#patron theme

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Today we have another First on the blog, this one being a case where a class feature got renamed and altered slightly with the Pathfinder 2E Remaster that has now come out. With that in mind I’ll probably do a special at some point featuring any changes that came to 2E features that have notable changes which I’ve already covered.

In any case, today we’re looking at another witch patron, namely those that govern fate, though they are also known as Spinners of Fate in the remaster.

Fate is a fickle thing, and one that is utterly unknowable for most mortals aside from a few glimpses here and there and educated guesses.

It’s only natural, then, that there would be those who seek knowledge of the future and that which is beyond the mortal ken, either for oneself or to help others either achieve their destiny or avoid it (or at least mitigate the worst of a dark fate).

And so, some witches seek out, or are contacted by patrons of fate. Such beings might be beings known for their power over prophecy, such as norns, or they might be minor divinities or the servants of higher divinities that govern fate and prophecy, such as Pharasma, Grandmother Spider, Shyka the Many, Madgh, and so on.

Such witches might be fortune-tellers using their power to ply their trade, or they might seek to be advisors of powerful leaders of allies, or venture off on their own in search of their own destiny!

As one might expect, these witches and their patrons favor the divination side of things, gathering information as well as those lovely luck buffs and even unluck debuffs on enemies, so they certainly have a lot of potential to fulfill their destinies.

Naturally, their focus on the secrets of fate and fortune means that these patrons offer magic of the occult discipline, which does offer a lot of divination magic and fortune effects.

The basic hex taught by these patrons allows the mage to subtly nudge fate, turning a failure on the edge of a knife into a success.

Their other spell in their baseline arsenal lets them see into the immediate future and strike true against foes.

The Revised version of the patron also grants an additional ability as the familiar itself gains an auspicious mark which either looks lucky or like an ill omen depending on the situation, bolstering allies when you cast helpful hexes, or making foes more vulnerable to your hostile hexes.

The following witch feats could prove useful to a fate witch: Cackle, Counterspell, Basic Lesson (Lesson of Calamity), Chaotic Spell, Spirit Familiar, Major Lesson (Renewal), Familiar’s Eyes, Siphon Power, and Patron’s Truth, though obviously, others might appeal to you.

Like all patron, this option is fairly basic, relying on you to fill out the rest to fit the theme or diverge from it. However, this theme is great for those that seek to debuff the heck out of foes with misfortune effects and buff themselves and allies with fortune.

I’ve mentioned this a lot before, but how your character views the concepts of fate and fortune go a long way towards describing their relationship with their patron and how they view the world. Do they believe everything is ordained and seeing the future only helps one achieve it, or do they believe things can be changed?

It’s easy to assume an ifrit kobold would be some sort of pyromancer, but Pikan instead uses his understanding of flame as a focus for divination magics, under the tutelage of a spirit he calls the Branching Candle. He doesn’t, however, speak of how he forged a pact with such a being.

Recent reports speak of a group of warriors that adorn their armor in bones and waylay travelers through the valley. Further investigation reveals that they revere death and severed threads of fate, and that their leader is some sort of witch that delights in ruining the destinies of others through death and destitution.

(art by gnigi on DeviantArt)

 Curses are by nature malevolent. They are vindictiveness manifested into magic. While plenty of spells can provide temporary debilitation that weakens the body and mind, a true curse imbeds in the soul like a splinter, lingering there.

With that in mind, the sort of entities that could be classified as “curse patrons” to an aspiring witch are, while not necessarily totally evil, not exactly good either. They might be fiends that delight in suffering like demons or divs, or they might be powerful fey or nature spirits that believe that slights cannot go unanswered.

Some might espouse measured responses, but these are likely few and far between, both because of the nature of the power they advocate, and because the sort of witches that would seek out such a patron are not looking for a measured response. They want their foes to suffer.

Indeed, the witches with these patrons often have tragic backstories of being downtrodden, having the life they had before taken from them, or perhaps having had a rough life from the start that cultivated a vicious disposition.

Not to say they cannot also be healers, but when wronged, their punishment is swift, terrible, and often thematically appropriate to the nature of the slight.

Certainly these mages are not to be crossed lightly, but having one on your side can help you tear down even the mightiest of foes.

 As one might expect, these patrons grant access to the occult spell list, which has plenty of curses and debuffs to fill out your arsenal, as well as other spells that prove useful for benevolence or control.

They also gain thematic magic, namely the ability to frighten foes with the glare of their evil eye, as well as a ray that weakens the body.

