Illusionist Discipline
Stats
Damage Die: d4
Favored Stats: dex, int
Load: 8
HP: 4+Constitution
Look
Gaze: tricky, dazzling, innocent
Appearance: meticulous, feral, confident
Accoutrement: ridiculous, distracting, opulent
Body: nimble, fluid, lanky
Species
☐ Dwarf: You may cast Crackling Nimbus as a cantrip.
☐ Elf: You may cast the wizard spell Detect Magic as an illusionist spell.
☐ Human: Choose one spell from another discipline’s list. You can cast it as if it was an illusionist spell.
☐ Obsidimen (+1 armor; only wear living armor): You may cast the elementalist spell Earth Blend as an illusionist spell.
☐ Ork: You may cast Cause Fear as a cantrip
☐ Troll: When you inflict or enhance harm with an illusion, add +1 damage.
☐ T’Skrang: When you use your tail to aid in sleight of hand or other deception, take +1.
☐ Windling (astral sight): You may cast Charm Person as a cantrip.
Flags
Select 2 flags.
Starting Moves
Illusion
Through dedication, trickery and practice, you can weave threads into spells. You gain access to a number of abilities related to spell casting:
- You may use the astral sight move.
- You have mastered several illusionist spells and inscribed them in your grimoire. You start out with three first circle illusionist spells in your grimoire as well as the cantrips. Whenever you gain a circle, you add a new illusionist spell of your circle or lower to your grimoire.
- You know how to form and stabilize an astral construct that makes casting spells safer, called a spell matrix. You may fashion as many spell matrices as you like; however, the combined circles of all spells attuned into them may not exceed twice your own circle.
- Through intricate gestures and body movement, you can weave threads to cast spells (from a spell matrix, grimoire or with raw magic). You may weave spells with + DEX .
- Through training, knowledge and improvisation, you channel energy through your spell weaving to cast a spell. You may cast spells with + INT .
Concentration
When you cast an ongoing illusion spell you may spend 3 focus to ignore a “−1 to weave spells” or “−1 to cast spells” penalty inflicted by that spell.
Chicanery
When you attempt to fool someone , describe what you are trying to do. If you do it…
- …with sleight of hand or manipulating the environment, roll+ DEX .
- …with cleverness and guile, roll+ INT .
- …with charm and wit, roll+ CHA .
On a 10+ your con works as planned, with the mark none the wiser. On a 7–9 the mark will realize he has been tricked at some point, but cannot figure out how it was done. On a miss , the mark may see through the con and react accordingly.
Not the One
Add the following to the hack and slash list:
- Your attack convinces the target that a nearby ally of your choice is more of a threat than you.
Expressions of Deception
When you create art with embroidery or acting , take +1. If you use the result in a successful greeting ritual, the recipient becomes more willing to disclose information about themselves.
Talents
You may weave threads into talents, if you meet their requirements:
☐☐ Dream Rider
You can conjure an illusionary mount , choosing its form among those ground mounts just large enough to carry you. Treat as a follower with Quality +1, Loyalty +1, 1 HP , 0 armor, 1d4 damage, no moves, the mount tag, no cost, and an instinct of “to betray itself as an illusion”. The mount will carry you, but no passengers. It remains until you dismiss it or its loyalty reaches −3.
Second thread (requires circle 6): When you call your imaginary mount, it may arrive in any form or size. Stats are as above, but with all tags of that form. It may use one of its moves on anyone that doesn't know it is an illusion.
☐☐ Phantom Armor
When you wear robes that dazzle the eye , but no armor or shield, you get +2 armor.
Second thread (requires circle 6): You get +3 armor, instead.
☐ Reading the Crowd
When you study an audience or opponents to gauge what sort of illusions would work best on them, roll+ INT . On a 10+ , ask the GM three questions from the list below. On a 7–9 , ask one. You may spend karma to make one additional choice, even on a miss. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
- What are they most likely to fear?
