Base Requirements

• Races: Any
• Sub-Classes: Mage
• Ability Requirements: None
• Alignments: Chaotic, Non-Good
• Starting Cash: 1d6 x10gp, plus one weapon

Weapon Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Required Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Allowed Weapons: By class, plus Short Sword
• Allowed Armors: Leather or lighter, no shields

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class, plus Martial
• Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies: Awareness, Blind-Fighting, Display Weapon Prowess
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: Alertness, Anatomy, Bribery, Danger Sense, Dirty Fighting, Evade, Hiding, Hunting, Intimidation, Night Vision, Poison Use, Sabotage, Tactics of Magic.
• Forbidden Proficiencies: none

Overview: Spellslayers are the most feared wizards in the Realms—especially by other spell-casters. They attack the magic of other wizards, disrupting the connection between a wizard and his ability to access the magic of his or her world. Nothing is more fearsome to a wizard than the loss of this ability.

Magical organizations in the Realms tend to take one of two attitudes towards spellslayers. Some, like the Zhentarim, use them, training them as specialized assassins for neutralizing enemy spellcasters. Others, like the Red Wizards of Thay, hate them, hunting any known spellslayer with the full extent of their powers and resources.

Description: Spellslayers usually opt for clothing designed to intimidate. If the spellslayer has an impressive physique, then his clothing will be designed to show it off (sleeveless shirts, short pants, and exposed midriffs). If not, then the spellslayer will tend to wear clothing of all black, often with a full face mask and festooned with spikes, chains, and other ostentatious signs of the desire to inflict pain.

Role-Playing: In any world with wizards, eventually there will come a group dedicated to hunting those wizards. In the Realms that group is the spellslayers. These mysterious men and women have the ability to disrupt magic for long periods of time, essentially severing a wizard’s contact with the magic of the world, making him incapable of casting spells. How this is done is a secret held by the spellslayers, and it is said that any of their number who try to reveal the secret, or how to remove its effects, are struck dead instantly. The means of death are often unpredictable and unpleasant, but they are always immediate and irreversible.

Other wizards speak of the spellslayers like children speak of evil sha’irs: quietly and warily. The spellslayers seem to have the ability to come and go at will, and are devilishly clever in their retribution against those who speak ill of them. Spellslayers do not like other wizards at all. They view them as bizarre mutations that need to be destroyed in order for “ordinary” men and women to get on with their lives without interference.

The spellslayers view themselves as a “check and balance” system designed to prevent random wizards from promiscuously casting powerful spells about. Spellslayers are also known to make their services available to any who will hire them. Though no wizard would hire such a mercenary, there are more than enough non-magical individuals who have reasons to want certain wizards disabled or removed.

Special Abilities:

• Spellslayers are unlimited in their level advancement, regardless of normal racial level limits.
• Spellslayers do not cast spells, but they do have several spell-like abilities, which are gained at various levels. These are listed below, by the level at which they are gained.
  • Level One:
    • Detect Magic, three times per day. This ability functions exactly like the wizard spell of the same name. Spellslayers use this ability to locate the strongest magic in the area, which usually leads to the strongest wizard in the area.
    • Spell Slay. This is the most feared ability of the spellslayer, as it severs the connection between a spellcaster and the magic that he wields. Use of this ability requires a successful attack roll. If the attack roll succeeds, the ability can be called into play. To resist, the target must make a successful save vs. death magic. A bonus or penalty is applied to this saving throw, as determined by the difference in level of the attacker and the target. If the attacker’s level is higher, the saving throw will suffer a penalty equal to the difference between the two characters’ levels. If the target’s level is higher, the saving throw is given a bonus equal to the difference in the two characters’ levels. If spell slay is used successfully, the spellcaster affected will not be able to cast a spell for one full hour per level of the spellslayer. Should the victim make a terrible roll and fail his saving throw by more than 5, his ability to cast and use magic is disrupted for a day for every level of the spellslayer. Worst of all, any spellcaster that rolls a 1 on this savings throw will be unable to use any form of magic for one week for every level of the spellslayer that attacked him. The ability to use a magical item is not affected by spell slay.
  • Level Two:
    • Shield, twice a day. This ability functions the same as the wizard spell of the same name. Even low-level wizards are able to cast a magic missile or two, and it is best for a spellslayer to be ready if they should choose to do so.
    • Alter Self, once per day. This ability works exactly like the wizard spell of the same name. With this ability, it is easier for spellslayers to get close to their targets, often remaining undetected even after the deed is done.
  • Level Three:
    • Blind, once per day. As the 2nd-level wizard spell blindness, this ability allows the spellslayer to rob his target of its eyesight, thereby making it much easier to eliminate his target.
    • Forget, once per day. This ability works just like the 2nd-level wizard spell of the same name. It is through this ability that spellslayers are able to hide their identities from wizards who have been successfully attacked.
  • Level Four:
    • Scare, once per day. This ability works exactly like the wizard spell of the same name. It has done much to improve the reputation of the spellslayers as terrifying wizard-hunters.
    • Knock, twice per day. No lock is safe from the spellslayers; this ability is used to move quickly through locked doors and windows.
  • Level Five:
    • Fly, twice per day. The spellslayers use this ability to enter areas that are otherwise unreachable.
    • Hold Person, three times a day. Used to hold a wizard who is about to suffer an attack by a spellslayer.
  • Level Six:
    • Detect Scrying, at will. Spellslayers are often (5% chance per level) aware of attempts to view them by magical means and will not be amused by such attempts. They will immediately (if it doesn’t interfere with a more important mission) seek out the wizard who attempted to spy on them and destroy that wizard if possible.
    • Windblade, once per day. The spellslayers use this spell to provide themselves with a powerful weapon when no other is available. Spellslayers may also throw this spell weapon, though it is dispelled as soon as it hits or misses the target. The throwing range for the windblade is 20 feet, with no modifiers made for range.
    • Avert Evil Eye, three times a day. Spellslayers often draw the wrath of those able to inflict the evil eye and have developed this defense against it.
  • Level Seven:
    • At 7th level, and for every level hereafter, the spellslayer may add one of the following spell-like abilities to his repertoire, usable once per day: armor, chill touch, friends, jump, spider climb, or taunt. Alternatively, the spellslayer may opt to increase the frequency that some of his abilities may be used. Any single ability gained at 1st through 4th levels, or any listed in the preceding paragraph, may be used one additional time per day if the spellslayer opts not to acquire another ability.
  • Level Eight:
    • The spellslayer may add one of these abilities at 8th level and every level thereafter: darkness 15’ radius, detect invisibility, shatter, strength, cool strength, float,
      sand jambiya, sand quiet, or wind shadow. As at eighth level, the spellslayer may choose to increase the number of times an ability may be used. This includes any ability gained from 5th through 7th level and all those listed in the preceding paragraph.

Special Disadvantages:

• A spellslayer may not use any magic items that are normally restricted to wizards-only.
• As stated earlier, spellslayers do not cast spells. While they can use magical items, they will never be able to duplicate the wide range of effects that other wizards have at their disposal.
• Spellslayers are also slaved to their organization and must obey their leaders much as the holy slayers do.
• Spellslayers will never willingly join a group that contains a standard wizard, and few wizards will attempt to come into a group that contains a spellslayer. And spellslayers aren’t ones to hide their identity. While they aren’t going to broadcast their vocation in a situation where there are obviously powerful wizards that can kill them outright, they have no qualms about threatening wizards with death if it suits them. This can prove fatal if a spellslayer misjudges his target.

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