The Toon

The First Laugh: Many say when the first laugh escaped mortal lips it gave birth to all mirth, levity, comedy, sarcasm, joy, and sorrow within the universe. There is a power in smiles, in riotous laughter, and in comedy; a power few truly tap into. Toons are the masters of such energies and can tap into it to bring forth more glee. They are empowered by the laughter of others and know just how to make someone smile (even while twisting a knife into his gut).

Toons rarely study their art; it is a natural gift that few possess. When combined with an understanding of The First Laugh and an adherence to an absurdist or dada philosophy (see the works of Søren Kierkegaard, Albert Camus, Malaclypse the Younger, and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, or even the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre or Friedrich Nietzsche), they become “unglued.” Toons who are unglued (or becoming unglued) can warp and manipulate the rules of reality, so long as they do so unconsciously. As toons progress in level, they becomes more and more unglued until they are finally freed of all constraints of logic, order, and reality.

Hit Dice: d10.

Role: For all their comedy, toons are ruthless combatants. They can prank and gag their opponents in cruel (but still funny) ways to wear them down or use their class features to perform oddball supernatural abilities to cause damage in creative ways.

Alignment: Any chaotic

Toons are agents of chaos and delight in pranks (well-meaning or vicious), disruptive acts, theatrics, and anything that upsets the status quo.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills: The toon’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Table: The Toon
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special AC and CMD Bonus
1st +1 +0 +0 +2 Laughter, slapstick, toonstyle (prestidigitation) +0
2nd +2 +0 +0 +3 Caricature, gags +0
3rd +3 +1 +1 +3 Toonstyle (ghost sound) +0
4th +4 +1 +1 +4 Make-believe, slapstick +1 +1
5th +5 +1 +1 +4 Bonus feat, pratfall, toonstyle (silent image) +1
6th +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Gags, gutterspace +1
7th +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 Slapstick +2, toonstyle (alter self) +1
8th +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 Prank +2
9th +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 Bonus feat, go with it, toonstyle (major image) +2
10th +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 Gags, slapstick +3 +2
11th +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 Toonstyle (illusory wall) +2
12th +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 Make-believe +3
13th +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 Bonus feat, slapstick +4 +3
14th +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 Gags +3
15th +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 Toonstyle (polymorph) +3
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 Slapstick +5 +4
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Bonus feat +4
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Gags +4
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Slapstick +6 +4
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Unglued +5

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

The toon is proficient with all simple weapons but with no armor or shields. The toon is uniquely proficient in all improvised weapons.

Laughter (Su)

At 1st level, the toon gains a pool of “laughs,” which represent the number of times he has solicited genuine laughter from others. This pool of points starts off empty at the beginning of each day, and he gains laughs by causing creatures around him to genuinely laugh. (See the sidebar “What Defines Comedic Effect?” for more information.) The toon may not spend a number of laughs more than his toon level + his Charisma modifier per day. At 3rd level, the toon begins each day with a number of laughs equal to his Charisma modifier. Laughs do not carry over after he rests.

Slapstick (Su)

At 1st level, the toon gains the Catch Off-Guard combat feat as a bonus feat. At 4th level, the toon gains a +1 luck bonus on damage rolls with improvised weapons. This bonus improves by +1 at 7th level and every 3 levels thereafter to a maximum of +6 at 19th level. In addition, rather than not taking a penalty as per the Catch Off-Guard feat allows, the toon is considered proficient in improvised weapons. This allows the toon to treat improvised weapons as its own weapon category and, as such, take feats like Weapon Focus with a focus in improvised weapons.

Toonstyle (Su)

The toon is talented at using magic to augment his comedic style. At 1st level, the toon can use prestidigitation at will, but only to affect himself. At 3rd level, he may use ghost sound at will, but the sounds always originate from the toon. At 5th level, he may use silent image at will. At 7th level, he may use alter self at will. At 9th level, he may use major image at will. At 11th level, he may use illusory wall at will. At 15th level, he may use polymorph on himself at will. For all these abilities, the toon uses his toon level as his caster level. These abilities must be used for comedic effect, even though they may still be used in combat. A toon who uses his toonstyle class feature habitually without comedic consideration loses access to this class feature.

Once he loses his class features, he must wait at least 3d8 hours before he can regain them. A toon who consistently uses his toonstyle abilities for non-comedic effects (or unfunny acts) may find himself unable to regain them. In order to atone and regain class features, the toon must cause a number of people to laugh, without his powers, equal to twice his toon level. This may be in the same place or at different times, but the laughter must be genuine and a fully belly laugh (not just a sarcastic smirk or a chuckle).

Gags (Su)

Beginning at 2nd level, the toon gains access to “gags”: supernatural abilities that stem from his freedom from the constraints of rational thought and the laws of reality. By spending 1 laugh, a toon can perform a gag. Unless otherwise noted, a gag is a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Some gags may be maintained and doing so simply requires concentration (no extra laughs).

