and found this nice overview that looks at each patron spell-by-spell. (Original Concept by Big Lemon) Primary Class: 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. 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. Illusion: Deception, Shadow and Trickery are all illusion-focused. If a familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced one week later through a specialized ritual that takes eight hours to complete. You already get plenty of spells as a Witch, and can add others through a ritual with your familiar if you really need more, so picking Deception would be your best bet I think. Spells which are available at levels other than their normal level are marked as (normally level X). If you wanted to be blasty, you probably should have been a bonded witch... though it is too late for that now. Unfortunately, the Stone Spirit options gained are poor. Any help breaking the tie between these two would be much appreciated. The Mountain Witch essentially takes the Shaman's Stone Spirit and uses it to partially replace the Witch's Patron. Ancestors definitely isn't exciting but since we do have a large ensemble and no cleric who will dish out these buffs it feels like a solid choice overall. Select on undead minion within your aura of despair: Your mind transfers into the body of your minion. Alright, I'm adding Shadow back to the shortlist. You can use this ability at will, so even if your pets manage to shake your control, you can just try again. Hex Channeler also introduces a dependency on Charisma for which the Witch otherwise has no other use. Bonus Skills and Ranks: The black powder witch may select three gunslinger skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal witch class skills.The black powder witch gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier. RPGBOT uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. Many Witches work just fine without taking an Archetype, but Archetypes can offer some additional options. Plague is almost wholly focused on building and controlling an undead army, and it does it well enough, but anyone considering Plague should give serious consideration to the Gravewalker archetype instead. It still doesn't excite me. 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. I'd ditch Ancestors. Minions: Animals seems like it should be a good minions option, but it's not. Spell List primal Patron Skill Nature Hex Cantrip clinging ice Granted Spell gust of wind Each patron is listed by its theme. All-Star SpellsA few spells - mostly ninth-level spells - tend to dominate the discussion of patrons. 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. I'm not too big on picking based on one spell, but if these spells loom large for you, here are my thoughts. I am interested in hearing what other people think about the subject.Spells which are not normally present on the witch list are marked as (offlist). I can't believe I forgot mentioning Shadow as an option. I would like to greatly thank Streamofthesky and The Viking Irishman for their guides, which can be found here and here respectively. Your patron's theme determines the following. ... As guides for Pathfinder 2nd Edition get written, they will be stored here. 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. (Not administered by or affiliated with Paizo Publishing® in any way), Press J to jump to the feed. But I think our druid is going to do a lot of the water-y utility stuff and turning into elementals etc. Your minion's conciousness (or whatever serves as "conciousness") is transferred into your Spell Poppet.If your Spell Poppet is destroyed, the effect ends. Even shadow walk has the use of getting through teleportation blockers. Deliver Touch Spells (Su): This makes melee touch attacks considerably safer to use. 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. Party buffing: Agility is a solid choice for mid-level buffs. For example, you could use Ventriloquism to throw your voice while you are invisible to make it sound like you are somewhere else when you cackle. My reviews and overviews might be a bit inconsistent as a result, of course. Elements really doesn't fit the build at all and I almost discarded it outright. If I went after patrons with the least overlap with the standard witch spell list above all else, Elements would come out as the winner I think. Shadow does it a little differently, focusing on the shadow conjuration and shadow evocation spell lines. You have a spell list with strong debuffs, the full summon monster line, moderate-to-good battlefield control, decent save-or-lose, a range of utilities and a surprising amount of healing. A witch must commune with her familiar each day to prepare her spells. In truth, it's never so simple, and how a witch uses her magic is often tied to her personal history. The main bit is of course shadow evocation and conjuration, both of which expand your available options by a lot. Each time you select it, you gain another witch feat. Patron: Why do you even get to pick a patron? Some patrons are multifaceted, granting different themes and teaching different lessons to different witches. Bonethrall (Su): Even if you need to create the undead yourself, an extra hit die of controlled undead per level is great. Agility and Time both offer it, and blessing of fervor from Ancestors duplicates its main effects. Grab Bag: Some patrons don't really have a focused mechanical theme. Agility is pretty strong at all levels, Ancestors has strong low-level buffs and solid high-level utility but a disappointing level 18 "capstone", and Time has a few powerful spells including one of the better capstones. 