Battle Clowns

In a quasi-dystopian future where the world has been turned upside down after centuries of Demonic war against the forces of hatred and fear, humanity's last line of defense and best hope for survival lies in humor and those who wield it: The Battle Clowns!

Think Harley Quinn meets The Witcher, with a Deadpool chaser on the side.

Shortly after The Great Kefka Comet appeared in the sky, dark forces began to stir and the world of Cirque began to know fear. Over the years, the deadly forces of hatred and fear known as the Cerebra Odollam gathered strength in the shadows, slowly corrupting the hearts of humanity.

When they finally gathered enough strength to manifest, the first Demon Wars began, and the world soon fell into chaos and despair. In the century that followed, history was lost, kingdoms were destroyed, and those who survived were left to scrape by as best they could under a nightmarish totalitarian regime. However, the Cerebra Odollam never expected that those who would fight against it would be part of an ancient order of court magicians masquerading as royal fools for the high kings and queens of Cirque.

Through the ages, this order has kept the evil at bay, unaware of the Demons’ surreptitious plan to bring in their new world order: after a millennia of subliminal coercion, they convinced society to ban humor. Now with the divine order of foolish fighters driven underground, evil’s rule was finally complete.

It’s now been a few centuries since the day their Demon leader, Apocynaceae, has gained dominion over society. Fear now rules the land, transforming unwitting humans into horrifying monsters called the Phobians, who stalk the ruins of the old world at the bidding of their Demonic Odollam Overlords. Now the worlds’s last hope lies with the order of the Battle Clowns, who fight to restore joy in the hearts of humanity and defeat evil with laughter and pie – hear their battle cry ring across the land! PFFFFFFFFFFTTTT! (whoopie cushion sound)

The World of Cirque is the twisted funhouse mirror reflection of our own universe. It is a thriving world with a dash of post-apocalyptic feel, where the grass is still green, but society has had its cookies crumbled. Its locales are a mix of modern, fantastical, and nightmarish, all tied together by the brightly colored handkerchief hidden up the sleeve of the universe.

The few cities that survived the Demon Wars now serve as the Capitals of the Six Demonic Domains that divide this post-apocalyptic world. Each domain is ruled by one of the governor-overlords of the Cerbera Odollam. While each domain is unique in its governance, they are all equally terrible for the human inhabitants who live there as second-class citizens (though in somewhat blissful ignorance), and whose quality of life depends entirely on the whims of the overlords they are frequently forced to serve.

Further outside the cities, Human Hideaway Villages exist, hidden among the ruins and waste of the old world. While living in a Hideaway may seem more pleasant than living in a city, it is not without its challenges. Without the protection of an overlord, Hideaways are much more susceptible to Monster attacks, and should a Hideaway ever be discovered, its residents often face severe consequences for their disobedience.

Pierrot
Pierrot is a Hideaway Village that was discovered by a clan of Lesser Demons a few years ago. Ever since then, life in Pierrot has been tough, as the Lesser Demons frequently demand sacrificial offerings be made to them in exchange for keeping the town hidden from the overlords. What once was a thriving farming town is now a depressing wasteland, devoid of all hope.

The Big Top
A traveling circus tent that frequently serves as a way station for Battle Clowns. Not only can Clowns share resources and training, they can also find jobs, leads on where to find monsters, and new locations that are in need of a good laugh. 

The Drag-Ons Den
The power of drag queens has always been feared by evil. After recent attacks on their efforts to deflect the forces of darkness in their own communities, they've been forced to retreat to their places of power—gay bars. Fortunately, one spot has become a welcoming place for those who realize their power as bawdy berzerkers in this present age of monsters. The Drag-Ons Den has a wide network of impersonator spies and allies in the ongoing war. Come here for information or to hire a mouthy mercenary, useful for those particularly nasty missions that require the power of a KWEEN.

Old Ando
Much has been lost to history, but there are many who believe the Demons first appeared in a murky swamp region deep in the southern peninsula, the current heart of the Odallam Demon domain. This area is believed to be the epicenter of Demonic Power, and deep within its borders, a ruined castle lies containing the lost remnants of humanity’s golden past.

The Battle Clowns are a secret order sworn to bring laughter to the dark corners of the world. Nowadays, they work as underground Freedom Fighters, forming a resistance against the oppressive Cerebra Odollam. To be one of them requires some training in a unique class and mastery of one or more of The Seven Sacred Senses of Humor.

Races

• Humans: A run-of-the-mill race that comes in every shape, size, and gender (or lack of!)
• Phobians: Mythical monsters and beings who have turned away from evil. While some may somewhat resemble traditional humans, the obvious marks of having been once transformed by demonic forces linger in their pointed ears, protruding horns, fanged mandibles, extra appendages, and more vestiges of their pained pasts, which they cover with painted faces to resemble their saviors.

In the Character Creator for this game, there will also be a big emphasis on makeup!

Classes

• Jester: The oldest type of clown, the first to learn the healing power of laughter.
• Joker: Fighter-type agents of chaos—after all, you can’t spell “slaughter” without “laughter.”
• Prankster: Artificer/Tinker-types who build elaborate props to use in pranks.
• Harlequin: Acrobatic rogue-types, because of course they are.
• Tramp: Wandering Ronin/Gunslinger clowns, who are sometimes sad.
• Puppeteer: Summoner-types who can call on their puppets for aid.
• Mime: Silent monk-types who can use the power of telekinesis.
• Drag Queen/King: Bardic-lipsyncers and master impersonators who will insult you in the worst debuff of yo’ life.

In the world of Battle Clowns, a pie to the face and a well-placed whoopie cushion may be just as effective against the evil forces of The Cerebra Odollam as an Eldritch Blast or Warding Wind spell. In order to learn more effective gags, gimmicks, and jokes, characters must earn proficiency points, which they can then allocate to one of the Seven Sacred Senses of Humor.

The Seven Senses of Humor are proficiency points for extra talents that everyone can use. They are not necessarily stat-based:

• Slapstick: Better use of items/physicality.
• Pun-fu (Wordplay/Wit): In battle, words and insults are exchanged, and gaining proficiency here will allow you to learn comebacks and insults more easily.
• Absurd: Raises chances for randomness.
• Deadpan: Increases intimidation/stealth/disguise.
• Improvisation: Raises first strike chances, lowers enemies’ ability to first strike.
• Parody: Blue Mage-ish ability to copy the abilities of enemies…somehow.
• Dark: Debuffs do more to enemies.

Punnette
(She/Her)
Class: Harlequin
Sense of Humor: Wit
Armed with a razor-sharp wit, Punnette is always quick with a joke that is sure to leave her enemies in stitches. Should that ever fail her, she also carries a razor-sharp battle axe that usually gets the job done.

Jolly Roger
(He/Him)
Class: Joker
Sense of Humor: Absurd
A pirate-themed clown whose absurdist sense of humor lends itself well to the nautical-styled antics he uses against his enemies – despite rarely ever being near the ocean.

Mad Mangia (Mangiafuoco)
(They/Them)
Class: Puppeteer
Sense of Humor: Improvisation
Mad Mangia adores the tiny troop of stuffed puppets they consider to be family. They can quickly be summoned to aid in overcoming any obstacle or combat encounters in improvised ways. Some call them Mad, as they are frequently seen talking to their puppets, but the real question is... do they ever talk back?

Mr. Whip It
(He/Him)
Class: Prankster
Sense of Humor: Slapstick
Mr. Whip It is a master pie-thrower who always seems able to "whip up" a pie with all the necessary ingredients (whipped cream, cherry, and a pie dish) whenever the situation requires it.

Mercedes Sans Merci
(she/him/they/KUHWEEN)
Class: Drag Queen
Sense of Humor: Deadpan
Of all the drag knights for hire, she is perhaps the most stoic, only giving out snappy quips when absolutely appropriate. As the mistress of motors, if you need to get someplace and get the hell out, her drag racers will do the job. In a scrap, her high heels look as fierce as they hit, but her kindness is equally unmatched. Her quiet nature makes her especially great when impersonation is needed, but it hides something in her past that may one day need to be reconciled….

Items of significance:

Common Items (usables/equips):

• Banana Peel
• Playing Cards
• Whoopie Cushion
• Squirting Flower
• Mallet
• Pie
• Clown Car
• Toy Car
• Balloons
• Balloon Animals
• Long Chain Handkerchief
• Top Hat
• Rubber Chicken
• Spinning Tie
• Rubber Nose
• Balloon Sword

Key/Story Based Items:

• Lost Archive of Forbidden Jokes
• Scepter of Screwiness
• Dame Bunny’s (gigantic) Wig of Invisibility
• The Marigoldas Moistinious (legendary squirting flower)
• Inextinguishable Seltzer Bottle of Bonzo LaCloughn

Plot Line #1: Send In The Clowns – A group of battle clowns are assembled for a suicide mission deep into the heart of Old Ando. The mission? Retrieve the Lost Archive of Forbidden Jokes, a powerful manuscript with enough jokes to turn the tide in the fight against Apocynaceae. With all of its twists, turns, and laughs, this action-packed Dungeon Crawl is the perfect introduction to the world of Battle Clowns.

Plot Line #2: Send In The…Other Clowns? – A follow up to the above adventure where players take on the roles of a new group of Battle Clowns, who are tasked with uncovering the mystery behind why the first group never returned from the fetid swamps of Old Ando.

Plot Line #3: Dungeons & Drag Queens – You have been summoned to the The Drag-Ons den to help Kween Bea and King Arthur retrieve the Dame Bunny’s Wig of Invisibility (a giant enchanted wig with rabbit-ear antenna poking out) that helps keep the location of the bar cloaked from the Odallam Demons. Luckily, it’s so large that whoever took it can’t have gotten far. They send you out with Mercedes Sans Merci to retrieve it (spoiler—a new drag queen accidently took it thinking it was a communal wig and oh no, Odollam boss fight ahoy!)

Plot Line #4: Dawn at the Dam of the Damned – When The Cerebra Odollam cuts off river trading among a community of Human Hideaway Villages by building a giant Dam of The Damned, The Battle Clowns must summon the might of the ancient Rubber Duck deity Emperor Erine, a kaiju-sized puppet that makes for one fowl friend.

Halloween Special Timed Event Plot!: – Nobody does Halloween better than drag queens and kings! Lady Cassandra of the Drag-Ons Den says she has the best couples costume for the annual costume contest (1000 points if you can guess the movie their couples costume will be referencing...), but her costume partner and best doggy, Nantucket, has been a no show! Luckily, she still has his hairs on her, and the resident Werewolf drag queen, Lycan Virgin, has his scent and is ready to help you on this quest before the big contest!

Concept, Settings, and The Whole Shebang by Kevin & Jake!