New Template: Magebane

[magic_unlocked]

Okay, here's my first attampt at posting something out of my Craft (Homebrew) skill check with a +2 bonus from the aid another option. I'm not so good with fluff/flavor text as I am with the base mechanics on it. Perhaps The Playground can offer some suggestions?

Anyhow, this is it (sorry for any formating issues, please forgive me):

Magebane.

Special Abilities:

Drain Magic (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, a Magebane creature can use a natural weapon to drain magic from a target. The Magebane creature may choose to activate this ability as a free action after striking a creature with spellcasting or any supernatural or spell-like ability. The Magebane creature drains 1d8 spell points (or 1d4 spell levels) and gains the drained spell points as temporary HP (or 2x the spell level drained), and a temporary bonus on their strength score equal to the spell level drained, or 1/2 the spell points drained (minimum 1). A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 Magebane creature's HD + Magebane creature's Cha modifier) negates the effect. The affected spell caster chooses which spell is drained from them.

The draining effect from a magebane has no effect on creatures that do not cast spells, spell-like abilities or supernatural abilities. If a magebane creature is successful in the case of a creature that has spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities, the target creature chooses which one of its abilities is affected. If it has a set number of uses, such as 1/day, it is unavailable as though cast. If it is an at-will ability then the ability is unavailable for a number of rounds equal to the spell level that was drained. In these instances, roll a 1d8 and resolve normally as above.

Special Qualities:

Sense Magic (Ex): A Magebane creature is capable of detecting the presence of magical creatures. A Magebane creature senses when a creature with spellcasting or any supernatural or spell-like ability is within 100 feet. This ability functions much like the Scent special quality

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +1
Level Adjustment: +1

It is possible for a creature to become a "Psibane" creature. Just switch the above from spell points to power points and and spell-like abilities to psi-like abilities. However, both versions still affect supernatural abilities the same way. Scholars still do not know why this is as of yet.

Magebane is an inhereted template that can be applied to any living, corporeal creature. In the case of undeath, a creature that had this template then later became an undead for whatever reason, still has the Magebane template. There are rumors of ghosts and incorporeal undead that have the Magebane template. Current scholars postulate that they could have died from a spell caster and that their sheer hatred of casters granted them the Magebane ability by force of will, in this case, hatred. Others believe that it was merely carried over into unlife. No definitive answer exists at this time.


So... what does the Playground think?

[edit] Ok. There it is. Fixed up Version 2.8. Added some fluff as well.

[Charlie Kemek]

Interesting. I made a base class on something like this a few months ago.
what creatures would you apply this to?

[Balkash]

i think the idea is basically interesting. try using http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Template
or something close to that as a guide. Just plug in what you have, and just say unchanged for the unchanged things.

For the fluff, i might suggest some short story about the demise of some up and coming wizard. He's battling a monster, and finds he cant remember his spells. Then he realizes the monster is draining his spells right before he dies. I dunno, something like that

[magic_unlocked]

Added a clause on Spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities. Also added what it does to CR and the like.

[DracoDei]

Content: Looks interesting enough. What resource are you using to define Spell-points... I am not sure I know exactly what the term means... unless it just means that you can memorize 2 2nd level spells instead of a 4th level one and stuff like that.
If you are feeling adventurous you might add how this interacts with psionics...
If a mage-bane wants to keep an old bonus rather than acquiring a new one (because the old one is better) can they do that?
Is it an inherited or acquired template? If acquired, what is the process?

Style:
I would integrate it all into one package instead of having your ammendments seperately at the end. You could summarize the edits at the end, and posting a seperate message at the end of the thread noting each change (perhaps in detail) is usually acceptable.

Also I agree about getting the formatting fixed if you possibly can...

[TheLogman]

For fluff reasons, maybe give them a bonus to Spellcraft and SR?

[magic_unlocked]

I was using Unearthed Arcana for spell points. It is OGL i believe. And i don't know how how to fix the formatting. :smalleek: What about having them stack or overlap? And as for the bonus to spellcraft, i think that works. it'll be equal to the spell level drained.

