Magician

When the word “magician” is spoken, the first thing that often comes to mind is an image of the consummate entertainer who performs simple tricks of sleight of hand and deception to the delight of children and adults alike. However, there are those who take their prestigious acts to new heights by incorporating powerful illusion spells to mislead those nearby. A true magician employs a special bonded item to enhance his magic, obtain additional spells, and gain powerful new abilities. Magicians are masters of illusions, intrigue, and subterfuge, allowing them to pass by their foes unnoticed or catch their enemies unaware. The main source of their power is their illusions, using them to hide themselves or others from sight, project terrifying images to frighten the masses, or create distractions in hopes of gaining victory over their enemies. Whether it is vanishing from sight, reading another’s fortune, influencing the mind, or pulling the proverbial rabbit from his hat, the magician is a terrific addition to any party in search of a cunning and useful ally.

Role: Magicians seek to perfect their skills in sleight of hand and deception, as well as increase the potency and believability of their vast array of illusory magic. Most magicians spend long hours researching illusion magic, and therefore exhibit a propensity towards patience, mental strength, and creativity. They are often tricksters by nature, and are often found in the company of those who share their inclination for entertainment or exhibit a rakish demeanor, and therefore get along well with bards and rogues, though alchemists and summoners often enjoy their company for eclectic reasons.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The magician’s class abilities are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Magician

Table: Magician Spells Prepared

Class Features

The following are the class features of the magician.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency 

The magician is proficient with all simple weapons. A magician is not proficient with armor or shields. Armor interferes with a magician’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells

A magician casts arcane spells drawn from the magician spell list. A magician must prepare his spells ahead of time, but unlike a wizard, his spells are not expended when they're cast. Instead, he can cast any spell that he has prepared consuming a spell slot of the appropriate level, assuming he hasn't yet used up his spell slots per day for that level.

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magician must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The saving throw DC against a magician's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the magician's Intelligence modifier.

A magician can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Magician under “Spells per Day.” In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

A magician may know any number of spells, but the number he can prepare each day is limited. At 1st level, he can prepare four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells each day. At each new magician level, the number of spells he can prepare each day increases, adding new spell levels as indicated on Table: Magician Spells Prepared. Unlike the number of spells he can cast per day, the number of spells a magician can prepare each day is not affected by his Intelligence score. Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells a magician can prepare.

A magician must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the magician decides what spells to prepare and refreshes his available spell slots for the day.

Like a sorcerer, a magician can choose to apply any metamagic feats he knows to a prepared spell as he casts it, with the same increase in casting time (see Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats). However, he may also prepare a spell with any metamagic feats he knows and cast it without increasing casting time like a wizard. He cannot combine these options—a spell prepared with metamagic feats cannot be further modified with another metamagic feat at the time of casting.

Spellbooks

A magician must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He can't prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook, except for read magic (which all magicians can prepare from memory).

A magician begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level magician spells plus three 1st-level spells of his choice. The magician also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new magician level, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new magician level) for his spellbook. At any time, a magician can also add spells found in wizards' or other magicians' spellbooks to his own, as long as they are on the magician spell list.

Cantrips

A magician can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day as noted on Table: Magician Spells Prepared. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume spell slots. As with his other spells, these spells are not expended when cast.

Deceptive Intuition (Ex)

A magician adds half his level to all Bluff and Sense Motive skill checks.

Prestige Focus

Each magician has a prestige focus for his magic that grants him a bonded object, class skill bonus, spells, tricks, and other special abilities. This focus represents the magician’s training and study in a specific area of the arts of illusory magic. Regardless of the focus, this bond manifests in a number of ways as the magician gains levels. The magician must choose one prestige focus upon taking his first level of magician. Once made, this choice cannot be changed. Prestige focuses are described in detail hereafter.

At 1st level, the magician begins play with a bonded object at no cost. Objects that are the subject of arcane prestige must fall into one of the following categories: amulet, cloak, hat, or wand. These objects are always masterwork quality. If the object is an amulet, cloak, or hat, it must be worn to have effect, wands must be wielded. If a magician attempts to cast a spell without his bonded object worn or in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell's level. If the object is an amulet, hat, or cloak, it occupies the neck, shoulder, or head slot accordingly.

A magician can add additional magic abilities to his bonded object as if he has the required Item Creation Feats and if he meets the level prerequisites of the feat. For example, a magician with a bonded amulet must be at least 3rd level to add magic abilities to the wand (see Craft Wondrous Item feat). If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its wand abilities when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its bonded object properties and can be used to craft a new wand. The magic properties of a bonded object, including any magic abilities added to the object, only function for the magician who owns it. If a bonded object's owner dies, or the item is replaced, the object reverts to being an ordinary masterwork item of the appropriate type.

If a bonded object is damaged, it is restored to full hit points the next time the magician rests to regain his spells. If the object of an arcane bond is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week in a special ritual that costs 200 gp per magician level plus the cost of the masterwork item. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete. Items replaced in this way do not possess any of the additional enchantments of the previous bonded item. A magician can designate an existing magic item as his bonded item. This functions in the same way as replacing a lost or destroyed item except that the new magic item retains its abilities while gaining the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a bonded item.

In addition to this bonded item, a prestige focus grants the magician a number of additional powers and abilities. Prestige powers are gained at the levels indicated on Table: Magician, and are described in each individual arcane prestige’s description.

At 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a magician learns one prestige trick, chosen from a list specific to each arcane prestige. The magician must meet the prerequisites for these tricks.

At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a magician learns an additional spell, derived from his arcane prestige, and adds it to his spellbook.

Illusion Resistance (Ex)

At 2nd level, a magician becomes resistant to illusions in general. The magician gains a +2 bonus on Will saves against all illusion spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and again to +6 at 8th level.

Extended Illusions (Su)

Starting at 3rd level, any illusion spell cast by the magician with a duration of “concentration” lasts a number of additional rounds equal to 1/2 his magician level after he stops maintaining concentration (minimum +1 round).

Illusory Pool (Su)

At 4th level, a magician gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to enhance his illusion spells. This illusory pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 his magician level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the magician rests for 8 hours to regain his spells.

A magician can expend points from his illusory pool to cast any illusion spell that he knows. An illusion spell cast in this way lasts for 1 minute or the spell’s duration, whichever is shorter. At 4th level, a magician can cast any illusion spell of up to 1st–level that he knows, and any illusion spell of each subsequent level every three levels thereafter, up to 6th level illusion spells at 19th level. This expends 1 illusory point per level of the spell. Spending the points and casting the spell requires an immediate action.

At 9th level, whenever a magician casts an illusion spell enhanced by a metamagic feat, he can spend points from his illusory pool to reduce the feats level increase modifier as an immediate action. For each point spent from his illusory pool, the level increase modifier of the enhanced spell is decreased by 1. A magician cannot reduce a metamagic feat’s level increase below 0. A magician can only reduce one enhanced illusion spell in this way at one time.

At 13th level, a magician can expend points from his illusory pool to make his illusion spells more difficult to resist. As an immediate action, a magician can spend 1 illusory point to increase the save DC of any illusion spell he casts by 1, up to a maximum of 3 points.

At 17th level, whenever the target of a magician’s illusion spells makes a successful saving throw against it, the magician can spend 3 illusory points to force the target to make a second saving throw as an immediate action. A magician can only do this once per casting.

Magician’s Pockets (Ex)

Starting at 5th level, a magician has collected a number of items as well as lore, picking up small amounts of this or that throughout his travels. As a result, he may carry unspecified equipment worth up to 100 gp per magician level. This can be any kind of gear that can reasonably fit into a backpack, including potions and scrolls (but not any other sort of magic item). As a full-round action, the magician may dig through his pockets to retrieve an item he specifies at that time, deducting its value from the allocated amount of cost. This item cannot weigh more than 10 pounds. When the total remaining cost reaches 0, the magician can retrieve no more items until he refills her deep pockets by spending a few hours and an amount of gold to bring his total up to 100 gp per magician level.

In addition, if he takes 1 hour to pack his gear each day, he gains a +4 bonus to Strength to determine his light encumbrance. This does not affect his maximum carrying capacity. The efficient distribution of weight simply encumbers him less than the same amount of weight normally should. Finally, the magician gains a +4 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal small objects on his person.

Master of Illusions (Ex)

At 10th level, the magician becomes completely immune to figment and glamer spells and effects. In addition, whenever the magician makes a saving throw against an illusion spell, he can roll his saving throw twice and take the best result.

Magician’s Chest (Sp)

At 11th level, a magician can hide a specially crafted chest on the Ethereal Plane and retrieve it at will. This chest is bonded to the magician and persists until he crafts a new one or is slain. This allows the magician to know whether his chest is being opened or tampered with while on the Ethereal Plane, and there is no cumulative chance of it being lost. At 17th level, he can choose to store his chest in his magician’s tower without any repercussions from the two extra-dimensional effects occupying the same space. A magician can only have one chest in existence at a time. This ability otherwise functions as the secret chest spell.

Improved Master of Illusions (Ex)

At 13th level, the magician becomes completely immune to pattern spells and effects.

Greater Master of Illusions (Ex)

At 16th level, the magician becomes completely immune to phantasm spells and effects.

Magician’s Tower (Sp)

At 17th level, a magician can conjure up an extra-dimensional tower on the Ethereal Plane and summon forth a single entrance on the plane from which the spell was cast. The entry point looks like a faint shimmering in the air that is 4 feet wide and 8 feet high. Only those the magician designates may enter the tower, and the portal is shut and made invisible behind him when he enters. The magician may open it again from his own side at will. Once observers have passed beyond the entrance, they are in a magnificent foyer with numerous chambers beyond and above. The atmosphere is clean, fresh, and warm.

The magician can create any tower floor plan he desires up to the effect’s limit of three 10-foot cubes per level. The place is furnished and contains sufficient foodstuffs to serve a nine-course banquet to a dozen people per caster level. A staff of near-transparent servants (as many as two per caster level), liveried and obedient, wait upon all who enter. The servants function as unseen servant spells except that they are visible and can go anywhere in the tower.

Since the tower can be entered only through its special portal, outside conditions do not affect the tower, nor do conditions inside it pass to the plane beyond. The magician can also store his chest in his tower if he so chooses. The magician’s tower persists until the magician is slain, and remains unchanged from the last time he entered it. The magician (and those he designates) can only enter the tower for 1 hour per two levels of the magician each day. These hours do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-hour increments. This ability otherwise functions as the mage’s magnificent mansion spell.

Master Magician (Su)

At 20th level, a magician can maintain an illusion spell he can cast for a 24 hour period or a number of hours equal to his Charisma modifier, whichever is shorter, once per day. If the spell has a longer duration, this ability has no effect. The magician can also make one illusion spell with a duration of “concentration” become permanent. He can have no more than one illusion made permanent in this way at one time. If the magician designates another illusion as permanent, the previous permanent illusion ends. In addition, a magician becomes completely immune to all illusion spells and effects.

MAGICIAN SPELL LIST

Magicians gain access to the following spells.

0-Level Magician Spells—arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, flare, ghost sound, haunted fey aspect, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, touch of fatigue.

1st-Level Magician Spells—adjuring step, air bubble, alarm, animate rope, anticipate peril, burning hands, cause fear, charm person, color spray, dazzling blade, delusional pride, disguise self, endure elements, enlarge person, feather fall, floating disk, fool sense, grease, hypnotism, identify, illusion of calm, interrogation, jury-rig, lock gaze, magic aura, mount, negative reaction, obscuring mist, polypurpose panacea, reduce person, shadow weapon, shield, silent image, sleep, snapdragon fireworks, unseen servant, vanish, ventriloquism, vocal alteration.

2nd-Level Magician Spells—acid arrow, alter self, arcane lock, blur, darkness, darkvision, detect thoughts, disguise self, enter image, fire breath, flaming sphere, fog cloud, glitterdust, ghostly disguise, gust of wind, gusting sphere, haunting mists, hideous laughter, hold person, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, levitate, locate object, knock, mad hallucination, magic mouth, mental divide, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, obscure object, phantom trap, pilfering hand, pyrotechnics, resist energy, rope trick, scare, shatter, symbol of mirroring, whispering wind.

3rd-Level Magician Spells—blink, blood biography, clairaudience/clairvoyance, dazzling blade (mass), daylight, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, explosive runes, ghost wolf, illusory poison, illusory script, invisibility sphere, lesser animate dead, lightning bolt, loathsome veil, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, major image, marionette possession, nondetection, phantom steed, reckless infatuation, scrying, secret page, seek thoughts, shrink item, stinking cloud, suggestion, tongues, vision of hell, waterbreathing, wind wall.

4th-Level Magician Spells—baleful polymorph, bestow curse, confusion, detect scrying, dimension door, fire shield, fire trap, hallucinatory terrain, ice storm, illusory wall, invisibility (greater), lesser astral projection, lesser geas, minor creation, minor phantom object, phantasmal killer, protection from energy, resilient sphere, scrying, shadow conjuration, shadow step, shocking image, shout, simulacrum (lesser), solid fog, true form, wandering star motes, wall of fire, wall of ice.

5th-Level Magician Spells—break enchantment, dream, false vision, feeble mind, getaway, life bubble, mage's private sanctum, magic jar, mirage arcana, mislead, nightmare, passwall, permanent image, phantasmal web, planar binding, prying eyes, secret chest, seeming, sending, shadow evocation, suggestion (mass), symbol of striking, telepathic bond, teleport, treasure stitching.

6th-Level Magician Spells—analyze dweomer, cloak of dreams, dispel magic (greater), eyebite, forceful hand, freezing sphere, geas, globe of invulnerability, guards and wards, invisibility (mass), legend lore, programmed image, project image, serenity, shadow conjuration (greater), shadow walk, telekinesis, true seeing, unwilling shield, veil, weird.