Hagbound witch 20 = immunity to spell effects ?!?

[zza ni]

I was searching the Archive of nethys for a specific witch archtype i remember reading once when i noticed these lines in the Hagbound witch archtype:

"At 20th level, the hagbound transforms into a true hag...and she gains darkvision 60 feet; immunity to charm, fear, and spell effects; and the ability to join a coven. She gains spell resistance 31, and she grants this benefit to her other coven members."

My English is not that good but doesn't that bold line basically make the hagbound at level 20 immune to any spell?!
(i searched the d20pfsrd. it has the same words).

was it a mistake and it was meant to say "immunity to charm and fear abilities and spell effects" maybe?

[Belafon]

I just checked the actual book and it says the same thing.

It's clearly a mistake - in addition to the "way too powerful" angle it begs the question of why the hag would get SR if it is immune to all spells. (Or, if you try to hyper-literal it, why it would be immune to spells but not spell-like abilities.)

There's a few options for how this was supposed to read:
1) immunity to charm and fear spell effects
2) immunity to charm and fear effects
3) immunity to charm and fear spells and spell-like effects
4) immunity to charm, fear, and (something that got left out of the final copyset) spell effects.

I actually think 4 is the most likely situation, so I'd give the hagbound blanket immunity to charm and fear. 3 is also possible, which would still leave the hagbound open to non-magical fear, but I think that's less likely.

[zza ni]

yes. it seem to be a case of dropping something from the list and messing the words around it.

all in all even if it does work as it's worded. the arctype is not worth taking for what it gives up vs what you get. And i don't see anyone staying on it for 20 levels just to get the ability to be immune to spells. not the least because it's main theme is giving the caster some melee combat abilities (gives up 7 hex's for a bite, str bonus, some disguises and bestow curse which is a touch spell) and if at level 20 he is immune to all spells that include his own buffs which would totally nerf any kind of semi-viable build that might have somewhat worked with self buffing.

[Pizza Lord]

It was most likely meant to be 'charm, fear, and sleep effects' since those are the immunities a night hag would have. It's possible that in typing or writing 'sleep' they got 'spell' because either the letters are so similar and they were reading ahead a bit to spell resistance.

I obviously have no actual evidence but I would hazard a guess and almost be willing to place money on it.

[Temperans]

The sleep version makes sense to be honest. I don't believe there is anything that just has immunity to spell effects. Even golems that have "magic immunity" are effectively just "SR infinity" and not true immunity.