Prestidigitator (3.5e Prestige Class)
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Prestidigitator
A Classy Act
| “ | The common room of the Thrown Apple Tavern was completely silent. Commoner and nobleman alike sat in hushed expectation, watching the newcomer intently. The young man motioned toward the bar and a pint of lager slowly drifted to his waiting hand. Smiles broke out among those who had seen him on one of the previous two nights as they knew this heralded the beginning of his story.
The firelight dimmed as he began to speak. The story he told was a fairly well known one, but the way in which he told it brought it to new light. Weaving magic while he spoke, he brought the sounds and smells of the story to life. Everyone listened entranced as he told them of the damsel’s capture, complete with the slight smell of perfume and the sounds of evil laughing. They all gasped in shock as he told them of the vile monsters used to guard the villain's tower, and shuddered when he magically painted their picture on the walls. When the hero arrived at the tower, the audience cheered with delight and howled their approval as he cut his way through the enemy. When he finally confronted the evil mastermind in his lair, the lights in the inn darkened ominously and a slight chill filled the room. The sounds of weapons clashing in mortal combat filled the room as he described their final battle to the finish. When the Hero finally deposed the dastardly villain, a cheer went up from the room. The end of the story described how the Hero took the Damsel to his secret home deep in the mountains and they lived happily ever after. Before he finished speaking, everyone in the common room was a friend and they all wanted to tell him about how the story varied in their land. With the new information, the adventurer was able to discover a clue to both the Villain's lair and the Hero’s secret home. Smiling he prepared to continue on his quest. |
” |
| —From the Tale of the Seeker | ||
Becoming a Prestidigitator
Performers, entertainers, intimidators, illusionists, and anyone who wants to add a bit of flash or pizzazz to their magic have ample reason to take up the prestidigitator prestige class. Bards usually take this class to help with their performances. Other arcane spellcasters take this class for a variety of reasons either to awe, impress, intimidate, or enliven others with their magic. The ability to personalize your magic is another incentive to take this class. Prestidigitators rely on the same abilities as the class they held before becoming a Prestidigitator (Int for wizards, Cha for bards and sorcerers).
| Skills: | Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks, Perform (any) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks |
|---|---|
| Spellcasting: | Ability to cast arcane spells |
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special | Spells per Day/Spells Known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Magical Performance, Parlour Tricks | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Bonus Cantrips | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Bonus Feat, Social Student | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Silent Prestidigitation | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Still Prestidigitation | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Improved Prestidigitation | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Social Master | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Master Prestidigitator | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | — | +1 levels of Existing Class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Sublime Prestidigitator | +1 levels of Existing Class |
|
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) | ||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the prestidigitator prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A prestidigitator gains no additional proficiencies in any weapon or armor.
Spellcasting: At each level you gain an increase in caster level and after first you gain new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a prestidigitator, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Spells: To cast a particular spell, you must have a score of at least 10 + the spell's level in your primary ability score as determined by your previous class. Your bonus spells are based on this same ability score. Saves to avoid the effects of your spells have a DC of 10 + the spell's level + your primary ability score bonus (if any).
Spellbook: Prestidigitators who use a spellbook gain spells in it as their original casting class, including at the first level of prestidigitator.
Familiars: Prestidigitator levels stack with sorcerer and wizard levels for determining the familiar's abilities.
Magical Performance (Ex): A prestidigitator gains a bonus equal to one half their prestidigitator level (rounded up) plus one on any Perform checks. So +2 at levels one and 2, +3 at levels 3 and 4, +4 at levels 5 and 6, and so on.
Parlour Tricks (Sp): At 1st level, a prestidigitator gains all the benefits of having the Parlour Tricks Feat. If he already has this feat, or takes it at a later time, he can cause two prestidigitation affects simultaneously or alter two characteristics of a spell (per the Parlour Tricks Feat) this will raise the identify DC by 10 instead of 5.
Bonus Cantrips: The character gains the ability to cast an additional number of 0 level spells equal to their primary classes' ability score bonus. (Charisma for sorcerers and bards, intelligence for wizards, etc.)
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, the character may take either an item creation feat or metamagic feat, provided they meet prerequisites of the feats.
Social Student: At 3rd level, you may choose to either be a stigma, barfly, or an idol. Stigma's gain a bonus to their Intimidate and Bluff skills of +2 when using their magic to influence social situations. Barflies gain a bonus to their Gather Information and Bluff skills of +2 when using their magic to influence social situations. Idol's gain a bonus to their Diplomacy and Bluff skills of +2 when using their magic to influence social situations. This bonus increases to +4 when they reach 7th level and become social masters.
