Lash Dancer

THE DANCE OF THE LASH
The young Tiefling heard angry shouts and bloodhounds growing louder just behind the ridge as they sniffed out his trail. His sides ached beyond tolerance and his legs tortured him for the demands he put on them in the oppressive afternoon sun.  He considered lying down in the cool grass to just let the dogs rend him to pieces and be done.  Instead, little Popper Moravek ran into the shade of the treeline, flicked his bullwhip to catch a high branch and heaved himself up into the thick foliage overhead.  His trusty lash easily bore the weight though his arms almost gave out in the climb.  The posse, furious and frustrated, passed underneath in chaos while the new Lash Dancer silently peered down through the leaves, terrified they would look up and see him.

Enhrövat the Whipster and his companions stood their ground in the face of the snarling horde.  Suddenly a deafening “WHHHISHHH—CRRAACK” exploded over the shaman at the front of the oncoming pack.  Startled and confused, the kobold leader hesitated. The heroes took the initiative and charged.

Graceful Drinsam used her ball whip to pull the monster in close and shoved her shortsword into its neck.  Gingerly hopping temps levé over the gurgling mess, the seasoned Lasher looked up in time to witness her beloved Keylar fall prostrate, set upon by the largest orc she had ever seen.  Quickly, she spun forward in a sweeping pirouette, wheeling the lash around to smack the ghastly humanoid on the side of its head.  The weighted ball snapped back on the end of its chain, cracking the air over the Lash Dancer's flanking jeté.  Suddenly distracted, the mighty beast caught another blow square in the face.  Keylar stirred.  Toes pointed, Drinsam lept soubresaut, spinning the ball in a complex arc on the end of its chain, crouched grand-plié, and smiled.  Waiting.  Ooraac, King of Lairs, snorted with rage, blood jetting from his nose, and lunged at the dancing elf.  His original quarry forgotten.

 

LASH DANCER
A Lash Dancer studies the unique power and fluidity of long lash-based martial weapons like the common leather Bullwhip or less common Kusarigama (chain-sickle) to perform acrobatic tricks and dominate enemy targets.  To a Lash Dancer, the lash or whip is a tool of control and performance as much as a weapon of combat.  They are capable of devastating attacks, elegant tricks, and other maneuvers to manipulate a target.  Lash trick moves are fueled by special dice called trick dice.

Advancement and Features

Fighter Level	Rank	Feature
3rd	Popper	Choose lash crafting tool skill, craft your first lash, learn "Menacing Pop" plus two other tricks, get four trick dice (d8), lash reach is 10ft, add Acrobatics proficiency +1, trick damage is 1d4-1
7th	Whipster	Add two tricks, add one trick die (d8), lash reach is 15', trick damage is 2d4-2
10th	Lasher	Add two tricks, trick dice are d10, Acrobatics proficiency +2, craft second lash
15th	Dancer	Add two tricks, add one trick die (d10), lash reach is 20', trick damage is 3d4-3
18th	Master	Add two tricks, trick dice are d12, Acrobatics proficiency +3, craft third lash

 

Weapon Craft & Improvement Tools

When you choose the Lash Dancer archetype you gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of either Leatherwork, Smith, Weaver, or Tinker.  Choose Leatherworker's Tools if you plan to specialize in the Bullwhip.  Choose Smith's Tools if you will specialize in a style of Chainwhip.  Choose Weaver's Tools if you will craft a Ropelash (fiber-base whip), or Tinker'sTools if you wish to fashion some other specialty lash weapon.  Other materials such as wood or bone can be used to fashion your whip, but special magic may be required during crafting to make them durable and effective in combat.  Your choice of lash is a matter of personal style; they all offer the same damage dice (see below) but inflict different damage types (slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning).

 

Acrobatics

Many observe that watching a skilled whip fighter in action is like watching a dancer perform.  Mastery of the lash requires dexterous involvement of your entire body.  You gain proficiency in Acrobatics (if you don't already have it) with a +1 bonus at 3rd level, +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 18th.

 

Lash Trick Dice

To a Lash Dancer, the lash or whip is a tool of control and performance as much as a weapon of combat.  They are capable of devastating attacks, elegant tricks, and other maneuvers to manipulate a target.  Lash trick moves are fueled by special dice called trick dice.

