Atlantean Trilogy Archive
A harlequin in a blue and gold diamond costume somersaults upside down over a festival stage, juggling knives amid confetti.

Harlequin

Profession, single-classed

A highly versatile actor and performer found with repertory companies, traveling troupes and circuses. Harlequins juggle, tumble, sleight-of-hand and impersonate others with great skill.

From the book

Harlequins are exceptionally versatile actors and entertainers, usually attached to repertory companies, touring stage troupes or circuses. Those who prefer to work alone find jobs as storytellers, minstrels or jugglers, playing markets and anywhere crowds gather; the less gifted will even play the jester or court fool, but only when badly short of money, since harlequins consider themselves above clowning.

Besides acting they juggle, perform acrobatics and practice sleight of hand, and the coordination their tumbling gives them makes them adept at almost any dexterity-based skill, especially the roguish ones.

Their knowledge of acting, costume and make-up lets them impersonate many kinds of people convincingly, and they go to great trouble to collect costumes and props for the purpose. With a company, a harlequin typically earns a per-performance fee scaled by level, and famous ones can ask many times that.

Skills by level

  1. Level 1
  2. Level 3
    • +1 to Hit
    • Knife throwing
  3. Level 6
  4. Level 9
    • +1 to Hit
    • 2 attacks per round
  5. Level 12
    • +1 to Hit
    • Add Any Performing Skill
  6. Level 15, 18, 21, etc.
    • +1 to Hit

At a glance

Minimum attributes
INT 12, CHA 14, DEX 14, PER 12
Alignment
Any
Combat training
Skilled
Hit points per level
1 H.P. per point of CON, plus 4 H.P. at first level; then +4 H.P. and any CON bonus per level gained; after 12th level, +1 H.P. per level with no CON bonus (optional rule, page 48)
Special abilities
Impersonate: convincingly impersonates many kinds of people through acting, costume and make-up; Dexterity: adept at almost any dexterity-related skill, especially rogue talents
Free skill choices
Level 12: any performing skill
Fees and earnings
Usually 1-10 G.P. per level for each performance with a repertory group or stage troupe; famous harlequins can ask ten times that or more, depending on how large and well known the troupe is
Restrictions
Will work as jesters or court fools only in desperate need of money
Equipment
Costumes and props for impersonation
Open to races
Humans