Arcane Blade Dancer (5e Class)

Creating an Arcane Blade Dancer

When making an arcane blade dancer, consider these questions: Why does your character use dance to battle? Is there some reason they started dancing? Was it a friend, a teacher, necessity? Does your character prioritize offense or defense? Why does your character choose the path they picked? Do they have a goal in mind?

All of these are questions to consider when making an Arcane Blade Dancer.

Quick Build

You can make an arcane blade dancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the entertainer background. Third, choose 3 rapiers, a poisoners kit and an entertainers pack.

Class Features

As a Arcane Blade Dancer you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Arcane Blade Dancer level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Arcane Blade Dancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and Medium armor
Weapons: Simple and Martial weapons
Tools: Disguise kit, Poisoners kit
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Performance, Sleight of hand, Stealth, Athletics, Perception, Persuasion, Deception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) 6 daggers or (b) 3 rapiers or (c) 1 greatsword
• (a) A disguise kit or (b) A poisoners kit
• (a) An entertainers pack or (b) A thieves pack
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 8d4x10 in funds.

Table: The Arcane Blade Dancer

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Combo Points
1st	+2	Unarmored Defense, Bonded Blades	-
2nd	+2	Combos	2+Cha
3rd	+2	Dance Style	3+Cha
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4+Cha
5th	+3	Combos	5+Cha
6th	+3	Elemental Blades	6+Cha
7th	+3	Dance Style	7+Cha
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	8+Cha
9th	+4	Combos	9+Cha
10th	+4	Dance Style	10+Cha
11th	+4	Extra Attack	11+Cha
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	12+Cha
13th	+5	Combos	13+Cha
14th	+5	Reliable Dancers	14+Cha
15th	+5	Dance Style	15+Cha
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	16+Cha
17th	+6	Arcane Reflection	17+Cha
18th	+6	Dance Style	18+Cha
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	19+Cha
20th	+6	Dance Master	Infinite

Unarmored Defense

Your AC when unarmored equals 10 + Dexterity modifier + Charisma modifier. You cannot use a shield and gain this benefit.

Bonded Blades

You can bond with a weapon over the course of an hour, which will then float around you in a 5ft radius. You can have a number of Light and Finesse blades bonded to you equal to your Charisma modifier or Heavy and Two-Handed blades equal to half your Charisma modifier rounded down, Attacking with a bonded blade is treated as a normal attack using your Dexterity for the attack roll.

At later levels

At 10th level, you can add your Dexterity modifier to the number of Light and Finesse blades you can bond with and half your Dexterity rounded down for Heavy and Two-handed blades; attacks with your bonded blades now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming defenses. At 17th level you can add your Charisma modifier to your attack roll.

Combos

Starting at 2nd level, whenever you make an attack, you gain 1 combo point, up to the maximum shown by the arcane blade dancer table. You can expend these points to perform combos. The combos you can use are shown below, and there is no limit to the amount of combos you can use in a turn as long as you have enough combo points; however, combo points will decay after 1 hour out of combat. Unless otherwise noted, combos are used as a non-action on your turn.

At later levels

At 5th and again at 11th and 17th levels the amount of combo points you gain per attack goes up by 2. (3 at 5th, 5 at 11th, 7 at 17th.)

At 2nd level

• At the expense of 3 combo points, you can attack again.

• At the expense of 3 combo points, you can add bonus damage to an attack equal to half of your Charisma modifier.

• At the expense of x combo points, you can make x of your Bonded Blades spin around you or a creature within 30ft, giving them a bonus AC equal to the amount of blades used, where x equals the amount of blades used.

At 5th level

• At the expense of 5 combo points, you can give yourself a bonus to AC until next turn equal to half the number of Bonded Blades you control. Starting next turn, creatures in a 15ft line make a Dexterity save or take damage equal to an attack from each of your Bonded Blades, taking half damage on a successful save. In order to start this ability, you can not use any other actions this turn.

• At the expense of 4 + x combo points, you can spin x of your Bonded Blades in a 5ft radius around yourself with a Dexterity save dealing damage equal to an attack from x of your Bonded Blades to all creatures on a failed save, or take half damage on a successful save. x equals the number of blades you use.

• At the expense of 3 combo points, you can dash forward in a 15ft line.

At 9th level

• At the expense of 7 + x combo points, you can make x number of attacks with your Bonded Blades; make a separate attack rolls for each attack. x is equal to the number of attacks.

