Mage Hunter Builds in DnD 5e
Whether inspired by the templars in the Dragon Age series or Scar from Fullmetal Alchemist, there’s something enticing about a character who’s dedicated their life to stopping abuses of magic. In addition to the great built-in plot hooks, having one type of enemy (in this case mages) that you specialize in killing is gratifying in a way that the Ranger’s Favored Foe is not because it takes certain skills and abilities that have a mechanical impact on the game.
If you want to make a mage hunter, witch hunter, or any other variation on that theme, here are 5 builds you should look at.
Monk - Way of Shadow
Mage hunting is a dangerous job, and an unprepared combatant can be dead in an instant. So imagine the audacity of a mage hunter who enters into fights not only with no magic, but also with no weapons or armor—just one person, trained to physical perfection, taking on opponents who can bend reality to their will. Now, imagine this unarmed opponent striking with such speed and precision that these super-powered opponents are stunned and staggered, unable to cast a single spell as they're beaten to death by a hunter's bare hands.
Think about Asami Sato from The Legend of Korra, one half of lesbian powercouple Korrasami and also the only unpowered member of Team Avatar. She's able to take care of herself, though, and even rescues some of the more powerful benders at some points. Magical opponents often don't even get a chance to attack her as she uses her speed and fighting prowess to stun them and move on.
With their high mobility, many attacks, and Stunning Strike, Monks are an incredible threat to mages of any kind. Many mages can teleport, so the Monk’s mobility makes it much harder for them to get away, and Monks also excel at running right around the enemy’s front line so they can pound on the mages. Concentration checks are difficult for opponents to pass when they’re being hit 4 times in a single turn. Mages aren’t always great at Constitution saving throws (especially if they have to make 4 on one turn), so Stunning Strike can completely neutralize them during a fight. Monks also eventually gain proficiency in all saving throws, making them great at defending against magic.
The core Monk features alone can easily make a dangerous mage-killer, but there’s a subclass that takes it to the next level. The Way of Shadow subclass allows the already dangerous Monk to more effectively sneak up on an enemy mage, but also gives them the ability to cast Silence at level 3. As they level up, Shadow Monks get more sneaky features, but can eventually make attacks as a reaction even when their target doesn’t run away from them, giving them more chances to break a mage’s concentration.
This build is a perfect fit for the Mage Slayer feat. Being able to attack as a reaction when your target casts a spell makes you a thorn in their side, and giving disadvantage on their concentration saves means a mage is pretty close to helpless if you get into melee range—which is much easier with the Shadow Monk’s mobility and sneakiness. The feat also gives you some protection against spells cast by the mage (once you close into melee range). Sentinel is another great one, allowing you to trap a spellcaster (or several, if you're also making Stunning Strikes) in your bubble of silence. With Sentinel and Silence, you may not need to make Stunning Strikes at all.
As with any Monk, your stats are vital, so you’ll want your Dexterity and Wisdom to be as high as possible, and your Constitution pretty high as well. You’ll probably spend most or all of your ASIs just increasing your stats.
As a mage hunter, a Shadow Monk might take great care to differentiate themselves from their enemies, noting that the spells they cast are powered by ki, not magic. If you’re wanting to play a character that distrusts or even loathes magic of all kinds, this is probably the best option. Ki power could be played as more pure and incorruptible than magic, which can be used for all kinds of nefarious purposes.
Fighter - Eldritch Knight
True mage hunters are going to know how to defend themselves against magic. Eldritch Knights don’t shun magic, but embrace it, using it to protect themselves from magic and boost their offensive capabilities as well. Any build on this list can effectively fight mages, but the Eldritch Knight, more than any of the other options, can simply shrug off a Fireball and defiantly ask, “Is that the best you’ve got?”
This clip of Maki from Fire Force facing off against a group of enemy mages shows how an Eldritch Knight would handle a battle like that. Maki is far from unpowered, but her offensive capabilities come mostly from her physical attacks—she uses her pyrokinetic abilities to counter pyrokinetic abilities in her foes. That's a good basis for an Eldritch Knight.
Fighters on their own have a pretty good kit for fighting mages. Like Monks, they get a lot of attacks, meaning more opportunities to break a spellcaster’s concentration. They have a good amount of hit points. Their armor protects against much of the damage they face, and they get more ASIs than any other class, so it will be easier to take feats that protect you against other harmful spell effects.
The Eldritch Knight subclass adds some magic to the Fighter’s already impressive offensive capabilities. Many of the spells you’ll be able to learn are defensive in nature, including Shield and Absorb Elements, both at level 3. The Eldritch Knight also learns a few cantrips, such as Booming Blade, that can prevent enemy mages from trying to run away from you. As you level up, you gain abilities enabling you to make enemies more susceptible to your magic and eventually teleport right along with the enemy mages.
The Mage Slayer feat is once again a great choice, but having so many free ASIs opens the Eldritch Knight up to some other options as well. Resilient can give you proficiency in additional saving throws (Dexterity and Wisdom are great options), and the Fey Touched feat gives you teleportation abilities to match magical foes. Shield Master also greatly boosts your ability to dodge spells that require a Dexterity saving throw (making Dexterity builds really effective).
