Dancer

Dancers transform every battle into a carefully choreographed performance. Rather than relying on brute strength or magical power, they build Finishing Moves through precise weapon strikes before spending that momentum on an array of elegant techniques.

Their Steps disrupt enemies, leaving them vulnerable to allies. Their Waltzes restore wounded companions with practiced grace. Their Flourishes unleash devastating finishing techniques capable of turning the tide of battle in a single moment.

A Dancer is constantly in motion, weaving effortlessly through the battlefield while controlling the flow of combat. Every strike fuels the next movement, every step creates another opportunity, and every flourish is performed with flawless precision.

Inspired by the iconic Dancer of FINAL FANTASY XI, this subclass emphasizes momentum management, battlefield support, mobility, and explosive finishing attacks while remaining firmly rooted in the Rogue's precision and Sneak Attack gameplay.

 

Version 1.0 Playtest

Inspired by the Dancer job from FINAL FANTASY XI. Feedback on balance, wording, and gameplay is welcome.

Level 3: Finishing Moves

Finishing Moves

Beginning at 3rd level, your graceful attacks generate rhythmic momentum, represented by Finishing Moves, which you expend to fuel your Dancer techniques.

You can have a maximum number of Finishing Moves equal to your Finishing Move Maximum. Your Finishing Move Maximum is 5, increasing to 10 at 17th level.

The first time on each of your turns that you deal Sneak Attack damage with a finesse weapon, you gain 1 Finishing Move, up to your Finishing Move Maximum.

 You begin each combat with 0 Finishing Moves. Any unspent Finishing Moves vanish when combat ends.

You expend Finishing Moves to fuel your Steps, Waltzes, and Flourishes.

 

Level 3: Steps

Steps

Beginning at 3rd level, you learn to weave graceful footwork into your attacks, disrupting your enemies and creating opportunities for your allies.

Whenever a Step instructs you to expend a Finishing Move, you must have at least 1 Finishing Move available to use it.

Unless otherwise noted, you can perform only one Step on each of your turns.

Unless otherwise stated, a creature can be affected by only one Step at a time. Applying a new Step ends any previous Step affecting that creature.

Level 3: Box Step

Trigger: When you deal Sneak Attack damage with a finesse weapon.

You may expend 1 Finishing Move to perform a Box Step. Until the start of your next turn, the next attack roll made against that creature gains a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus.

Level 3: Quickstep

Trigger: When you deal Sneak Attack damage with a finesse weapon.

You may expend 1 Finishing Move to perform a Quickstep. Until the start of your next turn, that creature's Speed is reduced by 10 feet and it can't take the Dash action.

Level 3: Feather Step

Trigger: When you deal Sneak Attack damage with a finesse weapon.

You may expend 1 Finishing Move to perform a Feather Step. Until the start of your next turn, that creature has a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus on the next attack roll it makes.

Level 3: Curing Waltz

Bonus Action. You can expend 2 Finishing Moves to perform a Curing Waltz. Choose yourself or one creature you can see within 10 feet of you. The chosen creature regains hit points equal to the healing shown in the Curing Waltz table.

If the chosen creature has 0 hit points, it regains consciousness after regaining hit points.

Flourishes

Beginning at 9th level, you learn two Flourishes that allow you to expend your Finishing Moves in powerful ways.

You can use only one Flourish per turn.

Level 9: Reverse Flourish

Bonus Action. You expend up to 5 Finishing Moves. Until the end of your turn, the next weapon attack you make that hits before the end of your turn deals an additional 1d6 damage for each Finishing Move expended.

If you expend 5 Finishing Moves and the attack hits, you can immediately make one additional weapon attack against the same target as part of this Bonus Action. You can't make more than one additional attack with this feature on a turn.

Level 9: Fan Dance

Bonus Action. You expend up to 5 Finishing Moves, adopting a graceful defensive stance until the start of your next turn.

While Fan Dance is active:

• You gain a +1 bonus to AC for every 2 Finishing Moves expended (rounded down).
• The first time you take damage before the start of your next turn, reduce that damage by 1d6 for each Finishing Move expended.

Level 9: Divine Waltz

Bonus Action. You can expend 5 Finishing Moves to perform a Divine Waltz. Choose any number of creatures of your choice (including yourself) within 30 feet of you. Each chosen creature regains hit points according to the Divine Waltz table below.

• Level 9: 4d4 hit points
• Level 13: 5d4 hit points
• Level 17: 6d4 hit points
• Level 20: 7d4 hit points

A creature at 0 hit points regains consciousness after regaining hit points.

Level 13: Climactic Flourish

Your mastery of dance allows you to channel every ounce of momentum into a devastating finishing strike.

Bonus Action. You can expend 5 Finishing Moves. Until the end of your turn, the next time before the end of your turn that you deal Sneak Attack damage with a finesse weapon, that Sneak Attack deals an additional 6d6 damage.

 

If you expended a Finishing Move to perform a Step against that creature this turn, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier) or be Stunned until the start of your next turn.

If the attack misses, the 5 Finishing Moves are not expended.

 

Level 17: Trance

Beginning at 17th level, your mastery of dance transcends ordinary limits.

Your maximum Finishing Moves permanently increases from 5 to 10.

Additionally, as a Bonus Action, you can enter a Trance that lasts for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

While in Trance:

• At the start of each of your turns, you gain 2 Finishing Moves (up to your Finishing Move Maximum).
• Your walking speed increases by 20 feet.
• Your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
• Steps cost 0 Finishing Moves.
• Curing Waltz costs 1 fewer Finishing Move (minimum of 1).
• Divine Waltz costs 1 fewer Finishing Move (minimum of 1).
• After using Climactic Flourish, you immediately regain 2 Finishing Moves.