Help me build a well themed and not OP/UP White Haired Witch

[GrayDeath]

For the Game I have asked for help with my SoP Caster, the third Player has decided: He will be playing an Elven White Haired Witch.

Now,a s with my character, up to 4pts of the normal Elven Racial Abilities may be changed via Race builder, and the Game starts at Level 5.

I have always wanted to play a White Haired Witch myself, but never found a fitting game, and neither has my friend, so I am looking for help doing so.

Musts: Elegance over power, must fit Elven worldview somehow, neither too good nor too bad Spell Selection (See other Characters in the Group).

Starting Level 5, game will end around 12 to 14, regular WBL.
Other Characters: Aegis, Dual Channeler Soulweaver.

Thanks in advance.

[Kurald Galain]

Well, since the WHW is essentially a gish, the Magus guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?423754-Myrrh-Frankincense-and-Steel-Kurald-Galain-s-Guide-to-the-Magus) has decent advice regarding feats, traits, and spells (and familiars); many of it applies to gishes in general.

If you're into debuffing enemies, a notable combo is the Frostbite spell with feats like Rime Spell, Chilling Amplification, and Enforcer. If you're into maneuvers, a good combo is Combat Reflexes and Weapon Finesse plus anything that boosts tripping. If you're into supporting your allies, bear in mind that your hair can be used to land touch-range buffs. HTH!

[Segev]

At least one good spell to pick up is chill touch. Cast it once, and your next 5 (or whatever your CL is) attacks with the natural weapon you empower it with (i.e. your hair) deal +1d6 necrotic damage and 1 Str damage. Fortitude save to negate the Str damage. The Str damage will also be useful in helping you win grapples.

I discussed this in another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?586281-White-haired-witch-reach-discussion); you might try to talk your DM into modifying the hair's reach progression to start at 10 feet at level 1, and add 5 feet at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20 rather than starting at 5 ft. and adding 5 ft. at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20. Ends at 30 ft. at level 20 either way, but is 5 feet ahead at most levels. Though with starting at level 5, you won't feel the worst of it (having a 5 ft. reach only at levels 1-3, which is actively worse than having just taken the Hair hex).

Elves are into crafting things that are works of art. Ask your DM what Craft skill goes into making rope. Pick it up, and weave rope from your own white hair that you can weave into it like elaborate braids. When you grapple somebody and get past pinning them into tying them up, you can use that rope, and make it look like you just spontaneously generated rope from your hair. You're literally tying them in your own hair, which you can probably justify as being equivalent to silk rope.

On grappling, be aware that the Int-to-damage is ONLY to damage; you don't get Int to your grapple checks. This means you actually do need Strength.

Enlarge person increases your natural reach; ask your DM if that also will increase the reach of your hair, or if the hair's reach distance is fixed regardless of your size. If it is, consider reduce person, as you could theoretically be smaller and still have the same reach. Shapeshifting into tiny creatures gives bonuses to everything but grappling, so you can be pretty good at just striking people while having the benefits of being very small.

[GrayDeath]

Good points, thank you Segev!

Gonna post it once I have the anwers from the DM. Usually he is open to interpreting things in the players favour as long as its not about SPells ^^

[Segev]

Good points, thank you Segev!

Gonna post it once I have the anwers from the DM. Usually he is open to interpreting things in the players favour as long as its not about SPells ^^

While you're at it, see if you can talk him into explicitly allowing the WHW's hair to be used for carrying and manipulating objects the way the Hair hex can. The WHW's entry doesn't say that it can (nor that it can't), but it's one of those things that, if you rule it can't, makes the hair hex arguably better. Only arguably, but...honestly, shouldn't the WHW's hair be uniformly dominant over the Hair hex for utility, given that you're essentialy giving up all your hexes for it and taking the Hair hex at first level?

[GrayDeath]

That does sound like an oversight, so I am almost positive he will see it that way as well.

Noted.

[Geddy2112]

You can go weapon finesse to land the attacks and dump strength-you get int to the grapple check vs strength but the natural attacks can have difficulty landing with the witches half bab and dumping strength. You might want to consider an amulet of mighty fists instead of natural armor to boost your hair attack/damage(and make it magical).

For spells, +1 to using touch spells-frostbite and enforcer is incredibly strong out the gate, and chill touch is as well. Chill touch also gives an option to deal with undead, which are normally a weakness of the witch. You want a patron that has some buff spells that will help you in combat. I like Segev's suggestion of being a rope user; the trickery patron is one of the strongest choices but also gives the very thematic animate rope at 2nd level. You have mirror image as a patron spell at 4th, giving you incredibly viable in combat defense for your otherwise low AC and HP. The rest of the patron is mostly utility illusions which are never out of style.

If you are going with the rope theme you can also go with knots, a lot of which embody elegance over power. Maybe even be into ships and sailing. Witches are INT based, so maybe your character knows every knot, type of rope/string/twine/thread and material. Get a robe of infinite twine which is cheap as chips and absurdly useful. Create near infinite piles of combustible material, always have a target for animate rope, do magic at parties etc. Make jokes about gordian knots, cat's cradles, and other string based things. You could even go full ham and have your character be a sailor named Captain Knots(both the nautical speed and tied rope).

[Segev]

Ah, yes, making rope out of your own hair and casting animate rope on it could also win some style points. Your hair is animate even when detached from you!

If you get a venomous snake as your familiar, you could have it live in your hair and bite people you've pinned, keeping it safe from retaliation and inflicting poison, if the poison is worth inflicting.

[GrayDeath]

So, got the DM to talka bout it.

We agreed that the Hair works as the hex, jsut better (ergo with the improved Reach progression) as anything else would be stupid.
Reach is as given for Small to large, smaller or larger changes it.

As the hair alone is not really worth it given you lose all hexes, we agreed that the Witch can spend feats to add sneak attack dice to her hair (up to 4d6 at most), and increased her BAB to medium.

Should work fine overall.

Also the ROpe Suggestion is cool, and the SNake is taken for sure, if only for the Cool shock effect ^^

[Segev]

Just thought of his wrt snake familiar and hair: disguise self shared with the snake can disguise it as part of your hair, perhaps a braided rope of hair. Disguise self can also disguise your hair as a Medusa-like nest of snakes.

[GrayDeath]

Hmmm, interesting Ideas, lets see if well do it that way.

Thank you for your Help and Ideas! :smallcool: