In the works, and subject to change before publication in the Expansion Kit...
ILLUSIONIST
An illusionist conjures false images to fool the senses.
Background & Adventures
Illusionists craft the unreal. They are masters of figments, glamors, phantasms, and other spells that help deceive, disturb, entertain, scare, and perhaps even harm the unwary.
Illusions start simply, as silent insubstantial visual images. With experience, an illusionist adds sound, then voices and music; sensations, and then actual force; and finally manner of tell-tale signs of reality such as smell and temperature.
An illusionist is sometimes mistaken for a witch. However, a witch is also master of charm and wit, while an illusionist focuses on ever greater realism, with the goal to make dreams as reality.
Illusionists don’t mind companions, and sometimes there is a final line between friend as foe as the most convincing illusions may mislead even one’s allies.
Class Details
Illusionists have the following statistics.
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Prime Attribute: Charisma.
Attack: d20 + ½ class level + Charisma modifier.
Defenses: Reflex +2, Will +2.
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Armor: Phantom Armor only (see below).
Weapons: All light blades.
Starting Gold: 3d6 x 10 (105 gp).
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Alignment: Any.
Special: Your trade secret is gem dust. Activating a basic ability costs 1 cp of gem dust. Activating an intermediate, advanced or paragon ability costs 1 sp, 1 gp, and 1 pp, respectively. The dust must touch your skin or be exposed to air to work.
Training: 3d4 years.
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Core Abilities
Illusionists start with the following abilities at 1st level.
IllusionistM: You may conjure 4 torch-like orbs, 1 humanoid apparition, 4 voices, 1 loud animal or machine noise, or a series of amusing stage tricks. The effects last 5 minutes, must remain within 30 ft, and do not cause damage or require a save, though they might fool the unwary.
Illusionist Skills: Apply a +2 bonus on Arcana, Bluff, Craft, Perception, and Trick checks.
Silent ImageM: You conjure a full-color visual illusion of a single object, creature or phenomenon (fire, etc) in an unoccupied space. The illusion does not create sound, smell, texture or temperature. It never causes damage. It occupies a single 10-ft cube out to 30 ft away for as long as you concentrate as a standard action + an additional 1d4 rounds (max 5 minutes). The image is static or moves in a repetitive 3-round loop that is unresponsive to interaction. A creature may resist using Will after touching the image or beating a DC 15 Perception check by studying it as a standard action. The image vanishes when Will succeeds or when struck by a weapon or spell. Costs 1 vitality.
Basic Tier
Illusionists select from the following basic abilities.
Arcane Training: Apply a +3 bonus on Arcana and Literacy checks. You can read magic scrolls. Also, you speak Draconic.
Color SprayM: A startling melange of colors strikes all creatures in a 15-ft cone. A creature is dazed for 1 round and blinded for 2d4 rounds if you beat its Will. Otherwise it is dazzled for 1 round. Costs 1 vitality.
DarkvisionM: As a swift action, your eyes turn purple and you see in darkness as easily as in daylight. Ending the effect is a swift action.
Detect Fears and DesiresM: Boost Diplomacy and Insight checks by +5. You sense and leverage people’s hidden issues.
Detect IllusionM: You learn whether an illusion or invisibility effect is present or absent within a 15-ft cone. The next time you scan the same area, you learn the exact location (within 5 ft).
Disguise SelfM: Your surface traits—hair color, garment style, gender, voice pitch, etc—transmute to grant you a +10 bonus on Disguise checks for 1 hour. You can grow or shrink 1 ft and modify your Comeliness by +/- 5 points. Costs 1 vitality.
False SaleM: You improve a touched mundane object of up to 250 pounds such that it looks and functions as a masterwork version of itself for 1 hour. A successful DC 18 Appraise check notices the ruse. Costs 1 vitality.
FierceM: For 1 hour, boost Athletics, Intimidate, and Nobility checks by +3 and Comeliness by +2. Costs 1 vitality.
Ghost InkM: You conjure 1 vial of invisible ink. Costs 1 vitality.
GlamorousM: For 1 hour, boost Acrobatics, Diplomacy, and Music checks by +3 and Comeliness by +2. Costs 1 vitality.
HazeM: Creatures within 15 ft suffer a -5 penalty on Perception checks and a -2 penalty on Will to detect illusions.
Invisible StepM: You are invisible for the remainder of your turn, during which you enjoy a +10 bonus on Stealth checks and avoid line of sight. Any attack by you ends the effect. Costs 1 vitality.
Keen Senses: Apply a +5 bonus on Insight and Perception checks.
LightM: You conjure light on an unattended object that you touch. The light produces strong illumination in a 15-ft radius burst and weak illumination outward an additional 30 ft. You can use and dismiss this ability at will but you can maintain only 1 light at a time.
Minor ImageM: This improves Silent Image to include sound, boosting the image’s Perception DC to 20, though it cannot produce music or coherent speech. Costs 2 vitality.
