Courtesan

Every longing has a language. Wisdom begins with listening.

Read the Unspoken

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

Gain proficiency in Insight or Persuasion, and with a disguise kit. If you already have both skills, choose another Veilwalker skill instead. When Expose successfully reveals an emotional or social Opening in a creature, the DM also identifies one observable immediate priority supported by the scene. Before the Opening closes, you or an ally who hears your explanation may exploit it for advantage on one Insight, Deception, or Persuasion check directly addressing that priority. The check consumes the Opening and never compels agreement.

Veiled Play. Once on each of your turns, before making an Expose check to read an emotional Opening, you may gain 1 Arousal to gain advantage on that check. This represents receiving stronger emotional Echoes at the cost of your own rising pressure. If this gain triggers Climax, resolve it before making the check.

Unveiled Play. When the target has at least 2 Arousal, you may add PB to this Expose check instead of gaining Arousal for advantage. Choose one option; this does not reveal its exact Arousal.

Echoes into Understanding

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

Veiled Play. Once per long rest, after your own Climax resolves, you may attempt Expose against one creature, object, location, or situation you can perceive within 60 feet without an action. Make the normal check; an Opening must actually exist after the scene changes. This grants no attack or Revelation activation.

Unveiled Play. Once per long rest, after your own Climax resolves, you may regain one expended use of Draw the Gaze. This grants no Expose attempt, attack, or Revelation activation. The two mode expressions share this once-per-long-rest use.

Draw the Gaze

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

When you successfully Expose an Opening in a creature, designate one ally within 30 feet who can hear you. That ally can exploit the Opening for advantage on its next weapon attack against that creature before the start of your next turn. The Opening closes after the attack, hit or miss. Use this feature PB times per Long Rest.

Veiled Play. When you designate the ally, you may force the exposed creature, if it can see or hear you within 60 feet, to make an EROSave. On failure it gains 1 Arousal; on success it gains none. If that triggers Climax, resolve the Climax and reassess whether the original Opening still exists before the ally attacks. Climax does not preserve an Opening after circumstances change.

Unveiled Play. When designating the ally, you may spend 1 Libido to let that ally reduce its Arousal by 1 after its attack exploits the Opening. This does not force the exposed creature to make an EROSave.

Ritual — The Unfastened Mask

3rd-Level Subclass Feature

During a Short Rest, spend 10 minutes with one willing companion discussing a role they wish to set aside, or sitting silently with a symbolic mask. Once per Long Rest, that companion gains advantage on its next Insight check before its next Long Rest.

Veiled Play. It may also reduce Arousal by 1. Neither participant must explain the source of their pressure. The ritual restores no Libido.

Unveiled Play. You may spend 1 Libido during the ritual to give its willing recipient advantage on its next EROSave before its next long rest. This does not reduce Arousal or restore Libido; each recipient can gain this benefit once per long rest.

Composure Behind Silk

9th-Level Subclass Feature

As a bonus action, gain advantage on your next Deception or Persuasion check within 1 minute. Use this feature PB times per Long Rest.

Veiled Play. After you exploit an emotional Opening using Read the Unspoken, you may expend one use of this feature without an action to gain its benefit and reduce your own Arousal by 1. Exploiting insight therefore provides an alternative to absorbing further pressure.

Unveiled Play. Whenever you activate this feature, you may spend 1 Libido to also gain advantage on your next EROSave within 1 minute. The benefit ends after that save.

An Exit Held Open

13th-Level Subclass Feature

When an Opening is exploited through Read the Unspoken or Draw the Gaze, use your reaction to let yourself or the exploiting ally move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the exposed creature.

Veiled Play. The moving creature may reduce its Arousal by 1 if willing. Each creature can receive this reduction only once per Short or Long Rest. No attraction or private disclosure is required.

Unveiled Play. You may spend 1 Libido as part of the reaction to grant the moving creature temporary hit points equal to your Veilwalker level. This does not reduce its Arousal.

Every Mask, a Door

17th-Level Subclass Feature

Once during each activation of Revelation, after successfully using Expose, designate up to PB allies within 30 feet who can hear you. Each can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the exposed creature. This does not consume an Opening or grant an attack.

Veiled Play. Once per Long Rest, after your own Climax resolves, regain one expended use of Draw the Gaze. When a willing creature you can see within 30 feet resolves Climax, you may use your reaction to let it move up to half its speed without opportunity attacks. You can grant this movement once per Short or Long Rest.

Unveiled Play. Once per activation of Revelation, when this feature moves your allies, you may spend 1 Libido to let one of those allies reduce its Arousal by 2. This neither restores Draw the Gaze nor grants movement in response to a nearby Climax.

Combat Identity

Social infiltrator and support striker who reads a room and creates graceful exits.

Desire Identity

Emotional Echoes inform understanding; measured pressure and stamina support the timing of Openings.

Class Integration

You gain these features at Veilwalker levels 3rd, 9th, 13th, 17th. This subclass works through Echoes, Openings, Expose, and Revelation. Use the costs, triggers, limits, and recovery stated in the individual features and parent class.

Using This Calling.

You gain features at Veilwalker levels 3, 9, 13, and 17. These are subclass features in addition to your class features. PB means proficiency bonus. A subclass save DC equals 8 + PB + your Wisdom modifier. Expose retains its normal bonus action, range, check, and requirement that an Opening already exist. An Opening closes when exploited; these features grant no extra Sneak Attacks or automatic critical hits.

Ritual and Social Use

Practice chosen roles and the setting aside of masks with willing companions. The Ritual — The Unfastened Mask feature gives the applicable observance and its complete benefits; this guidance adds no additional ritual reward.

Example of Play

Expose a magistrate’s fear of public embarrassment, then give your ally the Opening for a discreet negotiation. In battle, Draw the Gaze sets up an ally’s strike while An Exit Held Open helps the party reposition. A Courtesan’s success changes access and understanding; it never makes an unwilling NPC owe affection.

Additional Rules

Desire Rules and Table Modes.

At Climax, resolve the triggering Climax Effect, reduce Libido by 1 where Libido is tracked, reset Arousal to 0, and resolve applicable subclass triggers. These features do not grant automatic healing or automatic Exhaustion. At 0 Libido, apply the website’s Depletion rules; Depletion does not disable this Calling wholesale or prevent normal actions. You must have at least the Libido cost available to spend it. Further forced Climax while Depleted follows the core Exhaustion rules. A subclass Climax benefit does not grant a free activation or refund a use of the 17th-level Revelation feature. Revelation retains its published bonus-action activation, duration, and recharge.

Boundaries and Secrets. Emotional insight is not mind reading, proof of truth, consent, or permission to disclose private information. Arousal never establishes attraction or willingness. Players choose the details and framing of their characters’ experiences. Rituals can use conversation, silence, breathing, or symbolic gestures; intimate contact is never required.