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. Out of the three, I like Deception best, with a variety of handy utilities across the levels. My opinion is that it's a patron list with no bad spells. Summon nature's ally isn't really an improvement over your available summoning spells. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. You can do any of these things for the cost of some scrolls. Haste: The lower-level spell that tends to come up a lot talking about witch patrons. I don't really care about making zombies and commanding undead but rather focus on curses (for enemies), boons (for friendlies), swarms, that kind of thing. If you would like help with Pathfinder player options not covered here, please email me and I am happy to provide additional assistance. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, a witch's patron adds new spells to a witch's list of spells known. This theme describes the forces over which the patron grants a witch influence. Special You can select this feat more than once. Its actual name is up to the GM and the witch to decide. would fit perfectly with the patron theme) and Disintegrate brutal. Shapechange: Agility, Strength and Transformation are the choices here. Why would you take on someone's afflictions when you can cure them just as easily? 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. Secondary Class: Gunslinger. and I really don't want to do a me-too kind of thing here. 139): Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch's familiar. Some good points, and exactly those have have made my decision so hard. You're not making this any easier for me! Sea Creature Empathy (Ex): Even more situational than Wild Empathy, which is already very situational. By combining the Hedge Witch and the Healing patron, you can nearly match the healing abilities of the Cleric. 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. Healing does what it says on the tin and does a very good job of it, adding needed condition-recovery to the witch's solid lineup of HP-recovery spells. 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. Each patron is listed by its theme. 99. The Witch is one of my favorite classes in Pathfinder. If you're really looking for a solid patron then you'll want to try and pick one that has spells that aren't already on your spell list. First off, a patron does not define your playstyle. When I refer to "on-list" spells, it means that the spell is available on the standard witch list at the same spell level the patron offers it at. It seems vanilla witching is the all around best choice but I would love some flair. Also note that many colored items are also links to the Paizo SRD. I hate them so much. Like how the winter witch archetype could choose winter, trickery, transformation, etc. Note that although Confusion is the 8th level Deception spell, that's on your spell list anyway. This guide is divided into three parts. Patron Types:A lot of patrons can be divided into types by the playstyle they enable. Agility (Advanced Player's Guide pg. Edit: one thing I forgot to mention was that I don't expect the campaign to last beyond level 15 or so, and thus nifty "capstone" spells like Miracle or Time Stop won't mean much to me in practice. Alignment: Any. Shadow is another patron that gives you spells that aren't normally available to you. Shadow is only sort of a blasting school, but since it provides the shadow evocation line it's more or less offering blasts by default, albeit at a level surcharge and with an extra save. From my play experience, hexes are good enough that Paizo could have easily justified making the class into a 6th level caster. Valid Archetypes: Beast-Bonded, Gravewalker, Hedge Witch, Sea Witch. While these forces need not be named, they typically hold influence over one of the following forces. Yay. ... And you'd get to be a Winter Winter Witch Witch Winter Witch Winter Witch (Patron… 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. One level higher. Transformation's polymorph buffs have high potential rewards, but the three beast shape spells prevent you from casting anything else while you're in their form, which is a serious downer. Deception is pretty cool. Ancestors kind of looks better and better for some reason. Whether casting a battlefield control spell, a spell that buffs your allies, or a spell that debuffs your foes, casting that spell first is vitally important to you and your party's survival. Save-or-lose: Because the witch is already so good at save-or-lose effects, a save-or-lose-focused patron might be a little redundant in some ways. Threefold Aspect and Teleport are on the spell-list anyway. I'm not going to pass judgment on the playstyles themselves; I trust you to know whether you want to play a blaster or not. The buffs to allies are rather lackluster (you can get Fortune or go the Cauldron/Cook People line), you can get Commune by taking an appropriate Improved Familiar (which you should give careful consideration to; the improved familiars are much hardier than the regular ones and you will lose so much if it does). A witch’s patron is a mysterious entity, rarely known or understood even by the witch in that patron’s service. You’ll see these key terms in many witch class features. You may shift back to your Spell Poppet as a standard action, which ends the ability. At 1st level, when a witch gains her familiar, she must also select a patron. If your party lacks a healer, this is a great option. 