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Chambers
2011-01-03, 02:37 PM
Blade Dancer

http://images.community.wizards.com/community.wizards.com/user/alphastream1//dark_sun/06f40b85fd6763db20035c149fe2aec8.jpg?v=269400

Yes, I do wield my blade like a Wudan master. No, I will not teach you. - Sheka

This is an update and revision to the Blade Dancer PrC originally presented in Oriental Adventures. It adds a spellcasting progression, more and better movement related abilities and a channel spell type class feature.


To blade dancers the sword is more than a weapon - it is an ally, a friend, a spirit companion. Viewing combat as art, a deadly dance, some blade dancers are prone to singing in battle. Blade dancers tap powerful magical energy through a combination of martial prowess and magical study, gaining phenomenal acrobatic ability and the ability to enchant their blades in combat.

Most blade dancers are multiclass characters, such as fighters, monks, rogues and beguilers, sorcerers or wizards. Other martial classes such as the swashbuckler and ninja can qualify, as well as other spellcasting classes such as the dread necromancer and warmage, but the blade dancer abilities do not complement well their style of spellcasting.

Martial adept initiates do not usually become blade dancers as it does not advance their own unique sword magic. Between good aligned characters there is a friendly rivalry between blade dancers and martial adepts, each believing in their own style of sword magic and trying to show it's superiority. Evil characters tend to take a more extreme view and may work to eliminate the opposing style in order that their own reigns supreme.

Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills: Jump 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast 1st level arcane spells.
Special: Proficiency with any sword.


Class Skills
The blade dancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge: arcana (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Ride (Dex), and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at each Each Level: 4 + Int modifier


{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Reflex|Will|Special Ability|Spellcasting
1|+1|+0|+2|+2|Armored Mage, Sword Magic, Acrobatics +10|---
2|+2|+0|+3|+3|Spring Attack, Leap of the Clouds|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
3|+3|+1|+3|+3|Fast Movement +10ft, Slow Fall 20ft|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
4|+4|+1|+4|+4|Enchanted Blade I, Fast Acrobatics|---
5|+5|+1|+4|+4|Bounding Assault, Acrobatics +20|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
6|+6|+2|+5|+5|Fast Movement +20ft, Light Step, Slow Fall 40ft|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
7|+7|+2|+5|+5|Enchanted Blade II|---
8|+8|+2|+6|+6|Up the Walls, Deflect Arrows|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
9|+9|+3|+6|+6|Rapid Blitz, Fast Movement +30ft, Slow Fall 60ft|+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
10|+10|+3|+7|+7|Enchanted Blade III, Acrobatics +30, Walk on Air|---[/table]

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blade dancers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor. A blade dancer who wears medium or heavy armor, or carries a medium or heavy load, cannot use any of her abilities except for Enchanted Blade.

Spellcasting: At every level except 1st, 4th, 7th, & 10th the blade dancer gains new spells per day and spells known, if applicable, as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became a Spellmantle, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Spellmantle for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Armored Mage (Ex): At 1st level the blade dancer learns how to move with the armor she's wearing, working within it's protection instead of against it. While wearing light armor she may ignore the arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells.

Sword Magic (Ex): The blade dancer learns to weave the somatic components for her spells into the movements of her blade. At 1st level she gains the Somatic Weaponry feat as a bonus feat without needing to meet the prerequisites.

Acrobatics (Ex): A 1st level the blade dancer gains a +10 insight bonus on Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks. At 5th level this bonus increases to +20 and at 10th level it is +30. In addition, a blade dancer can always choose to take 10 on a Balance, Jump, or Tumble check, even when circumstances would normally prevent her from doing so.

Spring Attack (Ex): At 2nd level the blade dancer gains Spring Attack as a bonus feat.

Leap of the Clouds (Ex): A blade dancer of at least 2nd level does not double the DC for a Jump check if she does not move 20ft in a straight line prior to the jump. If she does move 20ft in a straight line before attempting a jump, she gains a +5 competence bonus on the check.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level the blade dancers speed increases by +10 feet. This bonus is considered an enhancement bonus. At 6th level this bonus increases to +20 feet and at 9th level it increases to +30 feet.

Slow Fall (Ex): At 3rd level or higher, a blade dancer within arm’s reach of a wall can use it to slow her descent. When first using this ability, she takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. At 6th level she may slow fall 40 feet and at 9th level she may slow fall 60 feet.

Enchanted Blade I (Su): At 4th level the blade dancer learns how to combine her spells with the strikes of her blade. Once per round as a swift action the blade dancer may cast a single touch spell she knows and deliver it through her sword with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.

The enchanted blade affects only one target per casting, regardless if the spell could normally target multiple opponents. If the blade dancer misses with the attack the spell is wasted.

At 4th level the blade dancer may enchant her blade with any 0, 1st, or 2nd level touch spell she knows.

Fast Acrobatics (Ex): A blade dancer of at least 4th level can avoid the normal penalties for accelerated movement while using her acrobatic talents. She ignores the normal -5 penalty when making a Balance check while moving her full normal speed and she can tumble at her full speed without taking the normal -10 penalty on her Tumble check.

Bounding Assault (Ex): At 5th level the blade dancer gains Bounding Assault as a bonus feat. She need not have the prerequisites normally required for Bounding Assault to gain this feat.

Light Step (Ex): A blade dancer of at least 6th level may move through non-magically enhanced difficult terrain at her normal speed.

Enchanted Blade II (Su): At 7th level the blade dancer may enchant her blade with a touch spell up to 3rd level. In addition if the blade dancer misses with her attack the spell is not wasted; her blade retains the spell until the end of her round, allowing her to attempt to attack another enemy and discharge the spell.

Up the Walls (Su): At 8th level the blade dancer gains Up the Walls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#upTheWalls) as a bonus feat without needing to meet the requirements. She does not need to be psionically focused in order to use the feat.

Deflect Arrows (Ex): At 8th level the blade dancer gains the benefit of the Deflect Arrows feat when using any type of sword. As a free action she may expend a prepared spell or spell slot of at least 1st level in order to gain more uses per round from the feat. For every spell level expended she may use the feat one additional time per round.

Rapid Blitz (Ex): At 9th level the blade dancer gains Rapid Blitz as a bonus feat. She need not have the prerequisites normally required for Rapid Blitz to gain this feat.

Enchanted Blade III (Su): At 10th level the blade dancer may enchant her blade with a touch spell up to 4th level. In addition she may attack multiple opponents with a single casting of the spell. Her blade retains the spell until the end of the round, affecting as many opponents as she successfully hits during her turn.

Stycotl
2011-01-04, 12:39 PM
did you mean to make this available after 3rd level?

duskblade + ranger or any other full-BAB class with tumble on their skill list can enter this prc at 4th level. if meant for that, great. if not, you ought to up the prereqs.

if you keep the prereqs to +7 BAB, you have more room to strengthen abilities.

as it stands, i'm not overly fond of the caster gish angle; the original class didn't have anything to do with magic. i don't mind it per se, but i think that it makes it a different class. so i think you might consider changing the name to arcane bladedancer or something.

since some gish base classes such as duskblade are going to be a tempting base class to enter this prc with, you might want to state that armored mage and a few of the other overlapping abilities have stacking effects (armored mage now works with medium armor; blade dancer levels stack for purpose of arcane channeling; etc).

i like the addition of the spring attack feat tree; those are useful feats, but they are hard to justify spending precious feat slots on usually. this helps mitigate that expense.

that's it for now, but i'll send more suggestions if i think of them.

Cieyrin
2011-01-04, 02:07 PM
Enchanted Blade, as written, lets you cast and hit a target as a swift action, so basically you have an extra attack at full BAB. Not sure that's what you were intending, either.

I'm also not too keen on granting 6 bonus feats in a 10 level progression. Hell, I'd consider just dipping the 1st level for Light Armor casting, Acrobatics and Somatic Weaponry and going merrily on my gishy way.

Chambers
2011-01-04, 03:31 PM
I'm playing around with different prerequisites. I want the class to be able to taken after 5th level, so an easy way to do that would be to have Spellcraft: 8 ranks. But that makes it harder for multiclass rogue/sorcerers or other combination to get in at 6th. Duskblades do have it the easiest, and in some cases this can be seen as a differently flavored duskblade prc.

The original PrC required the ability to cast spells but didn't advance that ability or do anything with it. That's pretty weak, so a staggered progression allows the character to continue their magical development.

I don't think I'll change armored mage to stack with other ignoring armor class abilities. The point of the class is to wear light armor and be a mobile gish. I concede that adding medium armor wouldn't change much, but that's one of the differences between this and duskblade. Duskblade gets better armor and shields; the blade dancer is more mobile.

Similarly enchanted blade wouldn't stack with channel spell, mostly because enchanted blade increases by spell level increments while the duskblades works with any touch spell they know regardless of spell level. The end abilities are similar also. Where a duskblade can channel spell into a full attack, the blade dancer can enchant her blade for all her attacks during the round (which would be 3 using Rapid Blitz). So the two abilities don't need to stack.

I'll have to reword Enchanted Blade; it's not meant to give a free attack. It's meant for the casting of the spell to be a swift action.

Yeah, you could just dip into the first level or two, but you can do that with a lot of classes. I hope that this one at least offers abilities that make it worth taking the rest of the levels.