GitP PrC Contest Chat Thread IV

[Jeff the Green]

Dancer of Blades

Let's see...

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +7
Special: Must own a Dancing Weapon which they are proficient with

Okay, but you might consider adding clause specifying what happens if/when they sell or lose all their dancing weapons.

Bonded Weapon: A Dancer of Blades draws a bond to a specific Dancing Weapon. When he activates this weapon's Dancing property, the effect lasts for 2 additional rounds per Dancer of Blades level.

A Dancer of Blades can bond to a new Dancing Weapon by practicing with the new weapon over the course of a full week. During this time, he must forgo the use of any other weapon.

First, can you be bound to more than one dancing weapon at a time? If not you need to say so. Also, what does it mean, exactly, to "forgo the use of any other weapon"?

Echoed Blade: Whenever a Dancer of Blades activates a Bonded Dancing Weapon, the memories of the weapon spring into his hand. He may as part of the activation gain a similar, identical weapon which appears faint or ghostlike, lasting as long as his. Echoed Blades sent to Dance last only for one round, and do not benefit from any feature or ability which would extend that effect. This weapon does not have the ability to hit ethereal creatures any better than the base weapon, despite its appearance.

If his Bonded Weapon is Dancing and the Dancer's hands are free, he can create an Echoed Blade as a Swift Action.

"lasting as long as his" what? Confused. Also, this might be written a bit clearer in general. Something like:

So long as the dancer's bonded weapon is dancing and his hands are free, he can cause an echoed blade to appear as a swift action. An echoed blade is identical in all respects to his bonded weapon except that it can only dance for one round (this duration cannot be extended by any means), and appears faint or ghost like. The echoed blade lasts as long as his bonded blade continues to dance.

Freed Blade: Dancers of Blades are more attuned to the magics that allow their Bonded Dancing Weapons to function. Their Bonded Dancing Weapons can operate from squares up to five feet per class level away from the Dancer. This does not allow Dancing Weapons to threaten, even the square they're dancing in.

A Dancers of Blade's Dancing Weapon maintains its orientation to the Dancers of Blades, moving an equivalent amount whenever he moves. As a swift action, the Dancer of Blades can cause his weapon to adjust by up to five feet per Dancer of Blades level. A Bonded Weapon cannot make a full attack in the same turn in which it moves, either as it follows the Dancer or as the Dancer moves it.

Needs to be clarified.

Forced Opening:
As a Full Round Action, the Dancer of Blades and his Bonded Weapon may each make a single melee attack against the same target. If both attacks hit, the target provokes an attack of opportunity from anyone threatening it, and is considered Flat-footed for any such attacks made.

Looks good.

Living Weapon:
The Bonded Weapon takes on a semblance of life, allowing it to act almost completely independently. The Dancing Ability for a Bonded Weapon no longer ends until the Dancer of Blades chooses to end it. Furthermore, the Bonded Weapon threatens any square it can strike (including its own), and can flank. Bonded Weapons never gain precision damage such as Sneak Attacks, but they can allow allies to by flanking.
The Dancer of Blades and his Bonded Weapons share attacks of opportunity per round. They gain an additional attack of opportunity per round by having this ability.

So, this is really cool, but you need to clarify what "sharing attacks of opportunity per round" means.

Dancing Weapon Tricks

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Two Weapon Dancing:
Your Bonded Weapon ability can now apply to a one-handed and a light off-hand weapon, provided both have the Dancing property. The Dancer may activate both weapons in a Bonded Weapon pair using the same action, and his Echoed Blade ability applies to both weapons in the bonded pair. These weapons all gain the benefit of any Two-Weapon Fighting feats you may have.

Weapon Call:
A Dancer with this ability may activate his Dancing Weapons as Move Action. This ability may be taken twice. The second time it is taken, the Dancer may activate Dancing Weapons as a Swift Action.

Dancing Trip:
Requires: Improved Trip
Your Bonded Weapon may forgo its attacks for a round to give you a +4 bonus to trip attempts against a target it is capable of striking. Alternately, your Bonded Weapon may make trip attempts, and gains the benefits of any feats you have that improve trip attempts.
If a Dancing Weapon would be tripped as a consequence of failing a trip attempt, it immediately stops dancing.

Dancing Disarm
Requires: Improved Disarm
As Dancing Trip, but applies to Disarm attempts.

Dancing Sunder
Requires: Improved Sunder
As Dancing Trip, but applies to Sunder attempts.

Extra Bond
A Dancer of Blades with this trick may bond to an additional Dancing Weapon. He may only have one active Bonded Weapon Dancing at any time, but can change between them with no need to go through the week-long bonding process.
This ability can be taken multiple times. It allows the Dancer to have one additional weapon for each time it is taken.

Dancing Defense
Whenever the Dancer of Blades is armed and his Bonded Weapon is dancing in his square, he gains a Deflection Bonus to his Armor Class equal to the Weapon's Enhancement Bonus, and he cannot be flanked.

Dancing Reflexes
The Dancer of Blades gains the Combat Reflexes feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. He gains additional Attacks of Opportunity each round equal to the Enhancement Bonus of his Bonded Weapon, so long as the weapon is wielded or Dancing.

These are not all that balanced against each other. I can't see any reason not to go with Dancing Reflexes and TWD or Dancing Trip. Also, check the disarm, trip, and sunder rules; you don't make disarm, trip, or sunder checks, you make opposed attack rolls, a touch attack and opposed Str/Dex rolls, or opposed attack rolls and a damage roll. As written DT, DS, and DD either don't work or do more than you probably intend.

In General:
I like it, but the wording needs to be cleaned up. In general, class and item names shouldn't be capitalized unless they're in a heading.

I'd appreciate a returned PEACH, if you don't mind. More coming soon...