students can not select the Witcher archetype.
Class Skills: Witchers remove the skill Fly, and add KS(Religion) and Survival.
Skill Points: Witchers receive 4+Int mod skill points.
Weapons and Armor: Witchers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor and medium armor. They still suffer from Arcane Spell Failure when casting.
Weak Caster: Witchers are not as proficient as normal witches at casting spells. Witchers receive 1 less spell per spell level per day from spell levels 1-9.
Memorized Spells: Witchers learn the same number of spells as a sorcerer of their level, using the Sorcerer Spells Known chart, selected from the Witch spell list. This replaces Witches Familiar class ability.
Clumsy Caster: Witchers cast spells slower. Spells cast as a Swift action are instead cast as a move action. Spells cast as a move or standard action are instead cast as a Full Round action. Spells that take a Full Round or longer are cast at the listed time cost.
Witcher Fighting Style: Witchers are a 3/4 BAB class, and receive Weapon Focus(Longsword) for free at 1st level.
Witcher Alchemy: Alchemy is a class skill for Witchers, and they are given 1 additional skill point per level that must be assigned to Alchemy.
Witcher Brewing: Each day the Witcher is able to craft 50gp (market value) x Int bonus in Alchemical items or Potions per day. These items are crafted with no gold expenditure and considered to be the Witcher's full days worth of crafting effort, even though the actual crafting time only takes 1 hour. The Witcher is not able to do any magical or mundane crafting or perform downtime jobs on the same day he uses Witcher Brewing. Any items created via Witcher Brewing can only be used by the creator as they require magical energy from the crafter to function. These items have no value to anyone other than the person who crafted them.
This replaces Patron Spells.
Signs: At 1st level the Witcher must select a Sign from the list presented below. This replaces the Witches first level Hex. Any time the Witcher gains a new hex, the witcher may select a Sign instead.
This alters the Hex class ability.
Signs: Signs are like Hexes, with two exceptions. Witchers are able to invest spell slots to use a more powerful sign. Signs also can't be used as frequently as most hexes. When a sign is used the Witcher can't use the same sign again for 1d4 rounds. One spell slot may be used to boost a sign when activated. The total level of the spell may be split between different bonuses. DC = 10 + Int Bonus + 1/2 Witcher level. Any feats that apply to hexes also apply to Signs.
Aard(SU): A quick blast of unfocused Force energy. As part of a standard or full round action the witcher may make a free combat maneuver to Bull Rush, Trip, Sunder, Escape a Grapple, Overrun, Reposition or Feign without triggering an attack of opportunity. The witcher may spend 2 levels of a spell slot to make the attack against all opponents within 5'. The Witcher may receive a +2 bonus to this combat maneuver for each additional spell level spent. (example: If the Witcher uses Aard and powers it with a 3rd level spell he can either affect everyone around him with a combat manuver with +2 BAB, or he can affect one person with +6 BAB)
Axii(SU): As a standard action Axii causes one target within 30' make a will save or become dazed until this ability is usable again (the same 1d4 rounds rolled to determine how long it takes for Axii to reset). For 1 spell level this can be changed to the same effect as Charm Person for the duration. For 2 spell levels the effect becomes Stunned and the target receives a save each round to end the effect. For 2 spell levels an additional target can be added. For 2 levels this becomes a swift action.
Igni(SU): As a standard action, performs as the spell Burning Fist cast at level 1. Spending 1 spell level allows the Axii sign to perform at the Witcher caster level. Additional spell levels allow the witcher to apply any metamagic to the Burning Hands with the normal metamagic cost applied to the spell slot. The witcher need not know the metamagic used, but the damage from Axii must remain purely fire.
Quen(SU): As a swift action gain DR 5/- this round. If a spell slot is spent on this ability gain 5 temporary hp per level of the slot that last for 10 minutes and a +2 circumstance bonus to save vs spells, SLAs and SUs that don't cause hit point damage. The circumstance bonus lasts until the temporary hp from Quen are removed.
Yrden(SU): As a standard action the Witcher creates a 5' radius area of difficult terrain. Any creatures in that area lose the benefits of the ethereal ability. The Yrden sign has a duration of 1 round per witcher level. For 1 spell level the radius may be increased by 5'(may be selected multiple times). For 3 spell levels any creatures in the area of effect when it is created must will save or be under the effects of Slow (as per the spell). For 1 spell level the duration may be doubled (only once).
Hexes: The following Hexes may not be selected by Witchers: Coven, Flight, Poison Touch, Prehensile Hair, Verdant Familiar.
The following Hex may be selected by Witchers:
Witching(SU): A Witcher may perform an hour long ritual that requires the cooperation of a female magic user (any female that casts spells, Spell like abilities, or SU ability). During the ritual if the female chose to attack they gain a surprise round and a +4 bonus to hit, and the witcher takes a -4 penalty to save in the surprise round. At the end of the ritual the witcher and one female caster that participated in the ritual receive a +1 moral bonus to the next [Con bonus] checks (d20 rolls, minimum 1) they make. Double the number of checks if the female caster is either a Witch or an Outsider. Triple the bonus if it is a Witch with the coven hex, or a Hag.
This was intended to be a lot more of a joke, but I think it actually came out a bit more serious. With d6 hp I think this archetype is destine to die in melee combat, but who knows? Anyone want to add something to the list of hexes? I omitted bombs and hexes that give melee attacks on purpose. Though if you wanted to give a hex that gives the Witcher 2 bombs like an alchemist per day, and then another hex to gain an alchemist discovery that affects bombs...that would be ok? I just didn't feel like writing it up.
