Bladedancer

[Shantis]

Whether it is viable or not, just sharing my idea of this class. Maybe better serve as PrC with some modifications.

It is an artistic class. But unlike bard, most effects are focused on the character himself, without spellcasting. Dual Wielding was chosen to favor the use of light armor or no armor. But nothing prevents a character from selecting through bonus feats medium and heavy armor, as well as exotic weapons, allowing a build focused on STR instead of DEX.

Bladedancer (Base class):

Character class focused on combat in more artistic form, using two swords at the same time or other type of weapon. Because it is a more artistic style, it tries to deal with opponents in a more fluid, fast and somewhat more artistic fighting style. Different cultures use different weapons depending on the character's regional history, noble house, clan or tribe.

Hit die: d6
Proficiencies: armor (light), Martial Proficience
Skill points: 6 + int modifier ( (6 + int modifer) * 4 at 1st level)
Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft Armor, Craft Trap, Craft Weapon, Discipline, Disguise, Hide, Knowledge: Cormyr, History, Nobility/Royalty, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Parry, Perform, Persuade, Sense Motive, Taunt, Tumble,
Primary saving throw(s): reflex, will
Base attack bonus: +3/4 levels

 

Being a class artistic combat, the character gains a different combat style at each two levels, less arcane style.

Level 01 - Dual Wielding, Dodge, Artistic Blade Dance

Level 02 - Evasion, Fury Dance

Level 03 - Knockdown, Dagger dance

Level 04 - Uncanny dodge, Sword Performace

Level 05 - Disarm, Belly Dance, Wind Dance, Daydream dance

Level 06 - Power attack, Entropy Dance

Level 07 - Expertise, Dance of the Fear

Level 08 - Blind Fight, Ceremonial Blade Dance

Level 09 - Improved two-weapon fighting, Sacrifice Performace

Level 10 - Cleave, Fauna Dance

Level 11 - Enchantment Dance

Level 12 - Longsword Dance

Level 13 - Dance of Light Blades

Level 14 - Sacred dance

Level 15 - Freedom Dance

Level 16 - Opportunist

Level 17 - Belly dance Performance
Level 18 - Wind Dance Performace

Level 19 - Greatsword Dance

Level 20 - Dance of the swear of death

Feat list: Great Cleave, Improved Disarm, Improved Expertise, Improved Knockdown, Improved Initiative, Iron will, linghtning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, weapon specialization, Deflect Arrows, weapon profecience (exotic), Extra dances*, improved critical, improved parry, Called Shot, Point Blank Shot, Whirlwind Attack, Weapon focus, Two-Weapon Fighting.

Sacrifice Performace: The character performs a special dance that risk his own life in middle of combat, ensuring the effect of True strike spell (effect of damage self, 2d8 + level damage in exchange of the performace. The effect can happen in 1d6 turns later as a side effect of your performance.)

Epic Feats: After lvl 20, Every 3 levels the character gets a bonus feat. (20, 23, 26, 29).

Armor skin, devastating critical, epic damage reduction, epic prowess, epic toughness, epic weapon focus, epic weapon specialization improved whirlwind attack, overwhelming critical, superior initiative, epic weapon focus.

Dance System: Similar to the turn undead system, using charges to active divine shield, divine vengance, etc., Sworddancer has a number of dances per day that you can focus on to perform your dances. Each dance consumes 1 charge. This ability may be activated three times per day, plus the character's charisma modifier. The feat "Extra Dances" give more 6 dances each day (like Extra turning feat). All dances require weapons with some connection with blades like daggers, rapiers, short swords, longswords, bastard swords (Try to duel wielding this...), greatswords, sickles, etc. The dance can be performed with one or two weapons, but the performance is more intense when using two blades at the same time, or a larger weapon with two hands, depending on character performance and dance style.

Characters with higher charisma may have more dances compared to characters with lower charisma. The suggested calculation would be charisma modifier + class level + 1 extra point every 5 natural performace points.

This class is different from swordmage, because it is not arcane effects, but effects derived from the character's performance. Most of them in effect individually tor for himself.

Artistic Blade Dance - Effect like Mage Armor. - The dancer learns to incorporate the blades into his dance style, protecting himself more adequately. This is a ritual of preparing, meditating and dressing up your dancer clothes and / or adding cosmetic items for such a theatrical effect.

Belly Dance - Charm person. - The second dance fascinates and enchants. Allows fascinate and influence their target

Fury Dance - Same effect of Blood frenzy - The fury dance is known to be intense, wild and aggressive. A well-known dance among the tribes and warriors of all Faerun

Wind Dance - Haste - With fluid movements, the dancer can move as fast as the wind.

Entropy Dance - Slow -With attractive and sensual movements, the dancer holds the attention of his target, making him topor, with his reactions and thoughts affected.

Fauna Dance - Dominate Animal - Dance technique started in Al Qadim, with the enchantment of serpents ... And now, developed to dominate and calm any animal.

Daydream Dance - Sleep - The dancer can lure and hipnotize his target, making him tired and sleepy.

Freedom Dance - Freedom of Moviment (self) - Sensually and engagingly, his movements become smooth and unable to be contained for a brief period of time.

Sacred dance - Hammer of Gods - The dancer does his dance, honoring his deity of which he is favored or has great affinity, receiving a temporary grace.

Dance of the Fear - Circle of Fear - Intimidatingly, the dancer frightens and expels his opponents with threatening moves.

Dance of the swear of death - Circle of Death - The dancer can express through his movements and attacks all his fighting spirit and mortal intent, making those who are unprepared feel deep fear, to the point of death.

Dagger Dance - Shelgarn's persistent blade - Through dedicated rites and performance, the dancer can have a specially dedicated weapon with a proper name for use in special situations and performances. (Ooc: In roleplay, an unique dagger is necessary, for combat or performance in public.)

Longsword Dance - Mordenkainen's Sword - His performance with weapons allowed to elaborate a second weapon for his shows and performaces, a proper longsword with a proper name. (Ooc: In roleplay, an unique longsword is necessary for combat or performance in public.)

Greatsword Dance - Black blade of Disaster - His performance with weapons allowed to elaborate a third weapon for his shows and performaces, a proper greatersword, or bastard or mercurial sword with a proper name.  (Ooc: In roleplay, an unique large blade is necessary for combat or performance in public.)

Sword Performance - Great Magic Weapon (Self )- A ritualistic performance, where the dancer prepares his weapons, polishing and cleaning preparing for combat.

Ceremonial Sword Dance - Keep Blade (Self) - A ritualistic performance, where the dancer prepares his weapons, sharpening, preparing for combat.

Enchantment Dance - Dominate person effect - A dance that can make the most unwary or influential to swear love or loyalty to you for a while.

Dance of Light Blades - Mass blindness/deafness - A dance that lets you use reflected light on your blades to dazzle and blind your opponents while dancing in combat

Belly dance performance - Mass charm. - A performance dedicated to the general public, making everyone get caught in the subtlety and sensuality of your movements, holding their attention and favoring you.

Wind Dance Performace - Mass Haste - Your performace can infect and influence your allies, making everyone following your rhythm and movements.

[Shantis]

Perhaps to make an unique feature for this class, every 5 points in performace (natural) give +1 attack bonus. And the bonus in AC, instead of being associated with dex, is associated with CHA, eliminating Uncanny dodge feat.

[Nokteronoth]

The problem I see with this is that Bards need +70 Perform in order to do their songs, so it's relatively easy to get there with gear. Any kind of Perform to AC or AB is going to scale ridiculously high unless capped off a lot earlier.

~BR

[Shantis]

Aug 31, 2019 9:10:36 GMT -5 Nokteronoth said:

The problem I see with this is that Bards need +70 Perform in order to do their songs, so it's relatively easy to get there with gear. Any kind of Perform to AC or AB is going to scale ridiculously high unless capped off a lot earlier.

~BR

I understand. In this case just remove this part of the idea.

[Blackheart]

Aug 31, 2019 9:10:36 GMT -5 Nokteronoth said:

The problem I see with this is that Bards need +70 Perform in order to do their songs, so it's relatively easy to get there with gear. Any kind of Perform to AC or AB is going to scale ridiculously high unless capped off a lot earlier.

~BR

Perhaps only make it scale with natural perform, just like ac and tumble?

[Shantis]

Aug 31, 2019 13:01:20 GMT -5 Blackheart said:

Aug 31, 2019 9:10:36 GMT -5 Nokteronoth said:

The problem I see with this is that Bards need +70 Perform in order to do their songs, so it's relatively easy to get there with gear. Any kind of Perform to AC or AB is going to scale ridiculously high unless capped off a lot earlier.

~BR

Perhaps only make it scale with natural perform, just like ac and tumble?

Uncanny dodge (to give Dex Bonus to AC) + Tumble help to give extra AC.

Maybe work better if use CHA instead DEX for bonus AC. Like duelist using INT.

About the Performace, could be used in DC for dance effects, and would be Performace + Bladedancer lvl + CHA modifier. Like spellcasting, using Spellcraft, but this time, Performace.

The class would have as a differential:

- Dances, with direct effect on self or the opponent

- Feats that value melee combat, but distributed in such a way as to encourage them to become the main main, following it rather than multi. Plus, to make the pure class more attractive.

- Feats that encourage the use of dual wielding, but not using heavy armor for main concept (Duel wielding and improvised two weapon fightning, from ranger class), but not limiting the character. A bladedancer buying medium or heavy armor feats as well as exotic weapons for his own character design and custom build.

Knockdown, Disarm, power attack, expertise and cleave to level 1 to 10 encourage to use as a main class for at least 10 levels (remembering that many players level up lvl 1-13 with certain speed on the server).

The concept of each dance is to effect attack on a single enemy or ward. Andr performace end affecting a group of enemies or influencing allies in a party.  1-10 would be focused on dances with gradual and more intense effect. While 10-20 would be in performaces. I am not saying that the model is perfect, but it is a general idea of the class, a concept.

The dance system, using charges similar to turn undead and extra turns of cleric, works with a starting 4 charges + charisma mod for initial charges and extra dances for +6 extra charges. A character with 12 charisma (+1 modifier) and extra dances would have 11 charges. Enough to invest points in other attributes for custom own STR or Dex build. Or invest in Cha and performace to have a greater amount of dances and effect ingame, like a wizard spending points in spellcraft and int.

The class can combine well with bard, rogue and swordmage. Not to mention PrC's like duelist, invisible blade and Weapon master