Seneschal (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)
(art by BriMerry on DeviantArt)
I would like to preface tonight’s entry by saying that using words that have their own meaning for rpg things can be an exercise in frustration. Sure, I get it. Nobody is using the word “seneschal” in the modern parlance, but people would use the term in the context of… oh I don’t know, a quasi-medieval roleplaying game. But what are the odds of such a crossing of wires happening with today’s subject?
Now, to be fair, the word “seneschal” does include being a steward for a noble, as well as one that ministers to lower-ranking servants in the definition, so I SUPPOSE it works.
In the wake of the Godsrain and the War of Immortals in the Pathfinder core setting, a lot of powers have been duking it out or going missing in this cosmic shakeup/editorial pruning. The list of deities that are either dead, gone missing, or just quietly nixed or revised from the setting are plenty, but less overtly covered are other minor powers, the sort of beings that serve as patrons to witches.
Whether their patron was a god or a servant of a god for divine-tradition witches, or their patron got caught in the crossfire of all this ruckus for everyone else… Something has made many patrons go silent. The power of the connections they once offered still exist, but they themselves no longer seem present to give advice or issue demands anymore.
Some may see their patron as lost and give up witchcraft, but not the ones that come to be known as seneschals. Such mystics instead hold on tight to the frayed end of that connection, retaining their power. Such individuals practice much the same as any other witch, but now their new spells and hexes and lessons are self-taught by tapping into what remains of their former patron’s body of knowledge, like a scholar piecing together understanding from their late teacher’s study.
In time, the open-ended bond they have becomes more a part of them, and the greatest of them all might fully transcend, becoming patrons in their own right. Perhaps this is how Baba Yaga and other patrons that are otherwise moral (or immortal) spellcasters achieve such a state?
To be clear, of course, the Godsrain, while the framing device here, is not the direct cause of becoming a seneschal. As such, this flavor of witchcraft can show up in any setting or time period as long as one thing remains true: the witch’s patron has gone silent.
Naturally, this is a class archetype, only available to witches. However, unlike many class archetypes we’ve covered in the past few months, this one actually feels like it deserves to be an archetype rather than just being a normal class option with extra steps. So let’s get into it!
Like all class archetypes, this one alters something at first level before you take the dedication. In this case, because the patron is not present for the witch to learn from directly, they lose out on the first lesson, instead gaining a spell of their choice as they experiment on their own, and also the ability to tap into the frayed connection, manifesting their will in a raw surge of power that conceals them from those outside the radius, but has various effects on those that enter it based on the tradition the witch draws upon. Foes become vulnerable to damaging spells when under the influence of arcane witches, while those that tap into the divine infuse living or undead allies with vital energy. Occult seneschals ward their allies with protective sigils, and primal casters are surrounded by constantly surging waves of plant growth as vegetation blooms, withers, and is replaced.
The base dedication for this archetype allows the mage to use the severed end of their patron bond to metaphysically bond to another ally (though not a minion), allowing them to keep taps on them and cast beneficial spells from a distance on them. They can even use the bond to invoke their aura of will through their charge instead as long as they are close enough.
While they are not their patron, some seneschals learn magic to alter their appearance to match their patron, or at least a facsimile if they didn’t have a humanoid form. While not useful for laying low, this disguise might come in handy for demonstrating an otherworldly nature, working in the same circles as their patron once did, or even simply just hiding their own identity when something flashy and otherworldly is still better than their own face.
Some of these mystics enhance the connection so much that they can use their current ward as the conduit for their own spellcasting, originating spells through them.
Skilled mystics might learn to diversify and expand the power they manifest when creating their aura of will, able to gain and shift between the benefits available to other traditions, while also helping ward against hostile magic of the same tradition.
While the true nature of patrons is varied, their mystical abilities do in part make them spiritual beings. Some of these witches can leverage that to change the damage of their spells to raw spiritual energy if that would be more effective.
It is said that some powers are able to see and hear anything witnessed by one of their symbols. By claiming the symbol of their lost patron, some seneschals can do the same, creating a subtle spying tool onto any surface they can carve or draw on, though only the most recent symbol holds any power.
Some witches with healing magic can give just a bit more of themselves when casting, weakening themselves to enhance the healing magic.
Patrons are known for speaking to their witches remotely, and some seneschals mimic that, able to pass short magical messages to anyone they’ve ever bonded with.
As they begin to take up the mantle of a patron, some of these mystics learn how to grant knowledge of a single spell to their charge (or one of their charges if they took the Witch’s Communion feat).
With uncanny foresight, either granted by some echo of their patron or their own developing prescience, these mages can steel themselves against an incoming mental effect to better resist it.
Others begin exuding the raw power and authority of a patron, punishing any foe that dares harm them with spiritual backlash.
Finally, the most powerful witches can choose to fully embrace the mantle of seneschal and become a patron in their own right. With it, they gain sight beyond sight that pierces the dark and illusions. Additionally, they can act as a patron for other witches, treating witches of a patron theme of their choosing as their wards even if they themselves did not make a pact with them specifically. Additionally, they learn the secrets of the wish ritual, and can influence and bolster the wishes of witches they patronize should they choose to.
This archetype is a fascinating take on becoming the very source of power that you and others might draw upon, almost like a non-mythic decaf version of the Godling mythic destiny. As far as it goes, this archetype offers you the ability to create a useful magical aura and select one or more allies to buff and protect in various ways, as well as some useful utility and combat powers. If it appeals to your play style and character, I say go for it.
The entire metaphysical premise of this archetype is fascinating. Even though the patron is missing or even dead, the connection with them still exists, which is actually kinda heartfelt no matter what the relationship between the patron and the witch actually was, and it perfectly illustrates the real difference between patrons, even divine ones, and deities, and how they grant power to witches as opposed to clerics or oracles.
For centuries, the Wall of Laws has been a touchstone of dwarven tradition, a semi-sentient artifact of the rules and truths that dwarves must live by. Occasionally, it even granted knowledge to practitioners that served as it’s agents. Now, however, the monolith has been shattered, casting dwarven culture adrift with uncertainty. Dangroth the Last Word, however, keeps the faith, and his devotion seems to be paying off.
Like scavengers stalking a beast near death, fiends have long preyed upon the broken xulgath civilization, offering tainted power in exchange for prayer and pushing them towards greater acts of cruelty and savagery. Seeking a better life for her people, Ulbraxix has sought a different power, one she approached on her own terms… However, when that spirit was slain, she opened her heart to that remaining connection rather than fall into despair. Now, she is on the verge of becoming something else, a beacon of hope.
When her primal patron went silent, Genshea persevered and made the spirit’s power their own, eventually becoming so powerful that they were able to grant that power in kind to others. However, her searching for the truth never wavered, and now, finally, she thinks she might know what happened to them. However, she cannot investigate herself, which is where the party comes in.
