Homebrew: Magehunter Class

[Chronologist]

This is a very cool concept for a class, but it feels more like a prestige class than a full base class. It just doesn't seem versatile enough. Sure, you can disrupt/steal/absorb magic in various ways, but you can't do anything besides that.

Against non spell-casters, this class functions like a Bard without class features or spells. I see two ways to fix this;

1. Reduce the number of class features and give the class d10 hit dice, full attack bonus, and better armor and shields. That way they're decent in a fight even against non-casters.

2. Expand the class features to not only spells but supernatural abilities of monsters in general. "Eating" an enemy fireball? That's nice. Turning off a wounded Demon's Teleport ability? That's awesome.

 

[Glade Riven]

Good points. I've tried to make up for the combat-issue with the bonus feats; everyone's been focused on Spelleater and Null, so I wonder if that is being overlooked.

To address suggestion #2 first: As I dug through the Pathfinder Core and Bestiary, it looks like Paizo has done away with Supernatural abilities. Everything is mostly Spell-like abilities with a few items as special qualities (such as lycanthrope shape changing). So you have your awesomeness

Now back to #1:

• d8 to d10 - If nobody thinks this is unbalancing, I'm fine with making this change.
• Add Shields, but leave class armor at medium - Having heavy armor available as part of the class seems to hurt the vibe that I'm aiming for.
• Replacing Bonus Feat selection with class items that help the Mage Hunter fight against magical and nonmagical foes - Now that the kinks are worked out with the anti-mage stuff, I can work on this. Here are some thoughts:
  • Exotic Weapon Proficiency bonus feat - More for feel than anything. I think this would work at level 2
  • Nimble Moves - Increase in max Dex bonus while wearing armor of medium or lighter. +1 at first level, then +2 @ 6th, +3 @ 12th, +4 @ 18th.
  • Counterstrike: By anticipating an opponent's attack, a Mage Hunter can duck around an attacker and take advantage of an opening. The mage hunter must have readied the action before hand. Counterstrike is a combat maneuver, so the mage hunter must roll a CMB verses the attacker's CMD and succeed. If successful, the mage hunter switches places with the opponent and gains an attack of opertunity with a +2 one time flanking bonus to hit. This ability is not avalable if the mage hunter is wearing heavy armor. I'm thinking this would come into play at level 6.
  • And...I need to think up a few more to patch a few holes.

Better? Worse?

 

[Xendria]

First, I love the idea of the class. Now in order to really understand the class you have to realize what you want it to do. Right now it seems like your trying to negate and to manipulate, personally I think you need to pick one devotion. Is the character stopping/manipulate the magic with pure force of will or intimate knowledge of the magic itself (I prefer the later due to the age old belief that you must understand your enemy). It seems to me like your going for the character who sacrifices his own beliefs and learns and understands and even sometimes uses magic, for the greater good to protect them from the "evil" magic users.

Force of will would use wisdom as a primary stat, knowledge would use intelligence. I think what your going for is intelligence, being more skill based and this would also make sense with use magical device, just add a class ability to allowed class level or intelligence modifier to use magical device checks. This would also give them bonuses to knowledge arcana and religion as well as spellcraft. Unless ofcourse your going for a MAD class, with which you could require wisdom and intelligence.

Now, to class abilities:

Eat Magic: I think this should increase every other level, the same as a wizard can cast. So 1st level spells at 1st, 2nd at 3rd, 3rd at 5th and so on. This keeps him in line with a wizard and a little ahead of spontaneous casters. If you go 1 spell level per class level hell be able to lock out a 18th level wizard at 9th level. Another alternative is if you want him a little ahead of the game just bump it by one level, 2nd level spells at 2nd level, 3rd at 4th. I think needing to ready action to eat the spell makes the ability near worthless, but a good idea would be forcing the character to know the spell being cast by using a spellcraft check or at least understand it by using a knowledge arcana or religion check. You don't want the core class ability to be too random. Also I'd remove the reflect ability, keep it to raw damage, maybe allow an element change or die size increase. Make it include spell-like abilities even.

Spell Breaker: Just give them Dispel Magic X times per day with a CL = to their MH levels. At higher level make it become Greater Dispel Magic and then eventually the option of Mass Dispel Magic.

