Entertainer 5e
You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humor cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life.
Source: Player’s Handbook
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
Languages: None
Equipment: A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and a pouch containing 15gp
Variants
Gladiator: A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment-perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. You can replace the musical instrument in your equipment package with an inexpensive but unusual weapon, such as a trident or net.
Features
Entertainer Routines: A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer.
Entertainer Routine Table
| d8 | Entertainer Routine |
|---|---|
| 1 | Actor |
| 2 | Dancer |
| 3 | Fire-eater |
| 4 | Jester |
| 5 | Juggler |
| 6 | Instrumentalist |
| 7 | Poet |
| 8 | Singer |
| 9 | Storyteller |
| 10 | Tumbler |
By Popular Demand: You can always find a place to perform, usually in an inn or tavern but possibly with a circus, at a theater, or even in a noble's court. At such a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a town where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.
Suggested Characteristics
Successful entertainers have to be able to capture and hold an audience's attention, so they tend to have flamboyant or forceful personalities. They're inclined toward the romantic and often cling to high-minded ideals about the practice of art and the appreciation of beauty.
Entertainer Personality Traits
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I know a story relevant to almost every situation. |
| 2 | Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip. |
| 3 | I'm a hopeless romantic, always searching for that "special someone." |
| 4 | Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension. |
| 5 | I love a good insult, even one directed at me. |
| 6 | I get bitter if I'm not the center of attention. |
| 7 | I'll settle for nothing less than perfection. |
| 8 | I change my mood or my mind as quickly as I change key in a song. |
Entertainer Ideals
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Beauty. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. (Good) |
| 2 | Tradition. The stories, legends, and songs of the past must never be forgotten, for they teach us who we are. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Creativity. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and fame. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I like seeing the smiles on people's faces when I perform. That's all that matters. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Honesty. Art should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) |
Entertainer Bonds
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My instrument is my most treasured possession, and it reminds me of someone I love. |
| 2 | Someone stole my precious instrument, and someday I'll get it back. |
| 3 | I want to be famous, whatever it takes. |
| 4 | I idolize a hero of the old tales and measure my deeds against that person's. |
| 5 | I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival. |
| 6 | I would do anything for the other members of my old troupe. |
Entertainer Flaws
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'll do anything to win fame and renown. |
| 2 | I'm a sucker for a pretty face. |
| 3 | A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. That kind of trouble seems to follow me around. |
| 4 | I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat. |
| 5 | I have trouble keeping my true feelings hidden. My sharp tongue lands me in trouble. |
| 6 | Despite my best efforts, I am unreliable to my friends. |
Should You Be an Entertainer?
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
The Player’s Handbook backgrounds all share some problems, namely that they don’t stack up well against other backgrounds printed more recently that come with feats. Entertainer is a middle-of-the-road background when compared to other options alongside it in the PHB; you get alright skills and a decent set of tools, but ultimately get close to nothing else beyond flavor.
Features: By Popular Demand, Entertainer Routines, and Gladiator
By Popular Demand hardly provides any kind of meaningful boon to your sheet; there is a chance it saves you a couple of gold pieces per game, but you do that by offering to work. That’s something you could literally always do- any character can offer to work delivering drinks for the night or cleaning a place for coin or lodging. Being recognized is something you’d expect to start happening when you’re performing, and again, that doesn’t remotely require this kind of feature.
Entertainer Routines and Gladiator are nearly identical; the prior lets you pick a routine that usually is how you earn your income with By Popular Demand, and Gladiator is a variant that extends that by offering you a replacement equipment piece to aid in your pit fights. Gladiator doesn’t offer proficiency with the weapon offered; if you do opt for it, make sure you either are okay with being bad at fighting with the unusual weapon or have the proficiency for it through your class.
Skills, Equipment, and Other Proficiencies:
Both skills offered are reasonable. Acrobatics will most often come up when balancing in precarious locations; the reality of adventuring will include some moments for this kind of ability, but not regular use of it.
Performance can typically be used more often, but is the kind of skill you need to be proactive in using as part of plans you and your party come up with. There aren’t going to be a ton of obstacles where the DM will suddenly call for a Performance check to overcome in a dungeon or out exploring the world.
The Disguise Kit is the largest functional boon offered here over its competition. These give you bonuses to checks made to disguise yourself and others, which becomes a real tool you’ll want to use in the low tiers especially. Musical instruments are akin to Performance in utility- if you want it to be part of your character’s job, its on you to find opportunities to use it.
It's Not Bringing Down the House, but I’d Listen
Entertainer would benefit from small adjustments made using the Background Customization rules; even without that, though, it does offer a fine enough selection of proficiencies that you’ll regularly find it fits well alongside other PHB options. I’d definitely aim for something higher impact if anyone wants more modern feats, though.
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