You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humor cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life, and its all you have left.
You are haunted by your former troup. The friends and family that you ruined. You’ve tried to bury them and run away from them, to no avail. They can’t be slain with a sword or banished with a spell. They come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. You will do whatever it takes to free yourself.
- Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
- Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
- Equipment: The favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a pouch containing 1 gp
A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer.
| d10 | Entertainer Routines |
|---|---|
| 1 | Actor |
| 2 | Dancer |
| 3 | Fire-eater |
| 4 | Jester |
| 5 | Juggler |
| 6 | Instrumentalist |
| 7 | Poet |
| 8 | Singer |
| 9 | Storyteller |
| 10 | Tumbler |
You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble’s court. Though they might fear you, commoners will extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should you find yourself facing an enemy alone.
Spell List
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | charm person |
| 2nd | crown of madness |
Its only fair that you are the ringleader now. You are all thats left after all.
Suggested Characteristics
Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience’s attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. However due to the horrors you've witnessed and taken part in, your upbeat nature is on some level just a pretense. You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. |
| 2 | I expect danger around every corner. |
| 3 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. |
| 4 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. |
| 5 | I get bitter if I’m not the center of attention. |
| 6 | I’ll settle for nothing less than perfection. |
| 7 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. |
| 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| d7 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) |
| 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Greed. I’m only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I perform. That’s all that matters. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) |
| 7 | I’m a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) |
| d7 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of who I lost |
| 2 | Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I’ll get it back. |
| 3 | I want to be famous, whatever it takes. |
| 4 | I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person’s. |
| 5 | I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival. |
| 6 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 7 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it. I will never be set free. |
| d7 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’ll do anything to win fame and renown. |
| 2 | I’m a sucker for a pretty face. |
| 3 | A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around. |
| 4 | I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat. |
| 5 | Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends. |
| 6 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones. |
| 7 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. |
A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment — perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive but unusual weapon, such as a trident or net.
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