Illusionist

Illusionists are amongst the most skilled liars in existence.

The illusionist’s lies don’t rely on words alone, but may fool any one, or all, of a creature’s senses. Where an enchanter might take a subject’s mind and force it to believe or act as the enchanter wills, an illusionist is more subtle, using the mind’s own reasoning against it by presenting it with false evidence. A master illusionist can convince a creature to believe in something beyond what even the enchanter’s arts can achieve, including convincing it of its own death.

The greatest illusionists may even leave their defeated foes wondering if the illusionist was ever truly there at all.

Role: The illusionist manipulates the battlefield by convincing their opponents that barriers exist where none truly are, or by directly assaulting foes with visions of such terrifying realism that they are, as far as the illusionist’s foes are concerned, utterly real. The illusionist also learns to combine their magical illusions with mundane traps and disguises, making it even more difficult for their foes to discern reality from the illusionist’s carefully orchestrated deceptions.

Alignment: Any

Hit die: d6

Class Skills

The illusionist’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Planes), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Illusionist
Class Level BAB Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Special
1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Cantrips, illusion specialization, discern deception
2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Secretive spells +1
3 +1 +1 +3 +3
4 +2 +1 +4 +4 True illusion
5 +2 +1 +4 +4
6 +3 +2 +5 +5 Secretive spells +2
7 +3 +2 +5 +5
8 +4 +2 +6 +6 Tenacious illusions
9 +4 +3 +6 +6
10 +5 +3 +7 +7 Secretive spells +3
11 +5 +3 +7 +7
12 +6/+1 +4 +8 +8 Cloak of shadows
13 +6/+1 +4 +8 +8
14 +7/+2 +4 +9 +9 Secretive spells +4
15 +7/+2 +5 +9 +9
16 +8/+3 +5 +10 +10 Blurred reality
17 +8/+3 +5 +10 +10
18 +9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Secretive spells +5
19 +9/+4 +6 +11 +11
20 +10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Walk unseen

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

The illusionist specializes in weapons that are innocuous and easy to conceal, making them proficient with the dagger, hand crossbow, iron brush, kerambit, sword cane, tube arrow shooter, and whip. The illusionist is proficient with light armor and can cast wizard spells while wearing it without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an illusionist wearing medium armor, heavy armor, or shields incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component.

Spellcasting

The illusionist casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list which must be from the conjuration, divination, enchantment, illusion, or universal schools. Spells from other schools are not considered to be on the illusionist’s spell list. An illusionist must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time.

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the illusionist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a illusionist’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the illusionist’s Intelligence modifier.

An illusionist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Specialist Spells Per Day. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

An illusionist may know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the illusionist decides which spells to prepare.

Cantrips: The illusionist can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on Table: Specialist Spells Per Day. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. The illusionist can learn and prepare a cantrip from any school, but cantrips not of the divination, enchantment, illusion, or universal schools use up two of their available slots.

Illusion Specialization

The illusionist gains one bonus spell slot for each level of wizard spell they can cast, from 1st level on. The illusionist can only prepare a spell from the illusion school in that slot. This spell must be in the illusionist’s spellbook. The illusionist can select a spell modified by a metamagic feat to prepare in this slot, but it uses up a higher-level spell slot as normal.

Discern Deception

The illusionist’s expertise at disguising reality also helps them recognize small inconsistencies in others’ attempts to hide the truth. The illusionist gains a competence bonus equal to 1/2 their level on Perception skill checks made to locate traps or see through a Disguise check.

Secretive Casting (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, the illusionist’s spells are particularly effective against unprepared foes, granting them a +1 bonus to the save DC of any spell they cast that targets a foe who would be denied their Dexterity bonus to AC against the illusionist’s attacks. This bonus increases by +1 at 6th level and every four levels thereafter.

True Illusion (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, whenever another creature employs a divination spell, spell-like ability, or magic item (such as detect magic, see invisibility or a gem of seeing) that can detect the magical aura or reveal the effects of one of the illusionist’s illusion spells, the creature must make a caster level check (DC 11 + the illusionist’s caster level) to successfully detect or reveal the effects of the illusionist’s illusion spells. A creature using a magic item uses the item’s caster level for this check unless the item specifically states otherwise. Failure on this check means the caster believes their divination spell functioned normally, but it fails to detect the presence of the illusion spell or its effects (for example, an opponent who casts see invisibility and fails this check would believe that the spell is working, but would not detect any creatures currently invisible due to an illusionist’s invisibility spell).

The divining creature can make this check only once for each divination spell used, no matter how many of the illusionist’s illusion spells are active in a given area.

Tenacious Illusions (Ex)

Starting at 8th level, the illusionist’s illusions are particularly hard to dispel or counter. Whenever a caster makes a dispel check to dispel one of the illusionist’s illusions, the DC is 15 + the illusionist’s caster level. Whenever a caster attempts to counterspell an illusionist’s illusion spell, the DC of the Spellcraft check to identify the spell increases by +5. In addition, whenever an opponent fails to counter or dispel an illusionist’s illusion, they take a -2 penalty on Will saving throws to disbelieve its effects.

Cloak of Shadows (Su)

At 12th level, the illusionist learns to draw wisps of shadow around themselves that blur and conceal their movements. Whenever the illusionist moves at least 10 feet in a round, they gain concealment until the start of their next turn, causing any successful attacks against them to suffer a 20% miss chance.

Blurred Reality (Su)

At 16th level, the illusionist is surrounded by a constant haze of minor illusions that disguise their exact shape, form, location, and even the sound of their voice. The illusionist now adds their Intelligence bonus as a competence bonus on all saving throws and to all their Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth checks.

Walk Unseen (Su)

At 20th level the illusionist has cloaked themself in so many illusions and wrapped their self in so many deceptions that they are almost impossible to find, unless they want to be found. The illusionist and any item on their person cannot be scryed or detected by magical means, including the clairaudience/clairvoyance spell. Divination spells that grant bonuses to a creature based on insight into future events or circumstances, such as the true strike spell, do not grant that bonus on attacks or effects targeting the illusionist. The illusionist may choose to suppress this effect for 1 round as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Illusionist Favored Class Bonuses

The following favored class options are available to all characters of the listed race who have illusionist as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward. Favored class bonuses that grant a bonus spell always grant a spell of 1 level lower than the highest level spell you can cast (minimum 1st).

  • Dwarf: The DC to disbelieve illusion spells you create to resemble creatures or structures primarily made of stone increases by +1/4 (maximum +2).
  • Elf: The DC to disbelieve illusion spells you create to resemble creatures or structures primarily made of wood increases by +1/4(maximum +2).
  • Gnome: The DC to disbelieve your illusion spells increases by +1/6(maximum +3).
  • Halfling: Gain a +1/4 bonus to Bluff checks while you are the beneficiary of your own active illusion spell.
  • Human: Gain a +1/4 bonus to Disguise and Sleight of Hand checks.
  • Orc: The DC to disbelieve your (phantasm)) spells increases by +1/4(maximum +2).
Section 15: Copyright Notice

RGGP: The Grimoire Arcane – Book of Eight Schools, © 2019, Rogue Genius Games LLC., Author: Michael Sayer; Developer, Publisher, and Ring-side Towel Boy: Owen K.C. “El Grande” Stephens.

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