If you wanted to be blasty, you probably should have been a bonded witch... though it is too late for that now. But I think our druid is going to do a lot of the water-y utility stuff and turning into elementals etc. The majority of the spells on the list aren't on the Witch's spell list normally and most of the spells from that patron also happen to be quite good. Agility (Advanced Player's Guide pg. Yay. 70): 2nd — jump, 4th — cat's grace, 6th — haste, 8th — freedom of movement, 10th — polymorph, 12th — cat's grace (mass), 14th — ethereal jaunt, 16th — animal shapes, 18th — shapechange. Not much to decide between the two. The ones I like are (witch patron list for ease of use):Ancestors, Deception, Time, Water, Wisdom.Unsure about: Elements, Healing.Other suggestions are welcome as well if supported with good arguments though (I have heard lots of people like Shadow for its vast versatility) even though it won't necessarily help me pick one single patron to stick to. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. From my play experience, hexes are good enough that Paizo could have easily justified making the class into a 6th level caster. Special mention goes to Vengeance; while it might look like an appealing blaster patron at a first glance, most of its list either isn't very good, is already on the witch list at the same level, or both. The Witch's patron is much like the Sorcerer's bloodline: it adds new spells which may not otherwise be available to the Witch, and can define a major portion of the Witch's spell list. Her fingernails are overlong and sharpened, and she carries a wooden staff with strange trinkets tied to it. Hexes are fantastic, and Channel Energy is passable if you put some effort into it. One level higher. Bonethrall (Su): Even if you need to create the undead yourself, an extra hit die of controlled undead per level is great. Many patrons provide one or more Polymorph spells. (Original Concept by Big Lemon) Primary Class: Witch. Illusion: Deception, Shadow and Trickery are all illusion-focused. I can't believe I forgot mentioning Shadow as an option. For example, while hideous laughter is a great spell for a wizard or sorcerer, a witch has access to the Slumber hex and hold person as a second-level spell, so it is only a marginal improvement over her otherwise available options. Witch Patron in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. You can do any of these things for the cost of some scrolls. In truth, it's never so simple, and how a witch uses her magic is often tied to her personal history. OK, the Ancestors spell pack might work for your group specifically because it's so large, so those group buffs will go further. I've narrowed down the list to a few I am interested in and largely discarded the rest, but my character still exists in a bit of a quantum state and I'd like to ask you guys for advice on what to collapse it to. Because this archetype is dependent on having multiple undead minions, it can cause issues in a normal party. Deception is what I use. Take the trait granting the +2 bonus on initiative checks then the trait granting the +4 bonus on Perception skill checks. I had not looked at oracle in detail at all since I was sold on the witch for this campaign, but this looks very cool and thematically fitting. The abilities aren't particularly great, but you can improve them slightly by taking Improved Familiar and picking a suitably cool familiar. Some patrons are multifaceted, granting different themes and teaching different lessons to different witches. Your patron's theme determines the following. Merfolk (Blood of the Sea pg. Features Replaced: Hex (1st), Patron, Patron Spells, Valid Archetypes: Beast-Bonded, Hedge Witch, Hex Channeler, I support a limited subset of Pathfinder's rules content. The Healing patron provides a lot of spells to remove status effects, but very little actual healing. Also note that many colored items are also links to the Paizo SRD. Select on undead minion within your aura of despair: Your mind transfers into the body of your minion. Can't quite put a finger on why. Time has a few powerful offlist spells and a few less-impressive spells. Why would you give up a list of fantastic abilities for one passable ability? Spells: The Gravewalker's spells give the Witch all of the undead creation and control spells required to be a master of the undead. Most undead-centric spellcasting archetypes are centered around having ever larger groups of undead minions. Time definitely looks great as a complete package but I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of the higher level spells. Consult your GM and your party before introducing mobs of skeletons to the party. Silent Image is mega-cool with some imagination, and both darkness and deeper darkness can really shut down some enemies (also people in the group, but the two spells can be used to isolate some of the enemies for instance). Enchantment adds three great ways to take people out of a fight, but again doesn't have much other than those three spells. A witch must commune with her familiar each day to prepare her spells. Aura of Desecration (Su): The channel boost doesn't matter much, but the increased range for your Deliver Touch Spells ability is exellent. Cookies help us deliver our Services. There is also the feat Witch Knife for patron spells. Here's how it works, step by step: Features Replaced: Familiar, Hex (1st, 4th, 8th), Valid Archetypes: Hex Channeler, Mountain Witch. Edit: after reading your comments, re-reading all the spell descriptions of those patrons on my shortlist and some further consideration, I have discarded all candidates but Shadow and Time for this particular character. Form of the dragon is great, but at about the same time Transformation offers that, Strength is offering giant shape anyway. Valid Archetypes: Beast-Bonded, Gravewalker, Hedge Witch, Sea Witch. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. would fit perfectly with the patron theme) and Disintegrate brutal. It still doesn't excite me. Your minion's conciousness (or whatever serves as "conciousness") is transferred into your Spell Poppet.If your Spell Poppet is destroyed, the effect ends. That's precisely why picking a patron is so hard for me: I'm lacking a specialization. By combining the Hedge Witch and the Healing patron, you can nearly match the healing abilities of the Cleric. Orc (Advanced Race Guide pg. this nice overview that looks at each patron spell-by-spell. For now, just having Fortune makes for a one-size-fits-all buff, with no real need to learn or prepare any other such spells. ... As guides for Pathfinder 2nd Edition get written, they will be stored here. Spirits gives you a lineup of spells for dealing with ghosts and the ethereal plane, while Water gives you a lineup for dealing with aquatic environments; either could be a strong utility option in an appropriate campaign. So I made a witch character styled as a Mwangi vodou bokor for the Skull & Shackles AP we just started. Kind of like an 80s Volvo, unexciting but reliable.I'm not too fond of Commune actually and would rather see it replaced with another thematic spell - but the same is true for pretty much every single patron in one regard or other. Warning though: huge Wall of Text incoming: About This Guide:The existing guides for witches are pretty good, but I found the sections examining the patrons a little light. Features Replaced: Hex (2nd), Patron Spells, Valid Archetypes: Beast-Bonded, Gravewalker, Hedge Witch. There's also a heavy focus on what spell is granted at 18th level, which is fine for some games but not for others. There is no mechanical benefit to that, like making your cackle actually emanate from somewhere else, but it's useful if you needed to throw a bit of misdirection at your enemies. Deliver Touch Spells (Su): This makes melee touch attacks considerably safer to use. The existing witch guides recommend a build and playstyle that is "patron-agnostic" - that is, a witch of any patron can use it effectively. The GM graciously allowed me to choose my patron only upon reaching level 2 since it won't be relevant in game terms until then anyway. ... And you'd get to be a Winter Winter Witch Witch Winter Witch Winter Witch (Patron… Its actual name is up to the GM and the witch to decide. Haste: The lower-level spell that tends to come up a lot talking about witch patrons. This theme describes the forces over which the patron grants a witch influence. Out of the three, I like Deception best, with a variety of handy utilities across the levels. If Hecate is your patron, you could leave her offerings at the cross roads, or start learning the Tarot in Her honour. A wizard's or an arcanist's familiar grants special abilities to its master, but only when the familiar and its master are within one mile of each other. Source: Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide, pg(s). Each patron is listed by its theme. Key Terms. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. The Best Way to Drive your GM Crazy. Ask your GM if he can swap out that spell for a deception-y 4th level spell (of his choice) that isn't on the Witch spell list. But instead, we just sort of do that out the gate since patrons would be a bigger role over the kind of witch you play. Lastly, Water... initially I was planning to make the character a Sea Witch as you may recall, and when I decided against that archetype the Water patron seemed like a foregone conclusion. Light also doesn't focus on blasting until mid-high levels; when it does, it has a strongly anti-undead focus. This can lead to horrific things like a Witch occupying the body of a shadow while she runs around murdering people. Channel Energy (Su): You only have to give up the Hex you gain at 2nd level, but if you want more channel damage, you have to keep giving up Hexes. Trapped Under Ice-Geddy2112's Guide to the Pathfinder Winter Witch Hi Playground, I have been building a Winter Witch, but in building one I have noticed a lack of a guide online. Ancestors kind of looks better and better for some reason. Possess Undead (Sp): Magic Jar is a complicated spell, and this slightly changes the way it works. Empathic Healing (Su): Very situational. Miracle: It's a great spell, no denying it, and Endurance isn't a bad patron as such, but I don't recommend choosing Endurance solely for miracle if the rest of the list's defensive-buffing style doesn't suit your needs. Best, with a variety of handy utilities across the levels the `` purest '' blasting patron you! Battlefield control while providing general utility out of the Cleric buffing: Agility, Strength is offering giant shape.... Pick and why Services or clicking I agree, you probably should have a! Frozen reaches of the ( if not the ) best patron due to shadow conjuration and.... Way ), patron spells 's not people out of a fight, but is of...: situational and needlessly restrictive my pick for the Cauldron Hex chain at this point is too for... 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