College of the War Dancer

War and destruction are unfortunately common things in many worlds. People fight for land, power, money, religion, and more and hundreds to thousands die. However, some choose to find harmony in this discord and see it as a sort of dance. A few of these War Dancers practice this dance and use it to further themselves and their allies in glorious battle with their deadly performance.

Arcane Techniques

Depending on what you specialize in and what you decide to put stock into, you unlock certain techniques that you can weave into your destructive performances. At 3rd level, you learn 3 techniques, and you learn 2 additional techniques at 7th, 13th, and 17th levels. You can change the techniques you know when you gain a level in bard. You can use a bonus action to inspire an ally within 60 ft. of you that you can see with a technique, and a creature can only benefit from one technique at any given time. The benefit from the technique lasts for 10 minutes or until triggered.

Each time you use a technique you must expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration feature. The list of Arcane Techniques can be found below.

Bullying Technique

Prerequisite: 13th level
Deadly champions and tyrants during wartime enhance an ally’s attacks. The next time this ally lands an attack, they can expend the technique to deal additional psychic damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier. Additionally, the target of this attack must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of the ally for one minute. The target can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Deadly Technique

You can channel the destructive wrath of war into an ally’s next attack. The ally’s next weapon attack that hits deals additional force damage equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration dice plus your proficiency bonus.

Esoteric Technique

Prerequisite: 7th level
You channel the energy of powerful mages that wreak havoc on the battlefield. The ally can roll 1d6 and regain a spell slot of that level or lower.

Heroic Technique

You imbue an ally with the energy of heroes of old. The ally gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier plus one roll of your bardic inspiration die. Additionally, the ally has advantage on saving throws against being frightened while these temporary hit points remain.

Honed Technique

Prerequisite: 7th level
The more precise aspects of wartime such as assassins and elegant maneuvers ordered by generals during an intense battle. The next time this ally makes an attack roll, they can expend this technique to gain advantage on all attacks until the end of their turn.

Intercepting Technique

Legendary duels between expert swordsmen channel into an ally. The next time that ally takes damage from a weapon attack that they can see, they can use their reaction to reduce the damage taken by one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your Charisma modifier.

Invigorating Technique

You can weave a bit of inspiration into a dance and invigorate an ally’s movement. Any time within the next 10 minutes as a free action when the ally chooses to move, the ally can roll one of your Bardic Inspiration dice. The ally’s movement speed for that turn increases by 5 x the number rolled on the bardic inspiration die.

Mystical Technique

Prerequisite: 7th level
The arcane energy you use in your performances aids an ally. The next time that ally subjects a creature to a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, the ally can roll one of your Bardic Inspiration dice and subtract that number from the target’s total saving throw. The ally must choose to subtract this after they cast the spell but before they know whether the target succeeded or failed.

Precise Technique

Prerequisite: 7th level
The accuracy of warmongers and archers alike come together to empower your ally. The ally this technique is applied to lands a critical hit on a 19 and 20 on their next round of attacks.

Restorative Technique

You channel some of the less violent aspects of destruction and the natural healing that follows. The next time the ally restores hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to one roll of your Bardic Inspiration die plus your proficiency bonus.

Sacrificial Technique

The stories of war heroes and valiant sacrifices flood this ally’s mind. The next time a creature within 5 ft. of the ally takes damage, the ally can expend the technique to choose to take that damage instead. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way.

Tactical Performance

You learn the primary abilities of the order of war dancers: weaving magic into a mystical performance to aid your allies. You gain proficiency in the Performance skill, or expertise in it if you already have proficiency. Additionally, you can activate your Tactical Performance as an action, which lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. You gain the following features during your dance.

• Your movement speed increases by a number of feet equal to 5 x your Charisma modifier, and attacks of opportunity have disadvantage against you.
• When a friendly creature within 60 ft. of you starts its turn, it can use its reaction to immediately move up to its speed, though it must remain within 60 ft. of you at the end of this movement.
• You gain a bonus to all Dexterity checks equal to your Charisma modifier.

You can use this dance a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and must take a short rest before you can use it again.

Expert Techniques

The arcane energy you weave into your Arcane Techniques becomes almost second nature to you, to the point where you can spread your inspiration to multiple people. When you choose to apply an Arcane Technique to an ally, you can target additional allies equal to your proficiency bonus. All allies must be within 60 ft. of you, and you must apply the same technique to each ally. This use of your Arcane Technique only expends one Bardic Inspiration use.

Final Flourish

As an action you can end your performance early, doing a final bout. Each creature of your choice within 20 ft. must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become charmed for 1 minute, in which they take additional force damage equal to your Bardic Inspiration die from all sources as a result of your magic weakening their defenses. The creature may repeat the saving throw upon taking damage or at the end of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Once a creature succeeds on the saving throw the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours.