Illusion Walker (Ninja/Sorcerer)

The Illusion walkers are an order of assassins that are rumored to draw their power from the very blood within their veins, to power their abilities. (Original Concept by Browman)

Primary: Ninja.

Secondary: Sorcerer.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The illusion walker selects three sorcerer skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal ninja class skills, once of which must be Spellcraft. The illusion walker gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The illusion walker is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the kama, katana, kusarigama, nunchaku, sai, short bow, short sword, shuriken, siangham, and wakizashi. An illusion walker is proficient with light armor, but not with shields. An illusion walker can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, an illusion walker wearing medium, heavy armor, or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass illusion walker still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spellcasting: An illusion walker casts arcane spells drawn from the illusion school of the sorcerer/wizard spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an illusion walker must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class (DC) for a saving throw against an illusion walker’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the illusion walker’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an illusion walker can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Illusion Walker. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

The illusion walker’s selection of spells is extremely limited. An illusion walker begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the illusion walker’s choice. At each new illusion walker level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Illusion Walker Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an illusion walker knows is not affected by her Charisma score.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third illusion walker level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), an illusion walker can choose to learn a new illusion spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the illusion walker “loses” the old illusion spell in exchange for the new one. The new illusion spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level illusion walker spell the illusion walker can cast. An illusion walker may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

An illusion walker need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level. This ability replaces sneak attack +2d6, +5d6, +8d6, and ninja tricks gained at 4th and 12th level.

Bloodline: At 1st level, an illusion walker may select one bloodline of her choice. Once made, this choice cannot be changed. She gains her bloodline class skill, but not her bloodline arcana.

At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, an illusion walker gain a bloodline spell, up to her 6th level bloodline spell. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on Table: Illusion Walker Spells Known. These spells cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels.

In addition, at 3rd level, an illusion walker gains her first bloodline power, and each subsequent bloodline power at 9th, 15th, and 20th level, up to her fourth bloodline power. An illusion walker uses her illusion walker level as her sorcerer level to determine the effects of her bloodline powers. This ability replaces poison use, the ninja tricks gained at 8th, and 20th level, and hidden master.

Illusionary Strike: At 1st level, an illusion walker can draw upon her powers of illusion to deal quasi-real damage to her enemies. Whenever an illusion walker is using Stealth or is herself under the affects of an illusion spell (such as blur or invisibility), or if the illusion walker’s target is adversely affected by an illusion spell (such as ghost sounds or hallucinatory terrain), would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or is flanked by the illusion walker, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The illusion walker’s attacks deal extra damage. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every three illusion walker levels thereafter, to a maximum of 7d6 at 19th level. Bonus damage from illusionary strike is precision damage. Should the illusion walker score a critical hit with an illusionary strike, this precision damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks count as illusionary strikes only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, whip, or unarmed strike), an illusion walker can make an illusionary strike that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in an illusionary strike, even with the usual –4 penalty.

The illusion walker must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot, and must be able to reach this spot. An illusion walker cannot illusionary strike while striking a creature that has concealment.

A successful illusionary strike deals precision damage as normal, unless the target succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the illusion walker’s level + the illusion walker’s Charisma modifier) to disbelieve the attack. A disbelieving creature takes only one-fifth damage (or 20%) from the illusionary strike damage (minimum 1) plus normal weapon damage. As the illusion walker gains levels, her illusionary strike damage becomes more difficult to ignore. At 8th level, a disbelieving creature takes two-fifths damage (or 40%) from the illusionary strike. At 15th level, a disbelieving creature takes three-fifths damage (or 60%) from the illusionary strike.

All damage dealt by illusionary strike stacks with sneak attack damage from other classes with the sneak attack class feature, but only if the target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC or is flanked by the illusion walker. In such cases, only precision damage from the illusionary strike ability is subject to a Will save. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces sneak attack.

Ki Pool (Su): This is exactly the same as a ninja’s ki pool, except that the illusion walker can also spend 1 point from her ki pool to cast shadow weapon as a swift action. This spell lasts for 1 minute, but otherwise uses the illusion walker’s level to determine its effect. This weapon can be used with illusionary strike.

Ninja Tricks: This is exactly like the ninja ability of the same name, except that the illusion walker gains a ninja trick at 2nd level and again at 5th level and every four levels thereafter.

Phantasmal Poison (Su): At 11th level, an illusion walker can spend 1 point from her ki pool to cast illusory poison as a swift action. As the illusion walker gains levels, the potency of this poison increases. At 15th level, the damage of her phantasmal poison increases to 1d4 Strength damage. At 19th level, the damage of her phantasmal poison increases to 1d6 Strength damage. Only one phantasmal poison can be in effect at a time. This ability replaces light steps.

Advanced Talents: This is exactly like the ninja ability of the same name, except that the illusion walker adds the following ninja abilities to the list of advanced talents she may select: Light Steps and No Trace.

Effortless Trickery (Ex): Starting at 14th level, an illusion walker’s knack for illusions and deception allows her to maintain concentration on one spell of the illusion school as a swift action. This has no effect on illusion spells with durations that don’t depend on her active concentration. The illusion walker can only maintain one spell as a swift action, but she can take a move and standard action to maintain an additional illusion spell, as normal. This ability replaces the ninja trick gained at 14th level.

Table: Illusion Walker

Table: Illusion Walker Spells Known