Make a Mime

[EastbySoutheast]

So I plan for PC's to get to a performing arts type place with lots of creepy puppeteers and I think no place could be complete with out a mime or two.
Basically to do this I'm torn between making them as a psion or a sorcerer, either way they will need to take a feat so that there is no verbal components needed for any of their spells/powers

I want to use spells like wall of force that the mime would cast by 'pretending' there is a wall that he's stuck against but the players will obviously find to be real. The over all plan is to be more annoying than directly damaging but with some other enemy's could make a very interesting encounter

So playground any suggestions or pointers I should take on board?

[Inevitability]

What level are the PC's? Also, how optimized are they?

[Zaq]

Psionic powers don't have components, verbal or otherwise. They have displays, but those displays can be hidden with a trivial Concentration check. So if you go with the Psion, there's no feat required.

If this was for a PC, I'd start talking about alternate paths of communication so you can still interact with your teammates (I actually once GM'd for a mime character, which was a lot of fun, if rather creepy), but as an NPC, you don't really have to worry about any of that. I think a Psion is the way to go, since that way you don't have to have build resources burned on making everything silent, but beyond that, I guess it really just depends on what you want the character to be able to do.

If you do want them to have to mechanically mime out what they're doing, invocations (from Warlock and from Dragonfire Adept) have somatic components but not verbal components, so that could be an avenue to go down. They tend to be more limited in their options than a Psion would be, but I like the idea of someone miming pulling back a bowstring and letting loose an Eldritch Blast.

[Zakerst]

Mimes being what they are you could pull inspiration from warhammer 40,000 Harlequins, their mimes are literally silent psychic space elves with a tendency to eviscerate non-space elves, and remember to never underestimate the power of theatrics. (silent image, pyrotechnics, egg shell dust grenades, darkness, tangelfoot bags, grease, prestidigitation, smoke ladder, mirror image etc.)
For class suggestions I too would vote for psion or wilder (remember part of their art is to evoke emotions why shouldn't their powers be linked to that too?) or maybe make them like a gestalt pair taking advantage of sneak attack and coordinating their attacks with body language, dance and innuendo (a skill from 3.0 with some info on it in the BoVD), or just good ol' drow sign language.
Another thought having items of continuous silence on them might be fun.
You may also want them to invest in move silently, balance, tumble, maybe hide and slight of hand.

[EastbySoutheast]

I like the Harlequin idea but i was thinking of ding that with some two weapon fighting feats leading into dervish so that the whole dancing thing becomes practical and deadly at the same time. I think the PC's will be around level 10 when they first encounter any of the 'Circus' Themed BG's with maybe only one or two to begin with but them becoming relatively mook like as things go on. The Mimes were gonna be more battlefield control in my mind but the chances of what they can do with acting out motions seems like a really fun avenue to go down.

Manifest Wall of energy by pretending there is a wall there and it then becoming one
Grease by pretending to tip a bucket on the floor
Levitate by climbing an imaginary ladder
Mind thrust by doing the professor X thing and touching their heads and squinting at people
and the bow idea with any kind of blasting powers
and despite it being kinda meta to the D&D world the thought of cocking a shotgun and giving a cone effect works kinda well to me

all of the above would obviously be very over the top actions possibly acted by me as we have a group who really enjoys the theatrics of combats picturing themselves swinging left and right with huge swords.
What they make up for with theatrics they definitely lack optimization. Their builds are never that well made but as i think im the player who optimises the most that becomes less of a problem when I DM as i can hand out cool weapons/items while creating NPC's/encounters that gives each player their time to shine. At least i hope i do that

[gorfnab]

Boumann (Planar Handbook) would be a race to look into since they basically have a vow of silence.

Keith Baker the creator of Eberron and co-author of several Eberron source books has this class listed on his website: Thoughtsinger (http://www.bossythecow.com/TheThoughtsinger.pdf). It's a psionic Bard that uses a silent version of bardic music called Thoughtsong to produce effects like Fascinate and Suggestion.

[Uncle Pine]

I actually have a mime NPC statted for a double boss battle in my campaign. He's a Tainted Reaver Sorcerer with Invisible Spell, Silent Spell and lots of ranks in Sleight of Hand to further conceal his casting. I can say that invisible spells can get you far if you want to play a mime at low- or mid-levels, especially invisible Dark Way and invisible Regal Profession. He's coupled with a Spellthief/Focused Conjurer heavily into lesser orbs of fire and fireball.

By the way, psionics also work because powers don't have verbal components, but then you'll need to find truly invisible powers because "Invisible Power" isn't a thing.

[EastbySoutheast]

I actually have a mime NPC statted for a double boss battle in my campaign. He's a Tainted Reaver Sorcerer with Invisible Spell, Silent Spell and lots of ranks in Sleight of Hand to further conceal his casting. I can say that invisible spells can get you far if you want to play a mime at low- or mid-levels, especially invisible Dark Way and invisible Regal Profession. He's coupled with a Spellthief/Focused Conjurer heavily into lesser orbs of fire and fireball.