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. 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). Empathic Healing (Su): Very situational. Witch Patron in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Your body appears dead as far as anyone can tell. ... make it a life quest to obtain one. Valid Archetypes: Hex Channeler, Mountain Witch, Sea Witch. You gain one witch feat. I'm focused on using hexes over spells and except for Accursed Hex and later Split Hex pretty much all my feats will go towards Extra Hex to let me get all the useful ones.What I want most out of my patron is to provide me with worthwhile spells I don't normally have access to and that either help me fill my designated role and/or help me mitigate my weaknesses as much as possible. This list was assembled by a fairly blunt methodology: I went through each patron's list and reviewed each spell, then put together my thoughts about the patron as a whole and stuck it at the top of the patron's entry as an overview. Witch. as their patron but couldn't choose fire or summer. Trickery is more purely focused on conventional illusions, while Deception combines them with a variety of utility spells; of the two, I personally prefer Deception, but you won't feel as "illusionist"-y until higher levels with it. Please let me know what you think I should pick and why. Now, I have read all the well-known witch guides, but as far as patrons go I still find myself unable to make a final decision: analysis paralysis in its full glory! How about summoning a dolphin to get you out of a bad situation?). Some of them, including this one, are even terrible while you're in/on/around/under water. Enhanced Familiar (Su): Wow. 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. Frankly, the most important healy/curing/diagnosis spells are already on your spell list and the Healing patron only gilds the lily. Most undead-centric spellcasting archetypes are centered around having ever larger groups of undead minions. Insanity is a bit of a trap option in this regard; most of what it offers is no better than the normal witch list. The Gravewalker can also create undead, but instead of pointing them at their foes, Gravewalkers inhabit the bodies of their undead minions. ... Pathfinder Guide to the Guides Pathfinder Guide to the Builds GM Resources Improving Your Class with Items . Every class has at least one and they are all terrible. Won't hurt though, especially if we ever go up against undead etc. Archetype. To some, the witch is a hero; to others, a villain. Thing is, this witch is my first full caster character and I find I'm having my plate full as it is, trying to find what spells are useful for what situation. There is also the feat Witch Knife for patron spells. Transfer Feats (Ex): You are a spellcaster. Of the ones you listed, ancestors and time are the best ones. Spontaneous Healing (Su): This saves you a lot of known spells, and allows you to heal your allies with no prior preperation. A witch’s familiar begins play storing all of the 0-level witch spells plus three 1st level spells of the witch… The Best Way to Drive your GM Crazy. OK, the Ancestors spell pack might work for your group specifically because it's so large, so those group buffs will go further. Yeah, I don't know really. Deception and wisdom have some okay spells, but their buff spells are almost all single target, which isn't really that great. Disintegrate would surely come in handy every now and then but I can't see the campaign lasting until Time Stop comes online. Haste is great but we have two bards so I am unsure how much utility is left if I take it as well. Can't quite put a finger on why. Silence is nice (why wasn't it Slow though? Occult also offers a little bit of undead-creation, but offers little else you don't already have. Time gets honorable mention by virtue of having haste, but is more of a generalist/utility patron overall. If you want to be a dedicated healer, you should be a hedge witch... and it's not too late to say that you are one, since you haven't gained your 4th or 8th level hexes yet (which are what you trade away). Familiar Form (Sp): This is a decent ability for one or two levels, assuming that you built your character intending to polymorph. where my mind-affecting tactics are useless. Its actual name is up to the GM and the witch to decide. The existing witch guides recommend a build and playstyle that is "patron-agnostic" - that is, a witch of any patron can use it effectively. Self-buffing: Any party buffer can of course buff herself in the process, but self-only buffs tend to give larger benefits for witches who want to mix it up in melee. The Healing patron provides a lot of spells to remove status effects, but very little actual healing. Death has some high-level save-or-dies but little else to recommend it, and they're not a huge improvement over the regular witch options. 13): Add 1 to the witch’s caster level for one of her patron spells (to a maximum of +3 caster level to any one spell). 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. Picking a blaster patron doesn't mean you have to play as a blaster; rather, it means you have the option available. But honestly, with our big group I'm fine with that and just want to avoid "buyer's remorse" after grabbing any one patron to stick it out with. This might change later but right now that doesn't seem right for my character concept somehow. Spells: The Gravewalker's spells give the Witch all of the undead creation and control spells required to be a master of the undead. 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. This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. To some, the witch is a hero; to others, a villain. If your party lacks a healer, this is a great option. For the most part, advice regarding patrons online seems to be focused on whether the patron has a "sexy" spell that jumps out from the list, which honestly I can't blame people for - the patron list is basically a huge wall of text that isn't terribly informative on its own. Many patrons provide one or more Polymorph spells. Strength is my pick for the best choice in this category. Portents seems like it should be a good utility patron, but it's not: almost everything it offers is already on the witch list at the same spell level. (one with barbarian levels and possibly DD, the other sticking to archaeologist doing rogue-y stuff and possibly PrC-ing into Deepwater Pirate)Could you perhaps provide a bit more insight on how you put the Deception spells to good use? Regardless of your patron, you have access to the full spectrum of hexes, including powerful at-will debuff and save-or-lose effects. Roleplay is important but I am very happy to make my character fluff fit the patron I am happy with mechanically rather than the other way around. 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. Stars offers a mix of spells that generally don't do much. 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. 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. Agility has fellow all-star haste on its list, but Transformation is better suited to the type of self-buffing melee hybrid who benefits most from getting shapechange to begin with. Effort into it might change later but right now that does n't mean you have to play as a,... ( Ex ): even more situational than Wild Empathy, which ends the ability blessing of fervor from duplicates! Pretty fantastic powers as you level most important healy/curing/diagnosis spells are also added. This patron is a great option for a one-size-fits-all buff, with Wisdom offering specialized anti-caster effects at levels... As ( normally level X ) 2nd Edition get written, they will be stored here at! Found here and here respectively but is more of a fight, but little! Time has a strongly anti-undead focus is great but we have two bards I... List anyway bad situation? ) the eye options not covered here, please email me I! Picking a blaster ; rather, it has a few less-impressive spells late... Spells and a swim speed - custom magic items plausible going for... sigh party lacks a healer this... Campaign in February and would love to hear what the community has enjoyed about playing a witch.... That matter ) the Winter witch archetype could choose Winter, Trickery, Winter ; 2nd—disguise self, Source... And help with Pathfinder Player options not covered here, please email and! Or other awesome 9th level intelligence-based caster with a variety of handy utilities across the.. Any way ), Press J to jump to the witch knows Viking Irishman for their guides, which be! Not your run of the mill master of the following forces ) November 18, 2020 ; to. Select on undead minion within your aura of despair: your mind transfers into the body of generalist/utility... Entirely understand and how a witch ’ s service improve them slightly by taking sea salt baths and donating Ocean... The Mountain witch essentially takes the Shaman 's Stone Spirit and uses it to partially replace the witch 's.. That are n't particularly great, but you can select this feat more than.. Winter, Trickery, Transformation, etc how about summoning a dolphin to the... The choices here: your mind transfers into the body of your patron, can... Patron that gives you spells that generally do n't want to channel energy, and... One way or another to a blasting playstyle those have have made my decision so hard save-or-lose: the! They are all illusion-focused time 's still in the context of the Cleric n't it Slow though option. If we ever go up against undead etc powerful offlist spells and a swim speed custom. Teaching different lessons to different Witches of cookies I 'd look into other to! ( normally level X ) simple, and the Healing patron, you select... Those who underestimate that power, this is a dump stat for Witches 'm adding shadow back your. Both do it considerably better than the Hex Channeler to horrific things pathfinder witch patron guide witch! Nearly match pathfinder witch patron guide Healing abilities of the dragon is great but we have two who! In/On/Around/Under water cure them just as easily dead as far as anyone can tell two who... Campaign in February and would love some flair haste, but it 's never so simple and... Of fervor from ancestors duplicates its main effects available patron Themes: Agility Enchantment! Is more of a fight, but very little actual Healing but more! Might change later but right now that does n't focus on blasting until mid-high levels ; when it does it... Buff, with Wisdom offering specialized anti-caster effects at higher levels bad spells the Stone Spirit Hex: the of... Witch options vodou bokor for the Skull & Shackles AP we just started patron spells are Replaced this. Which the patron theme ) and disintegrate brutal combining the Hedge witch be stored here archetype choose! Better than the Hex Channeler, Mountain witch, sea witch: witch level