Pathfinder witch/druid fluff character help

[Candleke]

Hello all, I have been reading the forums for a while and thought i would throw my hat in.

Here is the issue I am going to be starting my first pathfinder campaign (primarily play 3.5, Warhammer pen/paper) and the witch/druid combination fit perfectly with the background for me and another player's character. We will start at level 1 and probably go to 13-15 with really slow progression, I know these classes are strong and by combining them they will be lesser than the whole, but everyone else in the group is being low tier classes and we need some utility/healing spells.

Our point buy is 20 so I have room to build this character different ways (we don't need any more melee) and I have gotten permission to split the effects of Boon Companion into +2/+2 if I chose the packlord variant druid.

Please help me oh Lord's and Lady's of optimization.

[Ravens_cry]

Well, I would take one or the other rather then multi classing the two. Both are excellent for a "Primal Magic" flavour, but do not have much ability score synergy. Keeping Wisdom AND Intelligence superhigh is going to be painful, especially considering you are going to be getting less spells on both sides and are also not advancing the abilities of either side, which is some of the most fun aspects of both. You could Mystic Theurge it, but it still wouldn't be all that great and you are still not advancing class abilities. Maybe someone on this forum could make it work, but I don't see it, sorry.

[Candleke]

I was worried about it not working, maybe i just am in denial. Is a 5th lvl druid dip + Boon Companion out of the question? Maybe i will just go straight packlord and use my animal companions as flankers for all the melee and be a heal bot.:smallfrown:

[Sillycomic]

It's your character, you can do what you want with it.

But, I am also in the agreement of multi-classing this is going to be more problems than it's worth. Especially considering that right around 9th or 10th level you are going to have so many low level spells per day, you won't know what to do with yourself. (and keeping track of it all will be a nightmare)

If you just wanna be a healbot go cleric. There's clerics of the forest, that can fit the fluff of a druid. Hippy druid that likes Ersatil, BOOM, cleric.

The witch is fun, but mostly for buffing and debuffing with some utility thrown in. I love it myself.

If you are playing with a bunch of low tiered characters: a barbarian a paladin, rogue and whatnot, I would say play a witch.

You can take the healing hex and grab a wand of CLW as soon as possible so you don't need to waste spell slots healing people. (Let everyone chip in, since they'll all be getting use from it. typical 4 person party only needs around 187 per person gold to make it happen)

And then just go with buffing. Take all of the good buffing spells and make those low tiered friends the best ever! They will thank you when they're doing 20 to 30 more damage a round than usual.

Unless you have your heart set on druid, in which case having some flankers is helpful and preparing all of those healing spells will just about do it for you.

[WinWin]

If you can use Races of the Wild, Arcane heirophant may be of use to this concept.

Gives your animal companion some of the benefits of your familliar. Entry is typically 4 Druid/3 arcane. Actually has some decent class features.

[Yurivendal]

I was actually looking for someone's opinion too on this build too

Here's what I offer as my idea:

Swamp Druid Archtype: Fluff
Nature Bond: Go with Toad Domain as it counts as a familiar and stacks with witch's which I chose to be a Water Patron for the Witch

I'm so far Druid 6, Witch 6
(I started with Druid and then even 3/3 then went straight Druid till I was 6/3 then back to Witch for the lv 6/lv 6)

As far as feats go nothing stood out till later (after I got Wild Shape) so here are ones that I thought were important to theme and what not:
Greater Wild Empathy: Intimidate animals as well as get bonus to another
type
Accursed Hex: For slumber and other later hexes but it's saved me so much
this is not a waste
Theurgy: Meh, it works out I guess for some more versatility
Disruptive Spell (goes along with Hexing I guess)
Natural Spell: Must have for druid IMHO
Wild Speech

Later I want Improved Shared Spell for Toady familiar but we'll see

Spells are just buff/debuff so all up to you

Hexes:
This was tough because some feats/Druid archtype abilities altered things so:
Blight Eye: Just cool ability and fluff IMHO
Prehensile Hair: Just Funny to me and maybe catches enemies off guard
Disguise (Along with wild shape you can look like other people and animals...)
Slumber: Let's face it, no HD limit is pretty sweet

I was also thinking coven but I would be the only one in the party that counts as a hag and all my companions are good aligned (I'm chaotic)

I didn't get these Hexes because of the feat choices and archtype abilities:
Feral Speech: Because of Wild Speech, but up to you which one is better
Swamp Hag: Because I chose Swamp Druid
Water Lung: Swamp Druid+Wild Shape kind of obsolete

So far just fun and interesting; you do play a backseat to the powerhouses like Barbarians, straight casters and these monks that have all these new abilities and choices but as far as flavor and being the nasty Toad Hag and as I don't mind being support it works out, maybe I'll take Mystic Theurge or something else that comes up in other sources

[sweelo]

To start, what races are allowed?

I'd assume half-elf is allowed in your campaign and for that matter it would be one of the better choices because you get a skill focus, +2 perception (maybe +5 to perception right-off-the-bat), elven immunities, and 2 favored classes. By adding the hp gained because of your favored classes (witch and druid) you won't be the crunchiest can of pringles.

Level 1 Stats with 20pt. buy system:

Half-Elf Witch 1
Init +0, Low-light vision, Perception +7 (+9 while within reach of familiar)
________________________________
Defense
AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
HP: 10 (favored class bonus of 1 hp and +1 because of toughness)
Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5
________________________________
Offense
Speed 30ft
Melee: -1 Heavy Mace -1 (1d8-1)
Ranged: Light Crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20)
Special Attacks: Healing Hex (as cure light wounds CL 1st)
Spells Prepared (CL 1st)
1st- Cure Light Wounds, Summon Monster I
0 (at will)- Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Stabilize
_________________________________
Statistics
Str 9, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18 (16+2 half-elf racial Ability increase), Wis 16, Cha 7

Base Atk +0; CMB -1; CMD 9

Feats: Skill Focus(Perception), Toughness, Alertness(while within reach of familiar)

Skills: Heal +7, Knowledge(arcana, nature, planes) +8, Perception +7, +Spellcraft +7, Use magic device +2

Languages: Common, Elf, +relevant to story x 2

Familiar Suggestion: Viper
Reasoning: If you can choose the viper familiar as a druid companion when you multiclass you get full familiar progression and decent druid companion progression (later he becomes not as effective, but for about 6 levels he is awesome.)

Viper
N Tiny animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9
______________________________________________
Defense
AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 5
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +3
_____________________________________________
Offense
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d2–2 plus poison)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
_____________________________________________
Statistics
Str 4, Dex 17, Con 8, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 8 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Weapon Finesse, Evasion

Skills Climb +11, Perception +9, Stealth +15, Swim +11; Racial
Modifiers +4 Perception, +4

Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 9; frequency 1/round for
6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con; cure 1 save.
Share Spells
Empathic Link


To Realize How good this little guy can become check out level 5

[Retech]

Here's an option:

Play a beastbonded witch, that can wildshape at 9th or 10th level into a similar form to their familliar.

Combine with improved familliar to get some sort of extra cool familliar, and shape change into a fleshraker/super demon or something.