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Drager
2007-06-18, 10:32 AM
Requirements
Feats : Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes
Skills : Knowledge (Arcana) 4 Ranks
Special : May not be able to cast Arcane Spells, May not worship a deity with Magic as a domain

Hit Die : d8
Skill Points : 6+Int modifier/level

Class Skills (and the key ability for each):Craft (Locksmith) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha),Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex)

Witch Finder
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Track, Detect Magic (Sp), Knowledge Manipulation

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Fast Movement, Intimidating Presence

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Mettle

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+4|Evasion

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+4|Disrupting Call, Capture

6th|
+6|
+5|
+5|
+5| Spell Sapping Blow

7th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+5| Spell Resistance

8th|
+8|
+6|
+6|
+6| Craft Dampening Manacles

9th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+6|Banishing blow (Su)

10th|
+10|
+7|
+7|
+7|Anti Magic Shell[/table]

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: Witch Finders are proficient with all Light and Medium armour, the Dagger, Quarterstaff, Short sword, Light, Heavy and Hand crossbows and the Spear.

Class Abilities:

Track: At first level the Witch Finder gains Track as a bonus feat

Detect Magic (Sp): At first level the Witch Finder gains the ability to use Detect Magic as the spell at will.

Knowledge Manipulation: At first level the Witch Finder learns to turn the knowledge of his enemies against them. A Witch Finder gains +1 to the save DC of any save he forces an opponent to make for every 5 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana).

Fast Movement: At second level the Witch Finders constant physical training has allowed him to move faster than most normal men can, allowing him to match the speed of many of his magically augmented foes, this adds +10 feet to his base movement provided he is wearing Medium, Light or No Armour

Intimidating Presence: At second level a Witch Finder has developed a palpable contempt for casters, if he threatens one when they attempt to cast a spell he may make an attack of opportunity regardless of whether they have passed their concentration check for defensive casting.

Mettle: At third level the Witch Finder has trained his mind and body to shrug off many detrimental magical effects, if he would be partially affected by a spell or ability after succeeding Fortitude or Will save he is instead unaffected

Evasion: At fourth level the Witch Finder has learned to dodge that which he can not withstand and gains the Evasion class feature

Capture: At fifth level the Witch Finder gains the ability to quickly capture an opponent once he has them at a disadvantage, if a Witch Finder manages to pin an opponent in a grapple he may manacle them as a standard action, provided he has a pair of appropriate manacles in his hand or located on his belt.

Disrupting Call (Ex): A fifth level Witch Finder is now so ferocious and contemptuous of magic that his very words can terrify any spell caster to the pit of their soul and allow them to know with certainty that their magic will have no effect. A Witch Finder may, a number of times per day equal to his Class Level plus his Charisma modifier, give up an attack of opportunity to attempt to disrupt a spell caster in the act of casting a spell. To do this he must be within 30 feet and have clear line of effect to the caster, he must be able to speak and the caster to hear him, if these conditions are met when a spell caster attempts to cast a spell the Witch Finder may give up an attack of opportunity for the round to make an Intimidate check opposed by the casters Concentration check, if he beats the caster the spell fails.

Spell Sapping Blow (Ex): At sixth level the Witch Finder can strike a foe in such away as to cause him to bleed not only his life fluid, but his magical essence, any time a Witch Finder strikes a class capable of casting Arcane spells the caster must make a will save DC 10+damage dealt or lose a prepared spell slot or a spell slot (What are they called for sorcerers, not sure how to phrase this), this is a spell or slot must be of the highest available level for the caster struck.

Spell Resistance (Su): At seventh level a Witch Finder gains spell resistance equal to 15+Class Level

Craft Dampening Manacles: At eighth level any masterwork manacles crafted by the Witch Finder may be upgraded to prevent anyone wearing them from casting spells or using spell like abilities. Doing this costs 33000 Gold and 500 Exp.

Banishing Blow (Su): At ninth level a Witch Finder has learned to undo the foul machinations of his foes and any summoned creature he strikes must make a fortitude save DC 10+damage dealt or be Banished as the spell.

Anti Magic Shell (Su): At tenth level a Witch Finder has developed such contempt for magic that his disbelief can stop magical effects functioning in his presence. A Witch Finder may erect an ant magic field ten feet in radius centred around himself for a number of rounds per day equal to his charisma modifier times his class level, these need not be consecutive rounds and he may end the effect at will. The anti magic field moves with him.

Personality: Personality among Witch Finders varies widely, but there are common themes in sub groups. A large number of Witch Finders are former Paladins or religious Fighters who have found their calling in hunting down the unbelieving and dangerous arcane casters that oppose their gods cause and roam free in the land seemingly immune to justice because of their power. These Witch Finders tend to be very self righteous, but are not always so.

