This version of the Illusionist Class is essentially a hybrid of the Thief and Magic User, emphasizing their origin as entertainers.

Human Illusionist

Prime Requisites: Intelligence and Dexterity
Special Abilities: Direct Attention, Disappear, Illusionist Tricks, Research and Create New Spells, Sleight of Hand.
Restrictions and Weaknesses: Armor and Weapon Restrictions, Gestures and Props.
Hit Dice: d4 per Level, until 9th. Add 1 Hit Point per Level thereafter.
Alignment: Any except Lawful.
Starting Age: 20+d4
Starting Language(s): Western Common.
Alternate Ability Generation: Str: 3d6 | Int: 1d8+10 | Wis: 3d6 | Dex: 1d8+10 | Con: 3d6 | Cha: 3d6

Typical Starting Equipment for Illusionists

• A suit of dark-colored clothes, with long sleeves and many pockets.
• Black cape or cloak, with hidden pockets.
• Turban, broad-brimmed hat, or wig (with secret pocket)
• Cane (with concealed blade, or hidden compartment).
• Large and gaudy ring (hollow, and large enough to stuff a fine silk cloth inside).
• Forged license to practice magic.
• Deck of marked playing cards.
• Loaded dice.
• Slim white wand.
• Small knife.
• Sponge (for personal hygiene).
• 1 week of rations (dried sausage, hard cheese, hardtack bread, and dried apples).
• Rabbit, or dove.
• 2d12gp (some, or all of which, might actually be gold-plated lead)

An Illusionist is equal parts miracle-worker and con-man, practicing a tradition of magic that began on theatrical stages and in amphitheaters. Illusionists have mastered the art of smoke, mirrors, and misdirection, and have every skill to separate the unwary from their treasures. They play minds and perceptions like musical instruments, and their marks can never be sure of what is real, and what is mere deception.

Illusionists are known to work in tandem with thieves and assassins. Indeed, some may even become associate members of their local Thieves Guild! While many regular Magic Users utilize spells similar to those of Illusionists, your character will find few friends among the more common sorts of witches and wizards.

Direct Attention

By standing still and forgoing any other action, your character direct the attention and gaze of a single specified target.

• The target cannot have more Experience Levels or Hit Dice than the Illusionist.
• If the target is hostile, they will attack the enemy the Illusionist selects.
• Thieves, Halflings, and other Illusionists trying to Hide or Disappear will automatically succeed, if the attention of a potential witness is directed elsewhere.
• Likewise, even large objects can be moved past a person, if your character directs their attention away.
• Targets can make a Saving throw versus Spells to resist the effect.

Disappear

With a successful Check of their Dexterity, your character can hide in the shadows, or behind objects. So skilled is your character at disappearing in this way that they can even do it even while being observed!

• An Illusionist’s ability to Disappear is a non-magical skill. Spells which reveal magically Invisible people and objects will not reveal them.

Illusionist Tricks

Your character can channel the power of Shadowland to create magical effects which are partially illusory, and partially real.

• Your character begins the game knowing four 1st Level Tricks (spells) of your choice from the list of Illusionist Tricks.
• Your character perform any Tricks they know, up to their daily limit. You do not require any other kind of preparation, but you must be able to employ the needed Gestures and Props (see below).
• The total Levels of Tricks your character can perform in a single day is equal to twice their Experience Level.
• With each Level they gain, your character will automatically acquire knowledge of another Illusionist Trick, which can be of any Level they can then cast. They can gain additional Tricks from other Illusionists, by conducting Research (see below), or by being taught by an enchanted Monster or Planar Spirit with illusion powers (who can teach any Trick corresponding to their own abilities).
• The total number of Tricks your character knows cannot exceed the sum of their Experience Level + their Intelligence score. A 5th Level Illusionist with an Intelligence of 14 can never know more than 19 Tricks in all.

Research and Create New Tricks

Your character may conduct research to find an existing Trick they do not know, or to create an entirely new Trick.

• Researching an existing Trick requires 1 week per Level of the Trick, access to one or more occult libraries, and 100gp per Trick Level. At the end of that time (and after spending the money), you roll an Intelligence Check. Success means your character has located and learned the Trick.
• Researching an entirely new Trick requires you (the Player) first creating a full description of the spell desired, using the standard game format. The Game Master will then decide what Level the spell must be. Your character must then spend 1 week per spell Level in occult libraries, and spend 1000gp per Level of the proposed spell. At the end of that process, after spending the money, you roll an Intelligence Check. If you succeed, your character gains the new Trick.

Sleight of Hand

You can roll a Dexterity Check for you character to do any of the following:

• Pick a pocket, or otherwise surreptitiously lift an object from a target.
• Place an object on a target without being noticed.
• Hide a small object (such as coin or gem) in your hand (or up your sleeve).
• Perform card flourishes and non-magical tricks.
• Cheat at cards or dice.

Armor and Weapon Restrictions

Your character cannot use any of your Special Abilities while wearing armor of any kind. Their choice of weapons is limited to:

• Cane (Club)
• Swordstick
• Short Sword
• Rapier
• Dagger
• Throwing knives
• Throwing axes
• Darts
• Crossbow (light).

Gestures and Props

Illusionist magic requires both complex gestures, and the use of numerous props.