Eldritch Knights can be built equally well with either Strength or Dexterity, and should have a decent Constitution score as well. Some of your spells are powered by Intelligence, but there are plenty of spell options that don’t require a saving throw if you don’t want to boost Intelligence (so you can focus on taking feats instead).
As a mage hunter, an Eldritch Knight may lack the mobility of a Monk or the sneakiness of some other classes, but can function like a tank, pressing on toward an enemy mage even as he or she casts spells against them. This character might even delight in making the enemy mages feel powerless as they had made their countless victims feel, asking what it feels like to have magic used against them. An Eldritch Knight can be a truly terrifying opponent for enemy mages.
Paladin - Oath of the Watchers
A mage hunter isn’t always motivated by revenge. Some are methodical in their approach, acting more as inquisitors than killers, holding magic users to a standard and seeking out those that violate this code of ethics. These inquisitors consider themselves part of a greater hierarchy—perhaps even one that’s higher than the laws of cities and nations. When a magic user steps over that line and becomes a true threat, these characters will hunt and kill these threats with religious zeal.
Cassandra Pentaghast from the Dragon Age series is a great example of this, eventually becoming the Inquisitor's right-hand woman in stopping a great threat. This early clip from when she was a Seeker, from her spin-off movie Dawn of the Seeker, shows her in her element: hunting down cultists and stopping them from performing their deadly rituals. As she grows into this role (as we see her in Dragon Age Inquisition), we see her transition from a brash young fighter into someone obsessed with the truth, even if it's not what she wants to hear. Cassandra has a reputation for being stubborn, but it's her willingness to change what she thinks and feels based on the truth she uncovers that defines her.
Thematically, Paladins are great mage hunters because they have a strict code of ethics that clearly defines who they will hurt and who they won’t; this can easily extend to magic users specifically and give some definition to what kinds of transgressions are punishable by death. Paladins gain some mechanical benefits that aid in mage hunting as well—most notably, their level 6 feature Aura of Protection, which gives a bonus to all saving throws, giving them great defense against enemy mages.
The Oath of the Watchers subclass is themed around protecting the material plane from extraplanar threats, but this can easily be extended to dangerous magic users of any type. They gain some useful spells for combating enemy mages, including the always useful Counterspell at level 9, and they can use their Channel Divinity to grant the party advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic. As they level up, they gain features to let the whole party act faster in combat, potentially neutralizing enemy mages before they’re able to act, and can eventually punish enemy casters in retaliation for casting spells. Some of the subclass features protect against extraplanar creatures, which might be wasted on a power-hungry human Wizard, but the subclass gets plenty of other anti-magic features.
Note that Oath of the Ancients is also frequently suggested as a mage hunter subclass because of its aura, which gives resistance to all damage from enemy spells. This is an insanely powerful feature and can also make for a great mage hunter. Thematically, though, the Oath of the Watchers is a better fit with their oath being dedicated to rooting out evil magic threats.
Like with Monks, there’s not a lot of room for feats in a Paladin build. Fortunately, Paladins don’t need a lot of help from feats. Mage Slayer is less necessary due to the Oath of the Watchers’ features, so if you do have room for a feat in this build, you can focus on feats like Resilient or Shield Master to improve your already impressive defenses. Note, though, that Paladins already have proficiency in Charisma and Wisdom saving throws (common for many magic attacks), and with the bonuses both the base Paladin and the Oath of the Watchers get to saving throws, even Resilient isn’t really necessary.
Also like Monks, Paladins are reliant on 3 attributes (Charisma, Constitution, and either Dexterity or Strength), so most of your ASIs will be spent increasing your main stats. Charisma is important for many Paladin spells and several of the Oath of the Watchers features, so make sure not to ignore that.
As mage hunters, Oath of the Watchers Paladins are more than hunters—they’re investigators and arbiters of magical ethics. They seek out serious threats and are relentless in stopping them. Due to their oath and high Charisma, they’re also hard to dissuade from pursuing their targets once they’re marked as threats. Remember, Lawful Good doesn’t mean Lawful Nice, and this character’s enemies will learn that lesson well.
Ranger - Monster Slayer
Some mage hunters emphasize the hunter bit, taking time to methodically track evasive targets, sometimes setting ambushes for them and catching them when they’re most vulnerable. These hunters target true monsters, like vampires and evil fey, but could easily hunt less exotic monsters like power-hungry mages. Tracking relentlessly and striking from the darkness, these mage hunters don’t just see enemy mages as threats—they see them as prey.
The Monster Slayer is an archetype with many pop culture examples, but one great one is Geralt from The Witcher. Geralt knows monsters, and he knows how to protect himself from them and kill them. But when the greatest threats end up being other humans, he's able to hunt and fight them just like he does the monsters.
Rangers are surprisingly good on their own against enemy mages, gaining spells like Absorb Elements, Silence, and Nondetection. Their higher hit point pool and solid defense from armor make them pretty tough to kill, and they usually have higher Wisdom scores—with Wisdom being one of the most common saving throws forced by spells, this comes in handy.
Monster Slayers gain a few extra useful spells, like Magic Circle and Protection from Evil and Good, but their real value as mage hunters comes from the class features. They can use Hunter’s Sense to check for immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities so your party’s mages aren’t wasting a turn casting a fire spell on an enemy that’s immune to fire damage. They can focus on one target and give themselves better defenses against spells cast by that creature. At 11th level, they can react to enemy mages casting a spell or teleporting, potentially forcing them not to do it—this is basically Counterspell without magic.
Monster Slayers’ features work at range, so they make great ranged characters—meaning Mage Slayer is unnecessary (unless you’re building a melee Monster Slayer). With your abilities potentially informing the party of what to do, the Alert feat might help if you plan on scouting out enemy strengths and weaknesses. The Fey Touched feat can be beneficial as well, giving you the ability to teleport—and you have the spell slots to continue to do this throughout the day.
Rangers work well with Dexterity builds, and a high Constitution is always useful. They’re not as reliant on their tertiary stat (Wisdom) as Monks and Paladins are; however, Wisdom saving throws are pretty common, and some of the Ranger spells that require Wisdom can be pretty useful, so don’t neglect this.
Compared to many of the other options on this list, Monster Slayers are less concerned with theatrics and more concerned with results. Forget an epic confrontation with monologues—a Monster Slayer would be just as happy killing their prey asleep in their bed. Enemy mages may not even know the Monster Slayer is stalking them until they’re locked in a battle to the death. If hunting and stalking are interesting to you, the Monster Slayer could make an excellent mage hunter.
Warlock - Hexblade
While hunting mages is, for some, a higher calling, for others it may be basic survival. Some characters may be backed into a corner and forced to get strong enough to fight their way out. In doing so, bargains may be made with other entities to give the mage hunter the strength and abilities to defeat their foes. Whether for revenge or survival, these characters are willing to do anything, even give up parts of their life and freedom, to gain the strength to defeat their foes.
Warlocks are the only full casters on this list. Thematically, it can totally make sense for a Warlock to hate harmful magic users, but as full casters, Warlocks also have some advantages over the others in this list. They gain useful anti-magic spells like Counterspell, and they gain these spells much earlier than any other character on this list. Their hit points are going to be roughly equivalent to Monks, and they have better defenses than most mages. Their Eldritch Invocations can also give them some solid staple abilities that aren’t limited by their spell slots.
Hexblades grant even more benefits to mage hunters. They can wear medium armor and use shields, giving them powerful defenses on par with any other character on this list, and they also learn the Shield spell, making them even harder to hit. They can use Charisma for their weapon attacks, giving them a common stat to use for both weapon attacks and magic—making them effective at any range. The Hexblade’s Curse feature also lets them focus their attacks on a single target, giving Hexblades a tremendous advantage against them.
Since Hexblades do equally well at range as they do in melee, Mage Slayer is less important than it would be for a dedicated melee class. With Eldritch Blast being so powerful and with many magic users being able to teleport away, the Spell Sniper feat will allow you to hit enemy mages even if they use Dimension Door to teleport 500 feet away. Warlocks have proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, making them good at evading some harmful spells, but taking Resilient to gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws can make you tougher while also making it easier for you to pass your concentration checks to keep your foes under the debilitating effects of your spells.
Hexblades only need to max their Charisma, as that affects both their ranged and melee attacks. They should shoot for 14 Dexterity to make the best use of medium armor, and should aim for a moderately high Constitution as well for survivability. Overall, they’re not as stat-dependent as many of the other options on this list and will probably have some room for feats or flavorful boosts in other attributes.
Every Warlock has, at some point, reached out to a powerful entity for help, and they knew that help would not come cheaply. When cornered and threatened, even the most peaceful animals can become terrifying threats, and this mage hunter is no different. The transition from victim to hunter makes a fantastic backstory for a mage hunter character, and any foe that crosses them will likely regret letting them live the first time they crossed.
Races for a Mage Hunter
Mage hunters specialize in fighting mages, so protection against magic is one of the most important things you can get. This is less important for some characters, depending on how much magic defense their class and subclass get, but it can be vital for some of the characters here.
Satyrs and Yuan-Ti are the gold standard for magic resistance, gaining defensive abilities that are considered overpowered by some players, but are nonetheless helpful for any mage hunter. Gnomes, including Deep Gnomes, also gain some great magic defenses.
Resistance to individual damage types can also be useful, although less so than wider resistances. Dragonborn and Genasi gain elemental resistance, and other races like the Duergar gain resistance to other damage types.
Proficiency in additional saving throws can also be useful, since many offensive spells force a saving throw. Kalashtar gain proficiency in the (very common) Wisdom saving throws.
With the great variety of races discussed here, it’s clear that there’s no single race that’s best suited for this. Every race gets benefits, and many of those benefits can help a mage hunter character. It’s probably best to look at creating a compelling story and using your race toward that end.
About the Author
Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a web developer and writer in the Kansas City area. He's been playing TTRPGs since 2020 and is involved in the disability-related TTRPG podcast Tales from the Crips. He's into classic movies, mental health, and, of course, DnD. Also, he's in a band. One time, they rocked so hard it killed a man.