Courtesan Subclass for Rogues

A Femme Fatale Subclass for Rogues
We courtesans excel at subterfuge, assassination, and espionage because we leverage our two unique advantages – our Tricks of the Trade and a fighting style specialized in Sneak Attacking grappled opponents. Although this style of close-quarters combat is best suited to the bedroom, our training ensures we can make use of it even in the midst of battle. Our Tricks of the Trade, however, is what truly sets us apart from other Rogues. This curated array of weapons, armor, tools, and abilities allows us to select our equipment to better fit our missions. Some apprentices find it overwhelming, but it’s really just a game of dress-up.

Tricks of the Trade

Our profession hinges upon proper preparation. Don’t ever forget that, chérie.

You gain access to an assortment of tools and clever devices to aid you in your work. Select a number of Tricks of the Trade equal to your Proficiency Bonus. Then, gain the chosen Tricks. When you finish a long rest, you may choose new Tricks. Lose the old Tricks (if possible), and then gain the new ones. Only courtesans are proficient with this equipment. If a Tricks of the Trade requires a saving throw, the save DC is: (8 + DEX Modifier + Proficiency Bonus).

Laquer Vanity 3rd Level

Madame Céline gifts you a portable box of drawers to celebrate your graduation. It's filled to the brim with powders, poisons, and everything else a courtesan could need.
The Lacquer Vanity is a tool that serves as both a Disguise and Poisoner’s Kit, and you gain proficiency with it.

Leather Lover 3rd Level

The dual nature of your training has earned you unusual skill in close-quarters combat.

• You may use your Bonus Action to make an Unarmed Strike.
• You may use your Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strike (instead of Strength).
• You may Sneak Attack a creature you’re grappling.
• You may use your Dexterity modifier to determine the save DC to resist your Grapple: (8 + STR or DEX Modifier + Proficiency Bonus).

Alley Acrobatics

Repeated runs through the Guild’s obstacle course has taught you a peculiar form of combat. You gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces on your turn without falling during movement. Also, you may use Dexterity to calculate the distance you cover when performing a High or Long Jump. Furthermore, you’ve mastered the art of effortless balance. While atop a roof or similar height, you gain +1 AC. Similar heights include perching in a tree or balancing on a rope. Less precarious elevation like a balcony does not trigger this bonus.

Black Gown

I abhor black. It makes me seem a widow. Yet the classics, ma chérie, never go out of style.

Black Gown is leather armor that provides its wearer an AC of 11 + your Dexterity Modifier. It also possesses the Stealthy property (see below).

Properties

Stealthy. While worn, this armor grants you a +1 bonus to Stealth checks.

 

Coin & Compass

A gold coin carved with the likeness of an ancient empress, coupled with a matching compass. The compass always points to the coin as long as it is within 3,000 ft. If the coin is in motion, you know the direction it's heading. The compass goes haywire in thunderstorms, and it can’t track the coin if any lead blocks a direct path between the compass and the coin.

Courtesan's Cape

While wearing this accessory, you may spend your Bonus Action to spread the cape out like wings. Slow your descent to 60 ft per round, and take no falling damage when you land.

Courtesan's Dance

Add Courtesan’s Dance to your list of Cunning Strike options.

Courtesan’s Dance (costs 3d6). Choose up to a number of creatures equal to your Proficiency Bonus within 30 ft of you. The chosen creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, you strike them with a one-handed Finesse melee weapon you’re wielding. Deal each creature weapon damage as if you had made a successful attack roll against the creature. This attack does not trigger Sneak Attack.

Courtesan's Fan

Courtesan's Fan 1d4 Bludgeoning Damage

Simple, Light, Finesse, Deflecting, Concealed

A refined weapon, disguised as a delicate sash.

Mastery

Sap. If you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.

Weapon Properties

Concealed. This weapon passes as something innocuous. Creatures have Disadvantage on checks to ascertain that it’s a weapon.
Deflecting. This weapon grants its wielder +1 to AC. This bonus does not stack with shields or itself.
Professional. This weapon performs better the more skilled its wielder. Add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to attack and damage rolls with this weapon. The bonus to attack stacks with normal proficiency.

Fog Bomb

Once per rest, you may spend a Bonus Action to throw a paper ball at the ground. It explodes into a 20-foot-radius Sphere of fog centered on a point you choose within 30 ft of you. The area is Heavily Obscured for the next 1 minute, or until a strong wind (like the Gust of Wind spell) or similar effect disperses it.

Green Dragon Pipe

No one questions a courtesan with a pipe. Perk of the profession, I suppose.

An intricately carved smoking pipe shaped like a dragon. A small button in the pipe’s lip opens or incinerates a secret compartment hidden inside the dragon’s belly. Once per rest, you may spend your Bonus Action to expel a cloud of noxious gas in a 30 ft cone directly in front of you. Any creatures caught in the area must succeed a Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 1 minute. Creatures who succeed are immune for the rest of the day.

Jar of Caltrops

Once per rest, you may spend your Action to scatter caltrops in a 20-foot-radius Sphere in an area adjacent to you. The area becomes Difficult Terrain. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 Piercing damage for every 5 ft it travels. The caltrops are small and hard to spot. Any creature who doesn’t witness you scattering the spikes must take a Search Action and succeed a Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check against your save DC to see the trap.

Love Junkie

An adoring fan has sworn themselves to you. They follow you around (whether you like it or not), obey your every command, and help fund your lifestyle. The amount of gold your fan spends each month equals 100 multiplied by your Charisma modifier. Use the Noble stat block for your admirer. They share your initiative count, but take their turn immediately after yours. If your adoring fan perishes, you may find another after completing a Long Rest in a town or city.

Lover's Embrace

Add Lover’s Embrace to your list of Cunning Strike options.

Lover’s Embrace (costs 2d6). If the creature is Large or smaller, they must succeed a Dexterity saving throw, or become Grappled by you. You may use Lover’s Embrace with melee weapons (e.g., Whip), but not ranged weapons.

Makeup in a Bottle

Once per rest, you may spend your Bonus Action to drink this potion and gain the effects of the Disguise Self spell for the next 1d4 hours.

Paralytic Needle

Ah, the Needle. The look in their eyes when they realize is… How do you say? Exquisite. Add Paralytic Needle to your list of Cunning Strike options.

Paralytic Needle (costs 5d6). To use this option, you must be Grappling your target, and they must be Humanoid. You slip a needle coated with neurotoxin in between the vertebrae in your victim’s neck. They must succeed a Constitution saving throw or become Paralyzed until the end of their next turn. Succeeding the saving throw renders the creature immune to this effect for the rest of the day.

Pink Perfume

Once per Long Rest, you may use your Action to spritz yourself with a perfume spiked with succubus blood. For the next 1 hour, you have Advantage on Persuasion and Deception checks against creatures within 10 ft of you. If any creature remains within range for 30 minutes, they must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you Charm them as if you had cast Dominate Person. This effect persists until the creature leaves range, or the Perfume’s hour ends (whichever occurs first). If you part peacefully, the affected creature(s) does not know they were charmed, and only hazily recalls the experience.

Reinforced Ball Gown

It's flattering and protective. What more could someone want?

Reinforced Ball Gown is leather armor that provides its wearer an AC of 12 + your Dexterity modifier. It also possesses the Flattering and Well Designed properties (described below).

Properties

Flattering. While worn, this armor grants a +1 bonus to Persuasion checks.
Well Designed. When you are 6th level or higher, this armor grants +1 additional AC.

 

 

Somersault

Add Somersault to your list of Cunning Strike options.

Somersault (costs 2d6). Move up to 10 ft without procing any Attacks of Opportunity. Then, make a free Unarmed Strike against an adjacent creature. If you spent any of your movement this turn to traverse a vertical surface (like a wall), make the free attack with Advantage.

Steel Nails (2x)

Steel Nails 1d4 Slashing Damage

Simple, Light, Finesse, Professional, Free Hand, Concealed

A refined weapon, disguised as a delicate sash.

Mastery

Nick. When you make the extra attack of the Light property, you can make it as part of the Attack Action instead of as a Bonus Action. You can make this extra attack only once per turn.

Weapon Properties

Concealed. This weapon passes as something innocuous. Creatures have Disadvantage on checks to ascertain that it’s a weapon.
Free Hand. This weapon does not occupy a hand while equipped.
Professional. This weapon performs better the more skilled its wielder. Add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to attack and damage rolls with this weapon. The bonus to attack stacks with normal proficiency.

Steel Ribbon Sash

Steel Ribbon Sash 1d6 Slashing Damage

Simple, Light, Finesse, Professional, Free Hand, Concealed, Reach

A refined weapon, disguised as a delicate sash.

Mastery

Grace. Whenever you hit a creature, you may move them 5 ft in a direction of your choice. You may perform this effect only once per creature per turn.

Weapon Properties

Concealed. This weapon passes as something innocuous. Creatures have Disadvantage on checks to ascertain that it’s a weapon.
Free Hand. This weapon does not occupy a hand while equipped.
Professional. This weapon performs better the more skilled its wielder. Add half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) to attack and damage rolls with this weapon. The bonus to attack stacks with normal proficiency.

 

Masked

You wear makeup like a mask not to hide, but to become a more perfect you. When you finish a long rest, you may use a Disguise Kit to apply a face of makeup. The makeup is waterproof, but can be removed with a hard scrub in 1 minute.

When you finish a long rest, choose one of the following looks:

• Assassin. Add +2 to your damage with Light weapons.
• Damsel. Add +1d6 to your Persuasion and Deception skill checks.
• Harlot. Add +1 to your attack rolls with Unarmed Strikes.
• Queen. Add +1d6 to your Insight and History skill checks.

Professional Tools 9th Level

Tricks with limited uses per rest (like Items) gain an additional 2 uses (3 total).

Black Widow 9th Level

When you make a successful Persuasion or Deception check against a creature and then enter combat with said creature, you gain Advantage on both your Initiative roll as well as your next attack roll targeting that creature.

Assassin

Add +2 to your damage with Light weapons.

Damsel

Add +1d6 to your Persuasion and Deception skill checks.

Harlot

Add +1 to your attack rolls with Unarmed Strikes.

Queen

Add +1d6 to your Insight and History skill checks.

Deadly Elegance

You may Grapple creatures that are normally too big (like Large for Small creatures), but only for the purpose of performing a Sneak Attack (disregard the Speed 0, Attacks Affected, and Movable aspects of the Grappled condition). If the creature moves, you move with it as if you were the one Grappled. Also, double your Proficiency Bonus when calculating the DC to resist your Grapples.

Fatale

Creatures have Disadvantage on saving throws to resist your Grapples. Furthermore, whenever you deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature you’re grappling, reroll any 1s and 2s (you must keep the new result).