Bladedancer (5e Class)

Bladedancer

More Than a Dual Wielding Savage

There's a sudden flash as four orcs drop to their knees, their guts split side to side. The Dancer paused only for a moment, before taking off again at blistering speed to fell more foes. You have an unnatural bond with your weapons, you call to them and they answer - they will never be far from your hand.

An elf gracefully bows to the on-coming horde, before starting a dance she knows all too well. As her enemies rush in, they find all their attacks seem to strike only air as she glides around her prey. With a flash of steel, they drop one by one, before the elf gracefully glides her way to the next foe.

Creating a Bladedancer

How did your character learn such a deadly dance? Were they a dancer who learned how to defend themselves in a rough neighborhood? Is it a tradition of their tribe to practice such a dance? Were they simply a dancer with no combat experience, who started to perfect their art after an impromptu fight?

Quick Build

You can make a bladedancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom or Charisma. Second, choose the entertainer background.

Class Features

As a Bladedancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d12 per Bladedancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + Constitution modifier per Bladedancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: none
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial weapons
Tools: Disguise Kit, Artisian tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose 3 from Acrobatics, Deception, History, Persuasion, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, or Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• Two Daggers
• (a) 2 scimitars or (b) 2 shortswords
• (a) A Disguise Kit or (b) Artisan Tool Kit
• (a) An Explorer's Pack or (b) A Dungeoneer's Pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 6d4x10gp in funds.

Table: The Bladedancer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Unarmored Movement	Performance Points	Dances of Death	Features
1st	+2	—	—	—	Art of the Dance, Unarmored Defense
2nd	+2	+5 ft.	2	—	Performance Points, Unarmored Movement, Fighting Style
3rd	+2	+5 ft.	3	—	Dance Step
4th	+2	+5 ft.	4	—	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	+10 ft.	5	—	Extra Attack
6th	+3	+10 ft.	6	2	Dance of Death
7th	+3	+10 ft.	7	3	Dance Step Feature, Fighting Style (2)
8th	+3	+10 ft.	8	3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	+15 ft.	9	3	—
10th	+4	+15 ft.	10	4	Dance-Time
11th	+4	+15 ft.	11	4	Extra Attack (2)
12th	+4	+15 ft.	12	4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	+20 ft.	13	4	Dance Step Feature
14th	+5	+20 ft.	14	4	—
15th	+5	+20 ft.	15	5	Toned Physique
16th	+5	+20 ft.	16	5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	+25 ft.	17	5	Dance Step Feature
18th	+6	+25 ft.	18	5	—
19th	+6	+25 ft.	19	5	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Increase
20th	+6	+25 ft.	20	5	Dance Step Feature

Class Features

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Art of the Dance

Limber and fluid with your motions, you gain the following benefits:

• As a bonus action, you may take the dash, disengage or dodge action.

• When calculating the maximum for your high jump and long jump, you use your dexterity rather than your strength.

• You do not take disadvantage or have reduced movement speed when traversing difficult terrain.

Performance Points

At 2nd level, you gain performance points, as shown on the bladedancer table, which you can use to fuel various features. All spent performance points are regained after completing a short or a long rest.

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 5 feet while you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain bladedancer levels, as shown on the Bladedancer table. Additionally, if you are hit by an attack of opportunity while moving you may use your reaction to spend 1 Performance point to boost your AC by 2. Point must be spent before the attack roll is totalled.

Fighting Style

Beginning at 2nd level, you may adopt one fighting style of your choice. You may adopt an additional fighting style when you reach 4th level. When you reach 7th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th levels - and you may change your one of your fighting styles with another option on the Fighting Styles list each level increase.

Fancy Footwork

If you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.

Fencer

You gain a +2 to attacks and damage with weapons that have the Finesse property.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Tactical Swings

All weapons that you are proficient with as a bladedancer may use your dexterity modifier rather than strength, even if they do not have the finesse property.

The Long Arm

Prerequisite: 5th level, STR 13 or higher

You become proficient in one type of 2-handed weapon that deals slashing or piercing damage, and can wield that type of weapon with one hand as though it had the 1-handed property. If a weapon with the versatile property is chosen, you can always use the 2-handed weapon die. You still use your strength modifier unless stated elsewhere.

Improv

When you take the attack action and are wielding two weapons, you can use a bonus action to throw one of those weapons (range 60 ft) as long as it has the finesse property. This blade is immediately summoned back to your hand.