Silent Prestidigitation: The prestidigitator no longer needs a verbal component to cast prestidigitations. They can, however, make up verbal components if they wish. A Concentration check (DC 15) needs to be made when making up a verbal component. Failure can either mean spell failure or a roll on the chart available in Dragon issue 302 pg 52 (if available). If making up both a verbal and a somatic component the DC is raised to 20.
Still Prestidigitation: The prestidigitator no longer needs a somatic component to cast prestidigitations. They can, however, make up somatic components if they wish. A Concentration check (DC 15) needs to be made when making up a somatic component. Failure can either mean spell failure or a roll on the chart available in Dragon issue 302 pg 52 (if available). If making up both a verbal and a somatic component DC is raised to 20.
Improved Prestidigitation: Upon gaining 6th level, the prestidigitator has come to a profound understanding of how magic works and gains the Improved Prestidigitation feat.
Master Prestidigitator: Upon gaining 8th level, the prestidigitator has become an expert at using prestidigitations to bolster other spells and gains the Master Prestidigitator feat.
Sublime Prestidigitator: Upon gaining 10th level, the prestidigitator has passed beyond mere mastery of using prestidigitations to bolster other spells and gains the Sublime Prestidigitator feat.
Playing a Prestidigitator
Combat: Prestidigitators are typically flashy and have a flair for the dramatic, using their magic to shock and awe their opponents into defeat.
Advancement: Prestidigitators who wish to go far with their magical expertise should consider multiclassing into other spell-casting classes and prestige classes.
Resources: As they are adept at using their magic to influence people, most prestidigitators can seemingly pull resources out of thin air.
Prestidigitators in the World
| “ | My magic is unique! When I cast a spell there is no doubt that it was me. | ” |
| —Wensad, Human Prestidigitator and Wizard | ||
Prestidigitators can be found anywhere that magic can be cast. The local hedge wizard may actually be a prestidigitator who uses his magic to entertain the children of the village. The evil high wizard Derakon may be a prestidigitator who uses his mastery of prestidigitations to keep his minions in line.
NPC Reactions: Most NPC's will react to a prestidigitator as they would any magic user, except that a prestidigitator has the advantage when trying to influence that reaction. In areas of the world where magic is illegal, prestidigitators are even more frowned on than normal due to their flashy ways.
Prestidigitator Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research prestidigitators to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 11 | Prestidigitators can come from any arcane spellcasting class. |
| 16 | Prestidigitators use cantrips to bolster their spells. |
| 21 | Prestidigitators can disguise the spells they are using by using cantrips. |
| 26 | A secretive guild of master prestidigitators exists to teach aspiring prestidigitators. |
Prestidigitators in the Game
Prestidigitators slip handily into the spellcaster slot of any adventuring party.
Adaptation: Prestidigitators need no real adaptation to fit into a campaign world.
Sample Encounter: A quick trip to the local hedge wizard may uncover a prestidigitator. This particular hedge wizard in the following example is an evil man who has used his influence and spell mastery to enslave the town.
EL 10: Karvik, a prestidigitator of the wizard variety, is running the town of Pine Hollow as his personal little kingdom. He will attempt to use innocent townsfolk to slow the PC's while unleashing terrible and powerful magic indiscriminately to slay them, fleeing if he starts to feel that he will not win.
| Male Human Wizard 3, Prestidigitator 7 | |
| CE Medium humanoid | |
| Init/Senses | +3/Listen 4, Spot 4 |
| AC | , touch , flat-footed (+3 Dex) |
| hp | (10 HD) |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +3/+6/+10 |
| Weakness | -- |
| Speed | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Base Atk/Grp | +4/+3 |
| Spells Known | (CL 10th): 5th (1/day) 4th (3/day) 3rd (4/day) 2nd (5/day) 1st (5/day) 0 (8/day) |
| Abilities | Str 9, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12 |
| SQ | summon familiar, Cantrip Mastery, Social Stigma +4, Silent Prestidigitation, Still Prestidigitation |
| Feats | AlertnessB (familiar), Toymaker, Parlour Tricks, Improved Prestidigitation |
| Skills | Appraise +9, Bluff +10, Concentration +13, Craft (alchemy) +13, Decipher Script +8, Escape Artist +9, Hide +8, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Listen +4, Perform (puppetteer) +6, Search +4, Spellcraft +17, Spot +4 |
| Possessions | spell components |
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