This multiclass archetype package for the contractor/witch uses the witch as its foundation and alters or replaces the following class features: cantrips, patron, spellcasting, hex, and major hex. The maze-bound witch is a complex archetype; a full class advancement table is available below.

The maze-bound witch is either a powerful witch who has developed barrier techniques of her own, or a contractor who has corrupted the source of her powers and gone against her contract. The maze-bound witch uses her barrier to dominate her foes, confusing them and impeding their movement, tiring them out and cursing them, meanwhile flinging hexes in all directions.

Primary Class: Witch.

Secondary Class: Contractor.

Alignment: Chaotic evil, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil.

Hit Dice: d6.

Saves: good Will, poor Fortitude and Reflex.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: A maze-bound witch selects three contractor skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal witch class skills. The maze-bound witch gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Maze-bound witches are proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield.

Barrier (Su): At 1st level, the maze-bound witch can project a barrier like a contractor's. This functions in all ways like the barrier of a contractor of the maze-bound witch's level, except that the maze-bound witch adds her Intelligence modifier instead of her Charisma modifier to the number of rounds per day that she may use her barrier, and the save DC for any barrier-related effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the maze-bound witch's level + the maze-bound witch's Intelligence modifier. The maze-bound witch's barrier effects also differ from the contractor's; these are detailed below. This ability replaces hex at 4th, 10th, and 16th levels.

Maze-bound Spellcasting: Maze-bound witches cast one fewer spell of each level than normal. If this reduces the number to 0, she may cast spells of that level only if her Intelligence allows bonus spells of that level. Additionally, the maze-bound witch's spells only function within her barrier. She cannot target creatures outside her barrier. Any spell that she casts targeting an area with a duration longer than instantaneous immediately ends when she dismisses her barrier. The maze-bound witch cannot learn or cast any spell with the (healing) subtype or the [good] descriptor. She treats these spells as though they were not on her spell list for the purposes of activating spell completion and spell trigger items.

Trapping Barrier (Su): Beginning at 1st level, the maze-bound witch's barrier is a treacherous maze rife with spatial distortions. When a creature enters her barrier or is in its area when it is deployed, the maze-bound witch may choose to disorient that creature with bizarre geometry. All creatures designated must make Will saves. If they fail, they move at half their speed while inside the maze-bound witch's barrier. This effect ends for an affected creature if it exits the barrier or if the barrier is dismissed. Creatures who succeed on their saves against this ability become immune to the effects of trapping barrier for 24 hours.

Nightmare Familiar (Su): The maze-bound witch does not select a patron. Instead, her familiar grows and takes on nightmarish qualities while within her barrier. At 3rd level, her familiar increases to Small size in her barrier, gaining a +4 size bonus to Strength and a -2 Dexterity penalty. At 5th level, her familiar gains the Fiendish simple template within her barrier. At 9th level, her familiar increases to Medium size in her barrier instead of Small, gaining a +8 size bonus to Strength, a +2 size bonus to Constitution, and -4 Dexterity penalty. At 11th level, her familiar gains the benefits of Skill Focus (Intimidate) while within her barrier. At 15th level, the maze-bound witch's familiar gains the Advanced Creature simple template while within her barrier, receiving +2 natural armor and increasing all its ability scores by 4. At 17th level, select one feat for which the maze-bound witch's familiar qualifies. Her familiar gains the benefits of this feat whenever it is inside her barrier. This ability replaces cantrips and patron.

Tiring Barrier (Su): At 4th level, when a creature enters a maze-bound witch's barrier or is in its area when it is deployed, the maze-bound witch may choose to drain that creature's energy as a free action. All creatures designated must make Fortitude saves. If they fail, they gain the fatigued condition and take an amount of nonlethal damage equal to twice the maze-bound witch's level. Both the fatigued condition and the nonlethal damage are removed when the maze-bound witch dismisses her barrier, but persist even if the affected creature exits the barrier. Creatures who succeed on their saves against this ability become immune to the effects of tiring barrier for 24 hours.

