Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Psychoticpsymon 04-12-07, 05:29 PM	BattleDancer The Battledancer is a serious melee fighter that moves about the location of the battle as if running with the aid of the wind. Running up walls, across chasms, or spinning wildly around columns cutting freely against their enemy’s flesh, the battledancer is one of the most interesting fighters to observe in a closed space. Unfortunately, the battledancer is relegated to lesser roles when they are without enclosed spaces to fight within. Adventuring: A Battledancer’s main purpose in life is to use their acrobatic movements to impress others. They enjoy running and jumping, climbing and moving about. They will flock to parties off to slaughter with no hesitance if they have the chance to display their talents. Characteristics: A Battledancer is a strong, agile and durable fighter that flings himself about in tight spaces in order to make the most of their abilities. No men of bulk become Battledancers, though many woman take up the role. Alignment: There is no mystical source for the power of the Battledancer, they train their bodies and minds with great care over the course of their lives in order to attain their abilities. Battledancers are never Lawful, as per their reliance on themselves, and are rarely good, usually they slide towards neutrals. Religion: Battledancers often align themselves, if they have personal gods, with the gods rogues worship. Background: Many battledancers grow up in the cities, running about alleyways and learning to hide among fallen buildings and tall structures. They like to perform using their abilities in front of groups, gaining money and prestige over time. Races: Only civilized people have the ability and discipline to become a Battledancer. Lithe, thin peoples are the only races that can overcome their weight or strength restrictions to become truly proficient. Other Classes: Battledancers love other people, as they provide an audience to their abilities. They can also fill the roll of meatshield by drawing attention with their antics, all the while fighting against them. Role: Battledancers fight as a melee class and are generally only worthwhile for that. They have no stealth skills though they can help secure lines if they can find alternate ways up to tall structures during raids. Game Rule Information Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Combination, Battledancer Feat, Battledancer Skill, Sneak attack +1d6 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Evasion 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Battledancer Skill 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Battledancer Feat, base movement rate + 5 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Sneak attack +2d6 6th +6 +2 +5 +2 7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Battledancer Skill 8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Battledancer Feat, base movement rate +10 9th +9 +3 +6 +3 10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Battledancer Skill, Sneak attack +3d6 11th +11 +3 +7 +3 Immediate Death Attack 12th +12 +4 +8 +4 Battledancer Feat, base movement rate + 15 13th +13 +4 +8 +4 14th +14 +4 +9 +4 Battledancer Skill 15th +15 +5 +9 +5 Sneak attack +4d6 16th +16 +5 +10 +5 Battledancer Feat, base movement rate + 20 17th +17 +5 +10 +5 Battledancer Skill 18th +18 +6 +11 +6 19th +19 +6 +11 +6 Accelerated Dodge 20th +20 +6 +12 +6 Battledancer Feat, base movement rate, +25, Sneak attack +5d6 Battledancers have the following game statistics. Abilities: The Battledancer’s key abilities are dexterity and constitution, with the next highest strength. A Battledancer’s ability relies on their agility and endurance more often then not. Alignment: Neutral-Any Hit die: d8 Class Skills The Battledancers class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex*), Climb (Str*), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex*), Hide (Dex*), Jump (Str*), Move Silently (Dex*), Sleight of Hand (Dex*), Tumble (Dex*) Chapter 4 of the Players Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + int modifier) X 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features All the following are class features of the Battledancer. Weapon and armor proficiency: A Battledancer is proficient with all light and simple weapons. Battledancers are proficient with light armor and light shields. Combination: Combination is an ability that allows the Battledancers to use two skills in conjunction in order to increase their total roll versus the DC to perform it. This is only usable with Battledancer Skills. Battledancer Skill: You may choose a single Battledancer Skill to learn. From that point on, you can use it any time the requirements are fulfilled. Battledancer Feat: You may choose any of the Battledancer Feats included in this document to learn. If you cannot, then you don’t gain a feat at that level. Evasion: At 2nd level and higher, a battledancer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the battledancer is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless battledancer does not gain the benefit of evasion. Sneak attack: Works the same way that a rogue's work. This value is cumulative with other sneak attack progressions. Base Movment: You add the modifier that you have earned to your total movement speed per turn in combat. This is not cumulative. Immediate Death Attack: A sneaking Battledancer who has gone unnoticed may perform a Death Attack as the Assassin ability of the same name without studying their target. Accelerated Dodge: Ducking away from the retributive blows allows the Battledancer to avoid attacks as she climbs the walls. At 19th level, none of the Battledancer’s skills provoke attacks of opportunity from those near her. Battledancer Skills (All Battledancer skills provoke attacks of opportunity) Run Up Wall (Jump + Run) Requirements – Adjacent to or within 10 feet of a flat wall, light weapons only. Details – You may use a full round action to run up the wall, jump off and land at most 15 feet away from that wall in any direction. If you land behind a foe in this way, you may make one melee attack at full attack bonus versus that opponent flatfooted. DC: Wall’s Climb DC [Chain] Run Along Wall (Run + Balance) Requirements – Adjacent to a flat wall. Details – You may use a full round action to run along the wall even if there is no floor there. You may only travel as far as your maximum movement rate would allow and if the wall ends, changes surface drastically, or you can no longer run, you fall to the ground (You land on your feet if you would take no damage from the fall) Chain – Uses one chain action per turn. DC: Wall’s Climb DC [Chain] Jump Up Walls (Jump + Balance) Requirements – Adjacent to a wall, another wall facing in the direction of the original wall within 15 feet. Details – You may use a full round action to jump across back and forth, gaining 5 feet with each jump. Chain – Uses one chain action per turn. DC: Wall’s Climb DC + Long Jump DC (Treated as having a running start) Run-By Attack (Run) Requirements – Light weapon only. Details – As a full round action you may move at your maximum move rate and make up to your full number of melee attacks at +0 base attack bonus for each. [Chain] Blade Splitting Stone (Jump + Concentration) Requirements – Spend 1 hour sharpening a light weapon with a whetstone at the beginning of the day. Details – As a full round action you may run up to 10 feet up a wall and stab the light weapon into it, creating a spot to hang from. You can use the wall-dagger to boost yourself up an additional 5 feet and stab into it again as a full round action. A light weapon sharpened or used in this way is dealt one damage, regardless of toughness for each time one of the actions is done. Chain – You may use this stab as a free action during a chain. DC: Long Jump DC (Treated as having a running start) + Concentration DC 5 [Chain] Column Attack (Run + Climb) Requirements – Adjacent to a column which is at most 5 feet in diameter, light weapon only. Details – As a full round action you grab the column and slice once at all foes within 5 feet of the column. Chain – Uses one chain action per turn, and you end still on the pole. [Chain] Rebound Attack (Balance + Jump) Requirements – Adjacent to a wall or flying towards one. Details – As a full round action you put your feet up against the wall and bounce off of it, making an attack on a single target within one move action of you. This is done as a charge attack and incurs all normal pernalties and benefits, however the attack is a free action and you continue passed your target without provoking attacks of opportunity. Chain – Uses one chain action per turn, and you end up on the ground Battledancer Feats Acrobat Run [Battledancer] You can use improved running techniques to perform acrobatic stunts. Benefit: You gain the skill Run, which combines with other class skills in order to perform Battledancer skills Improved Battledancer Skill(________) [Battledancer] You are better able to avoid attacks when using Battledancer skills. Prerequisites: This can only be used on a Battledancer skill you don’t already use it on. Benefit: Chosen skill does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Chain [Battledancer] You can use multiple Battledancer skills to route your enemies. Prerequisites: Character level 4 Benefit: Any 2 Battledancer skills with the [Chain] descriptor can be used in one round of action, as long as the requirements are fulfilled. See the individual skills for more information. Improved Chain [Battledancer] Through long hours of training, you have increased the speed of your Battledancer skills Prerequisites: Character level 8 Benefit: You may chain an additional Battledancer skill with the [Chain] descriptor per round of action. Time Warp [Battledancer] Errors do not faze you, as time itself heeds your twisted actions Prerequisite: Character level 4 Benefit: A number of times a day equal to your Battledancer levels / 3 you can undo all Battledancer skills used in your round of action as a free action in order to reroll them, or do nothing. Time Slow [Battledancer] Time seems to slow around you, while you move with your normal vigor. Prerequisites: Character level 8, Time Warp Benefit: In addition to the Time Warp’s limits, you may also spend a point in order to slow time around you, giving you a +4 dodge bonus against attacks of opportunity and 1 additional chained skill per round of combat. Battledancer Skill(________) [Battledancer] You learn an additional skill as part of your training Benefit: You may use the chosen Battledancer skill at will. Power Training [Battledancer] You train your body to function at a more efficient rate Benefit: Your base move speed is increased by 10 feet per round. Special: You can only take this feat once. This stacks with other speed bonuses accrued through class levels, spells, or abilities. Death Ward [Battledancer] Your time editing abilities give you a chance to survive a death blow. Benefit: If you have at least 4 points available for use with Time Warp and Time Slow, you may expend all remaining points for that day in order to jump back in time to before an attack that brought you down past -10 hit points and attempt a reflex save versus the attack + damage of the death blow. If you succeed, you got a +20 reflex bonus to AC against that attack. Also, ripped from prince of persia games!
Tanat 04-12-07, 05:42 PM	Reading over this I didn't see much dancing going on, you should probably call it The Wall Runner. Further, why exactly is it's alignment restricted the same as a druid? But I must say, it reminded of "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time".
Psychoticpsymon 04-12-07, 10:13 PM	I'm glad I got that recognition. I made a mistake and double posted the thread, the other one had an accredit on it. I was just tryin for a name that would grab attention. Is it underpowered/overpowered?
Psychoticpsymon 04-13-07, 10:48 AM	Is this in the wrong place?
benstundze 04-13-07, 01:34 PM	no, but its not interesting, its skill combinations as a class, and its not needed = no posts ben
Psychoticpsymon 04-14-07, 04:08 PM	Added in sneak attack progression and another time-related feat. I think that messing with time is super-overpowered, so I tried to keep that ability as restricted as possible.
Psychoticpsymon 04-15-07, 11:27 PM	Man, I can't get anyone to read my classes over :/
benstundze 04-19-07, 05:11 PM	i told you why
Psychoticpsymon 04-20-07, 10:14 AM	Did you read the increased movement rate, sneak attack progression, and evasion abilities? I just want a critique, not someone telling me 'its not interesting enough to post that it isn't interesting enough'.
radkins 04-20-07, 10:17 AM	i think there is already a battle dancer published in dragon, but i may be mistaken.
Psychoticpsymon 04-20-07, 10:27 AM	I'll change the name if so (I believe it is also a feat from PHBII) but I do want to know what people think of it, over/under powered and whatnot. Some of it's abilities allow sneak attacks at any time etc etc.
Psychoticpsymon 04-22-07, 01:22 PM	Updated
Lord_Zeb 06-10-07, 10:08 AM	Background of BattleDancers to be street urchins wanting for attention, making it essentially Rogues with Fighter BAB? Think you need to rework that. Maybe a class of Elven origin? A melding of art and war in a splendid performance of acrobatics, making it kind of an Elven Martial Artist class? Which of course does not need to be restricted to Elves as they gladly teached it to half-elves and human & gnome friends, who could have taught the art to others. A class called BattleDancer without even having access to the Perform(dance) skill as Class skill? Add Perform to Class skills immediately! You also do not have any social skills, so I suggest adding Bluff as well. And then you say in their role that they have no Stealth skill, and then give them Hide and Move silently? No consistency here. Change skills or description. You base the class on mobility, so you should exchange the Sneak attack to Skirmish instead. Which basically is that you gain the bonus damage when moving more than 10 feet in a round instead of when they are flatfooted or flanked. See Scout class for details (Complete Adventurer), and perhaps for more ideas. Also remove the "Immediate Death Attack". Completely unbalanced. Skirmish modifiers also include Dodge modifiers, include those as well. Remember to add Uncanny Dodge and possibly Improved Uncanny Dodge as well. Do not see Improved Evasion either. Your "Skill combinations" is basically movement maneuvers. Run is not a skill, it is an action, and Jump is part of movement. Add the "Skill combinations" as Special abilities or Feats instead. Streamline them, see what is already supported and then accommodate them according to existing rules. Special Feats? Cut the Time feats and Combination feats, they are unneccessary. "Take 10"-special abilities regarding Balance, Jump and Tumble are more powerful abilites. Skip the "Accelerated Dodge" at 19th level, Take 10 and a good Tumble score makes that unnecessary. Make a new list, and add existing feats regarding high jumping (Heavenly Jump) fast running, movement in general and special abilities regarding moving through difficult terrain. Not to mention Dodge, Mobility and Spring-attack feats. And possibly special abilities regarding doing Tumbling at full speed. Look at the Scouts Bonus Feat list for some inspiration. Look through feat lists in different books and add those to the Battledancer list before making new ones. Generalised feats are more powerful than specific maneuvers, and what you seem to wish for is to be unfettered by normal terrain. Your Weapon proficiencies name: Light and Simple weapons. Light? Is that Martial Light Weapons? Or all Light weapons including Exotic weapons? Think it is better to just take Martial and Simple Weapons. And "Meat shield"? With d8 hit points and Light armor? Not very sound strategy. But look at the Scout for some more inspiration. And possibly the Swashbuckler too. Not to mention the Dervish and Spellsinger prestige classes. Also, if you want a "dancer", then consider the Bard way... Bard songs in form of dances? Will grant the BattleDancer a new role, and grant him numerous bonuses in the form of different dances to dance in battle for different bonuses. And make him compatible with having the Battledancer feat. ;) As it is now, I would take the Scout any day of the weak before this one if I wanted a mobile melee fighter, and then the Scout has a worse BAB. :P
inkeyeshasthecoolestart 06-10-07, 12:54 PM	Its called a fighter with skill tricks. Oh yeah confusing abilities. You get the skill run, but what do you do with it. There are no DC as to how far you can go based on how good skill check is. Edit the feats to make skill checks and see how effecicient they are. Nto overpowered though. Poorly crafted right now.
Psychoticpsymon 06-10-07, 02:35 PM	The ability 'Combination' allows a battledancer to combine the rolls of two seperate skills when trying to beat the DC of a check related to battle dancer abilities. Run is listed in several of the BD skills. The purpose of it is more of a sprint, and the name can be changed appropriately. If it is confusing to have a run skill added to the skill list, it would probably make more sense in the end to call it sprint. The skill is more of a BD's ability to throw themselves into a sprint in the middle of a hectic fight effectively. Lord_Zeb, thanks for the ressurection but the replies sting >.<. You're totally right about the hide and move silently skills. I'll add the perform as well, you are right. I'm gonna leave accelerated dodge, however, and ask you when I could add the skill so that the BD user might actually find some use in it. Somewhere around 12-14, perhaps? I will look over everything mentioned, thanks guys!
Lord_Zeb 06-11-07, 01:46 PM	Well, combining skills like that is against the rules. ;) Definitely recommend working within existing rules and give bonuses or reduce DC as special abilities, or use existing abilities from different classes instead. Can give you a suggestion on an alternative, based on the Scout class: Battle Dancer Role & History: The Battle Dancers are trained martial artists of a tradition of Elven origin, and most practitioners are elven or half-elven. It has since been taught to other races as it has been considered an artform and not merely a skill of war, even if half-orcs and dwarves seldom train in this area. The Battle Dancers are considered great artists and actors as well as skilled melee warriors, as they have melded the art of dance and the art of war in accordance to the philosophy of the patron of art and elven war god Corellon Larethian. Game Rule Information Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Dancer (Bard "Music": Fascinate & Inspire Courage) Skirmish (attacks within 30 feet do +1d6 damage due to momentum and precision when moving 10 feet, undead and other beings not affected of Sneak attack are not affected.) 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Battle Fortitude +1 (+1 Fort save unless if in medium or heavier armor), Uncanny Dodge 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Fast Movement +10 ft. Skirmish (+1d6 & +1 AC when moving 10 feet), Dancer (Inspire competence) 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feat 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Evasion, Skirmish (+2d6 & +1 AC) 6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Flawless Stride (move through terrain without impediment) 7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Skirmish (+2d6 & +2 AC) 8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Improved Uncanny Dodge, Bonus feat 9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Skirmish (+3d6 & +2 AC), Dancer (Inspire Greatness) 10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Improved Evasion 11th +11 +3 +7 +3 Battle Fortitude +2, Fast Movement +20 ft., Skirmish (+3d6 & +3 AC) 12th +12 +4 +8 +4 Bonus Feat 13th +13 +4 +8 +4 Skirmish (+4d6 & +3 AC) 14th +14 +4 +9 +4 Acrobatic Skill Mastery (as 13th level Swashbuckler, may take 10 on all Jump & Tumble rolls.) 15th +15 +5 +9 +5 Skirmish (+4d6 & +4 AC), Dancer (Inspire Heroics) 16th +16 +5 +10 +5 Bonus Feat 17th +17 +5 +10 +5 Skirmish (+5d6 & +4 AC) 18th +18 +6 +11 +6 Free Movement (Freedom of action spell permanent effect unless wearing Medium or heavier armor) 19th +19 +6 +11 +6 Skirmish (+5d6 & +5 AC) 20th +20 +6 +12 +6 Battle Fortitude +3, Bonus Feat Hit die: d8 Class Skills: The Battledancers class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex*), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str*), Concentration (Con), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex*), Hide (Dex*), Jump (Str*), Move Silently (Dex*), Profession (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex*), and Tumble (Dex*). Chapter 4 of the Players Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + int modifier) X 4 Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. Weapon and armour proficiencies: A Battle dancer is proficient with all martial and simple weapons. Battle dancers are proficient with light armor and light shields and bucklers. Changes from Scout: -4 Skill points per level and reduced and changed number of Class skills. Base Attack Bonus improved. Weapon proficiencies changed from Simple+a few selected Martial weapons to similar selection by using Bard weapons and adding Light shield & bucklers. Improved Evasion, Improved uncanny dodge and Acrobatic Skill Mastery special abilities added. Darkvision, Trackless step, Trapfinding, Camouflage, and Hide in plain sight abilities removed and replaced by above and Bardic Music Dancer abilities: May use basic Bardic Music abilities with Perform(Dance) 1/day per level. (Only Perform(dance) usable which requires freedom of movement, only Fascinate works like usual, Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness and Inspire Courage works only on dancer, Inspire Competence works only on self and on skills usable when dancing (Jump, Tumble, Balance), and they are Move actions that include ability to move your entire Movement, which makes them incompatible with Charge action without ending Dance. Concentration check to remain dancing if taking damage, as for spell. Countersong, Suggestion and Mass-suggestion stricken. Effects are non-magical and ends when the Dance ends, and not 5 rounds after as the Bard's does as they are Competence bonuses that are tied to the movement of the dances while performing them.) Bonus Feat list: Bonus feats granted on 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level. All prequisites of the feats must be met, but otherwise these may be chosen freely from the following list (which has been modified from the Scout list): PHB: Acrobatic, Blind-fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Feint, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Quick-draw, Run, Shot on the Run, Skill Focus (Balance, Jump, Tumble, Perform), Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse, Whirlwind Attack. Complete Adventurer: Brachiation (dancing through the treas and hanging from the vines, grant movement of 20 feet), Extra Music (+4 performances/day), Leap Attack (requires Power Attack, increase power attack damage when leaping in a Charge) Complete Warrior: Fleet of Foot (make one turn when running or charging) PHB2: Battle Dancer (+2 to attack rolls when using bardic music by Perform(dance) and moving at the same time), Bounding Assault (2 attacks with Spring-attack), Rapid Blitz (3 attacks...) - These are a good and balanced substitute for your "Run-by attack". Combat Acrobat (not very useful after one gains Flawless Stride), Leap of the Heavens (jump full length without running, +4 bonus when running), Melee Evasion (negate single attack with d20+BAB), Tumbling Feint (+5 to Feint check after Tumble). Above 3 extra books used as Scout and Swashbuckler come from them and PHB2 got Battle Dancer feat and some other really good feats for this class. This is not the "Wallrunner" that you described before, but an excellent candidate class to be named Battle Dancer. Have retained your other basic thoughts: Great movement, extra damage output, prime BAB melee combatant. And if you do not like this version, you might at least get some ideas from it.
blade265 10-18-07, 01:38 PM	Maybe overpowered. try this one http://www.community3e.com/dn/class/elvenbattledancer.pdf
bkdubs123 10-18-07, 02:11 PM	Hmm... this reminds me a bit of my "Dancer" class that I did a long while ago at the 3e forums, but I never put it up on the community. My Dancer was a combination Bard + Dervish with some extra goodies thrown in. The Dances weren't just carbon copies of the Bard's music though, and taking out the spells gave me more leeway to make more dances and give the class a good combat ability. You also might want to check out my Blade Dancer class in my signature for some inspiration, though that is much more martial arts flavored than this is (sort of crouching tiger hidden dragon).
Psychoticpsymon 10-31-07, 10:55 AM	Maybe overpowered. try this one http://www.community3e.com/dn/class/elvenbattledancer.pdf Holy thread ressurection, blade :D Thanks for the comments everyone!