Mage Slayer

The magic of Merisyl infuses daily life and surrounds the people of the land – no more noticed than the air.  Regarded as neither good nor evil, simply a force of nature, most take it for granted.  The Mage Slayer, however, regards these forces with suspicious distrust – possibly even fear or hate.  They would no sooner allow the magical energies of Merisyl to surround them than douse themselves in alchemist’s fire.  Their energies are spent learning how to dampen the effect of these energies on themselves, and turning any such power they might innately command into a finely honed tool.

Some Mage Slayers turn to the use of stealth and poison to further their ends, while some turn to physical strength and optimization of their battle prowess.  The wide range of class skills and bonus feats allotted them gives great flexibility as to how the class is played.

Adventures

Mage Slayers may adventure for knowledge, profit or duty.  They may strike out on quests of their own devising or be dispatched from the Antarcanum with specific instructions.  Despite their ominous name Mage Slayers do not in fact desire the death of all mages, and will adventure with mages readily to accomplish a common goal.  They may pity the mage for her reliance on magic, and frustrate the mage by canceling her spells, but they can coexist with mages in a party.

Characteristics

Without magic to augment their natural abilities Mage Slayers must ensure that these natural abilities are at their absolute peak.  They train both body and mind to be well exercised machines capable of feats surpassing those weak enough to lean upon the unreliable crutch of magic.

A mageslayer may take a spell as their Merisyl Gift if they so choose, but developing those  innate arcane powers is often accompanied by guilt and self-loathing , as they feel soiled by having these powers manifest.  They may even refer to it as their Merisyl Curse (From a role-playing perspective the Gift is assumed to have manifested against the will of the character.)

A mageslayer may not also take levels in a spell-casting class.

Races

Ixen and Morphics may not be Mage Slayers, as these races are too tied to the innate mage of Merisyl.  All other races may become Mage Slayers.

Alignment

Mage Slayers may be of any non-Chaotic alignment.  The training and discipline required to develop the Arcane Dampening feats are beyond those with a Chaotic bent.

Religion

Mage Slayers may worship any deity, but will only rarely worship Endrell, as his capricious nature is an anathema to the rigor of their training.

Background

Characters may become Mage Slayers due to a traumatic magic-related event of childhood, jealousy over a lack of arcane aptitude, or simply from a philosophy that magic is an unnecessary crutch that prevents humanoid races from achieving their full potential.

Others are convinced by the propaganda of the Antarcanum (See Factions) to join the guild that eschews magic.

Abilities

• Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence are all important abilities for Mage Slayers. 
• Weapon & Armor Proficiency: 
• Mageslayers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all armor and shields (except tower shields).
• Hit Die
• d10
• Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10gp.

Class Skills

The Mage Slayer’s class skills are Acrobatics, Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Perception, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival, Swim.

Skill points at each additional level: 6 + Int. bonus

Class Features

Arcane Dampening:  At every level indicated, the mageslayer gains a bonus instance of the Arcane Dampening feat.  When the mageslayer meets the prerequisites for the 5-foot radius version, he may opt to use a bonus instance to pick that feat instead of the normal dampening feat.

Dodge:  The mageslayer gains Dodge as a bonus feat at 3^rd level.

Grounded (Ex):  The magic of Merisyl is part of the fabric of the land.  The mageslayer has learned how to partially redirect magical energies back to the land itself, in effect causing her to be at least somewhat “grounded” when affected by magic.  The mageslayer gains a +1 to any saving throw from a magical or supernatural source.  This bonus increases by +1 every time the mageslayer gains a new iteration of “grounded” on the table above.

Mageslayer Talent:  At the indicated levels, a mageslayer can choose from a number of talents to aid her in combat or other situations.  Unless otherwise noted, the mageslayer can’t choose the same talent more than once.  If a talent grants a bonus feat, the mageslayer must still meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.

• • Stealthy:  The mageslayer gains the Stealthy feat.
  • Lightning Reflexes:  The mageslayer gains the Lightning Reflexes feat.
  • Iron Will:  The mageslayer gains the Iron Will feat.
  • Great Fortitude:  The mageslayer gains the Great Fortitude feat.
  • Armor Optimization:  The mageslayer gains the Armor Optimization feat.
  • Armor Specialization:  The mageslayer gains the Armor Specialization feat.
  • Swift Poison (Ex):  A mageslayer with this talent can apply poison to a weapon as a move action, instead of a standard action.
  • Slow Metabolism (Ex):  The mageslayer can slow her metabolism.  She can hold her breath for twice as long as normal before needing to make a Constitution check.  In addition, when she is poisoned, the time between saving throws is doubled (the poison’s frequency).  Thus, a poison that has a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” would instead be “1 per 2 rounds for 12 rounds.”
  • Expert Leaper (Ex):  When making jump checks, the mageslayer is always considered to have a running start.  Also, when she deliberately falls, a DC 15 Acrobatics check allows her to ignore the first 20 feet of falling damage.
  • Sneak Attack (Ex):  A mageslayer with this talent gains the sneak attack ability of a rogue and can add +1d6 sneak attack damage to attacks following the normal sneak attack rules.  This talent can be taken up to two times.
  • Fast Stealth (Ex):  A mageslayer with this talent can move at full speed while using the Stealth skill.
  • Lasting Poison (Ex):  Poisons applied to a weapon last for two successful attacks.
  • Trapfinding (Ex):  The mageslayer gains the rogue’s Trapfinding ability, using her mageslayer level as her effective rogue level.
  • Master Alchemist:  The mageslayer gains the Master Alchemist feat.
  • Combat Trick:  The mageslayer gains a bonus combat feat.  This talent can be taken multiple times.

