[3.P] Witch roleplay + build help

[Steamsaint]

I'm looking at building a pathfinder witch for a level 7 campaign, and I need some help with a couple of things;

Firstly, I don't want to play the old hag stereotype - I want to play something inspired more along the lines of Medea, or the vain sorceress trope (there's a page of TV tropes but it's hard to link since I'm on my phone) and yet I also want to actually play relatively nice with my party, so any tips on that would be nice. Also, some of my other inspirations are the various witches of Terry Pratchett's creation, but again I don't particularly want the hag stereotype.

Secondly, I'm looking for ways I can be useful in combat, because a lot of the witch's spells seem aimed at social encounters - hell, there's even a hex which has no mechanical effects which allows you to magically scar someone with no other effect. The main way I figure is to hold person a target, then fly in (with the hex because at 7th level my spells are still quite limited) and coup de grace them with a 4x critical scythe, but that's action intensive, puts my squishy self in a vulnerable position and I can only do it so many times per day... Other than that I can lightning bolt a couple of times and debuff with my hexes, but it still seems lackluster, or maybe it's just me.

Lastly, I love the flavor of the grand hex which gives me a moving hut, but it's a good long time till I'd be able to access it, is there a cheaper option that I could access somewhere perhaps in magic item form, even in 3.5?

Everything from the SRD (except for the gunslinger) is fine, and if we really want it, we can ask for homemade/3.5 stuff to be approved.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Edit: Sorry for the wall of text :smallbiggrin:
tl;dr I'd like help roleplaying an adventuring witch, would like help being effective in combat as one, and would like help getting a self propelled home similar to the grand hex much, much earlier.

[Corlindale]

Secondly, I'm looking for ways I can be useful in combat

The Slumber hex is very nice - basically a save or lose that you can keep using throughout the entire game (as opposed to the Sleep spell which quickly becomes obsolete). And you can use it all day, making it very nice for conserving resources - it would probably be more effective than hold person for that Scythe-CdG strategy for this reason.

Evil Eye is a cool debuff, especially combined with Cackle (though the latter of course seems most related to the Hag-stereotype you are trying to avoid, flavour-wise).

[Steamsaint]

I've heard stories about the slumber hex which make me want to avoid it since I don't want to be able to destroy entire encounters with an ability I can use at-will, forcing the DM to have to counter me specifically. Using hold person instead places a limitation on the use of that ability.

I might see if I can reflavour the cackle somehow...

[Corlindale]

I might see if I can reflavour the cackle somehow...

Maybe you could call it Siren Song or something - an eerily beautiful and otherworldly hum would probably fit the sorceress stereotype and make sense for the ability.

I understand your concern with the Slumber hex - a player in my campaign uses it as well, but I don't think he's quite realized its full potential yet.

[Steamsaint]

That's the problem; I googled for something like 'help with pathfinder witch' and all I got was GM's looking for help nerfing the slumber hex, so I'm fully aware of the potential.

I guess I just like to walk that fine line that's both DM friendly and awesome at the same time.

[Prime32]

I'm looking at building a pathfinder witch for a level 7 campaign, and I need some help with a couple of things;

Firstly, I don't want to play the old hag stereotype - I want to play something inspired more along the lines of Medea, or the vain sorceress trope (there's a page of TV tropes but it's hard to link since I'm on my phone) and yet I also want to actually play relatively nice with my party, so any tips on that would be nice. Also, some of my other inspirations are the various witches of Terry Pratchett's creation, but again I don't particularly want the hag stereotype.RP? Look at this picture.http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/BlackLady.jpgBase your witch on that.

[The Gilded Duke]

I have a slumber focused witch in a game I'm running and its not too bad. While it is really useful, it doesn't destroy the game. There are many different ways to make challenging combats against it, elves, dragons, lots of enemies, undead, plants, constructs etc. The key thing to remember is that it can't be cast on the same target twice in 24 hours.

At the level you are at you get plenty of powerful spells both in and out of combat.

Out of combat:
Detect Thoughts
Enthrall
Share Memory
Zone of Truth

In Combat:
Vomit Swarm (To do reliable non sr damage and distract)
Web (Battlefield Control)
Hold Person (Save or Suck)
Haunting Mists (Battlefield Control, Fog Cloud + Wis Damage)
Delay Poison (aka poison immunity)

Also if you pick the patron "Shadow" you gain access to Silent Image, one of the most powerful battlefield control spells in the game.

[Steamsaint]

Hmmmm... couple of extra questions:

If you get the feat Improved Familiar, do you keep the previous bonus you got from the specific type of familiar that you had, since the new ones don't seem to have any such bonus.

Also, what do people thinking of expanding the list of Witch patrons by using extra spell lists from Cleric Domains, Sorcerer Bloodlines and/or Oracle mysteries (most likely gained at the highest level described by either the witch patron lists e.g. 2nd, 4th, 6th, or the chosen spell list e.g. sorcerer is 3rd, 5th, 7th, clearly the actual choice would be subject to the DM's discretion). Just waiting for my DM to get back to me on this one, but I'd like your opinions anyway.

[jmelesky]

Going back to hexes, remember that Cackle works on all nearby Evil Eyes, Misfortunes, and Fortunes, so you can debuff a new opponent each round (5 foot step, hex as a standard, cackle as a move) and it will be effective till the end of combat. Misfortune is incredibly nasty against anyone who makes attack rolls (or anyone having to make Saves). Fortune is great for your damage dealers (though you can only give it to them once/day).


If you get the feat Improved Familiar, do you keep the previous bonus you got from the specific type of familiar that you had, since the new ones don't seem to have any such bonus.

I haven't seen an official statement on this, but my understanding is "no". Giving up that bonus is part of the cost for taking a far more capable familiar.


Also, what do people thinking of expanding the list of Witch patrons by using extra spell lists from Cleric Domains, Sorcerer Bloodlines and/or Oracle mysteries (most likely gained at the highest level described by either the witch patron lists e.g. 2nd, 4th, 6th, or the chosen spell list e.g. sorcerer is 3rd, 5th, 7th, clearly the actual choice would be subject to the DM's discretion). Just waiting for my DM to get back to me on this one, but I'd like your opinions anyway.

The only caveat i'd make is that if Witches can do this, so should Clerics, Sorcerers, and Oracles. Otherwise you're expanding Witches' flexibility only.

Alternately, just ask your GM for a custom Patron.