d20 Fifth Element Games The Jester.pdf

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MODULE 6

The Jester

Iain Fyffe

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The JESTER

A jester is a madman, but not in the sense of being

insane. His actions are unpredictable, sometimes

even to him. He is rash and wild, and can be

intimidating to someone who does not know him. A

jester's behaviour can be quite bizarre, even

unsettling, often apparently unrelated to the

immediate situation. He relies on surprise, blind

luck and unusual tactics and ideas to escape danger

and evade his enemies. He sows confusion and

chaos, and uses it to his advantage.

good for a rousing tale or jest (thus the name),

though some might leave those around him

concerned about his sanity, or taste. Jesters thrive on

being difficult to read, and work best when their

opponents are hesitant and off-step.

Jesters tend to wear bright, gaudy clothing, and

often put on airs, pretending to be something they're

not, even just for a few moments. This too serves to

keep others off their guard. The man with a truly

noble countenance, who was but a moment before

conversing gently, suddenly turns abusive and

starts cursing like a sailor. The simpleton in the dark

corner of the bar suddenly opines with deep,

philosophical ruminations. A jester always has just

a touch of madness, and plays it to the hilt.

Not all jesters are professional fools, though some

are, but all are entertainers at their core. Jesters

rarely stop talking or laughing, and regale those

around them with tales of harrowing adventure or

embarrassing failure and folly. A jester is always

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, Third Edition, published

by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ‘d20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are trademarks of

Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License

version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.

The JESTER

A jester has significant natural magical abilities. But

even with his spells a jester does not often confront

his foes directly. His magic hinders and annoys, and

makes life difficult for his enemies. Indeed, many

jesters cast their spells not to destroy their

opponents, but to cause the greatest amount of

mischief.

to behave so erratically. While half-orcs are quite

chaotic and rash, they lack the subtlety and strange

charm that characterizes most jesters.

Other Classes : Jesters associate most easily with

rogues and bards, sharing some characteristics with

both of them. They share easy laughs with

barbarians and respect the independent nature of

most sorcerers. They do not associate so easily with

more serious or studious classes such as paladins

and wizards, and will often play pranks on such

people, or harass them with constant jabbering, just

to get a rise out of them.

Adventures : Many jesters love adventure, seeking to

use their natural talents to their full advantage. To

other jesters, adventuring seems like a good idea at

the time, and they may continue with such a life or

change course at a moment's notice. It's rare that a

jester will pursue any career for a significant length

of time; fortunately, no two adventures are ever

alike, and this variety keeps a jester happy.

Role : A jester's role is hard to pin down. He is

something of a jack-of-all-trades, having a degree of

magical ability, a wide array of skills and a touch of

martial competence. A jester's personality is not

ideally suited for dealing with friendly creatures; his

unusual behaviour and countenance can make

others uneasy. On the other hand, a jester is perfect

for negotiating with hostile forces, since he can put

them off their guard. In direct conflict, jesters work

best behind the front line, hurling insults and spells

at his foes.

Alignment : The lawful alignment is completely

incompatible with the jester's methods, and his

madness. A jester gives no thought to proper

behaviour, of careful planning. Even neutral jesters

are fairly rare. Chaotic is the predominant alignment

for madmen.

Religion : Most jesters profess no particular religion,

and those that do have no real preference. A jester

prays to whichever deity he thinks might help him

at that particular moment. Jesters turn most often to

god of luck and trickery, and narrow escapes.

Game Rule Information

Abilities : A jester's magical abilities are based on

Charisma. Dexterity is important in keeping a jester

alive in tight situations. Charisma and Dexterity, as

well as Intelligence, are also important to many class

skills.

Alignment : Any non-lawful.

Hit Die : d6.

Races : Jesters are most often human, gnome, half-elf

or halfling. Humans excel at acting randomly and

nonsensically; just ask any elf or dwarf. Gnomes are

well-known for their unusual sense of humour and

penchant for tricks. Half-elves often share the

human trait of irrationality, and are fiercely

independent to boot. The schism between his greatly

divergent parentages can also make a half-elf edgy,

and slightly unstable. The wandering life of a jester

suits halflings well, and halfling curiosity and

precociousness suits a jester well.

Class Skills

The bard’s class skills (and the key ability for each

skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str),

Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),

Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int),

Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate

(Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int),

Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently

(Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex),

Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand

(Dex), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Spot

Dwarves are far too serious to become jesters; they

do not tolerate buffoonery. A mentally unstable

dwarf is merely dangerous, not entertainingly

quirky. Elves, too, are too serious in nature, but in a

quiet, contemplative sense. An elf is far too focused

The JESTER

Table I: The Jester

Base

Attack

Bonus

Fort

Save

Ref

Save

Will

Save

Bonus

Level

Special

1st

Fast-talk, jester’s luck 1/day, taunt

2nd

Befuddle (-1), sneak attack +1d6

3rd

Fear resistance, slippery body

4th

Evasion, jester’s luck 2/day

5th

6th

Slippery mind, sneak attack +2d6

7th

Jester’s luck 3/day

8th

+6/+1

Befuddle (-2)

