#beast-bonded

(art by SirTiefling on DeviantArt)

Ah yes, the first witch archetype I did here on the blog. In the original entry I was so excited to talk about the witch class as a whole that I barely talked about the archetype at all.

In any case, the Beast-Bonded Witch!

It’s no secret that witches have especially strong bonds with their familiars, only rivaled perhaps by shamans. After all, these practitioners of the old ways depend on their familiar to store their spells and provide a link between them and their patron.

However, there are those that take this a bit further, developing the magical bond between them and their familiar for various benefits, changing their familiar and in turn having their familiar change them as well.

Such mages might carry symbols or wear clothing that evokes the species or family that their familiar belongs to, while others are more subtle in that regard. Either way, there’s no denying how strong the bond between them is.

Sometimes, These mystics might prefer if their little companion learns new techniques instead of themselves, and some of the beast-bonded do just that, sacrificing their own capacity for growth to infuse the knowledge of new techniques into the magical bond that already grants the familiar intelligence beyond it’s own species. Of course, if the familiar dies, the witch can choose to reclaim said capacity if they so desire.

Their strong bond also somewhat accelerates the development of the normal powers and enhancements that familiars gain.

Just as their familiar grows, the nature of the familiar affects the witch in kind. As such, these witches learn how to shapeshift into forms associated with their familiar. This is not limited to the same exact species as the familiar, but anything else in the same clade. A beast-bonded witch with a cat familiar, for example, might shapeshift into a lion, tiger, or panther, for example.

At greater levels of mastery, their bond becomes so strong that the familiar and witch alike can serve as a vessel for the other when one dies or is near death, allowing the practitioner to perhaps save themselves with a healing hex from within the familiar, or the two souls to flee the battlefield to seek aid in resurrecting the fallen one elsewhere.

There are also some recommendations for hexes with this archetype, including those that let them charm animal and humanoid alike, bolster their familiar or look through it’s senses, speak with animals, provide wards, and even curse foes with a lesser animal form.

This is a fun and thematic archetype offering ways to make the duo of witch and familiar even stronger. With the built-in beast shape, the witch has access to potentially several forms for scouting or combat, making stealth and combat viable things to consider, though I’d also like to recommend lots of fun animal-themed spells like baleful polymorph and whatnot.

Some witches might use their familiars as a mere proxy for their patron, and that may suit them depending on the nature of their patron. Not so with these practitioners. Their bond demands that they have a proper relationship with their familiar, so definitely take some time to explore what that may be.

Gnak Skin-wearer is a cruel old man, betrothed to a patron of transformation, the Lady of Many Shapes. He is rumored to be able to take the shape of many beasts, but his favorites are those of cats. Townsfolk tell their children not to go near his one-eyed cat when it wanders into town, but no one dares to harm it, though they won’t say why.

Throughout her life, Irma of Canenbow has had to fight for her survival, cast out for her tiefling heritage. This anger attracted the attention of her patron, a spirit of vengeance who granted her the retaliatory ferocity of her pet snapping turtle, Dymblewyrd.

Sorry for being a bit late. Its fall break at my university, so I was headed home. But anyway, let’s get right into it with our very first witch archetype.

  The witch class is one of my favorites of the new classes introduced in Advanced Player’s Guide. It’s a full 1st to 9th spell caster class with an entirely different spell list, blending a mix of arcane damage dealing, as well as buffs, debuffs, control, and so on, even including healing spells.This makes witches excellent supporters and battlefield manipulators. Each witch also has a set of hexes, an array of primitive magical boons and powers granted by the witch’s patron. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the witch is their familiar, which serves as both a living spellbook of sorts and a conduit between the witch and the patron spirit. This part of the witch class is what the beast-bonded witch focuses on, blurring the line between animal and humanoid.

  This archetype is very focused on the bond between witch and familiar, strengthening both with the power granted by the other. The witch can choose to transfer feats they learn to their familiar, making for much more versatile and viable familiar builds. The bond further boost the power of the familiar, making it slightly stronger than the familiars of equal-level witches. Later, the witch can temporarily take on forms of the same animal family as their familiar, making the choice of which familiar to take much more profound than a mere skill or save bonus. Perhaps the most potent beast-bond ability is the ability of either bond member to transfer their soul into their partner’s body if they are near death, giving one the chance to save the other, truly solidifying their bond, two becoming one. All in all, this archetype certainly forces the player to treat their familiar as an actual character, rather than a barely-remembered class feature. Building a character that focuses on the familiar will certainly be tricky. Fortunately, the archetype supplies a list of suggestions for hexes you can take. I highly recommend things like Beast of Ill Omen and Beast Eyes, allowing the familiar to act as a debuffer and spy.

  One might imagine that the enhanced bond between witch and familiar might imply a strong bond with the patron as well, and indeed, perhaps each patron has an animal it favors as its familiar, especially if said animal is associated with the concept behind the patron, such as rats and pestilence, or bats and shadow.

    Gnak Skin-wearer is a cruel old man, betrothed to a patron of transformation, the Lady of Many Shapes. He is rumored to be able to take the shape of many beasts, but his favorites are those of cats. Townsfolk tell their children not to go near his one-eyed cat when it wanders into town, but no one dares to harm it, though they won’t say why.

  Throughout her life, Irma of Canenbow has had to fight for her survival, cast out for her tiefling heritage. This anger attracted the attention of her patron, a spirit of vengeance who granted her the retaliatory ferocity of her pet snapping turtle, Dymblewyrd.