Braid Bound Witch (Legendary Witch Archetype)

Some witches eschew bonds with a familiar and instead weave the powers of their patron and their spells into their bodies, manifesting as intricate braids and hair with a life of its own.

Braid Bonded (Ex)

The braid bound witch has a special method for learning and memorizing their spells. They do not gain a familiar. Instead, they must commit to never cutting their hair and keep their spells as braids, beads, and charms. This follows all the normal rules for how a legendary witch gains and learns spells, except that a braid bound witch cannot learn spells from another witch’s familiar. To prepare their spells each day they spend an hour caring for, re braiding, and contemplating over the stories and power stored in their hair. This ability replaces familiar.

Living Braids (Su)

At 1st level, the braid bound witch can control their hair as well as one of their own limbs and gains a slam attack with the hair. This is a primary natural attack that has a reach of 10 ft. and uses the braid bound witch’s Intelligence modifier for attack and damage rolls (and combat maneuver checks) and deals 1d6 damage + 1.5 times the braid bound witch’s Intelligence modifier.

The hair cannot be sundered or attacked as a separate creature, though it is still hair and some effects may still be able to damage it.

If the braid bound witch changes shape into a creature with hair or fur, their new form has exceptionally long hair and the ability of the witch to make this slam attack is not affected.

If the braid bound witch loses their hair or is transformed into a body that lacks hair or fur altogether they may spend 24 hours in contemplation and complete a ritual with components costing 100 gp per class level to grow new hair and braid and decorate it with as many spells as they would learn by gaining levels up to their current class level.

At 8th level, the braid bound witch gains a second slam attack, identical to the first and the hair gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, increasing by an additional +1 every three levels to maximum of +5 at 20th level.

At 14th level, the braid bound witch’s slam attacks improves to 2d6 base damage.

These abilities replace the hexes normally gained at 1st level, 8th level, and 14th level.

Enhanced Hair (Su)

At 5th level and every four levels thereafter, the braid bound witch may choose an option from below to augment their hair. Unless otherwise specified, each option may be chosen only once. This ability replaces Enhanced Familiar.

The hair’s reach increases by 10 ft. This option may be selected twice.

The slam attack gains grab as the universal monster ability and the braid bound witch is considered to have improved grapple and its prerequisites for the purpose of qualifying for feats that require improved grapple.

The slam attack gains the ability to trip foes; whenever the braid bound witch successfully damages a foe with the slam attack they may make a trip attempt as a free action.

The hair gains a constrict attack dealing its base damage plus two times the legendary witch’s Intelligence modifier whenever they successfully maintain a grapple with the hair.

Whenever the braid bound witch successfully trips an enemy with their hair, the enemy is pulled up to 10 ft. closer to the braid bound witch as a free action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Choose from among the following energy types; acid, cold, electricity, and fire. The slam attack deals an additional 1d6 damage of the chosen type on a successful hit, this ability may be activated and deactivated as a free action.

This ability may be chosen twice, increasing the bonus damage to 2d6.

Skilled Locks (Su)

Beginning at 10th level, and whenever the braid bound witch would gain a new hex, instead they may gain a rogue talent, using their braid bound witch level in place of their rogue level for all effects and prerequisites.