Spelldancer

Lithe and becoming, the young tiefling pirouettes in the center of a massive column of whorling flame. Finally, she stops in a croisé as the flames explode outward, lighting each of the braziers accross the ballroom. There is a moment of silence, then the audience bursts into uproarious applause, and she can't help but smile.

Up at dawn, the wisened human wearing peasant garb goes about her morning exercise routine. As her arms and legs gently flow from position to position, tendrils of water from the nearby river rise up, matching her move-for-move.

The dragonborn with scales of blue whips her arms around her, scimitar blade cleaving through goblin after goblin, her movements smooth and seamless. As her pace quickens, electricity begins to crackle across her body until finally she thrusts her hand forward, bolts of lightning shooting forth, stopping the hearts of her remaining foes.

Though they may be adventurers or entertainers and everything else in between, a spelldancer's forte is bending the elements to their will through mystic forms of dance.

Magical Movements

Unlike other arcane masters that bind mystic energies through ancient scripts and forgotten chants, spelldancers have learned to draw power from the Weave through a rare and beautiful form of sign-language known as spelldancing. By using their bodies to pull at the threads of reality, spelldancers have the power to conjure massive gouts of flame or to crack the earth beneath their feet.

A spelldancer's talent relies on rhythm, and their power can only reach its full potential when they surrender themselves fully to their dance. Fighting on the front-lines, a spelldancer avoids harm by remaining in continuous motion, building the momentum of their movements to a powerful crescendo of arcane force. Though they may lack the versatility and reliability of wizards and sorcerers, there are few forces as fearsome as a spelldancer moving at maximum tempo.

A Unique Tradition

Even among the rare, secluded tribes with a tradition of spelldancing, children born with a true capacity to become spelldancers are exceedingly rare. It takes many years before a spelldancer can begin to form the basic steps required to harness arcane energy, and a great many of them never complete their training. Those that do, however, often discover that their attunement to the pulse of the world fills them with a longing for exploration and adventure.

While spelldancers feel most at home when surrounded by the element they were first taught, they are performers at heart, and can rarely pass up an opportunity to show their skills to an audience. Every location has its own balance of energy, which a spelldancer views as a new partner to learn and to know and to dance the night away alongside. More often than not, a spelldancer will choose to travel alongside adventurers, as that is when they can truly shine, working

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their talents for more than mere spectacle.

Creating a Spelldancer

As you create your spelldancer character, consider the origins of your unique gift. What were the circumstances surrounding your acquisition of this skill, and what was that experience like? Were you born into a family with a history of spelldancing, burdened with the expectations that you would excel like those who came before you, or were you a student of little renown, who transformed a meager talent into an exceptional ability through years of hard work and study? Did you practice under a spelldancer of great skill, or teach yourself the forms using a recovered text?

With your training completed, what has drawn you out into the wider world? Are you eager to experience the shifts in the Weave from region to region? Have you heard rumors of an abandoned repository of dance forms long believe to be lost? Or perhaps you simply want a chance to prove your worth, and that spelldancers can be just as formidable as any mystic or magician.

Quick Build

You can make a spelldancer quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the entertainer background.

Class Features

As a spelldancer, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per spelldancer level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constituion modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constituion modifier per spelldancer level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons, scimitars, shortswords
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

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

• (a) a scimitar or (b) a shortsword
• (a) a component pouch or (b) a spelldancer's arcane focus
• (a) a diplomat's pack or (b) an entertainer's pack
• (a) a brace of four daggers or (b) a holster of four darts

Ceaseless Dance

At 1st level, the way your fighting style blends into your continuous dancing makes your actions difficult to anticipate.

You gain the following benefits while you have at least one free hand, and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a shield:

• When you hit a creature with a weapon attack or spelldancer cantrip that only targets that creature, you gain 1 momentum point. All momentum points are lost if your speed is 0, you can't move, or if your turn ends and you have not attacked a hostile creature since your last turn. Whenever you take damage while you have 1 or more momentum points, you must make a Performance skill check to maintain your rhythm. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher, +

• Your weapon attacks and spelldancer cantrips gain a bonus to their damage rolls equal to your momentum points.
• When you take the dodge action, you can use a bonus action to attack with a weapon that you're holding. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier

Rising Action

When you reach 2nd level, you have learned to increase your intensity by focusing your form. If you do not move during your turn, at the end of your turn you gain 1 momentum point.

Spelldancing

By the time you reach 2nd level, you are prepared to manipulate ambient arcane energy through movement and body language. See Player's Handbook chapter 10 for general rules of spellcasting, and the end of the class description for the spelldancer spell list. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide verbal components for it. Spelldancer spells can only be cast while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield or a two-handed weapon.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the spelldancer spell list. You learn additional spelldancer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Spelldancer table.

