Since the day I read AD&D’s first edition Player’s Handbook in 1979, I have always loved the illusionist class.  Certainly not as powerful as a true wizard, the illusionist offered a unique challenge to play and brought variety and chance to almost any situation.  The two subsequent editions of D&D, while improving upon the game system immensely, in my opinion have slowly leeched the flavor and wonder of the illusionist class.  The third edition is the guiltiest, basically relegating the illusionist to a wizard who casts an extra illusion spell per level at the expense of a few spells.  I decided that it was time to bring back the illusionist class to a semblance of its former self, taking into account the plethora of new options available to the various standard classes in the third edition rules.  Creating an illusionist prestige class brought with it significant headaches, including its uselessness to any character class other than wizards and the necessity to completely retool the spell list to reflect an illusionist’s specialized training.  I therefore built this class from the ground up, which allows for an entirely specific spell list, illusionist-specific abilities, and a more easily balanced-but-unique class.  It also allows for some interesting and potentially devastating illusionist-mixed prestige classes as well, such as the illusionist/assassin, illusionist/loremaster or the illusionist/shadowdancer.  Using the third edition structure, I have attempted to create a viable and effective alternative to the wizard who casts illusions. 

The Illusionist

Some individuals with magical aptitude possess a devotion to the powers of irreality and passion to understand the subtleties of illusion and misdirection bordering on fanaticism.  They bristle with discontentment at the rather broad focus of ‘specialized’ wizardry with respect to this form of magic. They feel the so-called illusionists common to the wizard class merely dabble in the enhancement of their understanding of illusory magics yet still explore and experiment with many other areas of magecraft bearing little relevance to an illusionist’s true craft.  A few of these rare devotees abandon the common avenues of wizardry altogether, choosing to study and expand their powers in illusion at the expense of nearly all other magical knowledge.  These spellcasters are true illusionists, and they are the magical masters of the unreal and the shadow.

Adventures:  Much like wizards, illusionists are cautious planners within the adventuring world.  She must prepare her spells as a wizard does, and therefore she attempts to minimize situations where she could be caught without her arsenal of spells prepared and at the ready.  She seeks knowledge and resources as most wizards do, but an illusionist will also seek rare and interesting experiences to add to her knowledge base.  The more an illusionist has seen, the more varied, believable and potentially devastating her illusions will become.  While rarely encountered, illusionists can turn up in the most unlikely of places.

Characteristics:  As with a wizard, an illusionist’s strength lies in her spells.  She learns new spells as she experiments and grows, and she learns new spells from other illusionists encountered in her travels.  Illusionists may also learn spells found on their lists and any spell dealing with illusion from the spellbooks of wizards.  
	As she gains experience and power in her profession, an illusionist gains bonuses both using and defending against illusory effects.  She also gains the ability to transform unused magical potential into image magic at higher levels.  
	Though an illusionist is similar to a wizard, illusionists never have familiars, though they may potentially construct servants or gain followers as other character classes can.

Alignment:  Generally, illusionists tend toward detached (neutral) or chaotic behavior, though they may be of any alignment.  Due to an illusionist’s focus on misdirection, deception, and trickery, lawful illusionists are rare.

Religion:  In the World of Greyhawk, illusionists will tend to worship either Boccob as the prime deity of magic, or Olidammara, the god of trickery and deception.  Unlike wizards, illusionists tend to take more stock in their patron, especially followers of Olidammara.

Backgrounds:  Even more so than wizards, illusionists belong to a select and highly secretive group of people.  Illusionists who encounter one another will often be highly courteous and respectful, but will not remain in one another’s company for long.  This is because an illusionist’s power lies primarily in another’s ignorance of their true ability, and they often remain uncomfortable in each other’s presence except in places where such interaction is expected, such as guildhalls and other places of learning.  However, most illusionists recognize and appreciate the unique bond they possess with their fellows, and will react to one another accordingly.

Races:  Human and gnomes are most commonly illusionists, gnomes being the more common of the two.  Elves and half-elves appreciate the artistic potential of illusory magics, pure elves more so, and they will occasionally become illusionists as well.  Dwarves, halflings, and half orcs are almost never illusionists.

Other classes: Illusionists, much the same as wizards, value the protection and diversity of other classes to assist them in adventuring.  Although they are rarely lawful, illusionists value those they can trust to keep their particular magical training a secret, and will therefore often be found with more lawful individuals.

Illusionists have the following game statistics.

Abilities:  Intelligence determines how powerful a spell an illusionist can cast, how many spells she can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist.  To cast a spell, an illusionist must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell’s level.  In addition, an illusionist gets bonus spells based on Intelligence.  The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against an illusionist’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the wizard’s intelligence modifier.  High Dexterity is helpful for an illusionist, who typically wears very little or no armor, because it provides her with an Armor Class bonus.  A good Constitution gives an illusionist extra hit points, of which illusionists in general possess very few.

Alignment:  Any
Hit Die: d4

Class Skills:
	The illusionist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).  See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.  
	Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) X 4
	Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features:
	All of the following are class features of the illusionist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Illusionists are skilled with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff.  They are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields.

Spells:  An illusionist casts arcane spells using the same methods and following the same strictures as wizards.  

Spellbooks:  Illusionists use spellbooks much as wizards do.

Alertness:  Due to their perceptive nature and the awareness of experience demanded of an illusionist in her profession, she gains the benefits of the Alertness feat beginning at first level. 

Spell Focus (Illusion): An illusionist begins play with the Spell Focus feat in the school of Illusion.  At 10th level, the illusionist gains an additional +2 bonus to the difficulty class for all saving throws against her spells from the school of illusion.

Discerning Eye: At 2nd level, the illusionist gains a +2 bonus against any save involving discovering an illusory effect cast by non-illusionists.  This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels the illusionist gains after second.  At 18th level, an illusionist can passively sense if an effect is illusory within 30’.  This bonus functions against illusory attacks as well such as shadow evocation, shadow conjuration and phantasmal killer.  

Maze Writing: Illusionists possess their own written language, unreadable by all except true illusionists.  Spells written in this language cannot be read or used by wizards, even those using read magic or comprehend languages to decipher the strange text.  Illusionists, however, can use read magic to decipher wizard spells useable by illusionists (i.e., those on the illusionist spell list) and will always translate that text into Maze Writing.  Illusionist’s spellbooks are always penned in Maze Writing. 

Spell Mastery: Beginning at 3rd level, an illusionist can choose to take the feat Spell Mastery.  In addition, Silent Image, Minor Image, Major Image, and Persistent Image are considered Mastered as soon as the illusionist achieves the necessary level to cast them.

Spontaneous Casting: Beginning at 5th level, an illusionist can channel stored spell energy into image spells that she hasn’t prepared ahead of time.  The illusionist can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast image spells of the same level or lower.  (Image spells include Silent Image, Minor Image, Major Image, and Persistent Image).  No image spell above 4th level may spontaneously cast using this ability (including Permanent Image and Programmed Image), though the illusionist may choose to forfeit a spell of 5th level or above in order to cast an image spell of 4th level or lower.  Illusionists can cast image spells in this way because they are especially proficient at using magical power to create purely illusory effects. 

Level	Base
Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	
Special	
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Spell Focus (Illusion), Alertness, Maze Writing	
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Discerning Eye (+2)	
3	+1	+1	+1	+3	Spell Mastery	
4	+2	+1	+1	+4		
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	Spontaneous Casting	
6	+3	+2	+2	+5	Discerning Eye (+3)	
7	+3	+2	+2	+5		
8	+4	+2	+2	+6		
9	+4	+3	+3	+6		
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	Advanced Spell Focus (Illusion), Discerning Eye (+4)	
11	+5	+3	+3	+7		
12	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		
13	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		
14	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Discerning Eye (+5)	
15	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9		
16	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		
17	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		
18	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Sense Illusion within 30’	
19	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		
20	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12		

                                  ---------------------- Spells per Day ----------------------
Level	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	
1	3	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	
2	4	2	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	
3	4	2	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	
4	4	3	2	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	
5	4	3	2	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	
6	4	3	3	2	--	--	--	--	--	--	
7	4	4	3	2	1	--	--	--	--	--	
8	4	4	3	3	2	--	--	--	--	--	
9	4	4	4	3	2	1	--	--	--	--	
10	4	4	4	3	3	2	--	--	--	--	
11	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	--	--	--	
12	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	--	--	--	
13	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	--	--	
14	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	--	--	
15	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	--	
16	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	--	
17	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	
18	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	
19	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	
20	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	

Level 0	
Daze
Light
Dancing Lights
Ghost Sound
Mage Hand
Mending
Open/Close
Arcane Mark
Detect Magic
Detect Illusion
Prestidigitation
Read Magic
Ventriloquism	

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	
Animate Rope
Change Self
Chromatic Orb
Color Spray
Darkness
Feather Fall
Gaze Reflection
Hypnotism
Identify
Message
Nystul’s Magical Aura
Nystul’s Undetectable Aura 
Obscuring Mist
Phantom Armor
See Invisibility
Silent Image
Spook	Alter Self
Blindness/Deafness
Blur 
Charm Person
Darkvision
Fog Cloud
Glitterdust
Hypnotic Pattern
Invisibility
Leomund’s Trap
Magic Mouth
Minor Image
Mirror Image
Misdirection 
Obscure Object
True Strike
Whispering Wind	Continual Flame
Deeper Darkness
Dispel Illusion
Dispel Fog
Displacement
Fear 
Gaseous Form
Hallucinatory Terrain
Illusory Script
Invisibility Sphere 
Major Image
Nondetection
Paralyzation
Phantom Steed
Phantom Wind
Rope Trick
Suggestion	