If any creature (or creatures) points out the impossibility of the action the toon is taking with his gag, the toon must spend 1 laugh at the start of his next turn or he cannot maintain it. A toon may only ever utilize one gag a round. Gags that function as spell-like abilities or mimic the effect of a spell use the toon’s level as his caster level.

At 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the toon gains a new gag he can choose to use. He chooses his gags from the following list.

Accordion

If the toon spends 1 laugh as a swift action, he may comically react to a major source of damage by causing his body to distort as a result of the blow. He gains DR/ - equal to 1/2 his toon level until the next of his next turn.

Backfire

The toon can attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver to jinx a ranged weapon if he expends 1 laugh as part of the maneuver. This jinx on the weapon lasts for 1 minute and does not need to be maintained. It might involve plugging a firearm with a carrot, using otherworldly glue to adhere an arrow to its bow, or replacing a blow dart with confetti. This causes the next attack with that ranged weapon to automatically fail to hit its target. In addition to the effects of the dirty trick effect, which occur when the weapon is fired (not at the time of the combat maneuver), the backfired creature takes 1d6 points of non-lethal damage.

Comic Death

The first time in a 24 hours period that the toon is reduced to 0 or lower hp, he is instead knocked prone and unconscious for 1d4 rounds if he spends 1 laugh as a free action. At the end of this period of time, he is brought back to life at 1 hp. Until he is revived, he is considered dead.

Don’t Look Down

The toon may treat thin air as if it were an extension of the terrain he was on when he began his movement. If he spends 1 laugh as a swift action, he may continue to move as if the area he was on was a flat plane that could support his mass. This allows him to continue in a straight line, provided he does not change his elevation. This may also be utilized to allow the toon to traverse dangerous terrain (such as lava, water, etc.) without impediment on the same plane of movement.

Exaggerate

If the toon spends 1 laugh as part of the action he takes to make his combat maneuver, he may add his Charisma to his CMB and on attack rolls until the end of his turn.

Exit Stage Left (Sp)

The toon can use dimension door as a spell-like ability if he spends 1 laugh as part of the action to cast the spell-like ability. He may only use this ability while not observed.

False Wall

If he expends 1 laugh as a full-round action, the toon can decorate up to a 10 ft x 10 ft piece of terrain with a relatively flat surface (wall, door, sheer cliff face, etc.) with a life-like mural that suggests passage through said surface (painting it to look like a door, the opening of tunnel, a window, etc.). The toon may pass through this as if it were really there. The toon may travel up to 10 feet per toon level into the surface and may emerge on the other side if such a destination is able to be reached in the timeframe where the space exists. The size of the passage is large enough for the toon to move easily. Should any creature other than a toon try to enter the entryway created by the toon, they find that, even while the inside of this area may appear to be filled with objects or even people, it is simply an illusion. Creatures moving at normal move speed who slam into the real surface take 1d6 points of damage; creatures running or charging take 2d6; and creatures moving at half speed or less only take 1d4 points of non-lethal damage. This space only lasts for 1+1d6 rounds after the gag has been created. A toon does not need to maintain this gag. After such time, the false wall returns to normal and only a crude painting remains on the surface. The toon inside the false wall is shunted out, taking 1d6 points of damage and transporting to the entrance of the wall. This movement is forced movement and does not provoke attack of opportunities. The placement of the toon, if he is shunted out, is determined by the toon himself and should be in as straight a line as possible.

Stretch

If the toon spends 1 laugh as a swift action, he increases his reach by +5 feet with any weapon until the end of his turn.

Up the Walls

If the toon spends 1 laugh as a swift action, he can traverse a surface of any angle as if it were a flat horizontal surface. While doing this, he is affected by gravity as if he was properly oriented towards the ground. This gag can be maintained as a swift action.

Wilhelm Scream

If the toon spends 1 laugh as a swift action, his voice carries twice as far as a typical creature for 1 minute. In addition, any time during this timeframe that the toon deals sonic damage, he increases the damage dealt by +1d6. This gag does not have to be maintained to continue its effect.

X-Ray Vision

The toon’s eyes bulge and his tongue falls out of his mouth as he gawks at something before him. Is he imagining what is under that foxy lady’s dress? Dreaming of the riches behind door #1? Whatever the case may be, the toon can see into and through solid matter at a range of 30 feet until the start of his next turn if he spends 1 laugh as a free action. This gag can be maintained as a free action. The toon sees as if he were looking at something in normal light even if there is no illumination. X-ray vision can penetrate 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, or up to 3 feet of wood or dirt. Thicker substances or a thin sheet of lead block this vision.

Caricature (Su)

As the toon becomes more eccentric and detached from reality, he begins to take on distorted physical characteristics. Starting at 2nd level, the toon should describe some comic change to his physical form upon gaining a new level. While these are superficial, becoming detached has benefits. It allows the toon’s body to stretch, bend, and even temporarily completely flatten as the moment requires. This makes the toon difficult to predict and even more difficult to comprehend.

