Magehunter

A magehunter is a highly trained warrior who can overcome hostile magic through martial discipline and indomitable willpower.

Crime and Punishment
Author Keith Baker
Series Campaign Style
Publisher Atlas Games
Publish date 2003

Part of the power of the magehunter comes from ritual purity. A magehunter must never have channeled magical forces; this blank slate becomes her shield, severing her connection with the world of the supernatural. In addition to this defense, she learns a variety of offensive techniques that aid her when she is battling spell-using opponents.

Magehunters do not lean towards any alignment. Good magehunters will actively seek to protect the innocent from mystical threats. Neutral hunters simply perform their duties, for which they will expect to be duly compensated.

An evil magehunter could work in the service of an oppressive lord, hunting down any mystical opposition to her master’s tyrannical rule.

Hit Die: d10

REQUIREMENTS

To become a magehunter, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Iron Will
Special: The character cannot possess any sort of spellcasting ability. Races or creatures with spell-like abilities (such as Gnomes) cannot become magehunters. If the character ever acquires a level in a class that grants spell ability, she loses the class’ Spell Resistance and all magehunter special abilities. imbue with spell ability cannot be used on a magehunter, unless she has lost her powers.

Also, the abilities of the magehunter are the result of ancient techniques and intensive training. In order to become a magehunter, a character must receive instruction from an experienced magehunter.

Whether the character is dealing with an order or an individual, the teacher will require the student to perform a task to display her dedication to the goals of the order being sent to defeat a rogue wizard, a mystical monster, or some other supernatural threat is common.

CLASS SKILLS

The magehunter’s class skills are Climb (Strength), Craft (Intelligence), Intimidate (Charisma), Jump (Strength), Profession (Wisdom), Ride (Dexterity)(Dexterity), Spellcraft (Intelligence), Spot (Wisdom), and Swim (Strength). A magehunter may also select either Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge (religion) to be a class skill.

Skill points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

THE MAGEHUNTER
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort	Ref	Will	SR	Special Abilities
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	12	Disrupting Wound
2	+2	+3	+0	+1	14	Resist Mystical Influences, Sense Magic
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	16	Smite Mystic (Daze)
4	+4	+4	+1	+2	18	Dodge Spell (+2)
5	+5	+4	+1	+2	20	Detect Magic
6	+6/+1	+5	+2	+3	22	Smite Mystic (Idiocy)
7	+7/+2	+5	+2	+3	24	Dodge Spell (+3)
8	+8/+3	+6	+2	+4	26
9	+9/+4	+6	+3	+4	28	Smite Mystic (Paralysis)
10	+10/+5	+7	+3	+5	30	Dodge Spell (+4)

CLASS FEATURES

All of the following are class features of the magehunter:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A magehunter is familiar with shields, all simple and martial weapons, and light, medium, and heavy armor.

Spell Resistance: A magehunter’s ritual purity shields her from all forms of magic. This takes the form of Spell Resistance. A 1st level magehunter has 12 points of Spell Resistance; this increases by two points each level. To successfully use a spell or spelllike ability against a magehunter, an opponent must make a level check (1d20 + caster level). If the roll equals or exceeds the magehunter’s Spell Resistance, the spell works normally. The hunter still gets to make a save against any magical effect that penetrates her Spell Resistance, if one is normally allowed.

A magehunter’s Spell Resistance is an extraordinary ability, and cannot be voluntarily deactivated; as a result, it can be difficult for allies of the magehunter to assist her with magic. If she concentrates, a magehunter can temporarily reduce her Spell Resistance by up to five points, but she cannot drop it completely.

Disrupting Wound: The purity of the magehunter has a disrupting effect on any magic she comes into contact with. If a magehunter inflicts melee damage on a creature that is casting a spell — either as a result of a readied action or an attack of opportunity — the magehunter may add an amount equal to twice her magehunter level to the DC of the victim’s Concentration check.

Resist Mystical Influences: Even if a spell penetrates her natural defenses, a magehunter of 2nd level or higher gets a +2 to all saves against magical effects.

Sense Magic: At 2nd level a magehunter becomes sensitive to the unnatural emanations of supernatural forces. When she comes within 30 feet of an active spell or spell-like ability she may make a Wisdom check, adding her magehunter level to the roll. The DC is 15 minus the level of the effect. If the magehunter is successful, she senses the source of the mystical emanations. If she makes the roll by five or more points, she can determine if the spell is divine or arcane in nature. This is the only information she receives. Unlike Detect Magic, this effect extends in all directions and does not require any sort of concentration on the part of the character; a magehunter may detect someone who has snuck up behind her to cast a Silent Spell.

Smite Mystic: As a magehunter develops her skills, she learns to use her purity as a weapon. She may project this force along with a melee attack, or she may deliver it as a touch attack; this can be performed as an attack of opportunity.

This has a disruptive effect on any creature that possesses spell-like abilities or the power to cast spells. The effects of the attack vary based on the level of the magehunter:

Magehunter Level	Effect
3rd	Victim loses next action; +1d6 damage
6th	Victim suffers effects of touch of idiocy; +2d6 damage
9th	Victim is paralyzed for 1 round/level; +3d6 damage

A high-level magehunter may decide which spell-like effect to apply to the attack. This effect can be negated by a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + the magehunter’s level + her Wisdom modifier. There is no saving throw against the additional damage.

Further, a victim struck by Smite Mystic cannot cast a spell or use a spell-like ability for the remainder of the turn; if the magehunter smites an enemy in the act of casting a spell, it automatically causes the spell to fail, with no Concentration roll allowed. A magehunter may use Smite Mystic a number of times per day equal to half her Magehunter level.

Dodge Spell: As a magehunter becomes more sensitive to the fluctuations of magic, she learns to intuitively avoid mystical attacks. If someone makes a touch attack (ranged or melee) against a magehunter as part of a spell or spell-like ability, the magehunter should immediately make her Sense Magic check. If she succeeds, she gets a bonus to her AC against that attack. This bonus begins at +2 at 4th level, and increases by one every three levels.

Detect Magic: By 5th level, a magehunter has developed a highly refined sense of the unnatural forces around her; this allows her to Detect Magic at will. This is identical to the spell of the same name, but it is considered to be an extraordinary ability; it is not itself a magical action and cannot be blocked by antimagic field or dispel magic.