Spirit Witch (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

A spirit witch interacts directly with her patron, rather than using a familiar as an intermediary.

Class Abilities

Spellcasting

A spirit witch casts arcane spells drawn primarily from the witch spell list . She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a spirit witch must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a spirit witch's spell is 10 + the spell level + the spirit witch's Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a spirit witch can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. A spirit witch does not use the spells per day from Table: the witch. Instead, her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: spirit witch. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

A spirit witch's selection of spells is extremely limited. A spirit witch begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new spirit witch level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: spirit witch. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a spirit witch knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on Table: spirit witch are fixed.)To gain new spells, the witch enters communion with the patron and negotiates the powers the witch will be able to use from now on. Normally, the patron grants exactly the spells the spirit witch wants, but see the patron agent familiar section below for an exception.

The spirit witch automatically learns the spells granted by her patron as soon as she is able to cast them. This is in addition to the "spells known" from Table: spirit witch.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered spirit witch level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a spirit witch can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the spirit witch loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A spirit witch may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a normal witch, a spirit witch need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.

Patron Agent Familiar

A spirit witch does not use her familiar when preparing spells. Instead, the familiar is an agent of the patron, sent to keep track of the witch and keep her in line. The ultimate loyalty of the familiar is to the patron, and it can be a constant nagging reminder to a witch that it feels is straying from the patron's ideals. If the familiar feels the witch has betrayed the patron, it might turn hostile and betray her in various ways. It has no control over the witch's powers, but can alert her enemies, share her secrets, and otherwise work to counter her ambitions in various ways. When the spirit witch advances in level, the patron asks the familiar to report on the activities of the witch. If the familiar gives a bad report, the witch might not be allowed to select the spells she wants or might be denied new spells altogether. If the familiar's reports that the witch is a traitor, the patron will deny the increase in power and the spirit witch cannot advance in power until she makes up with the familiar.

This is otherwise as the normal witches familiar.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Arcane school