Dance Step

Beginning at 3rd level, you start to get into the swing of your dance. You may choose one dance step, and gain features for it. You gain additional features for your dance step at the 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 17th and 20th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, 19th. You can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th 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 11th level in this class.

Dance Of Death

At 6th level, you dance and move with grace as enemies drop at your feet. You learn 4 dances. You can replace a normal attack on your turn, or take additional turns, with one of these dances using your performance points. If a dance requires a target to make a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. You learn additional dances as shown in the dances of death column of the Bladedancer table. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may switch one of your Dances of Death for another.

Fierce Strike, 2 Performance Points

Make an additional weapon attack, adding 1d6 damage on a hit. The damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 5th level, 3d6 at 10th level, and 4d6 at 15th level.

Motion Blur, 1 Performance Point

With a burst of speed you use the element of surprise to rush forward, empowering your next attack provided you moved at least 5-feet this turn. On a hit, the damage of your attacks is doubled until your next turn.

Aerial Ballad, 2 Performance Points

You jump over a creature size medium or smaller. As you do make an additional weapon attack. On a hit, you deal an additional 3d6 damage and they must succeed on Dexterity saving throw, or be pushed back 10-feet and knocked prone. A creature that succeeds this saving throw takes half damage and is pushed back, but is not knocked prone.

Fury of the Blade, 2 Performance Points

Make one additional weapon attack. If you make the attack you regain the 2 performance points spent on the attack.

Natural Enhancement, 1 Performance Point

You focus on your blade as it takes in natural energy. Choose one damage type from cold, fire, lighting, or force. You deal an additional 2d6 damage of the chosen type for the attack.

Parrying Attack, 1 Performance Point

When you are hit by a weapon attack before the start of your next turn, you may use your reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Precision Footwork, 1 Performance Point

You can move an additional 15-feet for every Performance Point you use.

Whirlwind, 1 Performance Point

You spin in place letting the momentum of your blades slash at your enemies, each target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, each target within 10-feet of you takes the maximum damage equal to the weapon your wielding, or half as much on a success.

Dance-Time

Starting at 10th level, you have a bonus to initiative equal to your Charisma modifier. Additionally, you have a +2 to acrobatics and stealth rolls.

Toned Physique

At 15th level you have pushed your body to the extreme, your muscles tone to perfection as your form strengthens to match your talent. Your Dexterity score increases by 2,to a maximum of 22.

Dance Steps

Step of the Inferno

[needs rebalancing]

There is a fire burning within you, one that will consume you if you let it. As your fury rises, that fire begins to affect your fighting, hurting your opponents and sometimes yourself.

Furious Strike

When you select this step at level 3, you learn to land deadly strikes as you pass by your opponents. As part of your movement, you may spend 2 performance points to make a single weapon attack. You may do this multiple times on your turn, but you must select a different target each time. For each attack that hits you regain 1 performance point.

Relentless Dance

At level 7, your relentlessness pushes you to your limit. With each attack, you may use a number of dances of death equal to your constitution modifier (minimum 1), stacking the effects. For example, if you use both whirlwind and aerial ballad, you may jump over 1 of your targets, but you deal the extra damage to all of them, and which ones are within your reach depends on where you land.

Destructive Fury

At level 10, you've manifested the fire of your rage into an actual flame. You automatically add 1d6 fire damage to each of your weapon attacks. Additionally, when you hit a creature with your first attack on your turn, you may spend 2 performance points. If you do, you gain an additional attack on that same creature for each attack that hits this turn, including the extra attacks you gain from this. After you use this feature, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion for every 10 additional attacks you made this turn.

Blazing Strike

At level 17, you learn to overload the flame enhancements of your attacks. When you hit a creature with an attack, you may choose to take additional fire damage, causing your target to take double that damage. If either you or your opponent are immune to fire damage, you are treated as merely resistant to this damage. You may not deal more damage to yourself from this than it would take to kill you instantly, and if you are reduced to 0 hit points by this feature, you do not die or fall unconscious until the end of the current turn, even if you take additional damage.

Infernal Will

At level 20, your sheer willpower pushes you past your limits, and you may burn your energy away much faster than most. At any time while conscious, you may use an action to gain the benefits of a short or long rest. If it is a short rest, you must succeed on a DC 17 constitution saving throw or suffer 1 level of exhaustion. If it is a long rest, you automatically suffer 2 levels of exhaustion, and do not reduce your exhaustion level from the rest. This feature cannot save you from instant death.