- What are they most likely to respect?
- What are they most likely to want?
- What will likely calm them down?
- What will likely make them angry?
- Which of them seems most gullible?
- Which of them seems most able to sway the others?
☐☐ River of Knives
When you volley a real thrown weapon , you may retain the weapon and throw out a solid illusion of the original instead. The illusion functions in all respects like the original, but deals −1 damage and disappears after the attack. If you would reduce ammo as a result of the volley, instead your merely lose your grip on the real weapon.
Second thread (requires circle 6): The illusion spawns a duplicate in flight, dealing +1d4 damage.
☐ Dead Fall
When you take damage and fake your own death with illusions, make a number of choices equal to your DEX :
- Whoever dealt the damage to you is convinced you are dead and turns their attention elsewhere
- The ruse convinces all onlookers
- Even on thorough examination, you appear dead
- The illusion allows you to slip away without being noticed by those convinced by it.
- The ruse lasts for more than a few minutes.
☐ Masque
When you concentrate on your appearance for a few minutes, you may make any number of cosmetic changes to your clothes or person. You remain recognizable, but can grow/remove facial hair, change skin or hair color, add/remove scars, gain/lose weight, become more/less symmetrical, change threadbare clothes into fantastic robes or vice versa, and so on.
☐☐ Practice, Practice, Practice
Choose one illusion spell. You may use that spell as if it was one circle lower (though this does not change the number of threads needed to cast it).
Second thread (requires circle 6): Choose another illusion spell to use as if it was one circle lower.
☐ Subterfuge
When you take advantage of a distraction (including one provided by the Distract cantrip), you immediately may choose one of the following:
- defy a danger threatened by a distracted opponent, taking +2
- engage in chicanery against a distracted mark, taking +2
- hack and slash a distracted opponent, taking +1
- volley against a distracted opponent, taking +1
- disengage from hostilities, retreating a good distance before being noticed
☐ To the Heart of It
You first enter a steading and look around a while, you may ask the GM : “With what lie do this steading’s residents fool themselves?” Take +1 ongoing acting on the answer.
☐ Vicious Phantasms
When you summon one or more creatures with an illusionist spell, those creatures add your INT to any damage they deal.
☐ Prominent Deterrent
When you trace out a complex and baffling pattern in the air with your hands and feet during combat, roll+ DEX . On a 10+ hold 1d4+1. On a 7–9 hold 2. Vicious-looking weapons hover over your head, pointing down to strike any who harass you. Each weapon hums with menace, perhaps bristling with electricity or dripping with venom. Any time you take damage, spend 1 hold to direct one of the weapons to strike your attacker, dealing 1d8 damage to them.
☐ Subversion
When you identify someone else’s illusion and want to alter it , roll+ INT . On a 10+ choose three. On a 7–9 choose one. You may spend karma to make one additional choice, even on a miss.
- you wrest sole control over the illusion from its creator; he or she cannot undo your changes
- you may end the illusion, if you wish
- you may make more than subtle changes to the illusion
- the illusion’s creator does not notice your meddling
☐ Astral Mask
When someone or something examines your aura in astral space, you decide what they see.
Gear
your grimoire (1 weight)
appropriate artisan tools (1 weight)
dungeon rations (uses: 5, ration, 1 weight)
shiny but worthless nicknacks
Choose your defenses:
☐ leather armor (1 armor, worn, 1 weight)
☐ bare skin (0 armor, living)
☐ dazzling robes with many secret pockets (worn)
Choose your armament:
☐ throwing knives (thrown, near, ammo: 3)
☐ spear (reach, thrown, near, 1 weight)
☐ staff (close, two-handed, 1 weight)
Choose two:
☐ healing potion
☐ 3 antitoxins
☐ firefly chalk (uses: 10)
☐ adventuring gear (uses: 5, 2 weight)
☐ any common pet (beast)
☐ 5 coins
Spells
Cantrips
Amplify
(ongoing) You touch a willing subject (including yourself). While ongoing, all in sight can hear the subject loud and clear.
Distract
You cause all who are paying attention to you to briefly redirect their vision and attention to somewhere else. Describe how this happens (bright flash, stray noise, puff of smoke, etc.).
Encrypt
(ongoing) The writing in a book or other written work you touch becomes jumbled and confused. While ongoing, only you can read the text.
Message
(ongoing) A seemingly real piece of paper containing a written message or image you designate appears in the hand, pocket, pouch, etc. of any target you can see. When you end this spell, the paper vanishes.
Move
You cause any small objects in your hand to vanish and reappear a short distance away, even in your pockets. Likewise, this spell may make small objects (that you own or are sitting around unsecured) disappear from a short distance away and reappear in your hands.
Prestidigitation
You perform minor tricks of true magic. If you touch an item as part of the casting you can make cosmetic changes to it: clean it, soil it, cool it, warm it, flavor it, or change its color. If you cast the spell without touching an item you can instead create minor illusions no bigger than yourself. Prestidigitation illusions are crude and clearly illusions—they won’t fool anyone, but they might entertain them.
First Circle Spells
☐ Cause Fear
(ongoing) Choose a target you can see and a nearby object or being. The target is afraid of the object so long as you maintain the spell. Their reaction is up to them: flee, panic, beg, fight. While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell. You cannot target entities with less than animal intelligence (magical constructs, undead, mindless automata, and the like).
☐ Charm Person
(enchantment, ongoing) The namegiver you touch while casting this spell counts you as a friend until they take damage or you prove otherwise.
☐ Crackling Nimbus
(illusion, ongoing) A weapon you touch glows impressively and crackles with power. The weapon hums menacingly when moved through the air and sends out a shower of sparks or flame or loud noises when it strikes. Apart from being extremely intimidating, while ongoing, the weapon gains +1 damage.
☐ Crafty Thought
(illusion) You plant an image into the mind of a target. The target does not have to act on the thought, but the idea has now been planted. This spell may be woven and cast with subtlety during conversation, but if the casting misses, the target knows you were trying to ensorcel him.
☐ Displace Image
(illusion, ongoing) Touch an ally: they are only seen several yards from their actual position. Attacks made on the image have no effect. While the spell is ongoing you can’t cast a spell.
☐ Over There
(illusion, ongoing) You create the appearance of something happening just beyond direct sight (over the next hill, outside of the building, on the horizon, behind the clouds, etc.). The illusion may encompass all senses (plumes of smoke rising, people screaming, haunting music, the scent of delicious cooking, etc.). While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Unseen Voices
(illusion, ongoing) Create up to 1d6 disembodied voices emanating from anywhere you can see. Each voice may sound however you like and speak any language you know, but its style is fixed once you start using it. You can make the voices follow a specific conversation, or change what they say over time. The voices may move around as you like. While ongoing you take −1 to weave a spell.
Third Circle Spells
☐ Cloak
(illusion, ongoing) You pace the perimeter of a small area (such as a room, small cave, etc.). Those outside the area perceive the area as if any activity inside was not there. Those inside the area perceive everything normally. For example, anyone viewing a campsite protected in this way from the outside would not see, hear or smell any of the people within, the fire, mounts, etc. While ongoing, any time you would heal damage, heal −1d4 HP .
☐ Darkness
(ongoing) Choose an area you can see: it’s filled with supernatural darkness and shadow. While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Memory Blank
(enchantment, ongoing) You suppress the memory of events of the last few minutes in a target you can see. The target forgets any imminent intention, but has no trouble making new memories (for example, a target might forget they were in the middle of fighting, but will react to a fresh attack as if it were the start of hostilities). While the spell is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell. You may make this spell permanent (eliminating your ongoing penalty) by spending 1 blood.
