Post/Author/DateTime	Post
thorimar 01-23-05, 04:22 PM	I'll be starting a new game later this year and one of my players wants to play a warrior who specializes in fighting against spellcasters (arcane and divine). I have the Occult Slayer from CW which is an excellent class for this mission, but I want to present a full slate of options. Any and all sourcebooks are fair game at this point. Please offer any ideas you think might help and thanks in advance. Thorimar
Wayne 01-23-05, 04:40 PM	Hey, cool. I like playing the anti-mage sorts myself, even though it's really hard to do in 3E D&D. *chuckles* More power to him-- he'll need it! Some ideas.... Forsaker (MOTW)-- Potentially very high SR, since it stacks. Occult Slayer (CW)-- Yep, good call. Kind of weak at what it's actually supposed to do, but oh well. 3.0 Consecrated Harrier (DOTF)-- Combat bonuses and Antimagic Field on the caster list makes this a solid class. Nerfed into uselessness by CD, though, so it's up to the DM. Runescarred Berserker (Unapproachable East)-- Solid class with a nice spell list (including AMF, Death Ward, and more). Monk (PHB)-- High speed and SR make it (and Monk-related PrCs with both) reliable for fighting magic-users at high levels. Spellthief (Complete Adventurer)-- Better against Sorcerers than Wizards; capable of locking out a caster from using one spell completely (and then using it against him). Hexblade (CW)-- Normally weak, but a 2-level dip in the class nets Cha to saves against magic (indispensable for someone who's not already a Paladin or Blackguard). Warlock (CA)-- Gets a useful suite of abilities (including Cha to one save, and health from dispels), and a nice ranged damaging touch attack. Assassin (DMG)/Teflammar Shadowlord (UE)-- Death Attacks are nice against casters since they tend to have low Fort saves. The Shadowlord is one of the best at getting into range safely (Shadow Pounce). Suel Arcanamach (CA)-- Not a great class, but it offers decent casting with reduced ASF, and gets a few Dispelling Strikes. Just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. If I wasn't in a hurry I'd toss in more. *chuckles* Quasi-casters are probably better at beating casters than straight warrior-types are. CAdv's new Virtuoso has the very useful Jarring Song (they have to match your Perform check with a Concentration check or lose a spell), for example. Also, any warrior build should have the Mage Slayer line of feats (from Complete Arcane). Still, casters rule D&D, and without antimagic spells (most of which are only on primary casters' lists >_>) or high SR or Spell Turning (the Occult Slayer gets a paltry two of these) it's very difficult to beat them-- and only the Forsaker offers enough SR to actually matter (and the class is not only underpowered if you use the Core wealth rules, it can be bad for party synergy, since most everybody else relies on magic).
RatFlail OF DOOM!!!! 01-23-05, 04:54 PM	I would have to say the monk the suelarcanamage and spell thief as previously stated.
ForcedEvolution 01-23-05, 06:19 PM	I'm Currently running a mage-slayer type. Here are some suggestions Mage Slayer Feat from Complete Arcane (Caster can't cast defensive in his threatened square) combine this with a heavy hitting attack and it makes casting alot harder. My character is a Sual Arcanamach, allowing him to cut through protective spells rather well, at first I thought it was weak, but it proved quite use full. Also later in levels If he has Exotic WP (Bastard sword or Dwarf Waraxe) and takes Exotic Weapon Master with the Uncanny blow stunt, his damage dealing ability makes concentration checks far more difficult. But this is only one course, that has been effective for me, but I'm sure there are far better out there somewhere.
SiruisBlack 01-23-05, 10:44 PM	There is also two more feats in CA that call for the Mage Slayer feat as a prerequisite, they are Pierce Magical Protection and Pierce Magical Concealment. Protection allows attacker to ignore spell bonuses to AC and Concealment just means you can smack invisible bad guys. The Protection feat is really cool considering almost every spell caster has some sort of AC buffs on him, combine this with some levels of monk, hexblade and fighter (feats) and you can smack them around pretty quickly. Also some PrC have the feat called Mettle, this is a good one for fighting spellcasters. I think the biggest thing is getting in quick and grappling, using feats and taking whatever attacks of opportunities that you have to, to get the job done.