Homebrew Space Clown Species Details
Space clowns are the inhabitants of a Wildspace system known as Clownspace. The humans who once inhabited the system’s three ring-shaped worlds placed their faith in a god of revelry. Their worship ceremonies were centered on festivals and frivolity. Over time, the people’s happiness hinged on the ever-increasing consumption of an elixir called Thrill Joy. Only after they became addicted did they discover that the priests of their faith had distilled the elixir from demonic ichor and the nectar of the bozo flower. Eventually, Thrill Joy transformed the faithful into fiendish creatures and “blessed” them with clown-like appearances.
Space clowns acquired their first spelljamming helms from dohwar merchants. Subsequent visits to other Wildspace systems led to contact with a multitude of other folk. In the wake of these encounters, love and fear of clowns has spread to all corners of the multiverse, just as the space clowns have done themselves.
Marauding space clowns feed on Humanoid flesh. They travel through space in garishly decorated ships and sometimes take up residence on populated worlds, where they set up carnival tents to lure curious onlookers into their clutches. They are armed with colorfully painted ray guns that work only for them; these toys are harmless in the hands of anyone else.
Space Clown Names. Space clowns often take whimsical names of note for their frivolous or nonsensical meanings. Most space clowns assume the surname "the Clown", though some take a last name to compliment or rhyme with their personal name.
Example Space Clown Names. Billy, Bonkers, Bozo, Buggy, Burton, Candi, Charlie, Chesty, Chuckles, Cotton, Dodo, Emmett, Ernie, Fatso, Giggles, Gogo, Grock, Krusty, Pennywise, Red, Roly Squeezy, Stinkers, Tiny, Twisty, Wheazy, Whirlygig
Space Clown Traits
Your space clown character has the following racial traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Strength and Dexterity scores each increase by 1.
Age
Due to their chaotic and nearly cartoonish nature, the lifecycle of space clowns is not set or linear like that of humans. Infant space clowns exist, but appear to have all the mental faculties of an adult, including the ability to speak and recall events from long before they were born. Beyond starting off as an "infant", space clowns mature at drastically different rates, including sometimes aging in reverse, reverting from an elderly specimen to a child before progressing on to a young adult.
Alignment
As beings of chaos born from the union of hedonistic religion and the taint of the Abyss, space clowns strongly tend toward chaotic alignments, and are typically evil.
Size
Space clowns vary drastically in size and build, ranging in height from "dwarf" to "goliath", and in build "bean pole" to "spherical". Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Fiend
Your creature type is fiend, rather than humanoid.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Clown Magic
You know the cantrips friends, mage hand, and prestidigitation. You can also cast hideous laughter with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the spider climb spell on yourself with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the mirror image spell with it. Once you cast any spell of 1st level or higher with this trait, you can't cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest (cantrips can be cast at will). You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait.
Dying Burst
When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you do not make death saving throws as normal. Instead, you die instantly and your body pops like a balloon, releasing a splash of putrid, corrosive ichor. Each creature within 5 feet of you when you burst must make a Dexterity saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failed save creature takes acid damage equal to a number of d6s equal your level divided by 3 (rounded down to a minimum of 1d6), or half as much damage on a successful one.
Greater Showman
You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Performance, and Sleight of Hand.
Phantasmal Form
As a bonus action, you can veil yourself and everything you are wearing and carrying in an illusion that makes you look like some other creature of your size or smaller (such as a child) or an object small enough to fit in your space (such as a floating balloon). Maintaining this effect requires the concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), and the illusion fails to hold up to physical inspection. As an action, a creature that can see your illusory form can make a Wisdom (Insight) check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a success, the creature pierces through the illusion and discerns your true form, which ends the effect.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Squeakers
Whatever shoes you are wearing squeak when you walk. The squeaking can be heard out to a range of 30 feet. The squeaking is silenced while your Phantasmal Form is in effect.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Abyssal and Common.
Previous Versions
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8/17/2022 2:07:22 PM
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Posted Mar 10, 2023This is surprisingly well balanced, well done.