I left in most of the hexes because...evil witcher could maybe do that? Heck, this is a 9th level caster technically so eventually the Witcher would be able to do some incredible stuff. I didn't give the Witcher any abilities to mitigate their arcane armor penalties because I'd imagine low level witchers select signs and use their spell slots to power them up. At high levels the Witchers could either spend feats and/or gold to overcome arcane spell failure.
| avr |
Weak Caster: Witchers are not as proficient as normal witches at casting spells. Witchers receive 1 less spell per spell level per day from spell levels 1-9.
Memorized Spells: Witchers learn the same number of spells as a sorcerer of their level, using the Sorcerer Spells Known chart, selected from the Witch spell list. This replaces Witches Familiar class ability.
So how many spells of the highest spell level they can cast would your witcher know at odd levels? At class level 3rd a witcher with Int 14+ could cast a 2nd level spell but doesn't know any, same at 5th with Int 16+, etc. Are these only useful for metamagic or signs?
Are they prepared or spontaneous spellcasters? If the latter, how does spontaneous metamagic increased casting time interact with clumsy caster?
A 3/4 BAB full caster with some odd limits can work (D&D 3.x's battle sorcerer springs to mind) though the witch spell list is not a good one for it. It's not suicidal in melee; the Quen sign and defensive hexes could make it work.
There should probably be a limit on how many potions & items witcher brewing can stockpile. Also, note whether they can spend multiple days to brew a potion or item whose cost is greater than 50 gp/level.
| Bjørn Røyrvik |
Wouldn't this be better as a Magus archetype?
A witcher is someone who hunts witches, after all, not someone who is a witch. You're already trying to make it into a magus by giving more armor and weapon profs, 3/4 BAB and you won't have to worry about slower spell progression. Plus, I am under the impression they do not get anything near as powerful as 7th+ level spells (I am woefully ignorant of the source material so I may be wrong about this).
| Meirril |
Quote:Weak Caster: Witchers are not as proficient as normal witches at casting spells. Witchers receive 1 less spell per spell level per day from spell levels 1-9.
Memorized Spells: Witchers learn the same number of spells as a sorcerer of their level, using the Sorcerer Spells Known chart, selected from the Witch spell list. This replaces Witches Familiar class ability.
So how many spells of the highest spell level they can cast would your witcher know at odd levels? At class level 3rd a witcher with Int 14+ could cast a 2nd level spell but doesn't know any, same at 5th with Int 16+, etc. Are these only useful for metamagic or signs?
Are they prepared or spontaneous spellcasters? If the latter, how does spontaneous metamagic increased casting time interact with clumsy caster?
A 3/4 BAB full caster with some odd limits can work (D&D 3.x's battle sorcerer springs to mind) though the witch spell list is not a good one for it. It's not suicidal in melee; the Quen sign and defensive hexes could make it work.
There should probably be a limit on how many potions & items witcher brewing can stockpile. Also, note whether they can spend multiple days to brew a potion or item whose cost is greater than 50 gp/level.
I actually wrote this off the top of my head so there are bound to be lots of... interesting design decisions.
I'm ok with this archetype getting a spell slot before they get a spell of that level. Especially since they get 1 less spell per spell level, so the first access they gain is just if their Int gives them a bonus spell for that level.
As written I think they end up being prepared casters because I didn't change that. They aren't suppose to be sorcerers using the witch list, so sticking with prepared spells seems fine. I mainly wanted to get rid of the familiar, and a spell book didn't fit the flavor of a witcher either.
Also this archetype casts spells slowly anyways. There isn't any need for metamagic to make them cast even slower.
I thought about putting in a limit of no more than Int items prepared at any time. I'm honestly not sure if its necessary. On the other hand, the 50gp/int mod limit was to limit the potion crafting to 1st level spells and minor alchemical items. Even with a +8 int mod a high-ish level Witcher can only make a single second level potion and I think I'm ok with that. Witchers should be able to craft minor toys and useful stuff. Not something honestly game breaking. So definitely no on saving up your crafting for multiple days.
| Meirril |
Wouldn't this be better as a Magus archetype?
A witcher is someone who hunts witches, after all, not someone who is a witch. You're already trying to make it into a magus by giving more armor and weapon profs, 3/4 BAB and you won't have to worry about slower spell progression. Plus, I am under the impression they do not get anything near as powerful as 7th+ level spells (I am woefully ignorant of the source material so I may be wrong about this).
Well, this was created as a joke. I wanted to point out that the witcher is a whole lot like a witch, but a more masculine and militant version.
A Witcher would better fit as a more melee centric class. A lot of people have suggested Magus, Inquisitor, Ranger and even Alchemist and Investigator. The main problem with all of these is Signs don't fit in well.
A part of what I like about using Witch as a base is that hexes are already unlimited use and decent abilities. Allow them to get powered up by spell slots and the signs "grow" with the witch(er) as they gain levels. The signs are intended to be slightly more powerful than hexes, but balanced out by having a delay before they can be used again. Also the signs should be useful to a witcher that closes to melee combat.
I thought strongly about bumping the HD to d8 instead of d6. Ultimately I think it only makes a slight difference in survivability and I've already altered bab, skills armor and weapon proficencies. Take some points out of int and buy up your con!
And witchers generally don't know enough about magic to cast actual spells. But witchers learn lots of strange things and they manage to pull off tons of strange things...so just making them bad at casting and letting them feed the Signs to make them very useful lets a Witcher occasionally use the odd spell when they absolutely need to.
It actually might be a good idea to put in a Hex that says the Witcher can cast a spell from a written source, but not in combat by sacrificing a spell slot of that level. But...maybe not.
This is also the reason I didn't eliminate most witch hexes. Witchers have all kinds of quirks so if a Witcher turned...native? Evil? *shrug* they could go more witch than witcher. Mainly I eliminated the hexes that gave melee attacks since this archetype has a stronger melee capacity...and I can't imagine Geralt using his ponytail to strangle someone.