Homebrew Clown Species Details

Clowns are the fey equivalent of tieflings and aasimar. Humanoids born in the Feywild to mortal parents, with the changeable magics of the fey colouring their souls. Equal parts whimsical and terrifying, clowns wear smiles and costumes as naturally as skin.

Clowns are born laughing instead of crying, most with unusually proportioned limbs and extremities. Their default resting facial expressions are always some variety of strong emotion, smiles, grins or frowns, rather than the neutral expressions of their non-fey cousins. Due to their disturbing appearances and the extraplanar circumstances of their births, many of them are abandoned by their parents. However, even those with loving parents have never made it out of the Feywild before reaching adulthood, almost as if the plane itself has laid claim to them, twisting fate and circumstance to deny them a way out until they've grown to call the wilds their home.

Each clown has a way to paint their face, unique to the individual. It is a powerful cultural habit, turned into instinct over time. A clown without makeup on would feel more naked than one without clothes. Copying another clown's face is considered a vile act, often met with banishment or punishment in the shape of curses and hexes. Facepainting is a core part of a clown's identity, as well as a form of expression and art.

Clown Traits

As a clown player character, you have the following traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid but are also considered a Fey.

Size

You are Medium or Small.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 ft.

A Natural Smile

You are proficient in Performance and one other skill of your choice from the following: Deception, Persuasion, Stealth, Sleight of Hand.

Comedic Fate

The narrative occasionally twists comically in your favour. You can use each of the following abilities once. You must finish a Short or Long rest before you can use them again.

• Rubber Bones: Instead of taking falling damage on impact, you harmlessly bounce 10ft. in a random direction and land prone. (Free Action)
• Cartoonish Shape: For up to an hour, you can become a two-dimensional picture of yourself on a surface you touch. Only your eyes can move while in this state. Damage taken ends this effect. (Bonus Action)
• Endless Pockets: You can spend 10 minutes pulling knotted-together colourful napkins from a pocket if you have one, pulling out a total of 100ft. of strong rope.

Just A Silly Individual

At first level, you know the spell hideous laughter and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot. At third level, you learn the spell enlarge/reduce and can cast it once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

Your spellcasting ability for these is either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (choose when you select this race).