Carnie Acts (5e)

## Animal Tamer

Animal Tamers are known for their ability to command strange animals, such as a whip and chair wielding lion tamer, or a conductor of a chorus of barking seals, or the director of a bear on a unicycle.

### Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you already have proficiency in this skill, you can choose to gain proficiency with another skill of your choice. Additionally, you gain proficiency with nets, whips, and all improvised weapons.

### Circus Companion

At 3rd level, you can tame a creature of the wild to serve as your faithful companion.

      ***Taming a Beast.*** With 8 hours of continuous performance and the expenditure of 50 gp worth of lures and bait, you call forth and tame an animal from the nearby terrain to obey your commands. The creature must be a beast or a swarm of beasts that is no larger than Medium and has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. You can only have one mesmerized beast at a time. The CR of the base creature increases as you level up, to 1 at 7th level, 3 at 10th level, 6 at 15th level, and 10 at 18th level.

     Your Circus Companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls initiative like any other creature, but your determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your beast acts on its own. Additionally, it has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level:

     ***Hit Points.*** For each level you gain after 3rd, your beast gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly.

     ***Armor Class.*** Your beast adds your proficiency bonus to its Armor Class.

     ***Ability Scores.*** Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your beast’s abilities also improve. Your beast can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your beast can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

     ***Saving Throws.*** Your beast is proficient in all saving throws.

     ***Skills.*** Your beast gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. Additionally, your beast adds your proficiency bonus, instead of its own, to skills in which it is proficient.

     ***Traits.*** The beast loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. It adds your proficiency bonus instead of its own to its attack rolls, and adds this bonus to its damage rolls.

     ***Alignment.*** Your beast shares your alignment, and you can select or change its personality traits, ideals, or flaws as an action on your turn. Its bond is always, “The Carnie who mesmerized me is my master in all things.”

In combat, the beast acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the beast to take the Attack action. The beast continues taking that action until you command it to do otherwise. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

### Exotic Circus

At 7th level, your circus companion may also be a monstrosity, aberration, or plant.

### Multi-attack

At 10th level, when you command your circus companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action.

### Main Attraction

At 15th level, you can use your action to place a magical spotlight on yourself and your circus companion. Until the beginning of your next turn, each creature within 5 feet of you or your circus companion has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you or your circus companion.

### Mystical Menagerie

At 18th level, your circus companion can be of any type except humanoid or giant.

## Beard Bearer

Beard Bearers have immense pride in their extravagant body and facial hair, and use it to their advantage to attack, manipulate objects, or cushion blows.

### Prehensile Hair

At 3rd level, you grow incredibly tough and durable hair, which you are able to manipulate like hands. You can use your hair to perform simple tasks within 10 feet of you, such as manipulating an object, opening an unlocked door or container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or perform somatic components of spells. You can cast spells with a range of Touch using your hair, out to a range of 10 feet.

### Thick Coat

Also at 3rd level, your extra hair cushions you. You have resistance to bludgeoning damage and your AC is increased by 2 while not wearing armor or using a shield.

### Hair Whip

At 7th level, you can whip and pull creatures with your hair. You learn the *thorn whip* cantrip, which counts as a Carnie cantrip for you but not towards your number of cantrips known. You do not need the material components to cast this cantrip, as you use your hair instead of a vine. Additionally, the range for *thorn whip* when cast in this way is only 10 feet. Additionally, you add your Charisma modifier to the damage of your *thorn whip*.

### Grasping Hair

At 10th level, your hair is strong enough to grasp creatures. You can make grapple checks on creatures within 10 feet of yourself, using your hair. If you do so, you can make a Charisma (Athletics) check, instead of a Strength (Athletics) check. If you are grappling a creature with your hair, you cannot use any actions involving your hair, except to cast thorn whip on the grappled target, until the grapple ends. Additionally, when you make a grapple check using your hair, you can give yourself advantage on the check once per short or long rest.

### Improved Hair

At 15th level, your hair's length and speed increases even more. All of your features using your hair have their range increased from 10 feet to 20 feet. Also, when you use your action to cast a carnie spell or make a grapple check, you can cast *thorn whip* as a bonus action.

### Titanic Lengths

At 18th level, you can have a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 2) grappled at one time using your hair (instead of only one) and grappling creatures with your hair does not restrict the actions you can take with your hair. Additionally, your movement speed is not halved for grappling creatures using your hair, and you have advantage on grapple checks made with your hair.

