Looking for some mage-hunting enemies

[Iamalaser]

Oi,

So I'm running a 3.5 campaign where magic is highly illegal, and most of the players are casters of one sort or another. I was hoping to feature some sort of special force of anti-magic gestapo that would show up repeatedly throughout the campaign.

So, anyone know of any likely npc's/MM entries to use? The players are effectively level 7 (one of them is half dragon, so he's level 4...), and there are 4 of them. I am looking for individual enemies as well as good well-balanced encounter ideas.

I was hoping to avoid resorting to using city guards with wands of dispel magic or something like that...

 

[Razjah]

Tome of Magic has the Karsite. They are a race that can't use magic, but look like humans. Their man ability is Magic Draining Attacks suppress the magic items of enemies they hit in melee (armor, shield or weapon). If the spell resitance (10+class levels) causes a spell to fail they gain 2 hit points for each spell level of the spell that just failed. They have a +2 level adjustment.

Drow could be reflavored. Specially trained troops that have innate magical resistance and a few spell-like abilities.

Cities could have gargoyles that send off flares if they sense magic within 120 feet.

Githyanki and Githzerai have spell resistance, some psionic abilities, and are really cool.

 

[Herobizkit]

Monks. Throw your mages for a loop with a (primarily) Lawful Neutral/Evil group of martial artists who feel that magic is unnatural and seek to strike down magic-using people. High mobility + High saves + Evasion + flurry of blows = magepaste. Toss in poisonous shuriken for [Dump stat of choice] damage and you're laughing.

Also, make them Psionic Drow - Drow whose abilities are psionic, not magical. *g*
Or gith as the above poster suggested.

Golems are notoriously anti-magical despite being made by magic.

Paladins are great for crusades.

I would suggesting pulling monsters from the Undead, Aberration, Fey, Magical Beast, Construct, and Elemental types to give those magic-users some difficulty. Oozes are fun, too, though not as common.

 

[VariSami]

Suel Arcanamach in Complete Arcane is a prestige class for an ancient anti-wizard enforcement agency.

I think there is also something similar in one of the Faerün books. Netherese, mayhap?

In any case, Karsites are a nice idea if there's been magical breeding or experimentation on the corps. Hey, you could even consider making a custom prestige class that essentially ends up making your human a Karsite, no?

 

[Empirate]

Monks. Throw your mages for a loop with a (primarily) Lawful Neutral/Evil group of martial artists who feel that magic is unnatural and seek to strike down magic-using people. High mobility + High saves + Evasion + flurry of blows = magepaste. Toss in poisonous shuriken for [Dump stat of choice] damage and you're laughing.

And throw in some partially charged wands for good measure, to show that Monks are really THE anti-mage in the game...


EDIT: to also help instead of snarking only: Faerûn-specific magic solutions are the Mage-Killer from Magic of Faerûn (basically just a full mage focused a little on Conjuration, Evocation, and Transmutation) and the Magehound from Shining South (loses a few caster levels, but gains SR and some other stuff - semi-nice). Along with everything that just focuses on being a better caster, which is the best way to beat a caster anyway.

 

[Grogg of the North]

The Occult Slayer in CW could work too. Give them the Mage Slayer feat tree to really put a hamper on any defensive magics. Hear the Unseen would work well with Pierce Magical Concealment.

There are some cheap bracers in the MIC that add +5 to the concentration check DC to hold onto a spell if you've taken damage.

Is it all magic or just arcane magic? Priests of Wee Jas or Boccob could be fun to throw into the mix, claiming that their magic is the only "pure" magic. Especially since magic domain gives Spell Turning.

Much farther down the road, I would recommend Devourers and Nightshades. You can't go wrong with golems either.

 

[Dandu]

Also, make them Psionic Drow - Drow whose abilities are psionic, not magical.

That Con penalty'll show 'em who's boss.

 

[RangerWickett]

EN Publishing's War of the Burning Sky adventure path had a similar set-up. The main villain had inquisitors who went out hunting for any magic-users who weren't loyal to her. The inquisitors were clerics who wore bear-skull masks and articulated brass clawed gauntlets, and instead of channeling energy to heal or harm, they could disrupt and counter spells. Your party's 7th level? Here are two sample inquisitors.

 

[MarkB]

This might be a good place to use the Spellthief class from Complete Adventurer. It's available free on WotC's website.

 

[Iamalaser]

Thanks all for the great advice.

Actually, one of my pc's is a spellthief.

I like the idea of combining the monk suggestion with the Karsite suggestion, but we'll see how that plays out... I'm also going to try the inquisitors as well, thanks for those!

It is just arcane magic that is illegal. The government is a sort of monarchy with heavy influence from the central, most powerful church, which is dedicated to a god who suppresses mortal magic through his church because it threatens his authority.