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Hello my wonderful others! I am creating my own 5e class and would love for some critical feedback. Making a class is very difficult, as it has to be unique and generic enough to fit into every setting and it must be balanced between other classes.

So without further ado!

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Illusionst level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per illusionist level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, Short sword, Long Sword

Tools: Disguise Kit

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma

Skills: Choose 2 from Investigation, Insight, Perception, Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, Performance

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

Simple weapon of your choice
(a) Shortsword or (b) Longsword
An Explorer’s Pack
Leather Armor

Illusions

Starting at 1st level, a mesmer can make an illusional copy as a bonus action. The illusional copy appears within 30 ft. of the illusionist. An illusional copy cannot be farther than 120ft. from the illusionist, or else it vanishes. It's Defenses are equal to the mesmers and it has 4 hit points, gaining 4 hitpoints for each illusionist level. The Illusionist can use an attack action to have the illusional copy attack.

When attacking the illusion uses whatever weapon the mesmer had equipped when the illusion was formed and uses the mesmer’s spell attack modifier and adds the mesmer’s Charisma modifier to damage. An illusional copy’s attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance. The illusion moves whenever the mesmer moves. An illusion lasts for 1 minute unless its hit points reaches 0.

The number of illusions that can be created equals your proficiency bonus. When an illusional copy reaches 0 hitpoints, the magic energy is dispersed and the number of illusional copies that can be created decreases by 1. A short rest restores the number of illusional copies that can be created. An illusionist may also expend a 1st level spell slot to restore 1 use of an illusional copy, plus 1 more per spell slot level higher than 1st. An illusionist may expend a spell slot once per turn, and expending a spell slot doesn’t require an action.

When attacked by a creature, the creature notices the illusion isn’t real. Creatures that see through the illusion no longer take damage from the illusion’s attacks.

Illusion Practitioner

Starting at 1st level, the illusionist learns the Minor Illusion cantrip. If you cast this cantrip on an illusional copy, you may make the illusional copy move and speak in your voice. Creatures that use their action to discern whether or not the illusional copy is real do so at disadvantage, unless the illusional copy is attacked.

Spellcasting (Likely Paladin-esque casting)

The Illusionist table shows how many Spell Slots you have to cast your Spells. To cast one of your illusionist Spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended Spell Slots when you finish a Long Rest.

You prepare the list of illusionist Spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the paladin spell list. When you do so, choose a number of paladin Spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your illusionist level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The Spells must be of a level for which you have Spell Slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level illusionist, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level Spell Slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared Spells can include four Spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Color Spray , you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared Spells.

You can change your list of prepared Spells when you finish a Long Rest. Preparing a new list of illusionist Spells requires time spent entertaining the mind: at least 1 minute per Spell Level for each spell on your list.

Illusional Trail

Starting at 2nd level, the illusionist may spend 1 minute searching the area for traces of magic. Spells cast within the last 24 hours will appear as faint traces of color that float in the air. The trail can be followed and glows stronger the closer the illusionist is to the creature/person that cast the spell. This trail can be seen by anyone. The trail continues until the illusionist loses concentration.

Fighting Style

At 2rd level you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Close Quarters Shooter.

You are trained in making ranged attacks at close quarters. When making a ranged attack while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 ft. of you. Finally, you have a +1 bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Brutal Strike

Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can attempt to drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. The DC equals 10 or 5 plus the damage it took, whichever is higher. On a failed save, the target is pushed 5 feet away from you. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Gathering Steps

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you may choose to give the weapon you are wielding the reach property, if it does not have it already. This choice lasts until the start of your next turn.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Archetypes at 3rd level: Martial Illusionist, Eliciter, Manipulator

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of you choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn.

Defensive Transfer

Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an Attack, you can use your reaction to change places with an active illusional copy.
Martial Illusionist.

Armor and Weapon Training

Starting at 3rd level, you are proficient with Martial Weapons, Medium Armor, and Shields. Whenever you create an illusional copy, you may have the copy be equipped with any weapon you are proficient with.

War Illusions:

Starting at 3rd level, when attacking, an illusional copy may use Strength or Dexterity in place of Charisma for attack and damage rolls. Illusional copies may make opportunity attacks and count as allies. When a creature attacks an illusional copy, the illusional does half damage (rounded up) to the creature instead of no damage.

When attacked by a creature and an illusional copy is adjacent to you, you may use your reaction to have the illusional copy make an opportunity attack against the creature.

Reinforcements

Starting at 6th level, you may create a number of illusional copies equal to your proficiency bonus. Each illusional copy created this way may make one attack action during the round. Illusional copies appear within 30ft of the illusionist, if there is space available. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short rest or long rest before you can use it again.
Into Formation

Starting at 10th level, you may activate Into Formation when you use Reinforcements, if you have enough illusional copies in play. Formations are below:

Firing Line, at least 4 illusional copies. Every illusional copy vanishes and reappears in a straight line. Their weapons change into longbows and targets in a 5 foot square, per illusional copy, must make a Dexterity save vs. your spell save or take 1d8 damage per illusional copy. If the targets pass the save, they take half damage. Targets without shields have disadvantage on the save, while targets with shields automatically pass the save. Firing Line has a range equal to 600 ft.

Shield Wall, at least 4 illusional copies. Every illusional copy vanishes and reappears in a straight line. Their weapons change into shields and long swords. When attacked by ranged weapons, the attacker has disadvantage on the attack roll and cannot target those 5ft behind the shield wall. When targeted by a spell that deals damage, each illusional copy in the wall is expended to decrease the damage die by 1, to a minimum of 1 damage die. The illusionist may use Reinforcements as a reaction, to use the Shield Wall formation.

Pike Wall, at least 4 illusional copies. Every illusional copy vanishes and reappears in a straight line. Their weapons change into longspears. Other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from an illusional copy when they enter their reach. If a creature moved more than 10ft. Before entering their reach, the illusional copy’s attack deals double damage. The illusionist may use Reinforcements as a reaction, to use the Pike Wall formation.

Horse Wedge, at least 5 illusional copies. Every illusional copies vanishes and reappears in a V shape, with one illusional copy in the lead, two diagonally behind him, and two diagonally behind them. Their weapons change into lances and shields. The illusional copies may move double your movement speed this round and they have advantage when attacking creatures that aren’t mounted. When an illusional copy moves more than 10ft and hits a creature, you may cause the creature to make a Strength save vs. your spell save or be knocked prone.

Pulling Yourself Together:
Starting at 14th level, when you take damage that would drop you to 0 hitpoints, you may expend any number of active illusional copies to heal 1d8 per illusional copy. Once you do so, you may not do again until you finish a long rest. Pulling Yourself Together doesn't require an action.
Here is the second Archetype, The Eliciter.

The Eliciter.

Troublesome Illusions:

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you create an illusional copy, you may choose to make it look like another creature that you’ve seen and heard before. You may choose to concentrate on an illusional copy, extending its duration to an 1 hour or until you lose concentration. While controlling an illusional copy, you may see, hear, and speak from the illusional copy’s space. You may use your bonus action to move the illusional copy and may use the Deception, Intimidation, and Bluff skill checks through the illusional copy.

Expertise:

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Trouble Maker:

Starting at 6th level, you may use your action to detonate your illusional copies into shards of glass. Each creature within 5ft of an illusional copy must make a Dexterity save vs. your spell save, or take 2d8 damage and become blinded for 1 round. Creatures that save take half damage and are not blinded. At 11th level, the damage increases to 3d8. At 17th level, the damage increases to 4d8. Creatures that fail multiple saves are only blinded for 1 round. After detonating, an illusional copy's hitpoints drops to 0.

Carnival Swap:

Starting at 10th level, you may use your reaction to cause an enemy creature to change places with an illusionary copy. You may exchange multiple illusionary copies with multiple enemy targets. An illusionary copy must be of the enemy that is being exchanged. The creature must be within sight and must make a Charisma save vs. your spell save. If the creature fails, it changes place with an illusionary copy. Once you use Carnival Swap, you must finish a short rest before doing so again.

Nobody’s Fool:

Starting at 14th level, you become proficient in the Insight skill if you weren’t already. If you were, double your proficiency bonus for the Insight skill. You have advantage on saves against Illusion and Enchantment spells.
Why four skills? Bards only get three and arguably fulfill a similar thematic niche. Rogues are the only class that gets four currently. Paladins only get two, and that's what you're basing the spellcasting on.

Illusion is bizarre. It's /stupidly/ good at level 1, when characters are arguably their most frail, then gets less and less relevant as time goes on because their hit points start (Most likely) better than the Illusionist, then barely scale from there. Their defenses match the caster, which is fine, but interfaces weirdly with the Martial Illusionist, who can summon their duplicates with any arms and armor.

Intelligence save to disbelieve is /really/ rough on beasts, who should arguably have an easier time figuring out an illusion isn't real due to heightened senses.

What's the max range a duplicate can be from the caster? It's not a spell, so Dispel Magic won't affect it.

I'm also having a hard time grasping the thematic niche for the class. When I picture an illusionist, I don't picture a warrior with tricksy magic, which is perhaps a failing on my own part.
I made some adjustments to the Illusions' hitpoints, the number of skills available, will remove the intelligence save from hitting the illusions, changed the Martial Illusionist to summon illusions with any weapon instead of both weapons and armor. I added a max range for an illusion.

I will add a bit more when I return from my classes for the day! Illusion Paladin doesn't sound as great as Illusionist, but I may think of a more thematic name eventually.
What if it was named Spell Blade? Or Mirage Blade? Or False Blade? Or Phantom Blade?

I am particular to False Blade, as I think it sounds the most generic and is still appealing to say.
The last levels, 7-20.

Disperse Illusion

Starting at 7th level, you may use your action to detonate an illusionary copy. When you do, you may end any spell from the Illusion within 60ft of the illusionary copy. The illusionary copy’s hitpoints then drops to 0. You must finish a short rest or long rest before you may use Disperse Magic again.
Illuminate

Starting at 11th level, you may decrease or increase the lighting around 30ft of you. When you create an illusionary copy, you may either shroud it in darkness or light. When an illusionary copy is shrouded in darkness, it has advantage with attack rolls against creatures without darkvision. When an illusionary copy is shrouded in light, it has advantage against with attack rolls against creatures with darkvision. After the illusionary copy attacks, it loses its shroud of darkness/light.

Creatures with scent, blindsense, tremor sense, or other senses beyond darkvision are immune to Illuminate.

Disguised

Starting at 15th level, you may cast Disguise Self at will, without using a spell slot. Whenever you use the Bluff skill to pass yourself off as another person, you do so with advantage.

Improved Illusions

Starting at 18th level, you may make two illusionary copies instead of one, whenever you spend a bonus action to make an illusionary copy.
Illusion Mastery

Starting at 20th level, whenever you roll for initiative, you gain 2 uses of Illusions.