Mage Hunter base class (WIP PEACH)

[Azoth]

Mage Hunter

“These powers were never meant to be wielded by mankind…”


Abilities: The key abilities for a Mage Hunter are Wisdom as it governs their unique abilities number of uses. Constitution for health, while they have a decent hit die more health is always welcome. Dex or Str depending on their chosen combat role.

Role: Mage Hunters are competent warriors who shine beset when facing spell casters.

Background: Mage Hunters come from all walks. They may have been raised in the profession or decided to join for personal reasons.

Organization; Mage Hunters usually work in small groups hunting down spellcasters that abuse their power. The organizations have their own hierarchies and methods, but still more than a few Mage Hunters act on their own for their own reasons.

Alignment: Hunters come from all walks and types. Some hunt out of vengeance, some to maintain order, some to cause chaos, and others for the thrill of the hunt and money. Mage Hunters can be of any alignment.



{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+0|+2|+2|+2| Favored enemy (Spell Caster), Nemesis

2nd|+1|+3|+3|+3| Evasion, Force of Will

3rd|+2|+3|+3|+3| Mettle, Mage Slayer

4th|+3|+4|+4|+4| Uncanny Dodge, AC Bonus

5th|+3|+4|+4|+4| Spell Rebound

6th|+4|+5|+5|+5| Pierce Magical Concealment

7th|+5|+5|+5|+5| Dispelling Attack

8th|+6/+1|+6|+6|+6| Bane of My Enemies

9th|+6/+1|+6|+6|+6| Pierce Magical Protection

10th|+7/+2|+7|+7|+7| Aura of suppression

11th|+8/+3|+7|+7|+7| Tag Along

12th|+9/+4|+8|+8|+8| Severing the Current

13th|+9/+4|+8|+8|+8| True Seeing

14th|+10/+5|+9|+9|+9| Greater Dispelling Attack

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+9|+9| Blank Thoughts

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10| Stopping the Flow

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Greater Rebound

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11|Extended Will

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11|

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|

[/table]

Hit Dice: d8

Skill points: 6+int (x4at first level)

Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Weapon and Armor Profficiency: Mage Hunters are profficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armors and shields (excluding tower shields)

Favored Enemy (spellcater): At First Level a Mage Hunter gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against arcane or divine spellcasters or invocation users (but not creatures with spell like abilities). Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.

Nemesis(EX): Through years of training a Mage hunter has developed an almost sixth sense for the presence of spell casters. They can sense the presence of spellcasters within 60 feet, as well as pinpoint their exact location (distance and direction) relative to them. Nonmagical barriers and obstructions do not block this ability, allowing you to sense the presence and location of creatures behind doors or walls, for example. This feat does not allow you to see an invisible or hidden creature (although you can still discern its location). In addition to sensing the presence of spellcasters, you deal +1d6 points of damage on weapon attack rolls made against spellcasters.

Evasion(EX): At 2nd level and higher, a Mage Hunter can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. A helpless Mage Hunter does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Force of Will (EX): At 2nd level a Mage Hunter adds his Wisdom Bonus (if any) on all saving throws. He also no longer automatically fails a save on a natural 1.

Mettle (EX): At 2nd level and higher, a Mage Hunter can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Mage Hunter does not gain the benefit of mettle.

Mage Slayer: A Mage Hunter gains Mage Slayer as a feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Uncanny Dodge (EX): Starting at 4th level, a Mage Hunter can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a Mage Hunter already has uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

AC Bonus (EX): A Mage Hunter adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when Mage Hunter is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless.

Spell Rebound (EX): You gain the supernatural ability to reflect magical attacks back on their caster. If an enemy misses with a spell or spell-like ability aimed at you, you can use an immediate action to redirect the effect back at its originator. The spell or ability attacks the original caster (The Mage Hunter makes an attack roll using the same modifier as the original attack against him).If it hits, the caster is subject to the normal effect of the spell or ability.