Level 4	Level 5	Level 6	
Confusion
Detect Scrying
Discern Lies
Dispel Exhaustion
Dispel Magic
Emotion
Illusory Wall
Improved Invisibility
Minor Creation
Persistent Image
Phantasmal Killer
Rainbow Pattern
Scrying
Shadow Conjuration
Solid Fog
Vacancy	Alter Reality
Charm Monster
Chaos
Chromatic Blade
Dream
False Vision
Greater Shadow Conjuration 
Major Creation
Mind Fog
Mirage Arcana
Nightmare
Permanency
Programmed Image
Seeming
Shadow Evocation 	Acid Fog
Greater Shadow Evocation
Guards and Wards
Eyebite
Mass Suggestion
Mislead
Permanent Image
Phantasmagoria
Projected Image
Shades 
Tempus Fugit
True Seeing
Turnshadow
Veil	

Level 7	Level 8	Level 9	
Ethereal Jaunt
Insanity
Limited Wish 
Mass Invisibility
Maze
Prismatic Spray 
Sequester
Shadow Walk 
Simulacrum
Vanish
Vision 	Antipathy 
Discern Location
Etherealness
Image Mastery
Mind Blank
Power Word, Blind
Prismatic Wall
Screen
Symbol
Sympathy	Astral Projection 
Foresight
Gate
Mass Charm
Prismatic Sphere 
Shadow Conjuration Mastery
Shadow Evocation Mastery
Weird 
Wish

Italicized spells are not found in the Player’s Handbook and are described below – they are unavailable to wizards or sorcerers.
Spell Descriptions

Detect Illusion 
Divination 
Level: Ill 0
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: 60 ft. 
Area:  Quarter circle emanating from you to the extreme of the range
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute/level (D) 
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: No 

You detect illusions and illusory effects.  The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject:
	1st Round: Number of different illusory auras.
	2nd Round: Number of different illusory auras and the strength of the strongest aura.
	3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura.  
Note:  Each round, you can turn to detect things in a new area.  The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. Invisibility and spells that foil or conceal auras (such as Nystul’s Undetectable Aura) cannot be detected by this spell.

Chromatic Orb 
Conjuration 
Level: Ill 1
Components: V, S, M 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: See text 
Target, Effect, or Area:  See text
Duration: See text 
Saving Throw: See text 
Spell Resistance: Yes 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 140 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 1.

Gaze Reflection 
Alteration 
Level: Ill 1
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Personal 
Duration: 1 round/level 
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 398 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 2.

Phantom Armor
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Ill 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched 
Duration: special 
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 661 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 3.

Spook
Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Ill 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature 
Duration: special 
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 861 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 3.

Dispel Illusion 
Abjuration 
Level: Ill 3
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10ft./level) 
Area:  1 illusion or phantasm
Duration: Instantaneous 
Saving Throw: Special
Spell Resistance: No 

You can instantly dispel any arcane illusion or phantasm cast by a non-illusionist.  However, against nonwizard illusions and illusory effects combined with other schools (such as the Lost Doors effect in Guards and Wards), this spell acts as a dispel magic spell.  In the latter case a dispel check must be made using 1d20 +1 per caster level (maximum +10) against a DC of 11 + the spell caster’s level.  At the DM’s option, this spell may affect items that create illusion and phantasmal effects as well. 

Dispel Fog 
Abjuration 
Level: Ill 3
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 full round 
Range: None 
Area:  10-ft./level radius
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Special
Area of Effect: No 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 254 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 1.

Paralyzation
Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Ill 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Several living creatures, no two of which may be more than 30 ft. apart 
Duration: 1 round/level 
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 652 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 3.

Dispel Exhaustion 
Illusion (Phantasm) 
Level: Ill 4
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Touch 
Target or Area:  Up to four persons in a 20-ft. cube
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Yes (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 254 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 1.

Vacancy 
Illusion (Figment) 
Level: Ill 4
Components: V, S, M 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Close (25 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels) 
Area:  10-ft. radius/level
Duration: 1 hour/level 
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 973 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 4.

**Note:  The Following Spell is actually the Illusionist spell Dream taken from Unearthed Arcana, which for some reason was never updated nor was it put in the Wizard’s Spell Compendium (a different spell of the same name is represented there).  Since it is out of print and unavailable in any supplement, I have included it below.  The name has been changed to prevent confusion with the 5th Level Wizard Spell, Dream.

