Veiled Illusionist (Apath)
Unofficial rules compendium | |
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While skilled in all forms of illusion, veiled illusionists primarily excel at casting glamers—spells that alter or conceal the illusionist's true form. Most veiled illusionists are uncomfortable with maintaining one disguise for an extended period of time. Instead, they prefer to change their appearance from day to day, or even from hour to hour. This makes it difficult for veiled illusionists to integrate fully into society, so most end up wanderers, taking on a new face with each new town they visit.
Class Information
This is a prestige archetype.
Prestige Class: Veiled illusionist from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.
Build Classes: The veiled illusionist is built on the wizard, but the following alternate build classes are described below: arcanist, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.
Role: Veiled illusionists make excellent spies and infiltrators, and have a full magical arsenal to fall back on when a situation turns dire.
Alignment: Any. Most veiled illusionists are chaotic, changing their behavior as they change roles.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The veiled illusionist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device.
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
These are all the class features of the veiled illusionist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A veiled illusionist gains the armor and weapon proficiencies of it's build class.
Spells
The veiled illusionist learns and casts spells exactly like a wizard, including using arcane magic, the effect of Intelligence on spellcasting, spellbooks, automatically learned spells, and cantrips.
Build Class
The veiled illusionist gains the wizard's arcane school class feature, and must choose the illusion school.
Eschew Materials
A veiled illusionist gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Veil Pool (Sp)
A veiled illusionist draws power from a reserve of magical energy to strengthen her illusions. This veil pool has a number of points equal to half her class level + her highest mental ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). The pool refreshes once per day when the veiled illusionist regains spell slots.
As a standard action, the veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool to alter her appearance as per the spell disguise self. This is a glamer effect that lasts a number of hours equal to the veiled illusionist's class level. The DC to disbelieve the effect is equal to 15 + the number of points remaining in the veiled illusionist's veil pool. Assuming a different veil while still under the effects of her disguise self spell-like ability does not expend any additional points from her veil pool.
At 3rd level, the veiled illusionist can alter her perceived audible (sound) properties when she assumes her disguise. At 10th level, the veiled illusionist can also alter her perceived olfactory (scent) and tactile (touch) properties, and can imitate any voice with which she is familiar. At 18th level, the veiled illusionist's veil fools even extraordinary senses, such as blindsight, tremorsense, or true seeing.
At level 6, the veiled illusionist can assume or change appearance as a swift action. At level 14, she can do so as an immediate action.
Illusionist's Veils
A veiled illusionist learns to cloak herself in the forms favored by her class—human, halfling, elf, gnome, cyclops, and naga. Once the veiled illusionist learns a veil, she can use her veil pool to disguise herself as a member of that veil's type and subtype, even if doing so would exceed the limitations of disguise self. When disguising herself as one of these races, she gains an additional bonus on her Disguise check equal to half her class level.
Each veil also grants the illusionist an additional power. These powers are always available, regardless of if the illusionist is using an illusionist's veil or not.
Human (Ex) At 1st level, the veiled illusionist gains her build class abilities from her human veil. This is just a flavorful explanation for the spectacular build class abilities.
Halfling (Su): At 2nd level, a veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool as a free action while casting an illusion spell to disguise her spellcasting. Creatures attempting to identify the spell as it's being cast must succeed at a Will save (DC 15 + the number of points remaining in the illusionist's veil pool) or misidentify the spell as a spell of the illusionist's choice or even no spell at all. The illusory spell must be the same level as the true spell, and must be on the veiled illusionist's spell list. This does not conceal the effect of the spell, it only conceals the veiled illusionist's actions.
Elf (Ex): At 4th level, a veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool as an immediate action to reroll a caster level check made to bypass spell resistance. She must accept the second roll, even if it's worse.
Gnome (Ex): At 8th level, a veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool to concentrate on a glamer or figment as a swift action, rather than a standard action. This effect lasts as long as she continues to concentrate each round.
Cyclops (So): At 12th level, a veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool as a free action to gain the benefits of the spell true seeing until the beginning of her next turn.
Naga (Sp): At 16th level, as a free action while casting an illusion spell or using disguise self from her veil pool, the veiled illusionist can spend s points from her veil pool to coil the illusion upon itself. Any creature that disbelieves the illusion sees a second illusion within the translucent outline of the first, as if the illusionist had cast the same spell a second time. Effectively, after a creature disbelieves the first illusion, it sees a second illusion in its place, which it must attempt to disbelieve separately. To the creature, it seems as if the first illusion was a glamer hiding the true form (the second illusion). The creature must specifically spend a standard action disbelieving the second illusion, mere interaction with the illusion is not sufficient. Unrealistic effects or a warning from an ally allows a disbelief saving throw without spending an action. Spells like shadow conjuration that always allow a save only do so for the first stage of the illusion. The second illusion is hidden from magical detection, not even true seeing can penetrate it. The veiled illusionist must determine the features of the second illusion as she casts the first. If the second illusion is especially similar to the first one, creatures that study or interact with it receive a +4 bonus on the save to disbelieve the second effect.
True Veil
At 20th level, a veiled illusionist can spend 1 point from her veil pool to imbue her disguise with a measure of reality. The veiled illusionist's disguise self spell-like ability is treated as a polymorph effect, though it retains the illusion school and gains the shadow descriptor. Other creatures no longer get a Will save to recognize the effect as an illusion, though they can still make Perception checks to realize the veiled illusionist is using a disguise.
If disguised as a humanoid using her veil pool ability, the veiled illusionist gains the benefit of alter self. If disguised as a cyclops or naga, she gains a +4 size bonus to Strength, a –2 penalty to Dexterity, a +4 natural armor bonus, and any of the following abilities possessed by the creature whose form she has taken: burrow 30 feet, climb 90 feet, fly 90 feet (good maneuverability), swim 90 feet, darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, ferocity, guarded thoughts, poison, and spit. The effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to the veiled illusionist's level if she is disguised as a humanoid, or rounds per level if disguised as a cyclops or naga.
Table: Veiled Illusionist
Class Level |
Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||
0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | ||||||
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Build Class, Eschew Materials, veil pool, illusionist's veil (human) | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Illusionist's veil (halfling) | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Veil pool (sound) | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Illusionist's veil (elf) | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Veil pool (swift) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | — | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Illusionist's veil (gnome) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Veil pool (scent, touch) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
12th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Illusionist's veil (cyclops) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
13th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
14th | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Veil pool (immediate) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
15th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
16th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Illusionist's veil (naga) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
17th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
18th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Veil pool (extraordinary) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
19th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
20th | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | True veil | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Alternate Build Classes
The veiled illusionist can be built on these alternate classes: arcanist, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.
A veiled illusionist learns and casts spells exactly like the build class, including type of magic (arcane, divine, or psychic), the effect of ability scores on spellcasting and cantrips, knacks or orisons. She only suffers from arcane spell failure if she casts arcane spells.
In addition, the veiled illusionist inherits the following class features from the build class. This replaces the build class ability, above.
Arcanist A veiled arcanist can prepare an additional spell of each level of spells she can cast. This additional spell must be from the illusion school. She can cast a prepared illusion without expending a spell slot by expending a number of uses of her veil pool equal to the level of the spell.
Sacerdote The veiled sacerdote keeps the advanced spellcasting, bonus languages, chaotic evil good and lawful spells, divine focus, divine wrath, and manifestation class features. The veiled sacerdote's domain spell list is all the sorcerer/wizard spells of the illusion school (and no other spells). This class is from Legendary Classes: Sacerdote also by Purple Duck Games.
Psychic Add all sorcerer/wizard spells of the illusion school to the veiled psychic's spell list. At every level, the veiled psychic adds one spell from the illusion school of a level she can cast to her list of known spells.
Sorcerer At every level, the veiled sorcerer adds one spell from the illusion school of a level she can cast to her list of known spells.
Witch A veiled witch illusionist has the witch's familiar ability. Add all sorcerer/wizard spells of the illusion school to the veiled witch's spell list. A veiled witch can prepare an additional spell of each level of spells she can cast. This additional spell must be from the illusion school.
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Section 15 Addendum
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Matt Goodall, and Jason Nelson.