Blade Dancer, Variant (5e Class)

Blade Dancer[edit]

The Dance of The Blade[edit]

An elf sways methodically before the battlefield, tapping their foot to an odd rhythm. The oncoming mass of enemies draws ever closer when suddenly the tapping stops. Her figure a blur, she whirls from one enemy to the next, slicing swiftly yet elegantly through the field. In what seemed like seconds, the first wave was down, and the tapping began anew.

Creating a Blade Dancer[edit]

How did your character learn such a powerful dance? Where they a dancer who learned the ways of combat for defense? Were you part of a nomadic people with traditional fighting styles? Is your character simply an actor who became skilled after one too many impromptu fight scenes?

Quick Build

You can make a Blade Dancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the <!-background name-> background. Third, select any available equipment you think fits best for you. This class is designed to give a lot of freedom in how you flavor your move set, describing how your attacks appear towards those around you.

Class Features

As a Blade Dancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Blade Dancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Blade Dancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor:
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Disguise Kit, Artisan tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose 3 from Acrobatics, Deception, Insight, Performance, Persuasion, 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

Table: The Blade Dancer
Level	Proficiency Bonus	Unarmored Movement	Performance Points	Deadly Dance	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	3	Deadly Dance
7th	+3	+10 ft.	7	3	Dance Step Feature
8th	+3	+10 ft.	8	3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	+15 ft.	9	4	—
10th	+4	+15 ft.	10	4	Sharpened Steps, Fighting Style (2)
11th	+4	+15 ft.	11	4	Extra Attack performance reduction
12th	+4	+15 ft.	12	4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	+20 ft.	13	4	Dance Step Feature
14th	+5	+20 ft.	14	5	—
15th	+5	+20 ft.	15	5	Poise
16th	+5	+20 ft.	16	5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	+25 ft.	17	5	Dance Step Feature
18th	+6	+25 ft.	18	6	—
19th	+6	+25 ft.	19	6	Ability Score Improvement, Ability Score Increase
20th	+6	+25 ft.	20	6	Dance Step Feature

Class Features[edit]

Unarmored Defense[edit]

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[edit]

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

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

Gain Proficiency in the Performance skill

Performance Points[edit]

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

You may spend a performance point to use the dodge, dash, or disengage action as a bonus action.

You may spend a performance point to ignore the effects of difficult terrain for 1 round.

Unarmored Movement[edit]

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 Blade Dancer levels, as shown on the Blade Dancer table.

Fighting Style[edit]

Beginning at 2nd level, you may adopt one fighting style of your choice. You gain an additional fighting style when you reach 10th level.

Fancy Footwork

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

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other Weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an Attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the Two-Handed or Versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Tactical Swings

All Slashing damage 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.

Two-Weapon Fighting

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

Thrown Weapon Fighting

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll

Dance Step[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Spend 2 performance points to increase the number of attacks to three. This is reduced to 1 performance point at level 11

Deadly Dance[edit]

At 6th level, you dance and move with grace as you weave between your enemies. You learn 3 dances. These can replace a normal attack on your turn, unless otherwise stated. If a dance requires a target to make a saving throw, the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. You learn additional dances as shown in the Deadly Dances column of the Blade Dancer table.

Flowing Strike, 1 Performance Points

Make a weapon attack, on hit you may make another attack. You may spend an additional 2 performance points to increase the number of attacks by 1 up to a maximum of 4 attacks.

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 towards the targeted creature this turn. Double your proficiency bonus to hit.

Aerial Ballad, 2 Performance Points

You jump towards a creature and make a weapon attack. On a hit, you deal an additional 2d6 damage. If the creature is the same size or smaller than you they must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or be pushed back 10-feet or knocked prone.

Natural Enhancement, 2 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 another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1D8 + your Dexterity modifier.

Ethereal Grace, 1 Performance Point

At the start of your turn, your movements become so fluid it seems as though no obstacle could stop you. For the rest of your movement on this turn, You may move through any creatures space, and when doing so do not trigger opportunity attacks.

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 5-feet of you takes the maximum damage equal to the weapon your wielding, or half as much on a success.

Sharpened Steps[edit]

Starting at 10th level, you have a bonus to initiative equal to your Charisma modifier. Additionally, you gain proficiency in either Acrobatics or Stealth. If you have proficiency in both, you gain expertise in either Performance, Acrobatics, or Stealth.

Poise[edit]

At 15th level you have attained greater balance and adaptability in your form. Your AC increases by 2 and you gain the Evasion ability.