Class: Jester

Part bard, part rogue, all annoyance. The Jester entertains nobility and peasantry alike, and are able to verbally manipulate nearly anyone.

A jester, court jester, fool, harlequin or joker is a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests. Jesters are also itinerant performers who entertain common folk at fairs and town markets.

Jesters often wear brightly colored clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern. Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, and storytelling, but many also employ acrobatics, juggling, telling jokes (such as puns, stereotypes, and imitation), and performing magic tricks. Much of the entertainment is performed in a comic style. Many jesters make contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences.

Abilities: Wisdom and Charisma are a Jester's core skills.

Races: Any race that seeks adventure.

Alignment: Jesters are any non-lawful.

Starting Gold: Starting gold is 5d4x10 (100 gold.)

Starting Age: Younger

Hit Points: Jesters use 1d6 + Con bonus (if any) to determine HP.

Class Skills: (8 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)

Balance, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Innuendo, Jump, Knowledge (Local, Nobility and Royalty, Religion), Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Search, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Item, Use Rope

Class Features:

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Jesters are proficient with Light armor but not shields and Simple Weapons

• Sneak Attack

At level 1, if a jester can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The jester's attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the jester flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and it increases by 1d6 every two jester levels thereafter. Should the jester score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.

With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a jester can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

A jester can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies - undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. The jester must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A jester cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

• Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level and higher, a jester can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the jester is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless jester does not gain the benefit of evasion.

• Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

Starting at 4th level, a jester can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

If a jester already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

• Wordplay (Ex)
At 5th Level, the jester is able to move a reaction roll by one point to become more favorable or unfavorable (as she desires). This goes up to 2 places at 10th Level and 3 at 15th. The jester must be able to speak the language of the target individual, and this ability doesn't work on constructs, plants or undead.

• Tumble Master (Ex)
Also at 5th level the jester becomes a master of the tumbling arts. She gains the Tumble Master Feat, which grants a +4 bonus to the Tumble skill.

• Unarmored Defense (Ex)

When unarmored and unencumbered, the jester adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a jester gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five jester levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the jester is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

• Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

A jester of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked.

This defense denies another jester or rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.