So I made a sad clown character. Not a lot of options for a clown character in general in 1E, let alone a sad clown. Obviously though I was going to be a bard. Originally I was just going to use the juggler bard archetype, and flavor in the sad clown stuff. However, I started thinking about how a depressing performance wouldn’t really inspire your allies. And that got me thinking of what my sad clown bard could actually do with his performances.
After a while I decided to make my own archetype, the sad clown! The idea is that their performances are so depressing, they actually debuff enemies instead of buffing their fellow party members. Essentially, if you want to fully commit to being a debuffing kind of bard, this archetype is for you!
Both my boyfriend and my friend are seasoned DM’s, and they both really liked what I came up with. So here’s what I have for it, written as if it was an official archetype. Let me know what you think!
(Please be nice I am very very new at home brewing ;w;)
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Sad Clown
Not all Bards Inspire. Not all Clowns make you laugh. The paradoxical existence of the sad clown is one of melancholy and sorrow. A majority of the sad clown’s performance involves draining their enemies of the will and ability to fight, rather than rallying their allies to action. No one asks why you are frowning when the frown is painted on.
Negative Aura:
At Level 2, a sad clown can channel their negativity into their own magic. Once a day, the sad clown can take any spell they already know, from their spell list that uses positive energy, and cast the spell using negative energy. The effects of negative energy on a creature remain the same.
At Level 4, the sad clown can cast an altered negative energy spell two times per day, and an additional day every other level (up to a maximum of 5 at level 10).
Greater Negative Aura: A level 12 sad clown has their negative aura grow in range and power. The sad clown, or any ally within 30ft of them, will have any spell they cast that naturally uses negative energy improved. Add a +2 modifier to damage rolls for that spell. The same bonus applies if healing an undead creature.
This bonus does not apply to altered negative energy spells cast by the sad clown.
This ability replaces: Well-Versed
Bardic Performance:
A sad clown gains the following bardic performances.
Depress: A sad clown is incapable of inspiring anyone with their dreary act. Instead they can depress their foes and other creatures with their terminally melancholy performance.
(Any bonus or feats that affect inspire, apply to depress.)
Depress Courage (Su): A 1st level sad clown can use their performance to drain any bravado from their enemies, making them more receptive to fear spells and intimidation, as well as worsen their combat skills. To be afflicted, a creature must be able to perceive the sad clown's performance within 30 feet. A Will Saving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + sad clown’s Cha modifier) negates the effect.
An afflicted creature receives a -1 morale penalty on saving throws against intimidation checks and fear effects and a -1 competence penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this penalty increases by -1, to a maximum of -4 at 17th level. Depress courage is a mind-affecting ability. Depress courage can use audible or visual components. The sad clown must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
Replaces: Inspire Courage
Depress Competence (Su): A sad clown of 3rd level or higher can use their performance to hinder enemies so that they blunder any task they are attempting to perform. The creature must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the sad clown. The afflicted creature gets a -2 competence penalty on skill checks and saving throws as long as they continue to hear the bard’s performance. A Will Saving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + sad clown’s Cha modifier) negates the effect. This penalty increases by -1 for every four levels the sad clown has attained beyond 3rd (-3 at 7th, -4 at 11th, -5 at 15th, and -6 at 19th).
A sad clown must be aware of the creature they are attempting to depress. Depress competence relies on audible components.
Replaces: Inspire Competence
Depress Greatness (Su): A sad clown of 9th level or higher can use their performance to depress greatness in a single creature within 30 feet, hindering their fighting spirit. For every three levels a sad clown attains beyond 9th, they can target one additional creature while using this performance (up to a maximum of four at 18th level).
To depress greatness, all of the targets must be able to see and hear the sad clown. A creature with depressed greatness loses 2 Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a -2 competence penalty on attack rolls, and a -1 competence penalty on Fortitude saves. The reduced Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. A Will Saving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + sad clown’s Cha modifier) negates the effect.
Depress greatness is a mind-affecting ability and it relies on audible and visual components.
Replaces: Inspire Greatness
Depress Heroics (Su): A sad clown of 15th level or higher can erode all sense of heroism in a single creature within 30 feet. For every three bard levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can depress heroics in one additional creature. To depress heroics, all of the targets must be able to see and hear the sad clown. Depressed creatures gain a -4 morale penalty on saving throws and a -4 dodge penalty to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the targets are able to witness the performance. A Will Saving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + sad clown’s Cha modifier) negates the effect.
Depress heroics is a mind-affecting ability that relies on audible and visual components.
Replaces: Inspire Heroics
Suffering Performance: A bard of 12th level or higher can use their performance to create an effect equivalent to the mass inflict serious wounds, using the bard’s level as the caster level. In addition, this performance extends the fatigued, sickened, and shaken condition for 3 rounds for all those afflicted. Using this ability requires 4 rounds of continuous performance, and the targets must be able to see and hear the bard throughout the performance. A Will Saving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + sad clown’s Cha modifier) halves the damage, and negates the extension of conditions.
Suffering performance relies on audible and visual components.
Replaces: Soothing Performance
Melancholic Audience:
At 20th level, the bard can use his depressive performance to paralyze their audience with despair. To be affected, a targets must be able to see and hear the bard perform for 1 full round and be within 30 feet. The targets can attempt a Will save (DC = 10 + half the bard’s level + the bard’s Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature succeeds at the saving throw, the bard cannot use this ability on those creatures again for 24 hours. On a failure, all those who are affected by this performance are paralyzed, as if they were Hold Monster, Mass was successfully cast on them.
Melancholic Audience is a mind-affecting, compulsion effect that relies on audible and visual components.
This acts as an alternative capstone ability.
I think that a straight-up reversal feels a little flat and isn't necessarily balanced.
An ability that penalizes your enemies saves, for example, is generally going to be more effective than one that boosts yours.
But on the other hand, giving a penalty to attack rolls is less effective than giving the other side a bonus.
Beyond that, I would urge you to use great caution when talking about depression; rendering it down into a handful of modifiers or turning it into a parody of itself might strike some people as offensive.
I don't think the "sad clown" trope requires the performer to be sad. It's a performance, after all.
I think that a straight-up reversal feels a little flat and isn't necessarily balanced.
An ability that penalizes your enemies saves, for example, is generally going to be more effective than one that boosts yours.
But on the other hand, giving a penalty to attack rolls is less effective than giving the other side a bonus.
Beyond that, I would urge you to use great caution when talking about depression; rendering it down into a handful of modifiers or turning it into a parody of itself might strike some people as offensive.
I don't think the "sad clown" trope requires the performer to be sad. It's a performance, after all.
I did consider them possibility of offense when it comes to this archetype. I have depression myself so for me, taking it to such a crazy realm is a case of being able to laugh at oneself. I understand it’s not the same for everyone, and I certainly don’t want to upset anyone. I’ll see if I can work on the wording and implications.
As for balance, I’ll try to look into balancing the performances better. I was trying to go for a clear cut reversal of the bard but you do bring up good points!
I'd say that turning the buffing into debuffing in this case is hard to compare because that often depends on which side has the more affected targets. Is the party outnumbered? Then debuffing the enemy is potentially more -1s than buffing the party.
But that aside, debuffing has the disadvantage that the enemy has to fail a save, where inspire courage is an automatic success barring any outside influences.
What's the intent with the Negative Aura ability? It seems like it's main mechanical effect is changing cure spells to harm. Is there another effect that I'm missing? Is the Sad Clown a bad-touch bard?
I think there are plenty of archetypes out there that just take existing abilities and turn them on their head. Sure, it's fun when an archetype gets a completely new, thematic ability, but sometimes an archetype can be there just to support a roleplay concept, not drive it. I don't see the turning-inspire-into-depress shtick being an issue.
My main quibble with this archetype is that it's clown themed, but there aren't any fear-inducing abilities. I guess that's for more traditional clowns, not sad ones. :)
I'd say that turning the buffing into debuffing in this case is hard to compare because that often depends on which side has the more affected targets. Is the party outnumbered? Then debuffing the enemy is potentially more -1s than buffing the party.
But that aside, debuffing has the disadvantage that the enemy has to fail a save, where inspire courage is an automatic success barring any outside influences.
What's the intent with the Negative Aura ability? It seems like it's main mechanical effect is changing cure spells to harm. Is there another effect that I'm missing? Is the Sad Clown a bad-touch bard?
I think there are plenty of archetypes out there that just take existing abilities and turn them on their head. Sure, it's fun when an archetype gets a completely new, thematic ability, but sometimes an archetype can be there just to support a roleplay concept, not drive it. I don't see the turning-inspire-into-depress shtick being an issue.
My main quibble with this archetype is that it's clown themed, but there aren't any fear-inducing abilities. I guess that's for more traditional clowns, not sad ones. :)
Lol you’re all certainly giving me things to consider and think about! Especially with balancing.
The point of the negative aura is the idea that the sad clown is so depressing, he can even turn positive energy negative.
Also, yeah I wasn’t going for horror clown. Plus he can still use dirge of doom and frightening tune if you want a scary sad clown. XD
The reversal spell of Hideous laughter, Depression, is right up the sad clown,s alley. It might be a bonus spell. For a backstory, they may have a grave or graves they visit regularly and a favored enemy who caused that.
The point of the negative aura is the idea that the sad clown is so depressing, he can even turn positive energy negative.
No, I get that. It's appropriately thematic. But is it useful? There's plenty of thematic archetypes that nobody uses. I can only imagine that they're published because the designer liked the theme so much that they didn't consider the application, or because they didn't communicate a non-obvious application.
In this particular case, I don't think it's much of an issue, because this archetype can still heal with cure spells, which is the primary positive energy spell that bards use, if I recall correctly. And they have the option to once-per-day spontaneously turn it into a harm spell. I was just curious what other applications of this ability you had in mind (if any), to see if it was balanced vs. losing well-versed.
And "horror clown" is repetitive!