Circus Act
Rogues of this archetype are thrillers, risk-takers, entertainers guaranteed to turn your frown upside down or take your breath away with their death-defying stunts. Masters of showmanship, these skillful clowns do not shy away from the spotlight, instead seeking attention at the frontlines where it is the most dangerous, yet most marvelous to witness them at. Circus act rogues come in a variety of colorful flavors, such as the evasive and agile acrobat, the flexible and unbreakable contortionist, or the bewildering and dangerous magician.
Circus Act
3rd-level Circus Act feature You gain proficiency with the Performance and Acrobatics skills if you don't already have them. Furthermore, you specialize in one of the following circus acts of your choice, granting you additional features at 3rd level and more features at higher levels in this class.
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Acrobat. Whenever you fall prone, you can use your reaction to immediately get back up without expending any movement.
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Contortionist. You can attempt to break out of a grapple using your bonus action. Furthermore, you have advantage on all ability checks related to escaping restraints.
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Magician. Creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you have disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks if you can see them and they can see you.
Jest Attack
3rd-level Circus Act feature Whenever you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can attempt to simultaneously distract your target with an impressive flourish or a silly gag. Before making the attack roll, make a Charisma (Performance) check, contested by the target's Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, you can use your Sneak Attack against that target for that attack, even if you did not have advantage on the attack roll. In order to use this feature, you must be within 30 feet of the target, and the target must be able to see you.
Uncanny Routine
9th-level Circus Act feature You can dodge attacks with flamboyant style. Whenever you use your Uncanny Dodge feature, you gain an additional benefit, depending on the circus act you specialize in:
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Acrobat. You can perform a gymnastic feat such as a cartwheel or somersault, moving up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
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Contortionist. You can bend your body further than your attacker would expect. Roll a d8. You reduce the damage taken by an additional amount equal to the number rolled.
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Magician. You can attempt to use tricky misdirection to redirect part of the attack damage to one creature within 5 feet of you. Make a finesse melee attack roll on the target, of which you are proficient in. On a hit, the target takes half the amount of damage dealt to you, rounded down.
Slapstick Entertainment
9th-level Circus Act feature You can turn your own pain into a thrilling performance. Whenever you take more than 5 damage from any source, you can use your reaction to choose one creature within 60 feet of you that can see you, besides yourself. That creature can add a d6 to one attack roll, ability check or saving throw it makes before the end of its next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one), and you regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Juggler
13th-level Circus Act feature You can now equip up to three light melee weapons at once by juggling them. When you make an attack with your second weapon as a bonus action, you can make another bonus attack with your third weapon as part of that same bonus action. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the second bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. Features that benefit your first bonus attack do not apply to your second bonus attack. If your third weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon, instead of making a melee attack with it.
You can also now draw up to three weapons at once whenever you draw a weapon, and all melee weapons with the light property now count as finesse weapons for you.
Daredevil Stunt
17th-level Circus Act feature You have mastered the performance of one death-defying stunt, depending on the circus act you specialize in. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
- Acrobat. As an action, you can pull out an acrobatic prop, such as a vaulting pole, a trampoline or a cannon, and launch yourself into the air up to 60 feet high and dive up to 60 feet forward in any direction.
When you land, all creatures within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier). On a failed save, they take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet that you fall, to a maximum of your Sneak Attack damage. If they are Large or smaller, they are knocked prone.
Also when you land, roll a d20. On a 3 or higher, you take no fall damage. On a 2 or lower, you take fall damage as per usual.
- Contortionist. As an action, you can intentionally break one of your joints or grievously injure another part of your body to gain greater flexibility.
Roll a d20. You take bludgeoning damage equal to the number rolled, and on a 3 or higher, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC and all Dexterity saving throws for the next hour.
- Magician. As an action, you can shock your foes with a dangerous illusion of grievous self harm, such as sawing yourself in half, running a sword through your open palm, or catching a bullet in your mouth.
Choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one) within 60 feet of you that can see you. Chosen creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you for one minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success.
Furthermore, roll a d20. On a 4 or lower, you take 3d8 bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, depending on the nature of the stunt.
Cover art by Muyoung Kim. Artwork on page 2 by anotherdamian.
Credits
Subclass designed by VYLT. Thank you for checking out my content! 💜