Has anyone got ideas to do with the Witch class?
The witch class has a lot of flavour attached to it. Each witch has a Patron which determines the type of magical tradition the witch's spells are. A witch can cast spells from any one tradition Arcane, Divine, Occult or Primal. It's got two other main mechanics. A familiar that teaches the witch magic rather than a spell book. It comes back every day even if it's destroyed. Also Hex magic which are a collection of focus spells and cantrips that define the witches unique powers. The Lessons that a Witch can learn are not tied to anyone one patron, they also include a spell which can be a good add to another tradition.
The compulsory feats are Level 1: Cackle because it's an extra action, Level 12: Hex Focus to recover focus points, Level 16: Effortless Concentration because you have many sustains. The witch has so many focus powers available via its lessons. But you can only use so many till you get Hex Focus.
Familiars are useful and thanks to phase familiar and getting free replacement every day, witches familiars can take risks. A familiar is good for scouting, aiding skills, and bonus bits of magic. The special familiars are not generally worthwhile but Calligraphy Wyrm and Faerie Dragon have useful powers in combat.
Arcane Witch
The only arcane witch is the Rune patron. Their Hex Cantrip is to discern secrets which the witch casts on themselves to get a bonus to recall knowledge, sense motive or seek. This lends itself to a recall Knowledge build.
Str 8 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 18 Wis 14 Cha 8 taking a flaw to boost Wisdom
Basic equipment: Studded Leather via Armor Proficiency later Bracers of Armor, Staff of ?, Ring of Wizardry
Class Feats: Level 2: Basic Lesson (Dreams, Life, Vengeance or Elements), Level 4: Loremaster, Level 6: Cackle, Level 8: Loremaster's Etude, Level 10: Major Lesson (Death or Frozen), Level 12: Hex Focus, Level 14: Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Lore, Arcana, Society, Medicine
Divine Witch
The only divine witch is the Fervor patron with Stoke the Heart. It's a broadly useful damage buff that works best on things that attack often like two weapon Fighters or Rangers. I’ve gone for a weapon here as this witch could do with another option.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
Basic equipment: Studded Leather via Armor Proficiency later Bracers of Armor, Composite Short Bow
Class Feats: Level 2: Archer Dedication, Level 4: Cackle, Level 6: Greater Lesson (Shadow), Level 8: Enhanced Familiar, Level 10: Major Lesson (Death or Frozen), Level 12: Hex Focus, Level 14: Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Lore, Religion, Stealth, Society, Medicine
Occult Witch
Lots of options for an Occult Witch. Baba Yaga can do cute animate object tricks, Fate for some minor dice manipulation in Nudge Fate. Night is interesting as it can interfere with the vision of anyone without Darkvision via Shroud of Night. But the best is Curse with Evil Eye.
Witches can make magical potions (not alchemy) and there is some support for it in class.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
Basic equipment: Studded Leather via Armor Proficiency later Bracers of Armor,
Class Feats: Level 2: Basic Lesson (Dreams or Life), Level 4: Cackle, Level 6: Greater Lesson (Blizzard), Level 8: Cauldron, Level 10: Temporary Potions, Level 12: Hex Focus, Level 14: Major Lesson (Death or Frozen) Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Occultism, Stealth, Crafting, Society, Medicine
Primal Witch
Several primal options. Mosquito Witch for Buzzing Bites and Winter for Clinging Ice are great, less so Wild for wilding word it's too narrow.
Alchemy is stronger than the witches own brewing but is thematic enough it may be a better choice.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
Basic equipment: Studded Leather via Armor Proficiency later Bracers of Armor,
Class Feats: Level 2: Alchemist Dedication, Level 4: Cackle, Level 6: Greater Lesson (Shadow) or Basic Lesson (Elements), Level 8: Expert Alchemy, Level 10: Major Lesson (Death or Frozen), Level 12: Hex Focus, Level 14: Master Alchemy, Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Nature, Stealth, Crafting, Society, Medicine
Familiar Witch
If you want to get a special familiar early you can do it like this. You should have a Faerie Dragon by level 6. I recommend it with the Curse patron with Evil Eye and you will be a great debuffer.
Str 10 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 18 Wis 12 Cha 10
Basic equipment: Studded Leather via Armor Proficiency later Bracers of Armor,
Class Feats: Level 2: Basic Lesson (Dreams or Life), Level 4: Enhanced Familiar, Level 6:Improved Familiar, Level 8: Cackle, Level 10: Major Lesson (Death or Frozen), Level 12: Hex Focus, Level 14: Level 16: Effortless Concentration
Skills: Stealth, Society, Medicine
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The only arcane witch is the Rune patron. Their Hex Cantrip is to discern secrets which the witch casts on themselves to get a bonus to recall knowledge, sense motive or seek. This lends itself to a recall Knowledge build.Consider rewording this to emphasize that Discern Secrets can be cast on whichever party member has the highest bonus in the relevant skill. For example, if the enemy is undead, the witch could cast it on the party's cleric to enable them to immediately roll Recall Knowledge with Religion.
It also works well when fighting enemies that you have to Seek for. It also works for Sense Motive, but it is campaign dependent on if that is useful or not.
Has anyone got ideas to do with the Witch class?
The best thing to do as a Witch is to synergize with the rest of the party.
For example, Shroud of Night is rather lacking on its own. But it can enable other allies to hide in the middle of the room - which allows Rogue to Sneak Attack at range. Things like that.
Also synergize with the campaign itself. Witch overall mechanical power is very campaign dependent.
For example, Deceiver's Cloak from Lesson of Mischief is going to be a lot more useful in social encounter and espionage campaigns than in dungeon crawl campaigns.
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I know it goes against common wisdom but I often find myself not getting cackle.
Mostly because, if youre not human, its a level 4 feat pick and I feel there are nicer feats to get at this level.
Also the fact that cackle costs a focus point and therefore, in most cases, its gonna be ''choice between life tap/needle of vengeance/elemental betrayal or Cackle'' makes it kind of a turnoff? I can go nova and be super action efficient for like 1 round of 1 fight per day?
Never really saw the appeal. If it was a cantrip it'd be an auto pick then, but the 1 focus point cost is meh.
I've had disagreements with breith about this in the past, but I think one of the best things you can do with the witch is max the familiar. You can stack tons of a abilities on a witch familiar to do a ton of things. Independent + skilled intimidate is a free Demoralize with decent low level odds of working every round, for example. It can auto aid you on various skill checks-- my Rune witch gets +1 status from Discern Secrets and +1 circumstance from Second Opinion as well.
And because your familiar can respawn if killed, you have more freedom to send it scouting. This is a huge advantage with the right GM, but you need to note with all the arguments around how minions work out of combat not every table will let it fly. At my own, though, my praying mantis is MVP.
Scouting does put you at risk of losing your focus points for the day, however, which is where breith and I disagree on the value proposition.
It is a fairly mild disagreement though. In the right group and with the right campaign/GM, building for familiar abilities is definitely a good strategy.
I would love for someone to post a good living hair melee/maneuver build. I’ve tried and failed a few times on paper. I love the idea of a monk/witch that strikes and trips with her hair!
I would love for someone to post a good living hair melee/maneuver build. I’ve tried and failed a few times on paper. I love the idea of a monk/witch that strikes and trips with her hair!
The hair and nails are highly thematic but mechanically they are terrible.
Paizo really need to fix them first. Its mostly a negative paying an important class feat for a proficiency that is not significantly better than a weapon proficiency you already have - dagger.
Then the Nails Strike feat seems good till you realize that the target still gets a saving throw. All it seems to do is add another failure chance to your spell. Plus melee is not what a low proficiency d6 witch should be doing.
For a monk MC into a witch yeah its better, there is some action efficiency there. But how does a monk afford Intelligence for the multiclass as well?
highly thematic but mechanically they are terrible.
That pretty much sums up the current state of Witch in general. Don't get me wrong, I still love the class. I still think that it is a viable class even. But you have to put in a lot of planning work in order to get a character that feels effective.
Still holding out hope that the APG errata will help.