Psion Prestige Class : Psi-hunters
by Monte Cook, Dragon #281
Psi-hunters are individuals well-versed in the arcane arts who provide a service for those troubled by beings with psionic powers. These mysterious characters hunt down such beings and neutralize them, either by killing the creatures or capturing them. They are skilled combatants and spellcasters, but all their skills are honed with the destruction of psionic beings in mind.
Psi-hunters are most often fighters or rangers with a level or two of sorcerer (or wizard), but often bards or single-classed sorcerers and wizards take up the task of hunting psionic creatures. Rogues also make good psi-hunters.
NPC psi-hunters are often loners, or they work with a small group of other capable individuals all dedicated to fighting psionics. Occasionally they work in small, tight-knit hunting parties made up of nothing but psi-hunters. Woe to the psion who faces such a group.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Psi-Hunter, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (psionics) 3 ranks
- Feats: Track, Iron Will,
- Base Attack Bonus: +5
- Spellcasting: Must be able to cast arcane spells bonus is +4. Note that the mental hardness gained from this ability does not stack with mental hardness from another source (such as from a psionic defense). This is a supernatural ability.
Class Skills
The psi-hunter's class skills are Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (psionics), Profession, Search, Spellcraft, Spot, and Survival.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The psi-hunter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and with shields.
Spells per Day: Beginning at 1st level, a psi-hunter gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, the psi-hunter must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a psi-hunter with an Intelligence of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Psi-hunter bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the psi-hunter's Intelligence modifier (if any). When the psi-hunter gets "0" spells of a given level, such as 0 2nd-level spells at 1st level, the psi-hunter gets only bonus spells. A psi-hunter without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. The psi-hunter's spell list appears below. A psi-hunter learns, prepares, and casts spells just as a wizard does, but only from the psi-hunter spell list.
Detect Psionics: At will, a psi-hunter can detect psionics as the power of the same name. This is a spell-like ability.
Mental Defense: When any psionic attack mode is used against the 1st-level psi-hunter, he is considered to have 1 point of mental hardness and gains a +1 luck bonus to Will saving throws made against any psionic attack or power (including psionic items). At 3rd level, this defense improves so that the mental hardness increases to 2 points and the Will saving throw bonus becomes +2. At 6th level, the mental hardness increases to 3 points, and the Will saving throw bonus is +3. At 9th level the mental hardness is 4 points, and the Will save
Hamper Psionics: At 2nd level, the psi-hunter generates psychic static around him at all times. Anyone attempting to use a psionic power within 30 feet of the psi-hunter does so as though in the area of a catapsi field. When the psi-hunter reaches 7th level, the area of this power increases to 50 feet, and the effect triples the amount of power points required to manifest a psionic power. This is a spell-like ability.
Psychic Stab: At 4th level, once per day, the psi-hunter can alter one melee attack so that it is particularly potent against psionic characters or creatures. This strike is made at a +4 attack bonus and a damage bonus equal to the class level of the psi-hunter. If the psi-hunter accidentally stabs a creature that is not psionic, the stab has no effect but it is still depleted for that day. This is a supernatural ability.
Invisible to Psionics: At 5th level, the psi-hunter can no longer be detected or sensed by psionic powers, feats, or items. This is a supernatural ability.
Power Resistance: At 7th level, the psi-hunter gains a special PR of 10 + psi-hunter class levels. This ability functions only against psionic powers, feats, and items. This is a supernatural ability.
Null Psionics Prison: Once per day, as a spell-like ability, the 8th-level psi-hunter can create a 5-foot radius area in which psionics do not function (as if under the affects of a null psionics field). The prison can be created only around a psionic creature. This prison is immobile and lasts as long as the psionic creature remains within the 5-foot-radius area.
Mete Out Mental Justice: At 10th level, the psi-hunter can place a powerful curse upon any psionic creature he touches. If the psi-hunter succeeds at a melee touch attack, the creature touched must make a Will saving throw (DC 20). Failure indicates that the creature takes 2d6 points of damage each time he uses a psionic power, ability, attack mode, or defense mode. A remove curse, limited wish, miracle, or wish spell can remove the curse. This supernatural ability can be used a number of times equal to the character's psi-hunter levels.
| Psi-hunter | Hit Die: d8 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells Known | ||||
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Detect Psionics, Mental Defense | 1 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Hamper Psionics | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Mental Defense 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Psychic Stab | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Invisible to Psionics | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Mental Defense 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Power Resistance, Hamper Psionics | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Null Psionics Prison | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Mental Defense 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Mete Out Mental Justice | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Psi-Hunter Spell List
Psi-hunters may choose their spells from the following list:
- 1st level: alarm, cause fear, command, doom, hypnotism, magic weapon, obscuring mist, true strike, shield.
- 2nd level: blur, bull's strength, cat's grace, detect thoughts, endurance, hypnotic pattern, locate object, see invisibility.
- 3rd level: dispel magic*, freedom of movement, greater magic weapon, hold person, minor globe of invulnerability*, nondetection, spell immunity*.
- 4th level: emotion, detect scrying*, dimensional anchor, discern lies, haste, locate creature, scrying.
- 5th level: anti-magic field, globe of invulnerability*, magic jar, mind fog, Rary's telepathic bond, true seeing.
*Regardless of how psionics and magic interrelate in the campaign, these abilities work against both magic and psionics.
Source: Dragon #281