Street magicians perform minor feats of magic for the entertainment of others. Some travel with carnivals, delighting in new venues. Others work the same stage or street corner every day, performing to earn enough coin for their dinner and a bed. The only real similarity between individual street magicians is that they excel in combining real magic with the illusion of magic through misdirection.
A street magician may be any alignment. Good street magicians often travel with carnivals or a circus, perhaps paying special attention to entertaining children or the downtrodden. Neutral street magicians usually perform mostly for the money and to avoid the pedestrian work of a laborer or farm hand. Evil street magicians want to showcase their talents, more often than not, and prove themselves better than other magicians, if only in the public eye. Unscrupulous street magicians will often use their fascinate ability to grab a crowd’s attention while their allies move among the affected and rob them blind.
Street magicians come from all walks of life. Sorcerers are the most likely class to become a street magician. Many wizards might look down their noses at what they might consider a flagrant misrepresentation of magic, but other wizards may pursue the path of a street magician to expand their skill list. Surprisingly, not many bards become street magicians, but those who do become some of the most successful performers. Almost anyone looking to become a street magician would benefit from a level or two of bard or rogue to help fulfill the skill prerequisite.
Hit Die: d4
Prerequisites:
Abilities: Cha 13+
Skills: Bluff +5, Sleight of Hand +5
Feats: Skill Focus (Perform (oratory))
Special: Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells
Class Skills:
The street magician’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier.
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells |
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Marvelous Magician | – |
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class | |
| 3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Fascinate | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
Class Features:
All the following are class features of the street magician class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A street magician gains no proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At every level after 1st, a street magician gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as bonus metamagic feats). If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a street magician, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purposes of determining spells per day and spells known.
Marvelous Magician (Sp): A street magician knows that while big, flashy tricks are what draws a crowd, it’s the little effects in between that keep the crowd watching. A street magician may use prestidigitation as a spell-like ability at will.
Fascinate (Sp): A good street magician not only draws a crowd, but holds their interest entirely. At 3rd level, a street magician can weave some slick fast-talk into his performance to attempt nearby creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see the street magician and able to pay attention to him. The street magician must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. The street magician may use this ability three times per day.
To use this ability, the street magician makes a Perform (oratory) check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. The street magician may lose one prepared spell or a daily use of a spell to add that spell’s level to the DC. This must be done during the performance and cannot be done after the Perform (oratory) check is rolled. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the street magician cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature becomes fascinated, and stands quietly watching the street magician perform and taking no other actions for as long as the street magician continues to speak and concentrate, to a maximum of 1 round per class level. If the street magician has the bardic music ability, he may add his levels of bard to the duration of his fascinate ability. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.