• Your character’s hands must not be encased in any covering heavier than a kid glove, and both hands must be free when you begin working a Trick.
• Your character must also have and employ a Prop of some kind to work their Tricks. Possible Illusionist Props include such things as: a deck of cards, a slim wand, a hat, a length of rope or string, a coin, a flower, a handful of colored dust, a dove, or a square of brightly colored silk.

Many Illusionists prefer to use Props that resemble the Magical Implements used by “ordinary” Magic Users.

Destiny at 9th Level

If your character builds a stronghold or theater, they will attract 1d4 Illusionists of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Level; and 1d4 ordinary people (ages 13+d8) who want to become Illusionists.

Destiny at 14th Level (For the Panzoasia Setting)

So strong is your character’s ability to impersonate others and cloud minds, that they can claim the 14th Level Destiny of any other Class (so long as it it not already claimed by another Player’s 14th Level character).

• Your Supreme Illusionist could be accepted as the Illuminated Prince or Princess of a regular School of Magic, the Marshal of the Order of Paladins, or even be invited to join the Dwarven Royal family!
• In most cases, nobody will realize who your character really is, and will make excuses for your Illusionist’s apparent failure to evidence powers and abilities they supposedly possess. On the other hand, if you choose the Elven Warrior-Wizard reward of becoming Queen or King of Elves for a particular nation, the Elves will actually know your character’s true identity, and think your Illusionist is interesting enough to be one of the Elves’ cultural leaders nonetheless. Likewise, if you choose for you character to become a Gnomish Elder.

Human Illusionist Advancement Table

Exp. Points (Hours played)	Exp. Level	Level Title	Hit Points	THAC0 [Attack Roll Bonus]	Highest Trick (Spell) Level Known	Total Levels of Tricks Worked per Day.
0	1	Prestidigitator	1d4	19 [0]	1st	2
3,000 (20 hours)	2	Manipulator	2d4	19 [0]	1st	4
6,000 (32 hours)	3	Trickster	3d4	19 [0]	2nd	6
11,000 (44 hours)	4	Conjurer	4d4	18 [+1]	2nd	8
20,000 (56 hours)	5	Confounder	5d4	18 [+1]	3rd	10
40,000 (68 hours)	6	Marvel Maker	6d4	18 [+1]	3rd	12
80,000 (80 hours)	7	Wonderist	7d4	17 [+2]	4th	14
140,000 (92 hours)	8	Phantasmagorist	8d4	17 [+2]	4th	16
260,000 (104 hours)	9	Master of Illusion / Mistress of Illusion	9d4	17 [+2]	5th	18
360,000 (116 hours)	10	Master of Illusion / Mistress of Illusion	9d4+1	16 [+3]	5th	20
480,000 (128 hours)	11	Master of Illusion / Mistress of Illusion	9d4+2	16 [+3]	6th	22
600,000 (140 hours)	12	Master of Illusion / Mistress of Illusion	9d4+3	16 [+3]	6th	24
720,000 (152 hours)	13	Master of Illusion / Mistress of Illusion	9d4+4	16 [+3]	7th	26
840,000 (164 hours)	14	Supreme Illusionist	9d4+5	15 [+4]	7th	28

Human Illusionist Saving Throws

Level	Poison / Death Ray / Disease	Wands / Psionics	Paralysis / Petrification	Dragon Breath / Explosives / Firearms	Spell /Staff / Rod
1	13	14	15	12	16
2 – 3	12	13	14	11	15
4 – 5	11	12	13	10	14
6 – 7	10	11	12	9	13
8 – 9	9	10	11	8	12
10 –11	8	9	10	7	11
12 – 13	7	8	9	6	10
14	6	7	8	5	9

 

Permutations and Variations of the Illusionist

ELVEN FEY GLAMOURIST

• Special Abilities: Detect Secrets (as Elven Warrior-Wizard), Direct Attention, Illusionist Spells, Nightvision (as Elven Warrior-Wizard), Resist Paralysis (as Elven Warrior-Wizard).
• Restrictions and Weaknesses: Armor and Weapon Restrictions, Enmity of the Bogeymen.
• Special: Elven Glamourists can cast Illusionist spells without using the props and intricate hand gestures needed by Humans.
• Destiny at 9th Level: As Elven Warrior Wizard.
• Destiny at 14th Level: As Elven Warrior Wizard.

GNOMISH ILLUSIONIST

• Special Abilities: Darkvision (as Gnomish Tinkerer), Friend of Burrowing Critters (as Gnomish Tinkerer), Hide, Illusionist Spells, Research and Create New Spells.
• Restrictions and Weaknesses: Armor and Weapon Restrictions, Short Legs (as Gnomish Tinkerer).
• Special: Gnomish Illusionists can cast Illusionist spells without using the props and intricate hand gestures needed by Humans.
• Destiny at 9th Level: As Human Illusionist, but the Illusionists and students will be Gnomes.
• Destiny at 14th Level: As Gnomish Tinkerer.

HALFLING FLIMFLAMMER

• Special Abilities: Direct Attention, Hide, Illusionist Spells, Nightvision (as Halfling Rover), Sleight of Hand.
• Restrictions and Weaknesses: Armor and Weapon Restrictions, Small Stature.
• Special: Halfling Flimfammers can cast Illusionist spells without using the props and intricate hand gestures needed by Humans.
• Destiny at 9th Level: As Human Illusionist.
• Destiny at 14th Level: As Human Illusionist.