## Body Builder

Body Builders take pride in their physical strength, displaying incredible feats of raw power such as dragging fully loaded carriages by a chain or holding large weights in their teeth.

### Body Building

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in athletics checks and gain an additional 1 HP per level in this class. Additionally, select two skills. When you are required to make a check using the selected skill, you may replace the normal ability score with strength. You may do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain uses on a long rest (for example, intimidate and performance).

### Imposing Bulk

At 3rd level, you have learned how to buff yourself up to fully display your powerful musculature. As a bonus action, you magically gain the following benefits, which last for 1 minute:

* If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn't change.

* You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

* Once on each of your turns, one of your attacks with a weapon or an unarmed strike can deal an extra 1d6 damage to a target on a hit.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

### Extra Attack

At 7th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 15th level in this class.

### Flex on 'em

At 10th level, while using your imposing bulk feature, you add your Strength modifier to your attack and damage rolls a second time. This benefit only applies to weapons that already use your strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. Additionally, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while using your Imposing Bulk Feature. Finally, you select two additional skills to benefit from your Body Building feature, and regain uses on a short or long rest.

### Immaculate Body

At 18th level, you gain proficiency in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and if your total for a Strength check is less than your Strength score, you can use that score in place of the total. Finally, Select two additional skills to benefit from your Body Building feature.

## Concessions Connoisseur

Concessions Connoisseurs are in charge of keeping their companions and customers fed, and have made doing so an art form.

### Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you already have proficiency in this skill, you can choose to gain proficiency with another skill of your choice. Additionally, you gain proficiency with nets, whips, and all improvised weapons.

### Exotic Circus

At 7th level, your circus companion may also be a monstrosity, aberration, or plant.

### Multi-attack

At 10th level, when you command your circus companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action.

### Main Attraction

At 15th level, you can use your action to place a magical spotlight on yourself and your circus companion. Until the beginning of your next turn, each creature within 5 feet of you or your circus companion has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you or your circus companion.

### Mystical Menagerie

At 18th level, your circus companion can be of any type except humanoid or giant.

## Contortionist

Contortionists are capable of incredible feats of dexterity and flexibility, bending their bodies into impossible shapes.

### Compression

At 3rd level, you are able to move through spaces up to two sizes smaller than you without squeezing, or four sizes smaller than you with squeezing. At 10th level, you can move through spaces up to 4 sizes smaller than you without squeezing, or up to 1 inch wide with squeezing.

### Contortion

Also at 3rd level, you are able to move and bend your body in impossible ways, and are comfortable moving in impossible positions. Standing from prone only costs 5 ft of movement and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you are able to move your full speed while prone or squeezing.

Additionally, as long as you are not surprised or incapacitated, you can use a reaction to cause an attack made against you to be made with disadvantage. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus plus your charisma modifier. You regain one use on a short rest, or all uses on a long rest.

### Improved Contortion

At 7th level, you no longer have disadvantage on attack rolls or dexterity saving throws while prone or squeezing, and attacks within 5 ft of you no longer have advantage against you while you are prone.

### Greater Contortion

At 10th level, you are able to move your body in such impossible ways that others don't believe it to be possible. While prone or squeezing, you increase your reach by 5 ft and your movement speed by 5 ft, and you can use your contortion ability to instead gain advantage on an attack roll you make.

### Superior Contortion

At 15th level, you may use your contortion and greater contortion features after learning if the attack was a success or failure, allowing you to re-roll the die instead. Additionally, you can use your greater contortion feature to impose disadvantage on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw a creature within your reach is required to make, or to give yourself advantage on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw.

### Ultimate Contortion

At 18th level, when using your Superior Contortion feature, you can cause the re-rolled die to be rolled with advantage or disadvantage. Additionally, you can use it to gain advantage or impose disadvantage on any saving throw made within your reach, including allies.

## Clown

Clowns are here to cause joy first and foremost, and to distract others with their zany antics.

## Daredevil

Daredevils are adrenaline fueled stunt performers, constantly pushing the boundaries and risking their lives in the name of fame.

## Firebreather

Firebreathers specialize in the use of flammable gasses and liquids, ingesting and expelling accelerants onto flames.

