Okay, after a few weeks of blogging about drafts, design decisions, and development concerns, a first draft of the witchwarper for Pathfinder is done. So, this is the point when I bring it all together and see about some of the alternative ideas I had during the first draft. Most notably, I have decided to tweak this to be a psychic spellcaster, which both feels more in-line with the class flavor, and gives witchwarpers a less crowded niche as 0-9th level spellcasters.

This is still just a second draft, and in a commercial version I’d have more fluff, supporting feats, some alternate class features, and more paradigm shifts, but this is absolutely playable as-is. It’s at the stage where being playtested is extremely useful.

WITCHWARPER

Most people believe that reality is limited to their physical surroundings. You know the truth: that everything around you is merely a thin veil draped across the infinite tapestry of existence. Your reality is a palimpsest, with all possible worlds and all alternate existences at your disposal. Through your magic and force of personality, you can peer into these time lines and pull from them as you see fit, using their dimensional echoes to twist and reshape your own world.

Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Wealth: 2d6 x 10 gp (average 70 gp).
Class Skills
The witchwarper’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (planes)(Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table 1–Witchwarper Class Features

Level      BAB        Fort        Ref         Will        Special

1             +0           +0          +2           +0         Infinite worlds (1st-level Spells) 

2             +1           +0           +3          +0         Paradigm shift, warp pool

3             +1           +1           +3          +1         Compound sight +1, infinite backgrounds

4             +2           +1           +4          +1         Infinite worlds (2nd-level Spells)

5             +2           +1           +4          +1         Paradigm shift 

6             +3           +2           +5          +2          Alternate outcome 1/day, compound sight +2 

7             +3           +2           +5          +2          Infinite worlds (3rd-level Spells)

8             +4           +2           +6          +2          Paradigm shift

9             +4           +3           +6          +3           Compound sight +3 (two skills)

10           +5           +3           +7          +3           Infinite worlds (4th-level Spells)

11           +5           +3           +7          +3           Paradigm shift

12           +6           +4           +8          +4           Alternate outcome 2/day, compound sight +4 

13           +6           +4           +8          +4           Infinite worlds (5th-level Spells)

14           +7        +4           +9          +4           Paradigm shift

15           +7         +5           +9          +5          Compound sight +5

16           +8         +5        +10         +5           Infinite worlds (6th-level Spells)

17           +8         +5        +10         +5           Paradigm shift

18           +9         +6        +11         +6           Alternate outcome 3/day, compound sight +6 

19           +9         +6        +11         +6           Infinite worlds (7th-level Spells)

20           +10         +6        +12         +6           Paradigm shift, reality stutter

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Witchwarper are proficient with all simple weapons. Witchwarpers are also proficient with light armor, but not shields of any kind.

Spells: A witchwarper casts psychic spells drawn from the witch spell list. However, they do not receive curse and mind-effecting spells on the witch list unless those spells are also on the sorcerer/wizard spell list at the same spell level, and they do not gain access to any spell with the healing descriptor. They also add to their class spell list all conjuration and transmutation spells on the druid or sorcerer/wizard spell lists, except those with the healing descriptor. They do not gain access to any spell that requires access to a class feature they lack (such as a spell that affects your ability to use hexes, unless the witchwarpers has somehow gained hexes). They can cast any spell they know without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a witchwarper must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a witchwarper’s spell is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the witchwarper’s Charisma modifier.

A witchwarper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Their base daily spell allotment is given on Table 2: Witchwarper Spell Progression. In addition, they receive bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score (see Table 1–3 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).

The witchwarper’s selection of spells is limited. A witchwarper begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the witchwarper’s choice. At each new witchwarper level, they learn one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 3: Witchwarper Spells Known. Unlike a spells per day, the number of spells a witchwarper knows isn’t affected by their Intelligence score; the numbers on Table 3 are fixed.

At 4th level and every even-numbered level thereafter (6th, 8th, and so on), a witchwarper can choose to learn a single new spell in place of one they already know. In effect, the witchwarper 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, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level spell from the witchwarper’s class list that the witchwarper can cast. A witchwarper can swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that they gain new spells known for the level.

Table 2 – Witchwarper Spells Per Day

Table 3 – Witchwarper Spells Known

Infinite Worlds (Su) – 1st Level
As a standard action, you can create a bubble of altered reality, projecting elements of parallel existences into your current universe. You expend a witchwarper spell slot of 1st level or higher to create an environmental effect, such as summoning fog or thick vines from other realities, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level unless specified otherwise. Alternatively, you can create an instantaneous effect, such a flash of fire from an explosion that occurred in a parallel universe. The particular effects depend on the level of the spell slot expended.

