[PF]: Anyone Played a Witch?

[Thunderfist12]

I was going to play a human witch in a campaign that's coming up, but... I have no idea how effective it is. Anyone played one before?

If they aren't very good, I'll play a summoner instead.

[Ravenica]

They are good. They can be outright nasty if played smart and are either low tier 1 or high tier 2

[Aemoh87]

You are really a 1 trick sleep pony, so make sure your really really good at it. Also try to add some utility to your character so your useful out of combat too. One of my favorite classes. Check out halfling so you can get the halfling curse feat and make your character look like a human child.

[Thunderfist12]

^^ the halfling suggestion...

... the possibilities...

:belkar:

[Ravens_cry]

They can be fun. Sleep can be devastating. The feat, Accursed Hex (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/accursed-hex), that gives you a second chance is very worth it, as sometimes even a dullard can roll a 20. I wouldn't call you a one trick pony though. You are a full arcane caster with many spells that are are never arcane caster spells, and you have some extra class features to boot.
Just make sure you keep your familiar safe. If they die, you are so very, very screwed. Don't ever give your DM a reason to target them. Ever.

[Keneth]

Anyone played one before?

Nope, pretty sure no one's ever played one before. You'll be the first to give it a try!


You are really a 1 trick sleep pony

The hell are you talking about? They're basically wizards. :smallconfused:

Anyway, witches are tier 1. A properly optimized one will wipe the floor with just about anything.

[Ravens_cry]

You are really a 1 trick sleep pony, so make sure your really really good at it. Also try to add some utility to your character so your useful out of combat too. One of my favorite classes. Check out halfling so you can get the halfling curse feat and make your character look like a human child.
Where is this feat?

[jindra34]

Indeed. Witches are not 1 trick ponies. They feel (and to a degree play) like a bard with casting extended to 9ths, and a greater focus on messing with the enemy than helping the team. Still works out well though.

[Manly Man]

They can be fun. Sleep can be devastating. The feat, Accursed Hex (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/accursed-hex), that gives you a second chance is very worth it, as sometimes even a dullard can roll a 20. I wouldn't call you a one trick pony though. You are a full arcane caster with many spells that are are never arcane caster spells, and you have some extra class features to boot.
Just make sure you keep your familiar safe. If they die, you are so very, very screwed. Don't ever give your DM a reason to target them. Ever.

Which is why I once did a gestalt Ranger (Falconer archetype)//Witch once, where I asked if I could stack the features of the witch's familiar with the Falconer's animal companion. Now, I have a white raven the size of an eagle that's actually able to fend for itself (strong enough to take care of mooks, at least).

[Ravens_cry]

Indeed. Witches are not 1 trick ponies. They feel (and to a degree play) like a bard with casting extended to 9ths, and a greater focus on messing with the enemy than helping the team. Still works out well though.
They suffer a bit when facing mind-affecting immune foes, but they can still hold their ground, especially since they can expand their spells known almost like a wizard. Almost, since if they flub their spellcraft check, they can't try again with that scroll.

[gorfnab]

These might help:
Witch (http://torchofspirit.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=177) Handbooks (https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1avH5AFYaZ838OC_W7BY_Bnt1TH9KGCc2ygTOb0CiYu 0) Here (https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1SZl8EKYeB_NAmb_wdhIs4MN2D8pya_Y-v4Hs-ZB_M3s&pli=1)

[Yukitsu]

I played one, and found them to be incredibly potent. They have a lot more endurance than your typical arcanist, have a decent ability to take over healing wand duty, or in a pinch, could be played as a pretty helpful healer.

Their actual spell selection feels weak sometimes. They have sort of a buff/debuff/control style to their spells, but they feel like they're missing a few pieces to truly excel at that role, but they make up for it with witch hexes being incredibly inexpensive to spam, effective and fairly versatile.

They make a great alternative to a bard, a situationally good replacement for a cleric, and can step up as an alternate to a more classical arcanist. They're in some ways stronger than a wizard for several levels thanks to their sleep spam. If you go for an orc witch, they're even decent for a few good levels in melee combat, and they're really tough to kill as an arcanist.

[Vortenger]

They're wicked good!

We have a ratling witch in our group and as has been said earlier he plays very much like debuff bard, but with full blown caster antics added in. Probably the most powerful character in our party though his power is much less overt than my own, and as such me and my summoner take most of the heat. Ever want to play a full caster that didn't make the enemy want to beat the tar out of you on sight?

If you play a scarred witch doctor (human, orc, or half-orc only) you are probably the only thing that contests a wizard for sheer power. (Having Con as your SAD stat is mighty sexy.)

[Squirrel_Dude]

They're a class that greatly benefits from Samsaran mystic past life because it lets them get a few spells that might not even be on their spell list in addition to getting them early. Even without that, their hexes can be nasty, and they have a very solid prestige class. Their spell book is also slightly more easy to protect than an inanimate object, though you also can't make copies of it.

From what I remember viewing their spell list, they also have a hell of a hard time trying to deal with undead enemies.

[Ravens_cry]

They're a class that greatly benefits from Samsaran mystic past life because it lets them get a few spells that might not even be on their spell list in addition to getting them early. Even without that, their hexes can be nasty, and they have a very solid prestige class. Their spell book is also slightly more easy to protect than an inanimate object, though you also can't make copies of it.

From what I remember viewing their spell list, they also have a hell of a hard time trying to deal with undead enemies.
They can indeed. However, there is a metamagic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/threnodic-spell-metamagic)that helps with that. It's expensive, but still sweet at higher levels. Conversely, and somewhat cheesily, take a single level of undead bloodline sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/undead-bloodline). Suddenly, all those once humanoid corporal undead are treated as humanoid, and it says nothing about only affecting your sorcerer spells.

[Squirrel_Dude]

They can indeed. However, there is a metamagic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/threnodic-spell-metamagic)that helps with that. It's expensive, but still sweet at higher levels. Conversely, and somewhat cheesily, take a single level of undead bloodline sorcerer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/undead-bloodline). Suddenly, all those once humanoid corporal undead are treated as humanoid, and it says nothing about only affecting your sorcerer spells.Thanatopic spell, right?

Yeah, it's a good feat. It's just expensive to use, so it takes a very long time until a caster can actually take advantage of it, kind of like quicken-spell. It's a great thing though.

The undead-sorcerer power is kind of nice. Unfortunately you can't get that power with the eldritch heritage feat.

[NightbringerGGZ]

The Gravewalker archetype isn't a bad option either, if you know the campaign will be undead heavy.

[Psyren]

The Gravewalker archetype isn't a bad option either, if you know the campaign will be undead heavy.

That, and also Threnodic Spell (rods.)

[JoshuaZ]

They are T1, but they are more sensitive to optimization than many other T1s. One player in my current campaign is playing one, and she's not at all into optimization, and it shows up a fair bit. But if one is willing to put in optimization and go through the effort to acquire other spells, you are an effective T1, and with the hexes, even when down on spells, you almost always have something to do. Also, the mechanics of many of your hexes (sleep, healing) mean you can use them as many times as you practically need to.

[Bounty Hunter]

Does anyone have a link to a play-by-post pathfinder game with a witch in it?

I'd like to see one in action. Thanks in advance.

[Ravens_cry]

Thanatopic spell, right?

Yeah, it's a good feat. It's just expensive to use, so it takes a very long time until a caster can actually take advantage of it, kind of like quicken-spell. It's a great thing though.

You can also buy, of course, Metamagic rods (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rods/metamagic-rods/metamagic-rod-thanatopic)with it on it.