Bladedancer

Bladedancers are fighters who turn combat into art, weaving steel and motion into a deadly performance. Born in the nation of Mordux, this discipline emphasizes speed, precision, and confidence over heavy armor or brute force. A Bladedancer moves through the battlefield like a living dance, striking with elegant timing, avoiding attacks with graceful footwork, and chaining attacks into seamless sequences. Every movement is both defensive and offensive, making the Bladedancer as much a spectacle as a warrior.

Defensive Confidence

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your combat style is as much performance as defense. You gain proficiency in the Charisma (Performance) skill. In addition, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier, provided you aren't incapacitated.

Blade Dance

Also at 3rd level, you can enter a rhythmic combat stance that emphasizes motion and precision. While wielding at least one melee weapon without the heavy property, you can choose to enter a blade dance as a bonus action, which lasts for 1 minute or until you choose to stop (requires no action by you). It can end early if you are knocked prone, haven't moved at least 10 feet on a turn, or if your movement speed is reduced to 0. For the duration, you gain the following benefits:

• Attacks of opportunity made against you have disadvantage.
• You ignore the effects of non-magical difficult terrain.
• Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal an extra 1d6 damage to it.

At 10th level, the extra damage increases to 2d6.

Whirling Deflect

At 7th level, your spinning footwork turns enemy strikes aside. When a creature makes a melee attack against you while your Blade Dance is active, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack misses, you can immediately make one melee weapon attack against the attacker, provided it is within your reach.

Flowing Assault

At 10th level, your graceful strikes chain together in a seamless sequence. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack while your Blade Dance is active, you can move up to 15 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity and make a second attack against a different creature within reach, as part of the same attack.

Graceful Dancer

At 15th level, your mastery of movement allows you to dance effortlessly through chaos. While your Blade Dance is active, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
• You can move through other creature's spaces, without suffering any penalty to your movement.
• Getting knocked prone no longer ends your Blade Dance, and when you are knocked prone, you can use your reaction to immediately get back up.

Slashing Whirlwind

At 18th level, your blade dance becomes a flawless storm of motion. While your Blade Dance is active, any melee weapon you wield gains the reach property, and when a creature hits you with a melee attack while within 10 feet of you, it takes 2d6 slashing damage. A creature can only take this damage once per turn.