Okay, I have created this homebrew bard subclass, called the College of Dance. They are meant to represent almost every type of dance, from figure skating, ballet, sword-dancing, ribbon dancing, and other types of dances. This is the current version, and I would love feedback if you have any to give.
Here's the current version:
College of Dance
Bards of the College of Dance are practiced artists of the battlefield, leaping, twisting, twirling, and flowing through any terrain. To these bards, the world is their stage, and they are not shy to share their expertise in the art of dance. This college of bards is vast and diverse, with many different genres and styles of dance. This college's members are scattered across the many races and peoples of the D&D worlds. Nearly all cultures and peoples of these worlds have some type of traditional dances, from the aerial sky-dances of the aarakocra, the war dances of the goliaths and orcs, the swift and elegant dances of the elves, and the underwater sword-dancing tritons.
As vast as this college is, almost all who witness a College of Dance Bard's mesmerizing movements for the first time are taken aback by their impressive performances. These bards have no need for instruments, depending solely on their body to focus their magic. Different cultures and styles of these bards may occasionally hold or use a musical instrument, dancing streamers, or other elegant ornaments while performing a dance, but they are merely for decorative purposes. Instead, these bards are costumed in the finest outfits that allow them to focus their spellcasting, and use their enchanting maneuvers to displace and confuse enemies while quickly dancing across their "stage" to reach a safer or more advantageous positioning.
Dance Outfit
When you goin the College of Dance at 3rd level, you no longer rely on your musical instruments or component pouches to aid in your spellcasting. Instead, you now may focus your whole body and costume on channeling your bardic magic. You gain the ability to use a dance outfit as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells, which counts as held while you are wearing it. Additionally, while your speed is greater than 0, you may use your legs and arms to perform the somatic components for you bard spells, even while one or both hands are full. While wearing your dance outfit, you may not wear medium or heavy armor.
A dance outfit is a set of fine clothes that is customized by someone with proficiency in a disguise kit. Such a creature may use this kit over the course of an hour (which can be done as part of a short or long rest), expending 5 gold pieces worth of fabric and other ornamental materials in the process of creating the outfit.
Prodigious Performer
Also at 3rd level, you are an expert at dance, allowing your dances to be done with near-perfection. When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.
Unarmored Defense
Starting at 3rd level, your swift moving and practice in dancing allows you to dodge attacks using your masterfully swift dances. While wearing your dance outfit and not wearing armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You may use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Quick Movements
Beginning at level 6, you may use your magical dances to flit across the battlefield or other environment, swiftly and safely moving as part of when you cast a spell. Once on your turn, when you cast a bard spell, you may use one of your movement types to move an amount of feet equal to 5 x the level of the spell (minimum of 5 feet), expending no movement to do so. You provoke no opportunity attacks while using this movement.
Partner in Dance
Starting at 6th level, you may use your magical mobility to cause others that you are grabbing ahold of to move with you when you use your Quick Movements feature. When you are within 5 feet of a willing or charmed creature and have an empty hand, or you are grappling a creature that is Large or smaller, and you use your Quick Movements feature, you may use the movement granted by that feature to move the both of you, both of you provoking no opportunity attacks with this movement.
Dancer's Freedom
When you gain this feature at 14th level, while you are grappled, you may use your bonus action to attempt to escape the grapple, instead of an action. Also, when you make a Strength (Athletics) check for an attack used to grapple or shove a creature, you may instead make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check for the contest.
Additionally, until the end of your next turn after you have used your Quick Movements feature to move, attack rolls made against you have disadvantage. When you are hit by an attack, attack rolls against you are not made at disadvantage until you use the Quick Movements feature again.
This is actually a neat idea, though I am not sure I understand a decent bit of the wording or the mechanical nature of it so I'll try to sort my thoughts along with my critique.
Dance Outfit I am on the fence about. It offers a unique way to casting spells and is very interesting, but I feel you wouldn't need the outfit itself to confer these benefits to the class, however it allows for customization and the Unarmored Defense gives it more than enough reason to exist. I will say changing the wording on the somatic components part to "When your speed is not reduced to 0" so that if you use your full movement and stop to cast, this ability "technically" would stop it from working if you had your hands full.
Quick Movements I don't think I understand. Is it, whenever you cast a Bard spell, you gain an amount of free movement speed equal to 5 x the spell level? Its interesting if thats the case and works for the more movement based style you are going for.