☐ Imitate
(ongoing) You take the form of someone you touch while casting this spell. Your voice and physical characteristics match theirs exactly but your behavior may not. This change persists until you take damage or choose to return to your own form. While ongoing you lose access to all your illusionist talents.
☐ Mirror Image
(illusion, ongoing) You create an illusory image of yourself. When you are attacked, roll a die. If the result is even, the attack hits the illusion instead, the image then dissipates and the spell ends. If you weave an additional thread, you create three images instead of one, with the spell ending only once all are gone.
☐ Phantasm
(summoning, ongoing) You craft an illusion of some type of creature, then summon a spirit into it, giving it substance. Describe what the creature looks like. Treat it as a follower with no cost and: Quality +1, Loyalty +2, 1 HP , claw (d4, close ), spirit , Instinct: to reveal itself as a fake. The phantasm has one of the moves of the creature it appears to be, but can only use them on targets that don’t know it is a phantasm. It also gains your choice of 1d4 of these traits (you may spend one karma to gain an additional choice):
- Increase Quality to +2
- It has armor 1
- Its bond to your plane is strong: +1 HP for each circle
- It has all the moves of the creature it appears to be
- It has an additional move related to inspiring a particular emotion in those who see it, which works even if its illusory nature is known.
The phantasm remains until it dies, you dismiss the spell, or its Loyalty reaches −3. While the spell is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell. If you weave an additional thread, you may summon two additional phantasms of the same type.
☐ Suffocation
(illusion) Select 1d4 enemies you can see. They become momentarily stunned, thinking they have run out of air. Only creatures who breathe will believe this illusion. If you weave an additional thread, it instead affects 2d6 enemies you can see.
Fifth Circle Spells
☐ False Choice
(illusion, ongoing) You cast this spell over some pre-existing situation that offers a clear choice (e.g. a fork in the road, which glass from the tray, which door, etc.). Anyone confronted with this choice will make the selection you designate, but will think they took the choice they would have picked of their own free will. If a target of this spell travels more than a few miles away from where the choice was made, they realize something has gone awry. While ongoing, take −1 to cast spells.
☐ Mass Hallucination
(illusion, ongoing) Your surroundings fill with a multi-sensory illusion limited only by your imagination. The effect may be subtle (e.g. a smell of perfume, a slight haze in the air, barely audible whispers), overt (e.g. a massive inferno, a landscape of writhing tortured souls, a raging thunderstorm), or anything in between. All present must contend with the illusion as if it were real, unless they have some way of seeing through the illusion or other certainty that it is false (the GM might give monsters such knowledge as a consequence failed rolls). The illusion may deal damage, but never more than 1d4, regardless of how bad the situation may appear. While ongoing, you cannot weave spells.
☐ Pierce the Veil
(divination, ongoing) You sense illusions, seeing through them to the truth. You also intuit the source of any illusions you see. While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell that is not an illusion.
☐ Phantom Apparatus
(summoning, ongoing) You craft an illusion of a grand vehicle with a passenger stat no greater than eight, then summon a spirit into it, giving it substance. Describe what the vehicle looks like. This functions exactly the way a real vehicle of that type would, including its moves, though is significantly more luxurious. While the spell is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Rain of Death
(illusion) You target every enemy you can see with illusory missiles of some kind (fire raining from the sky, crystal shards spraying from your hand, spears bursting out of the ground, swarms of bees, etc.). Say what this looks like, then deal 2d4 damage to each target. Targets who survive wounding from this spell find that damage it dealt heals once the combat is over.
☐ Switch
(illusion, ongoing) You touch two people while casting this spell (one of them can be you), and each will take on the exact appearance and voice of the other, though their behavior may not. Each subject retains their own stats, abilities, gear and talents, all appearances to the contrary. You need not have the subject’s consent.
