Parodianthrope (3.5e Template)

Parodianthropy
lycanthropy… except instead of turning into animals, they turn into clowns… wereclowns.]] Like most things that involuntarily turn into clowns, it's rather creepy. The condition is also known as lyclownthropy to make it sound funny and embarrass everyone involved. The curse comes in two forms, gesture and jocular, as part of their shtick detailed below.

The Curse of Parodianthropy
Parodianthrope is an acquired or inherited template that can be applied to any living humanoid, fey or giant (often referred to as the base creature, creature or character). Gaining the curse functions like gaining a level in a class. As such, you can actually play one at first level.

Parodianthropy functions as an acquired template for creatures who contract the magical disease sometime during their lifetime. Though, this magical disease is passed on to their children as an inherited template (so long as it still meets the prerequisites).

The curse is typically transmitted by performing a special 1-round action on an unconscious, helpless target (willing or not). A parodianthrope in its alternate form must enter the unconscious target creature's space and make a Disguise check (DC 20 + the target's Charisma modifier) on the target, disguising it as a clown. If the parodianthrope succeeds, the target becomes afflicted with the magical disease… and is also disguised as a clown.

Parodianthropy as an Affliction
A parodianthrope offers very little physical distinction to set it apart when in its natural form, making identification tricky. Most often, a pallid face and exaggerated features, expressions and emotions are key clues.

As the disease is magical, a parodianthrope's clothing and gear reshape (and re-style) when it changes form due to the curse.

When a character contracts parodianthropy, no symptoms appear until the first night of the next full moon. On that night, the afflicted character involuntarily transforms into his parodianthrope form at sunset (applying the parodianthrope class level granted by this template). The character remains in parodianthrope form, unable to willingly return to his base form, until the next dawn.

After the initial transformation during the first full moon, the character is subject to involuntary transformation into his parodianthrope form at sunset, and involuntary transformation back to his normal form at sunrise.

The Parodianthrope Class Level
Since this level isn't applied when a character would typically level up, it doesn't need to occur at the appropriate level gain for experience. Since his new level is then higher, he just needs that much more experience to level up normally afterwards.

Alternately, if the DM doesn't want a character to become a level higher than the rest of the group, he has the option of forcing the afflicted character to "retrain" one of his class levels in place of this one to keep him in balance with the rest of the party. This also makes calculating experience points easier but requires more recalculation of the character.

Abilities: A parodianthrope benefits from Dexterity and Charisma for its skills.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 3d4 ×10 gp (75 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Template Class Features
All of the following are features of the parodianthrope.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Parodianthropes are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor and shields.

These abilities can be dispelled, but the parodianthrope can reactivate them at the start of his next turn as a free action.

Alternate Form : A parodianthrope can change to his base form or parodianthrope form (also called his wereclown form) as a standard action. A slain parodianthrope or anything removed from him reverts to its base form, though it remains dead. A parodianthrope gains the Shapechanger subtype.

Darkvision : Regardless of his form, a parodianthrope can see with no light source at all, out to 60 feet, which is rather creepy. If the base creature already had extraordinary darkvision from another source, this extends it out to 120 feet.

Low-light Vision : Regardless of his form, a parodianthrope can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. If the base creature already had extraordinary low-light vision from another source, he may now reroll a Spot check once per round, taking the better result.

 : A parodianthrope suffers when not around others of his kind. After 24 hours have passed since he last successfully performed (DC 20) for another parodianthrope within 30 feet, any morale bonus he gains is lessened by 1 (reducing it to 0 when applicable) and lessened by 1 again for every additional 24 hours, to a maximum of 5 lessened after 5 days. Morale penalties are applied normally.

Pick a shtick:


 * : A gesture parodianthrope, when transformed, is surrounded by a supernatural aura of silence that only affects himself and any object he carries/holds in his space. As a free action on his turn, a gesture parodianthrope can create objects of invisible, illusory force as a supernatural ability that fit within his own space. These illusory objects function as any mundane object the parodianthrope can carry or lift (up to a light load), such as chairs, walls, ropes, shields, weapons and armor. If the illusory object leaves the parodianthrope's hold or space, the object ceases to exist. Anytime another creature interacts with an illusory object, she may make a Will save to disbelieve it. Success causes the illusory object to cease to exist and failure causes the illusory object to become dimly outlined as long as contact with it by the interacting creature is maintained.


