Mage Killer

Mage Killer

Description: Mage-killers are a rare breed. They master magic designed for combat against other spellcasters. They learn not only combat skills such as might be taught to a warrior, but also spells that target the weaknesses of their foes. Some use traps, others use weapons, but all hone their magical skills to a fine point, for it is those skills that distinguish them from the usual run of hunters and killers. They develop friendships with the sorts of people who can lead them to their foes, but the dirty buisness of overcoming those foes they take upon their own shoulders.

Most mage-killers are essentially bounty hunters specializing in a particular sort of prey. Some, however, follow such a path out of religious conviction. Ironically, followers of both Azuth and Shar use mage-killers in the pursuit of their respective deity's aims.

The church of Azuth believes in the responsible use of magic. This prevents others not gifted in the Art from treating all spellcasters as enemies, but also preserves the very Weave itself. Azuth's followers usually first offer warning to any spellcaster who abuses the powers he possesses. Failing that, however, they increase the response, until at last they are forced to send a mage-killer to defeat the reckless spellcaster.

Shar's followers, of course, concern themselves with the Weave only insofar as it affects the Shadow Weave. Their mage-killers instead seek out prominent Weave users and kill them publicly as a warning to those who oppose their deity and as a demonstration of the power of the Shadow Weave. Through such means, Shar's followers hope to weaken Mystra's power over magic. So far, her followers have had little success in the weakening of Mystra's might, since the sorts of spells they prefer are not all so well suited to overcoming other spellcasters. What mages they have killed were often as not taken down by her deadly Dark Moon sorcerer-monks. But if they seem, on the surface, less well suited to the taks of killing other spellcasters, their fanatical devotion to their deity's cause more then makes up for it.

Requirements

Skills: Spellcraft 10 ranks.

Feats: Lightning Reflexes, Greater Fortitude, Combat Casting, Martial Weapon Proficiency

Spells: Able to cast 4th level spells (divine or arcane)

Class Skills

• Concentration
• Crafting Weapon
• Crafting Armor
• Crafting Alchemy
• Craft Trap
• Intimidate
• Spellcraft
• Knowledge: Any
• Gather Information

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + INT modifier. Hit Die: d4. High Saving Throw: Will. Base Attack Bonus: Low.

Class Features

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Mage-killers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day: A mage-killer's training focuses on magic. Thus when a character gains a new level of mage-killer, she gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any of the other benefits a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on).

Improved Saves: The mage-killer learns to improve his resistance to the very sort of spells he uses against others. At 1st level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, he gains a +1 bonus on his Fortitude and Reflex saves. These bonuses stack.

Augment Summoning: At 2nd level, the character gains the Augment Summoning feat.

Spell Focus Feats: At 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th Level the character gains a Spell Focus Feat in this order: Conjuration, Transmutation, Evocation, Necromancy