Partner in Dance is when it gets a bit tricky. Aside from it feeling like a later ability, (or Quick Movements feeling like a 3rd lvl feature) it adds some nice utility but while grappling a creature you move at half speed so thats gonna cause some minor confusion when they move a bit, then have to drag the rest. Its not bad just a bit clunky with the mechanics
Dancer's Freedom doesn't feel like a 14th lvl ability. In conjunction with the other features its fine but doesn't add too much to the table to be a capstone ability
I'd say the biggest problem with the subclass itself is that it has no "gimmick" or unique ability that adds to the bard's kit. Or movement doesn't "feel" like an addition to the kit. One idea I do have for a 3rd level ability is something like "Pirouette: Whenever you give a Bardic Inspiration die to a creature, you gain the benefits of the Dodge action as part of the same action." As it stands, the class has good movement options, but thats all it has. A subclass needs to add some umph to the base class to get people to choose it apart from aesthetic reasons
But as a starting concept, I am intrigued at how this could be developed further.
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"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
This is actually a neat idea, though I am not sure I understand a decent bit of the wording or the mechanical nature of it so I'll try to sort my thoughts along with my critique.
Thanks for giving advice! I'm glad you like the concept. Here's my reply to your thoughts and suggestions.
Dance Outfit I am on the fence about. It offers a unique way to casting spells and is very interesting, but I feel you wouldn't need the outfit itself to confer these benefits to the class, however it allows for customization and the Unarmored Defense gives it more than enough reason to exist. I will say changing the wording on the somatic components part to "When your speed is not reduced to 0" so that if you use your full movement and stop to cast, this ability "technically" would stop it from working if you had your hands full.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probably reword it to that.
Quick Movements I don't think I understand. Is it, whenever you cast a Bard spell, you gain an amount of free movement speed equal to 5 x the spell level? Its interesting if thats the case and works for the more movement based style you are going for.
Yes, you're right in that reading. Whenever you cast a spell, you get that extra movement.
Partner in Dance is when it gets a bit tricky. Aside from it feeling like a later ability, (or Quick Movements feeling like a 3rd lvl feature) it adds some nice utility but while grappling a creature you move at half speed so thats gonna cause some minor confusion when they move a bit, then have to drag the rest. Its not bad just a bit clunky with the mechanics
Okay, I can try to make that more clear.
Dancer's Freedom doesn't feel like a 14th lvl ability. In conjunction with the other features its fine but doesn't add too much to the table to be a capstone ability
Okay, I can understand that. Any recommendations on this?
I'd say the biggest problem with the subclass itself is that it has no "gimmick" or unique ability that adds to the bard's kit. Or movement doesn't "feel" like an addition to the kit. One idea I do have for a 3rd level ability is something like "Pirouette: Whenever you give a Bardic Inspiration die to a creature, you gain the benefits of the Dodge action as part of the same action." As it stands, the class has good movement options, but thats all it has. A subclass needs to add some umph to the base class to get people to choose it apart from aesthetic reasons
Okay, thanks for the idea. I could probably do something like that. Maybe allow you to add the roll to the AC, or something like that?
But as a starting concept, I am intrigued at how this could be developed further.
It may be awhile until I get back to this, as not many people have commented on it and I'm working on other homebrew at the moment, but I really appreciate your thoughts. I will revise this when I have the time.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Happy to help! I like tinkering and making homebrew but I do better as a proofreader than a concept creator...
One other idea I had for Bardic Inspiration is transferring the movement bonuses? "While a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die they gain x amount of movement until they spend it"? While they will inevitably just hold on to it, it allows those that just kinda forget your Inspiration die to still benefit from it but this can get busted really quick. Alternatively, "A creature can spend a Bardic Inspiration die to instantly gain an additional x amount of feet until the end of their turn"? This is less busted but giving a free base to movement can be really clutch especially in a chase or positioning situation so can be useful while still being flavorful.
As far as a potential capstone ability... Hm... Its hard to say as a capstone should be a continuation or improvement of the subclasses abilities but given the current theme of movement... Perhaps when you activate Quickened Movement, you can use a reaction to force others to move, A la College of Glamour like ability but it can be any creatures (perhaps with a Charisma save attached) and can be used once a rest or by expending a Bardic Inspiration die? That one is admittedly cobbled together...
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"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Sure, they're similar concepts, but I highly doubt that anyone at WotC even saw this post, much less decided to "rip me off" or take inspiration from it. A dancing bard subclass is far from a new or unique idea. I've seen other similar concepts on different websites. Similar minds think alike.
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I know, I've seen the iterations on Reddit -- they aren't nearly as close as this. Like, WOTC almost word-for-word copied your Unarmored Defense and Quick Movements -- the former of which they did using exactly the same calculation you provided (using the same two stat bonuses) rather than the much more common single stat bonus; they copied large parts of Partners in Dance as well.