[Mewtarthio]

It should look something more like:

Special Abilities:

Drain Magic (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, a Magebane creature can use a natural weapon to drain magic from a target. The Magebane creature may choose to activate this ability as a free action after striking a creature with spellcasting or any supernatural or spell-like ability. [describe effect here] A successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 Magebane creature's HD + Mageband creature's Cha modifier) negates the effect.

Special Qualities:

Sense Magic (Ex): A Magebane creature is capable of detecting the presence of magical creatures. A Magebane creature senses when a creature with spellcasting or any supernatural or spell-like ability is within 100 feet. This ability functions much like the Scent special quality.

[magic_unlocked]

Thank yous!! I'll get to work on that. =D

[Fuza]

I can't remeber, but this seems like it has already been done. Meh doesn't matter. Seems like a good idea.

[TheLogman]

Karsites from the Tomb of Magic are similar, but different. Karsites get SR, are healed when casters fail against his SR. They also get Human traits (They're a race), but they can never cast a spell. Magic items, Psionics, ect. are okay, just no magic casting.

[magic_unlocked]

I don't have Tome of Magic. I pretty much have the core books, Complete Arcane/Mage and Unearthed arcana. This has come from my imagination. :smallbiggrin: Anyhows, I think i fixed it up properly.

[TheLogman]

I don't think I've said this yet, but this thing is awesome, especially for a Wizard-hunting Ranger or Fighter, or better, a Paladin that goes Witch-Hunter.

[magic_unlocked]

I don't think I've said this yet, but this thing is awesome, especially for a Wizard-hunting Ranger or Fighter, or better, a Paladin that goes Witch-Hunter.

Sweetness!! The only thing i can think of would be that you are born with it, an inherent template, i think, or possibly gain it as a feat? As for the feat application, what says the Playground?

[TheLogman]

If you want it to be something you're born with, all you have to do is say that the template must be taken with your first character level.

Also, if you want players to take it for their characters, you should add that it is an LA +1 template, in addition to a CR +1, since sometimes templates are one, but not the other, or the two are different numbers, since some abilities are better for Characters than monsters.

[Mewtarthio]

Looks a lot nicer, but there's still two problems:

First, right below the title (above "Special Abilities"), you need to list the types of creatures the template can be applied to, as well as whether it is inherited or acquired (eg "Magebane is an inhereted template that can be applied to any living, corporeal creature" would indicate that any living being with a physical body can be born with it, while "Magebane is an acquired template that can be applied to any Animal or Magical Beast" would indicate that animals and magical beasts can get the templates applied to them later in life. I'm guessing you want the template to be inhereted).

Second, CR is not a special quality, so below the description of "Sense Magic," you should add "Challenge Rating: As base creature +1"

[magic_unlocked]

Looks a lot nicer, but there's still two problems:

First, right below the title (above "Special Abilities"), you need to list the types of creatures the template can be applied to, as well as whether it is inherited or acquired (eg "Magebane is an inhereted template that can be applied to any living, corporeal creature" would indicate that any living being with a physical body can be born with it, while "Magebane is an acquired template that can be applied to any Animal or Magical Beast" would indicate that animals and magical beasts can get the templates applied to them later in life. I'm guessing you want the template to be inhereted).

Second, CR is not a special quality, so below the description of "Sense Magic," you should add "Challenge Rating: As base creature +1"

Thanks. I'll get on that.

[Aquillion]

This seems about right to me. For characters gaining it at their first level, why not say that there are some ways available to apply it? Maybe there's a secret ritual, or a hidden pool you bathe yourself in, or whatever.

It does seem odd to me that they get no special defenses against magic, but that would probably push the LA upwards.

Another thought: Their Sense Magic ability would really be more useful if it let them detect places where spells had been cast, not just magic users. Here's an idea... why not make it work like a Detect Magic that doesn't work on magic items but instead detects magic-using creatures the way Detect Evil detects evil ones? It might sound odd, but it's easy enough to adapt.

They can detect the presence or absence of magic easily, but take a few rounds to pinpoint where it's coming from. The higher the CL of a magic-using creature, the stronger their magic aura. Depending on the level of a recently-cast spell or creature, they can also detect a lingering aura.

[magic_unlocked]

Hmm... That does sound more useful than the way I have it set up at the moment.