Arcane Breaker: If you allow this on normal traps too, keep it Disable Device. If you want just magical traps and locks, make it spellcraft or a corresponding knowledge.

Track Magic: Absolutely. Love. It.

Resist Magic: I can never decide between save bonuses or SR, the choice is really up to you. Maybe save bonuses at lower level, such as evasion and improved evasion but only with spells, then SR late game.

Null Aura: Either on or off, not controllable. Making it off for the party and on for everyone else, even partially, distorts the class's intent. He doesn't trust other magic users, at all. Period. Maybe at higher level make it so HIS items and things work, not anyone else, including the party.

Suggestions: Shields and medium armor is fine, they can take a feat for heavy. Martial weapons, nets, and whips. Maybe give him a few bonus feats, every 4 levels or so. Hes not supposed to be a front line character, more like a bard or rogue, but anti-caster. Maybe even up his Magic Eater uses per day but make it only spells targetting him, or at higher level even target his party. Either way don't let people make you dilute this class, the idea is amazing. Great Job.

 

[dmccoy1693]

This is a very cool concept for a class, but it feels more like a prestige class than a full base class. It just doesn't seem versatile enough. Sure, you can disrupt/steal/absorb magic in various ways, but you can't do anything besides that.

Against non spell-casters, this class functions like a Bard without class features or spells.

As a game designer, I'd have to agree. The concept is cool, very cool. But if you're in a campaign that focuses on undead, an orc invasion, or a devil conspiracy, the class is going to see little use. A base class should be versitile enough to work in any campaign, no matter that the concept is. (Unless you're not in a generic setting or making major changes to it, like the gods left, so clerics and paladins have no power anymore, or arcane casters have to make a will save or they get sick every time they cast a spell).

Now if this were a 3 or 5 level PrC where you had to be a minimum of level 10 to take it and the spell eater was the top ability, this would be rather cool. But I wouldn't make it automatic, if it had a roll involved (like a save with an increased difficulty), that might work. Again, it depends on its execution.

 

[Xendria]

Now if this were a 3 or 5 level PrC where you had to be a minimum of level 10 to take it and the spell eater was the top ability, this would be rather cool. But I wouldn't make it automatic, if it had a roll involved (like a save with an increased difficulty), that might work. Again, it depends on its execution.

Honestly I think that this needs to be a base class to really have the feel. Cause in order to express the in depth knowledge of magic then he'd have to take levels as a spellcaster which would limit small combat roll even more. Spell eater as a final ability would be terrible, it's really not that powerful as long as its limited to x/day, a check is required, and it has to target the character. I think removing this ability or waiting until the end of the class would not only make the class less unique but also lessen the already spars abilities the class has.

A suggestion for a 20th level ability would be to allow the character to store spells that he absorbs, and then choose to use them to heal or recast them.

 

[Glade Riven]

I appreciate the comments and advice. The pathfinder psionic thread has gotten my brain working in some interesting directions, and I think I'm going to run with it.

Essentially, I am looking at psionics as functioning much like spell-like abilities - like how arcane and divine are different flavorings of the same spell mechanics. I'd be dropping the power-point system in favor for the spontanious casting mechanic, as the power-point system always seemed to me to be an unecessary alternative spell mechanic added to the SRD

Magehunter (possibly renamed) would work as a psionic anti-caster, whether the person is trying to interrupt a spell that is arcane, divine, or psionic in source. The primary focus for the Magehunter is countering spellcasting, while the secondary focus is battlefield control. I'll be incorporating a number of the suggestions here, but it may take me a bit to work it all out and get an updated version posted.

 

[Xendria]

Boo for Psionics lol.

 

[Jhaelen]

Yay for psionics!

 

[Glade Riven]

Boo for Psionics lol.

To be honest...it'll be magic with a psionic source rather than arcane or divine source. Psions will cast pretty much like a sorcerer (and have wisps that turn into "psi" crystals when you need to put them in your pocket). Specializations work like sorcerer blood lines. Psy-warriors are more-or-less Gish, and soulblades more monk-ish. Not sure what to do with wilders, although I'm thinking of nerfing their spell list and replacing class features with some sort of percentile die roll to make them the random-crazy-wildmage class. Magehunter's a new class, and I'd like to make an Elemental Savant class (inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender).

This is going to take a while, though, and right now that's as far as I've gotten.