Seventh Circle Spells
☐ Alienation
(illusion, ongoing) A target you can see perceives being banished to an abandoned waste, trapped in an illusion that only they experience. Others see (and may suffer from) the target’s reactions, but not what caused them. The illusion cannot harm the target; however, if you weave an additional thread, it will rationalize harm inflicted on the target in reality (e.g. someone attacking them) with a corresponding event in the illusory world. If the target truly doubts the illusion, it ends. While is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Aphasia
(enchantment, ongoing) Select any number of nearby targets. Anything the targets say comes out a nonsensical jumble. They also perceive other speech to be jumbled as well. While the spell is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell. If you weave an additional thread, you can understand the targets and, if you desire, they can understand you.
☐ Countless Doorways
Select a mundane door. A small, nearly invisible mark appears on the door in a location of your choosing. From now on, if you touch that mark when opening the door, you may make it open into the location of any other door you have marked with this spell. The connection remains open as long as the door does, but severs if shut from either end. Strong washing with soap may erase your mark from a door.
☐ Dreamwalk
(ongoing) You project your awareness into the dreams of a nearby sleeping target, leaving your own body asleep in the real world. You fully (and secretly) experience the dreams of the target, and may be able to mine them for information. You may also sculpt the dreams in any way you like and to your own purposes. You may make moves (such as discern realities or spout lore) while in the dream. Any harm you inflict on the target in their dreams deals no damage in the real world, but may cause the target to wake. While ongoing, you cannot cast spells.
☐ Life is Illusion
(ongoing) Select a target. When the target deals damage, you may transform some of the attack into an illusion, cutting the damage dealt (before armor) in half. While the spell is ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell. If you weave an additional thread, you may affect two additional targets.
☐ Leaping Lizards
(summoning, ongoing) Choose a monster with the horde tag. You craft an illusion of a 1d4 (or, if you weave an additional thread, 2d6) such monsters, then summon a spirit into it. The creatures use the same stats as real monsters of that type, except you define their instinct and they only deal 1d4 damage. The GM controls this horde, staying true to the instinct you define. The horde remains until it dies or you dismiss the spell.
Ninth Circle Spells
☐ Afterlife
(illusion) Select a target who has recently taken damage or suffered some other ill effect. They feel the icy clutch of death upon them and, as far as they know, fall down dead, only to come to at the site of their final judgment. Describe the tribunal who judges the target and what they ask for in exchange for letting them cheat death and return to the land of the living (as if they were taking their last breath). The spell ends when the target either accepts or rejects the deal. Either way, the target “wakes up” back in the real world (where, in reality, almost no time has passed, regardless of the length of the negotiations). The target heals 1d8 damage if they accepted the deal or takes 1d8 damage if they rejected it. The spell provides no way of enforcing the deal, but the target does not know that.
☐ Eclipse
(illusion) You conjure a disk of solid darkness high in the sky, slowly blotting out the sun, just as an eclipse would, over scores of miles. While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Presence
(ongoing) Every creature must ask your leave to enter your presence, and you must give permission aloud for them to enter. Violators take an extra 1d10 damage whenever they take damage in your presence. While ongoing you take −1 to cast a spell.
☐ Shadow Palace
(illusion, ongoing) You trace out a doorway in mid air and open it. The door enters into a monumental palace (furnished, appointed and staffed as you see fit) tucked into a pocket of astral space. Anything removed from the palace vanishes into mist, but while inside the palace everything is real; food is nourishing, baths are cleansing, and so on. Each thread of this spell takes a quarter hour to weave. This spell can be sustained permanently by spending 2 blood, allowing you to call the door any time you like.
☐ Done to the Place
(illusion, ongoing) Concentrate on the steading you are in and select any number of its current occupants. The spell alters the steading, altering its tags to all appearances. The occupants you select can see the changes and, knowing they are illusory, may act to reinforce them. To any affected by the illusion, the prosperity, population and defense function as if they were each one step higher or lower (decided at the time of casting). In addition, you may remove or add four other tags on the steading. While ongoing you take −1 to weave spells.