### Familiar with Fire

At 3rd level, you learn the Firebolt and Green-flame Blade cantrips, which count as a carnie cantrips for you but not against your number of cantrips known. Additionally, you are resistant to fire damage. At 10th level, this becomes immunity to fire damage. At 15th level, you gain resistance to cold damage, and at 18th level you gain immunity to cold damage.

### Burning Weapons

At 7th level, you may spend a bonus action coat a weapon you are wielding with a flammable liquid and ignite it. It deals an additional 1d6 fire damage for 1 minute. You may instead apply this to any ammunition fired from a ranged weapon you are wielding. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain 1 use on a short rest and all uses on a long rest.

### Burn Pure

At 10th level, you ignore resistance to fire damage. At 18th level, you ignore immunity to fire damage.

### Improved Firebreather Spells

At 15th level, you are able to cast the spells Disintegrate and Delayed Blast Fireball once each without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

### Greater Firebreather Spells

At 18th level, you are able to cast the spells Incendiary Cloud and Meteor Swarm once each without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

## Fortune Teller

Fortune Tellers promise to peer beyond the veil to tell the futures of anyone they meet, for a price.

### Fortune Teller Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you learn the Guidance cantrip and gain proficiency in the Insight skill.

### Fortune Teller Proficiencies

At 3rd level, you can perceive signs of the future in everyday objects and events, such as flights of birds or ripples made in water by a thrown stone. You can cast the Augury spell without expending a spell slot and, when you cast the spell in this way, the spell has no verbal, somatic, or material components. Once you cast the spell in this way, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
In addition, until you finish a long rest, when you cast a divination spell that includes a chance the DM gives you no answer or a random reading—such as Augury, Commune, or Divination—reduce that chance by 25 percent.

## Knife Juggler

Knife Jugglers are adept at manipulating dangerous objects quickly and efficiently, and have unnerving accuracy when throwing those weapons.

### Bladework

At 3rd level, you add the Booming Blade, Green-Flame Blade, and Sword Burst cantrips to the list of cantrips you can select as a carnie, and learn one of them. This does not count against your number of cantrips known.

### Juggling

At 3rd level, while wielding a weapon in both hands, you can begin juggling another weapon by spending half of your movement. You may make any of your weapon attacks with any of the weapons you are juggling, at any point. When you make an attack as a bonus action due to dual-wielding, you may make a second attack. The number of weapons you can juggle at one time is equal to 1 +your proficiency bonus. You may not juggle heavy or two-handed weapons. You can also juggle other items, such as potions, wands, scrolls, or spellcasting foci.

While juggling, your movement speed is halved. If you are forced to make a dexterity saving throw and fail, you drop all weapons you were juggling. If you are not juggling your maximum amount of weapons, you are considered to have a free hand for any purposes (casting spells with somatic components, opening doors, drawing stowed weapons, the Dueling fighting style, etc.). You may stop juggling by expending half of your movement, stowing any additional weapons you cannot wield (or all of them, if you wish).

### Fighting Style

Also at 3rd level, you gain an additional fighting style available to Carnies.

### Extra Attack

Beginning at 7th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Additionally, you may replace one attack with the casting of a cantrip.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 18th level in this class.

### Juggler's Flurry

At 10th level, whenever you take the attack action while you are juggling weapons, you may make an additional number of attacks equal to the number of items you are juggling, making one attack with each of the items. You must complete a long rest before using this feature again. If you are juggling a spellcasting focus, you may cast a cantrip in place of the attack made for that item. If you are juggling a potion, you may drink it in place of making an attack with the item. If you are juggling a scroll or wand, you may cast the spell it holds in place of making an attack so long as the casting time is 1 action or less. You may only drink one potion or use one scroll or wand as part of this flurry, even if you are juggling more.

At 18th level, you regain uses of this ability after a short or long rest. Additionally, you may use multiple scrolls, wands, or potions during the flurry, or cast multiple cantrips with multiple spellcasting foci.

### Juggler's Distraction

At 15th level, creatures that are hit by at least one of your attacks while juggling have disadvantage on attacks against you until the end of their next turn.

### Perfect Juggling

At 18th level, you can juggle two-handed and heavy weapons, and are considered to have 2 free hands when not juggling your maximum number of items or to have 1 free hand even when juggling the maximum number. Finally, your movement speed is not reduced while juggling and failing a dexterity save does not cause you to drop the items.

## Mime

The clown's silent cousin, Mimes rely on exaggerated movements rather than sound or props to convey the meaning behind their performances.

