Building a witcher

[Crow_Nightfeath]

A friend and I are working on building a Witcher inspired character, but we can't use anything Homebrew. We initially looked into duskblade, but the class doesn't get charm or suggestion. Both D&D and Pathfinder are open, were looking for suggestions

[MisterKaws]

Duskblade/Virtuoso/Sublime Chord/Eldritch Knight can do it, but you'd have some extra abilities there too, I guess.

Or, just, y'know, good old Stalwart Battle Sorcerer. Get some lineage feats from Dragon Compendium too, for extra spells.

[AnimeTheCat]

A friend and I are working on building a Witcher inspired character, but we can't use anything Homebrew. We initially looked into duskblade, but the class doesn't get charm or suggestion. Both D&D and Pathfinder are open, were looking for suggestions

Well... what specifically about a witcher do you seek to immulate? All if it, parts, most some?

[Crow_Nightfeath]

As much as possible

[Blackhawk748]

Ranger does a decent job of approximating a Witcher.

[PhantasyPen]

Ranger does a decent job of approximating a Witcher.

I second this. Mystic ranger with sword of arcane order is perfect.

[KillianHawkeye]

I played a Witcher-inspired character as a Hexblade/Warlock and eventually went into Eldritch Theurge (mostly just to advance both casting and invocations).

I built him with low Strength and high Charisma to play more of a support role with the Hexblade's curse and the dark companion ACF, but it felt like a passable Geralt if I'd had a high Strength as well.

[Mr Adventurer]

Funnily enough I've just started playing The Witcher I for the first time. I've only unlocked a couple of Signs so far. But Geralt in particular and Witchers in general definitely don't seem to be Charisma-based.

I think I would recommend Warblade, overall. The Int-based class features and manoeuvres might model the Witcher advantages and combat styles.

Swordsage might do it as well, except you would probably want Tiger Claw as it seems to have the best monster-slaying manoeuvres. Modified Swordsage, or Ranger as others have said, would be my second choice.

I'm not sure about the Signs. They're quick enough to use that I don't know if spells are a good equivalent.

[KillianHawkeye]

But Geralt in particular and Witchers in general definitely don't seem to be Charisma-based.

I guess you haven't seen how many women he sleeps with yet? :smalltongue:

Geralt may be gruff, but he definitely has Charisma where it counts.

[Eldariel]

Swordsage is almost certainly the answer (Arcane Swordsage would make this supereasy as you could cherrypick spells to use as Signs). You get the mystical abilities more or less. Igni as a Desert Wind maneuver is pretty trivial and Aard as some sort of a ranged knockback/knockdown setup; Quen is essentially just a passive stat booster, while Heliotrop is something like Wings of Cover, and Axii...well, you need either a Charm Monster or just highly buffed skill usage for that. Swordsage takes care of the Witcher combat styles easily enough. Yrden is the hardest to pull off; it's a combination of Ghost Trap, Magic Circle against Evil and some kind of a fear buffer. But you can probably work something out.


I guess you haven't seen how many women he sleeps with yet? :smalltongue:

Geralt may be gruff, but he definitely has Charisma where it counts.

Witcher touch is also explicitly stated to be something mystical that is a part of the reason women jump him. That said, he's definitely naturally charismatic. Also immune to disease, though that's easy to do.

[Particle_Man]

I guess it depends on whether you are building *a* Witcher (low chr) or building *the* Witcher (the protagonist so high chr and as author expy gets to sleep with a variety of beautiful women that the author likely can only dream about).

[Mr Adventurer]

I guess you haven't seen how many women he sleeps with yet? :smalltongue:

Geralt may be gruff, but he definitely has Charisma where it counts.

I have seen how easy the game makes it, yes; it's handling of the subject matter is one of the major points against it.

Regardless, "sex appeal" is at best only one, and arguably none, of the aspects of the Charisma ability, so I don't think it matters much.

As well... listen to the dialogue Geralt gives out to nearly any NPC, and many of the responses he gets back. It's not an example of masterful persuasion of any variety.

Disclaimer: I've only played a bit of the first game so far, he could improve.

[Manyasone]

Maybe a fighter -mutation warrior- multiclassed with a magus -hexcrafter- would be a pretty close aprox. If you're using paizo only material. If not then i'd take a Martial Mageknight with alchemy & trap sphere, mind, destruction and telekinesis.
EDIT: and protection

[DEMON]

- full BAB,
- 2 good saves (Fort and Ref)
- immunity to desease, bonus to saves against poison,
- CHA penalty (Geralt has good rolls, but Witchers in general are definitely shunned by the general public)
- ability to create scroll-like "Witcher potions", only usable by the Witcher class, that can duplicate a few dozen buff spells; allow them to learn 1-2 new Witcher potions per spell level, priced as Scribe Scroll (2 potions at 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level, 1 potion at each other level)
- ability to create "Witcher oils"; allow them to learn a new oil at 1st, 5th and every 5 levels thereafter
- Healing Factor: can heal double the amount of hit points or ability damage per day of rest

Signs:
- Igni: Burning Hands as SLA with a 1d4 rounds recharge; improved to Scorching Ray at level... 9?; improved to Wreath of Flames at level 17
- Axii: +5 to Bluff, Intimidate and Diplomacy as a swift action; improved to +10 at 7th, +15 at 13th and +20 at 19th level; usable 1/day per class level
- Quen: Barkskin as SLA at level 2; improved to Stone Skin (cumulative with previous) at level 11; improved to Spell Turning (cumulative with previous); usable 1/per encounter
- Aard: Bigby's Tripping Hand as SLA with a 1d4 rounds recharge; improved to Bigby's Warding Hand at level 3 ; improved to Bigby's Disrupting Hand at level 6; improved to Bigby's Interposing Hand at level 9; improved to Bigby's Forceful Hand[I] at level 12; improved to [I]Bigby's Grasping Hand at level 15; improved to Bigby's Crushing Hand at level 18(you can choose which hand to use from the ones you have already learned); usable 1/day per class level
- Yrden: TBA
- Heliotrop: TBA

[Eldariel]

I have seen how easy the game makes it, yes; it's handling of the subject matter is one of the major points against it.

