"I can still hear the battle cries of my mates as they enthusiastically charged into battle.

Meanwhile, I was frozen in place.

For every wave of brute force our kin threw at these people, they responded swiftly,

and with a menacing grace I had never seen before.

No arrow left my quiver that day."

The young blade dancer elegantly sweeps her arm upwards, stacking her bare blades a few inches in front of her face. Her narrow gaze is tranquil and focused as a slight movement of her fingers splits the blades and sends them flying in multiple directions, slicing through the raiders' frontlines. The brutish invaders are stunned at the sight of a young girl felling some of their most trusted warriors with such ease. The rest of the monks join her initiative, flowing together into a rhythmic dance of fervour and blade. The blade dancers are outnumbered, yet none of their faces show signs of fear or hesitation, unerringly moving as one through the violent fray. Gracefully and steadily, one decisive step following the last, they drive the aggressors back to sea, leaving the ancient fields of Linoria painted crimson with foreign blood.

Monks of the Way of the Dance are devoted performers of the traditional dances of Linoria, studying the beauty of movement while honing spirit, mind, and body. Through these graceful ancient dances, the monks enter a state of meditative trance, channelling raw magic into every single step and twirl. The most gifted of them use this magic to carry a number of elegantly crafted blades through the air, turning their harmonious dance into a lethal art through which their people have protected their homeland and its magic from the relentless southern raids for centuries. These blade dancers utilize their unique gift to dance around their enemies with nimble poise, their floating blades cutting through the opposition and guarding them from strikes. They are zealous fighters; but above all, they are passionate performers.

 

Blade Dance

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Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain the ability to control an array of levitating blades as weapons, which follow your movements as you dance.

Bladesurge: As an Attack action in your turn, you can do the following special attacks:

- Your blades follow the ebb and flow of your dance, their sharp edges slicing through your enemies. Make a melee weapon attack against a target within 5 feet of you. You can instead expend a Ki point to whirl elegantly, swiping your blades in an arc around you. Choose up to two creatures within 5 feet of you and make a melee weapon attack against both. 

- You dance calmly in the midst of the fray, sending your blades flying towards your enemies in swift arcs. Make a ranged weapon attack using your blades against a single creature you can see within 30 feet. 

This ability's damage is slashing and its damage die is a d4. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. Starting from level 6, your blades are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity. You are proficient with your blades, and you add your Dexterity modifier to their attack and damage rolls. When you gain the Extra Attack feature, these attacks can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action.

Poise: You gain proficiency in Performance and can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Charisma modifier when you make a Performance check.

Spiritual Fervour

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Your stamina and unwavering focus render you unmatched in prolonged skirmishes. Starting at 3rd level, whenever you expend a Ki point, you gain a point of Fervour for one minute, refreshing the duration of existing Fervour. Fervour can stack up to a total equal to half of your Monk level (rounded down). Your Bladesurge special attacks deal 1 extra damage per point of Fervour.

As a bonus action, you can consume all your Fervour points to recover Hit Points equal to four times that amount. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). Expended uses are restored when you finish a long rest.

Dancer's Grace

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Your spirit and resolve are powerful, and your words can captivate and inspire others when it truly matters. People look up to you, they respect your wisdom, and are willing to follow your leadership if that is the path you choose to take. Beginning at 6th level, you gain proficiency in Persuasion, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks using Performance.

Additionally, your dance and words empower your allies' will, encouraging them to keep fighting against all odds. As a bonus action, you can choose up to three creatures within 60 feet of you that are allied with you. Each creature gains temporary hit points equal to your monk level, provided that the creature can see or hear you. When you use this feature, you must finish a long or short rest before you can use it again.

Defiant Dance

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Starting at 11th level, whenever you take the Dodge action, you can instead go into a Defiant Dance. You clear your mind as your blades begin to rapidly swirl around you, protecting you from harm. Until the start of your next turn, you gain resistance to all types of damage, have advantage on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws, but have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, and your speed becomes 0 for the duration. While in this stance you cannot be pushed or knocked prone. Defiant Dance ends if you are Incapacitated.

Additionally, your blades lash out against attackers. Any creature within 5 feet of you attempting to make an attack against you must make a Dexterity saving throw before their attack finishes, taking slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Dexterity modifier on a failed save. This die changes as you gain Monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table.

This feature can be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of once). Expended uses are restored when you finish a long rest.

Bladestorm

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You bring your mind to a state of complete stillness, manifesting the magical essence of your spirit into a lethal array of spectral blades. As an action, starting from the 17th level, you can spend 3 Ki points to do one of two things:

- Create a storm of swiftly spiralling spectral blades in a 20 foot radius around you. Every creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d8 slashing damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one.

- Send a barrage of spectral blades flying towards a single creature. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 12d12 slashing damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful one.

The spectral blades are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.

When you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.