• At the expense of 12 combo points, you can attack a single creature with all of your Bonded Blades at once. Make only one attack roll, then roll damage for each Bonded Blade.

• At the expense of 3 + x combo points, you can dash in a 15ft line x number of times. x is equal to the number of dashes. You can use other abilities in between each dash.

At 13th level

• At the expense of 9 + x combo points, you can attack x number of times with your Bonded Blades adding your Charisma modifier to the damage. x is equal to the number of attacks.

• At the expense of 15 combo points, you can attack a single creature all of your Bonded Blades at once, gaining an AC bonus equal to half the number of Bonded Blades you attacked with for 1 turn. Roll only one attack roll, then roll damage for each Bonded Blade. You may only attack one creature.

• At the expense of 16 combo points, you can dash in a 15ft line and make an attack in a 15ft cone that deals damage equal to a hit from each of your Bonded Blades + Charisma modifier on a failed Dexterity save, or deals half that amount of damage on a successful one.

Dance Style

At 3rd level, you chose a dance style. Choose between the Dance of the Enchanter or the Dance of the Warrior; both are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels.

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.

Extra Attack

At 11th level, you gain one extra attack.

Elemental Blades

Starting at 6th level, you get a bonus to your blades that you can change.

Necrotic

Your Bonded Blades deal an additional 1d6 poison damage, and any creature struck takes 1d6 poison damage on the following round as well.

Radiant

Your Bonded Blades heal you or an ally Charisma modifier hit points after each attack, if the target is already at full health they are granted Charisma temporary hit points, these do not stack and are replaced by any new temporary hit points. If you attack with more than one of your Bonded Blades, you may pick a different person to receive the hit points for each attack.

Wind

Your Bonded Blades have a reach of 20ft.

Earth

Your Bonded Blades slow enemies hit by 5ft for a turn and deal an extra 1d8 force damage. If you attack with more than one blade, you reduce their movement speed by and additional 5ft per attack.

Reliable Dancers

Starting at 14th level, gain proficiency in Performance; if you already have proficiency, you apply double your proficiency bonus instead. You can roll Performance instead of a normal attack roll when taking the attack action on your turn.

Arcane Reflection

Starting at 17th level, if you are the target of a damaging spell or ability, you can attempt to reflect the spell with a successful Performance check (DC 15). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Dance Master

Starting at 20th level, you may store an infinite number of combo points in your combo pool, and your Dexterity and Charisma increase by 4, to a maximum of 24.

Dance of the Enchanter

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Masters of magic, these dancers use trickery to their advantage.

Magic Blades

Starting at 3rd level, you learn 3 cantrips of your choice from any spell list, and can cast them using your Bonded Blades as a focus, your spellcasting ability is Charisma, you spell save DC is 8+CHA+proficiency and spell attack modifier is CHA+proficiency.

War Magic

Starting at 7th level, when you cast a cantrip, make an attack as part of the same action.

Dancing Blades

Starting at 10th level, whenever a creature comes within 5ft of you, or starts its turn there, as your reaction you can force it to make a Dexterity save or take damage equal to an attack rolled from one of your Bonded Blades within 5ft of the target.

Dance of magic

Starting at 14th level, you can learn two 5th level spells which you may cast 3 times. You must finish a long rest to refresh this pool of uses. You can also use your war magic feature when casting these spells.

Master of Magic

Starting at 18th level, you can learn one 9th level spell which you may cast once per long rest. You must finish a long rest to refresh this pool of uses.

Dance of the Warrior

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Great warriors, these dancers are both durable and damaging.

Durable

Starting at 3rd level, you gain 1 hit point per arcane blade dancer level.

Critical

Starting at 7th level, you score a critical on a 19-20

Instinctive Blades

Starting at 10th level, when you are hit by an attack, you may make a Dexterity roll versus the attack roll used to hit you; on a success you take half damage, on a failure you take full damage, This feature may be used Charisma modifier times. You must finish a long rest to refresh this pool of uses.

Improved Critical

Starting at 15th level, you score a critical on a 18-20

Survivor

Starting at 18th level, when your start your turn below half your hit points, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points or less.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the arcane blade dancer class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 Dexterity, 13 Charisma

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the arcane blade dancer class, you gain the following proficiencies: Finesse or Heavy weapons, Simple weapons

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