It's not a new idea, but your iteration of it is absurdly close to what their actual implementation was, to the point it raises a lot of eyebrows for me.
I know, I've seen the iterations on Reddit -- they aren't nearly as close as this. Like, WOTC almost word-for-word copied your Unarmored Defense and Quick Movements -- the former of which they did using exactly the same calculation you provided (using the same two stat bonuses) rather than the much more common single stat bonus; they copied large parts of Partners in Dance as well.
It's not a new idea, but your iteration of it is absurdly close to what their actual implementation was, to the point it raises a lot of eyebrows for me.
Yeah, I'm not convinced. My version of Unarmored Defense is almost word for word what Barbarians and Monks get, but replacing Constitution or Wisdom with Charisma because that's what would make sense for an unarmored bard subclass. They used the standard wording for Unarmored Defense that they always use (just look at the Monk or Barbarian classes to see that), and I copied that to make my subclass closer to what I thought an official dance bard would be written. I've always followed the WotC style for designing subclasses quite closely and pay attention to how features are worded and function.
And Quick Movements and Inspiring Movements are pretty different features. Quick Movements is a "dance around the battlefield while casting a spell" ability, granting the bard itself more mobility whenever they cast a spell (eventually allowing them to dance with a partner that they move around for battlefield control/utility). Inspiring Movements is quite different, not just because it's a reaction ability based off of Bardic Inspiration (instead of spellcasting, like mine is), but it's more of a defensive ability primarily focused on helping the rest of your party move away from a nearby threat. They're pretty different features, and the rest of the subclasses don't have much in common. The "move an amount of feet equal to X times 5, not provoking opportunity attacks" is something I based off of another official subclass's ability too. I don't remember which one, but I think it was mainly based off of the Scout Rogue's Skirmisher ability and the Glamour Bard's Mantle of Inspiration, and just figured it would be more interesting if tied to casting a spell. Tying it to bardic inspiration is probably a better idea than spellcasting, anyway. It fits other recent WotC bard subclasses (see College of Spirits and all of the features that require rolling a bardic inspiration to grant some benefit).
The UA's flavor text is quite different. They're more similar to monks than to my subclass (Unarmed Strikes increasing damage with your Bardic Inspiration die, getting an extra Unarmed Strike when you use a Bardic Inspiration, and the Evasion-like ability).
There's only two features that are similar, and one of them is an obvious feature to give a melee bard, and the other is only similar in the case that it has to deal with moving around the battlefield without getting attacked. They both make sense to give a dance-focused bard. Their subclass is probably more balanced and polished in concept than mine is. Mine has more experimental, situational features than theirs (dance outfit, using spell level to grant movement when casting a spell, both Partner in Dance and Dancer's Freedom are pretty mediocre/extremely situationally beneficial abilities compared to Irresistible Dance and Leading Evasion). I wish I had thought of giving the subclass a free casting of Otto's Irresistible Dance as their capstone ability. That's much more situationally useful than my subclass's capstone ability.
So, yeah. That's why I don't think WotC "ripped me off". Even if they had, it's not like I was making any money from this subclass. And I've had pretty similar stuff happen before, too. There have been multiple times when after I published a subclass or race and an Unearthed Arcana with a pretty similar thing came out weeks to years later (my Dragon Rider Fighter subclass came out 16 days before the Drakewarden Ranger UA, I created a Fire/Volcano Goliath race for my setting years before the OneD&D Origin UA allowed Goliaths to be connected to any of the True Giant types, I also created a Giant Barbarian Subclass that could grow large in October of 2020 that could grow Large and throw people as improvised weapons a year and a half before WotC published a similar concept, my Genasi revisions had some minor similarities to the ones that came out in Monsters of the Multiverse, and so on.)
If you notice the links to my homebrew content in my signature at the bottom of my posts, you'll notice that I have created a ton of homebrew content. Lots of races, subraces, monsters, subclasses, spells, and even a couple homebrew classes. I have hundreds of pages of homebrew content (some of which were commissioned by a 3rd party publisher), and I follow the WotC style of subclasses pretty closely, filling in the thematic and mechanical "holes" in 5e that I think WotC could fill. A few coincidences were going to happen eventually, and have happened throughout the past few years that I've been homebrewing. Most of them are very superficially similar when you actually compare the similar content, or are obviously a "convergent evolution" of sorts for game design.
WotC isn't "ripping me off". I've just written a lot of stuff for 5e, my style and mechanics are based off of 5e's official style, and I've managed to fill some thematic/mechanical holes in 5e earlier than WotC did.
But, hey. Believe what you want. Maybe WotC did take some inspiration from my freely published, unfinished homebrew content. I'd be surprised if they did, and it still wouldn't affect me anymore than them publishing similar content by coincidence would. It would be surprising if they had, though.
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I think it be super fun for alot of defrent things and can finnaly not really rely on being able to just be good with rapier I hope this sub class fully comes out soon and alwaus thought it be neat to be aboe to dance insted of just using instruments to provide ideas of being creative as a bard since I'm a bard main I give 2 thumbs up
I'm aware. This has happened a few times. While I do still like some of the ideas I came up for this subclass, the official version is definitely better designed. I might recycle some of these features as other mechanics, like magic items or optional features.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Okay, I have created this homebrew bard subclass, called the College of Dance. They are meant to represent almost every type of dance, from figure skating, ballet, sword-dancing, ribbon dancing, and other types of dances. This is the current version, and I would love feedback if you have any to give.
Here's the current version:
Thanks for reading!
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
This is actually a neat idea, though I am not sure I understand a decent bit of the wording or the mechanical nature of it so I'll try to sort my thoughts along with my critique.
I'd say the biggest problem with the subclass itself is that it has no "gimmick" or unique ability that adds to the bard's kit. Or movement doesn't "feel" like an addition to the kit. One idea I do have for a 3rd level ability is something like "Pirouette: Whenever you give a Bardic Inspiration die to a creature, you gain the benefits of the Dodge action as part of the same action." As it stands, the class has good movement options, but thats all it has. A subclass needs to add some umph to the base class to get people to choose it apart from aesthetic reasons
But as a starting concept, I am intrigued at how this could be developed further.
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Thanks for giving advice! I'm glad you like the concept. Here's my reply to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probably reword it to that.
Yes, you're right in that reading. Whenever you cast a spell, you get that extra movement.
Okay, I can try to make that more clear.
Okay, I can understand that. Any recommendations on this?
Okay, thanks for the idea. I could probably do something like that. Maybe allow you to add the roll to the AC, or something like that?
It may be awhile until I get back to this, as not many people have commented on it and I'm working on other homebrew at the moment, but I really appreciate your thoughts. I will revise this when I have the time.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Happy to help! I like tinkering and making homebrew but I do better as a proofreader than a concept creator...
One other idea I had for Bardic Inspiration is transferring the movement bonuses? "While a creature has a Bardic Inspiration die they gain x amount of movement until they spend it"? While they will inevitably just hold on to it, it allows those that just kinda forget your Inspiration die to still benefit from it but this can get busted really quick. Alternatively, "A creature can spend a Bardic Inspiration die to instantly gain an additional x amount of feet until the end of their turn"? This is less busted but giving a free base to movement can be really clutch especially in a chase or positioning situation so can be useful while still being flavorful.
As far as a potential capstone ability... Hm... Its hard to say as a capstone should be a continuation or improvement of the subclasses abilities but given the current theme of movement... Perhaps when you activate Quickened Movement, you can use a reaction to force others to move, A la College of Glamour like ability but it can be any creatures (perhaps with a Charisma save attached) and can be used once a rest or by expending a Bardic Inspiration die? That one is admittedly cobbled together...
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1
Sorry for the necro, but fun fact: this is the name of a just released UA subclass: https://media.dndbeyond.com/compendium-images/ua/ph-playtest6/OJVW7QLuHjEFCCVs/UA-2023-PH-Playtest6.pdf?icid_source=house-ads&icid_medium=crosspromo&icid_campaign=playtest6
Damn they straight up ripped you off too.
It’s really similar.
Sure, they're similar concepts, but I highly doubt that anyone at WotC even saw this post, much less decided to "rip me off" or take inspiration from it. A dancing bard subclass is far from a new or unique idea. I've seen other similar concepts on different websites. Similar minds think alike.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I know, I've seen the iterations on Reddit -- they aren't nearly as close as this. Like, WOTC almost word-for-word copied your Unarmored Defense and Quick Movements -- the former of which they did using exactly the same calculation you provided (using the same two stat bonuses) rather than the much more common single stat bonus; they copied large parts of Partners in Dance as well.
It's not a new idea, but your iteration of it is absurdly close to what their actual implementation was, to the point it raises a lot of eyebrows for me.
Yeah, I'm not convinced. My version of Unarmored Defense is almost word for word what Barbarians and Monks get, but replacing Constitution or Wisdom with Charisma because that's what would make sense for an unarmored bard subclass. They used the standard wording for Unarmored Defense that they always use (just look at the Monk or Barbarian classes to see that), and I copied that to make my subclass closer to what I thought an official dance bard would be written. I've always followed the WotC style for designing subclasses quite closely and pay attention to how features are worded and function.
And Quick Movements and Inspiring Movements are pretty different features. Quick Movements is a "dance around the battlefield while casting a spell" ability, granting the bard itself more mobility whenever they cast a spell (eventually allowing them to dance with a partner that they move around for battlefield control/utility). Inspiring Movements is quite different, not just because it's a reaction ability based off of Bardic Inspiration (instead of spellcasting, like mine is), but it's more of a defensive ability primarily focused on helping the rest of your party move away from a nearby threat. They're pretty different features, and the rest of the subclasses don't have much in common. The "move an amount of feet equal to X times 5, not provoking opportunity attacks" is something I based off of another official subclass's ability too. I don't remember which one, but I think it was mainly based off of the Scout Rogue's Skirmisher ability and the Glamour Bard's Mantle of Inspiration, and just figured it would be more interesting if tied to casting a spell. Tying it to bardic inspiration is probably a better idea than spellcasting, anyway. It fits other recent WotC bard subclasses (see College of Spirits and all of the features that require rolling a bardic inspiration to grant some benefit).
The UA's flavor text is quite different. They're more similar to monks than to my subclass (Unarmed Strikes increasing damage with your Bardic Inspiration die, getting an extra Unarmed Strike when you use a Bardic Inspiration, and the Evasion-like ability).
There's only two features that are similar, and one of them is an obvious feature to give a melee bard, and the other is only similar in the case that it has to deal with moving around the battlefield without getting attacked. They both make sense to give a dance-focused bard. Their subclass is probably more balanced and polished in concept than mine is. Mine has more experimental, situational features than theirs (dance outfit, using spell level to grant movement when casting a spell, both Partner in Dance and Dancer's Freedom are pretty mediocre/extremely situationally beneficial abilities compared to Irresistible Dance and Leading Evasion). I wish I had thought of giving the subclass a free casting of Otto's Irresistible Dance as their capstone ability. That's much more situationally useful than my subclass's capstone ability.
So, yeah. That's why I don't think WotC "ripped me off". Even if they had, it's not like I was making any money from this subclass. And I've had pretty similar stuff happen before, too. There have been multiple times when after I published a subclass or race and an Unearthed Arcana with a pretty similar thing came out weeks to years later (my Dragon Rider Fighter subclass came out 16 days before the Drakewarden Ranger UA, I created a Fire/Volcano Goliath race for my setting years before the OneD&D Origin UA allowed Goliaths to be connected to any of the True Giant types, I also created a Giant Barbarian Subclass that could grow large in October of 2020 that could grow Large and throw people as improvised weapons a year and a half before WotC published a similar concept, my Genasi revisions had some minor similarities to the ones that came out in Monsters of the Multiverse, and so on.)
If you notice the links to my homebrew content in my signature at the bottom of my posts, you'll notice that I have created a ton of homebrew content. Lots of races, subraces, monsters, subclasses, spells, and even a couple homebrew classes. I have hundreds of pages of homebrew content (some of which were commissioned by a 3rd party publisher), and I follow the WotC style of subclasses pretty closely, filling in the thematic and mechanical "holes" in 5e that I think WotC could fill. A few coincidences were going to happen eventually, and have happened throughout the past few years that I've been homebrewing. Most of them are very superficially similar when you actually compare the similar content, or are obviously a "convergent evolution" of sorts for game design.
WotC isn't "ripping me off". I've just written a lot of stuff for 5e, my style and mechanics are based off of 5e's official style, and I've managed to fill some thematic/mechanical holes in 5e earlier than WotC did.
But, hey. Believe what you want. Maybe WotC did take some inspiration from my freely published, unfinished homebrew content. I'd be surprised if they did, and it still wouldn't affect me anymore than them publishing similar content by coincidence would. It would be surprising if they had, though.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I would love to use this subclass
Same
I think it be super fun for alot of defrent things and can finnaly not really rely on being able to just be good with rapier I hope this sub class fully comes out soon and alwaus thought it be neat to be aboe to dance insted of just using instruments to provide ideas of being creative as a bard since I'm a bard main I give 2 thumbs up
This is awesome! Incidentally, Wizards of the Coast has released an official College of Dance Bard as part of the 2024 Player's Handbook:
Ginny Di did a recent YouTube video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky7Af1aU5Z0
And there's a write up on it here: https://dungeonsanddragonsfan.com/college-of-dance-bard-subclass-dnd-5e/
I'm aware. This has happened a few times. While I do still like some of the ideas I came up for this subclass, the official version is definitely better designed. I might recycle some of these features as other mechanics, like magic items or optional features.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms