Homebrew Clownfolk Species Details

An unusual people, clownfolk are a jovial lot with a knack for entertainment of all kinds. Wandering the land adorn in bright and unusual clothing, they perform their many tricks and trades for the world. At first glance, many think these pale skinned nomads to be normal thespians or jesters, but there lies a mystic and sometimes devious side just below the surface of these people. If an advantageous circumstance arises, clownfolk have more than enough ambition to seize their opportunities where they appear, even if that means stepping outside the confines of what others consider socially acceptable.

That isn’t Makeup

A clownfolk’s complexion is one of the most identifying traits about them, with an almost snow-white skin tone and iconic red nose adorning their face, there’s no mistaking them in a crowd. Besides these two traits though, just about every other aspect of a clownfolk can vary to an enormous degree, from their wide array of prismatic eye and hair colors to their varying shapes and sizes, their populous is filled to the brim with a variety of forms.

This is due to the fact that what determines a clownfolk’s height or shape has no correlation to their parental lineage, but rather the conditions at the time of their birth. According to older generations of clownfolk, how a child will develop has to do with a multitude of different factors, from where the child was born, to the time and day, if the delivery was during a storm, if it was at day or night, and a myriad of other conditions too finite to consider. Because of this, clownfolk can range from as thick as a barrel to as thin as a beanpole, with their average height neatly nestled between 3’10’’ and 8’9’’. 

Compounding this range of variety even further is the tendency for clownfolk to take on minor traits from other races if they come from a mixed lineage. Clownfolk who are half human tend to have more normally colored hair and eyes, while half-Tieflings might have a pair of horns similar to their parent’s. The result of intermingling with other races has sent an assortment of different traits permeating throughout the clownfolk community, from sharp teeth to pointed ears to even tails showing up in children from time to time.

Traveling Circus

The exact origins of clownfolk are not known. Some believe they were the result of humans consorting with the trickster spirits of the feywild, while others think that their lineage traces back to some unspeakable entity alien to the multiverse. One thing for sure is that they do not hail from any homeland. Having nowhere to truly call their own, clownfolk find their place on the road as nomads. Because of their partialness for entertainment, most clownfolk will naturally join circuses or caravans that go from town to town, garnering them a larger audience to perform for. This isn’t to say that every clown in a circus is a clownfolk, or that every clownfolk is a circus-clown, just that entertaining large crowds tends to be their thing, be it with circus routines or Shakespeare performances.

While on these caravans, a clownfolk will naturally meet a wide assortment of travelers and adventurers in the middle of their own journeys. Some clownfolk, whether allured by the idea of a world beyond just entertaining or simply seeing adventuring as a form of entertainment itself with the stories they create, will tag along with those they come across, peeling off their circus to start their own adventure.

While away from their usual circus environemnt, a clownfolk might end up dressing more conservatively, looking to avoid the extra attention the usual extravagance of their outfits brings, but they’re drawn to bright colors and patterns by nature, and inevitably incorporate some remnants of their usual style into their clothing.

Big Top Family

More often than not, clownfolk tend to congregate in larger numbers, forming clicks of around ten to an upwards of thirty or more. This is due to the fact that while alone, their unique styles and completions leave them to stand out much more brightly than the average person, and with the attention of towns comes attention from troublemakers. Be it a couple of thugs looking for an easy target to shake down for coin or the local drunk spotting them at the back of the bar looking to drum up a few laughs at the jester’s expense, the fact remains; Wherever a clownfolk goes, there are plenty of people looking to rough up the guy in polkadot pants. 

And so a community of clownfolk will come together to form a posse, warding off the vultures and bullies who prey on them with their numbers. Most posses consist of a singular family of clownfolk, with a grand or great grandparent acting as the head of the family, otherwise known as a Ring Leader, making decisions for the group as a whole, where to travel, what circuses to join and the like. However when two posses meet on the road, it’s commonplace for them to travel as one if they’re both headed in the same direction. And if the households grow close in their time together, they’ll often merge into one larger group, an event that usually follows the union between two of the younger members of the families.

Snake-oil Swindlers

It's not entirely uncommon for clownfolk to run cons throughout the towns they pass through, with some of their more opportunistic members of their population using their mirthful reputation to pull the wool over the eyes of unassuming passersby, leaving them completely free to separate them from their hard earned coin. Because of this, some towns and cities will watch the clownfolk who pass through much closer than others, keeping an eye peeled for any funny business they might have planned.

If a community has had a particularly bad experience, they might ban the entry of clownfolk to their town entirely, only allowing them to set up camp at the outskirts of their settlement. While most clownfolk try to keep things joyful, usually setting up a festival or fair of some kind at the edge of town when they’ve been barred entry, other more short tempered members can get rather nasty with those who’ve discriminated against them, pulling mean spirited and vindictive tricks to outright vandalism or assault.

Clownfolk Names

Clownfolk that are raised within their culture will traditionally have two names, the first being their Facet name, which is determined by the community as a whole who, during the weeks after the infant is born, will observe the child and come to a communal decision what their name shall be based on their behavior or any notable traits they display. Children who like playing in the dirt might find the name Soots being given to them. Or if they mimic whatever they've seen, they might be named Copycat.

Once the child reaches the age of 3, they receive their second name, otherwise known as a Performed name. This name is determined by a trial where the clownfolk child is placed before an array of instruments, trinkets and tools and it is here that the name is formed by the child themselves. An adult will observe this trial and record the various sounds the child makes with the items presented, translating them into their phonetic equivalent, then combining them to make a single name. It is said that a clownfolk’s Performed name has a great spiritual significance to them, and can predict the kind of life the child will have based off of the method they produced their sounds with.

As well as these two names, clownfolk who’ve left their community will sometimes take on more ordinary names to go by in normal society, as their actual names tend to come off as fake or sarcastically given to the uninformed.

Facet Names: Abode, Archie, Brush, Copycat, Ditsy, Floppy, Gnawing, Grit, Iris, Jailer, Juice, Leafs, Luna, Mothdust, Pluck, Rider, Soots, Sawtooth, Tumble, Wiggler

Performed Names: Ahund, Bodunts, Bunchun, Catina, Fintaylay, Hetelud, Honkhonk, Kang, Laow, Ledoebow, Ong, Opheled, Rinsay, Shinsay, Tadenda, Wei-zing, Zelzo

Clownfolk Traits

Your clownfolk has certain talents and abilities universal to all clownfolk.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

A clownfolk will physically mature by age 10, but won't claim adulthood until 20 years of age. Their life expectancy is around 260, with older clownfolk reaching up to 350 years.

Alignment

Clownfolk are incredibly expressive and spontaneous, heavily leaning them towards chaos, although clownfolk shouldered with responsibilities of their posse will take on a more lawful role in their leadership. They enjoy entertaining others greatly but are heavily dedicated to and protective of their families, generally inclining them towards good or neutral.

Size

Clownfolk have incredibly inconsistent physiology, causing their height to range from 3 to 8 feet tall, weighing 40 pounds on the shorter end, with an additional 40 pounds for every foot higher than 4. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Seasoned Entertainer

You are proficient with the Performance and Acrobatics skills.

Thick Skin

You have resistance to bludgeoning damage.

Circus Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hideous laughter spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the rope trick spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.