Court Jester Build?

[PangolinPie]

So we have a late entry into our game who seems fixated on this idea about playing a court jester type character all into pratfalls and gags, acrobatic abilities and perhaps a focus on thrown weapons (juggling items, daggers, explosives, etc) or fencing with a rapier all with a very whimsical and dramatic flare. She's really enthusiastic but has a serious fixation on harlequins and all that. I'd say do something with a Bard build but we already have a Bard in the group and our GM likes the group to be more balanced. Plus we're full up on casters overall so that would probably preferably be avoided but I'm open to ideas.

I was thinking something like Cloistered Cleric/Factotum/Rogue/Swashbuckler with Knowledge Devotion and Trickery Devotion....maybe Master Thrower...I dunno...its really late and I've kinda burnt myself out on this whole concept for about the past 3 hours or so.

PS: I did see the Jester class from Dragon Magazine and it looks decent enough; hardly optimized but decent. However most feedback I've seen from people on it claims it outright sucks.

[A Tad Insane]

http://dndtools.eu/classes/jester/ I have no imagination

[VoxRationis]

First, you're going to need three goblets.
The first is a chalice, emblazoned with rubies in a figure of a palace.
The second vessel is onyx, save for the agate relief in it depicting a pestle.
The final goblet is really more of a flagon, with a handle rather than a stem. It has a crude red dragon painted on it.

Next, put maximum ranks in Craft (poisonmaking)...

[Baldin]

How about divine prankster from Complete Divine?

[Psyren]

I don't see why you can't have two bards - bards are one of the most versatile classes around. The other guy can easily be a more serious type of bard, possibly even the straight man to the jester guy's foil for a comedy duo.

[PangolinPie]

Last night in bed I had a rather humorous idea for all this...a Goliath Hulking Hurler juggler. Just the image of this massive humanoid dressed as a jester, juggling giant rocks and other large objects and letting them fly across the battlefield LOL. Toss in a Harley Quinn style giant hammer and she's all set.

"Isn't that funny?.......WHY AREN'T YOU LAUGHING?!?!"

Just came to mind because we really don't have a meatshield in the group yet and Goliaths don't suffer the usually -2 Cha that most of that type do.

[Pokonic]

You can't go wrong with Bard with a dip or two in Rogue.

[Ravens_cry]

Bard, totes, with a club made in it so it makes a nice thwack when you hit someone.:smalltongue:
A slap stick.
If you are worried about overlapping the other player, a legitimate concern, just focus on different than them, and role play them differently. That makes all difference, nuncle.

[ThatKreacher]

3 levels of Binder and the feat improved binding nets you access to the vestige Andromalius(an actual jester type mind you), who allows you to use Tasha's hideous laughter every 5 rounds, 2d6 sneak attack, at will see invisibility, at will locate item within 100ft, and some bonuses to sense motive, appraise and spot vs disguise.
You can also bind Paimon, who gives you WF with the shortsword and rapier, +4 dexterity, whirlwind attack, uncanny dodge, +4 on tumble/perform dance and the ability to use tumble untrained, and also a cool abiltiy called Dance of Death
Dance of Death:
When you use this ability, you can move up
to your speed and make a single attack against any creatureyou move past, provoking attacks of opportunity normally.When you use your dance of death, you forfeit any bonus orextra attacks granted by other feats or abilities (such as the
Cleave feat or the
haste
spell), and you cannot attack any singlecreature more than once. Once you have used this ability, you
cannot do so again for 5 rounds.
I think that seems what you might be looking for?

[Psyren]

First, you're going to need three goblets.
The first is a chalice, emblazoned with rubies in a figure of a palace.
The second vessel is onyx, save for the agate relief in it depicting a pestle.
The final goblet is really more of a flagon, with a handle rather than a stem. It has a crude red dragon painted on it.

Next, put maximum ranks in Craft (poisonmaking)...

Since nobody else commented on this I will (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ9f2rnjB84) :smalltongue:


Bard, totes, with a club made in it so it makes a nice thwack when you hit someone.:smalltongue:
A slap stick.
If you are worried about overlapping the other player, a legitimate concern, just focus on different than them, and role play them differently. That makes all difference, nuncle.

Yarr.

It's a bit easier to do in Pathfinder (just take different archetypes) but it's not hard in either edition.

[Thurbane]

Human Expert with max ranks in Perform (comedy) & Tumble? :smalltongue:

Or the Giant's own Divine Trickster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=9623145&postcount=7) might be an option.

[VoxRationis]

Since nobody else commented on this I will (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ9f2rnjB84) :smalltongue:


Oh, thank you, Psyren! I was afraid no one would get it. I meet so many people who have never even heard of Danny Kaye and it breaks my heart.

[Thurbane]

Oh, thank you, Psyren! I was afraid no one would get it. I meet so many people who have never even heard of Danny Kaye and it breaks my heart.

That;s one of my favorite classic movie "bits" - right up there with "Who's on first?" IMHO :smallbiggrin:

It's often referenced at our D&D table.

[SoraWolf7]

Oh thank goodness, someone else knows about The Jester starring Danny Kaye. So does this mean he needs a sub-hypnotic command that gives him levels of Swashbuckler instead of Bard at the snap of a finger?

[Dark Kerman]

The Court Jester was literally the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. I used to watch it when I was as a kid when I was at my grandads. Good times.

Make sure the Jester player names him Giacamo. :P

[VoxRationis]

Of course, Giacomo had assassin levels. Just remember: if anyone ever asks, "Does anyone else at court know your face," say yes, even if it's a complete lie.