9th

+6/+1

Impromptu sneak attack 1/day

10th

+7/+2

Jester’s luck 4/day, sneak attack +3d6

11th

+8/+3

Sow ditrust

12th

+9/+4

13th

+9/+4

Jester’s luck 5/day

14th

+10/+5

Befuddle (-3), sneak attack +4d6

15th

+11/+6/+1

Random spell

16th

+12/+7/+2

+10

Jester’s luck 6/day

17th

+12/+7/+2

+10

Impromptu sneak attack 2/day

18th

+13/+8/+3

+11

Sneak attack +5d6

19th

+14/+9/+4

+11

Jester’s luck 7/day

20th

+15/+10/+5

+12

Befuddle (-4)

(Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic

Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int

modifier.

like any other arcane spellcaster, a jester wearing

medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a

chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question

has a somatic component, which most do. A

multiclass jester still incurs the normal arcane spell

failure chance for arcane spells received from other

classes.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency : A jester is

proficient with all simple weapons, plus the

longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and

whip. Jesters are proficient with light armor and

shields, but not tower shields. A jester can cast jester

spells while wearing light armor without incurring

the normal arcane spell failure chance. However,

Spells : A jester casts arcane spells, which are drawn

from the jester spell list. He can cast any spell he

knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn

or cast a spell, a jester must have a Charisma score

equal to at least 10 + the spell. The Difficulty Class

for a saving throw against a jester’s spell is 10 + the

spell level + the jester’s Charisma modifier.

The JESTER

Table II: Jester Spells per Day

Table III: Jester Spells Known

Level

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

Level

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

19th

20th

* Provided the jester has a high enough Charisma

score to have a bonus spell of this level.

Like other spellcasters, a jester can cast only a certain

number of spells of each spell level per day. His base

daily spell allotment is given on Table II: Jester

Spells per Day. In addition, he receives bonus spells

per day if he has a high Charisma score. When Table

III: Jester Spells Known indicates that the jester gets

0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only

the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his

Charisma score for that spell level.

spells per day, the number of spells a jester knows is

not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on

Table: Jester Spells Known are fixed.

Upon reaching 3rd level, and at every second jester

level after that (5th, 7th, and so on), a jester can

choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already

knows. In effect, the jester “loses” the old spell in

exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level

must be the same as that of the spell being

exchanged, and it can be of any level the jester can

The jester’s selection of spells is extremely limited,

even more so than a bard. A jester begins play

knowing four 0-level spells of his choice. At most

new jester levels, he gains one or more new spells, as

indicated on Table: Jester Spells Known. Unlike

The JESTER

cast. A jester may swap only a single spell at any

given level, and must choose whether or not to swap

the spell at the same time that he gains new spells

known for the level.

within 30 feet of the jester, and must be able to hear

and understand the jester.

To taunt a target, the jester must use a standard

action and make a DC 15 jester level check, modified

by the jester's Charisma. If this check succeeds, the

target can try to resist. The target resists the taunt by

making a Will saving throw (DC 10 + jester’s class

level + jester’s Cha bonus). If the save fails, the target

becomes dazed (unable to act, but can defend

normally) for 1 round.

As noted above, a jester need not prepare his spells

in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any

time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment

of spells per day for the spell’s level.

AC Bonus (Ex): A jester gains a +1 bonus to AC at 1st

level. He is simple difficult to pin down in battle.

This bonus increases by 1 for every four jester levels

thereafter (+2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, +4 at 13th and +5 at

17th). This benefit only applies when the jester is

wearing no armor or light armor, and not carrying a

medium or heavy load.

A taunt can be played on an opponent any number

of times. This is a Mind-Affecting ability.

Befuddle (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a jester has

the ability to befuddle a target through sheer force of

personality, unnerving laughter, and off-kilter

behaviour. The target must have an Intelligence

score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a befuddle

attempt, must be within 30 feet of the jester, and

must be able to see, hear, and understand the jester.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch

attacks or when the jester is flat-footed. He loses

these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless.

Fast-Talk (Ex): The jester has a way with words and

mannerisms when attempting to con and deceive.

With this ability, he applies his jester level as a

competence bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or

Gamble checks the character makes while

attempting to lie, cheat, or otherwise bend the truth.

To befuddle a target, the jester must use a standard

action and make a DC 15 jester level check, modified

by Charisma. If this check succeeds, the target can

try to resist. The target resists the befuddle attempt

by making a Will saving throw (DC 10 + jester’s class

level + jester's Cha bonus). If the save fails, the target

suffers -1 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, skill

checks, and saving throws for a number of rounds

equal to the character’s jester level.

Jester's Luck (Ex): A jester can use his innate luck to

affect the result of die rolls. He can add his Charisma

modifier to the result of a die roll, after the roll has

been made but before the result of the action is

determined. For example, a jester makes an attack

roll and rolls a 14. He can choose to add his

Charisma modifier to this roll, but only before the

referee informs him if the attack hits or misses.

A jester's befuddle penalty increases to -2 at 8th

level, -3 at 14th level and -4 at 20th level. This is a

Mind-Affecting ability.

Sneak Attack: Beginning at 2nd level, if a jester can

catch an opponent when he is unable to defend

himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a

vital spot for extra damage.

A jester can use this ability once per day at 1st level,

and gains one additional use per day every three

jester levels thereafter, as indicated on Table I: The

Jester.

The jester’s attack deals extra damage any time his

target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC

(whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or

not), or when the jester flanks his target. This extra

damage is 1d6 at 2nd level, and it increases by 1d6

Taunt (Ex) : A jester has the ability to temporarily

rattle a target through the use of insults and

goading. The target must have an Intelligence score

of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a taunt, must be

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