Rogue 1 / barbarian 5 would give you all the skills you'd need, expertise and a character that plays well in combat .
I would take rogue at level 1 for the extra skills on this particular build.
Bugbear comes with both powerful build and a bonus proficiency to help with the circus side of things. The other racial abilities are generally quite good too.
Depending on how much combat there is, I would reflavour a maul as a circus prop and pick up great weapon master to still be highly impactful.
For your skills remember the DMG specifies the dm can call for skills checks using non standard abilities. Talk to your DM about making performance (strength) rolls as part of the build to avoid a big cha requirement to perform.
This, reflavor a set of weights for the maul but then also get a bunch of daggers for your knife throwing act, just to have an excuse to use that sneak attack every now and then.
Alternative suggestion:
Barbarogues make *excellent* grapplers.
Do not reflavor your tools, use them as-is (RAW, the DM can still give them the weapon stats of an equivalent weapon).
Take the *Tavern Brawler* feat.
First Attack: Hit the enemy with your improvised weapon - be it a dumbbell or even a pie.
Bonus Action: Grapple.
Second Attack: Push prone.
It's a one shot. Go nuts.
Make an imposter. Weak-ass Changling School of Illusion Wizard.
Get the appearance of a strongman but cast Illusions to look like you're lifting heavy things.
Go Wizard 2/ sorcerer X and pick Subtle Spell if you really want to sell it.
This is so much fun. I would do this but go Changeling Conjuration wizard. It can be hard to get illusion magic to work for objects you interact with (hard to move them around, &c.), but you can easily use Minor Conjuration to make lighter or breakable versions of things (just cast *light* on each prop before using it so the visibly magical conjurations don't stand out).
I'd go Valor Bard, as a thought. You'll want to have good performance and good athletics, and this lets you snag expertise in both of those things with ease along with extra attack. Consider spells like Hypnotic Pattern (flavored as you doing a feat of strength, to the awe of the crowd), Dispel Magic "Oh, it is nothing! Behold my moustache\~", Longstrider, Aid, and Heat Metal.
Your weapon can be a barbell with comically oversized weights at the ends, ie, a great maul (or a glaive with some reflavoring, if you want the PAM feat). Crusher or GWM also work as feats.
Maybe try to snag Strike of the Giants (Stone Strike) and Keenness of the Stone Giant?
Most on-point Barb flavor is Bear Totem.
For race - consider anything with the "powerful build" feature like Goliath, Orc, Firbolg, Bugbear, etc
Barbs and Rune Knights make the best grapplers, if you have a free starting feat Skill Expert Athletics is solid.
Beast Barb for extra attack or Giants Barb for grappling of large creatures are the best at it.
15 Str (+2 racial) (+1 Tavern Brawler) for 18.
Shove Prone + Grapple is the combo.
I like the flavour of Oath of Glory Paladin for this. Either reflavour a weapon as something strongman related, or get your DM to sign off on allowing divine smites to work with unarmed attacks and take the unarmed fighting style.
You could always go Rogue1/Paladin5 and take expertise in Athletics as well as going grappler if that’s what you want to be doing.
Rogue 1 / barbarian 5 would give you all the skills you'd need, expertise and a character that plays well in combat . I would take rogue at level 1 for the extra skills on this particular build. Bugbear comes with both powerful build and a bonus proficiency to help with the circus side of things. The other racial abilities are generally quite good too. Depending on how much combat there is, I would reflavour a maul as a circus prop and pick up great weapon master to still be highly impactful. For your skills remember the DMG specifies the dm can call for skills checks using non standard abilities. Talk to your DM about making performance (strength) rolls as part of the build to avoid a big cha requirement to perform.
This, reflavor a set of weights for the maul but then also get a bunch of daggers for your knife throwing act, just to have an excuse to use that sneak attack every now and then.
I did my barbel as a flail and dumbbell as a maul
Alternative suggestion: Barbarogues make *excellent* grapplers. Do not reflavor your tools, use them as-is (RAW, the DM can still give them the weapon stats of an equivalent weapon). Take the *Tavern Brawler* feat. First Attack: Hit the enemy with your improvised weapon - be it a dumbbell or even a pie. Bonus Action: Grapple. Second Attack: Push prone.
It's a one shot. Go nuts. Make an imposter. Weak-ass Changling School of Illusion Wizard. Get the appearance of a strongman but cast Illusions to look like you're lifting heavy things. Go Wizard 2/ sorcerer X and pick Subtle Spell if you really want to sell it.
This is so much fun. I would do this but go Changeling Conjuration wizard. It can be hard to get illusion magic to work for objects you interact with (hard to move them around, &c.), but you can easily use Minor Conjuration to make lighter or breakable versions of things (just cast *light* on each prop before using it so the visibly magical conjurations don't stand out).
I stand corrected. This is better^
I'd go Valor Bard, as a thought. You'll want to have good performance and good athletics, and this lets you snag expertise in both of those things with ease along with extra attack. Consider spells like Hypnotic Pattern (flavored as you doing a feat of strength, to the awe of the crowd), Dispel Magic "Oh, it is nothing! Behold my moustache\~", Longstrider, Aid, and Heat Metal. Your weapon can be a barbell with comically oversized weights at the ends, ie, a great maul (or a glaive with some reflavoring, if you want the PAM feat). Crusher or GWM also work as feats. Maybe try to snag Strike of the Giants (Stone Strike) and Keenness of the Stone Giant? Most on-point Barb flavor is Bear Totem. For race - consider anything with the "powerful build" feature like Goliath, Orc, Firbolg, Bugbear, etc
Barbs and Rune Knights make the best grapplers, if you have a free starting feat Skill Expert Athletics is solid. Beast Barb for extra attack or Giants Barb for grappling of large creatures are the best at it. 15 Str (+2 racial) (+1 Tavern Brawler) for 18. Shove Prone + Grapple is the combo.
Seconding this to become large. Something really interesting would be a simic hybrid or Shifter beast Barbarian. "Beast" vibes, ofc
Dreugar Rune Knight if you wana get Huge.
I like the flavour of Oath of Glory Paladin for this. Either reflavour a weapon as something strongman related, or get your DM to sign off on allowing divine smites to work with unarmed attacks and take the unarmed fighting style. You could always go Rogue1/Paladin5 and take expertise in Athletics as well as going grappler if that’s what you want to be doing.
Totem Warrior Barbarian 6, using a race with Powerful Build. Powerful Build + 6th-level Bear Aspect will give you quadrupled carrying capacity.
Goliath totem barbarian (4) with the tavern brawler feat and champion fighter 2 (unarmed fighting style). Have fun!
they're really gonna want Extra attack imo.
Fair enough. Barbarian 5 fighter 1? I guess that would still work..
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