Witch core class (revamped bard)

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Major update posted, incorporating your suggestions and removing light armor proficiency (finally, LOL).

 

[Crothian]

It's looking really good. So, that only means I have more suggestions that means more work for you.

Familiars: I think it's add flavor if the witch's familiars worked a little different then the typical wizard's. I don't have any specific suggestions, yet. Hmm....Raven, instead of being able to speak a language, the witch gets animate dead (or some other necromancy spell) once a day. The reason being ravens and crows aare traditionally associated with the dead. Cat, instead of bonus to move silently, the ability of low light vision. You can also change the powers the familiars get as the witch gains levels. Instead of scry, the witch can see and hear what the familiar sees and hears.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

That seems like a bit of work and might be unbalancing...

 

[Crothian]

No doubt it would be work. One would have to come up with weaker abilities to keep it balance. However, since a toad gives +2 to con, I think you have more room to work with then you might think. THe cat suggestion I think is a fair trade, for instance. But, it's you're class this is only a suggestion.

 

[wolfpunk]

I like the idea of alternate abilities for the familiars. I am thinking it could be lots of different things. Perhaps a raven familiar would add a +2 bonus to your necromancy spells DCs, thereby making it harder to resist those spells. I think the cat granting low light vision would be an excellent choice as well. A spider could confer a poison bite attack, or spider climb once per day.

Perhaps it would help if we compiled a small list of the most likely familiars and then derived powers from that list. That way if you take a witch affiliated familiar you get a special bonus, but if you take a normal familiar the bonus is as the traditional type of familiar.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

WITCH FAMILIARS (optional)

Ant or other harmless Fine size bug: +2 Strength
Bat: Blindfight feat
Beetle (scarab)/Cockroach: +1 natural armor bonus
Cat: Low-light vision
Centipede: Expeditious Retreat 1/day as sorcerer of class level.
Hawk: +2 to Spot skill checks
Owl: +2 to Will saves
Rat: +2 Fortitude saves
Raven: +1 DC to Necromancy spells
Scorpion (desert climates only): +4 to saves vs. poison
Snake, tiny (non-poisonous): +2 to Reflex saves
Spider: Spider climb 1/day as sorcerer of class level.
Tarantula: +4 to Intimidate skill checks
Toad: +2 Constitution

 

[Crothian]

I like the optional witch familiars. I think it helps to seperate the differences between the normal arcane casters and the witch. Good Job!!

 

[wolfpunk]

That is exactly the sort of list I was thinking of. Each ability is a little bit different, not too much of an advantage, but keeping true to the idea of making the witch a bit different. Good job, I like.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Those were just off the top of my head, LOL. Glad you like 'em. I think they seem reasonably balanced compared to the "core" familiars (some of which suck anyway, so I would've given them a bit of a boost regardless of who picked them).

 

[Crothian]

I'm running out of suggestions for this class. Any one actually make one up and see how it looks?