Necessary Sacrifice

Mage slayers have no affection for the arcane powers they draw on. But sometimes you have to fight fire with fireball.

Justice, Prejudice, and Madness

Wizardry and magic inspire hope and excitement in some. But to others, they represent enormous liabilities to public safety. Mage slayers come from all walks of life, with motivations ranging from pure to deranged, in the hopes of curtailing the unlimited power of casters.

Creating a Mage Slayer

When creating your mage slayer, consider why you might be baller enough to oppose the most powerful mortals in the realm. Were you trained to protect important people from the schemes of power-hungry sorcerers? Did a druid steal your boyfriend? Or did you see one too many foolish teenagers sign a pact with a unthinkable being from another dimension with no thought on how it might affect the local economy?

Quick Build

You can make a mage slayer quickly by using these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score followed by either Dexterity or Strength, and then Constitution. Second, choose the mage hand and minor illusion cantrips and the spells shield and detect magic.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per mage slayer level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per mage slayer level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: light armor, medium armor, shields
• Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons, firearms*
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Perception or Stealth

*if DM allows

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor, longbow, and 20 arrows
• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Spellcasting

At first level, the class can now cast spells.

Mage Slayer Pursuits

Different mage slayers focus their efforts on different niches. The pursuit you choose to emulate reflects your values and priorities.

Protector

Protectors are by far the most common mage slayer archetype. Those who choose this pursuit are driven by a desire to defend others from the potentially destructive power of unrestricted magic. They often find work as royal guards, peacekeepers, or diplomatic security during wizard gatherings.

Lord Protector

Starting at 18th level, you may become the sworn protector of up to 6 other creatures. When you cast the shield spell, it applies to all protectees in range.

Druid Hunter Magic

You gain pursuit spells at the mage slayer levels listed in the Druid Hunter Spells table

Gimmick Denial

At 3rd level, you've become accustomed to druidic trickery. You are immune to the effects of the heat metal spell.

Linguistic Infiltration

You can understand any language while eavesdropping on a spellcaster. You have proficiency in Stealth.

Extra Attack

Shapeshifted druids require formidable force to defeat. Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action.

Imitation Wild Shape

Starting at 6th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you (or a druid you have bested) have seen before.

Your mage slayer level determines the beasts you can transform into.

This feature is identical to the druid's Wild Shape feature with the following exceptions.

• Your transformation only lasts 1 hour.
• You can only use this feature once per long rest.
• You can cast counterspell and hunter's mark while transformed.
• Starting at 18th level, after you kill a spellcaster, you absorb a mote of magical energy. You may spend that mote to wild shape into a creature of CR 5 or less. You cannot store more than 1 mote at a time.

Natural Enemy

You are well-practiced in the art of tracking vile nature-lovers through their home environments. At 14th level, you become familiar with forest, grassland, mountain, and swamp terrain. When you make an Intelligence check related to these terrains, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.

While traveling for an hour or more in these terrains, you gain the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
• You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Ecological Shutdown

At 18th level, there's no hope left for those villainous druids. Enemy spellcasters cannot heal or teleport by any method while you are within 120 feet of them and you can see them even if you are blinded, in magical darkness, or if they are invisible. Any spell they cast that involves the growth or movement of plant life fails automatically if you are within 120 feet of them at the time of casting. Additionally, you always have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks if there is a hostile spellcaster within 120 feet of you.

Mage Slayer Spell List