A Ribbon-Dancer turns performance into motion and motion into opportunity. Small, quick, and fearless above the ground, she uses a long silk ribbon as prop, distraction, and anchor while darting through danger. Her niche is skirmishing: she slips away after a precise strike, survives perilous drops, and keeps moving where others would be cornered.
Every fall is a flourish; every escape, an encore.
Skirmisher
At a glance
Near-Miss Reprise
Hit die d8
Dexterity
ConstitutionSubclass of Rogue
You gain proficiency in Acrobatics. If you already have it, you gain proficiency in Performance or Sleight of Hand (your choice). You also carry a trained performance ribbon: a length of silk or similar cloth that is not a weapon and has no special price. You can use it to manipulate an unattended object within 10 feet that weighs no more than 2 pounds, such as pulling a latch, lifting a key, or snatching a small item. This manipulation requires a free hand and cannot make an attack, activate a magic item, or perform a task requiring fine control. Once on each of your turns when you deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature, you can move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks from that creature.
You gain a Climb Speed equal to your Speed. In addition, when you fall, you can use your Reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to five times your Rogue level. If this reduces the damage to 0, you land on your feet and do not have the Prone condition. You can use this reaction even if you are incapacitated.
When a creature you can see misses you with an attack, you can use your Reaction to move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks from that creature. If you end this movement within 5 feet of the attacker, you can make one Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by its Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, you can move through its space this turn, and it has Disadvantage on the next Opportunity Attack it makes before the end of its next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
As a Bonus Action, you begin a daring routine that lasts for 1 minute. For the duration, your Speed increases by 10 feet, and once on each of your turns when you deal Sneak Attack damage, you can move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks from any creature. The routine ends early if you have the Incapacitated condition or if you choose to end it (no action required). Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
DexterityConstitutionHit pointsd8 Hit Die, as a Rogue.
Saving throwsUses the Rogue's standard saving throw proficiencies and defenses. Aerial Recovery reduces falling damage; Near-Miss Reprise offers limited reactive repositioning.
TrainingAt level 3, gain Acrobatics proficiency, or Performance or Sleight of Hand proficiency if already proficient in Acrobatics. No additional armor, weapon, or tool proficiencies.
ResourceNo subclass-specific resource. Near-Miss Reprise uses a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest; Grand Finale is usable once per Long Rest.
MulticlassingUse the standard Rogue multiclassing rules. This subclass grants no additional ability-score prerequisites, proficiencies, spellcasting, or resource pool.
A Ribbon-Dancer turns performance into motion and motion into opportunity.
Small, quick, and fearless above the ground, she uses a long silk ribbon as prop, distraction, and anchor while darting through danger. Her niche is skirmishing: she slips away after a precise strike, survives perilous drops, and keeps moving where others would be cornered.
Strike from a position that lets you keep moving.
Ribbon Footwork helps you leave a target after landing Sneak Attack, while your climb speed opens routes across walls, ropes, and rigging. Save your reactions for falls or missed attacks, and use Grand Finale when a fight calls for a fast, sustained routine rather than a single burst.
A Ribbon-Dancer usually learns through troupe work: first balance and dance, then aerial safety, controlled falls, and how to move through a crowd without losing momentum.
Some are trained by established performers; others learn while fleeing a life they did not choose. The ribbon is a reminder of the stage, but mastery comes from timing, practice, and knowing when to leave.
Most people see Ribbon-Dancers as charming entertainers until they witness how easily one escapes a guarded room or crosses a dangerous gap.
Circus owners and exploitative employers may regard them as deserters; ordinary crowds often admire their nerve and remember their performances.
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