Phantom ArmorM: You cloak yourself or an adjacent ally in a quasi-real illusion of armor that grants +4 DR against unwitting sentient foes or +2 DR against nonsentient foes or any sentient foe that spends a move action to resist using Will. The suit counts as Light armor and may supersede but not stack with other abilities that boost DR. Lasts 1 hour. Costs 1 vitality.
Phantom SteedM: You conjure a quasi-real standard warhorse. It looks false and functions as real except it cannot make attack rolls or enjoy skill bonuses. Any successful attack against it dispels it after 1d4 rounds. Otherwise, it lasts 1 hour. Costs 2 vitality.
Phantom WeaponM: You conjure a quasi-real illusion of a weapon that functions in all ways like a real one except it delivers 1d4 force damage per 2 levels (max 5d4). Will resists for ½ damage. Lasts 1 hour. Costs 1 vitality.
Resist Fear: Apply a +5 bonus on saves to resist abilities and effects that cause fear.
Resist Illusions: Apply a +2 bonus on saves and skill checks to notice and resist the effects of illusions. Requires Illusionist Skills.
ScareM: One living creature within 15 ft is shaken for 5 minutes, or 1 round if it resists using Will. If it is 5+ levels below you, it is frightened instead, fleeing the best it can or cowering if it cannot flee. Costs 1 vitality.
See InvisibilityM: As a standard action, you clearly notice for 1 round any invisible or incorporeal creatures within 30 ft.
Stage Magic: Boost Trick checks by +5, or by +10 while performing mundane stage tricks.
Stealthy: Boost Stealth checks by +5, or by +10 once daily.
Stealthy Illusions: You enjoy a +3 bonus on Arcana and Trick checks. Also, a successful Trick check made as a move action just prior to using Silent Image or an similar ability that creates an illusion ensures that nobody notices you using that ability. The Trick DC equals 10 + 5 per tier (max DC 30 for paragon tier).
Study of Fine Arts: Boost Craft and Music checks by +5.
Intermediate Tier
Illusionists select from the following intermediate abilities.
AttacheM: Once daily, you may conjure an quasi-real illusionary townie (RPG, page 259) or critter (page XX). It functions in all ways as real though it cannot make attack rolls. It obeys your verbal commands though it will not stray more than 15 ft from you. Any successful attack against it dispels it. Lasts 1 hour. Costs 2 vitality.
Dispel IllusionM: You end an illusion you know of within 30 ft if you beat its creator’s Will. If you fail, you must wait 24 hours to try again for that illusion. Requires you know Illusionist Skills and Detect Illusion. Costs 1 vitality + the countered ability’s vitality cost, if any.
Dustless: Ignore this class’s special requirement of gem dust.
FearM: This improves Scare to target all living creatures in a 30-ft cone. Costs 2 vitality.
Fear Fulcrum: You analyze a sentient foe within 30 ft as a move action. If its Will resists, you enjoy a +1 bonus on attack rolls against it for 1 hour. Otherwise, you enjoy a +3 bonus for 24 hours. A foe that resists ignores additional uses of this ability for 24 hours. Requires Detect Fears and Desires. Costs 2 vitality.
Fearless: You ignore fear effects. You cannot be shaken, frightened or panicked.
Guide SightM: You close your eyes to see an area from a perspective up to 15 ft away from your actual location, as if you were there. While viewing, you are defenseless. Costs 1 vitality per round.
Ignore Minor Illusions: You automatically notice and ignore the effects of basic tier and core ability illusions that you already know such as Minor Image. Requires Illusionist Skills.
InvisibilityM: You or a touched ally turn invisible for 5 minutes or until the subject attacks, whichever comes first. Invisibility boosts Stealth checks by +10 and refuses line of sight. Costs 2 vitality.
LevitateM: When you concentrate as a standard action, you mentally move 1 target weighing up to 250 pounds a distance of 30 ft up or down. You can move yourself, a willing creature or an unattended object out to a distance of 60 ft. Costs 2 vitality.
Major ImageM: This improves Minor Image, such that the illusion includes full sound (including music and speech) plus smell and thermal—but not tactile—effects. Also, you can move the image each round within the spell’s bounds as a move action. This boosts the image’s Perception DC to 25 or to 30 if you move it. Costs 5 vitality.
Mirror ImageM: You conjure 1d4+1 duplicates of yourself for 2 minutes. Whenever a foe successfully strikes you, it has a 50% chance to strike and dispel 1 image instead. This is a visual illusion. Requires you know Blur. Costs 2 vitality.
Phantom BlastM: You evoke a quasi-real spell along either a 90-ft line or 30-ft cone that inflicts 1d6 damage per 2 levels. The damage is 50% force and 50% from any other energy type (cold, fire, etc) as fitting the illusion’s details, as you like. Will resists for ½ damage (force only). Requires Illusionist Skills. Costs 2 vitality.
