Witch

Hit Points

At first level and every level thereafter, you increase your maximum hit points by 6 plus your constitution modifier.

Key Ability

At first level, you increase one of these ability scores by 2. Some of these options might be tied to subclasses (such as the rogue’s rackets).
Key Ability: Intelligence

Initial Proficiencies

Saves

Trained in Perception
Trained in Reflex Saves
Expert in Will Saves
Trained in Fortitude Saves

Weapons

Trained in unarmed attacks
Trained in simple weapons
Trained in Witch class DC

Armor

Trained in unarmored
Untrained in all armor

Skills

Trained in one skill determined by your patron
Trained in a number of skills equal to 3 plus your intelligence modifier

Class Features

Patron Feature 1

You weren't born with the power to cast spells, nor have you spent years dedicated to worship, study, or uncovering mystical secrets. Your magic instead has been gifted to you by a potent being, one who knows that by empowering you so, you'll further the being's agenda in the world, whatever it may be. This entity is typically mysterious and distant, revealing little of their identity and motivations. They make their will known to you in abstract signs such as omens, dreams, or similar subtleties rather than words.

Rather than interacting with you directly, your patron works through a familiar—a mystical creature that teaches you, serves as the conduit for your patron's magic, and maybe even keeps an eye on you to ensure you're furthering your patron's nebulous ends.

At 1st level, choose your patron, which determines your spellcasting tradition and grants you the skill for that tradition of magic, your first witch's lesson and a unique familiar ability.

Familiar (Witch) Feature 1

Your patron has sent you a familiar, a mystical creature that teaches you magic and facilitates your spells. This familiar follows the rules for familiars, though as it's a direct conduit between you and your patron, it's more powerful than typical familiars. Your familiar gains two additional familiar abilities: one of these is a unique ability based on your patron and is always selected, and the other is an additional familiar ability that can be selected daily as normal. Your familiar gains another extra ability at 6th, 12th, and 18th levels.

Spells: Your familiar is the source and repository of the spells your patron has bestowed upon you, and you must commune with your familiar to prepare your spells each day using your witch spellcasting. Your familiar starts off knowing 10 cantrips, five 1st-rank spells, and one additional spell determined by your patron's initial lesson. You choose these spells from the common spells of the tradition determined by your patron or from other spells of that tradition you gain access to. Each time you gain a level, your patron teaches your familiar two new spells of any rank for which you have spell slots, chosen from common spells of your tradition or others you gain access to. Feats can also grant your familiar additional spells.

Learning Spells: Your familiar can learn new spells independently of your patron. It can learn any spell on your tradition's spell list by physically consuming a written version of that spell over the course of 1 hour. This can be a scroll of that spell, or you can prepare a written version using the Learn a Spell exploration activity. You and your familiar can use the Learn a Spell activity to teach your familiar a spell from another witch's familiar. Both familiars must be present for the entirety of the activity, the spell must be on your spellcasting tradition's spell list, and you must pay the usual cost for that activity, typically in the form of an offering to the other familiar's patron. You can't prepare spells from another witch's familiar.

Undying: If your familiar dies, your patron replaces it during your next daily preparations. The new familiar might be a duplicate or reincarnation of your former familiar or a new entity altogether, but it knows the same spells your former familiar knew regardless. Your familiar's death doesn't affect any spells you have already prepared.

Witch Spellcasting Feature 1

Using your familiar as a conduit, your patron provides you the power to cast spells. You are a spellcaster, and you can cast spells of your patron's tradition using the Cast a Spell activity. As a witch, when you cast spells, your incantations might rhyme, your gestures might be as simple as an ominous pointing finger or a complex folk sign, and your familiar might even echo your words or movements slightly as your patron's magic surges.

At 1st level, you can prepare up to two 1st-rank spells and five cantrips each morning from the spells your familiar knows. Prepared spells remain available to you until you cast them or until you prepare your spells again. The number of spells you can prepare each day is called your spell slots. As you increase in level as a witch, the number of spells you can prepare each day increases, as does the highest rank of spell you can cast, as shown in the Witch Spells per Day table.

Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key attribute is Intelligence, your spell attack modifier and spell DC use your Intelligence modifier.

Heightening Spells

When you get spell slots of 2nd-rank and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-rank spells. This increases the spell's rank, heightening it to match the spell slot. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain ranks.

Cantrips

Some of your spells are cantrips. A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn't use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level rounded up—this is usually equal to the highest rank of witch spell slot you have. For example, as a 1st-level witch, your cantrips are 1st-rank spells, and as a 5th-level witch, your cantrips are 3rd-rank spells.