Regardless, "sex appeal" is at best only one, and arguably none, of the aspects of the Charisma ability, so I don't think it matters much.

As well... listen to the dialogue Geralt gives out to nearly any NPC, and many of the responses he gets back. It's not an example of masterful persuasion of any variety.

That's actually just a part of the local lingo. That is, the "**** you":s are the only socially acceptable answer in most cases. That's extrapolated on more in the books, but generally, particularly with the company Geralt keeps (mostly slum-dwellers and [undercover] agents of various organisations), that's just their sociolect.


I guess it depends on whether you are building *a* Witcher (low chr) or building *the* Witcher (the protagonist so high chr and as author expy gets to sleep with a variety of beautiful women that the author likely can only dream about).

Quite literally, since they're mostly products of his imagination :smalltongue:

[Jiece18]

A friend and I are working on building a Witcher inspired character, but we can't use anything Homebrew. We initially looked into duskblade, but the class doesn't get charm or suggestion. Both D&D and Pathfinder are open, were looking for suggestions

Built a Witcher for a D&D Game a little bit ago. Used nothing but official material and one DM replacement

Ranger Class (Core)
Strong Arm Style Alternative Class Feature from Dragon Magazine 326

Replaces Two-Weapon Fighting Style with a Two-Handed Style


Arcane Hunter Alternate Class Feature

Replaced First Favroite Enemy for Arcane Casters.
Good for fighting witches and similar casters


Solitary Hunting Alternate Class Feature from Dragon Magazine 347

Give up Animal Companion for bonus on attack rolls against favorite enemies.


Skilled City-Dweller (Skill Swap)

Gain Gather Information: Lose Handle Animal, Gain Tumble: Lose Ride




Barbarian (Ranger Variant from Unearth Arcana)
Uncanny Dodge and additional favorite enemy

Eldeen Ranger (Eberron Core)
Class mimics the witchers somewhat with Sect abilities mimicking some mutations.
DM did allow me to replace Hated Foe Class Ability with Skill Focus (Alchemy) since he didn't use the Action Point Mechanic.

Since most Witchers used a two handed weapon, I equipped him a pair of Bastard Swords, one steel and the other silver and used the one most useful at the time.

The build was a lot of fun and more worked much better than I would have guessed. Also included a list of alchemic items I gathered from a bunch of different sources to use with the build.

Alchemic Items
Alchemist’s Mercy: Powder (Add to a drink to eliminate hangover)
Flash Powder: Bomb (Blinding Light, -5 spot and user can make a hide check)
Sneezing Powder: Bomb (Target, -1 all rolls for 1d4 rounds, Immunity to poison are immune)
Fareye Oil: Cosmetic (+1 Spot for 1 min)
Keenear Powder: Powder (+1 Listen for 1 min)
Strongarm Potion: Potion (+1 STR and dmg for 1 min)
Ghostblight: Oil (Ghost Touch on weapon for 5 strikes)
Quick(Flame,Frost,Spark,Sonic): Oil (1d6 energy dmg for 5 strikes)
Atheists Paste (Powder form): Bomb (FORT DC 17 or be blind and nausea for 1d4 rounds, if exposed to divine magic, becomes a 20’ radius cloud that does 1d4 dmg for 1d12 rounds)
Aroma of Curdled Death: Liquid[Expose to air](1d4 CON dmg, FORT DC 17 for ½, 5’ radius, I min)
Dust of Dispersion: Powder (10’ square cloud, 50% miss chance inside or through)
Powder of the Black Veil: Powder (10’ square cloud, blind those inside, 2d4 rounds)
Dust of Negation: Powder (10’ square cloud, Antimagic Field, 2 min)
Beetle Elixir: Potion (+2 Natural Armor, Darkvision 60’, Light Sensitivity, 1 hour)

Final Class Stats
Human / Barbarian(Ranger Variant) 2/ Eldeen Ranger 5/ Ranger 12

[Mr Adventurer]

Built a Witcher for a D&D Game a little bit ago. Used nothing but official material and one DM replacement

(Snip)


Hey, this is pretty good. Would you be able to get the variant which lets you cast arcane spells too? (Sword of the Arcane Order?)

[Jiece18]

Hey, this is pretty good. Would you be able to get the variant which lets you cast arcane spells too? (Sword of the Arcane Order?)

Most likely. That would expand the spell casting options. I kept the standard Ranger casting since I focused more on the alchemy side of it. Included the spells I did use most.

1st-Level 4
Aspect of the Wolf: Personal (Spell Compendium pg 16) 100 min
Resist Energy:
Longstrider:
Accelerated Movement:
2nd-Level 4
Cure Light Wounds:
Listening Lorecall: Personal (+4 Listen, Blindsense 30’, Blindsight 15’) 100 min
Fell the Greatest Foe: Touch (Gain +1d6 dmg per size category of foe) 10 rounds
Swift Haste: Personal(Swift Action, Haste) 1d4 rounds
Tremorsense: Personal (Tremoresense 30’) 100 min
3rd-Level 3
Cure Moderate Wounds:
Safe Clearing: 30’ radius (Sanctuary Will DC negates) 10 hours
Find the Gap: Personal (Treat attacks as touch attack) 10 rounds
4th-Level 2
Freedom of Movement:
Deeper Darkvision: Touch (Darkvision 90’, even in magical darkness) 10 hours