Cannibal Clowns Of Murderous Death

[JNAProductions]

So, my players have entered a circus. They're a relatively small and low level group, accompanied by a refluffed (prismatic golem) and minorly restatted Small Earth Elemental (sized up to medium, Dex is 14, no Earth Glide).

They took down a few guards no problem, but now they've been listening to a clown eat the corpses of the guards they took down. And I'm wondering what would be an appropriate low level threat that could fit as a cannibal murder clown.

Help much appreciated.

[Celestia]

Refluffed barghest? Maybe knock off a few HD if that's too strong?

[JNAProductions]

Refluffed barghest? Maybe knock off a few HD if that's too strong?

Well, the issue with that is that this is a circus. There's a lot of clowns.

But that's a great starting point. Thanks.

[Inevitability]

Ghouls, perhaps? Pale faces, nimbleness, uncanny appearance... it all checks out.

[JNAProductions]

Ghouls, perhaps? Pale faces, nimbleness, uncanny appearance... it all checks out.

Ah-ha! Perfect! That'll work well.

[Kol Korran]

Hmmmm... I'd try and make it a bit of a creepy monster...

For some reason I'm imagining a cursed ghoul, who used to be a clown, still wears the costume, and paints his face with the blood of it's victims, and uses other body parts for it's other... comical tools... teeth/ bones for bells, various internal organs for squirt bladders and such.

I'd use a ghoul, perhapa give it a few extra HD (depending on the threat level you wish to use) and perhaps a few special abilities:
- Hideous Laughter: In it's scratchy distorted voice, it can tell a truly horrific joke. Will negates, usable every 1d4 rounds. It ususally tears at his opponents while they laugh...
- Squirt bladder: As a mouther's acid spit attack (which can also blind temporarily I think).
- Baloons! Either he can quickly tie some guts and stuff and animate these as tiny squiggly animal zombies, or use them as a sort of entangling attack.

Defensively, it may have some low DR or fast healing, to represent the bugger "jus't won't die and stop laughing allready!".

Just my thoughts...

[JNAProductions]

Hmmmm... I'd try and make it a bit of a creepy monster...

For some reason I'm imagining a cursed ghoul, who used to be a clown, still wears the costume, and paints his face with the blood of it's victims, and uses other body parts for it's other... comical tools... teeth/ bones for bells, various internal organs for squirt bladders and such.

I'd use a ghoul, perhapa give it a few extra HD (depending on the threat level you wish to use) and perhaps a few special abilities:
- Hideous Laughter: In it's scratchy distorted voice, it can tell a truly horrific joke. Will negates, usable every 1d4 rounds. It ususally tears at his opponents while they laugh...
- Squirt bladder: As a mouther's acid spit attack (which can also blind temporarily I think).
- Baloons! Either he can quickly tie some guts and stuff and animate these as tiny squiggly animal zombies, or use them as a sort of entangling attack.

Defensively, it may have some low DR or fast healing, to represent the bugger "jus't won't die and stop laughing allready!".

Just my thoughts...

I'll save that for the head clown. They're a level 1 group, so even a single ghoul is a reasonable threat.

[Seto]

I can't help but wonder: if they're a group of lvl 1s accompanied by a presumably friendly prismatic-golem-equivalent, how is it not steamrolling everything? Does it not help in a combat capacity? Why?

[JNAProductions]

I can't help but wonder: if they're a group of lvl 1s accompanied by a presumably friendly prismatic-golem-equivalent, how is it not steamrolling everything? Does it not help in a combat capacity? Why?

Because it's actually a minorly restatted Small Earth Elemental? I upped the size to Medium, Dex to 14, and removed Earth Glide.

[Seto]

Oh! Apologies, I misread them as being accompanied by a refluffed Prismatic Golem AND a minorly restatted Elemental.

[Sam K]

If you want it to be a bit more interesting/unpredictable than a regular ghoul, maybe a gravetouched ghoul with class levels? A ghoul with rogue class levels, or bard class levels, could make for an interesting clown, and a monk might be capable of some great "slapstick" humor. Might be better for a boss though, depending on how tough the party is.

[DrMotives]

If you do a ghoul with class levels, I'd suggest jester from dragon compendium. It's more a variant bard than a unique class, but it's perfectly fit in theme. Like a bard, it is a support class, so as a boss battle give it minions. Other clowns, animals, small animated objects (dolls and puppets) all seem appropriate. If you feel like going classic cliche, there's always the "evil looking ventriloquist dummy is actually in charge" trope. The dummy could be almost anything small-sized refluffed as an evil little buddy. Also, if you don't feel like going ghoul, unholy scion (from heroes of horror) is a template that'll play well for low-level enemies. It will give human clowns claw attacks, fast healing 4, and DR 5/good or magic. That's frightening, but not unbeatable for a low-level boss.

[Thurbane]

Gravetouched Ghoul Gray Jester?

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/hoh_gallery/91997.jpg