A second group are assassins and thieves who specialise in dealing with wizards and their like, these are typically reserved individuals who stay out of the lime light, but some are quite the opposite.

Other Classes: The typical Witch Finder will not travel with Arcane casters unless they are bound to serve him and submit to be chained at night with Dampening Manacles (whether crafted by him or another of his order), or are Witch Seekers. Other than that he will travel with most other classes freely he often finds that having a good number of rogues and capable fighters around can help immensely when dealing with a casters potential protectors whilst he goes after his prey.

Certain types of Witch Finder get on well with Paladins, who typically share their distrust of the arcane, these Witch Finders are typically religious themselves and find much in common with their paladin brothers.

Other types of Witch Finder hunt arcane casters not to bring them to justice but to have away with their treasures, these types of Witch Finders fit in well in thieves guilds or assassins halls and can be used to gain retribution on haughty wizards or simply to steal their most prized possessions whilst leaving them embarrassingly hog tied.

Hazkali
2007-06-18, 11:13 AM
I like the idea; a witch hunter is a character archtype I've wanted to play for a while. However, there are a couple of points to this class that are broken.

Craft Dampening Manacles. The idea is good, giving the Witch Hunter the ability to craft a useful magical item without needing caster levels. However, "Dampening Manacles" are basically Antimagic Shackles from the Book of Exalted Deeds, which cost a whopping 132,000gp. So what your character is getting for 17gp (1/3 the price of masterwork manacles) should actually cost thousands of times more, and include XP loss. Very broken.

Drager
2007-06-18, 05:15 PM
Well really simple fix then. It now costs thousands of GP and XP, how about 1/2 what itwould normally cost to make them?

Fireball.Man.Guy.
2007-06-18, 07:53 PM
Need a rename, Witch hunter is already a class in ToM.

Drager
2007-06-19, 04:31 AM
Renamed and a fix added to Dampening Manacles, any more suggestions?

Drager
2007-06-22, 05:25 AM
As I'm guessing some people would like more fluff heres a little bit for you:

Selus skidded round a corner. Running was a new sensation for him, he hadn't run away from anyone for over twenty years, but, then, he'd never been chased by a Wtich Finder before. The man was inhumanly fast and, although Selus had magically augmented his speed he couldn't help but feel his nemesis was still closing the gap. His Expedetious Retreat spell would run out soon and he didn't have another. Concentrating the mage fumbled through his mind trying to find an appropriate spell to use against this foe, then it came to him Phantasmal Killer was perfect, an image of the mans deepest fears. Ducking through a doorway into a low room filled with crates Selus ducked behind them and crouched, he wouldn't have to try if the man just left and that would surely be better. A few moments passed and a soft tread was heard entering the door. "Show yourself Wizard." the mans voice called into the store room "Surrender peaceably and you will be treated fairly." Selus laughed softly to himself, treated fairly? did that mean being manacled all night and forced to serve these men during the day? No. He would fight. Standing up he raised his hand and projected the half formed image of terror directly into the witch finders mind. The man smiled, the spell had had no effect, he hadn't even seen it apart from seeing that the wizard had cast something. In desperation Selus raised his hand and formed the words for magic missile, he was interrupted "Your magic doesn't work on me, Wizard" said the mans voice, surely it was closer now. The knowledge it was true seeped into Selus' conciousness like a poison and the worsds of the spell stuttered and failed. Then the witch hunter was on him, there was nothing he could do, his hands were in the manacles.

Witch Finders are men brought up in a society (Polveldt in the world they are designed for) where magic is abhored and seen as evil. In the case of the Withc Finders of Polveldt this has been the case since the deposition of the Wizard Kings some 15 centuries earlier. It is intrinsically ingrained into the culture that magic is evil and the organisation of Witch Finders led by the Witch Finder General sek out and control or destroy all its practitioners, apart fromt hose natural spell casters who recognise the inherent evil of amgic and bend there gift to the Witch Finders cause.

Matthew
2007-06-22, 08:57 PM
What is the relationship of this Prestige Class to your Witch Seeker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48080) Prestige Class? Does one replace the other or are they supposed to be complementary?

Drager
2007-06-29, 09:37 AM
They are complimentary. Ones for casters ones for none casters.

penguinreich
2007-06-29, 12:44 PM
I like it, I think adding like a favored enemy type thing, with either different types of magic or something to that extent would be a good addition.

WizardofOwls
2007-07-13, 10:27 AM
I really like your Witch Finder. I'd like to use it in my Homebrew setting under the name Mageslayer. I would of course give you credit.