 * : A jocular parodianthrope, when transformed, is surrounded by a supernatural aura of noise. He suffers a -8 penalty to Move Silently and Hide. A jocular can use ventriloquism at will as a spell-like ability and requires no spell focus. A jocular parodianthrope takes no penalty to deal non-lethal damage in place of physical damage for his attacks and may substitute non-lethal damage in place of energy damage dealt from his own spells and spell-like abilities. He may hide objects in or draw them out from a personal, timeless pocket dimension as a swift action. These hidden objects still count their weight as being carried by him. As a free action, when another creature within close range attempts a Concentration check, a jocular parodianthrope may instead make a Perform check (so long as he has 1 skill rank in the skill) whose result becomes the new DC for the Concentration attempt.

 : Regardless of his form, a parodianthrope can squeeze through tight spaces as though he were two sizes smaller. He may reroll an Escape Artist check once per round, taking the better result.

Control Shape (Cha or Wis)
A parodianthrope can attempt to transform (or prevent a transformation) under its own will with this variant usage of the Control Shape skill.

Action & Checks
Changes in form are standard actions. If you beat the DC by 5, you may instead transform as a swift action.

Involuntary Changes: You must make a check at sundown each night to resist involuntarily assuming wereclown form. On a failed check, you must remain in wereclown form until the next sunrise, when you automatically return to your base form (though you may resist that transformation as well).

Voluntary Changes: You may attempt to use this skill voluntarily in order to change to your wereclown form or return to your base form, regardless of the time of day.

Try Again
Involuntary Changes: You can check to resist an involuntary change once each time a triggering event occurs.

Voluntary Changes: You can retry voluntary changes to wereclown form as often as you like. However, on a failed check to return to base form, you must remain in wereclown form until the next sunrise, when you automatically return to your base form.

The Power of the Curse
An afflicted parodianthrope may quickly gain control of his curse without having to wait for the night of the full moon. A casting of bestow curse on him may be used to strengthen the magical disease and allow him to immediately gain the template.

Additionally, a successful casting of bestow curse on him can force a parodianthrope to assume his wereclown form as an involuntary triggering event. The target parodianthrope makes the check immediately, but the action doesn't occur until his turn.

The Cure
Any parodianthrope can be cured. However, its easier to cure sooner rather than later.

An afflicted character who receives a casting of remove curse or break enchantment followed by calm emotions before the character undergoes his first transformation (and actually gains the template) can attempt a second Fortitude save to shake off the affliction. The DC is equal to the initial DC. No further retries are allowed.

A limited wish, wish or miracle spell also cures the affliction, provided the character receives the spell during nightfall. McGuffins are also known to cure the curse.

The removal of the parodianthrope class level can weaken a character or make him unplayable. If the removal of this level would reduce his ECL to 0 or cause him to become the lowest ECL character among his traveling PCs, he instead gains 1 HD of his racial type as a replacement HD until he rests enough to retrain that HD into a class level of his choice. If the de-clowned character was an NPC, the DM can just do whatever because he was going to anyways.

Parodianthropes as Characters
Becoming a parodianthrope does not change a character's favored class but may impair his progression.

Most characters don't like the idea of involuntarily turning into clowns, so there's that to deal with.

Variants and Options
A DM may rule that:
 * Natural parodianthropes may not be cured.
 * Natural parodianthropes are always in their wereclown form as a natural form.
 * Strengthening the curse (with a casting of bestow curse) causes the subject to become permanently stuck in wereclown form.
 * Some other fourth thing not listed here.
 * A parodianthrope's shtick is always the same shtick as the wereclown who infected him.
 * Just as McGuffins can be used to cure the disease, the curse can be transmitted by cursed McGuffins as well. Removal or destruction of the cursed McGuffin might be the only possible means of a cure.
 * Satyrs are known to be carriers of the magical disease. They can transmit the curse without being in parodianthrope form and are unaffected by it themselves.
 * Hocking hamburgers is strictly mandatory.