Suggestions: Odd skin color, bug-eyes, over-large hands/feet, permanently gloved hands, only four fingers, a comically large nose, a heavy accent or distinctive method of speech, a stretched mouth, buck-teeth (or other strange teeth), a physical tick, a jaunty style of walk, etc.

At 2nd level, when unarmored and unencumbered, the toon adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, at 4th level, the toon gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD. This bonus increases by +1 for every 4 levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the toon is flatfooted. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Make-Believe (Su)

At 4th level, the toon can use minor creation as a supernatural ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier. This takes a full round action to complete, rather than 1 minute. At 12th level, this functions as major creation instead.

Toon Bonus Feat

At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the toon gains a bonus feat he chooses from the following list: AntagonizeUM, ChildlikeAPG, Combat Reflexes, CosmopolitanAPG, Disorienting ManeuverUC, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Fleet, Greater Dirty TrickAPG, Greater RepositionAPG, Greater StealAPG, Gnome TricksterAPG, Go UnnoticedAPG, Improved Dirty TrickAPG, Improved Initiative, Improved RepositionAPG, Improved StealAPG, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improvised Weapon Mastery, Mobility, SidestepAPG, Spring Attack, and Seeing StarsGonzo.

He can choose any feat from this list, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. The only exception is prerequisites that require a feat on this list as a prerequisite. For example: A toon could not take Greater Dirty Trick without first selecting Improved Dirty Trick.

Pratfall (Su)

Starting at 5th level, the toon never takes more than 3d6 falling damage. If he would take more than 3d6 damage normally, he is knocked prone (and physically lands flat as a pancake).

Gutterspace (Ex)

There exists a space between dimensions where the collective trash and scum gather. These tiny pocket dimensions are ripe for the looting and only the unglued persona of a toon can access their odd placement (as they exist outside normal space/ time). At 6th level, by reaching into one of these innumerable pocket dimensions, collectively called gutterspace, the toon can subconsciously produce objects. He may only do it in moments of duress (in combat, during a skill check with potentially life threatening results, etc.) and only once per day.

Reaching into gutterspace is treated as if the toon is drawing a weapon (it can be done as part of a move action, is effected by feats like Quick Draw, etc.). The toon states what he wants to draw out of gutterspace in specific terms (“a masterwork warhammer”); then the GM rolls 1d20 and consults the accompanying table (Table: Gutterspace Result) to see what the result is. The item should have relevance to the stressful situation the toon is in, cannot cost more than 500 gp per toon level, may never be an object he has requested in the past with this class feature1, may never be more than one object (such as ammo), and is sucked back into gutterspace in 1d6 + the toon’s level rounds. If the object is a consumable, he does not lose the benefit after the period of time elapses but any ongoing effects end immediately.

1 This is defined by the base object. For example, a toon could request a masterwork warhammer followed by a masterwork longsword and be fine. He could not, however, request a masterwork warhammer followed by another warhammer. A toon could request a potion of cure light wounds followed by a potion of cure moderate wounds and be fine, but he could not draw another potion of cure light wounds ever again.

Table: Gutterspace Result
Roll Result
1 The toon gets a useless novelty item or piece of scrap instead of what he wants.
2-3 The toon gets a completely different item, randomly decided by the GM, of similar value. There is a 50% chance this item will simply be unstable due to interdimensional travel and spontaneous combust dealing 1d6 damage in a 20 foot radius after 1d4 rounds. A Reflex save (DC 15) reduces this damage by half.
4-20 The toon gets the item he was seeking.

Prank (Ex)

At 8th level, when the toon uses any of his spell-like abilities to deceive, trick, or humiliate a creature (at the GM’s discretion), the spell-like ability resolves at caster level 4 levels higher. If the toon uses his spell-like abilities in this manner, it gains a +4 luck bonus on Concentration checks for that ability.

Go With It (Ex)

At 9th level, when a creature points out the unrealistic nature of one of his gags, the toon no longer must pay an extra laugh to maintain the gag.

Unglued (Su)

At 20th level, the toon becomes a creature completely unglued from reality. His creature type switches to aberration, and he becomes immune to precision damage, ability score damage, and critical hits. In addition, he begins his day with a number of laughs equal to his toon level + his Charisma modifier.

Why is Everything a Supernatural Ability?

The abilities of the toon are all supernatural because they stem from the toon’s ability to bend and break the rules of reality by causing his perception of reality to effect events.

What Defines Comedic Effect?

“What defines comedy?” is a question that has plagued comedians since the first laugh was heard. What is funny? What makes people laugh? In game terms, the final arbiter is the GM, but he should consider the intent of the player. Generally, acts designed to deceive, trick, or humiliate a creature are considered humorous. That list is far from all-inclusive and should be considered a guide more than a rule. For example, a GM may decide something is unfunny, in poor taste, or even just wicked (rather than funny) despite it being in one of those categories.

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