Trick Moves
When you enter the archetype at 3rd level, you acquire three tricks described under Trick Moves below.  You may execute only one trick per attack.  The first trick every Dancer learns it Menacing Pop  (entry-level Lash Dancers are known as "Poppers").  You can choose two more from the list.  Once acquired, your known tricks don't change until you advance. You learn two new tricks each at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.  Each time you learn new tricks you can also replace one trick you know with a different one.

Trick Dice
Tricks are powered by special dice called trick dice.  You start with 4 trick dice which are d8s.  You gain additional die at 7th and 15th level.  At 10th level the trick die is d10 and at 18th it is d12.  A trick die is expended when you roll it to perform a trick.  You regain all your expended trick dice after a short or long rest.

Tricks in Melee
Some tricks are used to determine a hit and must be declared, and the trick die expended (rolled), before the attack roll is made.  Otherwise a trick need not be declared until after a successful hit but must be resolved before damage dice is rolled.  Once you've expended a trick die, trick damage of the appropriate damage type is rolled instead of the standard weapon damage die, regardless of the saving throw result, unless otherwise noted in the trick text.  Trick damage at 3rd level is 1d4-1, at 7th level 2d4-2, and at 15th 3d4-3.  Optionally, on performance of a trick before trick damage is rolled, you may opt to do no damage to the target.  The "no damage" option has no other effect on the outcome of the trick.

 

Lash Dancer Trick Moves

Your known lash trick moves are listed below. You may perform only one trick per attack by expending a trick die.

Saving Throw
Some tricks require your target make a saving throw to resist the trick's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Trick save DC = 6 + Trick Die roll + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
If the save roll is a natural 1, Critical Failure effects are described in the trick text.  If the save roll is a natural 20, as a reaction the target can catch hold of the whip if it wishes and call for a contest of Strength or Dexterity to pull you to it, knock you down, disarm you or, if you are in an adjacent square, attempt a grapple.  Trick damage of the appropriate damage type is applied on a successful trick hit, regardless of the save result, unless otherwise noted.

Binding Larrup

Expend one trick die to attempt to entangle your target.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice).  On a failed save, the target is restrained until the start of your next turn.  If the target is an inanimate object, the GM will determine the DC to succeed with the hit, and no save in required. The whip's hold will bare your weight, and if the target is anchored and will also bare your weight, as part of your regular action that turn you may use it to pull, swing, climb, leverage or brace yourself using either your Acrobatics or Athletics skill, adding your trick die roll to the check.  If you perform this trick with a non-personal lash, at the DM's discretion the weapon may need to make a saving throw against breakage depending on the load.  You may attempt to continue the restraint by expending another trick die at the start of your next turn.  No attack roll in required, but the target gets a new saving throw attempt against the new trick die roll for that turn.  The target is released when you allow it as an action, if it's saving throw succeeds, if it takes your weight during your action but cannot bare it or is not anchored (the target breaks, is dislodged, or moves under load), or if you do not or cannot expend a trick die to keep it secure at the start of your next turn.

Disarming Strike

Expend one trick die to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  On a successful hit, the target must make a Strength or Dexterity (target's choice) saving throw.  On a failed save, it drops the object you choose.  The object lands at its feet.  On a critical failure the object lands at your feet.

Distracting Lash

Expend one trick die to distract your target, giving your allies an opening.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  On a successful hit, the target must make an Intelligence saving throw.  On a failed save, the next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.  On a critical failure the target also loses its Dexterity bonus until the start of your next turn.

Ghost Ride

Expend a trick die to attempt a stealth attack.  You flick your lash out subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction to cause extra damage or conceal your attack.  This must be declared before you make the attack roll and you must either have advantage on the attack or another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, and that enemy isn’t incapacitated.  The target makes a passive perception check vs your trick save DC, if it fails you may choose to either A) add your trick die roll to the trick damage or B) cause normal trick damage without revealing your position (if you are concealed) or that you were the attacker (if you are not concealed).  If your trick DC is more than twice the target's passive perception, you cause both the extra damage and your target does not know where the attack came from.  A successful passive perception check by your target reveals the attack and causes no extra damage.

Jerk Strap

Expend one trick die to attempt to pull the target to you.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  On a successful hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you pull the target toward you. On a critical failure the target will also have disadvantage on it's next attack.  You can choose how far the target is pulled, but it must be in a straight line to where you were standing at the time of the attack.  The target maintains its pre-attack state (standing/prone/restraint/etc...) after the trick is complete and may take its turn as normal after the attack.

Menacing Pop

(Automatically Granted)
Expend one trick die to cause a loud report and frighten a creature in a target square.  No roll to hit is required.  The whip makes a loud "WHHHISH-POPPP" sound centered on the target that can be heard in a 60' radius.  This attack does no damage.  The target must make a Wisdom saving throw.  On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.  On a critical failure the target is also deafened until the end of your next turn.  Starting at 12th level the becomes thunderous, affects all enemy creatures in a 10ft radius from the target square and can be heard for 120'.  This trick has no effect on deaf targets.

Precise Pierce

Before your attack roll, expend a trick die and declare where on your opponent you want to strike.  Make a standard attack roll.  On a successful hit, you can decide to apply between 0 and the trick damage plus your trick die roll result in piercing damage to the target.  This is done regardless of the lash's normal damage type.  The creature will feel a painful sting and it will leave a mark at the hit location even if you declare that it does 0 damage.  You cannot do negative damage with this trick.

Scourge

Expend one trick die to cause extra slashing damage.  Make a standard attack roll.  On a successful hit, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw.  If the save fails, the whip's standard damage is rolled instead of trick damage.  The target also takes the tick die roll of slashing damage.  If the saving throw is a critical failure, double the trick die roll in slashing damage.  If the save is a success the target takes only standard trick damage.

Stumble Thrash

Expend one trick die to attempt to knock the target prone.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  On a successful hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice).  On a failed save, you knock the target prone.  On a critical failure, the target must make a standard Dexterity saving throw to avoid being  Stunned until the end of its next turn.

Sweeping Slash

Expend one trick die to attempt to damage additional targets with one attack.  This must be declared before you make the attack roll.  Choose another target within your reach.  If the original attack roll would hit the second target, it takes damage equal to the number you rolled on your trick die (no bonuses).  On a critical hit you can choose a third target within reach to attempt to damage with the trick die roll using the same test.  Targets do not have to be adjacent.  Critical hits with this trick do not do extra damage.  The damage is of the same type as the original attack.

Taunting Whip

Expend one trick die to attempt to goad the target into attacking you.  Add the trick die roll to your attack roll.  On a successful hit, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw.  On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn, on a critical failure it must try to attack you on its next turn.

 

Popper

Choose your lash crafting tool skill; craft your first lash; learn "Menacing Pop" plus two other tricks; get four trick dice (d8); lash reach is 10ft; add Acrobatics proficiency +1; trick damage is 1d4-1

NOTE: You must choose "Learn your first trick" option in the builder to be granted "Menacing Pop".  This is a bug in the character builder's "granted" options and will be removed when the bug is fixed.

Learn your first trick

All Lash Dancers start their training by mastering "Menacing Pop".

 

First Primary Lash

When you decide to practice the Dance of the Lash, you must choose a weapon to specialize in.  One of your first acts as a Popper is to craft and customize your primary lash.  This is done without difficulty as it is assumed that you have spent time gathering materials and gradually creating your new item as you have studied for the archetype.  As you gain more skills, add more tricks, and increase your fighter level, you will work to improve your personal primary lash and craft new ones.

Reach
Through practice and careful modification of your whip, your reach with it is extended.  Your primary lash starts with a 10' reach and extend to 15' at 7th level and 20' at 15th level.

Damage for Non-Trick Hits
As a Lash Master you are able hone your weapon and focus your strikes on more vulnerable areas of your target.  For successful attacks in which you do not attempt a trick, your personal lash damage die is 1d6 plus your ability bonus, of the lash's damage type.

Primary Lashes
Before 10th level you can have only one primary personal lash that offers the full benefits of tricks and non-trick hit damage for the class.  Of course you may own more than one whip, but only one can be designated as your primary lash; all others follow the Non-Personal Whips and Lashes rules below.  To switch your primary lash to a new item, you must follow the Building a Whip or Personalizing an Existing Item procedure below, even if the item had previously been used as primary by you in the past.  You may craft a second primary lash of any type at 10th level and a third at 18th level, so you can ultimately have three different lashes with full trick capability.  This is done without difficulty or extra expense (DC=0) as it is assumed that you have spent time gathering materials and gradually creating your new primaries as you advance.  Your lashes may be of any type and can be wielded two at a time or in combination with other weapons using standard two-weapon fighting rules, or exchanged as an action during melee. 

Non-Personal Whips and Lashes
The special benefits and trick moves made possible with your personal lash are difficult to perform with a normal whip, chain, or other impromptu lash-like weapon.  Tricks performed with these items allow a target advantage for their saving throw against a trick and do not take damage from a trick hit.   For non-trick hits with non-personal, generic or impromptu lash weapons, reach and damage are the default for that item.