All effects created by infinite worlds use the following rules unless they say otherwise. They have a range of 100 feet + 10 feet per witchwarper level and affect a 10-foot-radius spread. If you create multiple effects with one use of infinite worlds, they all originate at the same point. If an effect calls for a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + the spell level expended to create the effect + your Charisma modifier. You can define the cause and appearance of infinite worlds however you wish (subject to GM approval), but the effects themselves are only quasi-real and have no effects beyond the game mechanics listed as options for this ability.

You can instead create multiple, milder effects in place of a single, more powerful effect. When you do this, you select two effects available to any version of this ability created by expending a lower-level spell slot than that you actually expend. For calculations based on spell level, use the level of the spell slot you expend.

For example, a 10th-level witchwarper could expend a 3rd‑level spell slot and select either a 3rd-level effect or any two abilities normally created by expending 1st- or 2nd-level spells. If you expend a spell slot 2 levels higher than the highest-level slot required for the effects you create, you can create 3 different effects. If you use a spell slot 3 levels higher, you can create four effects.

The environmental and instantaneous effects you can create by sacrificing a witchwarper spell slot of a given level are as follows:
1st (Environmental): You cause the affected area to become difficult terrain. This might mean that stone flooring becomes rough and uneven, a waterway is choked by roots and seaweed, or the air is flooded with floating strands of web-like filaments. You can affect a single movement type (normal movement, burrow, climb, fly, or swim) or any combination of those movement types. When you create difficult terrain in this way, it is considered magically altered terrain for the purposes of other effects.
1st (Instantaneous): You cause a bright flash of light to fill the area. Each creature within the area must succeed at a Fortitude saves or be dazzled for 1 round per witchwarper level. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw (meaning the d20 shows a “1”), it is also blinded for 1 round.
2nd (Environmental): You cause a hazard that deals damage each round equal to the level of the spell slot expended, with a successful Fortitude save reducing the damage by half. A creature attempts this save when it first takes damage from this effect, and its result applies for the duration of the effect. You select the damage type each time you use this ability (acid, bludgeoning, cold, electricity, fire, piercing, slashing, or sonic).
2nd (Instantaneous): You cause a destabilizing event, such as a brief earthquake, a split-second reversal of gravity, or a blast of icy wind. Each creature within the area must succeed at a Reflex save or be knocked prone. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw, it is also moved 5 feet per level of the spell slot expended in a direction of your choice.
3rd (Environmental): You cause the area to grant concealment against one sense—vision, scent, sound, or vibration.
3rd (Instantaneous): You cause a disorienting event, such as bursts of flashing colors and loud sounds, or rain falling upward in spirals. Each creature within the area must succeed at a Will save or take a -2 penalty to attack rolls for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell expended. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw, it is also staggered for 1 round.
4th (Environmental): You create a barrier, the entirety of which must be within the range and area of infinite worlds’ environmental effects. The barrier is a number of 5-foot cubes no greater than double the level of the spell slot expended. The cubes must each connect along one side with at least one other cube, have hardness equal to double the level of the spell slot expended, and each have HP equal to 5 × the level of spell expended. Barriers you could summon might include stone walls, slabs of ice, and so forth.
4th (Instantaneous): You create a burst of damage affecting everything in the area. You select the type of damage each time you use this ability (acid, bludgeoning, cold, electricity, fire, piercing, slashing, or sonic), and it deals 1d8 damage per level of the spell expended (Reflex half).
5th (Environmental): You make the air thicker or thinner, or fill it with toxic vapors. Each creature breathing the air must succeed at a Fortitude save or be sickened as long as it remains in the area. A creature attempts a single save when it is first exposed to the infinite worlds, which determines for the duration of the ability whether breathing within the area sickens that creature.
5th (Instantaneous): You attempt to entangle all targets within the area. You might fill the area with chains, viscous glue, or quick-hardening cement. Each target must succeed at a Reflex save or be entangled and anchored in place for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot expended. Creatures that enter the area after you use this ability are not entangled.
6th (Environmental): You reduce the hardness of objects within the area by 50% (Fortitude negates), or increase their hardness by 10 (to a maximum of double their normal hardness).

