Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 6018907" data-attributes="member: 996">OK, moving on to the Illusionist.   It's an interesting one, actually.  Again, if we look at the class's history for it's defining characteristics and /don't/ count mere wizard-specialities as the Illusionist, we find a rather clear picture, because the Illusionist didn't exist as a class in 2e or later.  Sadly, I'm no conversant with the 0D&D Illusionist, but the 1e Illusionist had the following defining traits:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">He required more Dexterity than a magic-user.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">His spellcasting abilities were generally /inferior/ to those of the magic-user (only 7 levels of spells, a decidedly smaller spell list).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A few of his spells had no verbal components, which was unique.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">His spells dealt with Illusions (obviously) that affected the mind, but also with images that were real in the sense of not being 'all in your head,' and with light and shadow.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The illusionists use of 'shadow' included shadow-stuff that could make an illusion quasi-real (Shadow Monsters and similar spells), and was also associated with the mysterious Plane of Shadow (ie: the Shadow Walk spell).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1e Illusions acted just like the real thing if you failed your save, and you saved only if you consciously dis-believed, so the Illusionist's general inferiority as a caster was 'balanced' by the credulity of his enemies.  This prettymuch put the illusionist's effectiveness at the whim of the DM.</li> </ul>Given 5e's mandate to make each class mechanically distinct, and given that there are already /3/ arcane classes, how could the Illusionist be handled?Well, it could be less Vancian.  The Illusionist might have a very small number of spells with very broad applicability, for instance.  So where a Wizard might prepare either fireball or lightning bolt, the Illusionist would just have Phantasmal Forces, that he could use a number of times per day, and cause to seem to be fire, lightning, cold, or other sort of attack.  Similarly, where another caster would select a specific summoning spells, the Illusionist's Shadow Monster could seem to be any sort of creature.  The illusionist's spells could be difficult to resist until he's 'found out,' then much easier (disadvantage on saves until successful, then advantage, perhaps?).</blockquote>

Verification