Hexing Barrier (Su): At 7th level, the DC of a maze-bound witch's hex increases by +1 when both she and the target of her hex are within her barrier. This bonus increases by +1 every six levels after 7th, to a maximum DC increase of +3 at 19th level.

Spellblight Barrier (Su): Beginning at 10th level, whenever an enemy creature casts a spell within the maze-bound witch's barrier, it must make a Will save. On a failed save, it contracts a random minor spellblight (roll on Table 2-1 in Ultimate Magic). This spellblight is removed when the maze-bound witch dismisses her barrier, but persists even if the affected creature exits the barrier. It can also be cured normally. At 18th level, this ability instead inflicts major spellblights (roll on Table 2-2 in Ultimate Magic). Creatures who succeed on their saves against this ability become immune to the effects of spellblight barrier for 24 hours.

Major Hex (Su): The maze-bound witch gains this ability at 12th level instead of at 10th level.

Secretive Barrier (Su): At 13th level, maze-bound witches gain the secretive barrier ability, as the 13th-level contractor ability by the same name.

Frightening Barrier (Su): The maze-bound witch's barrier is decorated with nightmare images and horrifying patterns. At 16th level, when a creature enters her barrier or is in its area when she expands it, that creature must make a Will save or become shaken. The shaken effect lasts until the creature leaves the barrier. If a creature succeeds on its Will save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. Allies and enemies are affected equally by this effect.

Cursed Barrier (Su): At 19th level, the maze-bound witch's barrier is cursed with ill fortune and despair. The maze-bound witch's enemies receive a -2 penalty on all d20 rolls within her barrier. Whenever another creature fails a d20 roll inside the maze-bound witch's barrier, the maze-bound witch feeds on the misfortune, gaining 5 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points stack with others granted by this ability. All temporary hit points so gained disappear when she dismisses her barrier.

Walpurgis Night (Su): At 20th level, the maze-bound witch emerges from her shell to wreak havoc on the world. She can use her spells outside her barrier, and her familiar's nightmare transformation is permanent, persisting even outside the maze-bound witch's barrier. In addition, she is constantly surrounded by a quasi-barrier. At the beginning of each day, the maze-bound witch selects one of her barrier abilities. That barrier ability remains in effect around her even when her barrier isn't projected, using her barrier's range and DC. She can change which of her barrier abilities is constant by spending a full-round action and 8 of her daily barrier rounds. This ability replaces the witch's 20th-level hex.

Table 1-1: Maze-bound Witch

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Barrier, familiar, hex, trapping barrier 0 — — — — — — — —
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Hex 1 — — — — — — — —
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Nightmare familiar (Small) 1 0 — — — — — — —
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Tiring barrier 2 1 — — — — — — —
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Nightmare familiar (Fiendish) 2 1 0 — — — — — —
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Hex 2 2 1 — — — — — —
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Hexing barrier 3 2 1 0 — — — — —
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Hex 3 2 2 1 — — — — —
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Nightmare familiar (Medium) 3 3 2 1 0 — — — —
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Spellblight barrier 3 3 2 2 1 — — — —
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 Nightmare familiar (Intimidate) 3 3 3 2 1 0 — — —
12th +6 +4 +4 +8 Hex, major hex 3 3 3 2 2 1 — — —
13th +6 +4 +4 +8 Secretive barrier 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 — —
14th +7 +4 +4 +9 Hex 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 — —
15th +7 +5 +5 +9 Nightmare familiar (Advanced Creature) 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 —
16th +8 +5 +5 +10 Frightening barrier 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 —
17th +8 +5 +5 +10 Nightmare familiar (bonus feat) 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0
18th +9 +6 +6 +11 Hex, grand hex 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1
19th +9 +6 +6 +11 Cursed barrier 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
20th +10 +6 +6 +12 Walpurgis night 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3