Building a Whip or Personalizing an Existing Item
You may build a new primary lash or personalize an acquired whip or lash-like item anytime by spending 2d10 x 10gp in materials and one full week of exclusive dedication to the task.  At the end of that time and after a long rest, you must make a successful crafting roll using a tool skill that best matches the item materials (Leatherwork for a Bullwhip, Smithing for a Chainwhip, etc...): DC15 vs. Tool Proficiency + Dexterity Bonus + d20.  Success gives you the new personalized lash.  Failure spoils the item so that it is unusable even for its original purpose and all materials and costs spent to create it are lost.  Once your new primary personal lash has been created, a current primary of your choice is replaced with this new one.  Consult with your DM to determine what (if any) pre-existing magic properties might be retained from an item after a successful personalization effort, and how that might be accomplished.

Ball Lash

The Ball Lash is usually made of linked chains, rods, or heavy leather with a stone or metal ball at the popper, and relies on brute strength to perform tricks and do bludgeoning damage.

Bullwhip

The Bullwhip is the most common type of lash.  It has one or more small tethered knots at the popper and does slashing damage. This whip is primarily made of supple leather and relies on your dexterity to perform tricks and do slashing damage.

Kusarigama

The Kusarigama, or chain-sickle, is a specially balanced hand sickle suspended on the end of a long chain.  This whip relies on your strength to perform tricks and do slashing damage.

Spike Whip

This lash has a sharp pointed spike or large needle at the popper.  It can be made of almost any material that will support and direct the spike.  It relies on Dexterity for tricks and to pierce it's target.  This kind of whip can be used to deliver poisons that must penetrate the skin to be effective.

 

Whipster

Add two tricks; add one trick die (d8); lash reach is 15'; trick damage is 2d4-2

 

Lasher

Add two tricks; trick die is d10; Acrobatics proficiency +2; craft a second lash

 

Second Primary Lash

You may craft a second primary lash of any type at 10th level.  This is done without difficulty (DC=0) as it is assumed that you have spent time gathering materials and gradually creating your new primary as you advance.  Your additional lash may be of any type and can be wielded two at a time using standard two-weapon fighting rules or exchanged as an action during melee.

Ball Lash

The Ball Lash is usually made of linked chains, rods, or heavy leather with a stone or metal ball at the popper, and relies on brute strength to perform tricks and do 1d6 bludgeoning damage.

Bullwhip

The Leather bullwhip is the most common type of lash.  It has one or more small tethered knots at the popper and does 1d6 slashing damage. This whip is made of supple worked leather and relies on your dexterity to do the greatest damage.

Kusarigama

The Kusarigama, or chain-sickle, is a specially balanced hand sickle suspended on the end of a long chain.  This whip relies on your strength and does slashing damage.

Spike Whip

This lash has a sharp pointed spike or large needle at the popper.  It can be made of almost any material that will support and direct the spike.  It relies on Dexterity for effective attacks and does piercing damage to it's target.  This kind of whip can be used to deliver poisons that must penetrate the skin to be effective.

Dancer

Add two tricks; add one trick die; lash reach is 20’; trick damage is 3d4-3

Master

Add two tricks; trick die is d12; Acrobatics proficiency +3; craft a third lash

Third Primary Lash

You may craft a second primary lash of any type at 18th level.  This is done without difficulty (DC=0) as it is assumed that you have spent time gathering materials and gradually creating your new primary as you advance.  Your additional lash may be of any type and can be wielded two at a time using standard two-weapon fighting rules or exchanged as an action during melee.

Ball Lash

The Ball Lash is usually made of linked chains, rods, or heavy leather with a stone or metal ball at the popper, and relies on brute strength to perform tricks and do bludgeoning damage.

Bullwhip

The Bullwhip is the most common type of lash.  It has one or more small tethered knots at the popper and does slashing damage. This whip is primarily made of supple leather and relies on your dexterity to perform tricks and do slashing damage.

Kusarigama

The Kusarigama, or chain-sickle, is a specially balanced hand sickle suspended on the end of a long chain.  This whip relies on your strength to perform tricks and do slashing damage.

Spike Whip

This lash has a sharp pointed spike or large needle at the popper.  It can be made of almost any material that will support and direct the spike.  It relies on Dexterity for tricks and to pierce it's target.  This kind of whip can be used to deliver poisons that must penetrate the skin to be effective.