Warp Pool (Su) – 2nd Level

A witchwarper has a pool of psychic energy that they can draw upon to fuel their infinite worlds ability, and potentially powers gained through paradigm shifts. The maximum number of points in a witchwarper’s warp pool is equal to 1/2 their class level + their Charisma modifier. The warp pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours don’t need to be consecutive. Points gained in excess of the pool’s maximum are lost.

A witchwarper can expend a warp point from their warp pool, rather than expend a spell slot, to fuel their infinite worlds ability. When used for this purpose, the warp point functions as a spell slot with a spell level equal to half the witchwarper’s class level -1 (to a minimum of 1st level spell slot).

Paradigm Shift – 2nd Level

Paradigm shifts represent your ability to briefly install pieces of alternate realities into your own, subtly or radically changing your surroundings for a time. You learn your first paradigm shift at 2nd level, and an additional paradigm shift every 3 levels thereafter. Paradigm shifts require you to be a certain level to learn them and are organized accordingly. You cannot select the same paradigm shift more than once unless it specifies otherwise.

Unless otherwise stated, the effects of a paradigm shift last for a number of rounds equal to your witchwarper level. If a paradigm shift allows a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + half your witchwarper level + your Charisma modifier.

Starting at 4th level, your ability to shuffle these realities improves. Upon gaining a witchwarper level (including at 4th level), you can swap out one paradigm shift you know for a different paradigm shift of the same level. You can instead select a paradigm shift of a lower level, but note the level of the original paradigm shift so that when you later swap out the same paradigm shift at later levels, you can select any paradigm shift of the original level or lower.)

2nd level

Disrupt Attack (Su)
As a reaction when you or an ally is targeted with an attack originating within 100 feet, you can expend 1 warp point to impose a –2 penalty on the attack roll. If the attack is coming from a creature, that creature can attempt a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Once you’ve targeted an attacker with this paradigm shift, you can’t target the same attacker with this paradigm shift again for 24 hours. At 8th level, the penalty changes to –3, and at 14th level, the penalty changes to –4.

Disrupt Creature (Su)
As a standard action, you can expend a warp point to target a creature within 100 feet and swap in alternate physiologies (or gears, planar energy, or whatever the creature’s equivalent to physiology is) in its body in this version of existence, imposing the shaken condition for a number of rounds equal to 1/3 your witchwarper class level (minimum 1 round). The target is allowed a Fortitude save to negate this effect. This is not an emotion, fear, or mind-affecting effect, and it does not stack with other shaken or fear conditions. However, if you target a creature that has succeeded at a save against your disrupt creature ability in the past 24 hours, it takes a -2 penalty to its save if you target it again.

Eldritch Secret
You can draw specific magic effects from other realities, allowing you to access spells normally not available to witchwarpers. Select one spell from an arcane or occult class’s spell list. It must be of a level no greater than 1 lower than the highest-level spell you can cast. (Alternatively, you can select one spell from a divine class’s spell list. It must be of a level no greater than 2 lower than the highest-level spell you can cast.) Add this to your list of witchwarper spells known.

You cannot select a spell that requires class features you do not possess. If you select a spell of a different source than your own spells (arcane, divine, or occult), it changes to be a spell of that type. You cannot select a spell available only to members of specific groups (such as worshippers of a specific deity) unless you are a member of that group. You cannot select a spell available only through archetypes, prestige classes, or class features other than “spells” (such as spells only available through an arcane school, bloodline, or domain).

Each time you gain the ability to cast a higher level of witchwarper spells, you may swap out the spell gained with this paradigm shift for a new spell of a maximum level no greater than 1 lower (or 2 lower for a divine spell) than the highest-level spell you can cast. You can select this paradigm shift more than once but cannot at any time have more than one additional spell known from this ability at each level of spells you can cast.

Overlapping Forms (Su)
As a standard action, you can overlay faint outlines of yourself from multiple alternate realities, giving yourself a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. At 5th level, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool when using this ability to instead give an ally you touch a +1 dodge bonus to AC. In either case, the bonus lasts for a number of minutes equal to your caster level. You cannot have overlapping forms active on more than one creature at a time–if you place it on a new creature while it is still active on a previous creature, the older use ends.

Prevent Wounds (Su)
As a reaction when you or an ally within 100 feet takes hit point damage, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to prevent 1d4 points of that damage for every 2 witchwarper levels you have. You cannot prevent more damage than was dealt, and even if you prevent all damage any associated effects from the attack (such as disease or poison) still apply.

