RenCarn!

[Suteinu]

I'm preparing for a mystery and terror campaign; picture a traveling show, half-Renfest and half Carnivale. I get to play two characters:

1- The Mystic: Binder freak-show manager, outside-talker (barker, for the uninitiated), based in attitude and bearing on Jake the Snake Roberts. He's creepy, intimidating, and manipulative... in an entertaining way. My question for him is: "what might be the best visiges for him to focus upon?" I've never played a binder before, but everything about it fits my impression of him perfectly. Oh, and yes, he has Wild Cohort: Constrictor.

2- The Manager: Runs the show; a vaudvillian (vaudvillain?) at heart. I'm totally going Groucho Marx with this guy! Build is unclear, though; right now I'm leaning toward goblin or kobold jester (DC).

Step right up, Ladies and Gents, mister and miss-demeanors of all ages, step up and pit your creativity against the numbers so I can glean gorgeous gobbs of inspiration or otherwise totally rip-off your ideas! Entry fee is a mere ONE COOKIE a head! Step right up!

[Zombulian]

I'm preparing for a mystery and terror campaign; picture a traveling show, half-Renfest and half Carnivale. I get to play two characters:

1- The Mystic: Binder freak-show manager, outside-talker (barker, for the uninitiated), based in attitude and bearing on Jake the Snake Roberts. He's creepy, intimidating, and manipulative... in an entertaining way. My question for him is: "what might be the best visiges for him to focus upon?" I've never played a binder before, but everything about it fits my impression of him perfectly. Oh, and yes, he has Wild Cohort: Constrictor.

2- The Manager: Runs the show; a vaudvillian (vaudvillain?) at heart. I'm totally going Groucho Marx with this guy! Build is unclear, though; right now I'm leaning toward goblin or kobold jester (DC).

Step right up, Ladies and Gents, mister and miss-demeanors of all ages, step up and pit your creativity against the numbers so I can glean gorgeous gobbs of inspiration or otherwise totally rip-off your ideas! Entry fee is a mere ONE COOKIE a head! Step right up!

For the manager guy I'd recommend looking at the Charlatan (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6543.0) PrC. It's great for the ol'classic sleight of hand magician with a million tricks up his sleeve. Works a little better than Jester, but you should have no problem qualifying for the PrC with Jester as the base.

[nedz]

Any particular book/rules limitations ?
Any particular level ?
Basic stuff like this is boring, but it helps to have useful answers.

[Pally din]

Illusionist, ranger or anyone with very high handle animal skill, a couple of exotic (for the area) weapon styles in an exhibition, strongman (not necessarily a human), I always thought Master of Mask sounded carnivaly, what about someone with a high grapple and Lucid Dreaming skill?, etc. Horror wise, the trick would be to have people with these classes that are dangerous, but that who initialy look mostly normal. Someone with the Modify Memory spell.

Edit: a Druid with SNAs can get a variety of interesting creatures there, and then you don't have to feed or take care of them when the spell duration expires.

Fatespinner to run the carny games of chance, preferably stacked with other luck reroll type abilities.

Bards. Fleshwarper. The odd rogue to 'work' the crowd. Shadowdancer. Cloaked Dancer.

Another trick to work out is how the carnival does bad things yet gets away with it.

[Suteinu]

Zom: You can get wood, brick, you can even get schtucco! Oh, how you can get schtucco! Thanx!

Nedz: Starting at level 6. Any book I can get a copy of. I plan on abusing Leadership for rousties & such.

Pally: I've thought of some of these, and now my head is swimming with possibilities. Thank thee.

[Zombulian]

Zom: You can get wood, brick, you can even get schtucco! Oh, how you can get schtucco! Thanx!


I am thoroughly confused, but you seem happy enough. Glad to help.

[Gildedragon]

For the binder: Naberius is his favored vestige, no doubt
It even gets him a gravelly voice.
The power is to be a quick talker essentially make dip checks quick without any penalty, and his influence is: you want to talk about something or anything and mock anyone else who is talking.

if the fella is lvl 8: Naberius and Astaroth (the unjustly fallen) are good options
if you wanna tack on more vestigeness: tooth of dhalver nar [Marchosias] I'd cut the effective price down because of the roleplay implications
That fella could pitch you anything and you'd buy it.

Naberius and Primus would let you Command a fair ammount

A golden tooth of Aym to produce flame with which to enthrall passerbys

[nedz]

I like the Charlatan idea but you should also look at Jester/Evangelist — though this might fit a Barker better. Have you consider swapping their jobs ?

