How to make a prankster

[Catarang]

Hey all!

I've been playing a LN Monk so far, and its got my entire party's panties in a knot (being entirely composed of chaotic characters). My character may die/become a reoccurring villain soon, so I'm planing on doing a complete reversal and making a prankster to play along with the chaotic vibe we've got going. I need your help to make this character a fun character to play. So here's the deal:

1) First and foremost, I'm going for just some fun pranks to annoy my party with. None of these can take place in combat, or deal lethal damage (knocking unconscious or non-lethal damage is fine). Brownie points for the quickest/funniest/least expensive pranks. Remember, please don't suggest something that can be misconstrue'd as an "attack".

2) Suggest builds that may help me with this idea. The character will be level 7, can be any party niche/race and be from any source book/dragon magazine article.

3) Share anecdotes of the funniest pranks you've done/seen committed in game, anything to help me see what it'll be like to play this type of character. Even if your anecdotes brake the rules I've set, I'd still like to hear them!

Thanks in advance!

[Hiro Quester]

How about playing a jester? (See Dragon compendium, p. 36). They have to be chaotic.

A friend once played a Jester Gnome with great success. Think of a small tumbler, juggler, performer, with many killer traits and tricks.

They have some fun abilities to play (good skills, spellcasting, weapon proficiencies, and interesting class abilities).

And there are lots and lots of fun role playing possibilities.

[Wolfepuppy]

Be a changeling rogue with max disguise and bluff. Keep coming and going from the party as "different characters." Don't let them know what's up, except the DM of course. They will think you're just trying to choose a charachter while you and the DM know that its the same guy the whole time. I like Cabinet trickster PrC for this because you can read minds and disguise even better and eventually read minds at will. THis goes good with Mind spy PrC which further optimizes your detect thoughts at will by making it faster and more minds at a time and giving you bonuses in combat. Can use uncanny trickster to further you cabinet trickster levels and make Detect thoughts better/harder to save against.

[Twilightwyrm]

While this is something to consider, I would say it might not be too late to salvage your monk. This of course depends on the character, because if this is not the kind of character that would compromise, this ill be impossible. This being said, playing a trickster monk is very much possible. Remember that lawful need not be a zealot, or even entirely law-abiding (just mostly). Maintaining adherence to a strong code, a sense of discipline, and other such methods make you lawful, but still able to maintain good relations with the rest of the party's antics. (Ranks in Profession (Barrister) can help you figure out loopholes in the law to exploit to justify your deceptions might be a good way to demonstrate this) Alternatively, if you might actually being a monk (why is unimportant), you could throw the party for a loop and make your new character also a monk, but one that falls along the lines of a trickster as described above. Especially if your previous character becomes a villian, it will make an interesting foil to your previous character.

[Hiro Quester]

For pranks, you can get a lot done with prestigitation (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20010707).

If you want to stay lawful, you could decide that a core principle for you is that people get back what they put out. This would oblige you to ensure that bullies get bullied, pranksters get pranked, the merciless get no mercy, etc. (but also helpers get helped, the merciful get mercy...)

You could be the karma you'd like to see in the world.

[Telonius]

Divine Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantDivineBard) , then go into the Divine Prankster prestige class from Races of Stone. Full casting, stacks with Inspire Courage, gets you a Killing Joke at the end. Technically requires you to be a Gnome, but the Adaptation suggests allowing other races who worship gods of trickery or humor.

[Ringadon]

If there's a heavy armor guy in the party sovereign gluing him into his armor is good for a laugh.

[ChocoSuisse]

random ideas :

-Fake quests : your guy could set up mighty quests with disguise/modify appearance/spending a few gold to buy accomplice. These quests would lead nowhere, or bring trouble to the group.

-Tibbit psion : your guy spends the whole time with the appearance of a cute cat, that follows the group. You can prank them all day without them even knowing you're not "just a cat".

-Pixie sorcerer : Greater Invisibility all day, illusions and enchantments.

[Red Fel]

-Tibbit psion : your guy spends the whole time with the appearance of a cute cat, that follows the group. You can prank them all day without them even knowing you're not "just a cat".

I love this. You can get so much mileage out of this. But take it a step further - Tibbit Psion (Telepath)/ Thrallherd. The Telepathy ACF gives you Telepathy, which means your cat can communicate telepathically at-will. But since it's not sound, there's technically no way to know that the words are coming from a cat. Great way to convince someone he's insane. It's also practical - apart from using magic items, there's not much need to resume humanoid form. You can communicate and use powers as a kitty. You can even suppress the manifestations with a Concentration check.

Thrallherd gives you a cohort, but only one level lower than your PC (as opposed to one from Leadership, which is two levels lower). You need only the one-level dip for it. That cohort? He's your Big Trick. Convince everyone - even the players - that he's the actual character. Have him take a caster class, to justify having a cat as a familiar/animal companion. Nobody will bat an eye. You will have full access to some very prank-worthy spell lists. And all the time, there will be kitty. Watching. Waiting.

[Ansem]

Chaotician.

[XmonkTad]

So a sphere of annihilation doesn't count as a prank?

Maybe be some sort of vermin lord or Aracnomancer and stick spiders in people's food/beds/bags? Announce "I left you a gift" the first few times you do it and see if you can instill a pavlovian trigger to the phrase.