Spell Slots

The Spelldancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level or higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells from the spelldancer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Spelldancer table shows when you learn more spelldancer spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the spelldancer spells you know and replace it with another spell from the spelldancer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your spelldancer spells, since your ability to harness magical forces is determined by the quality of your dance. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spelldancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a spelldancer's arcane focus, a specialized piece of jewelry costing 10gp, as a spellcasting focus for your spelldancer spells.

Style School

At 3rd level, you start devloping your movements in a way that is more focused on manipulating a certain elemental power, as a student of one of the four style schools: Aerodancing, Geodancing, Hydrodancing, and Pyrodancing, all detailed at the end of the class description.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 15th, and 20th level.

Crescendo

Starting at 5th level, you have learned to use the movement of your weapon attacks to fulfill the somatic requirements of your spells. On your turn, you can use your action to make one melee or ranged weapon attack. If the attack hits the target, you can immediately cast one spelldancer cantrip that has a casting time of 1 action.

Spells cast using this feature gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your momentum points, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Evasion

When you reach 7th level, your flowing movement lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Flexibility

Starting at 10th level, your practiced flexibility allows you to slip through your opponent's grasp with ease. Whenever you would be grappled, restrained, or knocked prone, you can use your reaction to cancel that effect.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The Show Must Go On

By the time you reach 11th level, you have gained the ability to maintain your spell effects through movement alone. You

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gain a bonus to any Constitution saving throw you make to maintain concentration of a spelldancer spell. This bonus equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).

Fluster

At 14th level, you know how to throw your opponent off their guard with a flurry of movement. When you take the attack action to make a weapon attack on your turn and miss, as a bonus action you can grant an ally you can see advantage on their next attack roll against the target before your next turn.

When an attack with advantage granted by this feature hits a creature, you gain 1 momentum point.

Climax

When you reach 18th level, you have learned to build your crescendo of movement to a booming climax. When you use your action to make a weapon attack on your turn, and the attack hits the target, you can cast one spelldancer spell that has a casting time of 1 action.

Spells cast using this feature gain a bonus to attack rolls and saving throw DCs equal to your momentum points, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on the attack rolls.

Style Schools

Becoming a spelldancer means attuning your body to bend the energy that permeates the world around you with more focus, capturing it and tromsforming it through dance. The natural way a spelldancer's body moves makes them more suited to learning certain elemental forms, and by 3rd level they are ready to dedicate themselves to the style school that embodies that element, as an Aerodancer, Geodancer, Hydrodancer, or Pyrodancer.

Aerodancer

An affinity for the element of air is exemplified in an aerodancer's ability to suddenly shift from almost complete stillness to a sudden flurry of motion. Mastering this ever-changing freeform style makes a spelldancer a difficult target to anticipate, and even more difficult to resist when they strike with the force of a hurricane.

Trained in the Gale

When you enroll in this school at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Gust cantrip, and it does not count against the number of cantrips you know. If you already know the Gust cantrip, you can instead learn another cantrip you do not already know from the spelldancer spell list.
• When you have at least 1 momentum point, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action.
• Your Performance skill checks in areas where the wind is easily visualized (where an abundance of loose leaves can be blown around, for example) are rolled with proficiency. If you are already proficient in the Performance skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Wild Zephyr

Starting at 6th level, you can manipulate the wind to move you in an unexpected direction. You can spend 2 momentum points and use a bonus action to gain a fly speed equal to your move speed until the end of your turn.

Tempest Soul

By the time you've reached 15th level, you move with a lightness of step. Your speed increases by 10-feet, you ignore the effects of nonmagical wind, and you have advantage on saving throws and skill checks against forced movement caused by wind.

Additionally, when you take lightning or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to lightning and thunder damage for one minute, including against the triggering attack. You must finish a short rest before you can gain resistance from this feature again.

Aspect of Wind

At 20th level, you can assume the form of an aspect of wind, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your hair might turn to white smoke or blow behind you as if caught in a gale, your legs might appear as wisps of fog or a swirling maelstrom, or you might grow wings made of clouds or electricity.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain a hovering fly speed of 90 feet.
• You are immune to lightning and thunder damage.
• You know the Gust of Wind and Shatter level-2 spells. You can cast these spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast Shatter at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
• When you cast a spell that deals lightning or thunder damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one lightning or thunder damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again unti you finish a long rest.

Geodancer

A spelldancer who develops an affinity for the element of earth moves with strong, resonant steps. Immobile as a mountain and unstoppable as a landslide, geodancers bring a sturdy reliability to their art.

