MM's Magehunter (3.5e Prestige Class)

Magehunter

“	By my will, the forces of the occult shall never hold the people of this kingdom in their thrall.	”
—Lord Boryx Zaramont, human magehunter of Cormyr

NOTE: This is an adapted version of the Magehunter (3.5e Prestige Class) already present on this wiki. I retooled it to be a bit more balanced while still particularly potent against spellcasters. Credit to the original creator Lord Dhazriel for the idea and large portions of the lore present here. It is intended to enable a non-spellcasting build to go toe-to-toe with wizards and their ilk without simply being turned into a toad or (conversely) being flat out superior to other classes. I view the class as necessary primarily for it's dispelling and dimensional bloodhound abilities, as the SRD Occult Slayer lacks any consistent way of dealing with battlefield control spells (e.g. freezing fog, telekinetic sphere, web, black tentacles, etc.), teleport (e.g. dimension door, teleport (greater)) and personal buffs (e.g. polymorph), thus making it incapable of fulfilling it's own prescribed role.

Magehunters are anti-mage specialists. Many of them have a hatred of spellcasting because of the terrible consequences of tampering with the fabric of reality while others simply aim to stop the violence done at it's hand. Some magehunters simply kill wizards and spellcasters for duty. Some do it to keep the mage's incredible power in check. Some do it for profit. But no matter their actual goals, a magehunter is a specialist and an expert. She knows when and where to strike. She knows how to kill and thwart those who use magic with incredible efficiency.

Becoming a Magehunter

Magehunters are dedicated to the eradication of destructive and reckless magic, especially arcane spellcasting. Why? Ask any magehunter. They will respond that many an errant and irresponsible mage has caused untold havoc in their home nation. Some magehunters may even travel with wizards as companions. Or they may have even dabbled in magics themselves to better understand their enemy, fighting fire with fire so to speak.

Entry Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:	+5.
Skills:	Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks.
Feats:	Mage Slayer CA, Spellwise

Table: The Magehunter

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Occult Tracker, Smite Magic 1/day
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Spell Resistance
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Dispel Magic
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Dimensional Bloodhound
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Smite Magic 2/day, Bonus Feat
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Bane of the Arcane
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Disrupting Aura
8th	+6	+2	+6	+6	Improved Occult Tracker, Bonus Feat
9th	+6	+3	+6	+6	Smite Magic 3/day
10th	+7	+3	+7	+7	Witchslayer
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Intelligence), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Intelligence), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features

For relevant magehunter's class abilities, the character may choose to use her Wisdom or her Charisma modifier, whichever is higher.

Occult Tracker (Su): At first level, the magehunter is permanently under the effects of Detect Magic as a supernatural ability. She may suppress or resume this ability as a free action. Her new connection with antimagic also permanently disrupts her ability to use both arcane and divine magic, preventing her from casting spells of either sort except by use of a magical device

Smite Magic (Ex): A mage hunter may attempt to smite any creature capable of casting spells or spell-like abilities with one normal melee attack. She adds her Wisdom or Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals damage equal to her opponents caster level. If the magehunter accidentally smites a creature that does not possess spells or spell-like abilities, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.

Spell Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, the magehunter gains Spell-Resistance equal to her HD + her magehunter level (up to 10th) +5. She may suppress or resume it as a free immediate action (an immediate action that doesn't count towards your limit on actions).

Dispel Magic (Su): At 3rd level, the magehunter gains the ability to use dispel magic as a supernatural ability with a CL equal to it's HD (no upper limit) a number of times per day equal to her Magehunter level.

Bonus Feat (Ex): At 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a magehunter gains a bonus feat from the list below.

Bonus Feat List: Astral Tracking, Blind Fight, Hear the Unseen, Improved Initiative, Indomitable Soul, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Occult Opportunist, Pierce Magical Concealment, Pierce Magical Protection, Spellwise, Track

Dimensional Bloodhound (Su): At 4th level, a magehunter gains the ability to follow a dimensional or planar traveler by simply standing where the traveler departed from and following the residual magic. As a standard action, the magehunter can detect the location of the dimension travel and mimic the magic of the traveler so long as the effect is instantaneous and the spell or spell-like ability was cast within 10 minutes of her attempt and she stands within five feet of the place of departure, arriving precisely in the same destination barring teleportation wards and the like. If the square the magehunter would enter is occupied, the ability follows the same rules as dimension door.

