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View Full Version : Pathfinder Warlock ~ Witch Archetype



Johnathan_Harke
2014-07-20, 04:02 PM
Please tell me what you think! This archetype is a more conjuration-focused witch. It trades the witch's familiar for a grimoire in which she stores her spells. It includes a mechanic that allows her to do more summoning (because otherwise she's limited to her spells per day for summoning monsters). Please note that I'm not looking to change the flavor of this archetype, only the mechanics. I am looking at perhaps changing the name of this archetype to something else - I've been throwing around Nethermancer or Binder, so any suggestions on nomenclature are appreciated as well. So, without further ado...

WARLOCK (WITCH ARCHETYPE)
There are some ancient tomes in the world that possess dark and haunting secrets. A person who stumbles across such a tome way be lured into practicing the arcane arts locked within. The warlock masters these arts, binding creatures from the nether-realms to do her bidding. Rather than connecting with a familiar, a warlock communes with her patron through her grimoire.

Grimoire
A warlock carries a grimoire that allows her to communicate with her patron. It is a magical tome imbued with the sentient power of her patron, and a warlock’s spells come from the spirits that reside within it. Its ability to hold spells functions identically to the way a witch’s spells are granted by her familiar. The warlock must consult her grimoire each day to prepare her spells and cannot prepare spells that are not stored in the grimoire.

This ability replaces the witch’s familiar.

The following familiar ability works differently for a warlock.

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): At 3rd level or higher, a warlock can use her grimoire to deliver touch spells. After casting a touch spell, as a full-round action, the witch can designate a target and lay her hands upon her grimoire, delivering the spell as a ranged touch attack. The target must be within 20 feet. Also, a warlock can deliver touch attack spells with a creatures she has summoned using any summon spell as if she had delivered it using her familiar.

Spontaneous Binding (Sp): A warlock can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The witch can "lose" any prepared spell that is not a cantrip or patron spell in order to cast any summon monster spell of the same spell level or lower. The witch must have the summon monster spell in her grimoire. This replaces the witch's hex at 2nd level.

Dark Bargain (Su): At 1st level, whenever a warlock casts a summon monster spell, the fiendish template is always applied to that creature, if applicable (see pgs. 351-352 of the Core Rulebook).

Nether Swap (Sp): A warlock may take direct control of one of her summoned creatures within 20 feet of her, as if using magic jar; the witch's grimoire acts as the soul receptacle for this ability. The summoned creature gets no saving throw against this ability. When the duration of her summon spell ends, the witch's soul returns to her own body and the soul of the summoned creature disappates from her grimorie. This replaces the witch's hex gained at 8th level.

Noctis Vigil
2014-07-21, 02:33 AM
Can Nether Swap be ended prematurely, or does it always last for the duration of the summon spell?

Johnathan_Harke
2014-07-21, 11:44 AM
I knew there was something I wasn't taking into consideration. Thank you for pointing that out.

Nether Swap can be ended before the duration of the witch's summon spell ends. Ending Nether Swap prematurely is a swift action.