Base Class: Cleric
Followers of Eilistraee value independence and choice as inviolate. Their clerics welcome and accept beings of all races who desired to see all people living in harmony, without pointless discrimination or wars, and worked towards that goal. They try to bring happiness and merriment everywhere they went, lifting people's hearts with kindness, gaiety, songs, jests, dancing, and revelry. They respond violence with swift violence, thus quickly removing dangers and threats, so that the fewest might be hurt.
The worshipers of Eilistraee mostly consisted of those drow who hoped to escape the danger and darkness of the Underdark and Lolth's evil, taking back their place in the surface world. However, in line with her ideals, Eilistraee would welcome beings of all races (though, among her non-drow followers, elves, humans, and especially half-elves were the most numerous). They shared the desire of seeing all races living in harmony, without pointless discrimination or wars, and worked towards that goal (and those among them who were drow also fought to build their own place on the Realms above).
Eilistraean communities were often of matriarchal nature. However, differently from Lolth's, theirs was a nurturing matriarchy, meant to empower all—males and females alike— to thrive on the surface world, and characterized by a very loose hierarchy. In fact, the clerics of Eilistraee, commonly known as Sword Dancers, acted as an extension of Eilistraee's own motherhood of the drow, and took the role of teachers, protectresses, and diplomats. The priestesses aided their people to learn to live and forge their own path in a hostile world, and to rediscover a sense of belonging and community. They also protected their people from danger, and built a place for them to live by establishing friendships and relationships with other races. The Eilistraeans were also known to offer aid and shelter to those who came asking them (no matter the race), and even to actively travel to other places in order to bring food, cures, arts, and practical help where there was need of it and to those met along the way.
Many followers of Eilistraee, and especially her clerics, strove to learn and promote arts—with a soft spot for music and dance—as well as teaching them and passing along the knowledge of particular pieces, songs, or dances learned during travels or created by them. They would also take care of broken musical instruments, or craft new ones. Those who didn't know an art, were instead known to support bards by hiring them when they could afford it. This was part of their way to promote joy and merriment in their communities and during their travels.
That said, despite their efforts, the faithful of Eilistraee, were little known and poorly understood by inhabitants of both the Realms Above and the Underdark. Her worshipers were figures of myth and superstition and were targets of prejudice and wild mistruths. Some surface dwellers believed they were the disguised vanguard of the Spider Goddess's plan to take over the surface, while those drow who followed Lolth or other evil deities suspected them of being surface elf spies and saboteurs posing as drow as a prelude to invasion. Most non-elves could not comprehend the existence of a good drow deity, while surface elves were uncomfortable considering it, finding Eilistraee a threat to their doctrine that the dark elves were wholly to blame for the Crown Wars and other ancient tragedies.
Eilistraee was most commonly worshiped in Cormanthor among the drow there and in the Dalelands among the half-elves, and also in Waterdeep and Skullport. She also had followers (mostly humans, elves, and half-elves) living in Silverymoon and its surroundings.All her worshipers were typically of a good nature.
The Dark Dancer was worshiped through song and dance, if at all possible in the surface world under the moon (preferably in wooded places). Worship of her was usually accompanied by a feast.
Level 3: Blade Dancer Domain Spells
Your connection to this divine domain ensures you always have certain spells ready. When you reach a Cleric level specified in the Blade Dancer Domain Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Cleric Level | Prepared Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Magic Missile, See Invisibility, Thunderwave,Mage Armor, Shield |
| 5 | Daylight, Fireball |
| 7 | Arcane Eye, Wall of Fire |
| 9 | Flame Strike, Scrying |
Level 3: Blade Dancing
Blade Dancers master a tradition of magic that incorporates swordplay and dance. In combat, a Blade Dancer uses intricate, elegant maneuvers that fend off harm and allow the Blade Dancer to channel magic into devastating attacks and a cunning defense. Many who have observed a Blade Dancer at work remember the display as one of the more beautiful experiences in their life—a glorious dance accompanied by a singing blade.
Blade Dancing is associated with the ancient elven societies that first mastered the art and coined the term. Wherever they hail from, Blade Dancers take their talents all across the Realms to help common people and perform heroic deeds. Most communities greet the arrival of a Blade Dancer as a good omen.
Level 3: Training in War & Song
You gain proficiency with all Melee Martial weapons that don't have the Two-Handed or Heavy property. You can use a Melee weapon with which you have proficiency as a Spellcasting Focus for your Wizard spells.
You also gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Performance, or Persuasion.
Blade Dance
As a Bonus Action, you invoke an elven magic called the Blade Dance, provided you aren't wearing armor or using a Shield.
The Blade Dance lasts for 1 minute and ends early if you have the Incapacitated condition, if you don armor or a Shield, or if you use two hands to make an attack with a weapon. You can dismiss the Blade Dance at any time (no action required).
While the Blade Dance is active, you gain the following benefits. You can invoke the Blade Dance a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. You regain one expended use when you take a Short Rest.
Agility. You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1), and your Speed increases by 10 feet. In addition, you have Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
Blade Dance. Whenever you attack with a weapon with which you have proficiency, you can use your Charisma modifier for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity.
Focus. When you make a Constitution saving throw to maintain Concentration, you can add your Charisma modifier to the total.
Level 6: Extra Attack
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.
Level 8: Divine Strike
At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Level 17: Chosen of Eilistraee
At 17th level, you become the champion of the Night Wanderer; a ceaseless hunter of those that seek to carry out evil deeds under the cover of night. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain resistance to radiant damage and damage dealt by silvered weapons.
- You cannot be raised as undead in the event of your passing.
- You no longer need material components to cast spells that restore life (such as Revivify or Resurrection) if performing the ritual under moonlight.
- You can perform a defensive flourish and direct your magic to absorb damage while your Blade Dance is active. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to expend one spell slot and reduce that damage to you by an amount equal to five times the spell slot’s level.
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