Campaign Advice Solicited

[Kodyax]

I am building a series of scenarios for a science fantasy campaign where the players are all members of a traveling circus. I am drawing inspiration from certain cartoons from the 80s as well as the Final Fantasy series, especially the last one on the Playstation. Where I find I need some advice on is the general roles of many of the classes I will be allowing as GM. I will be using materials from Pure Steam and Thunderscape as well as Neo-Exodus and Obsidian Apocalypse for this. Psionics is also a possibility. Roles that can be filled by Rogue Genius classes are also encouraged. Classes I am not allowing include the Paladin, Inquisitor, Witch, Magus, Gunslinger, Ninja and Samurai for various reasons. Any suggestions?

[The Dragon]

What are you asking here? Advice on what, exactly?

What roles the various classes can fill?

[Westphalian_Musketeer]

Where are your players starting, and where are they ending?

[Kodyax]

I am asking what roles the classes can fill. I have a few vague ideas like in some cases a barbarian could make for a good strongman, and with various applications there are very few roles in a circus a bard can't fill. Knife Thrower could be a fighter or a ranger. But I am especially wondering about classes like the wizard, the sorcerer, the arcanist and the oracle. Although in some ways I guess you could have an oracle be a fortune teller.

As for where they are starting and ending, probably on the space ship I'm going to give them. Yeah, it's more dangerous that way but that's half the fun isn't it? Besides the trip can make for some nice interludes. Not to mention the fact I am going to be taking a page from Babylon 5 for jump gates. TV shows that are influencing this include Babylon 5, Far Scape, Star Gate and classic Battlestar Galactica (the one with Lorne Greene as the Admiral).

[Sarrah]

Don't do what my GM did last night when he tried to tweak the campaign. He supped up the Wraith npc to do d6 con damage and d6 level drain without their normal Fort DC to save...the suck just happened.

[LuxuriantOak]

wait: circus? spaceships?
I have no idea what this campaign is about, but it sounds rad :)

When it comes to what roles the player characters can fill, why not let them decide that/find it out? they might make up something you haven't though of (in my opinion they SHOULD)

remember, making the story and the game work is as much the players as the GM's responsibility.

Maybe you should instead make a list of inspirations: what kind of people are needed to run a circus? (there is actually a very large group of "invisible" workers in such an undertaking: riggers, popcorn sellers, elecricians, gaffers, animal tenders, security etc.)

[pennywit]

My first and largest suggestion is that you make it a low-magic world. A traveling carnival works best in a setting in which great wizards, mysterious fortunetellers, and dangerous kobolds are rarities.

The thing about a traveling circus is that, apart from the headliners and the circus owner/manager, everybody's going to have at least two jobs. The roustabouts are probably also caravan guards. The strongman might also be a carnival barker or a guard. And so forth. A few ideas:

Bard can take on any performance role, but is most likely to be a headliner.

Alchemist, Wizard (particularly illusionist), Arcanist, and Sorcerer can be stage performers who do things that amaze and titillate audiences.

Oracles and Clerics can see to the spiritual needs of the circus and to the freaks ... and an Oracle might also be a fortuneteller or a medium.

Brawler is a ... ahem ... strong choice for the circus strongman, a showy unarmed warrior. Locals pay a gold piece each to fight him, winning a prize if they knock him out.

Rogues are good carnival barkers and spotters for pickpocketing.

[Cap. Darling]

Important to remember that all the circus artists are performers. The strong man dosent need to be strong he just need to look strong. So the class mia not important. IMOP decide for some classes that you Will allow and the players Will no doubt find ways to make them in to circus folks.

[JuanAdriel]

Rogues and monks can do trapeze acts and corde lisse, and be equilibrists, jugglers(plate spinning!!!) and contortionists.
Druids and Hunters can be beast tamers/trainers.
Bards can be predistigitators, showmans and clowns. They can be "mentalists" like on the TV show. (Fake fortunetellers and mediums)
Wizards can be fortunetellers and mediums too.

for flame eaters & breathing, sword eaters and the like, bards or rogues too?

For shows and stunts, roguish classes are the ones to go.

[Brother Fen]

Bard would be the ringmaster or pitchman.
Rangers would be the animal handlers/trainers.
Rogues would be the acrobats.
Anyone can be the clown. The PC might have a reason to hide beneath the makeup.
Spellcasters serve as your fortunetellers, etc.
Fighter/bararian as the Strongman.
Halflings, etc would be part of the ten in one sideshow.

[What's in the box?]

As for Cavalier I would imagine the person riding a horse and doing different riding tricks/equestrian acrobatics.

A siege engine wizard could operate a cannon that shoots out a druid who- before landing- shapechanges into a bear... OR fires a bear out of a cannon that shapechanges into a person...

Alchemists could be special effects operators (making light flashes and smoke effects), could also be a humorous experiment for them to juggle acid flasks or something... With alchemists I also see the "snake oil" salesman.

Sorcerers/Wizards would make for good "illusionists" even using this that are NOT illusions (use invisibility on the *assistant* then cast Summon Monster to *transform* them into a Dire Badger... PRESTO!

[Bob of Mage]

You could also throw in a bit of a freak show. You could have things like a giant Gnome, a breaded Hobgoblin (normally they are more or less hair less), or a golden Kobold (Golden Scales Trait). They don't just have to sit around doing nothing, but can also be part of the acts.

Also for clowns they can be a number of classes. A Fighter Half-Orc clown could be used for laughs instead of just being strong. Indeed all a class would need is at least some points in perform. You could have it set so that a group of them do acts together and use aid another on the lead, who would likely be the Bard or Rogue.

EDIT: Forgot about having a throwing knives expert.

Also the sneaky skills and tricks Ninjas are known for could be used to wow crowds.

Say he appears in a poof of smoke then performs some trick like a tight rope walk. When he's done, he's gone in another poof of smoke. Later in the show he appears again. Each time he could use smoke bombs Ninja are known for to awe the crowds who can never see where he comes or goes from.