Trained in the Loam

When you enroll in this school at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Mold Earth cantrip, and it does not count against the number of cantrips you know. If you already know the Mold Earth cantrip, you can instead learn another cantrip you do not already know from the spelldancer spell list.
• When you have at least 1 momentum point, you also gain a bonus to your Strength and Constitution saving throws equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
• Your Performance skill checks in an area with an abundance of dirt or soil are rolled with proficiency. If you

Tremor Step

Starting at 6th level, you have learned to destabilize the earth beneath your opponent's feet. When you have at least 3 momentum points, hostile creatures within a 15-foot radius treat unworked earth and stone as difficult terrain.

Heart of Stone

By the time you've reached 15th level, you have become as sturdy as stone. You become immune to disease, you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain made of earth or stone, and you have advantage on saving throws and skill checks against being knocked prone.

Additionally, when you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to that type of damage for one minute, including against the triggering attack. You must finish a short rest before you can gain resistance from this feature again.

Apsect of Earth

At 20th level, you can assume the form of an aspect of earth, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your body might be orbited by small stones or sheathed in a cloud of dust, your skin might taken on the appearance of marble or the texture of clay, or your eyes might become black as coal or multifaceted colored gems.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Your gain a burrow speed equal to your move speed through nonmagial, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, you don't disturb the material you move through.
• You are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• You know the Earthbind and Maximillian's Earthen Grasp level-2 spells. You can cast these spells without expending a spell slot.
• When you cast a spell that deals bludgeoning damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one bludgeoning damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again unti you finish a long rest.

Hydrodancer

Gentle, ebbing movements are the hallmark of a skilled hydrodancer. Mastering this style allows spelldancers to flow around the battlefield before crashing into their opponents like tidal waves.

Trained in the Waves

When you enroll in this school at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Shape Water cantrip, and it does not count against the number of cantrips you know. If you already know the Shape Water cantrip, you can instead learn another cantrip you do not already know from the spelldancer spell list.
• When you have at least 1 momentum point, you also gain a bonus to your Wisdom saving throws equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up).
• Your Performance skill checks in an area with a large body of water are rolled with proficiency. If you are already proficient in the Performance skill, you can add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Tidal Strike

At 6th level, you are able to combine your strikes with a rush of water, pulling your target off their feet. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 2 momentum points and use a bonus action to knock that creature prone unless it succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC.

Fluid Form

By the time you've reached 15th level, you are completely at home in the water. You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed, you can stand on and move across water as if it was solid ground, and you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain made of water or ice and don't suffer the effects of extreme cold.

Additionally, when you take acid or cold damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to acid and cold damage for one minute, including against the triggering attack. You must finish a short rest before you can gain resistance from this feature again.

Apsect of Water

At 20th level, you can assume the form of an aspect of water, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your skin might become turqoise or grow scales, you might sprout fins or gills, or your body might appear hazy like mist or translucent like water.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Your gain a swim speed of 90 feet.
• You are immune to acid and cold damage.
• You know the Mirror Image and Snilloc's Snowball Swarm level-2 spells. You can cast these spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast Snilloc's Snowball Swarm at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
• When you cast a spell that deals acid or cold damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one acid or cold damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again unti you finish a long rest.

Pyrodancer

Crackling like a fire, pyrodancers move across the battlefield with a fierce intensity. By tapping into the passion that burns within, spelldancers at home with the flame strike with a fury that can reduce the mightest of foes to ash.

Trained in the Embers

When you enroll in this school at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Control Flame cantrip, and it does not count against the number of cantrips you know. If you already know the Control Flame cantrip, you can instead learn another cantrip you do not already know from the spelldancer spell list.
• When you have at least 1 momentum point, you shed bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for another 5 feet. If a creature in bright light granted by this feature hits you with an attack, you deal fire damage equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to that creature.
• Your Performance skill checks in an area with an abundance of open flame are rolled with proficiency. If you are already proficient in the Performance skill, you can add double your profieciency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Darting Flame

Starting at 6th level, as your dance intensifies, tongues of flame whip around your weapon. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can deal fire damage equal to your momentum points to another creature within 5 feet of the target.

Hot Blooded

By the time you've reached 15th level, your body has become resilient to burning temperatures. You dont suffer the effects of extreme heat and moving through nonmagical fire.

Additionally, when you take fire damage, you can use your

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reaction to gain resistance to fire damage, including against the triggering attack. This resistance lasts for 1 minute, and you must finish a short rest before you can gain resistance from this feature again.

Apsect of Fire

At 20th level, you can assume the form of an aspect of fire, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your body might emanate smoke or be engulfed in flame, your skin might be covered in glowing red cracks or appear to flow like magma, or your movement might leave behind a trail of visual heat distortion or an ashen silhouette.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Your speed increases by 20-feet.
• You are immune to fire damage.
• You know the Aganazzor's Scorcher and Pyrotechnics level-2 spells. You can cast these spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast Aganazzor's Scorcher at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
• When you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to one fire damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again unti you finish a long rest.