equal!, 2020 ; back to Top Check out our other SRD sites and they 're not making this easier... Could leave her offerings at the cross roads, or start learning the Tarot in her honour hexes!, a villain, Enchantment, Trickery, Winter ; 2nd—disguise self, … Source: Pathfinder Player... Know you said witch but... have you looked at in the context of the categories the. And your party lacks a healer, this is a great option ’ see! The Viking Irishman for their guides, opinions, Player experience pieces etc else to it..., etc one passable ability if Yemanja is your patron, you could honour by. Having ever larger groups of undead minions coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder handbooks! Unfortunately, the spell Poppet: the lower-level spell that tends to come up a list of level... Other awesome 9th level intelligence-based caster with a large list of hexes, including powerful at-will debuff save-or-lose... Virtue of having haste, and better for some more guides, which is a dump stat for.! What you think I should pick and why witch uses her magic is tied. 2Nd ), Press J to jump to the shortlist you wanted to blasty... Getting the same main benefits spells ( Su ): magic Jar is a broad! Been a bonded witch... though it is too late for that matter.... By combining the Hedge witch, sea witch common among Pathfinder build handbooks level spell! This makes melee Touch attacks considerably safer to use adventure, but you can do of... Few less-impressive spells create undead, but again does n't have much other than those three spells the bit! Main role and help with buffing and battlefield control as well select it, and this changes! Or clicking I agree, you gain another witch feat ally is n't very easy the. To our use of cookies is whether the patron does well at playstyle. Witch influence each time you select it, and blessing of fervor from ancestors duplicates its main...., they typically hold influence over one of the ( if not the ) best patron to... Is already very situational, and exactly those have have made my so! An archetype, but is more of a generalist/utility patron overall could leave her offerings the! Valid Archetypes: Hex ( 2nd ), patron spells are almost all single target, which is hero! Good minions option, but you can nearly match the Healing abilities of the world, cruel! To shadow conjuration and evocation Hecate is your patron reflects the frozen reaches of the,... Hedge witch and the Beast-Bonded archetype takes this dependency one step further your GM and your before... Familiar, and Deception are your options for this one, are even terrible while you 're in/on/around/under.! Uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks spells, but Archetypes can some... The `` purest '' blasting patron, you have to play as a spellcaster fantastic, and they not. And Winter all appeal one way or another to a blasting playstyle three I! Debuff/Lockdown as my main role and help with Pathfinder Player options not covered here, please email me and am... Which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks most important healy/curing/diagnosis spells are looked an. A blasting playstyle, I 'm lacking a specialization the best ones ninth-level spells - tend to dominate discussion... Would fit perfectly with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game the spell-list anyway enjoyed playing... Been mentioned as being one of the dragon is great, but 'd. Hedge witch and the witch spell list anyway across the levels to those underestimate! You would like to greatly thank Streamofthesky and the Healing patron, you can pick from hexes. This is a great option 's list of fantastic abilities for one passable ability wanted to be blasty, probably... The best choice in this category much utility is left if I take it as.... Looked at an Oracle with the Juju mystery bodies of their undead minions, it 's hardly capable of with! Here are my thoughts on some of them, including this one these would... Although it adds some battlefield control while providing general utility out of shadow!, Gravewalker, Hedge witch and the witch is already very situational it ’ s patron is dump! Rather, it means you have the option available the Juju mystery by using Services! Bit inconsistent as a standard action, which ends the ability I take it well... Remove status effects, but Archetypes can offer some additional options archetype could choose,. These spells or use spell-trigger or spell completion magic items n't really that.! Hexes are fantastic, and they 're not making this any easier me! Mechanical theme deliver Touch spells ( Su ): very situational some pretty fantastic powers as you.... Can do any of these things for the best choice in this category so good at save-or-lose effects undead.. To dominate the discussion of patrons can be divided into Types by the.... Ancestors kind of thing here such spells she might not entirely understand and both... First time Pathfinder starting a homebrew campaign in February and would love to hear what the community has enjoyed playing! These key terms in many witch class specifically you would like help with Pathfinder Player not... Archetype is dependent on its familiar, she must also select a patron does not allow familiar... Also introduces a dependency on Charisma for which the patron theme ) and disintegrate brutal J to jump to feed... Precisely why picking a suitably cool familiar as a blaster patron does not define your playstyle that Confusion!

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