Comedy Magic

Comedy Magic (also known as The Art of the Laughing Mask), is often identified as "hedge magic"- that is, magic that is commonly connected to local folklore and folk-magic, which requires less research, training, and materials to practice. "Hedge Magic" is a derogatory term applied by the ruling classes to denote less-militaristic magic common among the rural poor- but many of the rural poor have appropriated the term to emphasize their closer connection to nature and "real life". (Cultural attitudes do vary, as addressed below)
But what is Comedy Magic? It is an extremely fluid magical art, whose rituals change from tradition to tradition. Folklore generally connects it to the Laughing form of The Masked One, though that means wildly different things in every religious tradition and culture. While the actual practice and connotations vary wildly, its effects remain the same: it channels the pure joy of the user and the lingering spectre of The Masked One to channel minor magic into supernatural pranks and jokes. The applications of this are somewhat limited, but can be too quickly dismissed by the powerful- a joke can be many things, so long as it carries the emotional essence of a joke. A joke can be used to humiliate, to make life more convenient, or to obscure- it need not be powerful magic if used with cunning.
Comedy magic does require training and practice to master, though not as rigorous and less-absorbing than some other "high magic". Perhaps most vitally, parts of its training overlap with everyday life, with the pranking and folk ritual so common in farming communities. That isn't to say everyone in a village will know this art (it does still require specialized training), just that its practitioners don't need to stop living their lives outside of it.
So, mechanically, for Player Characters what does this mean? Comedy magic is a new Feat, with the following effects: When doing a prank or joke, one can use their action to produce an effect equivalent to a Druidcraft, Thaumaturgy, or Prestidigitation cantrip. The following is a list of such effects:

• You create a tiny, harmless sensory effect that predicts what the weather will be at your location for the next 24 hours. The effect might manifest as a golden orb for clear skies, a cloud for rain, falling snowflakes for snow, and so on. This effect persists for 1 round.
• You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed pod open, or a leaf bud bloom.
• You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as falling leaves, a puff of wind, the sound of a small animal, or the faint odor of skunk. The effect must fit in a 5-foot cube.
• You instantly light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor
• You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
• You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot
• You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
• You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
• You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn.
• Your voice booms up to three times as loud as normal for 1 minute.
• You cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color for 1 minute.
• You cause harmless tremors in the ground for 1 minute.
• You create an instantaneous sound that originates from a point of your choice within range, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers.
• You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.
• You alter the appearance of your eyes for 1 minute.

You can have up to three of these effects simultaneously.

Cultural Perspectives

• In Desmia , comedy magic is not considered low-class, but rather a priestly art. While often not selected over the more potent 'high magic', the tradition persists in many regions. The Empire of Avana most embraces comedy magic, which is associated with the Ancestor Kinigar the Smiling
• In Sonev, comedy magic is seen as a lighter form of witchcraft and consequently suppressed by most states. Still, it lingers almost in spite of this repression
• In Maradia, comedy magic is considered a sign of superstitious belief and backwards rural thinking. It is often practiced by the priests and healers of the old religious traditions.
• In Suneka, comedy magic is seen as a sign of spiritual possession or reawakening of a past life (the inner spirit). As such comedy magic is often reserved for people of a certain social role, who are often expected to take part in certain rituals.
• In Samvara, comedy magic is dismissed as 'hedge magic' and not taken very seriously. It is often associated with "barbarians", foreigners, and "uncivilized" peoples. Yet, in the isolated countryside, it remains as a quiet force
• In Garadel, the Samvaran model was adopted in an attempt to prove "civilized" status, and the stigma runs even deeper here. The notable exception is the Zesheko religion, which reveres comedy magic as a form of divine communion.
• In Inahng, magical ability is attached to lineage and class. Practice of comedy magic is a sign of poverty and low-class family heritage, leading to the development of the "naughty jester" trope in Inan media mocking the lowest of the low. This has led to people expecting and even seeking out comedy magic in illicit spaces, attracting practitioners there in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.
• In Ekraht, magic can in many ways be bought and is also a sign of class. Comedy magic is associated with land spirits and the idealized "happy rural farmer", and the wealthy often patronize comedians wielding this kind of magic as a sign of their "charity to the common people".
• In Nafena, comedy-magic is often associated with either foreign tribes or circuses. Magic there is often seen as a gift with a specific intended purpose. That purpose is researched and explored by the church-funded Magic Circuses, centers of travelling comedy and spectacle. In some kingdoms, comedy-magicians are even illegal outside of these circuses!
• In Ibith, comedy-magic is a sign of community status as a storyteller or community knowledge-keeper. While not exactly high-class, it is respected across class lines.
• In Stildane, there is much variation. In True Stildane, much of the original folklore in which comedy magic was part of was destroyed by the crises of early history. To the new cultures that reside there, comedy magic is seen as a sign of foreign religion or even threats (as Ederstone-mutated former comedy-magicians can have twisted parodies of their old powers). Outside of True Stildane, comedy-magic is associated with nomads and non-sedentary living- the sedentary kingdoms of Boram and beyond reject comedy-magic as a mark of the "uncivilized" Other and backwards peasantry.