5e doesn’t really have a fun counter mage. You can play a wizard with counterspell and silvery barbs sure, but then you’re a wizard who shuts down other wizards. I’m looking for the mundane characters who wrestle control of spells in effect or prevent their casting to begin with. Not out of some desire to win a wizarding duel, but because they know that letting a wizard cast spells could mean the end of their mission. 

I couldn’t decide if a subclass or new class was the way to go, so you’ll see some similarities to the Spellthief Archtype I posted a few weeks ago, but ultimately, I think this is probably more “Fun” to play. Having a contested roll to take control of spells, for example, is more fun than just auto-doing it. A subclasses chief thing being something that can be turned off via poor rolls isn’t fun though, so the subclass gets to auto-do it, which is kind of a compromise choice that lets the subclassexist butt misses the at the table fun factor of rolling dice.

Spellthief

A new class for 5e. 

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Spellthief level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: light armor, medium armor, shields

Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons

Tools: none

Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma

Skills: Choose 3 from Arcana, Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, Investigation, Intimidation, Survival

Starting Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

(a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons

(a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon

(a) scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Chain mail or studded leather armor and 20gp.

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 × 10 gp to buy your own equipment.

Multiclassing

Ability Score Minimum: Strength 13, Charisma 13

Class Features

1 – Sense Magi: As an action, you can use the detect magic spell. For the purposes of this effect, you also learn whether a given creature is a spellcaster, and the highest-level spell currently available to that creature (But not the specific name of the spell). 

1 – Fighting Style: As per the fighter class feature. 

2 – Disruption: When a creature you threaten attempts to cast a spell, you can make an opportunity attack as a reaction. If this hits, they must make a concentration check vs the damage, or the spell fails to cast, and the resources used to cast the spell are still expended. You can add your Charisma modifier to the attacks damage roll.

3 – Path Feature

4 – Ability Score Increase

5 – Dispelling Touch: As an action, you can cast a form of dispel magic. You can touch a creature, or object under the effects of a spell or magical ability, or the obvious magical effects of an ongoing spell or magical ability and end it. If a creature has multiple ongoing effects, you use this ability against the highest leveled effects first (The DM will randomly determine which in the event of a tie). You can use this ability on spells or effects whose level is equal to, or less than your Charisma modifier, and cantrips. You can do this a number of times per long rest equal to your proficiency bonus.

6 – Path Feature

6 – Mystic Redirection: Once per short rest, as a reaction, when targeted with a spell requiring an attack roll, you can choose a new target for this spell. The caster makes the attack rolls as normal, and uses their spell save DCs. You must use this ability before the attack roll is made and results are known.

7 – Foil Sensors: When subject to divination effects, you are always considered unknown, secondhand, or the like for determining a caster’s knowledge of you, specifically for the purposes of saving throw bonuses or penalties, but also for anything similar. Use of this ability is optional, but you do not gain any special insight into who the caster may be.

8 – Ability Score Increase

9 – Path Feature

10 – Anti-Magic Aura: Allies within 30ft gain a bonus to saves against spells or magical effects equal to your charisma modifier. 

11 – Disjunction: Once per short rest, as an action you can touch a creature and unattune any magic items they have attuned, then, you drain all of their charged items to 0 charges. If they have any objects in their possession that could be, but were not charged or attuned, those items shatter and become unusable. This ability can be performed in conjunction with a weapon attack as part of the same action.

12 – Ability Score Increase

13 – Path Feature

14 – Empty Mind: You gain resistance to psychic and force damage. In addition, you are immune to any spells that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts. 

15 – Steal Spell: When you successfully use your Disruption or Dispelling Touch ability, you can instead choose to take control of the spell. The spell still fails, or ends as normal, but you can immediately recast it yourself as though you had the spell prepared, and the appropriate spell slots. If the effect is visible, such as an illusion or summon, you can choose to simply take control of it for the remainder of the duration instead of recasting it. You use your charisma score for all saving throws and DCs. 

16 – Ability Score Increase

17 – Path Feature

18 – Arcane Consumption: As part of a short rest, you can consume the magical essence of an item. If the item has charges, you can reduce its charge count by one. If the item is out of charges, it is destroyed. If the item is not one that uses charges, it is disabled for the next 24 hours. Multiple uses of this ability extend the duration and could destroy the item. Items are destroyed based on rarity, and duration they are disabled. 

• Common: 2 Days
• Uncommon: 4 Days
• Rare: 1 Week
• Very Rare: 1 Month
• Legendary: 1 Year
• Artifact: Unknown (DM discretion, if at all)

19 – Ability Score Increase

20 – Sever the Weave: Once per day, you can attempt to sever a spellcaster’s ability to pull from the weave and cast spells. As an action, you must touch the spellcaster. The spellcaster then makes a saving throw with a DC of 8+Prof+Charisma modifier. If they fail, any spells they are concentrating on end, and they cannot cast any new spells, or attune to magic items, until they take a long rest. 

What is a Spellcaster?

“Spellcaster” is a very broad term, and unfortunately in 5e, we need some DM adjudication on the topic. To help with this, we are presenting some guidelines to give the general gist of who is or isn’t a spellcaster. You should iron this out for sure in your games before you play, and clarify any gray areas that we didn’t. 

Is a spellcaster

• A wizard of any level
• A cleric of any level. Even though they use divine magic. 
• A paladin of 2nd level or higher. They don’t gain spellcasting until then. 
• An eldritch knight fighter of 3rd level or higher. 
• Drow Mages (MM p129). This drow casts spells, and we are ignoring that WoTC ruling that “innate spellcasting” isn’t “spellcasting”. Its dumb, and you probably forgot all about it. 
• Rakshasa (MM p257). This Rakshasa has what used to be called “spell like abilities”. It isn’t a spellcaster per say, but it can use a small selection of them as though it were a spellcaster. So it counts.
• An Elf (Drow) from the players handbook. They get dancing lights as a cantrip, which counts as spellcasting. 

Is not a spellcaster

• Most fighters.
• A paladin of 1st level. They can’t cast. 
• A rogue wielding a wand of fireballs. The wand is casting fireball, not the rogue. 
• Displacer Beast (MM p81). These guys are clearly magic, but don’t actually cast any spells. 
• Ogre (MM p237). Why would you ask about these?

Paths

When you reach 3rd level, you devote yourself to a given style. Up to this time you have dabbled in a variety of schools, but now you are ready to commit to one over the others. Now you choose from the list of available Paths. The Patch of the Leech, Skulk, and Witch Knight. 

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. 

Path of the Leech

While most spellthieves distrust or dislike spellcasters, you love them. What kind of farmer hates his cows? You surround yourself with spellcasters and slowly drain their mystic energy to power your own abilities beyond their normal levels. Ideally, without them even noticing. 

• 3: Leech’s Proficiency: As a Leech, you gain proficiency in Deception, Sleight of Hand, and Forgery Kits.
• 3: Harness Mana: Whenever your disruption ability prevents a spell from being cast, you gain a number of temp HP equal to the level of that spell.
• 6: Elemental Shield: If your disruption ability prevents a spell from being cast that would deal damage, you gain resistance to that damage type until the end of your next turn. 
• 9: Siphon Power: When someone nearby casts a spell, you can harness some of the expended mystic energy for your own purposes. If creature within 30ft successfully casts a spell that does not include you as the target, you can add your proficiency bonus as an untyped bonus to your damage rolls until the end of your next turn. This includes allies.  
• 13: Elemental Surge: If your disruption ability prevents a spell from being cast that would deal damage, your attacks until the end of your next turn deal an extra point of damage of that type, per level of the spell. You must choose to use either this, or Elemental Surge.
• 17: Tag-Along: 3/Long Rest, when a creature within 60ft casts a spell that does not include you as a target, you can choose to apply the effects to yourself as though you were a willing target. 

Path of the Skulk

As a Skulk, you keep to the shadows, hoping a spellcaster cites the failure of their spells up to their own fumbling of the words or gestures, rather than a malevolent opposing force. You strike from the shadows and neutralize your foes without them realizing you are there. 

• 3: Skulk’s Proficiency: As a Skulk, you gain proficiency in Thieves’ Tools, Stealth, and Deception.
• 3: Disruptive Aura: As a reaction, you can use your description power on any creature within 30ft that casts a spell. If you do, you do not make an opportunity attack, instead the target must succeed a concentration check with a DC equal to a Sleight of Hand check or lose the spell.
• 6: Untraceable: When you successfully use your Disruption ability, you can harness the magical energy and use it to turn invisible until the start of your next turn. 
• 9: Massive Aura: You can use your Disruptive Aura ability out to 200ft. 
• 13: Surprise Disruption: Once per short rest, if you use your Disruption ability against a creature that you have advantage on, they are not able to make a concentration check. The ability is automatically successful. 
• 17: Ludicrous Aura: You can use your Disruptive Aura ability on any creature you can see. There is no cap to this feature, and some Skulks have been known to team with allied spellcasters to block abilities simply through scrying or other magical means of vision. 

Path of the Witch Hunter

A Witch Hunter has no time for stealth or cowardice. They march out to battle a mage in full plate armor with battle standards held high. You’ll fight the wizard, and his jaw will drop as you shrug off spell after spell while you march right up to him and let him know who is in charge. 

• 3: Hunter’s Proficiency: As a Witch Hunter, you gain proficiency in Heavy Armor, Religion, and Perception.
• 3: Mana Burn: Whenever your disruption ability prevents a spell from being cast, the caster takes force damage equal to the level of the spell being cast.
• 6: Multiattack
• 9: Dispelling Strike: After hitting with a melee attack, you can choose to use your Dispelling Touch ability. 
• 13: Multiburn: You can use your disruption ability once per round as a free action, and once as a reaction. 
• 17: Legendary Resistance: 3/long rest, when you fail a saving throw, you can instead choose to pass.