Alter Reality (Dream from Unearthed Arcana)
Conjuration 
Level: Ill 5
Components: Special 
Casting Time: 1 Day 
Range: Special 
Target:  Special
Duration: Special 
Saving Throw: Neg. 
Area of Effect: Special 

Alter reality is a form of limited wish, but it has far more limited scope. The illusionist must actually find a comfortable place to rest, lie prone, compose his or her thoughts so as to concentrate upon the desired result, and then go to sleep. If he or she has an undisturbed sleep of not less than 8 hours duration, the dream magic will be effectuated 1 to 12 hours thereafter. Typical things which can be brought about by a dream are: 

•	Recovery of an individual's lost hit points.
•	Restoration of a body member such as a hand or foot.
•	Success in locating some object not heavily guarded by magic wards and protections. 
•	Discovery of a means of ingress or egress. 
•	Location of a safe path through a wilderness. 
•	Improvement of chances for gaining a rich treasure. 
•	Approximate strength of enemy/opponent forces. Note: If a creature scried by this effect has 7+ or more hit dice it may make a saving throw versus spell. If successful, it will be undetected by the dream, and might furthermore sense the illusionist as if detecting invisible. 

It must be noted that alter reality is not an ultra-powerful spell, and the results of its casting must be strictly limited. The guide given above denotes the maximum capability of the casting of an alter reality spell. Results will never exceed these parameters on a permanent basis. If, for example, a dead companion, slain in a recent battle, were dreamed alive, he or she would remain living for but 1 turn per level of experience of the illusionist casting the spell. Thereafter, the dweomer would disappear, the companion would return to his or her previous state, and a more permanent form of magic would be needed to allow the lost individual to actually live fully again. 
Alter reality cannot be affected by an extension or permanency spell. The illusionist can use this spell but once per week. If it is cast twice within the same week, the spell will absolutely fail the second time and the illusionist will age from 1-10 years.
XP Cost: 100 XP

Chaos 
Enchantment [Mind Affecting]
Level: Ill 5
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) 
Targets:  All creatures in a 15-ft. radius
Duration: 1 round/level 
Saving Throw: Special
Spell Resistance: Yes 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 131 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 1.
	In addition to the spell descriptions list of professions allowed a Will Save, barbarians and specialist enchanters are granted one as well.

Chromatic Blade 
Alteration 
Level: Ill 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Touch 
Area:  Creates one blade
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 140 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 1.

Phantasmagoria 
Illusion (Figment)
Level: Ill 6
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40ft./level) 
Effect:  Visual figment that cannot extend beyond 1600 sq. ft. + 100 sq. ft./level (S)
Duration: Until triggered, then 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: No 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 659 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 3.

Tempus Fugit 
Illusion (Glamer) 
Level: Ill 6
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: 0 
Area:  10 ft. radius sphere
Duration: 60 minutes/level (D) 
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 927 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 4.

Turnshadow 
Abjuration 
Level: Ill 6
Components: V, S 
Casting Time: 1 action 
Range: 60 ft. 
Target or Area:  All shadow creatures in a 20 ft. radius, or one creature
Duration: 1 minute/level 
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No 

Except as noted above, this spell can be found on Page 960 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium Volume 4.

Image Mastery 
Illusion (Figment) 
Level: Ill 8
Effect: Figment that cannot extend beyond a 20-ft. cube + one 10-ft. cube/level (S)
Duration: Permanent (D) 

As silent image, except the figment includes visual, auditory, olfactory, and thermal elements, and the spell is permanent.  Furthermore, the image reacts independently and logically to new stimuli based on the intent of its initial programming.  This is done without the need for additional concentration by the caster.   Extreme, exceptionally bizarre, or overwhelming stimuli can confuse the illusion and possibly unravel the spell.  By concentrating, the illusionist can change or reprogram the illusion according to her desire.  In any case, the image cannot move beyond the limits of the spell’s range. 

Shadow Conjuration Mastery 
Illusion (Shadow) 
Level: Ill 9 

As shadow conjuration, except that it mimics sorcerer and wizard conjuration spells of up through 7th level, and these conjurations are four-fifths (80%) as strong as the real things.

Shadow Evocation Mastery 
Illusion (Shadow) 
Level: Ill 9 

As shadow evocation, but it enables the caster to create partially real, illusory versions of sorcerer or wizard evocations up through 7th level.  If recognized as shadow evocation mastery, damaging spells deal only three-fifths (60%) of normal damage, with a minimum of 3 points per die of damage.  For example, a master shadow delayed blast fireball causes 1d6 x 0.6 points of damage per caster level if successfully disbelieved but does a minimum of 3 points per die of damage.
	Non-damaging effects, such as a web’s ensnarement, are only 60% likely to work when the evocation mastery is recognized as partially illusory (roll separately for each effect and each creature who recognizes the evocation as shadowy).