Roguish Archetype: Honey Trapper
The cryptic assassin walks the lane of non-existence, wavering in and out of the gaze of the masses until the ending they deliver reaches its mark. The davish swashbuckler, sabre in hand, can win the hearts of the people, and out duel even the most skillful of challengers. The inquisitive mastermind: able to adapt to any battlefield, gleam and understand opposing tactics at a glance, and dole out aid to their acquaintances.
Many take on the moniker of rogue, some out of necessity, others debt, and to a rare few; duty. The world of spies: those who deal in espionage, infiltration, subterfuge, and other suck activities are highly valued by kingdoms and people of power. Of all the tactics employed by such people, the honeypot is one of such unbridled potential that specialists are often trained to perform it with unmatched efficiency: the information they gather, the status, trust, and influence they can build up is just as valuable if not more so than the service of the finest assassins. These specialists are often referred to as Honey Trappers, though the men and women who cast aside their inhibitions to deal in more carnal traps are referred to as Ravens and Sparrows respectively.
Bonus Proficiencies
3rd-Level Honey Trapper feature
You gain proficiency in one instrument, one gaming set, and you learn an additional language.
Spellcasting
3rd-Level Honey Trapper feature
As part of your training you've studied as bards do, granting you the knowledge necessary to cast spells.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use instruments, gaming sets, and thieves' tools as a spellcasting focus for your spells.
Cantrips
You learn three cantrips: two of which must be from the bard spell list, the third can be from any class spell list. You learn another cantrip of your choice at 10th level, this cantrip can be from any class spell list.
Spell Slots
The Rogue: Honey Trapper table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level spells of your choice, two of which must be from the bard spell list, the third can come from any class spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Rogue: Honey Trapper table shows when you learn more spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be from the bard spell list, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any class spell list.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the spells you know with another spell of your choice. The new spell must be from the bard spell list, and of a level for which you have spell slots, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level that could come from any class spell list; said spells can be replaced with a spell of any level for which you have spell slots, and may be from any class spell list.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spells, since your magic is learned by studying under master bards, a bardic instructor, or at a bardic college , and cast it through traditionally bardic means. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Love Bombing
3rd-Level Honey Trapper feature
Love Bombing is the fundamental base that all other honeypot tactics build from. The ability to influence someone through affection and attention is the cornerstone of all honey trappers: this affection can breed trust, reliance, and even fear when properly utilized: it is the first skill all honey trappers master.
As a bonus action you can grant yourself advantage on all charisma checks you make against non-hostile creatures. You concentrate on this as if you were concentrating on a spell, and can dismiss this feature as a bonus action.
This feature does not affect creatures that have held hostile intent towards you within the past 8 hours, and creatures that are immune to the charmed and/or frightened conditions.
Sexpionage
9th-Level Honey Trapper feature
Among the honey trappers there are few ravens, and sparrows; most honey trappers seek to fulfill their duties long before such actions, and commitments are necessary. Despite their lower numbers, ravens and sparrows are often prized far higher than the common honey trapper; their more personal methods able to gleam secrets, and build influences that would otherwise be lost.
While many honey trappers try to avoid the works of their “avian” kin, the training that they undergo is oftentimes so valuable that more experienced, and reluctant honey trappers will suffer through it into order to expand their repertoire: the ability to protect oneself when devoid of armaments and turn even the humblest of objects into a weapon is an invaluable skill in their line of work, especially when they must often take up the guise of weak or defenseless lover.
While you are not wearing armor: you have an AC of 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
You gain proficiency in improvised weapons, improvised weapons you wield gain the finesse trait, improvised weapons you wield inflict an additional 1d4 damage, and damage you inflict with improvised weapons is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Additionally you gain immunity to disease.
Femme Fatale / Homme Fatale
13th-Level Honey Trapper feature
You’ve achieved that pinnacle of honey trapper skill: the ability to wile your way into the hearts and minds of anyone. This connection, this understanding is one that few others can truly understand, and one that you can easily exploit. No heart is unreachable to you; no desire or dread lost to your gaze.
