Chapter 1 - Class - Character Kits - Gnomish Kits
Buffoon
The name of this character kit is in no way a reflection on the intelligence of the character who plays the role. It does, however, reflect the way the non-gnomish world views him or her--it is a gentle deception that can consistently cause enemies and other NPCs to underestimate or even ignore the character. Indeed, the Buffoon carefully cultivates this role, often even to the point of concealing the fact that he or she possesses illusionist skills.
In order to use this kit, a character must have an Intelligence score of at least 15.
Role: Buffoons are travelers, entertainers, gossips, pranksters, and gadflies. They make friends everywhere they go and enjoy using their skills to aid those friends in a multitude of causes. Buffoons make themselves figures of fun and then use this as a means of making fun of others--usually with just the right element of sharpness in their wit. An empress, for example, will not be subjected to the ridicule that, say, a city guard might merit--at least not in her presence! Buffoons are alert and observant, quick to discern who are safe targets, currently out of favor with the powers that be; such unfortunates often become the butt of a Buffoon's jests.
Favorite Buffoon tactics include comical imitations of the character being lampooned and questions designed to trap the unfortunate victim in a no-win quandary--e.g., "Have you stopped overtaxing the peasants yet?" Every Buffoon is adept at keeping the crowd on his or her side, but it is said that every good Buffoon keeps one eye on the exit, ready to beat a hasty retreat should the mood of the onlookers suddenly turn nasty.
The Buffoon is an avaricious but capable adventurer, always on the lookout for gems of any shape, color, and size. He or she doesn't keep these in a horde, instead preferring to barter them for goods (or goodwill) whenever passing through a gnomish community. The Buffoon is quite likely to find good friends in any gnomish village along his or her trail and also among the gnomish citizens of larger cities and towns.
Secondary Skills: Jeweler is a popular secondary skill for the Buffoon, as are Navigator and Gambler.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Buffoon likes to keep several daggers concealed about his or her person and will be adept at using them both as missile weapons and hand-to-hand.
Bonus Nonweapon Proficiencies: All Buffoons gain a knowledge of Etiquette as a bonus proficiency--not that they practice it, but their natural sensitivity helps them judge what is and is not considered appropriate in a given situations (and tailor their barbs accordingly).
Recommended Nonweapon Proficiencies: History and Disguise, as well as Juggling, Lip Reading, Tumbling, and Ventriloquism are all useful complements to the Buffoon's art.
Thief Skill Emphasis: The Buffoon may wish to emphasize Hide in Shadows, Detect Noise, and Find/Remove Traps; the kit places no restrictions on his or her choices.
Equipment: The Buffoon generally travels with a variety of comical gimmicks, including horns and bells, whistles and juggling balls, and a full makeup kit that often includes wigs and false beards.
Special Benefits: The Buffoon benefits from an ability to distract and entertain. Often a Buffoon can break the concentration of a spellcaster with a rude jibe or irritating pun. The gnomish character must speak a language in common with the spellcaster and must win initiative on the round. If both of these are met, he or she can say something (DMs are encouraged to require roleplaying of the remark) clever and distracting to the spellcaster. The caster is allowed a Wisdom check to ignore the distraction; failure means his or her concentration has broken and the spell is wasted. The DM may, at his or her option, allow the difference between the Buffoon's and spellcaster's levels to be used as a modifier (+ or -) to the Wisdom check.
The Buffoon also has two bard-like abilities: First, he or she can entertain NPCs with juggling, jibes, and buffoonery. This has the same effect as the bard's ability to influence reactions (explained on page 42 of the Player's Handbook ). Second, he or she can counter the effects of songs and poetry used as magical attacks (see page 44 of the Player's Handbook ).
Special Hindrances: He or she has to walk around looking ridiculous.
