THE ILLUSIONIST

THE ILLUSIONIST
The illusionist is the arcane master of deception, imagination, and imagery. Through skill and magic, they manipulate the perceptions or others and even the substance of reality

Many gnomes and humans become illusionists.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Illusionists (Ilu) have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is of primary importance to illusionists, as it dictates their power as spellcasters. Charisma is also a primary influence on several class skills.
Base Attack Bonus: Low (as a wizard)
Hit Die: d4
Saves: High Will
Alignment: Any
Starting Age: As a wizard
Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10gp
Favored Class: Illusionist is a favored class for Gnomes, Half-Elves, and Humans.

CLASS SKILLS
The illusionist’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand [Pick Pockets] (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Intelligence modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier

CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the illusionist.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Illusionists are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or with shields.

1 Perceptive, Spellcasting
2 Illusory
3
4
5
6
7
8 Illusory
9
10
11
12
13
14 Illusory
15
16
17
18
19
20 Illusory, True Vision

Perceptive: The illusionist’s familiarity with magical deceptions grants him an edge when faced with the unreal. He adds his Intelligence modifier (if positive) to all Will saves against Illusions.

Spellcasting [PHB/Web Version]: The illusionist casts arcane spells as a wizard, using his Intelligence score to determine maximum spell level, Difficulty Class, and bonus spells. However, he cast one additional spell per day per level from the list below; he can only learn spells from the following list:

0 Level: arcane mark, candlelight, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, light, prestidigitation, read magic, servant’s guise
1st Level: alarm, Alustriel’s banner, blur, cause fear, change self, charm person, color spray, detect secret doors, hypnotism, invisibility to animals, invisibility to undead, message, Nystul’s magic aura, Nystul’s undetectable aura, obscuring mist, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, rankletaste, remove scent, sanctuary, silent image, ventriloquism
2nd Level: blindness/deafness, continual flame, daylight, darkness, darkvision, fog cloud, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, Leomund’s trap, magic mouth, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, obscure object, scare, see invisibility, silence, undetectable alignment, whispering wind
3rd Level: alter self, deeper darkness, dispel magic, displacement, illusory script, invisibility sphere, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, magic memory, major image, nondetection, phantom steed, scattergloom
4th Level: arcane eye, bestow curse, confusion, discern lies, fear, hallucinatory terrain, illusory wall, improved invisibility, minor creation, phantasmal killer, rainbow pattern, remove curse, shadow conjuration
5th Level: dream, false vision, greater shadow conjuration, guardian trumpet, major creation, mind fog, mirage arcana, nightmare, persistent image, polymorph self, scrying, shadow evocation, true seeing
6th Level: analyze dweomer, eyebite, greater shadow evocation, mislead, permanent image, programmed image, project image, shades, veil
7th Level: insanity, mass invisibility, prismatic spray, project alternate image, sequester, shadow walk, simulacrum, vision
8th Level: mind blank, power word blind, prismatic wall, project multiple images, screen, symbol
9th Level: hindsight, ice assassin, prismatic sphere, weird

Spellcasting [Full Version]: The illusionist casts arcane spells as a wizard, using his Intelligence score to determine maximum spell level, Difficulty Class, and bonus spells. However, he cast one additional spell per day per level from the list below; he can only learn spells from the following list:

0 Level: arcane mark, attract eyes, candlelight, coin of the realm, dancing lights, daze, daze animal, detect magic, distract, fire eyes, flag, footpad’s grace, ghost sound, light, minor disguise, mirror, no light, percussion, phantasmal whisperer, prestidigitation, read magic, servant’s guise, silent portal, stench, unnerving gaze, yell
1st Level: alarm, amplify, Alustriel’s banner, blur, camouflage, cause fear, change self, charm person, cloak of dark power, color spray, darklight, detect secret doors, distort speech, glib tongue, herald’s call, hypnotism, invisibility to animals, invisibility to undead, joyful noise, low-light vision, message, net of shadows, Nystul’s magic aura, Nystul’s undetectable aura, obscuring mist, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, rankletaste, ray of light, remove scent, sanctuary, smell of fear, silent image, stalking brand, ventriloquism, vision of glory, warning shout
2nd Level: animal trance, beastmask, blindness/deafness, claws of darkness, continual flame, crescendo, daylight, darkness, darkvision, decoy image, disguise undead, eagle’s splendor, fog cloud, fortissimo, gaze screen, hypnotic pattern, inky cloud, invisibility, Leomund’s trap, magic mouth, minor image, mirror eyes, mirror image, misdirection, moonbeam, obscure object, phantasmal assailants, scare, see invisibility, shadow mask, shadow spray, shroud of undeath, silence, undetectable alignment, whispering wind
3rd Level: alter self, arcane sight, blacklight, blindsight, corpse candle, cruel disappointment, curse of the putrid husk, deeper darkness, devil’s eye, dispel magic, displacement, false bravado, feign death, flashburst, illusory script, invisibility sphere, Khelben’s suspended silence, lesser shadow tentacle, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, magic memory, major image, nondetection, phantom steed, reality blind, scattergloom, shadow binding, shadow cache, transparency, wounding whispers, zone of revelation
4th Level: arcane eye, armor of darkness, bestow curse, confusion, discern lies, doomtide, ethereal mount, fear, forestfold, hallucinatory terrain, identify with flame, illusory pit, illusory wall, improved blindsight, improved invisibility, mass camouflage, mass darkvision, minor creation, mirror sending, night’s mantle, phantasmal killer, rainbow pattern, remove curse, shadowblast, shadow conjuration, shadow plate, shadow radiance, shadow well, skull of secrets, spectral weapon, superior darkvision, zone of silence
5th Level: crawling darkness, dream, false sending, false vision, ghostform, greater shadow conjuration, greater shadow tentacle, guardian trumpet, illusory feast, major creation, mass trance, mind fog, mirage arcana, Mordenkainen’s private sanctum, nightmare, persistent image, polymorph self, scrying, shadow evocation, shadowfade, shadow hand, skull eyes, spiritwall, true seeing
6th Level: analyze dweomer, dream casting, eyebite, fantastic machine, greater shadow evocation, mislead, permanent image, prismatic eye, programmed image, project image, shades, shadow canopy, veil
7th Level: insanity, mass invisibility, prismatic spray, project alternate image, sequester, shadow walk, shifting paths, simulacrum, triple mask, vision
8th Level: crown of glory, dream image, mind blank, phantasmal thief, power word blind, prismatic wall, project multiple images, screen, symbol
9th Level: greater fantastic machine, hindsight, ice assassin, prismatic sphere, stalking spell, utterdark, weird

Spell Notes: When casting a spell with the Dragon Magic component, the illusionist can instead substitute a small geometric glass object, such as a cube or a prism; such spells have a minimum casting time of 1 full round. A list of each spell’s source is at the end of this post.

Illusory (2nd/8th/14th/20th level): The illusionist is a master of deception. At the indicated levels, he selects one of the following feats: Alertness, Arcane Defense (Illusion), Charlatan, Deceitful, Dreamweaving, Eschew Materials, Fearless, Feign Weakness, Feinting Expertise, Glamerous, Greater Spell Focus (Illusion), Grim Visage, Improved Feint, Intrepid, Iron Will, Luminous, Nobody’s Fool, Penumbral, Persuasive, Phantasmic, Seductive, Shadow, Shadowcasting, Signature Spell, Silent Spell, Skeptical, Sly, Smooth Talk, Spell Focus (Illusion), Spell Girding, Spell Mastery, Spell Thematics, Stealthy, Still Spell, Trustworthy, Vivid Imagination, and Wily. The illusionist must otherwise qualify for any feat selected.

True Vision (20th level): The illusionist can peel back the veils of magic. Once per day for up to 1 hour, the illusionist can enjoy the benefit of true seeing as if he had cast the spell. This is a spell-like ability.

Epic Illusionist: The epic-level illusionist continues his Hit Die and skill point progressions. He also continues his Illusionist Feat progression at 26th level and every six levels thereafter (26th, 32nd, 38th, 44th, etc), adding the following feats to the Illusionist Feat list: Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Epic Spell Focus (Illusion), Epic Will, Ignore Material Components, and Spectral Strike.

