The Circus

of

Wayward Wonders!

Putting on a Show!

Table of Contents

1. Overview of Circuses
2. Advertising the Show
3. Promoting the Circus
4. Pre-show Excitement
5. Non-Performer Roles
6. Random Events
7. Tally Pre-Show Anticipation

8. Costar and Send In the Clowns
9. The Opening Act
10. The Build Up
11. The Big Number
12. The Finale
13. Calculate Payout and Prestige
14. Upgrade the Circus

Link To Your Tricks

Link To Your Circus

Overview of Circuses

• Up to once per week, the party may put on a show.
• In the week leading up to a show, use Downtime activities to generate excitement for the show.
• This means there are 6 days to generate Anticipation, and 1 day for the show
• There’s only so much you can do though. Each show has a maximum Anticipation
• Shows are performed in Encounter Mode.
• Shows consist of four acts, with PCs and NPCs alike able to showcase tricks.
• These are the opener, the build-up, the big number, and the finale
• The goal is to make your show as exciting as the crowd anticipated it to be.
• Once the dice are done rolling, it’s time to calculate the outcome which provides both rewards and disappointments.

Advertising the Show

• Pick a tier of advertisements ranging from posters to magical billboards. The more you spend the more Anticipation you generate. You can purchase only one tier per show.
• You can use your personal funds or Circus Funds

Promoting the Show

• One PC can promote the circus with the Promote Circus Downtime activity.
• Nota Bene that the activity takes two consecutive days to complete. This means you get three total chances before a show.
• Not sure the DC? Click HERE

Pre-show Excitement

• The goal is to make the show as exciting as people anticipate it to be.
• Advertisement and Promotion generate Anticipation
• But you can get started early with some Excitement and some extra Anticipation
• The mechanical effects of these upgrades are below in the Speaker Notes

Non-Performer Roles

• It takes a lot of work to put on a show, and not everyone steps into the ring. Each role has space for only one person (and it must be a PC) in each role:
• Animal Handler: Trick checks with the animal trait gain a +2 circumstance bonus, and a PC whose signature trick has the animal trait can perform twice in the same show (though not in the same act). If the animals break loose event is rolled on, reroll on that table instead.
• Backup Clown: Performers can Send in the Clowns one additional time per act.
• Bandleader: After each trick is completed, the bandleader can choose to generate Anticipation equal to half the bandleader’s level rounded up.
• Carnival Barker: The carnival barker draws in more audience members as the show goes on and increases the show’s maximum Anticipation. For every successful trick check performed, the carnival barker can choose to increase the show’s maximum Anticipation by 5.
• Clown Coordinator: You can Send in the Clowns as a reaction instead of using 1 action.
• Costumer: Performers get a +1 circumstance bonus to trick checks with the audience trait.
• Lighting: Performers gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Deception and Thievery trick checks. The circus must have the spotlights permanent upgrade before a PC can choose the lighting role.
• Medic: Performers can’t become injured from critically failing tricks with the injury trait.
• Pyrotechnic: Trick checks with the fire trait generate double Excitement.
• Security Guard: Any rolls of hecklers or scalpers are negated and have no effect on the performance.

ALEA IACTA EST

• They say that Desna is a fan of circuses. Sometimes she smiles, sometimes she weeps, and sometimes she laughs.
• The GM rolls on the table. The mechanical effects are for the GM to know, and you to find out.
• As events unfold, more of the table will be revealed

Tally Starting Anticip……ation

• The players and GM tally up the starting Anticipation.
• This number can change throughout the show.
• The show numbers are tracked on the Campaign Tracker.

Costaring and Sending In the Clowns

The Opening Act

• One Trick to whet the appetite.
• Just like any other Encounter Mode scene, a performer gets three actions.
• Each Trick can be performed only once per show, but as many times as you’d like within an act. Just be careful, each attempt carries a cumulative -5 (just like MAP)
• In your turn you may Perform Trick, Costar, or Send In the Clowns
• Pay close attention though, NPC have personalities, and some have restrictions on when and how they’ll perform.

The Build Up

• Two Tricks to impress the crowd
• Just like any other Encounter Mode scene, a performer gets three actions.
• Each Trick can be performed only once per show, but as many times as you’d like within an act. Just be careful, each attempt carries a cumulative -5 (just like MAP)
• In your turn you may Perform Trick, Costar, or Send In the Clowns
• Pay close attention though, NPC have personalities, and some have restrictions on when and how they’ll perform.

The Big Number

• One Trick, the focus of the entire show
• Just like any other Encounter Mode scene, a performer gets three actions.
• Each Trick can be performed only once per show, but as many times as you’d like within an act. Just be careful, each attempt carries a cumulative -5 (just like MAP)
• In your turn you may Perform Trick, Costar, or Send In the Clowns
• Pay close attention though, NPC have personalities, and some have restrictions on when and how they’ll perform.

The Finale

• Three Tricks to present a dazzling spectacle of all the circus offers.
• Just like any other Encounter Mode scene, a performer gets three actions.
• Each Trick can be performed only once per show, but as many times as you’d like within an act. Just be careful, each attempt carries a cumulative -5 (just like MAP)
• In your turn you may Perform Trick, Costar, or Send In the Clowns
• Pay close attention though, NPC have personalities, and some have restrictions on when and how they’ll perform.

Calculate Payout

• A show can be a critical success, a success, or a failure.
• The result is not like normal DCs:
• A show is a success if the excitement is greater than the anticipation. Earn 100% of expected payout. The circus gains 2 Prestige.
• A show is a failure if the excitement is less than the anticipation. Earn 25% of expected payout. The circus gains 1 Prestige.
• A show is a critical success if the excitement is equal to the anticipation. Earn 200% of expected payout. The circus gains 4 Prestige.
• Prestige matters, as it can affect non-Circus related scenes in the AP

Upgrading the Circus

• Upgrade any time between shows
• This list might expand based on your actions in the Adventure Path
• Some upgrades have prerequisites, such as tent expansions

Putting on the Show!

• Upgrade any time between shows
• This list might expand based on your actions in the Adventure Path
• Some upgrades have prerequisites, such as tent expansions