Advice on Witch build?

[Rebecca-47]

Hey everyone!

It's been a while since I've played a Pathfinder character, and even longer since I've made one. Coming back to it for a one-shot, I find myself overwhelmed with options and conflicting opinions.

The game will be about three sessions long starting at level 3, and I want to play a witch. I already know what my familiar will be, but I'm having a hard time choosing a patron. I've never played this class before.

Can anyone recommend patrons for witches? I'm not deadset on filling a particular role in the party, I just want to be useful and cast fun spells.

The party so far consists of a Pyrokineticist, a Ranger, a Ninja, and an Alchemist.

EDIT: I doubt if this campaign will go as far as fifth level, so patrons that are only good at later levels are probably a bad fit. :( I was also considering a couple archetypes, but there are just....so many.

[Blackhawk748]

Grab one who's spells seem fun to you and go for it? Honestly, when I play Witches I focus on Hexes so the Patron is very secondary

[Recherché]

I really like Time patron for some nice buff spells you would otherwise miss out on. Shadow is also nice for flexibility at higher levels and loads of sppoky flavor.

[Kurald Galain]

Can anyone recommend patrons for witches? I'm not deadset on filling a particular role in the party, I just want to be useful and cast fun spells.
Well the question is if you want to focus on buffing your allies, debuffing your enemies, or battlefield control. Given the rest of the party I think that direct damage is already covered (although the witch could also do that, if you want).

[Psyren]

The best patrons give you spells that are:

(a) otherwise hard for witches to come by, and
(b) good enough on their own that you might normally pick those as free spells from leveling up if you could.

Any that clear both of these metrics are solid choices. For example, Deception gives your Witch a bunch of useful trickery spells, like invisibility, blink, confusion and time stop. Time gives you great spells like haste, teleport, and again, time stop. Shadow gives you a whole bunch of toolbox shadow illusion spells too. Strength and Transformation meanwhile make you quite a scary gish.

[Rebecca-47]

The best patrons give you spells that are:

(a) otherwise hard for witches to come by, and
(b) good enough on their own that you might normally pick those as free spells from leveling up if you could.

Any that clear both of these metrics are solid choices. For example, Deception gives your Witch a bunch of useful trickery spells, like invisibility, blink, confusion and time stop. Time gives you great spells like haste, teleport, and again, time stop. Shadow gives you a whole bunch of toolbox shadow illusion spells too. Strength and Transformation meanwhile make you quite a scary gish.

Edited my original post--I don't think this campaign will go beyond fifth level., ao a lot of the cool Shadow spells will be out of reach for me.

Invisibility does seem very nice. Do you think Hexes and debuff/battlefield control spells count as "attacks" that would make me visible again? Or does it only count as an "attack" if it does direct hp damage?

[Rebecca-47]

Well the question is if you want to focus on buffing your allies, debuffing your enemies, or battlefield control. Given the rest of the party I think that direct damage is already covered (although the witch could also do that, if you want).

Battlefield control and buffing/debuffing are definitely more witchy than blasting, I think. My only problem with Battlefield control spells is that spells like Web will also put my allies in danger, or else be immediately destroyed by their fire spells. :smalltongue: This is why I'm kind of on the fence.

[Kurald Galain]

Battlefield control and buffing/debuffing are definitely more witchy than blasting, I think. My only problem with Battlefield control spells is that spells like Web will also put my allies in danger, or else be immediately destroyed by their fire spells. :smalltongue: This is why I'm kind of on the fence.
A possible solution is if you're attacked by (say) six enemies, to BFC half of them to keep them while your allies deal with the other half; that way your allies are out of danger and won't break your spells. A good controller is a force multiplier.

[Efrate]

Debuffs break invis most of the time. Stuff like fog cloud would not, but something like sleep would since it is directly affecting them.