Blade Dancer

[ZombiePunch]

The prerequisites are
-Lawful
-BAB +7
-12 Jump, 12 Tumble
-Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
-Able to cast arcane or divine spells
-proficiency with any sword

Ok so I really like using this class for a one level dip but more often than not it's for a martial(or at least non casting) character.

My question is would the Birth feats from Dragon 340 fit the requirement for the spellcasting prereq?

Example: Born Under the Half Moon-Expeditious retreat 1/day as SLA

I suppose the question would be do Spell Like Abilities count as able to cast spells?

[Andreaz]

Spell-likes should suffice, yes.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Spell-likes should suffice, yes.

I would disagree. Spell-Like Abilities are not spells. See also: Warlocks and why they don't qualify for most arcane PrC's

Try Bard. They get spells, they're a 3/4 BAB, they get IC which can be useful, and they get both Jump and Tumble on their class list.

[byaku rai]

Alternatively there's a feat which gives you one level of a spellcasting class. (can't remember what it's called, but i know it's out there, and i can guarantee someone else in the playground does know)

[Dusk Eclipse]

The prerequisites are
-Lawful
-BAB +7
-12 Jump, 12 Tumble
-Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
-Able to cast arcane or divine spells
-proficiency with any sword

Ok so I really like using this class for a one level dip but more often than not it's for a martial(or at least non casting) character.

My question is would the Birth feats from Dragon 340 fit the requirement for the spellcasting prereq?

Example: Born Under the Half Moon-Expeditious retreat 1/day as SLA

I suppose the question would be do Spell Like Abilities count as able to cast spells?

There is an Issue in Dragon Magazine which updates OA to 3.5, they might have changed the pre-requisites so it might be worthwhile to check it out.


Alternatively there's a feat which gives you one level of a spellcasting class. (can't remember what it's called, but i know it's out there, and i can guarantee someone else in the playground does know)

I think it is called Magical Training, it is from Forgotten Realms IIRC (Perhaps the Player guide?)

[Darrin]

I suppose the question would be do Spell Like Abilities count as able to cast spells?

Not quite. SLAs work if you need a specific spell (such as using the mage hand SLA from the Spell Hand feat to get into Arcane Trickster), but they don't count for "able to cast {x} spells".

The feat you want is Magical Training (Player's Guide to Faerun p. 41), which gives you three 0-level arcane spell slots as either a 1st-level wizard or sorcerer. Just be aware that it doesn't actually give you a class with spellcasting abilities, so any PrCs "+1 caster level" wouldn't give you any additional caster levels.

[CTrees]

I would disagree. Spell-Like Abilities are not spells. See also: Warlocks and why they don't qualify for most arcane PrC's

This. Although, you could ask your DM if he'll let them count for prereqs.

[ZombiePunch]

Magical Training works great
Thanks for pointing it out :smallsmile:

[gkathellar]

There is an Issue in Dragon Magazine which updates OA to 3.5, they might have changed the pre-requisites so it might be worthwhile to check it out.

They haven't, for reference. There were no changes to the Blade Dancer in the Dragon OA update.

[Dusk Eclipse]

They haven't, for reference. There were no changes to the Blade Dancer in the Dragon OA update.

Damn.... well I guess than magical training is still the best option or ask the DM to waive that requirement as it is quite stupid for a martial class

[Yuki Akuma]

Spell-Like Abilities are neither arcane nor divine. They're not spells, either.

It's also perfectly possible to have spells that are neither arcane nor divine, although the only way I can think of is casting from an Artificer scroll.

[Person_Man]

I haven't read Blade Dancer. What source is it in, and is it really worth wasting three feats on Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack?

[Dusk Eclipse]

Oriental Adventures, it grants massive bonus to movement skills and can enchant your weapon temporarly and fast movement, wind walk as SLA 1/day and +2 attack and damage if you make an easy jump check (which also allows to cover the distance between you and your enemy as a free action if you could cover that with the jump check)

[gkathellar]

I haven't read Blade Dancer. What source is it in, and is it really worth wasting three feats on Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack?

It's in Oriental Adventures, and no, it's not. You get some bonuses to movement skills and the ability to add some damage-enhancements to your weapon for a limited amount of time per day. It's terrible, it even fails on fluff — it's basically trying to be a Wuxia PrC while giving you almost nothing that captures the flavor or aesthetic of Wuxia besides jumping around a whole lot.

EDIT: Swordsage'd. Might also be worth noting that there are at least two excellent homebrew fixes of the Blade Dancer floating around the homebrew forum — one gives it more casting power, and one makes it into an initiator.

[etrpgb]

It might be worth if you want to play a Dragoon and using Battle Jump.

My advice is taking a level in Cloistered Cleric with Time(spontaneous) and Travel domains.
Give up to Travel and Knowledge domain for the related Devotions and Time gives you True Strike few times a day and Improved Initiative.

[gkathellar]

It might be worth if you want to play a Dragoon and using Battle Jump.

Ninja spy does the same thing better while being less completely awful.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Ninja spy doesn't have Full BAB so that is a point for Blade Dancers...

[ZombiePunch]

I'm using it for a thief acrobat build.
1 level increases my speed from 60 to 100
gives me +10 on balance, jump, and tumble
and my jump is no longer restricted by height

[etrpgb]

Do not get my wrong, I agree with you fellas. The requirement are ridiculous. But I find the ability to cast the less annoying.

It is, if you want a `level tax'; but most build can enjoy a level or two in Druid,Cleric, Bard or Battle Sorcerer.
instead the Feats are almost a THREE feats tax that gives almost nothing.

[Darrin]

Spell-Like Abilities are neither arcane nor divine.

Actually, I believe per the MM/SRD they are assumed to be arcane, unless the spell doesn't appear on the sorcerer/wizard list, in which case it defaults to cleric, druid, bard, paladin, or ranger in that order.

[Coidzor]

Cleric 1 really is a nice dip. There's even a Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773.0).

[Person_Man]

It's in Oriental Adventures, and no, it's not. You get some bonuses to movement skills and the ability to add some damage-enhancements to your weapon for a limited amount of time per day. It's terrible, it even fails on fluff — it's basically trying to be a Wuxia PrC while giving you almost nothing that captures the flavor or aesthetic of Wuxia besides jumping around a whole lot.

EDIT: Swordsage'd. Might also be worth noting that there are at least two excellent homebrew fixes of the Blade Dancer floating around the homebrew forum — one gives it more casting power, and one makes it into an initiator.

Wow, that ridiculously bad. The magical homebrew (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182067) and Sublime Redux (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126871) are improvements, but still not particularly worthwhile IMO.

[etrpgb]

If you actually make a Blade Dancer ask your DM if the Leap of the Clouds can be considered as the new Leap of the Heavens (PH II feat).

If I recall correctly in 3.5 jumps do not gain anything from Leap of the Clouds.

Also consider two levels in the Monk (Cobra Strike) class. This way you get Dodge and Mobility without the need to worry about keeping a high dexterity.

[Fox Box Socks]

A single level dip in Duskblade gives you all the prerequisites you need. I've seen Swashbuckler3/Fighter2/Duskblade1/Warblade1/Blade Dancer X work out to be a decent tier 4.

[gkathellar]

But not because of anything Blade Dancer adds ...

[herrhauptmann]

There is an Issue in Dragon Magazine which updates OA to 3.5, they might have changed the pre-requisites so it might be worthwhile to check it out.



I think it is called Magical Training, it is from Forgotten Realms IIRC (Perhaps the Player guide?)

Might have been Shining South (book on Halrua), or even the FRCS.