Hexes of Distinction
Hello everyone and welcome to another exciting edition of Best in Class, where each week we bring you new and exciting archetypes, prestige classes, and class features. Some of you may have noticed that we very rarely do new archetypes for certain classes, and one of those classes is the witch. Personally, I’ve always liked the witch class, and indeed witches in general, and so I decided it was time to show the witch some love. In the past we’ve made an archetype and a new patron for witches, but one thing we haven’t done (at least not here on the website) is provide new hexes. Below you’ll find a handful of cool new witch hexes to improve your witching experience. If you’re looking for more hexes, be sure to check out one of our classic releases A Necromancer's Grimoire: Secrets of the Witch, which you can still pick up for a very reasonable price.
New Hexes
Fire Scrying (Su): The witch can stare into a blazing fire in order to view a creature remotely. This ability functions like the spell clairaudience/clairvoyance, except that the witch must provide a description of the creature she wishes to view, and the witch can only view that character and his immediate surroundings (provided the target is within range). When the witch uses this ability, the targeted creature may make a Will save, which, if successful, causes the hex to fail. The witch may attempt the hex again, but cannot target the same creature for 24 hours. If the description includes the target’s name, the target suffers a -4 penalty on his saving throw. The witch can use this hex for a number of minutes per day equal to her witch level. This time need not be consecutive, but must be spent in 1-minute intervals.
At 9th level, this ability functions like the spell scrying, except as outlined above.
At 15th level,this ability functions like the spell greater scrying, except as outlined above.
Ghost Fire (Su): The witch creates a 5-foot square of pale heatless fire. Ghost fire is always pale blue or sickly green (the witch can choose its color each time she uses the hex) and gives off bright light of the same color within a 30-foot radius. Though the flames are heatless and deal no damage to characters standing in them, they do grant concealment and cause intense discomfort, forcing characters entering or beginning their turn in the flame-filled square to succeed on Will save or be shaken for 1 round. Even though the area illuminated by the flames is bright light, as long as the witch is within 30 feet of the square affected by the hex, she can use the Stealth skill to hide, even if she is being observed. If she is being observed, she suffers a -20 penalty on the Stealth check. The flames last for a number of rounds equal to the witch’s level, and the witch can have no more than one 5-foot square of ghost fire per four witch levels she possesses (rounded down, minimum 1).
At 8th level, the witch can move any and all flames created by this hex up to 30 feet as a move action. If she does, the flames disappear from their current location and instantly reappear in the chosen destination. If she has created multiple separate flames, she chooses a new location for each one, each of which must be within 30 feet of where it began. She cannot move the flames into an occupied square.
Ward Door (Su): The witch draws a symbol representative of her patron upon a door with charcoal or another substance, and it becomes difficult for creatures to pass through that door. Any character attempting to open the door must succeed on a Will save or find himself unable to do so. Additionally, warded doors gain damage reduction and fire resistance equal to the witch’s level; this damage reduction cannot be overcome by any means. Further, if the door has a lock, the DC to disable it is increased by 5. Finally, characters attempting to pass through the door by other means, such as by teleportation magic or becoming incorporeal, must succeed on a Will save or find themselves unable to do so (spells such as teleportation simply fail to work, incorporeal creatures remain incorporeal, but are unable to pass through the door or surrounding wall, etc.). This ability only applies to magical attempts to bypass the door, and attempts to access the other side from another door or window are unimpeded.
These wards last for 1 hour per level, though the symbol remains until removed by mundane means (removing the symbol does not end the ward’s effect). The witch can maintain a number of these wards equal to her Intelligence modifier, plus 1 for every four witch levels she possesses.
New Major Hex
Body Swap (Su): The witch can exchange her soul and the soul of another humanoid creature that has fewer Hit Dice than she does, effectively trading consciousnesses. This hex functions like the spell magic jar, except that no focus is required, as the target’s soul is transferred into the witch’s body. Each day the witch remains in the target’s body, it becomes warped and unravels, suffering 1 point of Strength and Constitution damage. This ability damage cannot be healed as long as the witch remains in the target’s body, even by magical means, but heals normally once the effect ends. If the witch dies while her soul inhabits the target’s body, she dies, and the target lives on in the witch’s body. If the target dies while in the witch’s body, the target returns immediately to his own body, regardless of distance, and the witch’s soul is displaced, effectively killing her. The witch must be in her own body to use this ability. The witch may only use this hex once per week, but can remain in the target’s body indefinitely.