Push Area (Su)
As a reaction when a thrown attack with an area or splash effect, or instantaneous effect or spell defined as a burst radius that requires a saving throw with has an area of at least 5-foot-radius would be centered within 100 feet, you can expend a point from your warp pool to shift the area’s center by 5 feet before it detonates. Your allies within its area of effect gain a +2 insight bonus to their saving throws against the area-effect. At 8th level, you can shift the area’s center by 10 feet. At 11th level, you can shift the area’s center by 15 feet.

Shift Resistance (Su)
As a standard action, you can change the type of a single energy resistance (but not immunity) of a creature within 100 feet (from cold to fire, for example) for 1 round. The creature can attempt a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target that creature with this paradigm shift again for 24 hours.

Thwart Ability (Su)
As a reaction when you or an ally within 100 feet is affected by a spell or ability that allows a saving throw and would deal damage, and fails the saving throw, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to grant the target a new saving throw with a +2 bonus to avoid or mitigate the effect’s damage and effects (with success acting as if the original save was successful).

4th level

Inhibit (Sp or Su)
As a standard action, you can prevent a creature within 100 feet from taking its best course of action by overwhelming it with visions of its failures in other realities as a supernatural ability. The target must succeed at a Will save or become staggered for 1 round. At 8th level, alternatively, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to instead use slow as a spell-like ability. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target that creature with this paradigm shift again (regardless of how you use it) for 24 hours.

Optimize (Sp or Su)
You can show a creature a glimpse of the results of its choices in other realities, allowing it to act more efficiently. As a standard action, you can touch a willing creature to increase all of its speeds by 10 feet. This is considered an enhancement bonus and is a supernatural haste effect. At 8th level, alternatively, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to instead use haste as a spell‑like ability. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target them with this paradigm shift again (regardless of how you use it) for 24 hours.

Resist Elements (Su)
As a reaction when you or a creature within 100 feet would take energy damage, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to grant the target resistance 5 against that energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). This resistance is applied before the damage from the triggering attack. At 8th level, the resistance granted increases to 10. At 11th level, the resistance granted increases to 15.

Shifting Offensive (Su)
As a standard action, you can touch a weapon or magic item that deals damage and temporarily change its damage type (to acid, bludgeoning, cold, electricity, fire, piercing, slashing, or sonic). If the weapon deals more than one type of damage, you can change all the damage it does (regardless of type) to the new damage type, or change just one of its damage types (leaving its other damage types unchanged). This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.

8th level

Flash Teleport (Su)
As a move action, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to teleport (as the spell) up to 30 feet. You must have line of sight to your destination. This movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.

Hobble Creature (Su)
As a standard action, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to target a creature within 100 feet and swap in alternate physiologies or circuitry in its body in this version of existence, imposing the staggered condition for a number of rounds equal to 1/3 your witchwarper level. The creature can attempt a Fortitude save to negate this effect. You must know the disrupt creature paradigm shift to learn this paradigm shift.

Magic Deletion (Su)
As a reaction when you are targeted by a spell, you can expend 1 point from your warp pool to gain spell resistance equal to 12 + your witchwarper level until the end of your next turn.

11th level

Dart Aside (Su)
As a reaction when you are hit by an attack but before the attack’s damage is resolved, you can expend 3 points from your warp pool to teleport (as the spell) up to 10 feet away. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If your new location would cause you to be an invalid target for the triggering attack (for example, because you are out of range of a melee attack or the attacker no longer has line of effect to you), the attack is treated as a miss.

Shaped Infinities (Su)
When you use infinite worlds, you can exclude up to one 5-foot square per witchwarper level from the effect’s area.

Substitute Mind (Su)
You can free a creature from mental control or conditions that hamper it. Once per day as a standard action, you can touch a willing or helpless creature. When you do, the affected part of its mind is replaced with a nearly exact duplicate from an alternate reality, ending all mind-affecting effects the target has. The subject is stunned until the end of its next turn.

You can also attempt to use this ability on an ally who would normally be willing, but is currently unwilling due to the influence of a mind-affecting effect. In this case, the ally must attempt a Will save against substitute mind. If that saving throw fails, then your substitute mind works as if the target were willing.

At 14th level, you can use this ability on yourself, even if you’re otherwise unable to take actions because of a mind‑affecting effect. If you do, it must be the first thing you do on your turn, and you are stunned until the end of your next turn.

