College of Dance

Bards of the College of Dance do not make art. They are art. The move with fluidity rarely seen in the wild, and they explore the world in search of new forms of dance. They can hear a few notes and choreograph a dance to perfectly match it in rhythm and flow. These bards captivate the visual attention of an audience while a fellow bard plays a tune – or, even without accompaniment, can command the awe of the viewer by the sheer flexibility of their body.

These bards are wanderers. Staying in one place for too long gives them an itch to travel further, experience new sights, smells, and of course, sounds. They find beauty in the rhythm of the life around them, whether in a crowded tavern or among the trees.

The College of Dance teaches a bard not only to captivate an audience with their movement, but how to translate the dance to the battlefield. These bards make hand-to-hand combat look like the flowing of a river, or the whisper of wind through a forest.

Battledancer

When you join the College of Dance, you learn to dance among your foes with grace and precision. You gain the following effects:

• Your movement speed increases by 5 feet.
• You can Disengage as a bonus action.
• Any bard spells or features which specify that a creature must be able to hear you should be modified to say that they can see you, as dancing is a visual art rather than audible.

Two to Tango

Also at 3rd level, you can choose a willing creature that you can see to become your dance partner as a bonus action. Magical energy connects you to your dance partner for up to one hour, granting various effects. You can select a dance partner a number of times equal to your charisma modifier between long rests. You cannot have more than one dance partner at a time.

Choreographed Attack

At 3rd level, while Two to Tango is active, you and your dance partner have increased chemistry on the battlefield. When you or your dance partner roll damage for an attack, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die. The value rolled is then added to the damage dealt by the triggering attack.

This ability gains additional features at level 6, and again at level 14.

Steps of the Wind

At 6th level, your movement speed increases by 10. Additionally, you can now Dash as a bonus action.

Also, while Two to Tango is active, when a hostile creature ends its turn within 5 feet of your dance partner, you can use your reaction to execute a dance move to distract the enemy. With this distraction, your dance partner can move up to half their speed away from the enemy, or to maneuver into a more strategic position. This movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity, nor does it require the use of a reaction by your dance partner as well.

Improved Choreography

Also at 6th level, your Choreographed Attack becomes infused with the magic generated by the way your dancing flows with the natural aether around you. You can choose to cause one of the following effects in addition to the damage bonus caused by Choreographed Attack:

Steps of Thunder. Your dance is accompanied by the crashing of thunder, distracting your enemy. The target of the triggering attack must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, they must subtract the number rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die from their next attack roll.

Steps of Water. Your dance flows like a rushing river, guiding your ally's strikes with its current. Your dance partner gains a bonus to their next attack roll equal to the number rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die.

Steps of Earth. Your dance is like the tribal war rituals of old and strengthens your ally. Your dance partner gains an AC bonus equal to the number rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die until the end of their next turn. This bonus can be applied only once; if Steps of Earth is used again before your dance partner is attacked, the AC bonus is replaced by the new roll.

Steps of the Snow

At 14th level, the magic emanating from your dance cools the air around you, causing a frigid lethargy to affect your enemies. Every creature of your choice that can see you within 30 feet must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, their movement speed is reduced to 0 for one minute. Additionally, while under the effect of Steps of the Snow, a creature takes 1d4 cold damage at the start of each of their turns. They can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns, ending this effect on any success. 

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Master Choreographer

Also at 14th level, while Two to Tango is active, you can choose to deal 1d6 damage with Choreographed Attack without expending a Bardic Inspiration die. This damage increases to 1d8 at 18th level. By taking this option, you cannot use the additional options granted by this feature or those of Improved Choreography.

If you choose to expend the Bardic Inspiration die instead, you gain more options on top of those provided by Improved Choreography:

Steps of the Flame. Your dance flows like the flickering of a flame, and heat rises around the targeted creature. They must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC or suffer points of exhaustion equal to 1/4 the number rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die, rounded down (minimum of one).

Steps of the Shadow. Undulating shadows that writhe in rhythm with your dance stretch from your feet. Any creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Spell Save DC or be blinded for one minute. They can attempt the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success.

Steps of the Sun. Brilliant light spreads from you, pulsing with the beat of your dance. Any creature of your choice within 30 feet of you is illuminated by this light, granting advantage on any attack rolls against them until the end of your next turn. Creatures who are invisible are not immune to this effect.