Blade Dancer

Creating a Blade Dancer:

How did your character learn such a choreographed deadly martial art?

 Were you a dancer in a rough neighborhood who sought out a sword master to learn how to defend themselves ? Is it a tradition of your culture to practice such a deadly martial art?

Quick Build:

You can make a Blade Dancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma.

Class Features 

As a Blade Dancer you gain the following class features:

Agile Fighter

You gain the Two-Weapon Fighting fighting style (if you don't already have it), and gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill, (if you don't already have it).

When you are targeted by a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested against the attacker's attack roll. If the result of your check beats their attack roll, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC.

You may draw a number of weapons (up to your Dexterity bonus) that you are proficient with as additional free action.

Any one handed martial weapon you have proficiency in is considered a Finesse weapon.

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

Armor: none and cannot equip shields
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Finesse Weapons
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: At 3rd level Choose 3 skills from the following: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth or Survival.
Dexterity Fighter: The Blade dancer is a Dexterity fighter using their Dexterity modifier instead of the Strength modifier.  

When you take this subclass, you gain the following equipment:

• Two Daggers
• (a) 2 scimitars (b) 2 short swords (c) 2 longswords (as long as wielding both as one handed weapons)
• Smiths tools and Jewelers Tools
• Musical Instrument

 Martial Art of the Blade Dancer
Limber and fluid with your motions, you gain the following benefits:

As a bonus action, you can take the Dash, Disengage or Dodge Action.

When making a high jump or long jump, you use your Dexterity modifier not your Strength modifier.

The Blade dancer does not suffer the effects of reduced movement speed or have disadvantage when traversing difficult terrain.

Table: The Blade Dancer

Level	Unarmored Movement	Performance Points	Blade Maneuvers	Features
3rd	+5	5	2	Blade Maneuvers, Unarmored Defense, Unarmored Movement, Blade Dancer Rhythm, Fighting Style(1)
5th	+10	7	4	Blade Dance Expertise
7th	+15	9	6	Fighting Style(2), Maneuver Versatility
10th	+20	12	6	Fighting Style(2), Blade Dancer's Physique
15th	+25	15	8	Honed Senses
18th	+30	20	8	Interrupting Step

 

 Performance Points:
At 3rd level, you gain Performance Points, as shown on the Blade Dancer table. These points are used to power various features. All spent performance points are regained after completing a short rest.

Fighting Style:

Beginning at 3rd level, you may adopt one fighting style of your choice. You may adopt an additional fighting style when you reach 5, 7, 10, 15 and 18th levels. You can change your  fighting styles with another option off of the Fighting Style list when permitted. You gain one superiority die, which is a d6. This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. 

 Defensive Foot Work
When you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.

Finesse Fencer
The Blade Dancer gains expertise with weapons that have the Finesse property.

Improvised Ranged Weapon
When you take the attack action and are wielding two one handed weapons, you can use a standard action to throw one of your weapons (range 60 feet) as long as it has the finesse property. The blade is immediately returned back to your hand as a bonus action.

Trespasser Step
You’ve learned where to cut to have the greatest results, granting you the following benefits: 

Increase your Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack that deals slashing damage, you can reduce the speed of the target by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

When you score a critical hit that deals slashing damage to a creature, you grievously wound it. Until the start of your next turn, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls.

Switch Step
When you’re within 5 feet of an ally on your turn, you can expend one performance point and switch places with that ally, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the superiority die (1d6). Until the start of your next turn, the ally gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.

Bracing Step
When an enemy you can see moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to expend one performance point and make one weapon attack against that creature. If the attack hits, add the superiority die (1d6) to the attack’s damage roll. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Energetic Step
As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use this special action a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1. Rule Tip: Temporary Hit Points Don’t Stack If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don’t add them together, unless a rule says you can. Instead, you decide which temporary hit points to keep. See Chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook for more information on temporary hit points.

Blade Maneuver's:

At 3rd level, your blade dance and maneuver movement are so graceful that your  enemies drop effortlessly at your feet. You learn 4 maneuver's. on your turn, you gain a bonus action  with one of the blade maneuver's using your Performance Points. If a maneuver requires the target to make a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. You learn additional maneuver's as shown in the Blade Maneuver's column of the Blade Dancer table. 

Flurry of Blades
2 Performance Points
Make an additional weapon attack. On a successful attack, the target takes an additional 1d6 damage . when you reach 5th level, the damage increases to 2d6, at 7th level 3d6, at 10th level 4d6, at 15th level 5d6 and 6d6 at 18th level.

Burst of Speed
1 Performance Point
With a burst of speed you use the element of surprise to rush forward, empowering your next attack ( minimum of 5 feet this turn. On a hit, the damage of your attacks is doubled until your next turn.

 Aerial Acrobatics  

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

1 Performance Points
Make one additional weapon attack. If the attack is successful you regain the 2 performance points spent on the attack.

 Elemental 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 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 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 of the weapon you are wielding, or half as much on a successful save.

Blade Dancer Rhythm

At 3rd level, gain a bonus to your Initiative equal to your Dexterity modifier. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics and Stealth skills.

Maneuver Versatility:

At 7th level, whenever you gain a level in the Blade Dancer subclass, you can replace a maneuver you know with another maneuver available to you. This change represents a shift of focus in your martial training and practice, causing you to lose the benefits of the maneuver and gain the benefits of another maneuver.

Blade Dancer's Physique

At 10th level, you have trained your body above and beyond the normal limits. Your muscle memory has been honed by your dedication to this martial art. Your Strength score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Honed Senses:

At 15th level, being unable to see a creature doesn’t impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls against it, provided the creature isn’t hidden from you.

Interrupting Step:

At 18th level, when a creature you can see hits an ally that is within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a martial weapon ( longsword, scimitar, shortsword) to use this reaction.

 

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 3rd level, while you're not wearing armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Martial Art of the Blade Dancer

• 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 modifier and not your Strength modifier.

• You ignore disadvantage or reduced movement speed when traversing difficult terrain.

Blade Dancer Proficiencies

The Blade Dancer gains the following Proficiencies:

• Jeweler's Tools
• Smith's Tools
• Choice of 2 longswords, scimitars or shortswords
• 2 Daggers

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 3rd level, your speed increases by 5 feet while you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you scales when you level (3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 18). As a Blade Dancer, when you move away from an enemy, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Performance Points

At 3rd level, you gain performance points, as shown on the blade dancer table, which you can use to perform various class features. All spent performance points are regained after completing a short or long rest.

Fighting Style

Beginning at 3rd level, you may adopt one fighting style of your choice. You may adopt an additional fighting style when you reach 5, 7, 10, 15 and 18th levels. You can change your  fighting styles with another option off of the Fighting Style list when permitted.

Brace

When an enemy you can see moves within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to expend one performance point and make one weapon attack against that creature. If the attack hits, add the superiority die (1d6) to the attack’s damage roll. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Defensive Foot Work

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

Finesse Fencer

The Blade Dancer gains expertise with weapons that have the Finesse property.

Slasher

You’ve learned where to cut to have the greatest results, granting you the following benefits: 

Switch Step

When you’re within 5 feet of an ally on your turn, you can expend one performance point and switch places with that ally, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. Roll the superiority die (1d6). Until the start of your next turn, the ally gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.

Tireless

As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this special action a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1. Rule Tip: Temporary Hit Points Don’t Stack If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don’t add them together, unless a rule says you can. Instead, you decide which temporary hit points to keep. See chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook for more information on temporary hit points.

Blade Dancer Rhythm

Gain a bonus to your Initiative equal to your Dexterity modifier. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics and Stealth skills.

Maneuver Versatility

At 7th level, whenever you gain a level in the Blade Dancer subclass, you can replace a maneuver you know with another maneuver available to you. This change represents a shift of focus in your martial training and practice, causing you to lose the benefits of the maneuver and gain the benefits of another maneuver.

Blade Dancer's Physique

At 10th level, you have trained your body above and beyond the normal limits. Your muscle memory has been honed by your dedication to this martial art. Your Strength score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Honed Senses

At 15th level, Your extensive training has honed your senses to the point that being unable to see a creature doesn’t impose disadvantage , provided the creature isn’t hidden from you. You have Blindsight up to 60 feet.

Interrupting Step

At 18th level, when a creature you can see hits an ally that is within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a  martial weapon ( longsword, scimitar, shortsword) to use this reaction.

Longsword Finesse

Blade Dancers treat longswords as finesse weapons