[Suteinu]

I am thoroughly confused, but you seem happy enough. Glad to help.


Monkey Business, the Marx Brothers. Groucho is selling Florida real estate and describing the type of houses one can purchace, w/ a thinly veiled admission that he's a con-man. Oddly enough, this was filmed not too long before the Stock Market Crash, of whom Groucho was a victim.

Nedz: Wher do I find Evangelist? Is it a Class or PrC? Whadd'ya like about it?

Gui: Perfect! Thanks much. Now I'm just fighting the urge to go Warblade 1 to pick-up a DDT-like move (tee-hee).

[Zombulian]

I like the Charlatan idea but you should also look at Jester/Evangelist — though this might fit a Barker better. Have you consider swapping their jobs ?

Ooh this is also a great idea. I always liked this PrC.


Monkey Business, the Marx Brothers. Groucho is selling Florida real estate and describing the type of houses one can purchace, w/ a thinly veiled admission that he's a con-man. Oddly enough, this was filmed not too long before the Stock Market Crash, of whom Groucho was a victim.

Ahh yes. I figured it was something like that, but googling the phrase led me nowhere, and I am woefully infamiliar with the Marx Brothers.

[Suteinu]

OK, I'm in love w/ the Jester/Charlitan.

This weekend I was perusing my old Dragon issues, and in #241 I saw a picture of a particular race drawn in profile, and the bells chimed and the chorus let forth with a rousing bit of Beethoven.

The Jest/Cher manager is a derro. True, not optimal (3 humanoid HD and all), but it just feels so right! I've ditched the feats from the MM and replaced them with Sk Foc (Bluff) (prereq.) and Wanderer's Diplomancy (PHBII). Between these feats and all his class abilities, he'll be able to talk a 2nd Ed Fighter out of his Vorpal Sword, a dragon out of his horde, a celestial out of his gourd! He ain't combat-built, but if he can't talk his way out of a confrontation, he's done something wrong. `Sides, there's always Leadership w/ extra cheese ...

One thing. I see no stat modifiers or anything for derro. Are there posted anywhere specific info for derro PC's? The MM is pretty limited on that, outside of the effects of derro madness.

[Zombulian]

OK, I'm in love w/ the Jester/Charlitan.

This weekend I was perusing my old Dragon issues, and in #241 I saw a picture of a particular race drawn in profile, and the bells chimed and the chorus let forth with a rousing bit of Beethoven.

The Jest/Cher manager is a derro. True, not optimal (3 humanoid HD and all), but it just feels so right! I've ditched the feats from the MM and replaced them with Sk Foc (Bluff) (prereq.) and Wanderer's Diplomancy (PHBII). Between these feats and all his class abilities, he'll be able to talk a 2nd Ed Fighter out of his Vorpal Sword, a dragon out of his horde, a celestial out of his gourd! He ain't combat-built, but if he can't talk his way out of a confrontation, he's done something wrong. `Sides, there's always Leadership w/ extra cheese ...

One thing. I see no stat modifiers or anything for derro. Are there posted anywhere specific info for derro PC's? The MM is pretty limited on that, outside of the effects of derro madness.

There's a nice and easy way to deal with stats from monsters actually. If the ability is odd, subtract 11. If it's even, subtract ten. This will give you the modifiers.
For instance: Half Orc Str 12, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 9
Str 2 Dex 0 Con 0 Int -2 Wis 0 Cha -2

[nedz]

Evangelist is in CDiv p39

[Gildedragon]

I really want to see the end statblocks for these fellas.

[Suteinu]

Zomb: Thanks much. I wasn't sure if that applied `cause most of the PC races are given w/ modified heroic stats (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8), which I didn't think quite jived with the derro stats. Ah, simplicity ...

Nedz: One of my co-players is considering an Evangelist-build for the lead dance-girl/ madam in the troup; that, Bard, or just plain-old disenfranchised succubus. `Preciate the lead!

Gui: Will do, soonest!


Edit: Almost forgot! Fire-eating (for an accrobat follower): I'm thinking Perform (pyrotechnics) w/ oil or specially-prepped Alchemist's Fire, usual damage, skill-check sets DC to save, and DON'T BOTCH!

[Gildedragon]

Tooth of Amon! Burning hands at will: refluff as a breath weapon. Add to a ninja-swordsage that does desert wind maneuvers for extra flash to the acrobatics

or the perform (pyrotechnics) for another way of getting there... using the perform result instead of the save might be a good way to go about it...