Oriental Prestige Class : Blade Dancer
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, 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, fighters or monks and wu jen or (occasionally) shamans. Multiclass rogue spellcasters can also meet the steep skill requirements. Blade dancers are not found in Rokugan.
NPC blade dancers often dedicate themselves to hunting evil spirits and undead. They tend to be eccentric loners, prone to late-night bouts of singing, dancing, and tumbling (usually enhanced with strong drink).
Class Requirements
To qualify to become a Blade Dancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any lawful
- Skills: Jump 12 ranks, Tumble 12 ranks
- Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack,
- Base Attack Bonus: +7
- Spells: Able to cast arcane or divine spells.
- Special: Proficiency with any sword.
Class Skills
The blade dancer's class skills are Balance, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Jump, Perform, Profession, Ride, and Tumble.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the blade dancer.
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 his special abilities except for enchanted blade.
Acrobatics (Su): A 1st-level blade dancer gains a +10 competence 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 him from doing so.
Leap of the Clouds (Su): A blade dancer's jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is not limited according to his height.
Fast Movement (Su): A blade dancer moves faster than normal. A Small blade dancer moves more slowly than a Medium-size blade dancer, while a ratling moves faster, as shown on the table below.
| Blade Dancer Lvl | Base Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft. | 30 ft. | 40 ft. | |
| 1st-3rd | 40 ft. | 60 ft. | 80 ft. |
| 4th-6th | 45 ft. | 70 ft. | 95 ft. |
| 7th-9th | 55 ft. | 80 ft. | 105 ft. |
| 10th | 60 ft. | 90 ft. | 120 ft. |
Enchanted Blade I (Su): At 2nd level, a blade dancer can temporarily enchant his blade to achieve a specific effect. The effect lasts for 1 minute/level, and the blade dancer can create the effect once per day The blade dancer can choose from the following special abilities to bestow on his blade: defending, flaming, frost, shock, or ghost touch. A blade dancer can use this ability even if he is wearing medium or heavy armor.
Ride the Wind (Sp): A blade dancer of 4th level or higher can use air walk as a spell-like ability once per day.
Acrobatic Attack (Ex): At 5th level, if the blade dancer attacks by jumping at least 5 feet toward his opponent, jumping down at least 5 feet onto his opponent or swinging on a rope or similar object into his opponent, he gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls. The blade dancer must make a jump check; if the result is less than 5 feet, he cannot use this ability on that attack. If the result is greater than the distance between the blade dancer and the opponent, the blade dancer can limit the distance to that between himself and the opponent as a free action.
Enchanted Blade II (Su): At 6th level, a blade dancer can choose from the following abilities to bestow on his blade: bane (choose type of creature), disruption, flaming burst, icy burst, shocking burst, thundering, wounding. Alternatively, he can add two enchanted blade I abilities to his blade, either simultaneously or separately.
Enchanted Blade III (Su): At 10th level, a blade dancer can choose from the following abilities to bestow on his blade: dancing, flying, passage, or speed. Alternatively, he can add three enchanted blade I abilities to his blade, either simultaneously or separately.
| Blade Dancer | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Acrobatics (+10), leap of the clouds, fast movement |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Enchanted blade I |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | - |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Ride the wind, fast movement |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Acrobatics (+20), acrobatic attack |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Enchanted blade II |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Fast movement |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +6 | +2 | - |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +6 | +3 | - |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Acrobatics (+30), enchanted blade III, fast movement |
Source: Oriental Adventures