Spells you cast ignore immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions, and your love bombing feature can now be used on creatures with immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions.
You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don't need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature that is charmed or frightened. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
Refined Company
17th-Level Honey Trapper feature
The life of a honey trapper is often a lonely one. They seek to break into the hearts of others, and yet their own hearts must remain hardened and impenetrable. Those who lose themselves in their work are usually disposed of; despite this a honey trapper capable of making genuine bonds is a terrifying thing to face off against.
You can spend 10 minutes interacting with a number of other creatures, up to your charisma modifier. You and the creatures you interact with gain 9d6 + your rogue level temporary hit points; this increases to 10d6 + your rogue level temporary hit points at 19th level in this class. . While a creature is benefiting from these temporary hit points they gain the following benefits:
- Immunity to disease.
- Immunity to the charmed, and frightened conditions.
- Resistance to psychic damage.
- They can use the honey trapper rogue's love bombing feature as if it were their own.
You can do this once, and regain the ability to do so after finishing a long rest.
Optional Magic Item
Mark of the Sparrow / Raven
Magical Tattoo, Rare, Major Tier
(Requires Attunement by a Honey Trapper Rogue)
This tattoo has a number of charges equal to 5 + your charisma modifier, and regains all expanded charges when you finish a long rest. As an action you can expand charges to cast one of the spells listed below: charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. A level requirement refers to your level in the rogue class.
| Level Requirement | Spell | Charges Expended |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Charm Person | 2 |
| 3 | Cause Fear | 2 |
| 5 | Suggestion | 3 |
| 7 | Fear | 5 |
| 9 | Charm Monster | 6 |
| 11 | Geas | 8 |
| 11 | Modify Memory | 8 |
| 15 | Dream of the Blue Veil | 10 |
| 15 | Plane Shift | 10 |
| 17 | Dominate Monster | 12 |
| 19 | DM Chosen 9th Level Spell | 14 |
Very Rare Variant. Reduce the charges expended to cast the spells by 1.
Legendary Variant. Reduce the charges expended to cast the spells by 2. The user gains immunity to the charmed, and frightened conditions.
Artifact Variant. Reduce the charges expended to cast the spells by 3. The user gains immunity to the charmed, frightened, and exhaustion conditions.
Rogue: Honey Trapper
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Sneak Attack | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st Level Spell Slots | 2nd Level Spell Slots | 3rd Level Spell Slots | 4th Level SPell Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Expertise, Sneak Attack, Thieves' Cant | 1d6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Cunning Action | 1d6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Roguish Archetype, Steady Aim | 2d6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2d6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Uncanny Dodge | 3d6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Expertise | 3d6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Evasion | 4d6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4d6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Roguish Archetype feature | 5d6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5d6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Reliable Talent | 6d6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 6d6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Roguish Archetype feature | 7d6 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Blindsense | 7d6 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Slippery Mind | 8d6 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 8d6 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Roguish Archetype feature | 9d6 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | +6 | Elusive | 9d6 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 10d6 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | Stroke of Luck | 10d6 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Editor's Note
Fixed several grammatical errors, cleared up the wording on some of the features, and added a honey trapper class table that appropriately mirrors the arcane trickster's class table.
After play testing this in a couple of mid level one shots, and an epic level one shot, I've found that this subclass is in mostly on par with the arcane trickster subclass. Whereas the power of the arcane trickster is evenly spread, a majority of the honey trappers power comes from its more open spell list, and 13th level feature.
Try not to have more than one honey trapper as part of a single party, maybe you can push two if you think you've got the skills to handle them. The ability to ignore immunity to the charmed, and frightened conditions is very powerful, and having multiple players capable of doing it will eat through legendary resistances like candy. Seriously, don't do it, it will ruin your games and trivialise some of the encounters you make.
If you somehow end up with multiple level 13+ honey trappers or similar player characters in a single party start giving their enemies advantage on checks to resist the charmed, and frightened conditions.