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I think this feature needs to pop out a bit more, currently the baseline effects of it (without feats or focus spells doing something that enable it) are pretty mediocre, or may even not show up in combat. This is an issue at lower levels where it's often correct to just not sustain this thing - a core class feature - because its passive just isn't useful.
Fixing this comes down to asking "What is it actually intended to do in combat?". Personally, I think this is supposed to be some sort of no-go zone where enemies are disincentivized to stand in, whether the player wants to use that as an anti-cover tool, an anti-melee tool or a chokepoint creator is up to them. Therefore, I would suggest the following:
1) Add "At the start of your turn, each enemy within your quantum field takes 2+your level force damage". Keying this to the start of your turn means that enemies will always have a turn after you place or move the field to move out of it safely without taking the damage, and it also means it synergizes with Soldier through suppress and Degradant Solarian through forced movement. This provides enemies an interesting choice - stay/move into the field (maybe a good position that they want to be) and take damage, or spend actions moving somewhere else.
2) Allow the field to be moved a bit (10/15ft ish) whenever you Sustain it.
3) Make Quantum Transposition a 1st level class feature so you don't have to Dismiss the field to move it a large amount.
This is an interesting take on Quantum Field that I hadn't considered. I personally always saw QF as the zone where you'd also cast your spells as a Witchwarper, and therefore the designated space where all of your Witchwarper stuff happens, but making it zone of area denial alongside your spells also sounds interesting.
With this in mind, I fully support the suggestions to make Quantum Field much easier to move around. Irrespective of what function it's meant to fulfill, the effect is currently far too action-intensive to move around until the player gets Quantum Transposition, which limits the Witchwarper's ability to make even decent use of their one unique ability. If the intent is to make QF an area denial zone, I'd also support the force damage at the start of the Witchwarper's turns too.
More generally, I dislike how the Witchwarper is currently a 4-slot, fairly durable caster who can just ignore their core class feature entirely. That to me is a sign that the class is both too strong and not as well-designed as it ought to be. I'd prefer to drop the class down to a 3-slot caster, and even reduce them to 6 HP/level and no armor proficiency, if it meant shifting all of that power into their Quantum Field. I really do think the feature should feel incredibly powerful, such that a Witchwarper will always want to have it up, and would constantly want to use their third action Sustaining the effect (while doing something else too) as they use their remaining actions casting slot spells or cantrips.
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I got the same impression that the QF is supposed to be a zone control tool. Sometimes by buffing allies, but mostly by denying space to enemies in some way.
To me, the goal here shouldn't just be that the player wants this to be up at all times. It should be up at all times through some means that ideally weave in with whatever else you want to do anyway.
The thing that I would want my player to actually think about is where to put the field and what effects would be best at that moment. You know, the fun stuff.
That way they have an engaging tool that constantly influences the battle. They and their team constantly feel their actual class. Which is something casters in particular can often struggle with.
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1) The Witchwarper is a 4-slot Spontaneous caster with light armor proficiency and 8 hps per level, I hardly see a one-action AoE ability with nice damage output being core to the class without reducing spellcasting or survivability.
I agree with at least 2, there must be a way to move the Quantum Field baked into the class.
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1) The Witchwarper is a 4-slot Spontaneous caster with light armor proficiency and 8 hps per level, I hardly see a one-action AoE ability with nice damage output being core to the class without reducing spellcasting or survivability.
I agree with at least 2, there must be a way to move the Quantum Field baked into the class.
I don't think WW should be 4-slot caster to begin with. I've heard it said before that the 4 slots on both Mystic and WW might be a band-aid for the loss of Staves from the core rules, which I can definitely see. I think they should just have a space-age equivalent instead of raising the baseline caster power budget, especially since Zemir is literally depicted with a really cool street lamp staff, but that's just me.