### Silent Act

At 3rd level, you can ignore the verbal component of any spell you cast, so long as you provide a somatic component. Additionally, you learn the Thorn Whip cantrip and it counts as a carnie cantrip for you, but not against your number of cantrips known. Finally, when you cast Silence, you may choose to center it on yourself. If you do so, you can choose for the spell to move with you.

On your turn, you can also, though miming, communicate complex ideas to those who can see you. You can use your action to make a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check to act out a sentence of 10 words or fewer. On a success, any creature which watches you that knows at least one language can understand what you mean.

### Mimetic

At 7th level, you can make some of your equipment invisible. You can spend 1 minute performing a ritual that makes an object or weapon you can hold invisible for 24 hours. You can only make a certain number objects invisible at one time, equal to your proficiency bonus plus your charisma modifier. If another creature holds one of your invisible objects, the object becomes visible again. Additionally, when you cast Silence, the area of effect is increased by 5 ft per point of your proficiency bonus (a max of a 50 ft radius).

### Mimery

At 10th level, you are able to cast spells without any visual phenomena resulting from them, causing the effect to be entirely invisible. Once on each of your turns, you can render invisible the visual effects of a spell you cast. Because the target can't prepare for the spell, even if it watches you cast it, you can choose to increase the spell's save DC by 2 or increase its damage by 2d8, if applicable. Additionally, any creature that tries to identify the spell you cast has disadvantage on any ability check to do so.

### Improved Mime Spells

At 15th level, you are able to cast the spells Globe of Invulnerability and Tenser's Transformation once each without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

### Greater Mime Spells

At 18th level, you may cast the spells Force Cage and Time Stop once each without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.

## Mirror Master

Mirror Masters thrive in funhouse halls where they can distort people's perceptions of themselves and their environment.

## Ringmaster

Ringmasters bring everyone together, both figuratively and literally. They rally their allies, but also bring the crowd to the shows with their allure.

## Rodeo Rider

Rodeo Riders perform stunts while riding on unruly mounts, and are adept at redirecting attacks from aggravated animals such as bulls.

## Sideshow Freak

The Sideshow Freaks are anomalies of nature with strange deformities or other physical phenomena that they can use for stranger abilities than other carnies.

## Snake Charmer

Snake Charmers are able to mystify and mesmerize creatures into doing their bidding, typically with music. While often used to calm venomous serpents, the abilities can be extended to other beasts and to people as well.

### Pied Piper

At 3rd level, you always have the spells *Animal Friendship, Beast Sense, Flock of Familiars, Find Steed,* and *Summon Beast* prepared, and they count as Carnie spells for you even if they are not on the Carnie list.

### Charming Influence

At 7th level, you can subtly influence the minds of those you speak with, to make your words more impactful. When you fail a Charisma (Deception, Persuasion, Performance, or Intimidation) check, you can use your reaction to reroll the check, taking the new result. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once), and regain all expended uses after a short or long rest.

### Pack Tactics

At 10th level, you and any creatures you have summoned gain the Pack Tactics feature.

### Multitudes

At 15th level, any spell you cast that summons one or more creatures summons an additional 2 creatures.

### Master of Minds

At 18th level, you may cast Charm person and Dominate Beast without expending spell slots.

## Stage Magician

Stage Magicians rely on sleight of hand and misdirections to make mundane illusions appear as magical.

## Stiltwalker

Stiltwalkers tower over others, watching the world from high above on stilts.

### Stilts

At 3rd level, you are able to wear stilts to tower above others. You can spend an action on any turn you do not move to don or doff your stilts. While wearing your stilts, you are considered large sized and creatures cannot target you with melee attacks unless they have a reach of 10 feet or more, and you ignore difficult terrain.

## Swarm Wearer

Swarm Wearers cloak themselves with insects to perform, covered in thick clouds of bees or locusts

## Sword Swallower

Sword Swallowers are capable of ingesting most anything, and their performances often involve eating and regurgitating many strange or dangerous objects such as swords.

### Swallower Arts

At 3rd level, you gain a bite attack that deals 1d6+ Str modifier damage. Additionally, you gain the Disarming Strike and Parry Battle Master Maneuvers, and gain 2 superiority dice that are 1d6. You also gain either Booming Blade or Sword Burst as a bonus cantrip of your choice.

Finally, your stomach becomes an extra-dimensional space, replacing your Carnie Case feature. This functions the same, except it no longer has its own weight as it is part of your body.

### Improved Swallower Arts

At 7th level, your Bite attack damage and your superiority die increases to 1d8. You gain an additional superiority die. You may choose a single weapon inside your Stomach/Carnie Case. Your bite attack gains any properties that the swallowed weapon has (reach, finesse, thrown, etc.) A thrown or ranged attack requires expelling the weapon or ammunition, which is violently launched from your mouth as part of the attack. When you use Disarming Strike and the creature drops their weapon, or you use Parry and reduce the damage to 0, you can swallow their weapon as part of the action or reaction used.

### Greater Swallower Arts

At 10th level, your bite attack damage and your superiority die increases to 1d10. When you choose a weapon to apply to your bite attack, you also gain any magical properties it has. For example, if you have a +1 longsword that deals an extra 1d6 cold damage swallowed, your bite attack would gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls and deal an extra 1d6 cold damage.

### Extra Attack

Also at 10th level, you attack twice, instead of once, when you take the attack action on your turn.

### Superior Swallower Arts

At 15th level, your bite attack damage increases to 1d12. You gain an additional superiority die. Additionally, you may attempt to swallow a creature of a size smaller than you. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the worm, and it takes acid damage at the start of each of your turns equal to your bite damage.

If you takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside you, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to the damage dealt) at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of you. If you die, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by you and can escape from your corpse by using 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.

### Ultimate Swallower Arts

At 18th level, your bite attack damage increases to 2d6 and your superiority die increases to 1d12. You gain an additional superiority die. You may swallow creatures up to a size larger than you.

## Tattooed Artist

Tattooed Artists are two-fold attractions. They themselves are covered in body art and piercings, and are also able to do art on others (rather temporarily through simple paints or more permanently through inking needles).

## Toon

The toon is a magically enhanced, exaggerated relative to the clown who takes their physical comedy to the extreme by elongating and compressing their body.

### Squash and Stretch

At 3rd level, you have elastic, fantastic limbs. You can stretch your arms and legs up to 5 feet beyond their normal length, allowing you to interact with distant objects or creatures, and your melee weapon attacks have the Reach property. Additionally, you can ignore the Heavy property of weapons. Finally, your movement speed is increased by 5 ft.

### Slapstick

At 7th level, you have a knack for cartoonish violence. When you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage while you are standing, you can use your reaction to halve the damage taken and also be knocked prone, as you are either squashed flat, deflated like a balloon, or momentarily chopped in half.

### Two-Dimensional

At 10th level, when comically convenient, you can use your bonus action to turn sideways and become completely flat or to return to three-dimensions. While two-dimensional, you can fit through passages as narrow as 1/2 inch across, and you have half cover from ranged attacks. Additionally, you can also glide on the wind when you fall, floating 2 feet horizontally for each foot downward you fall. However, you are far more fragile, and have vulnerability to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

### ACME Act

At 15th level, you can employ the oldest trick in the animator’s book: dropping a heavy anvil right on your enemies! As an action, choose a 5-foot square that you can see within 30 feet of you. A heavy, oversized anvil materializes up to 100 feet above the square and falls to the ground, crashing through any obstacle it meets on its way. A creature hit by the anvil must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 10d10 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone and stunned until the beginning of your next turn, while literal stars orbit its head. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not stunned. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

### Looney

At 18th level, you have become constantly obsessed with your gags and antics. Your reach and move speed increase by an additional 5 ft. Additionally, you can use your slapstick feature on any damage type with new visual effects for each type (fire reducing you to a pile of ash with eyes, electricity creating an X-Ray of your skeleton, cold freezing you into an icicle, acid melting you into a puddle, thunder causing you to violently shake and vibrate before falling to pieces, force blowing a hole straight through your body, radiant causing an angelic spirit holding a harp flutter out of your body before your body snatches it back into place, necrotic has a portal to the underworld open beneath you before you claw your way back up, psychic causes multiple versions of yourself in various different colors to begin tripping over themselves and bumping into you before all falling into your body again, and poison causing you to dramatically drop dead before opening one eye to check if they're still looking).

## Trapeze Artist

Trapeze artists are masters of movement, dancing through the air on silks, diving into shallow pools of water, or riding a unicycle across a tightrope.

## Ventriloquist

Ventriloquists disguise and throw their voices to sound as if they are elsewhere or other people, and are often seen with a puppet of some kind at their side.