Mage Hunter

"A figure stands in the center of a small town square. They can smell magic on the wind, the creature that has been charming the poor folk of this town is near. They are tracing a symbol absently on a small slate shard, calmly watching over the crowd, taking in every detail. That one has a smirk beneath their hood and is turned away from them. It must be them. With a shout of "Witch!" they shatter the slate shard and a wand up the figures sleeve snaps in half. They have their mark."

"A beleagured woman stands facing a Behir, blood pouring from a wound in her head, her foe reared up and hissing. As the creature lets out a blast of lightning, she lets out a roar of triumph and slams her fist into the back of her shield. A projected ward erupts forward and absorbs the mighty lightning bolt, anchoring it harmlessly into the ground. Her foe bemused, she steps forward with a determined glare. She will not fall here."

"A bald man in plain robes approaches a secluded tower on a small island. Rain lashes him and wind buffets him, but he is unperturbed. As he reaches the door to the tower, he runs a hand over the door and whispers softly to himself. He makes a fist and with a sharp gesture tears the magical protections down. Calmly, he knocks on the door. Inside, a wizard trembles in fear."

Mage Hunters are people who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit and punishment of criminal mages. Trusting to steel, determination and their esoteric wards, they do what many others cannot. With a sharp blade and an endless well of willpower, they are relentless, inexorable and terrifying foes.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per Mage Hunter level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 plus Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) plus Constitution modifier per level

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light, Medium and Shields
• Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons

• Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Religion

Preparing and Using Wards

You can have a number of Wards active as indicated in the Mage Hunter class table. You choose your active Wards from your list of known Wards when you finish a long rest. When you finish a short rest, you can swap out one Ward for another you know but do not have active.

An Active Ward confers a passive effect while it is Active. You can spend an active Ward to activate it's Spend Effect. A Wards description will tell you what is required to spend it. Once spent a Ward becomes inactive and cannot be used again until you finish a short or long rest.

You can prepare a Ward more than once. The Active effect of a Ward does not stack with itself. The only exception is Wards which specify you must choose a damage type. In this instance, different damage types count as different Active effects.

Wards Known

You know 2 Wards to begin with and learn additional Wards as you gain levels, as shown in the Mage Hunter class table. When you gain a level in this class you can swap out one Ward known for another Ward which you meet the prerequisites for.

Ward Save DC

Some Wards may call for a target to make a saving throw. If they do so, use the following formula to determine the DC:

Witch hunter

Witch Hunters are often a militant arm of a church or other faith based organization that considers magic users anathema. They steel themselves with faith and fight with an incredible fury, spurred on by their hatred and paranoia.

Hunting Style

You hunt Mages with a degree of understanding that others cannot grasp, learning their tricks and exactly which strings to pull to unravel the whole thread. Intelligence is your Discipline ability modifier.

Your capacity to disrupt and destroy magical effects is superb. When you roll a check to dispel or counter a magic effect, you add your proficiency bonus to that roll.

Stand Strong

Starting at 1st level, you have studied defensive measures extensively, particularly against spells. When you take damage you can use your reaction to reduce the damage of that attack by 1d6 plus your Intelligence modifier.

If you use this feature against a spell attack, you instead reduce that damage by 1d12 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Sacred Wards

Starting at 3rd level, you have begun to master the application and sustaining of Wards. When you finish a long rest, choose one Ward you have prepared. You retain the Active effect of this Ward, even while it is spent.

Nullify

Also at 3rd level, you have learned to disrupt magic with your own defenses. You learn the Nullifying Mark Ward and it does not count against your Wards known.

Additionally, when you prepare that Mark you can choose slashing, piercing or bludgeoning as well as the chosen damage type.

Warded Recovery

Starting at 6th level, your Wards include failsafes that allow you to keep fighting. When you spend a Ward, you regain hit points equal to your character level plus your Intelligence modifier.

Enduring Wards

Starting at 10th level, your Warding magic clings to you even after being spent. When you spend a Ward you retain that Wards active effect for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier.

You gain a bonus on saving throws equal to your number of spent Wards.

Moment of Purity

Starting at 14th level, your resolution inspires your allies to shrug off even the most powerful effects. You can use an action to choose a condition you are not suffering. Each ally within 60 feet who can see you can immediately make a saving throw to overcome that condition. A creature can choose to use your modifier for this saving throw.

Bastion

Starting at 18th level, your Wards have achieved the height of power. You learn the Bastion Mark. It does not count against your Marks known.

