Starting an illusionist

[Azernak0]

I had a nifty idea for a character that is basically afraid of the light, but is a good person. In DnD, usually, if something is afraid of the light it is Eeeee-vil (Vampires, Wraiths, Shades, etc). I liked the idea of doing an illusion based character but I was wondering if they could actually be useful at certain stages of the game. Say, levels 1, 3, 5, 9, and above.

[Keld Denar]

Required reading (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5638.0)

Maybe the Dark template from Tome of Magic. It's dark, but not evil. Has a lot of fun features, most notably HiPS which is often fun and hilarious.

[dantiesilva]

Play the race right and illusionist is very powerful. I also agree with the dark template.

[Azernak0]

Aye, I have read Shadowcraft Mage before in the Races of Stone book. Never thought it was too amazing but I generally don't have an eye for stuff like that. So at low levels it is just a Gnome Illusionist who doesn't have two schools and at high levels it has 40% of the entirety of spells known to a Wizard at once? Interesting.

[Keld Denar]

ScM actually becomes less of an Illusionist and more of a Sorcerer-Blaster at higher levels. Most of the best spells your get from Shadow Illusion are all damage spells, some of which are more real than reality. There are a few good ones like Resilient Sphere and Forcecage that control, but most of your Evocation and Conj(Creation) spells just blast. Granted, you are still an Illusionist and can cast high level Illusions like Illusory Pit and Solipsism, but busting out a shadowy Radiant Assault is all kinds of awesome.

At low levels, abuse the heck out of Silent Image and Color Spray. If you do it right, you can have Shadow Illusion online and in place by level 8.

[ArcturusV]

Well the handy thing that is, as long as your DM isn't out to screw you, Illusions are always useful. If your DM is out to screw you, you're basically stuck to just Shadow spells and a few DM Interpretation-less spells like Invisibility. And unlike a lot of other schools of magic, even level 1 and level 0 spells still are just as relevant and useful at level 20 as they are at level 1.

It's all dependent on your ability to think outside the dice really. Generally if you're rolling dice with an Illusionist you're in up to your neck, and not where you want to be.

[dantiesilva]

I am playing an illusionist right now from a frozen tundra and must say am enjoying it alot, not even optimized. I am a level Illusionist 1/Human paragon 1 and so far have either put everything of danger to sleep, or made it run in fear of a dragon with ghost sound and ventriloquism. I may have lost a caster level, which is bad, but as I am playing a rp heavy, kingmaker ish game it was worth the CL loss to gain Sense motives to my skill list for each level. Next level an extra feat to boost up my DCs, and after that +2 to int. At 5th level I will be casting as a 4th level wizard but have an intelligence of 20. Fair trade off in my case.

[Azernak0]

At low levels, abuse the heck out of Silent Image and Color Spray. If you do it right, you can have Shadow Illusion online and in place by level 8.

I assume that is Earth Spell causing a spell to be considered a 4th level spell?

[Keld Denar]

Correct. It does.

[Azernak0]

Alright. Seems like an interesting idea. What kind of feats should one find themselves taking? I was also thinking something along the lines of the Gnomish Illusionist substitution level from Races of Stone to lower my Transmutation caster level by one. Still not certain what other adaptations would be favorable.

[ArcturusV]

Nothing insane that I can think of that an Illusionist really wants. Stuff that boosts caster level, always important. Particularly if you need to go Dispelling the various "No" buttons to Illusions like True Seeing. Jacking up that caster level as much as possible just pays a lot more dividends for an Illusionist than a lot of other specialties.

Things that boost Survivability and/or Initiative? Not so much. Played right by the time initiative is even a thing, you're already set up. You don't kick in the door and smite monsters. You make it so by the time they even think of fighting you already have them so outfoxed that losing is the only possibility left.

Illusionist is also one of the few specialists where I don't think trading in your familiar for some ACF is really worthwhile. The Illusionist ACFs, not terrible, I'll admit that. But considering you're some stealthy commando of Magic Users as an illusionist I almost always have some sort of mission for my familiar to undertake, partial to ones like the Sea Snake myself.

If you got the feats, and are of the alignment bend for it? I'd take Nymph's Kiss. I bluff A LOT as an Illusionist myself. Free skill points, free +2 to my bluffs and such. Always worth it in my book. That's how I end up with something like +15 to Bluff as a first level, middling OP, Illusionist.

I'd almost suggest it's worth taking Human Paragon 1 (Or something with a similar effect, Factotum has something like that I think?) even with the loss of a caster level to get the various bluffing and social skills as class skills.

Granted that's just how I play Illusionists. Very viable. I haven't really done a "Shadow" Illusionist myself. I've seen others play it at my table. Wasn't really impressed.