Step of the Stars

[needs rebalancing]

You have gained a special connection to the heavens, possibly out of grief for your fallen companions, or perhaps from your desire to feel close to those who cannot be with you. You learn to rely on the strength of the fallen, as well as the knowledge of those close to you.

Spirits of the Fallen

When you select this step at 3rd level, you learn to call upon those you've lost, asking them to lend you their abilities. If an ally you have known for at least 24 hours has died, and their soul is willing, you may take 10 minutes to infuse an object or marking associated with them with their spirit. Alternatively, you may have a valuable object with which you infuse all of your spirits. When you do this, you gain the ability to use their spirit to do things like bolster your attacks or call upon their wittiness. You must choose a single favored ability score to associate with that spirit, which you can change at the end of a long rest. The benefits you gain from a spirit depend on the score the spirit had in the favored ability when it was alive.

You may also attune to a specific spirit when you finish a long rest. After this, you may use a bonus action to switch between your spirits a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier (minimum 1) per long rest. When you are attuned to a spirit, you gain special benefits that you do not get from the other spirits.

When you lose the object or marking associated with a spirit, you may spend an hour to infuse their spirit with a new object or marking.

Heavenly Prowess

At 3rd level, your weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to the favored ability modifier of the spirit you are attuned to. The damage type depends on the favored ability:

• Strength: fire
• Dexterity: lightning
• Constitution: poison
• Intelligence: psychic
• Wisdom: force
• Charisma: radiant

Additionally, when you make an ability check, attack roll or saving throw, you may choose a spirit whose favored ability is associated with the roll, and use their ability modifier, as well as either your proficiency bonus or theirs if either one of you is proficient. You may do this after the roll is made, but before the outcome is determined. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier, and regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest.

Spiritual Guidance

At 7th level, your spiritual connection grows, and you can even use it to communicate with the living. When unsure of what to do, you may use an action to ask an absent creature, dead or alive, that you have known for at least a year, what they would do, at which point they give a telepathic response as decided by the player who controls that character (the DM if it is not a player character or the player is absent), subconsciously if alive, of what they would do, and you gain advantage on any ability check made to follow their advice. A living recipient of this question is unaware that this interaction has transpired unless it succeeds on a wisdom check (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier), in which case it gains an understanding that you have sough guidance from it. Once you use this ability, you may not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Additionally, your weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities, and once on each of your turns, you may spend 4 performance points to gain advantage on your next attack, dealing 2d10 additional damage of the type associated with the favored ability of the spirit you are attuned to if it hits.

Spectral Guardian

At 13th level, as an action, you may spend 6 performance points to summon the spectral form of the spirit you are attuned to. The form lasts a minute, you cannot use spiritual guidance while it is active, and you must maintain your concentration on it.

The spirit maintains its spells, spell slots, ability scores, proficiencies, highest attack bonus, equipment (in spectral form), number of attacks, and hit point maximum it had before it died (except for any harmful effects that reduced these), in addition to a flying speed of 30 feet, and rolls its own initiative in combat. You control its every move. The guardian disappears if it casts a spell or is reduced to 0 hit points. Additionally, any weapon attack it makes has advantage if it is within 5 feet of you, and deals 1d10 radiant damage instead of the weapon's normal damage. The spirit may forgo its action to add its favored ability modifier to either your armor class or your attack rolls until the start of its next turn.

Celestial Protection

At 17th level, the heavenly protection of your spirits grows stronger. You can attune to 2 spirits at a time, and have resistance to the damage types associated with their favored abilities. Both spirits appear when you use spectral guardian if you spend an additional 2 performance points. Additionally, you may spend 3 performance points to reroll a failed death saving throw and take either roll.

Will of the Fallen

At 20th level, you have achieved a unique bond with your spirits. Your spectral guardians no longer require concentration or disappear when they cast a spell. Additionally, if you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may then make an additional attack for each spirit you have in your possession, each one using both the favored ability modifiers of the spirits you are attuned to. Once you use this ability, you suffer 2 levels of exhaustion, and you must finish a number of long rests equal to the number of spirits in your possession before you can use it again.

Step of the Storm

As you grow and train, you sense your speed and magical attunement increasing. With each attack, the power of the sky courses through your sword. Your blades crackle with lightning as you strike, and on each hit a clap of thunder can be heard as your opponent convulses and falls to the floor.