Magical Fortitude Feature 5

Oracle, Sorcerer, Wizard Magical power has improved your body's resiliency. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

Witch Your patron's power boosts your physical resiliency. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

Expert Spellcaster Feature 7

Animist The magic of the spirits flows freely through you. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Bard Your magical techniques grow stronger. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to expert.

Druid Your command of primal forces has deepened, empowering your spells. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Magus Your fundamental understanding of magic improves, making your spells harder to resist. Your proficiency ranks for your spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Oracle The intricacy of your divine power has grown clearer over time. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to expert.

Psychic Self-reflection has brought you greater knowledge of yourself and, with it, psychic power. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Sorcerer Your inherent magic responds easily and powerfully to your command. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC for spells of your bloodline's tradition increase to expert.

Summoner As your connection to your eidolon deepens, the power of your spells increases. Your proficiency ranks for the spell attack modifier and spell DC statistics increase to expert.

Witch You've learned to better control the power your patron has granted you. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Wizard Extended practice of the arcane has improved your capabilities. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to expert.

Reflex Expertise Feature 3

You've developed a knack for dodging danger. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.

Guardian Even in the heaviest of armors, you can brace yourself against widespread effects. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.

Perception Expertise Feature 3

You remain alert to threats around you. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to expert.

Weapon Expertise Feature 5

Champion, Exemplar, Investigator, Magus, Runesmith You've dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

Druid, Kineticist You've improved your combat skill. Your proficiency rank for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increases to expert.

Guardian Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

Necromancer, Oracle You've dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

Psychic Training has improved your weapon technique, possibly enhanced by your occult magic. Your proficiency rank for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increases to expert.

Sorcerer You've improved your combat skill. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

Swashbuckler You've dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed attacks increase to expert. You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons for which you have expert proficiency.

Thaumaturge You've learned the secret ways your weapons work most effectively. Your proficiency ranks for unarmed attacks, simple weapons, and martial weapons increase to expert.

Witch, Wizard Through sheer experience, you've improved your technique with your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

Defensive Robes Feature 13

The flow of magic around you increases your ability to avoid attacks. Your proficiency rank in unarmored defense increases to expert.

Weapon Specialization Feature 7

You've learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal an additional 2 damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you're a master, and 4 if you're legendary.

Master Spellcaster Feature 15

Animist Your affinity with the apparitions you bond to has further enhanced the potency of your magic. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Bard You pluck the threads of magic like the strings of a harp. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to master.

Druid Primal magic answers your command. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Magus You fortify your spells with masterful prowess. Your proficiency ranks for your spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Oracle You truly understand the deep and complex divine power within your mystery. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to master.

Psychic You've gained access to the deepest corners of your own mind. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Sorcerer You have achieved mastery over the magic in your blood. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC for spells of your bloodline's tradition increase to master.

Summoner Your connection to your eidolon is strong enough to grant you mastery over associated spells. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to master.

Witch You've achieved mastery over your patron's magic. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Wizard You command superlative spellcasting ability. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to master.

Will of the Pupil Feature 17

Communion with your familiar has steeled your mental fortitude. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.

Legendary Spellcaster Feature 19

Animist You are a near-perfect channel for the magical energies of the realms beyond. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to legendary.

Bard Your command of magic is the stuff of legends. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifiers and spell DCs increase to legendary.

Druid You have developed an unparalleled rapport with the magic of nature. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to legendary.

Oracle You can harness divine power at a level few others can match. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to legendary.

Psychic As your training reaches its peak, you understand not just your own mind, but the collective unconscious from which all psychic power stems. Your proficiency ranks for occult spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to legendary.

Sorcerer You demonstrate prodigious talent for spellcasting. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC for spells of your bloodline's tradition increase to legendary.

Witch You've perfected your command of the magic your patron provides. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to legendary.

Wizard You are a consummate spellcaster, blending both arcane theory and practical spellcraft. Your proficiency ranks for spell attack modifier and spell DC increase to legendary.

Patron's Gift Feature 19

Your patron grants you the power to command incredible works of magic. You gain a single 10th-rank spell slot and can prepare a spell in that slot using witch spellcasting. Unlike with other spell slots, you can't use 10th-rank slots with abilities that give you more spell slots or that let you cast spells without expending spell slots. You don't gain more 10th-rank spells as you level up, but you can take the Patron's Truth feat to gain a second slot.