Martial Archetype

Blade Dancer

The Blade Dancer enamours friends and foes alike with their incredible dexterity and technique, building momentum to enhance their capabilities with their chosen weapon; from increasing reliability with light weapons to hitting harder with heavy weapons.

Blade Dancer Features
Level Feature
3rd Momentum, Enamouring Defence
7th Entrancing Dance
10th Sustained Momentum
15th Focused Routine
18th Finishing Flourish

Momentum

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn dances that affect how you can attack with your equipped weapons using momentum points.

Dances. You learn two dances of your choice, which are detailed under "Dances" below. You can begin a dance as a bonus action and your current dance affects how you can spend your momentum points. Each dance you learn has a prerequisite weapon type that you need to perform the dance: e.g. The Blizzard Rush dance requires that you have at least one light weapon equipped.

You learn one additional dance of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn a new dance, you can also replace one dance you know with a different one.

Momentum Points. You gain one momentum point when you successfully hit a creature, and when you successfully avoid an attack from a creature. The maximum amount of momentum points you can have at one time equals your proficiency bonus. If spending a momentum point allows you to hit a creature, you cannot gain any momentum points from that attack.

When you take damage you lose one momentum point; you cannot get below zero momentum points. You also lose all momentum points if you have not gained any for a minute.

You can switch dances using a bonus action. When you switch dances, you can choose to spend 2 momentum points to activate the 'switch' effect described in the dance that you are switching from, and to draw and stow any weapons or handheld items required for the dance.

The dances listed below determine how you can spend your momentum points.

Saving Throws. Some of your dance features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Dance save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

 

Enamouring Defence

Starting 3rd level, while you are not wearing any armour, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Additionally you gain proficiency in performance, if you do not already have it.

Entrancing Dance

At 7th level your dances attract a crowd. While dancing outside of combat, creatures within 30 feet of you have disadvantage on perception and investigation checks that target anything or anyone apart from yourself.

Sustained Momentum

Starting 10th level, you become used to transitioning your dances from one to the other. Activating the 'switch' effect from your dance, and drawing and stowing weapons, does not cost any momentum points.

Focused Routine

When you reach 15th level, you learn to keep a cool head while taking damage. When taking damage you only lose a momentum point if you fail a concentration check.

Finishing Flourish

At 18th level, you can perform a magnificent flourish while switching dances. After switching dances you immediately gain 5 momentum points (up to your momentum point maximum). You regain this ability after a short or long rest.

Dances

The dances are presented in alphabetical order.

Autumn Rain (Thrown Weapon Required). Your unerring accuracy always finds its mark.

  • Your movement speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally you can draw a thrown weapon as part of your attack, as well as pick up any thrown weapon in your space during your movement.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. If a creature attacks you with a ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to throw a weapon at the projectile. Roll an attack, if the value of the attack is equal to or higher than the ranged attack from the attacking creature then the projectile misses.
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can forego one attack of your attack action to throw two thrown weapons at two different creatures within the weapons short range using a single weapon attack roll. If an attack on one or both of your targets would be at disadvantage, you make the attack roll at disadvantage.
 
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. As an action you can launch up to 6 thrown weapons at any creature within the weapon's range.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another you automatically gain all the benefits of the dodge action.

Blizzard Rush (Light Weapon Required). Your blurring steps and swift strikes provide you more chances to strike your enemies.

  • Any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you while in this dance takes damage equalling your Dexterity modifier as your whirling dance cuts anyone nearby.
  • Cost: 1 momentum points. If a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to attack it with a single melee attack.
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can use one attack of your attack action to do a special melee attack. If you successfully hit a creature using this special attack, you can automatically hit the same creature if you attempt to attack them again during your current turn.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use your action to attack any creature that enters your melee range during your movement, using a series of swift strikes as you move.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another you automatically gain all the benefits of the dash action.

Boulder Quake (Heavy Weapon Required). Your weighty blows crash enemies around the field.

  • Whenever you hit a creature with your weapon it gets knocked back 5 feet if the creature is considered large or smaller.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. If you get hit with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to gain advantage on your next attack against that creature.
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can forego one attack of your attack action to build up inertia for your next melee attack. Your next melee attack deals the maximum possible amount of damage with the amount of damage dice you should roll + any relevant modifiers.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use an action to deal a devastating blow to a creature within melee range of your weapon. The creature must make a Strength saving throw or takes the weapons damage + your current fighter level, and the creature gets knocked back 15 feet. On a save, the creature takes half damage and does not get knocked back.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another you deal the maximum amount of damage possible with your next weapon hit instead of rolling for damage.

Chaotic Tide (Versatile Weapon Required). Your unpredictability and versatility make you a force to be reckoned with.

  • Holding your versatile weapon with one hand gives you +1 to hit, while holding your versatile weapon with two hands gives you +1 to damage.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. When a creature within your weapons range hits an ally, you can use your reaction to attack the creature.

  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can forego one attack of your attack action to feint an attack and swiftly move 10 feet from your current position. This movement does not impose opportunity attacks.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use an action to automatically critically hit a creature within range. The creature has to then make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another your next weapon attack has advantage.

Iron Lightning (Finesse Weapon Required). Your swift and dextrous stabs confound the enemy.

  • The first attack targeted towards you in a round where you are dancing is made with disadvantage.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to move to another point within melee range of the target. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can use one attack from your attack action to attempt to disarm a creature. When you hit a creature with this special attack, the target takes the weapons damage as usual then the creature has to make a Strength saving throw or drop an object that it is holding (if any) on the floor at its feet.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use an action to deliver a brutal combo to one target. When you target a creature with this action you can attempt to attack the target up to 6 times. If an attack misses as part of this action, then the action ends.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another the next time you hit a creature, their next attack is made with disadvantage.

Still Mountain (Shield Required). Your staunch defence makes you a bastion on the field.

  • At the start of your turn you gain temporary hit points equalling your Charisma modifier, if you have more than 0 hit points.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. When you are hit with a melee attack you can use your reaction to shield bash the creature that hit you. They must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of their turn.
 
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can use one attack of your attack action to ring your shield like a gong. All creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on attacks that do not target you until the start of your next turn.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use your action to taunt all creatures and to hunker down. All creatures within 15 feet of you have to make a Charisma saving throw or spend their next turn trying to melee attack you. Until the start of your next turn you get a bonus to your AC equalling your proficiency modifier.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another you can perform the help action as part of switching the dance.

Tempest Gust (Reach Weapon Required). Your increased range with reach weapons allows you to dominate foes on the battlefield.

  • When an enemy is within your weapons reach, it is considered to be in difficult terrain.
  • Cost: 1 momentum point. If a creature moves within your attack range, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack on that creature.
  • Cost: 3 momentum points. You can use one attack of your attack action to attempt to trip all creatures within your weapons range. On a failed Strength saving throw the creature falls prone.
  • Cost: 5 momentum points. You can use an action to attack all creatures you choose within your weapons range, making a separate attack roll for each target.
  • Switch. When switching from this dance to another you automatically gain all the benefits of the disengage action.

Changes

v0.2
  • Added 15th level Focused Routine
  • Shifted Finishing Flouring to 18th level
  • Added a Finesse dance (Iron Lightning).
  • Clarified Dancing using a bonus action.
  • Nerf: Switching effect costs 2 momentum points (until 10th level feature)
  • Switching now allows you to swap weapons required by the dance
  • Clarified meaning of weapon requirements for dance
  • Clarified wording of Autumn Rain
  • Clarified wording of certain features using one attack of an attack action

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