Each PC can design their own signature trick. The player decides their signature trick's trick ehck (which can be a skill check, saving throw, or attack roll), chooses a trick trait, and names their trick. When the time comes, describe the trick as dramatically as possible. Only the PC who created the signature trick can perform it; NPCs and other PCs cannot perform another PC's signature trick. Otherwise, signature tricks do not have additional requirements or challenges associated with them (beyond the obvious GM approval).
PCs signature tricks improve and grow more complex as they go up in level. At 1st level a trick may have only 1 trick check and only 1 trick trait (unless the act is particularly dangerous (meaning it uses a saving throw as at least one of its checks), in which case it gains the automatic Injury trait). The number of trick checks and trick traits increases as characters gain levels.
Performing a trick takes one "Circus action", with each of the four acts having a varying number of PCs and NPCs capable of taking 3 actions. The action has the following effects:
Critical Success You generate Excitement equal to the trick's level; this Excitement is added to the circus' total Excitement for the show. You also generate Anticipation equal to half the trick's level (rounded up); this Anticipation is added to the circus' total Anticipation for the show. (Please note, this isn't always a good thing. We'll get to that later)
Success You generate Excitement equal to the trick's level; this Excitement is added to the circus's total Excitement for the show.
Failure No effect
Critical Failure The circus's Excitement value decreases by a value equal to half the trick's level (rounded up).
Also, critically failing a trick with the Injury trait leaves the performer with an injury. A DC 15 flat check determines if this injury is long lasting enough to affect the next performance. If the character fails the check, they are unable to perform in the next performance as they are still recovering from the previous failure. In addition, the performer cannot use perform a trick for the remainder of the show (this does include the remainder of that character's actions).
Trick Traits:
Pick one of the following:
Aerial: The trick involves flight or something similar to it, like trapeze.
Air: The trick involves manipulation of mist, wind, or another prop with atmospheric properties.
Alchemical: The trick involves alchemy. A performer can expend an alchemical item to gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the trick check, destroying the item.
Agile: Performing the trick again only takes a -4 penalty.
Animal: utilizes trained animals
Audience: The audience participates in the trick
Beast: The trick relies on intelligent beasts
Dance: Involved dancing or coreographed movements. Costarring (another action) is especially effective and stacks for these tricks.
Earth: The trick involves the use of mud, earth, or stone.
Emotion: Uses effects (likely alchemical or magical) that induce emotions from the audience. This allows you to reduce the amount of Excitement or Anticipation the trick creates, for purposes of hopefully getting a critical success.
Fire: This trick involves fire, smoke, or pyrotechnics.
Injury: We talked about this one. It's automatic if the trick check is a saving throw.
Magical: The trick invovles the use of magic. You can expend a spell slot, and if the performance succeeds or critically succeeds, the trick generates an additional amount of Excitement equal to the expended spell slot's level.
Music: The trick involves musical cues or is somehow augmented by sound effects and/or music.
Plant: The trick uses plants such as trees, flower, or fungi, or uses magic that affects such plants.
Prop: The trick requires the use of some mundane prop or stage setup.
Team*: This trick requires more than one person. Anytime a PC performing a signature trick accepts the Costar reaction, the trick has this trait.
Time: The trick involves distorting time or altering time in some way. A performer whose trick has this trait can perform that trick on additional time per act, taking a penalty to the fourth trick check equal to the penalty to the third trick check.
Water: This trick features water as a primary component of its performance.
Also, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks if using a corresponding check for the traits used. For example, a performer whose trick has the aerial trick trait gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics trick checks.
Aerial - Acrobatics
Air - Survival
Animal - Nature
Audience - Society
Beast - Arcana
Earth - Occultism
Fire - Intimidation
Musical - Performance
Plant - Nature
Prop - Crafting
Water - Athletics
I will bring up other actions for the circus as they become relevant. For now, I'll let you digest the above and design your tricks.