Bane of the Arcane (Ex): By 6th level, a Magehunter has learned to feed off the magic of their enemies and to hide from magical detection. The Magehunter receives permanent nondetection. Furthermore, the Magehunter receives a insight bonus to armor class and a bonus to Listen, Spot, Sense Motive, and Survival Checks made against any character capable of casting divine or arcane spells or spell-like abilities equal to the highest level spell they have access to.

Disrupting Aura (Su): At 7th level, the magehunter's connection with antimagic has become so acute that she can now emanate an aura to disrupt magic in her vicinity. The magehunter's aura can create a dispel magic effect (CL = HD - 5) on any spell or spell-like ability that is attempted within a 120 foot radius as an immediate action once per round. The mage hunter must be aware of the spell in order to dispel it. The mage hunter can use this effect a number of times equal to the magehunter's class level.

Witchslayer (Su): At 10th level, the magehunter has attained the power to turn an individual's magic against them, causing their own magical energy to destroy them from the inside. 1/day, as a standard action, a Magehunter can make a melee or ranged attack roll. If the magehunter successfully strikes and damages any creature capable of casting spells or possessing one or more spell-like abilities, they must make a Fortitude save or die with a DC of 10 + 1/2 HD + Wis or Cha Modifier. Creature(s) that succeed on the save take damage equal to 5 * their highest spell level.

For instance, if a 10th Rogue, 10th magehunter with a wisdom of 20 successfully hits a 20th level wizard with this ability, the wizard would need to attempt a Fortitude save DC 25, or die. Even if she succeeds, the Wizard takes 45 points of force damage in addition to the other damage from the attack.

Multiclassing Note: A samurai, paladin, or monk who becomes a magehunter may continue advancing in these classes. Furthermore, levels of magehunter stack with other class levels in these classes for determining the class level for class features (this does not provide further class features as if you had continued advancing in the class, it only enhances the class features you already have). For instance, a magehunter with paladin levels adds his magehunter level to his paladin level for determining his total number of points for lay on hands if he already possesses this ability. If, however, you had only reached first level as a paladin and thus had not obtained the lay on hands ability, you would not gain it from advancing as a magehunter.

Epic Level Progression: When progressing into Epic Levels, the Magehunter's abilities continue to progress as above. In addition, her bonus feats now can be chosen from the following Epic Bonus Feat list: Epic Prowess, Self-Concealment, Exception Deflection, Blinding Speed, Epic Dodge, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Great Smiting, Improved Combat Reflexes, Legendary Tracker, Planar Turning, Spectral Strike, Superior Initiative, Trap Sense.

Campaign Information

Playing a magehunter

“	Ahem, ye be referring to the former archmage Zearusu.	”
—Zotha, dwarf magehunter

Combat: Magehunters are very effective against enemy spellcasters as well as against outsiders and other creatures with spell-like abilities. However, a medium base attack bonus and d8 hit die prevents them from being able to shine brightest in a pure melee. The magehunter also is mediocre at infiltration, with class skills like bluff, escape artist, and hide but no particular abilities beyond this to prevent her from being discovered.

Advancement: Magehunters were mostly rogues, fighter, ranger or paladins. Few were spellcasters due to their pursuit of spellcasters and the fact that the the PrC offers no spellcasting advancement, making it a poor choice for spellcasters.

Resources: Magehunters often gather in guilds. Others gain the sponsorship of a church or other religious organization hostile to arcane magic. A divine magehunter may gather in strange sects along with Ur-Priests and scheme to slay the followers of the gods.

Magehunter Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research magehunter lore to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
11	Magehunters are devoted to the destruction of spellcaster and are tutored in multiple tactics and techniques tailored for use against them.
16	Magehunters are capable of dispelling magic through their connection to antimagic.
21	A skilled magehunter is permeated by an aura which disrupts magic in an instant.
26	Info about the whereabouts of a particular magehunter.

Magehunter in the Game

Sample Encounter: COMING SOON

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