The Juggler/Knife-Thrower

Jugglers take their name from entertainers who juggle multiple objects, perform slight of hand, and perform other tricks of dexterity. The juggler, though, has talents beyond a common street performer. Jugglers move with dizzying speed and uncanny accuracy, throwing weapons with deadly accuracy. Combining extreme manual dexterity With the physical skills of athletes like acrobats and tumblers, the juggler is a popular performer just about anywhere in the world. Unlike some entertainers, the juggler does best in small towns or marketplaces filled with ordinary peasants and merchants. The job involves tossing a number of objects up into the air and keeping them aloft, gradually adding and subtracting from the total number. Practice typically involves using balls, pins, knives, lit torches,etc..

While in public the successful juggler will add in whatever items are common and easy to handle or dangerous looking, like knives, short swords and flaming objects. Using a batch of local items borrowed from the crowd not only reassures the audience ("Those aren't some kind of magic gimmicks!), but can also provide a bit of extra food (one of the oldest juggling tricks is 10 take bites out of objects like apples and pears while they are being juggled).

While all jugglers are experts at throwing things (not just knives). some set themselves up as specialized "Knife-Throwers", developing entire acts and routines around expert and trick throwing. Characters who want to specialize in knife throwing are advised to select an additional W.P. in other kinds of thrown weapons (axes. spears. etc.). Of course the various skills can be mixed and combined to create a character with many talents; some are also escape artists or tumblers. Jesting is another skill that tends to go with juggling, as many jugglers are known for their humour and quick wit.

Attribute Requirements: P.P. 12 or higher.
Alignment: Any
Gender: Male or Female
Race: Any
O.C.C. Bonuses:The character has a one-time bonus of +1 to strike, +2 damage, +2 on initiative, +1 to dodge and +1 to pull punch (or knife or weapon strike) and the abilily to throw an extra two items in any one melee round. Jugglers can attempt to throw anything as a weapon.
O.C.C. Skills:

Juggling (+40%)
Athletics (General)
Concealment (+5%)
Palming (+10%)
Public Speaking (+5%)
Languages: Native Tongue at 98%, plus two of choice (+5% each)
Streetwise (+4%)
W.P. Paired Weapons
W.P. Targeting/Missile Weapons
W.P. knife and one of choice.
Hand to Hand: Basic (Hand to hand: basic can be changed to hand to hand: expert or assassin (if evil) for the cost of one "other" skill or martial arts for the cost of two "other" skills.)

Communications: Any (+5% each)
Domestic: Any (+5%)
Espionage: Any (+10% to escape artist only)
Horsemanship: General or Exotic Only.
Labour: Any
Medical: First Aid only.
Military: Heraldry and Recognize Weapon Quality (+5%) only.
Naval Skills: None
Performing Arts: Any (+10%)
Physical: Any, except Boxing.
Rogue: Any (+10%)
Science: Mathematics skills only.
Scholar/Noble/Technical: Any (+10% on any language skills)
Weapon Proficiencies: Any, except siege.
Wilderness: Any

Secondary Skills: Choose 5 at level 1, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency. These are additional areas of knowledge that don't get the O.C.C. bonus.

Starting Equipment: The character starts with one suit of plain street clothes. including hat, scarf, shirt, jacket, cloak, pants (or kilt and leggings), leather boots, and belt, plus a suit of "performance" clothing in fancy, bright patterns and colors (same componentS, but with at least two secret pockets). Tools of the trade include a set of juggling balls (10), juggling pins (8), treated torches (8). small glass goblets and clay bowls (all designed and weighted for juggling. 12 of each). The character also has a backpack, a bedroll, a shoulder bag, 1D4 small sacks, a tinder box, and a water skin.

Armour: The juggler can choose to wear any type of armour, but is most uncomfortable in anything that restricts full freedom of movement (same penalties as a Men of Arms O.C.C). Armour that hampers and impairs movement can mean suicide for this kind of character. If any heavy armour is worn, the character suffers a 1/2 speed reduction, and will be at -15% on most skills. with a -1 to strike, parry and dodge. Regular chain mail is a little less restrictive, only reducing skills by 10%, and with no penalty to strike, parry, or dodge, and a 1/3 speed reduction. The character starts out with a full suit of soft leather armour (10 A.R. and 20 S.D.C.).

Weapons: Jugglers like to have a full range of throwing weapons at hand, as well as weapons to match any other W.P. they might have. The character starts out with a set of high-quality, very good looking, throwing knives (8), a set of small throwing axes (6), a set of weighted meat cleavers (4), and a sling with two dozen loads (metal balls that do 1D6 damage). The juggler starts with a set of throwing pins (4) that look just like the juggling pins, but are filled with lead weights so they do 2D4 damage when used as a club. Also, one pair of matched weapons to fit the character's chosen W.P. (decent quality, but nothing special).

Money: The character starts with 140 in gold, which can be used immediately to purchase more equipment or saved. Additional money will come from payment for jobs and/or booty.