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The witch class seems to be widely considered the worse of all class, seemingly lacking both flavor and raw power.
It all come from how they were in first edition, their definning characteristic were the hexes, "spells" that could be used all days like cantrip, but far more usefull. Pathfinder 2e, by introducing focus spells, and by making cantrip heighten automatically, basically gave these option to every spellcasting class, giving the witch no real definning mechanical identity. Despite the choice of patron allowing them to pick any of the magic tradition, all of them appart from occult already have a prepared spellcaster, and the witch compare unfavorably to any of those spellcaster, being able to cast less spells than the wizard, but not having the added resilience and raw power of the druid and cleric.
This homebrew is thus a try at making the witch both more powerfull and more mechanically unique compared to the other classes. I also wanted it to "justify" the choice of magical tradition, by making it a unique enough class that people would want to try it for multiple traditions. The flavor come from how they were played in PF1 : witches are spellcasters that could prepare and cast a gigantic array of spells... But who actually prefer to stick to a chosen few, which are their specialty. Since focus spells are basically meant to be that "favored" spell that spellcasters cast more often than the rest, I decided to base this archetype around them, but since multiple spellcasting class are already somewhat "focussed" on their focus spell, I decided to add a twist, which is that these witch can actually chose any low level normal spells as focus spells.
Also, I decided to make this a class archetype, and not an homebrewed "errata version" of the witch class, because I figured that when paizo will make PF2 unchained, they are likely to do the same, and release those Unchained class as class archetype.
Do note that a part of this homebrew is in square brackets. That part is something I'm unsure about (or rather, even more unsure than the rest of the homebrew). It contain a nerf for the archetype, and without it the archetype is undoutably a significant buff to the witch class. However, the witch is rather bad as is, and thus it's possible that such buff wouldn't be "too much" and could be added while remainning balanced even without this significant downside. But given how massively this archetype improve the class, I couldn't post it without adding at least one significant downside to it.
Here it goes, don't hesitate to give feedback:
As an unchained witch, the magic you draw from your patron is unique, and allow you to cast some spells with more ease than any other spellcaster. You revel in this power that none (except for maybe your patron) can copy, and rely on those spells far more than any other. If you choose this class archetype, you must select Unchained Witch Dedication as your 2nd-level class feat.
Prerequisites : You must be playing a witch.
Unchained witch adjustments : At 1st level, chose a level 1 spell from your patron's tradition. It become a hex spell for you, called a "major hex". You may still prepare and cast major hexes using spell slots, but you can also cast them spontaneously using focus point, in which case they are heightenned to half your level rounded up, like any other focus spell. When you cast a major hex that way, it receive a -2 penalty to it's spell DC, spell attack roll modifier, and counteract check modifier.
When your proficiency for witch spellcrafting augment to expert, chose a level 2 spell from your patron's tradition, which also become a major hex. When it increase to master, add a level 3 spell as a major hex. When it increase to legendary, add a level 4 spell. Each time your witch spellcasting proficiency increase, you can swap out one of your major hex for a different spell of the same level of your patron's tradition.
You do not gain the "phase familiar" focus spell. [You permanently have one less spell slot for each spell level, up to the 9th level slot. This does not affect the 10th level spells slot.]
Unchained Witch Dedication -- FEAT 2
Your major hex is a deeply personal twist on your patron's magic, and is drawn directly from you rather than your patron like the other hexes. You may cast major hex on the same turn you cast normal hexes without either spell failing (but you can't cast two major hex on the same turn).
Special You can’t select another dedication feat until you have gained two other feats from the runelord archetype.
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I think a -2 weakening of a spell is a dealbreaker. PC spell DCs are already on the low side.
However your idea of making a regular a focus spell is super interesting. Since focus spells auto-heighten and can be recycled, that's a really good way of saying "yeah I'm truly specialized in this spell".
Now, let's talk balance a bit. Of course turning any and all level 1 spell into a "once per encounter" (and latter more than once) focus spell is a pretty big deal, especially since all spells weren't created equal. The "-2" malus was to made it so that offensive and debuff spell (those that are most likely to be used in every combat encounter) are slithly less accurate than those same spell you cast using your higher level spell slot, making accuracy the price for reliability (of access, since you would know that you can cast them in every encounter).
The idea was also to nudge people toward taking summonning spells (who are a bit weak in this edition but wouldn't suffer from that malus if made a major hex), buff or utility spell, who wouldn't really profit for the heighten part of being a focus spell, but who would make great thematic choices, especially after gainning access to more than one major hex. Actually, The sole reason why major hex are swappable at all was to push people to pick a utility spell amongst their other major hex once they have more than one available.
Taking mending from level 1 wouldn't be a great choice, because now they have less spells in exchange for a focus they can't use in battle. However, once they reach level 7 and get a level 2 major hex, they may wish to reserve their focus point in battle for that second level spell only, and thus change their first major spell for mending, who will be useable outside of battle. That way, high level witch could have a wildly different choice of major spells, that contain both "combat" spell, but also utility ones.
There are howeversome balancing issue, in that some spells can't be nerfed with the "-2", and might overshadow other classes, or even be flat out overpowered. Here's those that I noticed :
- Heal/harm. Those spell do have a save, but are most often used on ally for healing purpose, in which case they have none. Taking one of them as major hex allow the witch to have unlimited healing given enought time, which IMO is fine as treat wound, lay on hand and goodberry already exist. The real problem come from the comparison to the cleric class, and their "divine font" ability. This allow them to have a cluster of max heightenning heal or harm available, and thus, allowing the witch to use either spell as a focus spell would encroach on the cleric's territory. However, I still think it would be distinct enought, for two reasons. Firstly because of course, the cleric could use these spells offensively much better than the witch, but also because they would have a higher "burst" potential. The witch might end up having unlimited uses over a day, it would still be limited to one per fight only at low level, and three per fight at most once she reach higher levels. In a single big battle, the cleric would simply be able to heal more than the witch. However, it is a bit flimsy, so I think that it's fair if you want to disallow these spells.
- Magic missile. The big bad damage spell that is 100% accurate, and don't care about the built in malus of major hexes. At level one, if chosen, it would allow the witch to deal an average of 10.5 damage for free each battles, without any chance of failure or risk. Once you reach two focus point (at the earliest on level 4, since the dedication prevent you from taking the basic lesson on level 2), it's twice per encounter that you get the free damages. It's however far from perfect, as by only heightenning every two spell level, you would have to wait 4 levels between each improvement. 10 damage is nothing to scoff at at level one, but rather mediocre at level 3, even if it's "free". That spell is thus doubly broken : it is broken once because the free damage would be too good on level one, and on subsequent level where it become heightenned, but also broken because it become subpar for half of the other levels, were it damaging ability simply don't keep up with the way ennemy life increase. That wild variance might actually mean that it's "balanced" overall, if we consider all 20 level at once, but the fact is that it would be very likely unbalanced in individual level. As such, if there is one spell you want to ban from ever becoming a major hex, I think magic missile would be it.
I think a -2 weakening of a spell is a dealbreaker. PC spell DCs are already on the low side.
I thought that the -2 would be fine because I'm of the opinion that the thing that make spell innacuracy feel bad is in big part how few of them you can cast. Casting the one incapacitation spell you slotted for the day and seing it fail feel really specifically because you know that slot is "wasted" and that now you won't be able to try again until another day. Being able to try it again and again would make it better IMO.
But peraps -2 is too much, and -1 would be better?