Elusive Dancer. The Sword Dancer's movement on the battlefield is quick, fluid and graceful, representing a dance, granting the Sword Dancer the following benefits, unless her movement speed is reduced to 0, such as when she is grappled, restrained or incapacitated:
- The Sword Dancer gains a bonus to her AC equal to her Charisma modifier.
- If the Sword Dancer hits another creature with her singing sword, she does not provoke opportunity attacks from that creature until the end of the turn.
- The Sword Dancer has advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks and Dexterity saving throws.
Evasion. If the Sword Dancer is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the Sword Dancer instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails. The Sword Dancer can't use this trait if she is incapacitated.
Fey Ancestry. The Sword Dancer has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put the Sword Dancer to sleep.
Magic Resistance. The Sword Dancer has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Singing Sword. The Sword Dancer wields a singing sword, a special magical sword gifted to her by Eilistraee. While she holds the sword in her hand, the Sword Dancer gains a bonus to attack rolls made with the sword equal to her Charisma modifier and is protected from all mind-altering effects as if she was under the effect of a mind blank spell. This protection does not work when a bard within 30 feet of her is using its Countercharm ability.
If the Sword Dancer is not holding the sword, she can use a bonus action on her turn to summon the singing sword to her hand.
Spellcasting. The Sword Dancer is an 8th level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). She knows the following spells:
- Cantrips (at will): green-flame blade, guidance, sacred flame, thaumaturgy, word of radiance
- 1st level (4 slots): bless, guiding bolt, healing word, magic missile
- 2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, invisibility, misty step, spiritual weapon
- 3rd level (3 slots): aura of vitality, dispel magic, spirit guardians, remove curse
- 4th level (3 slots): aura of purity, fire shield, freedom of movement, guardian of faith
Spellsong. Spells cast by the Sword Dancer do not require material components, but they always require verbal components even if they usually don't. The Sword Dancer has advantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration on a spell.
Multiattack. The Sword Dancer makes three attacks with her singing sword and casts one of her spells with a casting time of one action.
Singing Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) radiant damage.
Eilistraee's Flourish. Once on each of its turns, when the Sword Dancer hits with a melee weapon attack, she can, as part of that attack, cast magic missile using one of her spell slots. Instead of the spell's usual effects, the Sword Dancer can choose to create one of the following effects:
- Smiting Flourish. The Sword Dancer targets her own singing sword with all missiles, causing it to erupt with blue-white flames. The attack deals additional damage equal to the spell's damage. The target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.
- Radiant Flourish. The Sword Dancer shoots the missiles into the sky, causing them to combine into a pillar of moonlight centered on the Sword Dancer. All creatures of the Sword Dancer's choice within 10 feet of her must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking the spell's damage, or half as much on a success.
- Shielding Flourish. The missiles start waving around and with the Sword Dancer, filling the area within 10 feet of the Sword Dancer with dim light until the start of her next turn. The Sword Dancer gains a bonus to their AC equal to the number of missiles created by the spell.
Inspiring Pirouette. The Sword Dancer chooses one creature within 60 feet. If that creature can see the Sword Dancer, it gains advantage on the first melee weapon attack it makes before the end of its next turn.
Reflect Spell. When the Sword Dancer is targeted by a magic missile spell, a line spell, or a spell that requires a ranged attack roll, and she is holding her singing sword, she can use her reaction to reflect the spell back to its caster, originating from the Sword Dancer and turning the caster into the spell's target.
If the spell is of 4th level or higher, the Sword Dancer must succeed on a Charisma check with a DC equal to 10 plus the spell's level, otherwise her attempt to reflect it fails.
Dancer's Escape. When a creature hits the Sword Dancer with a melee weapon attack, the Sword Dancer can make one attack with her singing sword against the attacker, provided the attacker is within 5 feet of her, and then move up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Description
Sword Dancers are special priests of Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden, blessed with innate magic and the ability to channel Eilistraee's power in an unique way - through the so-called Spellsong.
They are exclusively female drow, elves or half-elves and are highly regarded amongst the followers of Eilistraee due to their great performances and honed skills. Becoming a Sword Dancer usually involves a lot of training in war and song and rigid performing of rituals, as they have to sing and dance for Eilistraee each night and have to be living on the surface for at least a month.
Sword Dancers are warriors of Eilistraee and skilled diplomats, trying to promote harmony between drow and other races and to generally improve the acceptance of surface drow. They also are known to aid the local population by supplying them with food, water and by curing curses and diseases to establish friendships and a place where drow can live on the surface world.
Eilistraee's Front. Sword Dancers usually lead and fight on the frontline of missions to free other drow from Lolth's web, to bring them out of the underdark, to the surface world. Song and dance aren't just their way to worship Eilistraee, they use their mastery of these arts to fight - gracefully dancing around their foe, using music to cast their magic in the midst of combat, inspiring their companions to give it all, and masterfully fighting with their blessed scimitars.
Moonlight Missiles. The magic missile spell has a special value for Sword Dancers, as they have learned to incorporate it into their performances in various ways, making it a highly efficient tool in combat. Cast on their own sword, it causes white and blue flames to erupt from the blade, empowering the strike, cast on their allies' swords it inspires them to strike immediately, and incorporated in their beautiful dance, with the missiles waving around them like little lights of moonfire, it shields them from attacks.
Spellsong. Sword Dancers are capable of using a special kind of magic known as the Spellsong. By singing, they can focus on their magic even in the midst of combat, being able to cast spells of up to 4th leven and incorporate them seamlessly into their dance-like fighting style, even though when cast in this way, all spells require verbal components, even those which usually can be cast silently.
However, what truly makes the Spellsong unique is the fact that multiple Sword Dancers can sing together as a choir to cast spells of much greater power. Combining their voices does not only result in a beautiful piece of music, it also results in great feats of healing and resurrection - or in devastation on the battlefield.
Spellsong Choir Spells
If at least three Sword Dancers are within 60 feet of each other, they all have access to the following additional spells and spell slots. These spells do not require material components, but they always require verbal components when cast by Sword Dancers, even if they usually don't. The Sword Dancers share these spell slots amongst themselves and can also use them to upcast their own spells:
- 5th level (3 slots): circle of power, greater restoration, mass cure wounds, wall of light
- 6th level (2 slots): Fizban's platinum shield, heal, true seeing
- 7th level (2 slots): regenerate, resurrection, temple of the gods
- 8th level (1 slot): glibness, sunburst, holy aura
- 9th level (1 slot): blade of disaster, mass heal, true resurrection
If there are at least six Sword Dancers within 60 feet of each other, the number of spell slots shared between them is doubled.
The spell save DC for spells cast by a choir of spellsinging Sword Dancers increases by 1 for every three Sword Dancers that are part of the choir.
Lair and Lair Actions
If at least three Sword Dancers are fighting together, they can, at initiative order 20, losing initiative ties, take one of the following lair actions, provided they are within 60 feet of each other and are not deafened or otherwise unable to hear each other. They cannot take the same action two times in a row:
- Choir of Valour. The Sword Dancers sing a song of war and victory and flourish their blades, intimidating their foes and bolstering their allies. All creatures of the Sword Dancers' choice within 30 feet of at least one Sword Dancer either are under the effect of a bless spell for the next minute if they are friendly, or must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for one minute if they are foes. A frightened creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once the effect ends or a creature saves against it, it cannot be affected again for 24 hours.
- Song of Magic. The Sword Dancers cast one of their spells with a casting time of one action.
- Ode of Moonlight. The Sword Dancers sing to the sky, calling down Eilistraee's moonlight. For the next minute, the area within 20 feet of each Sword Dancer is dimly lit, dispelling any magical darkness, the Sword Dancer gains 20 temporary hit points and a flying speed equal to their walking speed.
- Symphony of Swords. Each Sword Dancer summons a spectral sword carved of moonlight within 60 feet of them and makes a melee spell attack, +11 to hit, with it. The sword deals radiant damage, its damage is a number of d8s equal to the number of Sword Dancers taking part in this lair action, plus the Sword Dancer's Charisma modifier.
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