Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
I am not sure if there is already a presige class with this name, but anyway, here are the "stats"...
(And I just see that I forget to wrote the so called "Flavor Text")
The PrC is, as some might see, a little bit inspired by a Discworld Novel (the one with the Elves trying to conquer Lancre. It is the scene with the actor / dancer group dancing their "morisk"dance - I read it in German, so I am not sure about the actual term used for the dance)
Wardancer
WarDancers know secret, powerful dances. There dances can be considered as some kind of soul magic (I don`t own Eldritch Might II , but I heard the expression... )
These dances do bestow special abilities upon the Dancers - the faster a dancer dances, the more power he gains.
Well trained dancers know how to combine several dances to become even more powerful and dangerous.
Wardancers are seldom, because only a few do have the skill and cunning to control their body thus fine, and it requires much training to gain the access to the Dances.
Prerequisites
BAB: 6+
Skills: Balance 5 ranks, Bluff 5 ranks, Escape Artist 5 ranks, Perform 10 ranks, Tumble 8 ranks
Spells: Ability to cast cantrips or orisions.
Feats: At least one of this list:
Ambidexterity, Dodge, Expertise, Power Attack, Improved Unarmed
Special: Bardic Music Ability ;
The Dances of War can be seen as some special kind of soul magic. The songs or dance types are not very common and only a few can really attempt to dance to them.
Wardancers must be trained from another Wardancer, or must read about in a special book. This book is rare, but there are some copies around. You need access to a good library (5% chance to find it within a small city, 10% chance within a large city and a 20% chance within a metropolitian).
If you learn "by book", you must own it a longer amount of time. Between your adventuring time or in some free moments you might look in the book. You must gain at least half the amount of XPs needed to gain your next level while you own the book to be able to fulfill this special requirement.
If you search for a teacher (the DM is to set the difficulty to find a WarDancer), you must impress him with a extraordinary dancing performance (Perform DC30, see page 71). If you fail, you may try again when you acquired a new rank in your Perform skill.
If you roll a 1, you will never be able to impress this teacher.
If you succeed, he will train you. THis will probably need 1d4 weeks... He can be considered friendly toward you and migh even accomponay if you are "on a mission".
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special Abilities
1 0 +0 +2 +2 Wardances, Gracious Defense +0
2 1 +0 +3 +3
3 2 +1 +3 +3
4 3 +1 +4 +4
5 3 +1 +4 +4 Gracious Defense +1
6 4 +2 +5 +5
7 5 +2 +5 +5
8 6 +2 +6 +6
9 6 +3 +6 +6
10 7 +3 +7 +7 Gracious Defense +2
Hit Die: 1d6
Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble, Use Rope
Weapon & Armor Profiences
Dancers of War do not gain new Profiencies in Weapons or Armors.
Gracious Defense
A Wardancer gains his Charisma Modifier to Armor Class, plus an additional bonus depending on his prestige class level.
This bonus is lost if the Wardancer wears any kind of armor (including shields).
Dances of War
Wardancing is a supernatural ability.
You can dance a number of dances per day equal to your Wardancer level.
Wardances and Bardic Music, Raging, Casting Spells
While Dancing, a Wardancer can still sustain Bardic Music Effects, but he can only use verbal or dancing perform methods during the dance. Playing instruments is not an option.
A Wardancer can Rage during Wardances.
Casting Spells during a Dance is not possible, nor using Command Word Activated Items and Spell Completion Items.
Effects of Wardance
Wardances give access to virtual combat feats and some additional (featlike) abilites.
There exist different Wardances, and each gives unique combat abilities. The higher the speed of your dance, the more abilities you gain.
If an ability (especially a virtual feat) gives you a bonus that does only apply with a single chosen weapons, it does work with all melee weapons you held while starting the song. If you switch to another weapon, you must start a new dance. If you were not proficient in the weapon type, you don`t know how to “dance” with it to gain any benefits. Weapon Type means “Longsword”, “Dwarfen Waraxe” or “Dagger”.
(This rule is currently only important for “Dance of Death”, since it gives Weapon Focus, Specialisation and Improved Critical.)
Speeding a Dance
Speeding a Dance by one step requires a move equvialent action.
You can speed a Dance for a number of times equal to your charisma modifier.
Sustaining Dances
You can sustain multiple dances at the same time. Each dance costs you one of your daily Dances. You can sustain each dance for a number of rounds equal to your Perform Rank. Speeding a Dance does not count against this limit. (So, at least after your Perform Ranks + Charisma Modifier, the first dance will end)
When you are struck by a critical hit, or bullrushed, you must make a Concentration Check DC 10 + total speed of all Dances + inflicted Damage (Critical hits only), or be forced to end your fasted dance and slow all other dances down by one step. If you suceed, all dances are slowed by one step.
If you become grappled or tripped, you must make the same Check at +5 DC.
If you are forced to make a Fortitude Save to avoid dying due to massive damage, your dance is immediately ended, even if you suceed. (If you fail, you`re dead, so don`t worry any longer about it.)
Ending a Dance
Once a Wardancers ends alls his Dances, he is fatigued for a number of minutes equal to the rounds he danced.
He also suffers 2 points of damage per sustained dance.
At 10th level, he is no longer fatigued after the Dance.
The Wardances
If any of the given Feats or Ability Scores are already possesed by the character, it gains now new benefit at the given speed.
The numbers indicate the "speed" the character dances. Abilities at lower speeds are not lost!
Each WarDance has a Prerequisite Feat, without that feat, the dance cannot be used.
Dance of Haste
Prerequisite: Ambidexterity
1) Two Weapon Fighting
2) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
3) Greater Two Weapon Fighting: Subtract 10 from your base attack. If they value is greater than 0, you gain an extra attack with your offhand weapon at your highest base attack –10 while using the two weapon fighting option.
4) Superior Two Weapon Fighting: Subtract 15 from your base attack. If this value is greater than 0, you gain an extra attack with your offhand weapon at your highest base attack –15 while using the two weapon fighting option.
5) Advanced Ambidexterity: You gain full strenght bonus on your offhand attack.
6) Dual Strike: When using the Two Weapon Fighting option, you may give up your offhand attacks, and strike the target as if flanking it, reflecting its unability to react appropriate to your fast, dual strike. Be aware to still take the penalties from two weapon fighting into account. If you and one of your allies is already flanking the target, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus due to the Dual Strike instead of the flanking bonus.
Dance of Striking
Prerequisite: Power Attack
1) Cleave
2) Improved Trip
3) Greater Cleave
4) Knockdown
5) Superior Cleave: If you qualify for a cleave attack, you can make a 5 foot step before using your extra attack. You cannot move more then your regular speed.
6) Bashing: Once per round you can make a free Bull Rush attempt on an opponent who you inflict at least 10 points of damage with a single strike.
Dance of Agility
Prerequisite: Dodge
(1) Mobility
(2) Lightning Speed: You gain +10 bonus on your base speed.
(3) Spring Attack
(4) Whirlwind Attack
(5) Wandering Attack: When executing a full round actions, you can move before and after your attacks, but no more than your base speed. For every 5 feet you walked, you suffer a –2 penalty to your attack roll.
(6) Improved Whirlwind Attack: When you have Reach, and make a Whirlwind Attack, you can attack any target within reach.
Dance of Defense
Prerequisite: Expertise
(1) Deflect Arrows
(2) Uncanny Dodge (like 5th level Barbarian.)
(3) Evasion
(4) Defensive Roll
(5) Improved Evasion
(6) Evasive Move: Once per round you may make a Reflex Save against DC 20 or the attackers attack roll (whatever is higher). If you suceed, you suffer half damage from that attack.
Dance of Death
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed
(1) Weapon Focus
(2) Weapon Specialisation
(3) Improved Critical
(4) Power Critical: You add +1 to your weapons critical modifier.
(5) Deadly Blows: When you score a critical hit, you can make a number of extra attacks equal to the weapons current critical multiplier –2 against the target. Add the total damage and apply them at once at the target (follow the rules for extreme damage if the total damage is 50 or higher.). Extra Damage Dies (like from special enhancements or from sneak attacks) are only applied once, and the extra attacks cannot become critical hits.
-----------------------------------
Suggestions (especially perhaps about the names of the dances. I don`t like them...) are welcome
Some Basic Infos about the Design Ideas:
For the Prerequisite: I thought every War Dancer should have the basic training in the "feat chains". Perhaps you still have some other opinions/ideas/options.
To be able to get this PrC some multiclassing is required, but there is no special class prefered (okay, bards perhaps, since you will need their Bardic Music Ability. Though I think that could be dropped...). A Figher/Bard might be the fast one to gain this PrC, but every class might benefit from it. (Which might make the class somewhat... to open.)
A possible "Flavor Add": Otto`s Resistable Dance has no effect on a WarDancer, and Otto`s Irresistable Dance even increases the speed of all sustained Dances by 1.
[EDITED - thousands times - for fixing tables; adding stuff]
(And I just see that I forget to wrote the so called "Flavor Text")
The PrC is, as some might see, a little bit inspired by a Discworld Novel (the one with the Elves trying to conquer Lancre. It is the scene with the actor / dancer group dancing their "morisk"dance - I read it in German, so I am not sure about the actual term used for the dance)
Wardancer
WarDancers know secret, powerful dances. There dances can be considered as some kind of soul magic (I don`t own Eldritch Might II , but I heard the expression... )
These dances do bestow special abilities upon the Dancers - the faster a dancer dances, the more power he gains.
Well trained dancers know how to combine several dances to become even more powerful and dangerous.
Wardancers are seldom, because only a few do have the skill and cunning to control their body thus fine, and it requires much training to gain the access to the Dances.
Prerequisites
BAB: 6+
Skills: Balance 5 ranks, Bluff 5 ranks, Escape Artist 5 ranks, Perform 10 ranks, Tumble 8 ranks
Spells: Ability to cast cantrips or orisions.
Feats: At least one of this list:
Ambidexterity, Dodge, Expertise, Power Attack, Improved Unarmed
Special: Bardic Music Ability ;
The Dances of War can be seen as some special kind of soul magic. The songs or dance types are not very common and only a few can really attempt to dance to them.
Wardancers must be trained from another Wardancer, or must read about in a special book. This book is rare, but there are some copies around. You need access to a good library (5% chance to find it within a small city, 10% chance within a large city and a 20% chance within a metropolitian).
If you learn "by book", you must own it a longer amount of time. Between your adventuring time or in some free moments you might look in the book. You must gain at least half the amount of XPs needed to gain your next level while you own the book to be able to fulfill this special requirement.
If you search for a teacher (the DM is to set the difficulty to find a WarDancer), you must impress him with a extraordinary dancing performance (Perform DC30, see page 71). If you fail, you may try again when you acquired a new rank in your Perform skill.
If you roll a 1, you will never be able to impress this teacher.
If you succeed, he will train you. THis will probably need 1d4 weeks... He can be considered friendly toward you and migh even accomponay if you are "on a mission".
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special Abilities
1 0 +0 +2 +2 Wardances, Gracious Defense +0
2 1 +0 +3 +3
3 2 +1 +3 +3
4 3 +1 +4 +4
5 3 +1 +4 +4 Gracious Defense +1
6 4 +2 +5 +5
7 5 +2 +5 +5
8 6 +2 +6 +6
9 6 +3 +6 +6
10 7 +3 +7 +7 Gracious Defense +2
Hit Die: 1d6
Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble, Use Rope
Weapon & Armor Profiences
Dancers of War do not gain new Profiencies in Weapons or Armors.
Gracious Defense
A Wardancer gains his Charisma Modifier to Armor Class, plus an additional bonus depending on his prestige class level.
This bonus is lost if the Wardancer wears any kind of armor (including shields).
Dances of War
Wardancing is a supernatural ability.
You can dance a number of dances per day equal to your Wardancer level.
Wardances and Bardic Music, Raging, Casting Spells
While Dancing, a Wardancer can still sustain Bardic Music Effects, but he can only use verbal or dancing perform methods during the dance. Playing instruments is not an option.
A Wardancer can Rage during Wardances.
Casting Spells during a Dance is not possible, nor using Command Word Activated Items and Spell Completion Items.
Effects of Wardance
Wardances give access to virtual combat feats and some additional (featlike) abilites.
There exist different Wardances, and each gives unique combat abilities. The higher the speed of your dance, the more abilities you gain.
If an ability (especially a virtual feat) gives you a bonus that does only apply with a single chosen weapons, it does work with all melee weapons you held while starting the song. If you switch to another weapon, you must start a new dance. If you were not proficient in the weapon type, you don`t know how to “dance” with it to gain any benefits. Weapon Type means “Longsword”, “Dwarfen Waraxe” or “Dagger”.
(This rule is currently only important for “Dance of Death”, since it gives Weapon Focus, Specialisation and Improved Critical.)
Speeding a Dance
Speeding a Dance by one step requires a move equvialent action.
You can speed a Dance for a number of times equal to your charisma modifier.
Sustaining Dances
You can sustain multiple dances at the same time. Each dance costs you one of your daily Dances. You can sustain each dance for a number of rounds equal to your Perform Rank. Speeding a Dance does not count against this limit. (So, at least after your Perform Ranks + Charisma Modifier, the first dance will end)
When you are struck by a critical hit, or bullrushed, you must make a Concentration Check DC 10 + total speed of all Dances + inflicted Damage (Critical hits only), or be forced to end your fasted dance and slow all other dances down by one step. If you suceed, all dances are slowed by one step.
If you become grappled or tripped, you must make the same Check at +5 DC.
If you are forced to make a Fortitude Save to avoid dying due to massive damage, your dance is immediately ended, even if you suceed. (If you fail, you`re dead, so don`t worry any longer about it.)
Ending a Dance
Once a Wardancers ends alls his Dances, he is fatigued for a number of minutes equal to the rounds he danced.
He also suffers 2 points of damage per sustained dance.
At 10th level, he is no longer fatigued after the Dance.
The Wardances
If any of the given Feats or Ability Scores are already possesed by the character, it gains now new benefit at the given speed.
The numbers indicate the "speed" the character dances. Abilities at lower speeds are not lost!
Each WarDance has a Prerequisite Feat, without that feat, the dance cannot be used.
Dance of Haste
Prerequisite: Ambidexterity
1) Two Weapon Fighting
2) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
3) Greater Two Weapon Fighting: Subtract 10 from your base attack. If they value is greater than 0, you gain an extra attack with your offhand weapon at your highest base attack –10 while using the two weapon fighting option.
4) Superior Two Weapon Fighting: Subtract 15 from your base attack. If this value is greater than 0, you gain an extra attack with your offhand weapon at your highest base attack –15 while using the two weapon fighting option.
5) Advanced Ambidexterity: You gain full strenght bonus on your offhand attack.
6) Dual Strike: When using the Two Weapon Fighting option, you may give up your offhand attacks, and strike the target as if flanking it, reflecting its unability to react appropriate to your fast, dual strike. Be aware to still take the penalties from two weapon fighting into account. If you and one of your allies is already flanking the target, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus due to the Dual Strike instead of the flanking bonus.
Dance of Striking
Prerequisite: Power Attack
1) Cleave
2) Improved Trip
3) Greater Cleave
4) Knockdown
5) Superior Cleave: If you qualify for a cleave attack, you can make a 5 foot step before using your extra attack. You cannot move more then your regular speed.
6) Bashing: Once per round you can make a free Bull Rush attempt on an opponent who you inflict at least 10 points of damage with a single strike.
Dance of Agility
Prerequisite: Dodge
(1) Mobility
(2) Lightning Speed: You gain +10 bonus on your base speed.
(3) Spring Attack
(4) Whirlwind Attack
(5) Wandering Attack: When executing a full round actions, you can move before and after your attacks, but no more than your base speed. For every 5 feet you walked, you suffer a –2 penalty to your attack roll.
(6) Improved Whirlwind Attack: When you have Reach, and make a Whirlwind Attack, you can attack any target within reach.
Dance of Defense
Prerequisite: Expertise
(1) Deflect Arrows
(2) Uncanny Dodge (like 5th level Barbarian.)
(3) Evasion
(4) Defensive Roll
(5) Improved Evasion
(6) Evasive Move: Once per round you may make a Reflex Save against DC 20 or the attackers attack roll (whatever is higher). If you suceed, you suffer half damage from that attack.
Dance of Death
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed
(1) Weapon Focus
(2) Weapon Specialisation
(3) Improved Critical
(4) Power Critical: You add +1 to your weapons critical modifier.
(5) Deadly Blows: When you score a critical hit, you can make a number of extra attacks equal to the weapons current critical multiplier –2 against the target. Add the total damage and apply them at once at the target (follow the rules for extreme damage if the total damage is 50 or higher.). Extra Damage Dies (like from special enhancements or from sneak attacks) are only applied once, and the extra attacks cannot become critical hits.
-----------------------------------
Suggestions (especially perhaps about the names of the dances. I don`t like them...) are welcome
Some Basic Infos about the Design Ideas:
For the Prerequisite: I thought every War Dancer should have the basic training in the "feat chains". Perhaps you still have some other opinions/ideas/options.
To be able to get this PrC some multiclassing is required, but there is no special class prefered (okay, bards perhaps, since you will need their Bardic Music Ability. Though I think that could be dropped...). A Figher/Bard might be the fast one to gain this PrC, but every class might benefit from it. (Which might make the class somewhat... to open.)
A possible "Flavor Add": Otto`s Resistable Dance has no effect on a WarDancer, and Otto`s Irresistable Dance even increases the speed of all sustained Dances by 1.
[EDITED - thousands times - for fixing tables; adding stuff]
Last edited:
