Desire Actions

Desire DC

When a Desire Action calls for an EROSave, the target makes the save against the acting creature’s Desire DC.

Desire DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Desire ability modifier

Charisma is the default ability for a Desire Action. With the DM’s approval, another ability may be used when it clearly reflects the character’s approach.

A player describes what their character does before choosing the ability used.

Valid Targets

A Desire Action can affect only a creature that can perceive and meaningfully respond to it.

A creature may be an invalid target when:

• it cannot see, hear, smell, or otherwise perceive the action;
• it lacks the awareness necessary to understand the provocation;
• the action has no meaningful emotional or sensory relevance to it;
• the creature is immune to the condition or influence being imposed;
• the action would cross an established Line or table boundary.

The DM determines whether a creature is a valid target before the roll is made. A willing creature may choose to fail its EROSave. Failing an EROSave does not grant consent to physical intimacy. Desire Actions that involve direct bodily contact still require fictional permission, an established intimate relationship, or an appropriate physical mechanic such as a grapple.

Repeated Provocation

Desire weakens when reduced to repetition. After a creature succeeds on an EROSave against a particular Desire Action, it has advantage on EROSaves against that same Desire Action when used by the same character until the end of the encounter. This advantage does not apply when the character substantially changes the nature of the approach, at the DM’s discretion.

Arousal Limit

A creature can gain no more than 1 Arousal during a round from basic Desire Actions, regardless of how many Desire Actions affect it. Spells, class features, monster abilities, magic items, and Climax Effects may ignore this restriction when specifically stated.

You deliberately expose, adjust, or draw attention to a provocative piece of clothing, armor, or your own body. Choose one creature within 30 feet that can see you. The creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. The creature cannot make opportunity attacks against you until the beginning of your next turn.
• Unveiled — Failure. The creature gains 1 Arousal and cannot make opportunity attacks against you until the beginning of your next turn.
• Success. The creature is unaffected.

Flash of Silk might involve revealing a thong, parting a robe, lifting the edge of a skirt, drawing attention to a harness, exposing a tattoo, or making some similarly provocative display. The action need not involve nudity.

You murmur a promise, describe a possibility, or offer an implication designed to fracture another creature’s concentration. Choose one creature within 30 feet that can hear and understand you. The creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. The creature has disadvantage on the next concentration saving throw or Wisdom ability check it makes before the beginning of your next turn.
• Unveiled — Failure. The creature gains 1 Arousal and has disadvantage on the next concentration saving throw or Wisdom ability check it makes before the beginning of your next turn.
• Success. The creature is unaffected.

You invite a creature closer with a crooked finger, a commanding glance, an intimate promise, or some other unmistakable gesture. Choose one creature within 20 feet that can perceive you. The creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. The creature must use its reaction, if available, to move up to 5 feet toward you. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
• Unveiled — Failure. The creature gains 1 Arousal and must use its reaction, if available, to move up to 5 feet toward you. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
• Success. The creature does not move.

A creature cannot be compelled to enter obviously harmful terrain through this action.

You meet a creature’s gaze and allow the faintest smile to suggest that you understand more than it intended to reveal. Choose one creature within 30 feet that can see you. The creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. The next attack roll made against the creature by someone other than you has advantage, provided the attack is made before the beginning of your next turn.
• Unveiled — Failure. The same benefit applies. You also learn whether the creature is currently:
  • Cool or Stirred;
  • Engaged or Edged;
  • Overwhelmed or at Climax.
• Success. The creature conceals its reaction and is unaffected.

You direct a provocative insult, sensual challenge, or declaration of confidence toward an enemy. Choose one creature within 30 feet that can hear and understand you. The creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. The creature has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against a creature other than you before the beginning of your next turn.
• Unveiled — Failure. The creature gains 1 Arousal and has disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against a creature other than you before the beginning of your next turn.
• Success. The creature is unaffected.

You adjust your stance, clothing, armor, or presentation so that an opponent must choose between discipline and attention. Until the beginning of your next turn, the first creature that targets you with an attack must make an EROSave before resolving the attack.

• Veiled — Failure. The creature cannot take reactions until the end of its turn.
• Unveiled — Failure. The creature gains 1 Arousal and cannot take reactions until the end of its turn.
• Success. The attack proceeds normally.

Deliberate Exposure does not alter your Armor Class unless you actually remove or discard armor.

When a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you answer with a provocative movement, revealing shift, intimate taunt, or sudden display. The attacker makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. Roll 1d4 and subtract the result from the triggering attack roll.
• Unveiled — Failure. Roll 1d4 and subtract the result from the triggering attack roll. If the attack misses, the attacker gains 1 Arousal.
• Success. The attack is resolved normally.

Once you use Turn the Gaze, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

When a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you answer with a provocative movement, revealing shiftWhen a creature misses you with a melee attack, you invite it closer and use its momentum to compromise its position. The attacker makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. You may move 5 feet without provoking an opportunity attack from the triggering creature, or move the triggering creature 5 feet to an unoccupied space within your reach.
• Unveiled — Failure. Apply one of the Veiled effects, and the triggering creature gains 1 Arousal.
• Success. Neither creature moves.

A creature more than one size larger than you cannot be moved by this reaction.

When a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you answer with a provocative movement, revealing shiftWhen a creature attempts to grapple, shove, or move you against your will, you turn the contact into an unexpected moment of closeness. Before the triggering contest is resolved, the creature makes an EROSave.

• Veiled — Failure. You have advantage on the ability check or saving throw made to resist the triggering effect.
• Unveiled — Failure. You have advantage on the roll, and the creature gains 1 Arousal if you successfully resist.
• Success. Resolve the triggering effect normally.

Once you use Intimate Reversal, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

The listed actions are examples, not the limits of what characters may attempt. When a player describes an unlisted erotic, sensual, flirtatious, or emotionally provocative maneuver, the DM may resolve it as an Improvised Desire Action.

The DM determines:

1. whether the attempt requires an action, bonus action, or reaction;
2. which creature or creatures may be targeted;
3. which ability best represents the approach;
4. whether the target makes an EROSave or participates in a contest;
5. the Veiled and Unveiled outcomes.

Improvised Desire Actions should use existing effects whenever possible. Appropriate results include:

• preventing reactions;
• moving a creature 5 feet;
• granting advantage on one roll;
• imposing disadvantage on one roll;
• Fascinating a creature until the beginning or end of a turn;
• revealing limited information about its emotional state;
• causing 1 Arousal in Unveiled Play.

Basic Desire Actions should not ordinarily:

• incapacitate a creature;
• cause more than 1 Arousal;
• force Climax;
• inflict the Charmed, Stunned, or Dominated conditions;
• remove a creature’s entire turn;
• compel sexual contact;
• create an effect lasting longer than 1 round.

Stronger outcomes belong to spells, class features, feats, monsters, relics, rituals, and Climax Effects.

At tables that want Desire Actions to feel more specialized, a character must be proficient in at least one of the following skills to add their proficiency bonus to their Desire DC:

• Acrobatics
• Athletics
• Deception
• Insight
• Performance
• Persuasion

The chosen skill must reasonably support the described approach. Characters without an applicable proficiency calculate their Desire DC as:

8 + the chosen ability modifier

This optional rule makes trained courtesans, dancers, performers, infiltrators, devotees, and socially adept characters more reliable without preventing anyone from attempting a Desire Action.

Desire Actions are intended to provide a universal foundation upon which other player options may build. A class feature, feat, subclass, species trait, or magic item might:

• allow a specific Desire Action to be used at greater range;
• replace Charisma with another ability;
• affect an additional target;
• permit a Desire Action while Hidden;
• increase movement caused by Beckoning Gesture;
• extend Fascination by 1 round;
• allow a Desire Action to be used after taking the Attack action;
• remove the repeated-provocation advantage;
• allow more than 1 Arousal from a particular feature;
• add a class-specific effect when a target fails its EROSave.

Unless a feature explicitly says otherwise, these improvements do not alter the universal limitations of Desire Actions.