Of course, plenty of witch feats suit this theme well, such as Cackle, Counterspell, Basic Lesson (Lesson of Calamity or Vengeance), Conceal Spell, Greater Lesson (Lesson of Shadow), Major Lesson (Lesson or Bargains or Death), Reflect Spell, Rites of Transfiguration, or Split Hex. Of course, other feats may also appeal to you.

As you might imagine, this patron theme lends itself heavily to the character focusing on debuffs, controlling enchantments, and of course, flat-out laying semi-permanent curses on your foes. With that in mind, I recommend a spell selection focusing on that, but regardless of how deep you go into it, definitely consider picking up beneficial spells too, to give allies and potential customers of your services a reason to keep you around.

 You can probably already imagine a witch character with this patron having a “live and let live” personality which drops away the moment decided to come into conflict with them, as well as angry characters looking to pick a fight and punish slights, but also consider the relationship these characters might have with their patrons. More corruptive ones might continuously tempt the witch to visit torment on their foes, while others may be just as vindictive, and the witch might find themselves having to always tread carefully when their patron contacts them.

  Battered and bitter from a lifetime of hardship, Meshika the changeling anandi is now known as the Spider Witch, not only for her true form and tendency to vomit swarms of spiders, but also her wicked curses, which manifest their mark as swollen welts like spider bites.

 Lurking deep in an oceanic grotto, they say that the sea witch and her many pet giant morays wait for those desperate enough to request her aid. Nobody is sure what she looks like, but all know that in exchange for magical boons, she requires that they also suffer a variety of curses as well.

 In the previous edition of Pathfinder, the concept of Witch Patrons having themes and granting unique abilities was originally going to be much larger than it was, only to be reduced down to simply granting a list of bonus spells, only gaining more depth much later with a subsystem for unique patrons found in the Blood of the Coven book.

In the 2nd Edition version of the class, however, they’ve tried much harder to give the patrons a much bigger hand in deciding certain details of the individual witch’s abilities.

Starting off, we have a powerful individual and a rare patron indeed in the form of Baba Yaga herself, the mighty immortal witch originally from Earth and arguably the most powerful spellcaster that makes regular trips to Golarion, if not considers her home. (Though when your house is a planet and plane-hopping artifact with giant chicken legs, can you really talk about planets and “home” in the same sentence?)

In any case, This patron theme implies that Baba Yaga has taken an interest in the character, either directly or through one of her many loyal servants, and has decided to guide them in the path of witchcraft.

Of course, Baba Yaga being the amoral being that she is, may or may not actually have the witch’s best interests at heart, but at the very least, it definitely a sign of great respect and honor (even if she’d never admit it) to be chosen by the Queen of Crones.

 Rather than a flesh and blood familiar, the witches that study under the Queen of Witches do not have a traditional familiar, but rather, an object that serves as the connection. However, said object and become animated, perhaps growing limbs to get around if the witch wills it.

All witch patrons grant access to magic of a certain type, and Baba Yaga provides access to the occult discipline. Naturally this also grants them access to knowledge of the occult as well.

Each patron also provides a unique hex and spell. Baba Yaga grants her witches the ability to temporarily animate an object and move it around, even having it attack for them, useful for both combat and for moving objects to where they are needed. Meanwhile, the spell granted is a blast of cold to harm and slow foes.

As a master of classical witchcraft, the following witch feats serve Baba Yaga and her followers well: Cackle, Cauldron, Counterspell, Basic Lesson, Enhanced Familiar, Improved Familiar, Rites of Convocation, Greater Lesson, Steady Spellcasting, Incredible Familiar, Witch’s Bottle, Major Lesson, Hex Focus, Rites of Transfiguration, and Witch’s Hut, as well as others.

With their power over objects, a good area effect spell early on, and access to the occult spell list, these witches start with decent healing, support, and utility magics. Thematically, spells that provide long-lasting boons and curses against foes, as well as those that display their magical supremacy.

 Baba Yaga herself is characterized as a woman who does not suffer fools and those who waste her time, which undoubtably impacts the sort of witches that either are very polite and to the point, or who emulate her in their no-nonsense behavior. That’s actually what makes this patron so interesting, because unlike others, there is no question about what the disposition and identity of the patron, which gives you a clear idea what to work with both as a player and a GM.

  The so-called “Mistress of Dissolution” is a paradox, both fetchling and ganzi. Feeling apart from even her kin, she found solace in a voice coming from an heirloom jar. Since then, she has set herself up as a mistress of magic.

 The Malashan Desert is hardly Baba Yaga’s favored environment, but some of her followers do live there. And now, one of them has hired the party to brave giant scorpions and other desert beasts to recover a mystical relic to increase their own understanding of the mystic arts.