Hunting Style

You hunt mages with a powerful natural advantage, a kind of concentrated anti-magic that you constantly exert on the world around you. Charisma is your Discipline ability score.

Your style focuses on clashing wits and wills with your opponents. You gain a bonus to saving throws and armor class against magical effects equal to your Charisma modifier.

Dampen Heights

Starting at 1st level, your natural gifts not only dampen magic but many moments of excess and drama. When a creature within 30 feet of you rolls the highest number on a die you can use your reaction to reduce that number by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier to a minimum of 1.

When you use this ability you cannot use it again for one minute.

Enact Will

Starting at 3rd level, you are beginning to learn that the reality you enforce can be modified by your perceptions. Whenever you finish a short or long rest roll 3d6 and record the number. You can replace any attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a creature that you can see within 30 feet with this number. You must choose to do so before the roll.

This number can be used only once. When you finish a short or long rest, you lose an unused number.

Destroy Magic

Also at 3rd level, you learn the Censuring Mark Ward and it does not count against your Wards known.

Additionally, when you spend a Ward you can choose to replace that Wards spend effect with the spend effect of Censuring Mark.

Warded Grounding

Starting at 6th level, you incorporate your powers into your Wards, adding an enormous weight of enforced reality. When you spend a Ward you can choose a creature you can see within 30 feet. That creature does not add any modifiers to attack rolls or ability checks until the end of your next turn.

Aura of Mundanity

Starting at 10th level, your power has grown to the point where it effects the area and people around you as much as yourself. When an ally within 30 feet is the target of a spell they can use their reaction to gain a bonus to their armor class or to their saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier.

Enforce Reality

Starting at 18th level, you learn the Anchor Down Ward. It does not count against your Wards known.

Searing Brand

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, you deal an additional 1 fire damage with weapon attacks.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a bonus action. The next time you hit a creature within the next minute they take an additional 1d8 fire damage and are marked with a Searing Brand for one minute. For the duration of the brand, a creature that attempts to cast a spell must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the spell fails. On a success, the spell goes off as normal and they take fire damage equal to your Discipline ability modifier plus your proficiency bonus.

Witchhammer

Prerequisite: Malleus Mallificarum feature

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, damage you deal cannot be reduced in any way.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward when you hit an enemy with a weapon attack. The damage of that attack is increased by 4d8 force damage. If this damage reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you do not spend this Mark.

Nullifying Mark

Active Effect: When you prepare this Ward, choose a damage type. While this Ward is active, you reduce damage you take of that type by 3.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a reaction to a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see casting a spell. If you do so, make a Discipline ability check with a DC equal to 10 plus the level of the spell slot spent. On a success, the spell fails and has no effect.

Bastion

Prerequisite: Bastion feature

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, you reduce damage you take by 3.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a reaction to a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see casting a spell. If you do so, you and each ally within 30 feet gains advantage on any saving throws required by that spell and resistance to any damage caused by that spell. If a creature under this effect fails it's saving throw and would still take damage, it instead takes no damage.

Censuring Mark

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws against effects with a duration longer than Instantaneous.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as an action to target an ongoing magical effect affecting an area or creature. You must make a Discipline ability check with a DC equal to 10 plus the level of the spell causing the effect. On a success, the effect ends.

Anchor Down

Prerequisite: Enforce Reality feature

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, you cannot have disadvantage on saving throws against spell effects.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a reaction to a spell of magical effect affecting a creature or area within 30 feet of you. You becomes affected by an Antimagic Field as per the spell until the end of your next turn. While under this effect, the radius of the Antimagic Field is 30 feet.

Absorbing Mark

Active Effect: When you prepare this Ward, choose one of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. While this Ward is active, you reduce damage of your chosen type by 3.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a reaction to taking damage of the chosen type. You reduce the damage taken to 0 and instead regain a number of hit points equal to your character level.

Elemental Brand

Active Effect: When you prepare this Ward, choose one of acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. While this Ward is active, your weapon attacks deal an additional 1 damage of your chosen type.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a bonus action. For one minute, you retain the Active effect of this Ward. At any point during this effect you can increase the damage of a weapon attack by 2d8 of the chosen damage type. This effect then ends.

Repelling Mark

Active Effect: While this Ward is active, you have advantage on checks to avoid or escape the Grappled condition.

Spend Effect: You can spend this Ward as a reaction to a creature moving within 5 feet of you. The triggering creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, they take 3d8 force damage and are pushed 15 feet away from you. On a success, they take half as much damage and are not pushed.