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4/08/2018 3:48 pm  #1


My Homebrew Class: The Jester

I've been wanting to make a class like this for a long time for 1st Edition AD&D, since I thought it was amiss that there was a class for every ability score except Constitution and Charisma. And with no comprehension of what a class for Constitution would look like, I thought about making a Jester class, of which a Bard would be a subclass of.
But eventually, I found out about AD&D, and I decided to make the Jester class one of the Thief subclasses.
So here is what I have of it so far!
I would very much like some constructive criticism and suggestions.
JESTER (Thief)
Attribute Requirements: Dexterity 9, Charisma 15
Prime Attributes: Dexterity, Charisma
Hit Die Type: d6
Alignment: Any save Lawful
Armor Allowed: None
Shields Allowed: None
Favored Weapons: Club (Light), Dagger, Dart, Mace (Any), Sling, Lasso, Fighting Net, Whip, Garrote
Saving Throw Modifiers: +2 Death, +2 Avoidance
Experience: 2,250 1st level and onwards
Spell Levels: As a Paladin's cleric spells, but with Illusionist spells.
Fighting Ability: As Thief
Abiltiies
Pole Vault: With the aid of a long pole of about 10 feet long, the Jester may leap distances of 25 feet or more, such as chasms, pits, and the like.    
Agile: +1 AC bonus when unarmored and unencumbered.    
Acrobatics: The Jester receives a +10% bonus per level to Extraordinary Feats of Dexterity (this is cumulative with the Prime Attribute Bonus).  
 Magic Item Use: May use any magic item restricted to any class except scrolls (see the “Read Scrolls” ability. Jesters may use Illusionist scrolls at Level 7).    
Juggle Missile: With hands free, catch any arrow, bolt, javelin, or like missile– even magic missile or acid arrow– by making an Avoidance Save. On the same round, the Jester may throw back the missile at any target as if it were a dagger (10/20/30 Range). This ability may be attempted a number of times per round as the Jester has levels of experience.  
Throwing Accuracy: The Jester receives +1 to hit and damage for every 2 levels of experience with thrown weapons of Weapon Class 1 or lower.    
Throwing Speed: With thrown weapons of Weapon Class 1 or lower, the Jester has a rate of fire equivalent to having Weapon Mastery (adjusted for level).    
Urban Tracking: To Jester has a base 10:12 chance to find and identify tracks in an urban setting only, which might be reduced to 8:12 or worse if the tracks have faded.    
Jester’s Cloak (Level 3): For a material cost of 100 GP, the Jester may fabricate a “Jester’s Cloak” in 1d3 days. When worn, this item grants the same AC as Leather Armor (AC 7/13, plus the +1 AC bonus for Agility), as well as +2 Saves vs. Fire (magic or normal).    
Fire Breathing (Level 5): By imbibing the contents of a flask of incendiary oil, the Jester may breathe fire with the equivalent range and damage of a Burning Hands spell. The Jester may hold in the Fire for at most a number of rounds equal to their Constitution score, before being forced to release it.    At Level 9, the Jester may spit out fireballs with equivalent damage and range as the Fireball spell.    
Sorcery (Level 7): The Jester gains 1 Level 1 Illusionist spell, and gains 1 automatically each level afterward. The Jester may not learn spells manually, and does not gain bonus spells for high Intelligence.    
Circus (Level 9): Upon establishing a large circus tent or travelling show, the Jester attracts 1d3 Level-0 Jesters (1d4 hit points each) into his service, as well as 2d10 other kinds of performers (1d8 hit points each) ranging from acrobats to strongmen to bearded ladies.
Progressive Thief Abilities    
Decipher Script
: To translate texts otherwise not understood.    
Discern Noise: To hear faint noises. 6 rounds (1 minute) of concentration is required.    
Move Silently: To move with preternatural quiet. The Jester must be lightly armored or unarmored. This skill is executed at half the Jester’s normal movement.    
Read Scrolls: To decipher and invoke magician scrolls. If the attempt backfires, a second d12 must be rolled, with a 3:12 chance of backfiring.    

Last edited by kingeditor (4/08/2018 3:53 pm)

 

4/08/2018 4:40 pm  #2


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

Welcome kingeditor! Your class sounds like it has potential. Your fellow forumite and my good friend ligedog did a jester variant for AS&SH, which you might find interesting if he happens to share it. 


Blackadder23: Insanely long villain soliloquy, then "Your action?"
BORGO'S PLAYER: I shoot him in the face
 

4/08/2018 8:06 pm  #3


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

Thank you, and that sounds great! I thought of mine as based on the Gleemen of the Wheel of Time series, and I would be curious to know if his had anything similar.
Hopefully he will share it!

     Thread Starter
 

4/09/2018 6:31 pm  #4


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

Very interesting! 


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 

4/13/2018 3:35 am  #5


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

Per chainsaws prompting here is my version - The Fool.  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d0ub3ocig4y9brm/AAAjV5PZ-rgWmq0a86Ukio8Fa?dl=0   I think I had just read Christopher Moore's Fool around the time I wrote this up.

 

 

4/13/2018 6:18 am  #6


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

Reading this, and the first thing that comes to mind is the "Fool" in Conan the Destroyer.


-- 
BlackKnight, AKA Sausage
Older than Dirt, Crusty, and set in my ways. Been playing TTRPGs for over 45 years...
 

4/13/2018 2:49 pm  #7


Re: My Homebrew Class: The Jester

lige wrote:

Per chainsaws prompting here is my version - The Fool.  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d0ub3ocig4y9brm/AAAjV5PZ-rgWmq0a86Ukio8Fa?dl=0   I think I had just read Christopher Moore's Fool around the time I wrote this up.

 

Hey! We both had the idea to have our classes catch missiles! I got the idea from the Dragon Magazine Jester, which I believe had that ability.
Anyway, I quite like your class!

     Thread Starter
 

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