Battle Dancer
With elegance and grace, the acrobat flings herself off the trapeze, doing three flips in the air before landing perfectly on her feet. The crowd goes wild, giving her her third standing ovation of the night. She takes a deep bow, then makes her exit. In the alley behind the circus tent the takes a long slow drink of water, when suddenly she feels a knife point at her back. A gruff voice says, "That was some show, girl. Now you're coming home with me." In an instant she ducks low to the ground, sweeps a leg around taking the would-be kidnapper's feet out from under him, and with a few sharp taps to his ribs and collarbone, the dagger falls to the ground, his arms dropping limply to his sides. His eyes go wide with fear as he realizes he is paralyzed. She waggles a finger at him with a cold smile. "Naughty naughty. Someone has to teach you that kidnapping is wrong."
Creating a Battle Dancer
Battle Dancer is a Hybrid Class of Monk and Bard, mixing martial arts with inspiring performance.
Pairing the art of the dance with the art of war is not for everyone. Why did your character choose this path? Was she a circus acrobat who joined a monastery of warrior monks after a spiritual epiphany? Was she perhaps a warrior monk who had a crisis and ran away to join the circus?
Quickbuild
You can make a Battle Dancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Entertainer background.
Class Features
As a Battle Dancer, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per Battle Dancer level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Battle Dancer level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: None
- Weapons: Simple Weapons, shortswords
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Charisma, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
- (a) an entertainer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- 10 darts
If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 gp.
Graceful Defense
So long as you aren't wearing armor or using a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.
Martial Arts
At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and monk weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don't have the two-handed or heavy property.
You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons and you aren't wearing armor or using a shield:
- You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes and monk weapons.
- You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain Battle Dancer levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Battle Dancer table.
- When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a monk weapon on your turn you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with a quarter- staff, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn.
Certain monasteries use specialized forms of the monk weapons. For example, you might use a club that is two lengths of wood connected by a short chain (called a nunchaku) or a sickle with a shorter, straighter blade (called a kama). Whatever name you use for a monk weapon, you can use the game statistics provided for the weapon in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook.
Inspiring Dance
You can spend a bonus action on your turn to inspire another creature with a dance. Choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can see you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.
Your Inspiring Dance die is the same type as your Martial Arts die, and changes when you reach certain levels in this class as shown on the Battle Dancer table.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Battle Dancer
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Martial Arts |
Dance of the Floating Step |
Features | Spells Known |
Max Spell Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 1d4 | — | Graceful Defense, Martial Arts, Inspiring Dance | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | 1d4 | +5ft | Ki, Dance of the Floating Step | 2 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | 1d4 | +5ft | Dance Style | 3 | 1st |
| 4th | +2 | 1d4 | +5ft | Ability Score Increase, Slow Fall | 3 | 1st |
| 5th | +3 | 1d6 | +5ft | Uncanny Dodge | 4 | 2nd |
| 6th | +3 | 1d6 | +10ft | Dance Style Feature | 4 | 2nd |
| 7th | +3 | 1d6 | +10ft | Evasion | 5 | 2nd |
| 8th | +3 | 1d6 | +10ft | Ability Score Increase | 5 | 2nd |
| 9th | +4 | 1d6 | +10ft | Dance of the Floating Step Improvement | 6 | 3rd |
| 10th | +4 | 1d6 | +15ft | Extra Attack | 6 | 3rd |
| 11th | +4 | 1d8 | +15ft | Dance Style Feature | 7 | 3rd |
| 12th | +4 | 1d8 | +15ft | Ability Score Increase | 7 | 3rd |
| 13th | +5 | 1d8 | +15ft | Dance of the Blooming Lotus | 8 | 4th |
| 14th | +5 | 1d8 | +20ft | Dance of the Springing Tiger | 8 | 4th |
| 15th | +5 | 1d8 | +20ft | Dance of the Floating Step Improvement | 9 | 4th |
| 16th | +5 | 1d8 | +20ft | Ability Score Increase | 9 | 4th |
| 17th | +6 | 1d10 | +20ft | Dance Style Feature | 10 | 5th |
| 18th | +6 | 1d10 | +25ft | Dance of the Floating Step Improvement | 10 | 5th |
| 19th | +6 | 1d10 | +25ft | Ability Score Increase | 11 | 5th |
| 20th | +6 | 1d10 | +25ft | Perfect Dancer | 11 | 5th |
Dance of the Floating Step
Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 5 feet. This bonus increases when you reach certain Battle Dancer levels, as shown on the Battle Dancer table.
At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.
At 15th level, you gain a flying speed equal to your speed that you can only use during your turn; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.
Starting at 18th level, if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft, you can spend 1 Ki Point to maintain your flying speed until the end of your next turn.
You only gain the benefits of this feature while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield.
Ki
Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystical energy of Ki. You have a number of Ki Points equal to your Battle Dancer level.
You can spend these points to fuel various Ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Step of the Wind, and Spellcasting. You learn more Ki features as you gain levels in this class.
You regain all expended Ki Points when you finish a short or long rest. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your Ki points.
Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Ki Save DC
Flurry of Blows
Immediately after you take the Attack action on your
turn, you can spend 1 Ki Point to make two unarmed
strikes as a bonus action.
Step of the Wind
You can spend 1 Ki Point to take the Disengage or Dash
action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump
distance is doubled for the turn.
Spellcasting
You can use the magic of Ki to fuel a limited number of Bard spells. To cast a spell you know, you must spend a number of Ki Points equal to 1 plus the level of spell cast. For example, if you know the 1st level spell cure wounds, you can spend 2 Ki Points to cast it at 1st-level, or 3 Ki Points to cast it at 2nd-level. The maximum level of spell you can cast is shown on the Battle Dancer table.
You know two 1st level spells of your choice from the Bard spell list. The Spells Known column of the Battle Dancer table shows when you learn more Bard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level you can cast by spending Ki Points. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Bard spells. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma when setting the DC for a Bard spell you cast with ki and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Dance Style
When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a style of dance combat: the Obsidian Butterflies Style, the Whispering Reed Style, or the Fist of the Sun Style, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your style grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Slow Fall
At 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your Battle Dancer level.
Uncanny Dodge
Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.
Evasion
Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 10th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Dance of the Blooming Lotus
Starting at 13th level, immediately after using an action to cast a spell, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon as part of the same action.
Dance of the Springing Tiger
Starting at 14th level, at the beginning of your turn you can commit to using your action and bonus action on that turn to Attack and use Flurry of Blows. If you do, your movement speed for the turn is doubled, and you do not provoke opportunity attacks by moving this turn.
Perfect Dancer
At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no ki points remaining, you regain 4 Ki Points. Additionally, when you roll for initiative and have no uses of Inspiring Dance left, you regain one use.
Dance Styles
Obsidian Butterflies Style
The Obsidian Butterflies style is all about filling the air with blades, fast and thick as a swarm of bladed butterflies.
Returning Weapon
Starting at 3rd level, immediately after making a ranged attack with a thrown light monk weapon, you can spend 1 Ki Point to have the weapon immediately reappear in your hand. In addition, darts count as monk weapons for you.
Cloud of Daggers
At 6th level, you learn the cloud of daggers spell (if you already know this spell, you learn another 1st- or 2nd-level Bard spell of your choice). This does not count against your number of spells known. When you cast this spell at higher levels, for each level above 1st you choose whether to increase the damage as normal or to create an additional 5 foot cube of daggers (each cube must be adjacent to at least one other cube).
Flurry of Blades
Starting at 11th level, you can replace either or both of your Flurry of Blows unarmed strikes with ranged attacks with light thrown monk weapons.
Sudden Edge
Beginning at 17th level, you can make opportunity attacks with light thrown monk weapons to the weapon's first range.
Whispering Reed Style
The Whispering Reed style is all about controlling the flow of damage in battle, keeping it directed away from your allies.
Intercepting Blow
Starting at 3rd level, when a creature you can see hits a target that is within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to redirect that attack to target you instead of that creature. (If the attack roll is lower than your AC, the attack misses.) Starting at 5th level, you can use Uncanny Dodge as part of that same reaction.
Starting at 11th level, when you use this feature you can redirect the attack to target another creature within 5 feet of you instead of yourself.
Roll With the Punch
Starting at 6th level, if you are the target of an attack, you can spend 1 Ki Point to voluntarily allow the attack to hit you. You must choose to do this after the attack has been declared but before the d20 has been rolled. The attacker does not roll for the attack, but automatically hits, and has no chance of scoring a critical. The damage for this attack is halved. If you also use Uncanny Dodge for this attack, this stacks so that the attack deals one quarter its normal damage.
Ki Absorption
Starting at 17th level, when you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to absorb some of the attack's force. The attack's damage is halved, and you regain 1d4 Ki Points. This cannot raise your Ki Pool above its maximum. You must complete a short or long rest before using this feature again.
Fist of the Sun Style
The Fist of the Sun style is all about disabling your opponent by using unarmed strikes to interfere with their flow of ki.
Open Hand Technique
Starting at 3rd level, whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the following effects on that target:
- It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
- It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
- It can't take reactions until the end of your next turn.
Stunning Strike
Starting at 6th level, when you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 Ki Point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Starting at 11th level, instead of stunning you can cause the target to be blinded for 1d6 rounds or deafened for one minute.
Starting at 17th level, instead of stunning you can cause the target to be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds.
Quivering Palm
AI 17th level. you gain the ability to set up lethal vibrations in someone's body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 Ki Points to start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a number of days equal to your Battle Dancer level. The vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to end them. To do so, you and the target must be on the same plane of existence. When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time. You can choose to end the vibrations harmlessly without using an action.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites
To qualify for multiclassing into the Battle Dancer class, you must meet these prerequisites:
Charisma 13 or higher, Dexterity 13 or higher.
No levels of Monk or Bard
If you have any levels of Battle Dancer, you cannot multiclass into Monk or Bard.Proficiencies
When you multiclass into the Battle Dancer class, you gain the following proficiencies:
Simple Weapons, Shortswords, one skill from the Battle Dancer skill list.Spellcasting
You can use spell slots from other classes to cast Bard spells you know, and you can use Ki Points to cast spells you know or have prepared from other classes.
Thanks for Reading!
Battle Dancer was inspired by the Battle Dancer prestige class from Dungeons and Dragons 3.5
A special thank you to all the redditors on r/DnDHomebrew who helped me refine this!
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