Snapdragyn
Explorer
My first PrC. I'd been wanting something for a bard/rogue, & nothing in CV quite fit what I was after. Feedback welcome; I'm particularly uncertain about the 10th level ability, but this is all I could come up with other than some sort of 'combine the other dances' thing. I've used formatting similar to the new PrC format from the Races of... books. Also note that the 'Forgetful Caress' ability is from a non-WoTC, but OGL content, source (though I may have tweaked it a bit, can't recall offhand).
Bladedancer
Getting royal spies into the court of an enemy kingdom is no easy matter. Official ambassadors & their servants are watched closely; while castle staff have limited access to sensitive areas & are rarely present when matters of import are discussed. A traveling minstrel, however, can appear to be nothing more than an attractive but whimsical fool whose talents in music & dance provide welcome entertainment to all. Some of these minstrels are more than they seem, however; these are the bladedancers.
Believing that a good spy is well-prepared to fight when necessary, bladedancers train in a unique style of battle, combining the power of physical combat with the beauty of dance. Their skills with blades are widely known; indeed, bladedancers encourage & exaggerate this side of their fame, believing that those who expect a powerful physical opponent are more likely to miss the pretty face stealing away their secrets. While their manoeuvers in combat are impressive to observe, their core philosophy views their lies and machinations as the more interesting dance, and their wit as the deadlier blade.
Bladedancers use their skills at subterfuge to infiltrate the highest echelons of rival societies. There, their performances both artistic & sensual earn them the admiration & trust of powerful figures. If their targets realize that they have been fooled, the bladedancer is usually long gone.
Though every bladedancer must have at least one bard level, they follow many different paths beyond that. Most were rogues who wished to put their skills to use for a greater cause. Some were rangers who wished to aid Nature by seeing enemy kingdoms defeated with the minimal loss of life good intelligence can help achieve during times of war. Only a very few are former monks, either breaking their monastic vows to pursue a more freewheeling existence, or forsaking their carefree ways to enter a monastery for a time before being drawn to the way of the bladedancer. Some have adventured as fighters, wizards, or members of other classes for part of their careers.
BECOMING A BLADEDANCER
Entry Requirements
Skills: Bluff 10 ranks, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) 10 ranks, Perform (dance) 10 ranks
Feats: Deceitful, Weapon Focus (any slashing weapon or rapier), Two-Weapon Fighting
Special: Bardic Music class ability
Special: Evasion class ability
The Bladedancer Hit Die: D6
BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +0 +0 +2 +2 Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Bladedance
2. +1 +0 +3 +3 Dance of Flashing Blades, Raven's Tongue
3. +2 +1 +3 +3 Sneak Attack +1d6
4. +3 +1 +4 +4 Dance of Nimble Feet
5. +3 +1 +4 +4 Forgetful Caress
6. +4 +2 +5 +5 Sneak Attack +2d6
7. +5 +2 +5 +5 Dance of Whirling Steel
8. +6 +2 +6 +6 Improved Evasion
9. +6 +3 +6 +6 Tireless Dance, Sneak Attack +3d6
10.+7 +3 +7 +7 The True Dance
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft (any), Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge: (Local; Nobility & Royalty), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Profession (any), Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the bladedancer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bladedancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Bardic Music: Bladedancer levels stack with bard levels for the purpose of determining the bladedancer’s daily uses of his bardic music abilities & the value of the bonus granted by inspire courage. For example, a 10th-level bard/4th-level bladedancer could use bardic music fourteen times per day, & his inspire courage ability would grant +3 morale bonus to the appropriate rolls.
Bardic Knowledge: Bladedancer levels stack with bard levels for the purpose of determining the bladedancer’s bonus on bardic knowledge checks. For example, a 5th-level bard/7th-level bladedancer would make bardic knowledge checks with a bonus equal to 12 + her Int modifier.
Bladedance: A bladedancer can activate bardic music abilities as a move action when wielding slashing weapons or rapiers & wearing light or no armor. When using the Bladedance special ability to activate bardic music, the bardic music effect must use the Perform (dance) skill. Abilities which affect others require that they have line of sight to the bladedancer to be affected when he is using the Bladedance special ability to activate them. The bladedancer must have sufficient ranks in Perform (dance) to use the bardic music ability in order to activate it with the Bladedance special ability. A bladedancer can always choose to activate a bardic music ability normally rather than with the Bladedance special ability. A bladedancer can only have one Bladedance active at a time.
Dance of Flashing Blades (Ex): The first dance which a bladedancer learns is the Dance of Flashing Blades. By expending one of her daily uses of bardic music, a bladedancer of second level with at least 12 ranks in Perform (Dance) gains the effects of the spell Bladeweave [gain free melee touch to daze opponent in any round in which you attack with melee weapon, save vs. Will, Spell Resistance applies] for a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance). In addition, opponents threatened by the bladedancer suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls made against her (whether they are dazed or not) as the spinning, flashing blades distract them.
When a Dance of Flashing Blades ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless she has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Raven’s Tongue (Ex): At 2nd level a bladedancer’s skills at seduction & flirtation grant him a +2 competency bonus on Diplomacy & Bluff checks.
Sneak Attack (Ex): Beginning at third level, a bladedancer deals an extra 1d6 points of damage when flanking an opponent or at any time when the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. This extra damage applies to ranged attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. This increases to 2d6 points at sixth level and to 3d6 at ninth level. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook. If a bladedancer gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as levels of rogue), the bonuses on damage stack.
Dance of Nimble Feet (Ex): At fourth level, a bladedancer with at least 14 ranks in Perform (Dance) can expend one of her daily uses of bardic music to gain the benefits of Spring Attack. While under the effects of a Dance of Nimble Feet, she also gains +10 movement speed and +2 circumstance bonus to AoOs provoked by movement. The effects of this dance last for a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance).
When a Dance of Nimble Feet ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless he has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Forgetful Caress (Su): A bladedancer of fifth level can use his powers of seduction to affect the minds of others. The bladedancer must make a touch attack in the form of a kiss, caress, or other intimate action. The target makes a Will save (DC 10 + the bladedancer’s class level). If he fails, the bladedancer can steal or erase one piece of information, such as the hiding place of a key, a password, the bladedancer's name, or their meeting. The target cannot be made to forget a class ability, spell, or other inherent power.
If the target makes the save, she or he does not forget anything, but is unaware of the attempt to affect her or his memory (though unless the memory stolen was their meeting, the memory of the intimate action which carried the Forgetful Caress ability will remain).
Dance of Whirling Steel (Ex): When a bladedancer of 7th level with at least 17 ranks in Perform (Dance) expends one of her daily uses of bardic music to activate the Dance of Whirling Steel, she becomes a spinning whirlwind of deadly steel. For a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance) she gains the ability to feint as a free action.
When a Dance of Whirling Steel ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless she has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Tireless Dance (Ex): At 9th level, a bladedancer is no longer fatigued by the exertions of his dancing special abilities.
The True Dance (Su): At 10th level, a bladedancer has mastered the physical dance of battle and the social dance of intrigue, and sees the True Dance of fate and will underlying all actions. By expending one daily use of bardic music, the bladedancer can tap into her awareness of the True Dance to grant herself and allies within 10’ the effects of 'freedom of movement' and 'greater heroism' for a number of rounds equal to his ranks in Perform (Dance).
PLAYING A BLADEDANCER
You aren’t a bladedancer, you’re a highly talented bard looking to further your fame by serving in a royal court. Bladedancers (if they even exist) are massive and powerful fighters; not at all like your highly attractive but not-too-imposing figure.
Though your combat skills are indeed formidable, secrecy and misdirection are your true fortes. Whether posing as a wandering minstrel, using your charm and (invented) fame to woo members of the court, or spreading rumors that further the cause of your kingdom, you always seek to remain the center of attention who couldn’t possibly be a spy – thus becoming the most effective spy of all.
Combat
You fight best in melee using your bladedancer abilities to heighten your skills with your chosen weapons. Spellcasting is not a strength; if you have levels in a casting class consider which spells could best give a bit of an edge to you or your allies in melee rather than looking to be an offensive or healing powerhouse. Make the most of your sneak attack ability by moving into a flanking position. Overall, however, you prefer to avoid the need for combat through bluffing and diplomacy.
Tactically, you consider the likely length of an encounter to time the use of your dancing abilities. In a long fight, starting a dance too early can leave you at a significant disadvantage later on; starting too late, however, could leave you fighting at less than maximum ability for most of the battle.
Advancement
Would-be bladedancers have to prove their dedication to the kingdom or empire which uses them in your campaign. This might be as simple as being a citizen of that country, or as involved as undertaking a quest for the crown. When your actions have proven your worth, a bladedancer will seek you out to train you if you have earned their interest as a potential recruit.
Contact is traditionally made through one of the bladedancer’s central arts, seduction. The dualities of fame and secrecy, battle and intrigue central to the greatest role any bard could play are described in terms both glowing and terrible. The ease with which you were seduced is emphasized both to demonstrate the skills of the bladedancer and to warn you against falling victim to your own game.
You’ll periodically connect with someone secretly working for the organization to get further training. Because the bladedancer training combines combat and subterfuge, different aspects of training may be handled by different contacts. The leadership may also assign you missions, sending you to infiltrate a rival court or spread rumors among the populace of an enemy state.
As a bladedancer, you will need to keep your Bluff skill at the highest rank possible for your work as a spy. You should also maintain high ranks in Diplomacy for those occasions when the gentle arts are needed, and Perform (Dance) for those times when seduction and intrigue fail.
Resources
Bladedancers must wear light armor that does not hamper their combat dances, and the organization has accumulated quite an array of magical armor over the years. PCs who want magical light armor can get some for 80% of its normal cost if they contact the bladedancers and request it. Acquiring a piece of armor in this way takes one week per point of enhancement bonus (or equivalent if the armor has a special ability).
BLADEDANCERS IN THE WORLD
The bladedancer prestige class is a good fit for a player who wants to focus on non-combat skills and roleplay while remaining a worthy opponent in combat. As a group, the bladedancers function as the information agency that has an ear at every palace door and an eye on every kingdom. The bladedancers likely know about the PCs long before the PCs know about them.
Organization
The bladedancers are organized in cells, with each bladedancer knowing how to contact only two others, one higher in the organization and one lower. The higher contact is known as the patron, while the lower contact is known as the protege. A new bladedancer attains a protege after serving the organization for one year, and maintains only a single contact until then. Traditionally, a bladedancer will leave a coded scroll containing the contact information for their patron and protege in a safe location so that another bladedancer can assume his contacts if something untoward should happen to him. Only the leader of the organization, the Maestro, knows the name and location of every bladedancer. The bladedancer organization makes use of members of other classes, particularly rogues, as additional contacts and sources to carry orders and information.
Bladedancers receive their assignments from their patron. An assignment might be as vague as making contact with a member of the court of a neighboring kingdom, or as detailed as stealing the key to a duke’s treasury and delivering it to a specific inn by a certain date. Though all assignments further the aims of the organization, the goals of any specific assignment are not always clear to the individual receiving it; only the Maestro sees the place of each step in the intricate dance of intrigue the organization makes.
Often a bladedancer will be assigned to the court of courts, stopping in each for a few months before continuing on to the next. A bladedancer on such a regular circuit may go months without hearing from her patron, spending her time immersed in the role of the traveling bard. Other bladedancers can spend years as the court bard of a neighboring kingdom before a message from a patron arrives announcing that it is time to fulfill a mission.
Bladedancers can also request ‘improvisation’ duty, which allows them to travel freely, gathering information wherever they journey and sending it back to the organization through their patron or other contacts. A bladedancer on improvisation duty must still answer any call to fulfill a specific assignment should their services be needed.
Although the skills of a bladedancer are best suited to work in urban settings, assignments to gather information in a dungeon or wilderness are not unknown. Word that an enemy ruler is working to procure a powerful magical item, for example, might lead to a hasty mission to acquire the item before it falls into enemy hands.
Recently there have been rumors of an alternate group of bladedancers working for another kingdom. Though none of the lower steps have heard more than indefinite whispers, the fear that someone may be spying on the spies is beginning to grow.
NPC Reactions
To the world, a bladedancer is nothing more than a bard. NPC reactions are based on this perception and not on his nature as a bladedancer. If word gets out of a bard who is really a spy, reactions vary. Those loyal to the kingdom the bladedancers serve have an attitude of friendly, eager to help the elite force that keeps them safe. Loyal citizens of allied and neutral kingdoms might have a similar reaction, but with a measure of distrust at the presence of the bladedancer in their territory. Loyal citizens of enemy kingdoms are unfriendly or hostile; spies are to be tortured and killed. In all cases, reactions of NPCs with an agenda at odds with their own kingdom will vary from the norm; traitors to allied kingdoms will be unfriendly or hostile toward the bladedancer, while traitors to an enemy kingdom will be friendly.
BLADEDANCER LORE
Characters with the Knowledge (local) skill or Bardic Knowledge can research bladedancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following material, including the information from lower DCs. Bard characters making these checks gain a +2 circumstance bonus.
DC 10: “Some people enter into a kind of dance during combat. They twirl and dance around with their blades, fighting even better than they did before.”
DC 15: “These bladedancers can use their dancing abilities to fight better in a number of ways. Some of their dances even make their enemies fight worse.”
DC 20: “Bladedancers are actually spies. They all work for one kingdom.”
DC 30: “Bladedancers are special bards who spy on royal courts. They are skilled at seduction, and use this skill to work their way into the trust of members of the court.”
PCs who wish to contact a bladedancer can attempt to do so by making a DC 30 Gather Information check (or DC 20 if made in a royal court). If a PC is a bladedancer himself, he gains a +5 circumstance bonus on this check. A successful check puts the PC in contact with a bard, member of the court, or royal servant who knows the bladedancer personally; whether this person consents to introduce the PCs to the bladedancer is another matter.
BLADEDANCERS IN THE GAME
Almost any bard connected to a royal court might be a bladedancer, especially if she is a natural ally to a kingdom which uses bladedancers as spies in your campaign. Because bladedancers often travel from court to court, a meeting on the road is also easy to arrange. They could
The bladedancer prestige class appeals to players who like a combination of subterfuge and combat.
Adaptation
Bladedancers can be reworked as independent spies who serve any organization they choose. They could also trade sneak attack progression for limited spellcasting progression.
Encounters
Bladedancers are almost always contacts or allies to good-aligned PCs, and rarely serve as adversaries. They like to hear tales of travelers to keep track of goings on in the world. Bladedancers traveling between assignments can turn up anywhere.
Bladedancer
Getting royal spies into the court of an enemy kingdom is no easy matter. Official ambassadors & their servants are watched closely; while castle staff have limited access to sensitive areas & are rarely present when matters of import are discussed. A traveling minstrel, however, can appear to be nothing more than an attractive but whimsical fool whose talents in music & dance provide welcome entertainment to all. Some of these minstrels are more than they seem, however; these are the bladedancers.
Believing that a good spy is well-prepared to fight when necessary, bladedancers train in a unique style of battle, combining the power of physical combat with the beauty of dance. Their skills with blades are widely known; indeed, bladedancers encourage & exaggerate this side of their fame, believing that those who expect a powerful physical opponent are more likely to miss the pretty face stealing away their secrets. While their manoeuvers in combat are impressive to observe, their core philosophy views their lies and machinations as the more interesting dance, and their wit as the deadlier blade.
Bladedancers use their skills at subterfuge to infiltrate the highest echelons of rival societies. There, their performances both artistic & sensual earn them the admiration & trust of powerful figures. If their targets realize that they have been fooled, the bladedancer is usually long gone.
Though every bladedancer must have at least one bard level, they follow many different paths beyond that. Most were rogues who wished to put their skills to use for a greater cause. Some were rangers who wished to aid Nature by seeing enemy kingdoms defeated with the minimal loss of life good intelligence can help achieve during times of war. Only a very few are former monks, either breaking their monastic vows to pursue a more freewheeling existence, or forsaking their carefree ways to enter a monastery for a time before being drawn to the way of the bladedancer. Some have adventured as fighters, wizards, or members of other classes for part of their careers.
BECOMING A BLADEDANCER
Entry Requirements
Skills: Bluff 10 ranks, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) 10 ranks, Perform (dance) 10 ranks
Feats: Deceitful, Weapon Focus (any slashing weapon or rapier), Two-Weapon Fighting
Special: Bardic Music class ability
Special: Evasion class ability
The Bladedancer Hit Die: D6
BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +0 +0 +2 +2 Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Bladedance
2. +1 +0 +3 +3 Dance of Flashing Blades, Raven's Tongue
3. +2 +1 +3 +3 Sneak Attack +1d6
4. +3 +1 +4 +4 Dance of Nimble Feet
5. +3 +1 +4 +4 Forgetful Caress
6. +4 +2 +5 +5 Sneak Attack +2d6
7. +5 +2 +5 +5 Dance of Whirling Steel
8. +6 +2 +6 +6 Improved Evasion
9. +6 +3 +6 +6 Tireless Dance, Sneak Attack +3d6
10.+7 +3 +7 +7 The True Dance
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft (any), Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge: (Local; Nobility & Royalty), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Profession (any), Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the bladedancer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bladedancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Bardic Music: Bladedancer levels stack with bard levels for the purpose of determining the bladedancer’s daily uses of his bardic music abilities & the value of the bonus granted by inspire courage. For example, a 10th-level bard/4th-level bladedancer could use bardic music fourteen times per day, & his inspire courage ability would grant +3 morale bonus to the appropriate rolls.
Bardic Knowledge: Bladedancer levels stack with bard levels for the purpose of determining the bladedancer’s bonus on bardic knowledge checks. For example, a 5th-level bard/7th-level bladedancer would make bardic knowledge checks with a bonus equal to 12 + her Int modifier.
Bladedance: A bladedancer can activate bardic music abilities as a move action when wielding slashing weapons or rapiers & wearing light or no armor. When using the Bladedance special ability to activate bardic music, the bardic music effect must use the Perform (dance) skill. Abilities which affect others require that they have line of sight to the bladedancer to be affected when he is using the Bladedance special ability to activate them. The bladedancer must have sufficient ranks in Perform (dance) to use the bardic music ability in order to activate it with the Bladedance special ability. A bladedancer can always choose to activate a bardic music ability normally rather than with the Bladedance special ability. A bladedancer can only have one Bladedance active at a time.
Dance of Flashing Blades (Ex): The first dance which a bladedancer learns is the Dance of Flashing Blades. By expending one of her daily uses of bardic music, a bladedancer of second level with at least 12 ranks in Perform (Dance) gains the effects of the spell Bladeweave [gain free melee touch to daze opponent in any round in which you attack with melee weapon, save vs. Will, Spell Resistance applies] for a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance). In addition, opponents threatened by the bladedancer suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls made against her (whether they are dazed or not) as the spinning, flashing blades distract them.
When a Dance of Flashing Blades ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless she has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Raven’s Tongue (Ex): At 2nd level a bladedancer’s skills at seduction & flirtation grant him a +2 competency bonus on Diplomacy & Bluff checks.
Sneak Attack (Ex): Beginning at third level, a bladedancer deals an extra 1d6 points of damage when flanking an opponent or at any time when the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus. This extra damage applies to ranged attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. This increases to 2d6 points at sixth level and to 3d6 at ninth level. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player’s Handbook. If a bladedancer gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as levels of rogue), the bonuses on damage stack.
Dance of Nimble Feet (Ex): At fourth level, a bladedancer with at least 14 ranks in Perform (Dance) can expend one of her daily uses of bardic music to gain the benefits of Spring Attack. While under the effects of a Dance of Nimble Feet, she also gains +10 movement speed and +2 circumstance bonus to AoOs provoked by movement. The effects of this dance last for a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance).
When a Dance of Nimble Feet ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless he has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Forgetful Caress (Su): A bladedancer of fifth level can use his powers of seduction to affect the minds of others. The bladedancer must make a touch attack in the form of a kiss, caress, or other intimate action. The target makes a Will save (DC 10 + the bladedancer’s class level). If he fails, the bladedancer can steal or erase one piece of information, such as the hiding place of a key, a password, the bladedancer's name, or their meeting. The target cannot be made to forget a class ability, spell, or other inherent power.
If the target makes the save, she or he does not forget anything, but is unaware of the attempt to affect her or his memory (though unless the memory stolen was their meeting, the memory of the intimate action which carried the Forgetful Caress ability will remain).
Dance of Whirling Steel (Ex): When a bladedancer of 7th level with at least 17 ranks in Perform (Dance) expends one of her daily uses of bardic music to activate the Dance of Whirling Steel, she becomes a spinning whirlwind of deadly steel. For a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance) she gains the ability to feint as a free action.
When a Dance of Whirling Steel ends, the bladedancer is fatigued for 10 minutes (unless she has the Tireless Dance class feature).
Tireless Dance (Ex): At 9th level, a bladedancer is no longer fatigued by the exertions of his dancing special abilities.
The True Dance (Su): At 10th level, a bladedancer has mastered the physical dance of battle and the social dance of intrigue, and sees the True Dance of fate and will underlying all actions. By expending one daily use of bardic music, the bladedancer can tap into her awareness of the True Dance to grant herself and allies within 10’ the effects of 'freedom of movement' and 'greater heroism' for a number of rounds equal to his ranks in Perform (Dance).
PLAYING A BLADEDANCER
You aren’t a bladedancer, you’re a highly talented bard looking to further your fame by serving in a royal court. Bladedancers (if they even exist) are massive and powerful fighters; not at all like your highly attractive but not-too-imposing figure.
Though your combat skills are indeed formidable, secrecy and misdirection are your true fortes. Whether posing as a wandering minstrel, using your charm and (invented) fame to woo members of the court, or spreading rumors that further the cause of your kingdom, you always seek to remain the center of attention who couldn’t possibly be a spy – thus becoming the most effective spy of all.
Combat
You fight best in melee using your bladedancer abilities to heighten your skills with your chosen weapons. Spellcasting is not a strength; if you have levels in a casting class consider which spells could best give a bit of an edge to you or your allies in melee rather than looking to be an offensive or healing powerhouse. Make the most of your sneak attack ability by moving into a flanking position. Overall, however, you prefer to avoid the need for combat through bluffing and diplomacy.
Tactically, you consider the likely length of an encounter to time the use of your dancing abilities. In a long fight, starting a dance too early can leave you at a significant disadvantage later on; starting too late, however, could leave you fighting at less than maximum ability for most of the battle.
Advancement
Would-be bladedancers have to prove their dedication to the kingdom or empire which uses them in your campaign. This might be as simple as being a citizen of that country, or as involved as undertaking a quest for the crown. When your actions have proven your worth, a bladedancer will seek you out to train you if you have earned their interest as a potential recruit.
Contact is traditionally made through one of the bladedancer’s central arts, seduction. The dualities of fame and secrecy, battle and intrigue central to the greatest role any bard could play are described in terms both glowing and terrible. The ease with which you were seduced is emphasized both to demonstrate the skills of the bladedancer and to warn you against falling victim to your own game.
You’ll periodically connect with someone secretly working for the organization to get further training. Because the bladedancer training combines combat and subterfuge, different aspects of training may be handled by different contacts. The leadership may also assign you missions, sending you to infiltrate a rival court or spread rumors among the populace of an enemy state.
As a bladedancer, you will need to keep your Bluff skill at the highest rank possible for your work as a spy. You should also maintain high ranks in Diplomacy for those occasions when the gentle arts are needed, and Perform (Dance) for those times when seduction and intrigue fail.
Resources
Bladedancers must wear light armor that does not hamper their combat dances, and the organization has accumulated quite an array of magical armor over the years. PCs who want magical light armor can get some for 80% of its normal cost if they contact the bladedancers and request it. Acquiring a piece of armor in this way takes one week per point of enhancement bonus (or equivalent if the armor has a special ability).
BLADEDANCERS IN THE WORLD
The bladedancer prestige class is a good fit for a player who wants to focus on non-combat skills and roleplay while remaining a worthy opponent in combat. As a group, the bladedancers function as the information agency that has an ear at every palace door and an eye on every kingdom. The bladedancers likely know about the PCs long before the PCs know about them.
Organization
The bladedancers are organized in cells, with each bladedancer knowing how to contact only two others, one higher in the organization and one lower. The higher contact is known as the patron, while the lower contact is known as the protege. A new bladedancer attains a protege after serving the organization for one year, and maintains only a single contact until then. Traditionally, a bladedancer will leave a coded scroll containing the contact information for their patron and protege in a safe location so that another bladedancer can assume his contacts if something untoward should happen to him. Only the leader of the organization, the Maestro, knows the name and location of every bladedancer. The bladedancer organization makes use of members of other classes, particularly rogues, as additional contacts and sources to carry orders and information.
Bladedancers receive their assignments from their patron. An assignment might be as vague as making contact with a member of the court of a neighboring kingdom, or as detailed as stealing the key to a duke’s treasury and delivering it to a specific inn by a certain date. Though all assignments further the aims of the organization, the goals of any specific assignment are not always clear to the individual receiving it; only the Maestro sees the place of each step in the intricate dance of intrigue the organization makes.
Often a bladedancer will be assigned to the court of courts, stopping in each for a few months before continuing on to the next. A bladedancer on such a regular circuit may go months without hearing from her patron, spending her time immersed in the role of the traveling bard. Other bladedancers can spend years as the court bard of a neighboring kingdom before a message from a patron arrives announcing that it is time to fulfill a mission.
Bladedancers can also request ‘improvisation’ duty, which allows them to travel freely, gathering information wherever they journey and sending it back to the organization through their patron or other contacts. A bladedancer on improvisation duty must still answer any call to fulfill a specific assignment should their services be needed.
Although the skills of a bladedancer are best suited to work in urban settings, assignments to gather information in a dungeon or wilderness are not unknown. Word that an enemy ruler is working to procure a powerful magical item, for example, might lead to a hasty mission to acquire the item before it falls into enemy hands.
Recently there have been rumors of an alternate group of bladedancers working for another kingdom. Though none of the lower steps have heard more than indefinite whispers, the fear that someone may be spying on the spies is beginning to grow.
NPC Reactions
To the world, a bladedancer is nothing more than a bard. NPC reactions are based on this perception and not on his nature as a bladedancer. If word gets out of a bard who is really a spy, reactions vary. Those loyal to the kingdom the bladedancers serve have an attitude of friendly, eager to help the elite force that keeps them safe. Loyal citizens of allied and neutral kingdoms might have a similar reaction, but with a measure of distrust at the presence of the bladedancer in their territory. Loyal citizens of enemy kingdoms are unfriendly or hostile; spies are to be tortured and killed. In all cases, reactions of NPCs with an agenda at odds with their own kingdom will vary from the norm; traitors to allied kingdoms will be unfriendly or hostile toward the bladedancer, while traitors to an enemy kingdom will be friendly.
BLADEDANCER LORE
Characters with the Knowledge (local) skill or Bardic Knowledge can research bladedancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following material, including the information from lower DCs. Bard characters making these checks gain a +2 circumstance bonus.
DC 10: “Some people enter into a kind of dance during combat. They twirl and dance around with their blades, fighting even better than they did before.”
DC 15: “These bladedancers can use their dancing abilities to fight better in a number of ways. Some of their dances even make their enemies fight worse.”
DC 20: “Bladedancers are actually spies. They all work for one kingdom.”
DC 30: “Bladedancers are special bards who spy on royal courts. They are skilled at seduction, and use this skill to work their way into the trust of members of the court.”
PCs who wish to contact a bladedancer can attempt to do so by making a DC 30 Gather Information check (or DC 20 if made in a royal court). If a PC is a bladedancer himself, he gains a +5 circumstance bonus on this check. A successful check puts the PC in contact with a bard, member of the court, or royal servant who knows the bladedancer personally; whether this person consents to introduce the PCs to the bladedancer is another matter.
BLADEDANCERS IN THE GAME
Almost any bard connected to a royal court might be a bladedancer, especially if she is a natural ally to a kingdom which uses bladedancers as spies in your campaign. Because bladedancers often travel from court to court, a meeting on the road is also easy to arrange. They could
The bladedancer prestige class appeals to players who like a combination of subterfuge and combat.
Adaptation
Bladedancers can be reworked as independent spies who serve any organization they choose. They could also trade sneak attack progression for limited spellcasting progression.
Encounters
Bladedancers are almost always contacts or allies to good-aligned PCs, and rarely serve as adversaries. They like to hear tales of travelers to keep track of goings on in the world. Bladedancers traveling between assignments can turn up anywhere.
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