In addition, he receives bonus epic feats at 24th level and every four levels thereafter (24th, 28th, 32nd, 36th, etc), chosen from the Illusionist Feat list and from the following: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Disjunction, Enhance Spell, Epic Counterspell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Will, Greater Spell Focus, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Out of Body, Spell Focus, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, and Tenacious Magic.

NEW FEATS:

ARMORED CASTING [General]
You can more easily cast arcane spells while wearing armor.
Benefit: You may ignore 5% of the Spell Failure normally associated with casting arcane spells while wearing armor (to a minimum 5% for any armor).
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, increasing the amount of Spell Failure you can ignore by 5% each time.

BACKSTAB [General]
You can strike opponents when their guard is down for additional damage.
Prerequisite: Intelligence 13, Dexterity 13, BAB +3.
Benefit: If you catch an opponent that is unable to defend itself, your melee attack deals an additional +1d6 points of Sneak Attack damage. All normal conditions and restrictions of Sneak Attack apply.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, the Sneak Attack damage dealt is increased by +1d6. Backstab does not stack with other forms of Sneak Attack damage.

BEWITCHING [General]
You are a beguiling and intriguing creature.
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on all Innuendo checks. Diplomacy is always considered a class skill for you.

BLUEBLOODED [General]
You were raised or mentored by nobility
Benefit: Diplomacy and Knowledge (Nobility) are always considered class skills for you. In addition, you receive four times the normal starting gold for your class.
Special: This feat can only be taken at 1st-level.

DISJUNCTION [Epic] [Metamagic]
You can separate magical effects and items, even artifacts, into their base components, ruining them.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Arcana) 30 ranks, Spellcraft 30 ranks, any three Item Creation feats, must be able to cast analyze dweomer and either break enchantment, dispel magic, or greater dispel magic.
Benefit: Once per day, you can effect Mordenkainen’s disjunction as a spell-like ability by utilizing a spell slot of the highest spell level that you can cast. Causing the effect is identical to casting the spell but has a casting time of a full-round and both Verbal and Somatic components.

DREAMWEAVING [General]
Your Illusion (Phantasm) spells and sleep spells are more potent than normal.
Prerequisites: Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) or Spell Focus (Illusion) and Spell Focus (Enchantment), Able to cast sleep, dream, and nightmare.
Benefits: Add a +2 to the Difficulty Class of all saving throws against your Phantasm and sleep spells and spell-like abilities, including sleep-inducing effects of spells such as eyebite and binding. This stacks with effects of all Spell Focus (Enchantment) and Spell Focus (Illusion) feats. In addition, for the purposes of range, area of effect, and duration, your caster level is considered +1 when casting these spells.

FAVORED SKILL [General]
You have a knack for a particular skill.
Benefit: Select any non-exclusive skill or any class skill. This skill is always considered a class skill for you, and the maximum number of ranks you may have in it is equal to your character level +4.

FEARLESS [General]
You are fearless in the face of doom.
Prerequisite: Intrepid feat.
Benefit: You are immune to fear spells and effects.

FEINTING EXPERTISE [Fighter] [General]
You are particularly adept at being deceptive in combat.
Benefit: You get a +3 bonus on all Bluff and Sense Motive checks when part of or against combat maneuvers such as feinting, combat prediction, and decipher strategy, or using the Feign Weakness or Quicker Than the Eye feats to attack.

FOCUSED CASTING [General]
Your sound mind allows you to ignore distractions when casting defensively.
Prerequisite: Combat Casting feat, Wisdom 14, Concentration ranks.
Benefit: You add your Wisdom modifier to all Concentration checks made when casting defensively.

GLAMEROUS [General]
Your Illusion (Glamer) spells are more potent than normal.
Prerequisites: Greater Spell Focus (Illusion), Able to cast three Illusion (Glamer) spells, such as change self, invisibility, and hallucinatory terrain.
Benefits: Add a +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against your Glamer spells and spell-like abilities. This stacks with the effects of all Spell Focus (Illusion) feats. In addition, for the purposes of range, area of effect, and duration, your caster level is considered +1 when casting these spells.

GNOMEBLOODED [Special]
You have a natural talent for illusions, perhaps due to gnome blood running through your veins.
Benefit: You cast illusionist spells as a sorcerer, not a wizard. You cast your spells without preparation, using the sorcerer’s spellcasting progression but losing one Spells Per Day slot per spell level. Your Charisma score now determines your maximum spell level, bonus spells, and the Difficulty Class of your spells.
Special: You may only take this feat as a 1st-level illusionist.

IMPROVED FEINT [Fighter] [General]
You can feint as a move-equivalent action.
Prerequisite: Feinting Expertise feat, Improved Initiative feat.
Benefit: You may feint in melee combat as a move-equivalent action.
Normal: Feinting in combat is a standard action.

INTREPID [General]
You are brave in the face of doom.
Benefit: You receive a +4 bonus to all Will saves against all fear spells and effects.

LUMINOUS [General]
Your can radiate arcane light.
Prerequisite: Able to cast continual flame, daylight, and light without preparation.
Benefit: You may radiate light at will. Initiating the effect is a spell-like ability; maintaining and ending it are free actions. This feat permanently consumes one 1st-level Spells Per Day slot.

METAPHYSICAL [General]
You can apply your Wisdom modifier to your Hit Die.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 13.
Benefit: You use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Constitution modifier when determining your bonus hit points at 1st level. At higher levels, your bonus hit points are determined by your Constitution, as normal. However, you now gain +1 hit point every time your Wisdom is permanently increased 1 point.
Special: Metaphysical can only be taken as a 1st-level character.

OUT OF BODY [Epic]
You can enter a trance and release your astral form.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 23, Tranquility class feature or ability to cast 9th-level spells.
Benefit: After meditating for 10 minutes, you can free your astral self, as if under the effects of astral projection cast by a sorcerer of your character level. This spell-like ability can be used once per day.

PENUMBRAL [General]
Your can radiate arcane darkness.
Prerequisite: Able to cast darkness, deeper darkness, and no light without preparation, or the Improved Darken feat and ability to cast darkness and no light without preparation.
Benefit: You may radiate darkness at will. Initiating the effect is a spell-like ability; maintaining and ending it are free actions. This feat permanently consumes one 1st-level Spells Per Day slot.

PHANTASMIC [General]
Your Illusion (Phantasm) spells are more potent than normal.
Prerequisites: Greater Spell Focus (Illusion), Able to cast three Illusion (Phantasm) spells, such as dream, nightmare, and weird.
Benefits: Add a +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against your Phantasm spells and spell-like abilities. This stacks with effects of all Spell Focus (Illusion) feats. In addition, for the purposes of range, area of effect, and duration, your caster level is considered +1 when casting these spells.

SEDUCTIVE [General]
You are charming and inviting.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy and Innuendo checks.

SHADOWCASTING [General]
Your Illusion (Shadow) spells are more potent than normal.
Prerequisites: Greater Spell Focus (Illusion), Able to cast three Illusion (Shadow) spells, such as project image, shadow conjuration, and simulacrum.
Benefits: Add a +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against your Shadow spells and spell-like abilities. This stacks with the effects of all Spell Focus (Illusion) feats. In addition, for the purposes of range, area of effect, and duration, your caster level is considered +1 when casting these spells.

SKEPTICAL [General]
You have a sharp eye for deception.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Sense Motive and Spot checks.

SLY [General]
You are elusive and cunning.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Move Silently checks.

TACTICAL DODGE [General]
You cleverly evade blows.
Prerequisite: Intelligence 14, Dexterity 14, Dodge feat, Expertise feat.
Benefit: Against the subject of your Dodge feat, you can apply your Intelligence modifier as dodge bonus to your AC when in light or no armor.

VIVID IMAGINATION [General]
Your Illusion (Figment) spells are more potent than normal.
Prerequisites: Greater Spell Focus (Illusion), Able to cast three Illusion (Figment) spells, such as mirage arcana, programmed image, and silent image.
Benefits: Add a +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against your Figment spells and spell-like abilities. This stacks with the effects of all Spell Focus (Illusion) feats. In addition, for the purposes of range, area of effect, and duration, your caster level is considered +1 when casting these spells.

WILY [General]
You are difficult to pin down.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Escape Artist checks.

Spell/Feat Sources: All spells and non-epic feats are from the Player’s Handbook, except as follows: Bastion of Broken Souls module: Dream Image; Book of Vile Darkness: Cruel Disappointment, Curse of the Putrid Husk, Darklight, Devil’s Eye, False Sending, Mirror Sending, No Light, Phantasmal Thief, Reality Blind, Unnerving Gaze, Utterdark; Defenders of the Faith: Beastmask, Crown of Glory; Deities & Demigods: Armor of Darkness, Blacklight, Crown of Glory (again), Eschew Materials feat, Greater Spell Focus feat; Dragon Magazine: Attract Eyes (304), Coin of the Realm (302), Distract (A5), Eagle’s Splendor (282), Flag (302), Footpad’s Grace (302), Glib Tongue (A5), Identify with Flame (308), Illusory Feast (291), Illusory Pit (6th-level spell, 291), Mirror (302), Mirror Eyes (305), Phantasmal Assailants (291), Phantasmal Whisperer (291), Ray of Light (A5), Shadow Binding (291), Shadow Radiance (291), Shifting Paths (291), Stalking Spell (291), Stench (302), Transparency (305), Yell (302); Dragon’s Lair module: Claws of Darkness; Forgotten Realms: Armor of Darkness (again), Blacklight (again), Claws of Darkness (again), Cloak of Dark Power, Eagle’s Splendor (again), Fantastic Machine, Flashburst, Greater Fantastic Machine, Greater Spell Focus feat (again), Moonbeam, Shadow Mask, Shadow Spray, Signature Spell feat, Smooth Talk feat, Stealthy feat; Lords of Darkness: Greater Shadow Tentacle, Lesser Shadow Tentacle, Night’s Mantle, Skull Eyes, Triple Mask; Magic of Faerun: Amplify, Aura of Glory, Blindsight, Camouflage, Crawling Darkness, Decoy Image, Disguise Undead, Distort Speech, Doomtide, Eschew Materials feat (again), Herald’s Call, Khelben’s Suspended Silence, Low-Light Vision, Mass Camouflage, Minor Disguise, Net of Shadows, Prismatic Eye, Shadow Hand, Shadow Well, Shroud of Undeath, Silent Portal, Skull of Secrets, Smell of Fear, Spell Girding feat, Spell Thematics feat, Stalking Brand, Vision of Glory, Warning Shout, Wounding Whispers; Manual of the Planes: Ethereal Mount, Shadowblast, Shadow Cache, Shadowfade, Zone of Revelation; Masters of the Wild: Camouflage (again), Daze Animal, False Bravado, Fire Eyes, Forestfold, Mass Trance, Shadow feat; Midnight’s Terror module (Kingdoms of Kalamar): Shadow Plate; Races of Faerun: Camouflage (yet again), Grim Visage feat, Nobody’s Fool feat, Shadow Canopy; Savage Species: Blindsight (again), Camouflage (yet again), Crawling Darkness (again), Dream Casting, Forestfold (again), Illusory Pit (4th-level spell), Improved Blindsight, Inky Cloud, Low-Light Vision (again); Song & Silence: Charlatan feat, Crescendo, Fortissimo, Joyful Noise, Percussion, Persuasive feat, Spectral Weapon, Trustworthy feat, Zone of Silence; Sword & Fist: Feign Weakness feat; Tome & Blood: Arcane Defense feat, Arcane Sight, Corpse Candle, Disguise Undead (again), Eagle’s Splendor (yet again), Eschew Materials feat (yet again), Feign Death, Gaze Screen, Ghostform, Greater Spell Focus feat (yet again), Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum, Spiritwall; Unapproachable East: Low-Light Vision (yet again), Superior Darkvision; WotC Website: Alustriel’s Banner, Candlelight, Guardian Trumpet, Hindsight, Ice Assassin, Magic Memory, Project Alternate Image, Project Multiple Images, Rankletaste, Remove Scent, Scattergloom, Servant’s Guise.