Phantasmal KillerM: You target 1 person within 15 ft and conjure an apparition of the most frightening thing he can imagine. Only he sees the apparition. If you beat his Will, he believes the apparition is real and must resist using Fortitude or fall unconscious and appear dead (against a DC 30 Heal check) for 5 minutes. Only wound damage wakes him. Immunity to fear blocks this ability. Costs 2 vitality.
Reveal: One adjacent ally may resist using Will against 1 illusion you notice as an immediate action, to also notice it. Costs 2 vitality.
SeemingM: As Disguise Self, but affects up to 1 ally per level that starts within 30 ft of you. Requires Disguise Self. Costs 5 vitality.
WhelmM: One foe within 30 ft is dazed for 1d4 rounds by a nightmare you show it. Will resists. Costs 2 vitality.
Advanced Tier
Illusionists select from the following advanced abilities.
Errant: This improves Attache such that the illusion may move out to 2 miles away from you and make attack rolls. Costs 5 vitality.
Grand ImageM: This improves Major Image, such that the illusion includes all sensory modes including tactile, boosting the image’s Perception DC to 30, or 35 if you move it. Moreover, the image can occupy up to 5 10-ft cubes in volume. Costs 10 vitality.
Hallucinatory TerrainM: You make natural terrain look, sound, smell and feel like some other natural terrain. Structures, gear, and creatures within the area are not disguised or invisible, though creatures and vehicles may move and hide as normal within the terrain as if it were real. You affect up to 1 30-ft cube per level out to 500 ft away for 4 hours + 1 hour per level. A successful DC 25 Survival check after studying the terrain allows Will to resist and ignore the terrain’s effects for that creature only. Costs 5 vitality.
Ignore Major Illusions: This improves Ignore Minor Illusions to grant resistance against intermediate tier illusions as well.
Invisibility SphereM: As Invisibility, but affects up to 8 allies who remain within 15 ft of you. The effect ends for an ally if it steps outside the area or makes an attack roll. Costs 5 vitality.
Mask Illusion: As a move action, you improve the next illusion you create that round so that Detect Illusion fails against it and its Perception DC improves by +5. Requires Dustless. Costs 5 vitality.
Mass Reveal: This improves Reveal to target all allies within 30 ft and line of sight or hearing. Costs 2 vitality per ally.
Mass Whelm: Improves Whelm to target multiple foes (max 1/level) within 60 ft. Costs 5 vitality.
Mind FogM: You conjure a 15-ft-radius fog bank up to 90 ft away. While in it, creatures suffer a -5 penalty on Will, or a -10 penalty to notice illusions. Gust of Wind dispels the mind fog. Costs 5 vitality.
Obscure ObjectM: For 24 hours, the touched item becomes invisible to everyone but you, and divination magic such as Detect Magic and Locate Object fail to detect its presence. Costs 5 vitality.
Persistent ImageM: This improves Major Image such that the illusion follows a script predetermined by you for up to 5 minutes, with no need for you to concentrate. Costs 5 vitality.
Programmed ImageM: This improves Major Image to activate when a specific predetermined condition (stated within 10 words) occurs and does not require you concentrate or even be present. The spell can only respond to what you would notice if you were present when preparing the programmed image. Costs 5 vitality.
Terror DeathM: One sentient living creature within 30 ft must resist using Will or be reduced to -1 wounds and begin dying. Even if it successfully resists, it suffers 3d6 pain damage. This is a fear effect. Requires you know Phantasmal Killer. Costs 5 vitality.
Vanishing SpaceM: You make invisible a building, ship or similar structure or set-up of up to 1 10-ft cube per level for 4 hours + 1 hour per level. The target must be within 500 ft. Costs 5 vitality.
Paragon Tier
Illusionists select from the following paragon abilities.
Improved Invisibility: This improves Invisibility, such that attacking does not end the effect. Costs 10 vitality.
Permanent ImageM: This improves Persistent Image such that the duration is indefinite even when its false nature is revealed. Costs 1,000 gp in special materials per 10-ft cube and 25 vitality.
Phantom ZoneM: You or 1 target within 120 ft is whisked away to an extradimensional maze for 5 minutes. Each round on its turn, the subject has a 1 in 6 chance to escape, or a 2 in 6 chance if it has Charisma 15+. When it escapes, the subject reappears in the space it departed from, or the nearest open space. Costs 10 vitality.
Project ImageM: You create a quasi-real, illusory version of yourself. The image looks, sounds, and smells like you but is intangible. It mimics your actions (including speech) unless you direct it to act differently as a move action. You can perceive through its senses as if you were standing where it is. On your turn you can switch to or from its senses as a swift action. While using its senses, your true self is blinded and deafened. If you desire, any magic ability you activate that targets something other than you can originate from the projected image instead. The image can’t otherwise use abilities on itself. Projected abilities affect other targets normally, despite originating from the image. You must maintain line of effect to the projected image at all times. If that line is obstructed, even momentarily, the spell ends. The image ignores attacks and lasts 5 minutes. Costs 10 vitality.