For example, if a 3rd-level wizard missed you with a scorching ray, you could use an immediate action to redirect the ray back to the wizard. The wizard would immediately make a new ranged attack roll (using the same modifier) against his own touch AC; if the attack succeeds, the scorching ray deals its normal damage to the wizard.

This effect applies only to spells and spell-like abilities that require an attack roll. Other spells and spell-like abilities that affect a target aren't subject to this reflection.

If a single spell or ability misses you more than once at the same time (such as scorching ray cast by a high-level caster), you can redirect each portion of the spell that missed. Using the example above, if you were missed by two of the three rays from an 11th-level wizard's scorching ray spell, you could redirect only those two rays (but not the one that hit).

You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Wis modifier (minimum 1/day).

Pierce Magical Concealment At 6th Level a Mage Hunter gains Pierce Magical Concealment as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Dispelling Attack (EX): As a free action useable when a Mage Hunter hits with an attacks he can infuse the attack with his own will. This attack if it hits does damage as normal and the target is also subjected to a targeted dispel magic. The Mage Slayer makes a dispel check (1d20 + Mage Slayer Level, Maximum +10). If the Mage Slayer attacks a creature no under the affect of any spells the attempt is wasted. A Mage Slayer may use this ability 3+wis Mod/day.

Bane of my Enemies (EX) Any weapon wielded by a Mage Hunter is considered to have the Mage Bane property. This property however applies to both arcane and divine casters equally.

Pierce Magical Protection The Mage Hunter gains Pierce Magical Protection as a bonus feat. Though for him it functions even with ranged attacks.

Aura of Suppression (EX): A Mage Hunter can generate a personal antimagic field. This field lasts a number of hours per day equal to his Mage Hunter Level. It's duration can be broken up into one minute intervals. It can be raised or lowered as a free action during the Mage Hunter's turn. Lowering it prematurely still removes the full minute from the total duration of its effect. It affects his entire area and threat range instead of just a 10ft emanation from himself.

Tag Along: If a Mage Slayer is within 30 feet of a spell caster when they attempt any form of extradimensional travel (I.E. Teleport, Dimension Door, Plane Shift) he can attempt a REF save (DC=10+spell level+caster's primary casting stat) to tag along to their destination.

Severing the Current (EX) As a free action on an attack you can cause a caster to make a Fort save DC (10 + ½ Mage Hunter level + Wis modifier) or lose a spell from the highest level spell slot they can cast. This ability is useable 3+ wis mod/day.

True Seeing (EX): A number of times per day equal to his wisdom modifier (minimum 1) a Mage Hunter may put himself under the effects of a True Seeing spell (Castter Level=Mage Hunter level)

Greater Dispelling Attack (EX): As Dispelling Attack but target subjected to a targeted Greater Dispell Magic.

Blank Thoughts (Ex): At 15th level, a Mage Hunter can induce within themselves a state of mental absence, thereby becoming immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, patterns, phantasms, and morale effects). They can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.

Stopping the Flow (EX): As a swift action a Mage Hunter can force an enemy spellcaster within 30 ft to make a Will save (DC=10+1/2 Mage Hunter level+wis mod) or be unable to use spell like abilities, supernatural abilities, or spellcasting as if affected by an antimagic field for 1d4+1 rounds. This ability is useable once every 1d4 rounds.

Greater Rebound(EX): At 17th level a Mage Hunter has learned to reflect any single target spell that fails to affect to him back at the caster. They must make a save against the same DC that the Mage Hunter did if the spell does not involve an attack roll.

Extended Will (EX) As a free action once per turn a Mage Hunter can grant his allies within 30ft (excluding himself) a new save attempt against a spell effect. If he affects multiple allies with one use of this ability he can only grant one type of retry.

For example, if two of his allies are affected by an aboleth's mucus and one is entangled, he can either grant two new fort saves or one new ref save but not both.

This ability is useable a number of times per day equal to 3+ wis modifier.

[toapat]

2 significant problems:

the total list of abilities isnt actually that good against anti-casters. AMF toggle EX Flight, and a Dimension Door ability go miles farther then what you have other then the Mage Slayer chain, because the typical strategy for beating on the mundanes involves Overland Flight and Long range orbs.

4 dead levels not worth touching.

[Azoth]

The dead levels are there because I haven't thought of abilities to give the class yet.

Also by the time you can overland flight + orb, this character already has a respectable touch AC and can rebound the orb back at you.

[toapat]

The dead levels are there because I haven't thought of abilities to give the class yet.

Also by the time you can overland flight + orb, this character already has a respectable touch AC and can rebound the orb back at you.

"Respectable" it is not even remotely. Touch AC doesnt matter against spellcasters, because they get, at the same levels: Both Truestrike and the first orb spells. AC of anything less then +20 is irrelevant to them from the very start. Fly is simply a 5th level affect, with a duration of Minutes/level.

You can also willing fail any check you can make, so reflecting a spell using their own attack roll is, to say the least, completely useless.

In other words, you have no idea how to counter casters.

[Azoth]

No, I am well aware of how to do it. I know that to reliably beat a caster one must play a caster. You must be able to fly, bury yourself in so man miss chances having an AC of -200 doesn't matter because you won't be hit anyway, you have to be able to negate any number of no save, no SR, no attack roll just LOSE abilities, you also have to be able to make any save they happen to throw, look at the action economy and bend it over your knee to sodomize it in a way most foul, and be able to outright kill your taget across 3 planes simultaneously at a minimum!

This class is not meant to be designed in order to kill god and the goddamn batman at the same ****ing time. I am designing for use against AVERAGE casters that would appear in a campain.

Again this is not meant to fight a dire tortoise polymorphed simulacrum of an astral projection from a personal demiplane of 1 day/1 round time rate with almost every buff up and waiting with contingent (every GTFO measure) crafted while packing twinned split ray maximized empowered fell drained enervations to negative level any adventurer stupid enough to try him into negative infinity.

So furthermore, unless you can offer decent constructive criticism on how to improve the class while still having it be a playable non-caster I would very much appreciate it if you would bugger off before turning this into another "why wizards pone fighters" thread!

[TuggyNE]

"Respectable" it is not even remotely. Touch AC doesnt matter against spellcasters, because they get, at the same levels: Both Truestrike and the first orb spells. AC of anything less then +20 is irrelevant to them from the very start. Fly is simply a 5th level affect, with a duration of Minutes/level.

Requiring an extra fifth-level slot (Quickened Truestrike) every round is, however, at least somewhat useful.


You can also willing fail any check you can make, so reflecting a spell using their own attack roll is, to say the least, completely useless.

I don't know where you got this, but I don't think it's true. You can willingly fail saves, and lower spell resistance/immunity, but I don't know if you can willingly fail skill checks, (opposed) ability checks, attack rolls, critical confirmation rolls, caster level checks, or any other check.

(Of course, it's trivial to fix anyway: just say that the Mage Hunter makes an attack roll at the bonus the caster used for that attack.)

Just keep in mind that friendly fire means sophisticated mages probably don't care what you throw back at them.

[toapat]

I don't know where you got this, but I don't think it's true. You can willingly fail saves, and lower spell resistance/immunity, but I don't know if you can willingly fail skill checks, (opposed) ability checks, attack rolls, critical confirmation rolls, caster level checks, or any other check.

(Of course, it's trivial to fix anyway: just say that the Mage Hunter makes an attack roll at the bonus the caster used for that attack.)

Just keep in mind that friendly fire means sophisticated mages probably don't care what you throw back at them.

While taking 1 is not autofail on skills, my point is you can decide to not take the die roll, in which case it is normally a 1.


Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the next round)

People who say you need to quicken Truestrike to be able to use it, are reading the duration wrong. the spell lasts until the end of your next turn, it doesnt terminate the same turn.

You dont need to be batman to beat batman. You just need to be able to shrug off magic like it is a joke, IE, having an Extraordinary AMF. It doesnt matter how uber Batman is, If he cant fight his opponent because he is in a wheelchair.

And being a Mage Slayer, kinda comes with the idea of being able to kill magi, not to be laughed out of the room every single level. Getting enough Miss chance is also equally easy, as Earthglide provides one way Perfect Cover/Perfect Concealment with No Detection possible. Towershields too provide you with total cover.

[Azoth]

His first level ability Nemesis would allow him to detect you as long as you were within 60ft, even through the earth. Also, last I checked, you can't cast spells at him from underground.

As for the AMF...I could give it to him in place of the Aura of Suppression. I would just need to tweak the mechanics of it so that he couldn't be walking around in it permanently. The major drawback to it is that unless his square is an exception to the field all of his gear and a few of his abilities would no longer be useable. Then again, removing his square from the field makes him just as vulnerable as not having used the ability to begin with. Let us also not forget that an AMF is useless against instantaneous conjurations.

[bobthe6th]

was about that one power... somthing that dampens the effect of spells? it minimizes damage from powers if I remember rightly.

how about that as a permanent aura, and give a globe of invulnerability like ability? like at 5th level you are immune to 1st level spells, at 9 2nd level spells, ect up to 5th level spells at 20? not making casters unable to do anything to you, but making them use higher level spells?

also, cool thing to add would be an across the board "doesn't fail a save on a one" ability. That tends to be the mages favored ability...

The worry I have with this class is that it will destroy spell casters to easily. Assuming the class is played in a normal game, spell casters are probably not played by optimizers. The DM won't want the party rage quitting when the spell casters flies out to long range and rains orb spells. Assuming then that casters are meant to be a decent challenge, how could they challenge a mage hunter? They have a ton of imunities, all good saves...

I would point out the class is a bit... to focused for a base class. It would be cool to make it a ranger ACF, with some add-ons and sacrifices.

[toapat]

His first level ability Nemesis would allow him to detect you as long as you were within 60ft, even through the earth. Also, last I checked, you can't cast spells at him from underground.

your wording of Nemisis isnt actually powerful enough to pierce earthglide's nondetectability (Its kinda hard when there is a planet in your way), and you cant use spells while in it, its better to have as an anti-caster ability

You can attack from earthglide with physical weapons, but anything that requires LoE is completely useless. Holy Word and co for instance can be used from it, but Scorching Ray cant

[Azoth]

The aura of suppression is kind of a weakened form of AMF. It only affects spells with a duration still in effect and only arears of it within 5' of him. So he could walk right through entangle, black tenticles, solid fog, sleet storm, ect. Any spell with an instantaneous effect would not be effected. However, this ability even at level 20 with a 34 wis would last a much shorter duration than a single casting of an AMF.

He doesn't gain many immunities against spells. He is equiped with abilities to help minimize the threat of casters. Any spell with a save is an all or nothing move due to evasion and mettle. Touch attacks can be reflected a small number of times per day.

A balancing point for this class is its 3/4 BAB, medium HD, and that it is a bit MAD. You need Con, Wis, and either Dex or Str at a minimum, also due to its skill list most won't want to dump Int. You are nearly as MAD as a Monk or Paladin. Granted you could use Intuitive Attack or Zen Archery to lower MAD that path still decreases damage and makes fights with any spell caster that much more dangerous. After all, the longer an enemy lives the harm they can do...especially when they start slinging spells around.

[toapat]

The aura of suppression is kind of a weakened form of AMF. It only affects spells with a duration still in effect and only arears of it within 5' of him. So he could walk right through entangle, black tenticles, solid fog, sleet storm, ect. Any spell with an instantaneous effect would not be effected. However, this ability even at level 20 with a 34 wis would last a much shorter duration than a single casting of an AMF.

He doesn't gain many immunities against spells. He is equiped with abilities to help minimize the threat of casters. Any spell with a save is an all or nothing move due to evasion and mettle. Touch attacks can be reflected a small number of times per day.

A balancing point for this class is its 3/4 BAB, medium HD, and that it is a bit MAD. You need Con, Wis, and either Dex or Str at a minimum, also due to its skill list most won't want to dump Int. You are nearly as MAD as a Monk or Paladin. Granted you could use Intuitive Attack or Zen Archery to lower MAD that path still decreases damage and makes fights with any spell caster that much more dangerous. After all, the longer an enemy lives the harm they can do...especially when they start slinging spells around.

Here is the problem with basically this entire class:

I still would rather spend my first level feat, or a flaw, on Spellfire Wielder. and just pump straight Con. Expecially considering that i can use a Free Action to ready the ability.

[Azoth]

So you would rather give up your standard action every round on the chance you are targeted with a single target spell, so you could absorb it? Granted you can only absorb spell levels up to con mod...so you can fire back some piddly damage with REF for half or heal some negligable amount of damage with it?

Gotta say that is worse than this class. Hell it is worse than the spell thief once you get past the lower levels.

There are also a few ways to get wis to hit and damae to reduce MAD. Though still, as a human with 32pb you can still get 16str/con/wis 10 dex 8int/cha and have decent to hit/damage/saves to start. With this chassis any mele/ranged build is still useable. Granted the lack of full BAB hurts, but it isn't that bad.

[toapat]

So you would rather give up your standard action every round on the chance you are targeted with a single target spell, so you could absorb it? Granted you can only absorb spell levels up to con mod...so you can fire back some piddly damage with REF for half or heal some negligable amount of damage with it?

Gotta say that is worse than this class. Hell it is worse than the spell thief once you get past the lower levels.

There are also a few ways to get wis to hit and damae to reduce MAD. Though still, as a human with 32pb you can still get 16str/con/wis 10 dex 8int/cha and have decent to hit/damage/saves to start. With this chassis any mele/ranged build is still useable. Granted the lack of full BAB hurts, but it isn't that bad.

1: Spellfire's Absorbsion is any action, not specifically standard
2: the limit for Spellfire is constitution, not constitution modifier
3: There is no reflex for half on the ray

[Azoth]

1) readying an action is a standard action by default.

2) ok I misread.

3) It is a flat DC 20 Ref save for 1/2 damage in my copy of Magic of Faeurn. This is after your touch attack to target them to begin with.

The feat nor the ability state that it is any other kind of action, so it defaults to the same action as readying any other form of action. This action is a standard action. So again, you give up your turn on the off chance you are targeted by a single target spell.

[Andion Isurand]

Here are some more abilities you could add.
You could plug them into a Ki usage system and do away with the 2 minute cooldown currently listed.


Ki Torrent (Su): As an immediate or free action, a mage hunter may discharge a spread of discordant Ki energy. All hostile targets within 20 feet must make a Will save against a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the magehunter's Hit Dice + the mage hunter's Charisma modifier, or lose the ability to cast spells and spell-like abilities, as well as the ability to use any spell completion, spell trigger or command item for 1 round. A mage hunter must wait 2 minutes after using this ability before it can be used again.

Resonating Spellstrike (Ex): Whenever a mage hunter hits a target with an unarmed strike, natural weapon or manufactured weapon, he gains a bonus to the damage dealt, equal to the spell level of the highest level spell or spell-like ability currently in effect upon the target.

Clarifying Ki (Su): As an immediate or free action, a mage hunter may emanate a spread of clarifying Ki energy that reveals all that is hidden within 20 feet of the mage hunter for 3 rounds. This creates an area of effect that remains centered on the mage hunter, in which all things appear as they actually are, as if by means of a true seeing spell. Unlike true seeing however, all creatures in visual range can see what is revealed within this area of effect. This does not dispel any magical effects—it only temporarily reveals them. Should a creature pass through this emanation during its duration, any hidden elements on it are revealed, though they are again hidden as soon as the creature steps out of it. A mage hunter must wait 2 minutes after using this ability before it can be used again.