# The Harlequin An elf in sequined leather armour leaps from rafter to rafter, flinging polished silver throwing knives faster than the eye can follow, eliminating guards as she closes in on her target. *A halfling in the guise of a court jester rushes through the panicked crowd, cackling at the chaos he unleashes with his blades. His contract will just be another death in the stampede.* Fire engulfs the entrance to the circus, trapping the audience within. The flame juggler turns towards the mayoral box, where their mark sits in sudden fear. #### Shrouded in Mystery The precise details of harlequin training are kept a closely guarded secret, with the legendary Harlequin Masters taking on but one apprentice at a time, and taking a dim view of anyone who betrays this secrecy. It is uncertain whether this is done to keep the competition for contracts low, or to amplify their eerie reputations and make their fear tactics more effective… perhaps it is a mixture of the two. #### Life on the Road Harlequins are constantly traveling, never staying in place long enough to become recognised; instead receiving payments and contracts through dead drops and ignorant scapegoats. To avoid detection, they often remain with roving bands of performers, using their unique fighting skills to blend in among circuses and dance troupes. While adventuring parties are rarely a first choice, garnering a bit too much fame for their liking, a harlequin may fall in with such bands for a time to earn some extra pay and sharpen their skills. #### Creating a Harlequin The most important question to consider when creating your harlequin is how they blend showmanship with danger, and how this enables them not only to fight but to blend in among more innocent performers. Might they perform daring duels? Swallow fire? Or simply tell jokes to while away the evening? This will help create your character’s persona as well as give you a unique flare in combat situations. ##### Quick Build You can make a harlequin quickly by following these suggestions. Firstly, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Criminal background. \columnbreak <div class='classTable'> ##### The Harlequin | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | |:---:|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Harlequin Alias, Deadly Flow | | 2nd | +2 | Stage Act | | 3rd | +2 | Unnatural Agility | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | | 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | | 6th | +3 | Stage Act feature | | 7th | +3 | Menacing Strikes | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | | 9th | +4 | ─ | | 10th | +4 | Stage Act feature | | 11th | +4 | Armour of Anonymity | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | | 13th | +5 | ─ | | 14th | +5 | Stage Act feature | | 15th | +5 | Torment | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | | 17th | +6 | ─ | | 18th | +6 | Nowhere to Hide | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | | 20th | +6 | Greater Torment | </div> ## Class Features As a harlequin, you gain the following class features. ##### Hit Points **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per harlequin level **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per harlequin level after 1st ##### Proficiencies **Armour:** Light armour **Weapons:** Simple weapons, hand crossbows, rapiers, scimitars, whips **Tools:** Disguise kit, one musical instrument of your choice **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Charisma **Skills:** Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Investigation, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Survival <div class='footnote'>Design by Lexi Abbey | Made with GM Binder</div> \pagebreakNum ##### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: * (a) 20 darts or (b) one simple or martial weapon of your choice * (a) 2 daggers or (b) a scimitar * (a) an entertainer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack * A set of leather armour * Your harlequin costume ### Harlequin Alias Harlequins thrive on dramatic secrecy, never revealing their true identities. At 1st level, you must choose the alias you assume when carrying out your missions; some harlequins choose to create their own identities, while others take up mantles passed down from master to apprentice, creating an immortal legend. You assume your alias by donning your harlequin costume; an unusual and attention-grabbing attire that is specially designed to incorporate and conceal any armour you might be wearing. While under the guise of your Harlequin Alias, you may make Deception and Intimidation checks with advantage, and creatures have disadvantage on Insight or Perception checks made to discern your true nature. Be warned that harlequins thrive on gathering fame and sowing fear; walking around in your alias all day is a sure way to get you discovered and possibly killed. ##### Alias Suggestions If you are having a hard time coming up with your own alias, consider selecting from or rolling on the table below. | Roll (d6) | Alias | |:---:|:-----------:| | 1 | **The Blinded Serpent** – a reptilian costume with a strip of dark cloth covering any eye holes. You are famed for slaying your targets with a single light cut, letting the poison on your blade finish the job. | | 2 | **The Generous Efreet** – you dress in the red silks and gold jewels of a fire genie, a smiling mask coving your face. You always grant your mark one wish before they die. | | 3 | **The Showman** – your costume changes, but is always the height of fashion, complemented by a leering grin to hide your face. You always make a point to publicly challenge and humiliate your targets. | | 4 | **The Void** – dressed head to toe in the deepest blacks, some mistake you for the herald of Death herself. You never speak to your opponents, exuding an air of menace to leave onlookers cowed in fear. | | 5 | **The Snickering Jackal** – you dress in matted firs that conceal an extraordinary number of weapons. You boast excessively of your prowess in battle, but like to pepper your sentences with made up words to confuse your adversaries. | | 6 | **Jack the Stripper** – you take a strip of cloth from each victim, weaving it into your captivating technicolour outfit. You prefer to seduce and/or mesmerise your targets before slaying them. | ### Deadly Flow From 1st level, you learn to weave your attacks into a brutal yet graceful chain. With each successful weapon attack you make against a target, you may cumulatively add 1 to the damage rolls. For instance, if over the course of two turns you landed three consecutive dagger hits on the same creature, the damage would be 1d4, 1d4+1, 1d4+2 respectively. This damage is the same as the weapon’s base damage type. This chain resets if you miss, switch targets, or take an action to do anything other than a weapon attack. ### Stage Act At 2nd level, you choose the branch of training that best defines your alias. The choices of Stage Act are listed at the end of this class description, and provide you with features at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th levels. ### Unnatural Agility You move with a nimble grace that allows you to traverse the dance floor with ease. At 3rd level your walking speed increases by 10ft. This bonus is decreased by 5ft if you are wearing armour. ### Ability Score Improvement At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 with this feature. ### Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. ### Menacing Strikes Starting at 7th level, you learn to instil fear through your combat prowess. When you enhance your damage to a creature with your Deadly Flow feature, you may cause it to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes Frightened of you for 1 minute, but may repeat the save at the end of each of its turns to end the effect early. Once a creature passes its save, it becomes immune to this feature for 24 hours. The DC for this effect is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. ### Armour of Anonymity By 11th level, the sinister reputation of your alias is enough to make most attackers faulter and doubt themselves. While wearing your harlequin costume, you may treat your armour class value as 10 + your Charisma modifier, if that would be higher than the AC granted by your armour. If you are proficient in Intimidation, you may add your proficiency bonus to your Armour of Anonymity as well. This is not affected by features that double your proficiency bonus, such as Expertise. <div class='footnote'>Design by Lexi Abbey | Made with GM Binder</div> \pagebreakNum ### Torment At 15th level, you are able to capitalise further on the fear you induce. When you deal damage with a weapon attack to a creature that is Frightened, you may deal an additional 1d6 psychic damage. ### Nowhere to Hide From 18th level, your Deadly Flow chain is no longer reset by switching targets. ### Greater Torment At 20th level, you may increase the damage of your Torment feature to 2d6. Additionally, you become immune to the Frightened condition. ### Break the Chain Also at 20th level, you are able to interrupt your performance for a powerful finishing move. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose to multiply the damage bonus of your Deadly Flow feature by your Charisma modifier (minimum of x2). This then immediately resets your Deadly Flow chain to 0. ## Stage Acts A harlequin’s stage act is an acknowledgement not only of their method for blending into a performing troupe, but also defines their signature fighting style as they work to confound their opponents. The options presented here are the Acrobat, Jester, and Lantern Bearer. ### Acrobat Acrobats focus on extreme mobility to dance across the battlefield, and are capable of engaging multiple enemies from afar. #### Evasive Training When you choose this specialisation at 2nd level, you gain the ability to take the Dash and Disengage actions as bonus actions instead. At 10th level, when you make a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage from an effect (such as a fireball), this ability allows you to take half damage on a failed save and no damage upon a successful one. #### Grace and Beauty Additionally at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. You may double your proficiency bonus for all Acrobatics checks you make. #### Uncanny Movement At 6th level, you are able to move through the spaces of hostile creatures, rather than having to go around them, regardless of your character’s size. When you move through the space of a hostile creature, you may attempt to unsettle them by sliding through their legs, vaulting over them, or some other display of acrobatic prowess. When you do so, you may force them to make a Wisdom saving throw, DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier; on a failed save, that creature becomes frightened of you until the end of its next turn. You may force this saving throw a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest (minimum of once). #### Engage the Audience Starting from 6th level, you are able to take your lightning-fast skills on the offensive, flinging multiple projectiles with unerring accuracy. As an action, you may make a single ranged attack against any number of creatures of your choice within a 40ft cone originating from you. These attacks must be made with weapons that possess the thrown and finesse properties. If you are currently receiving bonus damage from your Deadly Flow feature, you may apply this to the damage of each successful attack here (without incrementing it and without it resetting on missed shots). Using this ability then immediately resets your Deadly Flow chain to 0. You may use this ability twice, and regain the use of it on a short or long rest. #### Unearthly Leaping At 14th level, your jumping distances are doubled, you may use your Dexterity for calculating your jumping distances instead of Strength, and you no longer require any form of run-up for jumping. Additionally, your Unnatural Agility feature is no longer impeded by wearing armour. ### Jester Jesters are masters of the fear tactics employed by harlequins, sowing chaos and dismay wherever they go. #### Fear Incarnate When you choose this specialisation at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. You may double your proficiency bonus for all Intimidation checks you make. #### Lurk in the Shadows Starting at 2nd level, when you attack a creature that you are considered hidden from, that creature becomes Frightened of you until the start of your next turn. #### Maddened Cackle From 6th level, you may use your action to let out a hideous cacophony of hysterical laughter. A number of creatures of your choice that can hear you within 30ft of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of you for 1 minute. They may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early. The number of creatures you can affect is equal to the damage bonus you currently possess from your Deadly Flow feature. Using this ability then immediately resets your Deadly Flow chain to 0. The DC for this ability is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. <div class='footnote'>Design by Lexi Abbey | Made with GM Binder</div> \pagebreakNum #### Witty Banter Also at 6th level, you learn the vicious mockery cantrip, and you may cast it as a bonus action. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. #### Breathless with Fear From 10th level, any creature that is Frightened of you may take an action OR a bonus action on its turn, but not both, and its speed is reduced by 10ft. #### Insidious Banter At 14th level, the damage die of your vicious mockery cantrip increases to a d8. ### Lantern Bearer Lantern bearers embody the supernatural trappings of the harlequins, capitalising on their targets’ fear of the unknown by employing unusual tactics. #### Lightshow When you choose this specialisation at 2nd level, you become proficient with attacks made with lit torches. Additionally, a lit torch counts as a finesse weapon for you, and deals 1d6 fire damage + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, instead of 1. #### Bringer of Fire You have learned special concealed techniques for creating and wielding flame. From 2nd level, you may cast the produce flame cantrip, with Charisma as your Spellcasting ability. #### Breath of the Dancing Dragon At 6th level, you learn to wield fire in a dramatic and deadly fashion. As an action, while you are holding a lit torch or other source of flame, you may exhale a potent alcoholic mixture to spray fire in a cone originating from you. Creatures in the area take fire damage equal to your harlequin level + your Charisma modifier. Flammable objects that are not being worn or carried in the area also catch fire. The cone’s area is a number of feet equal to 5 multiplied by your current Deadly Flow damage bonus; for instance if your chain was currently at 3, it would affect at 15ft cone. Using this ability immediately resets your Deadly Flow chain to 0. Affected creatures may make a Dexterity saving throw to instead take half damage. The DC for this is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. #### Smoulder From 10th level, whenever you deal fire damage to a creature, that creature is set aflame. Unless it uses its reaction (or another creature uses its action) to douse the flames, it takes fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of its next turn. The flames are then doused. #### Fire Eater Beginning at 14th level, you are so inured to fire that you no longer feel its burn. You are immune to fire damage. <div class='footnote'>Design by Lexi Abbey | Made with GM Binder</div>