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I had an idea for a PC for The Extinction Curse AP, a handsome, kind-hearted jester sort of dude, but part of me wonders if that'd be too derivative of other characters who've shown up in other APs, like Jolistina Susperio in Curse of the Crimson Throne, Jardem "Jinglefingers" Wyvel in Second Darkness (I can't remember if he actually affected a jester persona or just kinda looked like the Joker), and Wyssilka in War for the Crown, as well as the Dark Dancer monster from 1e's Bestiary 4.
Would it be interesting to present a foil to the "people who dress like jesters are psychopaths" vibe I seem to be getting from Paizo, or would it be more original to play some other kind of concept?
That AP is probably the best place for a jester-themed PC. Otherwise, it would seem too forced to me.
Some players might find a Joker-clone just as cliché as a Drizzt-clone drow was for many years. If I were playing The Extinction Curse with another player who had a jester-themed character, I'd hope he wasn't overly psychopathic. I'd rather see the "laughing on the outside while crying on the inside" trope.
YMMV.
You could also go for a clown that's just a regular guy out of costume or someone who is very serious, takes their job seriously, and, thus, is seriously in-character.
What class where you thinking for the jester? From the description, I guess bard or witty swashbuckler.
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Bard seems the most obvious, given the focus on performing and the recent boost 2e gave them to become a true caster, but Sorcerer could be fun too.
I'm not making him a psychopath, though. I was just noting a trend in the APs that 9 times out of 10 if an NPC is dressed as a clown, they're usually going to try and stab the PCs in the very near future, either because they're an assassin in a clown disguise or they're just theatrical creeps.
I'm more looking to play a dashing, friendly, magical trickster. In fact it'd be more accurate to say the character is a magician in clown makeup, except with actual magic instead of just sleight of hand.
"THE MAGE OF MERRIMENT! THE CLOWNING CONJUROR! THE WIZARD OF WHIMSY!" if you will. ;)
I mean, historically the Jester and the Clown are somewhat similar. The difference is that the former was an entertainer attached to a household whereas the latter came from the theater.
Since the PCs are members of a traveling circus troupe, clown probably works better than jester, but you could absolutely be a jester who left the employ of whatever noble for whatever reason and became a clown because the skillset is similar or whatever.
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My vote goes to Giacomo, king of jesters and jester of kings (Bard) ! ;)
Historically, yes, but I'm talking more about in terms of aesthetic than academic distinction. I want him to look more like this than like this.
The modern "whiteface circus clown" is a 19th century innovation. I imagine that the "clowns" in a Golarion based circus would more closely resemble some of your commedia dell'arte stock characters, like Arlecchino.
You could also go for a clown that's just a regular guy out of costume or someone who is very serious, takes their job seriously, and, thus, is seriously in-character.
What class where you thinking for the jester? From the description, I guess bard or witty swashbuckler.
How about a guy constantly playing the harsh critic.
A villain tries to mock the party with some cruel joke? Have the character complain about how the metaphors, rhymes, etc are forced, and provide constructive criticism on how to more effectively make the same joke.
Gory and brutal displays? Tell them how they were not using good positioning to allow the party to properly see the ripped out guts that the demon is trying to flaunt at you.
...basically, do that scene where the joker criticizes batman's violent interrogation techniques. "Never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy, they can't feel the next-"
Anyway, if we are going to suggest class, then I suggest monk with stumbling stance. It is fairly strong (getting free feint for multiple attacks, and plays well with intimidation or bard dedication for further bonuses/debuffs), and it gives you an excuse to be the guy that aims to be underestimated.
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Historically, yes, but I'm talking more about in terms of aesthetic than academic distinction. I want him to look more like this than like this.
If you look at old paintings and drawings of medieval era clowns and jesters, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference just by looking at them. I'm sure there was some stylistic differences in their costumes that escapes me.
Note that not all jesters worked for households. Many were itinerant entertainers that performed for crowds. So a jester working in a circus wouldn't surprise me.
From what I can tell, jesters were general entertainers in that they employed a wide variety of "performances" - jokes, songs, music, stories, juggling, acrobatics, magic.
Clowns on the other hand used slapstick and physical comedy.
In any case, your jester might get very huffy when someone mistakes them for a clown!
Court jesters were not just entertainers, they were tasked with speaking the truth to power. They veiled criticisms and other unpleasant truths behind wit and humor.
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Court jesters were not just entertainers, they were tasked with speaking the truth to power. They veiled criticisms and other unpleasant truths behind wit and humor.
You are largely correct if you are talking about the very narrow group of "Court" Jesters, but that group served a social/political function that differs from the ordinary jester (of which there were many more). Also, not all household jesters were "Court" jesters... many were simply kept to entertain the household and guests.
While Court Jesters had leave to say things (within certain boundaries) about the king or ruler that no one else could, they otherwise pretty much wore the same costumes and did the same things other "ordinary" jesters did. The downside to being a Court Jester was if your boss didn't find you entertaining or you went a little to far in your criticism, being fired often meant losing your head!
Yeah, exactly. If you want to break the mold of jesters as purely entertainment, you can make a court jester - one with jester-like abilities but a price on his or her head from a joke gone too far, or perhaps even an active court jester on a mission to gather information (or material) to present to the crown.