Could i have a look at the mime youve made please to see how someone else has done it and to possibly lay the groundwork for my own...
i have no idea how you're going to be able to show me this but i will just wait in hope and admiration

[DMVerdandi]

I would use a convert spell to power erudite.
It is very Mime-like. (My favorite iteration of any mime class is the final fantasy tactics version)

Anyhow, the spell to power erudite has the ability to absorb spells and powers from different sources. Power stones, magic items, other characters that have such knowledge.

With a touch, an erudite can essentially copy any spell or power that someone has, and once it is in their mind, they can use their unique powers to spontaneously cast any one of those powers.

Using things like telekinesis, wall of force, Bigby's hand spells, and such, you can have a very cool mime character.

[Uncle Pine]

Could i have a look at the mime youve made please to see how someone else has done it and to possibly lay the groundwork for my own...
i have no idea how you're going to be able to show me this but i will just wait in hope and admiration

I'm AFB at the moment, but I should be able to translate and post the stats some time between Friday and Saturday.

[Deadasadoor]

For race suggestions, there's the Buomman from Planar Handbook. They can't speak as a race, which fits a mime.

Edit: Swordsaged

[dysprosium]

In the very first Zinc Saucier competition the winner was a mime pretending to be a Soulknife (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=12498407&postcount=49). The build was the Emporer's New Soulknife by the Gilded Duke. It is the most lethal mime I've ever seen.

[EastbySoutheast]

In the very first Zinc Saucier competition the winner was a mime pretending to be a Soulknife (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=12498407&postcount=49). The build was the Emporer's New Soulknife by the Gilded Duke. It is the most lethal mime I've ever seen.

That is really cool but would wipe the floor with every single one of the PC's which just isn't playing fair as DM but i do appreciate the reference and source of inspiration

[Uncle Pine]

Callisto, Ebreo, Francesco, Gark, Galius, Geralt, Kittan, Sangiorgio, Throgga, Zedd: if you happen to see this post STAY AWAY. Spoilers are bad.

That said:
Shaco [Old Grey elf Tainted Reaver Sorcerer 6]
Medium Humanoid
HD: 6d4+6 (27)
Initiative: +5 (+10 with nerveskitter)
Speed: 30' (6 squares)
AC: 9 (+1 Dex, -2 rage), touch 9, flat-footed 8
BAB/Grapple: +3/+2
Attack: Unarmed +0 melee (1d3-1) o ranged touch attack +4 (spell)
Full attack: Unarmed +0 melee (1d3-1)
Face/Reach: 1,5 m/1,5 m
SA: Metamagic specialist 7 v/g
SQ: Immunity to magic sleep effects, low-light vision, perpetual rage, rapid healing 3, madness
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +15 (+2 against enchantment)
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 4, Cha 26
Skills: Autohypnosis +8, Bluff +17, Concentration +10, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Listen -1, Perform (mime) +11, Sleight of Hand +10, Spellcraft +13, Spot -1
Feats: Corrupt Arcana, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Invisible Spell, Silent Spell, Noncombatant (flaw)
CR: 6
Properties: Mask of charisma +2, bracers of dexterity +2 and Sleight of Hand +5, metamagic ring, lesser (silent), spell component pouch, scroll of seething eyebane, scroll of fangs of the vampire king, scroll of love's pain, 2 labeled potions of Invisibility, 3 labeled potions of "cure serious wounds" (actually 3 potions of seething eyebane)
AL: CE
LA: -

Sorcerer spells known (6/8/7/5; DC 18 + spell level, CL 6): 0- Arcane mark, caltrops, detect magic, light, prestidigitation, read magic, silent portal; 1° - Grease, mount, nerveskitter, wall of smoke; 2° - Dark way, wings of cover; 3° - Love's pain* (1), regal procession
*Prepared spell, not known

Tactics: this is a support build. Shaco doesn't have any actual offensive presence, but he's good at CC and he likes to play with his opponent's minds. Invisible Dark Way is great to divide opponents and shield blasty teammates from opponents' blast, assuming that you summon it vertically and after your allies have thrown their blasts. It's also really good if you need to escape. Invisible Regal Procession should be renamed "Wall of Horses", as it's meant to be used like that, while Wings of Cover is useful if a foe manages to overcome your defences and tries to attack you.
Flavour-wise (mime-wise?), the lesser metamagic ring is used to silence 3rd level spells and Metamagic Specialist to cast invisible spells as a standard action. Remember that Sleight of Hand can conceal all the components of a spell (including verbal ones), and while I know that +10 isn't enough to be a perfect mime as PCs will probably have higher Spot modifiers, I feel like sometimes adding NPCs that aren't completely flawless makes encounters feel more "real".
I'd write something about his tactics, but I'm in a hurry atm (I'll edit the post tomorrow). Edited. Any suggestion to make the above deadlier is welcome.

[Afgncaap5]

What about... a warlock who channels the power of Yog Sethis?

Or a Warlock/Bard who takes a homebrew prestige class called Agents of Yog Sethis?

Alternatively... Psion feels like the way to go, I think.

[Inevitability]

For communication, how about learning Drow Sign Language?

[Uncle Pine]

For communication, how about learning Drow Sign Language?

Or Fell Conspiracy.