For dart aside, my main struggle was how to price its warp pool expenditure. It costs 2 Resolve Points in the original Sf version, and that’s a huge cost given RP are also used to recover Stamina Points, stabilize, and get back into the fight. Since this lets you entirely dodge a melee attack, which is much more common in Pathfinder than in Starfinder, I wanted to make sure a typical 11th-level witchwarper still wouldn’t be doing it very often. I think a typical 11th-level witchwarper is likely to have a 24 Charisma (16 to start, +1 at 4th and 8th, +4 from an item — you could absolutely get higher, but I’m looking for a baseline, not the maximum), which would give them 11 warp points. Charging 4 means you can do this once a day and still have lots of other options, but if you use it 2 or 3 times, it starts to be most of what you are doing with your warp points that day. That sounds perfect to me.

Shaped infinities needed no changes at all. Substitute mind felt too complex, so I boiled it down. That said, I left it at once per day, since there’s no limit to what mind-affecting abilities it can stop. It might be a stronger Pathfinder design to make it a dispel check (maybe with a +4 bonus)… I’ll have to think about that, but this is as good as the original, so it’ll do for now.

14th level

Shifting Immunity (Su)
As a reaction when a creature with immunity to a type of energy damage within 100 feet is affected by energy damage, you can change the creature’s immunity to another type of energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) before the damage is resolved. The effect of this paradigm shift lasts for 3 rounds. This does not affect the creature’s ability to survive environmental hazards or conditions, only what damage it takes from attacks and special abilities. (For example, a creature normally immune to fire that has its immunity shifted to cold by this ability and then swims in lava still doesn’t take damage from the lava even though it’s now vulnerable to fire weapons and spells.) The creature can attempt a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target that creature with this paradigm shift again for 24 hours. You must know the shift resistance paradigm shift to learn this paradigm shift.

Swapping Step (Su)
Once per round as a move action, you can switch the positions of two creatures within 100 feet, instantaneously swapping their places. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You can’t swap creatures’ positions in a way that would cause either creature to take damage or be forced into an inappropriate physical space. (For example, you could not swap the positions of two creatures of different sizes if doing so would cause the larger creature to risk falling off a cliff or into a hazard, or cause one of the creatures to be placed within a solid object). Each targeted creature can attempt a Will save to avoid this effect. If either creature succeeds, this paradigm shift has no effect. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target that creature with this paradigm shift again for 24 hours.

Unveil Reality (Su)
As a standard action, you can target one creature within 100 feet and tear back the veils of all worlds, overwhelming the target with a bewildering phantasmagoria. This causes the creature to gain the stunned condition for 3 rounds unless it succeeds at a Will saving throw. This is a mind-affecting effect. Once you’ve targeted a creature with this paradigm shift, you can’t target that creature with this paradigm shift again for 24 hours

Compound Sight (Su) – 3rd Level
You can sift through many realities, gaining understanding of a task by seeing it attempted dozens of different ways. Choose a skill. You gain a +1 insight bonus to checks using that skill. This bonus increases by +1 at 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter. You can change your chosen skill every time you gain a witchwarper level. At 9th level, you become more adept with your compound sight and can choose two skills to apply it to.

Alternate Outcome (Su) – 6th Level
You can use your grasp of other realities to swap an outcome in your current existence with that of a more favorable reality. As a reaction once per day, you can reroll one attack roll, saving throw, ability check, or skill check that you attempt. If the d20 on this reroll results in a 1-10 (the die shows a 1 through 10), add 10 to your total result. You must use the result of the reroll, even if it is worse than your original roll.
Alternatively, you can expend a use of this ability as a reaction to cause a critical hit against you or an ally within 100 feet to instead be a normal hit.
You gain one additional daily use of this ability at 12th level and again at 18th level.

Unfold Existences (Su) – 19th Level
You have nearly unlimited insight into all possible worlds and can pluck power from them as you deem necessary. Select five paradigms shifts you don’t know but whose prerequisites you meet. These paradigm shifts must not require your level to be higher than 8th. You can use the selected paradigm shifts a total number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Reality Stutter (Su) – 20th Level
Your force of will can infuse reality itself, changing key aspects of existence around you. You can spend a spell slot to use any paradigm shift you know. The spell slot must be of a spell level no less than half the minimum class level at which the paradigm shift can be selected.

This doesn’t take an action, but you must use this ability on your turn unless the paradigm shift can be used as a reaction. If the paradigm shift requires a reaction, you still can’t use it unless the stated trigger has occurred, but using it does not expend your reaction for the round. If the paradigm shift requires you to expend spell slots to use it, you must still spend those spell slots in addition to that spent to use this ability. You can use reality stutter only once per turn. You can use the unfold existences ability in conjunction with reality stutter; doing so expends a daily use of unfold existences as normal.

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