Mageslayer Greater Talent:  At the indicated levels, a mageslayer can choose from a number of more powerful talents to aid her in combat or other situations.  Unless otherwise noted, the mageslayer can’t choose the same talent more than once.

• • Arcane Feedback: The mageslayer is so disrupting to magical energy that whenever she is the target (direct, or within an AOE) of a damage-dealing spell, 25% of the damage potential is inflicted on the caster (regardless of whether the spell penetrated spell resistance, or the mageslayer made her save). 
  • Exclusivity: The mageslayer can exclude one selected friend or ally from any area of effect or proximity effects of their talents or feats.
  • Mental Mastery: The mageslayer may add two points to any of their non-physical stats (intelligence, wisdom or charisma).  These points may be split or added to the same statistic.  This greater talent may be taken multiple times.
  • Opportunistic Strike: The mageslayer excels at spotting the vulnerabilities of spellcasters.  Against these foes the mageslayer receives a +2 to hit and +4 to damage for each instance of Opportunistic Strike taken (can be taken more than once)
  • Physical Mastery: The mageslayer may add two points to any of their physical stats (strength, dexterity or constitution).  These points may be split or added to the same statistic.  This greater talent may be taken multiple times.
  • Uncanny Precision: The critical threat range of all weapons is increased by 1.  This stacks with other increases to critical threat range.

Magical Negation:  A mageslayer may not use any magical weapons, armor or miscellaneous items.  The very nature of the mageslayer’s abilities (arcane dampening in particular) is the antithesis of the energy that fuels permanent magical items.  If a mageslayer attempts to use a magical item, he or she loses all of their mageslayer class abilities until undergoing a ritual of purification to banish the magical energies from the mageslayer’s body.  This ritual involves imbibing an alchemical concoction that drains the magical energies from the mageslayer’s body over the course of 48 hours.  During this time, the mageslayer effectively suffers from 2 negative levels and can only move at half normal speed.  The components to make the alchemical concoction involved cost 250 gold pieces.

Merely handling a magical item isn’t enough to trigger this effect.  The mageslayer needs to either try to don the item (if appropriate) or use it for its intended purpose.  For example, if it’s a weapon, the mageslayer needs to try and use it against an opponent.

Note that magical potions, by their very nature being transient, are not affected by this.  The mageslayer may attempt to imbibe a magical potion in the same manner as trying to be affected by a beneficial spell.

Magical Void:  Upon reaching 20^th level, the mageslayer has reached the pinnacle of her training.  She has learned how to sever the very land of Merisyl itself from the magic it is normally imbued with.  For a number of rounds equal to her Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), all magic within a 10 foot radius of the mage slayer ceases to function.  This includes spells, magic items, spell-like and supernatural abilities.  This takes a standard action to activate.

Overstrike:  Only the weak rely on magic to increase the lethality of their attacks.  Mageslayers focus on physical and mental abilities unpolluted with magical energies to deal additional damage to their foes.  Overstrike gives her +1 to damage on her attacks.  In addition, her attacks are treated as if her weapon were a +1 magical weapon for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.  At each indicated level, this bonus (to both actual damage and for purposes of overcoming damage reduction) increases by a further +1.

Poison Use (Ex):  A mageslayer needs to rely on any non-magical source of possible advantage in combat they can get their hands on.  This is why a number of them turn to poison usage.  They are proficient in the use of poisons and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves.  They also gain a +2 to Fortitude saves vs. poison.

Spell Resistance:  Mageslayers gain spell resistance equal to 5 + their mageslayer class level + their Intelligence modifier (if positive).  They cannot voluntarily lower this spell resistance.

Thaumatic Opportunist (Ex): Mageslayers are trained to take advantage of the quirks and habits of opponents that are capable of casting spells or using supernatural abilities. The Mageslayer gains +1 to hit and damage vs. foes capable of spell casting, or with spell-like abilities. At each indicated level, the mageslayer gains a further +1 to hit and damage.

Weapon Focus:  At first level, the mageslayer gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat.