Clown, Variant (5e Race)

Clown, Variant

Physical Description

Clowns are humanoid creatures that are very similar to humans. They almost always have pale white skin, vibrantly colored hair, typically exaggerated facial features and various colorful markings about their face, and usually on the rest of their body as well. Similar to snowflakes, no clowns share the same markings.

History

Long ago, there was a god, a creature that was the source of hilarity and chaos, and it had no name. It had taken many patrons throughout the years, but it found one it liked the most. Clowns. The god fashioned a name for itself, Splatinko, and set about to take clowns for itself. Splatinko spoke to a particular man, the first clown, and a pact was born.

Far after this deal was made, clowns roam the earth. They are not born from people, and they are not people. Clowns are born at Splatinko’s whim, as many things are, but this process has rather inconsistent results. Some clowns are born as a person is born, but they are a clown instead of a person. Some clowns are formed from a large cloud of dust and sound that slowly unravels to reveal a fully grown clown. Most, however, do not remember the particulars of their birth, and most wish not to know of it. Clowns are here to entertain, it matters not as to how they got here.

Society

Many clown societies exist, but the average person does not live to see it. Clown cities, towns and villages are meticulously made in places mortal men and most people cannot live, at least not comfortably. Every clown town is home to a church, a church that worships Splatinko. Most clowns do not know what or who Splatinko is, but they know he is important. The House of Hilarity, the church of Splatinko, is ruled by a Gigglemaster, who acts as the pope of the church. The Gigglemaster can speak directly to Splatinko, and thus hands down his wisdom and power to other clowns. There are then four sects of Splatinko that each deal with one of Splatinko’s aspects. There is the Sect of Wrath, the Sect of Tears, the Sect of Laughs and the Sect of Discord. The Sect of Wrath deals with the anger that Splatinko can muster, the Sect of Tears deals with the ominousness and apathy that Splatinko can sow, the Sect of Laughs, the largest sect, deals with the hilarity and laughter Splatinko can muster, and the Sect of Discord deals with the pure chaos Splatinko was made of. Each sect has a prophet that functions as a lesser to the Gigglemaster. Not all clowns are extremely integrated into the church, but all respect it; save for Fools, which abhor it.

Clown society, unlike how clowns are depicted, is not all fun and games. Many aspects of clown society are taken very seriously, especially the religious aspect. Clown society is not open to any who are not clowns, and many who go in search of a clown society do not return. Clowns do not experience child, infant or teenage parts of life, and instead are spawned as fully grown humanoids. Clowns tend to stray into several categories of life. Clowns who feel a calling to Splatinko tend to stay in clown society in order to serve him. Clowns who feel a calling to go out into the world to spread joy and laughter, and a small bit of chaos, tend to seep into other societies. These clowns, while not directly serving Splatinko, still very much serve him. Then, there are… unique clowns; Fools, as they are called. Clowns who feel a revulsion towards Splatinko and his religion, towards joy and its harbingers, tend to fall down a different path. These clowns embrace dark things, they murder and spread travesty as an afront to Splatinko, and he is not forgiving unto them. Then there is an extremely rare subcategory of clowns, clowns who do not reject Splatinko but yet don’t seem to spread laughter. These clowns travel in nomadic tribes and are devout to Splatinko, but in ways the more civilized and church-going clowns do not. These clowns are considered omens and are known of in clown society, but never regarded with more than a watchful eye.

Clowns, in the world's eyes, are merely funny people who are probably just some guy or gal in white face paint. The world never tends to see the more religious undertones of a clown, and very infrequently are they “blessed” with a Fool who wishes to disgrace Splatinko. However, there are some who do not see with the world's eyes. In the circus, it is an unspoken rule that you do not, under any circumstance, ever anger, underestimate or insult a clown. To the circus, clowns are hilarious and mysterious forces of nature that have inhuman abilities, even though they are “merely a man in face-paint.” In the circus, clowns are respected and treated with privacy. Never must one enter the carriage or quarters of a clown troupe, as those who do those things never tend to be around for long. The circus sees clowns for what they are, and dares not tell anyone else.

Clown Names

Clowns typically have very strange and eccentric names. Although, it is not uncommon for a clown to have a different and purposefully ordinary name as a way to generate humor.

First Names: Bobo, Gamze, Bippy, Plinko, Bobin, Spugin, Strauss, Shirst, Zhankin, Zrubi

Last Names: Fyan, L’Man, La La, Rugne, Bofa

Clown Traits

A joyful and strange race of humanoids often thought to be little more than jokes.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores increase by 1.
Age. Clowns live abnormally long. You reach adulthood when you are born, and can live up to 1000 years old.
Alignment. Culturally, clowns strongly tend towards any and all alignments, but most often they are Chaotic Good.
Size. Clowns are roughly the same size as humans, but with a bit more uniqueness to their figure. Many Clowns seem cartoonishly shaped. Your Size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet. Additionally, you gain an additional five (5) feet of reach with any melee weapon.
Religion. Clowns would never practice any other religion other than the House of Hilarity, except for Fools who would likely stray to more evil religions.
Natural Comedians. You know the vicious mockery cantrip. The damage dealt by the spell increases to 1d6. Additionally, you are proficient in the Performance skill.
Blessing of Whimsy. When you roll a 1 on a d20, your next d20 roll is made with advantage. You can use this ability an amount of times equal to your Charisma modifier, after which you must take a long rest in order to do so again.
Compressible Form. You can squeeze into places too tight for other creatures of your size with ease. You can move through a space as narrow as half a foot wide without squeezing. Additionally, you are proficient in the Acrobatics skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one language of your choice.
Subrace. You are either a Harlequin, a Fool, a Jester or a Droll.

Harlequin

The average clown. Often found in every populated place imaginable. Adorned with facial markings, pale white skin and colorful hair.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and your Charisma scores increase by 1.
Slapstick Comedy. You can use your reaction to automatically negate all damage from falling or halve damage from a failed Dexterity saving throw. You may perform this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, after which you must complete a long rest to do so again.
Always Happy. You are immune to the frightened condition.

Fool

The rare, extremely hated version of the typical clown. The usual facial markings have been replaced with more macabre imitations, the pale skin much paler, eyes devoid of any typical clownlike joy and the vibrant hair is instead dull and colorless.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Foolish Repulsion. Since you reject Splatinko, your life is full of numbness and pain. You are resistant to cold and necrotic damage, as well as exhaustion.

Jester

The most devout of any clown. Eyes sparkle with life, hair alive with colorful iridescence, facial markings replaced with celestial imagery and skin glorious and fine.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Charisma scores increase by 1.
Holy Trance. You do not need to sleep. Instead, you enter a state of prayer, remaining conscious, for 8 hours a day. During this state you do not dream, but are instead fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and any other events as normal. After resting like this, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.
Radiant Smile. Your presence gives off the feeling of standing in warm sunlight. You can use an action to smile and emit bright light for 20 feet from yourself, and 20 feet of dim light after that. You can turn this effect off with a bonus action. Additionally, any magical light you create count as daylight.

Droll

An incredibly rare subrace, hidden from all clowns. Weavers of fate, divinaters of the future, creatures representative of Splatinkos' more ominous side. Markings shift and move depending on emotion and thought, eyes almost seem blind, hair a base color, and skin often dirtied.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increase by 2.
Foreboding Stare. By expending your Action, you stare at a creature you can see without moving or blinking. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus) or immediately feel an ominous feeling of dread. If the creature succeeds, nothing more happens. If the creature fails, the creature then, for the next 1d4 minutes, must roll 1d4 and subtract the rolled number from any d20 roll. You can use this ability an amount of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, after which you must complete a long rest to do so again.
Omen. Immediately after you complete a long rest, roll a d20. Write the rolled number down somewhere, as you’ll need it later. At any point after the number has been written down before your next long rest, you may replace one of your d20 rolls, or the d20 roll of a creature within 60 feet of you, with this number. You may use this ability once, after which you must complete a long rest to do so again.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 5''	+3d8	110 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Clown character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I am quite jovial and always have a joke lined up.
2	I suffer from bouts of depression and can be a downer to be around.
3	I am very gluttonous and tend to stuff my face when not doing other things.
4	I can be psychotic and my jokes are very dark.
5	I am loopy and not always all there.
6	My jokes are sometimes sadistic even if I don't intend them to be.
7	I am a very bombastic individual.
8	I tend to be under emotive.

d6	Ideal
1	I try to bring joy to children everywhere.
2	I work create the ultimate balloon animal.
3	I endeavor to craft the ultimate gag.
4	Someday I will make the world appreciate the art of miming.
5	I will one day become become a world famous japester.
6	I wish to rise to the position of jester of a powerful ruler.

d6	Bond
1	I endeavor to bring pride to my troupe.
2	My troupe has a gag-master I wish to surpass.
3	I will bring appreciation of clowns to people everywhere.
4	There is a rival jokester I must always outdo.
5	I try to bring honor to the art of miming in all I do.
6	I will bring my troupe's art to new heights.

d6	Flaw
1	Must always play a gag out.
2	Known to take a joke too far.
3	Can't take being the butt of a joke.
4	Must be the center of attention.
5	Always messes up the punch line.
6	Never takes things seriously.

5.00

(2 votes)

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