Lighting Blade

When you choose this step at 3rd level, you learn to channel the naturally charged energy around you through your attacks. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend up to 5 performance points to deal 1d6 lightning damage per point spent.

Lightning Reflexes

Beginning at 7th level, you can react to the slightest sign of faltering. If you fall prone, you may stand back up as a reaction. Additionally, if you roll a 1 on the weapons damage, you may re-roll it but you must take the new roll.

Split Second To Impact

Beginning at 13th level, when you make an attack roll you can condense the charged energy over your enemies as a guide to gain a +3 bonus to the roll. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of 1). You regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Master of Lightning

Beginning at 17th level, you take hold of the electrical energy in the air to empower your strikes. You can cast the spell lightning bolt once, all creatures that fail their Dexterity saving throw against this spell are weakened against your Lightning Blade feature. When you use Lightning Blade and target these creatures the damage increases to 2d6 without expending additional Performance Points. You regain the use of this feature after a long rest.

Master of the Storm

At 20th level, you have mastered lightning and with it the Storm. You can cast Control Weather (spellcasting ability Charisma). You regain the use of this feature after a long rest. When you cast Control Weather, choose from the following:

• Precipitation:

* Overcast
* Rain
* Torrential Rain

• Temperature:

* Hot
* Warm
* Cool
* Cold

• Wind:

* Strong Wind
* Gale
* Storm

While the spell Control Weather is in effect your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Step of the Wind

As your agility increases and your senses heighten, you learn to move with the wind. Your opponents find it harder to hit you, while you continue to strike with the same deadly accuracy, possibly even deadlier as your blades cut through the air and your foes like it's nothing.

Light as the Wind

When you pick this step at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one Martial weapon of your choice. This weapon has the light and finesse properties while you wield it. Additionally, if there is another creature within 10-feet of you, you may use your movement up to that creature and make one weapon attack as a reaction while wielding this weapon.

Evasion

At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a Fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Patient Strike

At 13th level, you've learned to turn your failure into opportunity. When you miss with an attack that did not have disadvantage, all attacks against you until the start of your next turn have disadvantage. You may spend 5 performance points when this happens to gain advantage on all of your weapon attacks until the end of your next turn.

Balance on the Brink

At 17th level, you can control your movements even as you fall, knowing exactly how to land in such a way that you hold together. You can become stable even when under effects that would normally prevent one from becoming stable, such as a magical effect or when you are underwater. Additionally, when making a death saving throw, you may spend 3 performance points to make a Wisdom saving throw instead of the normal death saving throw.

Elusive

At 20th level, you consistently move with the wind. Other creatures cannot gain advantage on attacks against you, and attacks that hit you cannot be critical. Additionally, when a creature attacking you rolls what would normally be a critical, it still does not hit unless the total roll equals or exceeds your armor class.

Step of the Spell Blade

Spell Casting

At 3rd level you've picked up a basic grasp on magic, you learn 3 cantrips, and three 1st level spells from the Wizard spell list that can be cast once per short or long rest. Your spell casting modifier is Intelligence. Take your Bladedancer level divided by 3 for spell caster level. You can switch which spells you know every time you level up.

Elemental Surge

At 7th level, you can spend a performance point to release a surge of elemental energy on a melee attack, for each point spent add 1d8 to damage. Roll a d10 for the element of the damage rolled on the table below.

|1-Acid

|2-Cold

|3-Fire

|4-Force

|5-Lightning

|6-Poison

|7-Psychic

|8-Thunder

|9-Necrotic

|10-Radiant

Over Charge

At 13th level, you have learned how to over charge your spells. When you cast a spell, you can spend 3 performance points to have it deal max damage, and ignore resistance and immunity. However, this ability is at the cost of you taking half the damage of the spell.

Elemental Discharge

At 17th level, once per short/long rest you discharge extreme amounts of elemental energy dealing 12d8 Damage To everything in a 20 foot radius, Damage is determined by rolling a d10 and seeing the table above, you take 1 level of exhaustion from this and cannot take any actions or reactions until your next turn.

Performance Casting

At 20th level, you've learned how to weave your performing ability into casting spells, you may expend up to 4 performance points and cast a spell of that level without requiring verbal components. You must know the spell, and it cannot have valued material costs.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites

To qualify for multiclassing into the bladedancer class, you must meet these prerequisites:

• You must have Dexterity score of 15.

Proficiencies

When you multiclass into the bladedancer class, you gain 1 proficiency from the class skill list, as well as one type of artisan's tools and finesse weapons.

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