[PF] Soulmarked Witch

sparkletwist · February 13, 2014, 11:28:25 PM

[ooc=What's the point of this?]I wanted an evil Witch archetype that included some of the Antipaladin's corruption and general nastiness, while still allowing the character to primarily be a Witch. The tattoos are mainly just because I think that would look cool.[/ooc]
Soulmarked Witch

Soulmarked witches can be easily identified by those familiar with arcane spellcasting due to the way they manifest ornate (and often quite visually striking) tattoos, but this marking of their flesh is but a faint reflection of the marking on their souls left by the unholy power that surges within them.

A Soulmarked witch is an archetype of the Witch class and has the following class features:

Aura of Evil: A Soulmarked witch emanates an aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) equal to her witch level. A paladin who uses smite evil on a Soulmarked witch deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack.

Hex Tattoos: Whenever a Soulmarked witch learns a hex, a new tattoo manifests on her body to represent the hex.

Soulmarked Hexes: A Soulmarked witch cannot take the Aura of Purity or Healing hexes. Instead, she can also choose these hexes:
- Aura of Corruption (Su): The witch radiates an aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a -4 penalty to saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear do not take this penalty, but they lose their immunity while within the radius.
At 10th level, this ability expands to include a -2 penalty to all saves; this penalty does not stack with the above penalty, but creatures immune to fear who lost their immunity must now make their saves at a -2 penalty.
This ability only functions while the witch is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
- Command Undead (Su): The witch can channel negative energy in order to control the undead, as though she were an evil cleric with the Command Undead feat.
She cannot channel energy except to control undead unless she gains it from another source. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier, with a save DC of 10 + 1/2 witch level + Charisma modifier.

Familiar Tattoo (Su): Unlike most familiars, a Soulmarked witch's familiar can transform itself into a tattoo that she carries in her flesh. Transforming into a tattoo or back to normal familiar form is a move action for her familiar. In tattoo form, the familiar looks like a stylized version of itself, but does not count as a creature separate from the Soulmarked witch. In tattoo form it continues to grant its special familiar ability, but otherwise has no abilities and can take no actions except to transform from tattoo into creature. A familiar tattoo cannot be erased or dispelled. The witch can prepare her spells either with the familiar attached to herself or moving about separately.
This ability otherwise functions like and replaces the standard witch familiar.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a Soulmarked witch can use detect good, as the spell. She can, as a move action, concentrate on a single Item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the witch does not detect good in any other object or individual within range.
This ability replaces the witch's 1st level hex. A tattoo symbolizing this ability still manifests, though.

Unholy Spells: A Soulmarked witch does not gain patron spells as normal. Rather, when she would gain a patron spell (i.e., at every even level) she may choose to learn any spell from the Antipaladin spell list of a level that she can cast.
If the spell has both a Witch level and an Antipaladin level, the spell's level for her its its level for a Witch; otherwise, the spell's level is the same spell level as it would be for an Antipaladin.
She still prepares and casts the spell as an arcane spell, though, and it is otherwise treated as any other spell she knows. Spells requiring a divine focus are instead treated as requiring inexpensive material components.
Past spell level 4, she can choose from the following spells:
- Level 5: contagion (greater), insect plague, summon monster V, unhallow
- Level 6: antimagic field, create undead, plague storm, summon monster VI
- Level 7: creeping doom, finger of death, summon monster VII, vortex
- Level 8: create greater undead, prediction of failure, summon monster VIII, vinetrap
- Level 9: shapechange, summon monster IX, time stop, wail of the banshee

Plague Bringer (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Soulmarked witch does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases. She can still contract diseases if she chooses to, and spread them to others, but she is otherwise immune to their effects.
This ability replaces the witch's 4th level hex. As before, a tattoo symbolizing this ability still manifests.

Steerpike · February 13, 2014, 11:37:46 PM

Sweeeet I am so using this. The familiar tattoo is especially awesome.

LordVreeg · February 14, 2014, 05:28:30 PM

i, too, dig that tattoo familiar. awesome idea and visual.

sparkletwist · February 14, 2014, 05:48:24 PM

I wish I could take credit for the Familiar Tattoo, but it is pretty much 90% the same as something found in an extant Sorcerer archetype.
The flavor seems to match up better with this Witch, in my opinion, though... so I'll take credit for that, I guess. :grin:

Xathan · February 14, 2014, 10:39:14 PM

I'll second that the flavor is much better for this Witch than it is for the Sorcerer! I feel like this is balanced against existing things and would be for a wonderfully thematic villain or anti-hero.

I did come up with a question, though: no where does the class require the witch to be evil. Is that deliberate? I kinda of like it if it is, since it's a nice subversion of expectations, and you shouldn't need to actually be evil to have your soul marked with it.

Gamer Printshop · February 15, 2014, 11:09:57 AM

Looks good, I could see this in play. Also, Rite Publishing released a Kaidan supplement, Way of the Yakuza which has a tattoo wizard archetype, the horimyo, which feature a tattoo familiar as well. (Link points to this archetype at d20pfsrd.com)

sparkletwist · February 15, 2014, 03:39:53 PM

Thanks!

Quote from: XathanI did come up with a question, though: no where does the class require the witch to be evil. Is that deliberate? I kinda of like it if it is, since it's a nice subversion of expectations, and you shouldn't need to actually be evil to have your soul marked with it.

There is some expectation that the character will be evil, or at least do evil things-- the odds of a lawful good soulmarked witch are pretty low. But I don't really like mechanical alignment restrictions on classes, so I didn't want to impose them.

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