How would a witch protect herself?

[Balor01]

So I have this paranoid NPC Witch (lvl 6) that PCs are soon to wisit in order to kill her. Now, Witch class from 3.5 is sort of meh, but this, about a century old elf caster has something special in store: She is making deals with Devils and can make pretty much any deal come true ... for a dark dark price.

PCs are four level 4. What sort of protections/ways to destroy adventurers, should I give to her? I do not need it to be mechanically correct, just approximatelly within CR limitations.

thanks

[Benthesquid]

Three basic categories of protection I would expect a witch to have, besides her own personal abilities.

1: You can't find me unless I want you to. Whether by illusions, cleverly hidden secret doors, or just being in the middle of an unnavigable swamp, the Witch always wants to dictate when and where she encounters the foolish would-be deal makers.

2: The guardian- whether its an ensorceled knight, a twisted beast of the forest, or an animated cauldron, the Witch will want something to watch her hut when she's out, and deal with visitors too unimpressive to take up her time.

3: It's a traaaaaap! Drugged food. Poisoned bedsheets. Pictures that steal your soul if you look at them too long. Basically anything that looks super inviting to the unwary visitor, but turns out to be an incredibly bad idea to have anything to do with.

[Zaq]

Hostages. This works less well if she's a really dedicated hermit(ess), but if she has something precious that she can hold hostage, that's definitely a deterrent. Children work well for this, though anyone can be ensorcelled for such a purpose. Or the local farmers have to keep her happy so that she doesn't blight their crops and make their cows dry up. Any sort of "deadman's switch" style of spell could work for that, especially if she's good at making deals with dark powers: some kind of contingency where if any harm befalls her person, all the local cropland is going to end up as a desert, or something like that.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Have some kind of spies/scouts to let her know something is coming long before it shows up. Perhaps she used Speak with Animals plus Handle Animal to befriend every rat, toad, and snake in the swamp. Maybe she uses (Extended) Prying Eyes every day and has them constantly watching each path leading into the swamp. She could even have (unseelie) fey allies or zombie children or imps/quasits/mephits or any manner of other creatures watching out for her. Once she's aware of potential intruders/clients, she can spy on them with Clairaudience/Clairvoyance or similar to listen in on their conversations and discern their intentions prior to their arrival.

Use misdirection of some kind, ideally of the hazardous sort. For example, there could be an abandoned hunting cabin where she meets everyone, which is not actually her home. There may be a trap door leading to a cellar filled with traps, green slime, or other hazards which intruders would surely investigate. If she learns that someone approaching may be hostile toward her, she would simply watch from afar and wait for them to fall victim to the traps within.

Minions, pets, and other things to fight intruders for her. A Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) (you don't need to spend feats on allies for NPCs/villains if their CR is counted) with the Warbeast template would be a suitable guardian that stays by her side. Charm Person or better could be used to ensorcel whatever she finds in the woods that may help. Gray Renders are known for developing an attachment to their neighbor and watching out for them, but that may be too strong. She may have befriended a troll (or scrag, which only regenerates when completely submerged in water and must hold its breath when out of water) which would try to protect her, but the PCs may be able to trick or distract it away instead of fighting it. Something as simple as a single-use item of a summoning spell for instant minions would also be fitting, such as four finger bones that when thrown on the ground each activate Summon Undead I to make four Human Warrior Skeletons. Maybe give her a figurine of wondrous power that could also be loot for the party, such as a charred wooden dog that becomes a Hound of Doom (CW p117-118) when activated, 1/day at CL 5 it would cost 5400 gp as a command word item. An Amber Amulet of Vermin in MIC would also be fitting.

[Gildedragon]

Benthesquid's categories of defense are something critical.

This is the PF witch class I take?
Let's assume the witch is fairly sedentary, so give her Sanctum Spell (3.5 bur ports over well). Assume she has crafted some magic items for her protection.

She might have the Luck hex and use it on her to her 'hiding from undesireables'; effect being that undesireables that roll too well in searching for her are compelled to reroll (led astray by ill luck)

Fences of Cackling Skulls, Sepia Snake Sigil Doormat, magic traps improved with Improve Trap, Glyph of Warding

[nedz]

Witches always come in threes. Whilst you may think that you are only up against one, it's always a coven.

[Balor01]

Awesome.

thanks :)