Zaile
2020-12-11, 05:51 AM
The Story: Someone asked about Cha/Int monk on 5e board. I remembered the Battledancer from PHB II, tried a quick conversion, failed. OCD kicked in and... I'm at the point where I need some feedback.
Battledancer - A Monk Tradition
Attempt at a 5e version of the 3.5 Battledancer from PHB II. A Charisma-based monk that has a very capoeira/gipsy/elegant fighter feel. This started as a direct port, but the more I looked at other traditions and the base class, I realized it needed to be more unique and fun.
Balance-wise I’m looking for a concentration gish feel with support utility. Almost a concentration version of way of the four elements.
The dance mechanic is a concertation mechanic that uses ki points to enter dances and to use some of the dance abilities. You can cast cantrips while dancing, but any other spell breaks the dance.
The dance abilities may be slightly more powerful than some other tradition features, but the addition of concentration and the use of ki points should balance it out. This also helps limit the abuse in multi-classing.
Open to cutting/combining dances.
Most dances have a lower-level ability but later allow you to spend additional ki points for stringer effects.
For the dances that mimic spells, I tried to make the spells it mimics concentration to
I’m a little worried about balance with MC Paladin, Warlock or Rogue. I’d appreciate any advice on how to word abilities to limit too much abuse.
PB = Proficiency bonus
3e class for reference https://dndtools.net/classes/battle-dancer/
Free-spirited and inspired by life around them, battledancers often have more in common with bards and entertainers than other martial classes. The training and philosophy of battledancing lends itself to free-spirited chaotic-aligned creatures, but the style counts almost every alignment among its ranks.
Battledancers can be found in many places in the world such as performance troupes, a circus, as a court jester, a flashy combatant in local areas, sailing the high seas, as a seductive assassin, or moonlight hero. While they are performers publicly, most battledancers are adept at keeping their deadlier skills hidden from view.
Feel free to flush out your dancing style. Are you a capoeira fighter? A ballerina? A belly dancer? A break-dancer? A warforged that does the robot? How do your dances look outside of combat? What do they look like in combat? Does your dance create energy patterns? Do you use the same dance moves to entertain as you do to fight? Do you keep your battledancer skills hidden from most? Are you a teacher? Spy? Assassin? A good old-fashioned entertainer? A mix of these?
The Dance is Life (First Level)
Unlike most monastic traditions, battledancing begins at first level, but the tradition’s dances are not gained until third level. At 1st level, all monk abilities that normally use Wisdom (or modifier) now use Charisma, including your Ki save DC.
You gain proficiency in the Performance skill. Your skill at dancing is good enough to earn some coin in the town square, be asked to perform by a traveling troupe, or land a gig at all but the highest-end taverns or theatres you come across. Traveling entertainment troops usually recognize you as a skilled dancer, but not necessarily a battledancer. You may also use your Performance skill in place of Persuasion if you use your dancing to influence a creature, such as performing for royalty.
If you use a battledance in a performance for pay or tips, you gain advantage on any checks made that would increase pay or tips for that performance. Be careful when using dances that produce charms or similar effects. Once you stop dancing, creatures will know if something happened to them.
Monastic Tradition: Battledancing
At 3rd level, you begin to learn mystical battledances. Beginning a dance is a bonus action that costs 1 ki point (or more depending on the dance). Each dance lasts for 1 minute and maintaining a dance requires your concertation, so you may only have one active at a time. You may spend a ki point when a dance would end to extend it for 1 minute without losing the benefits of the dance.
You learn two dances at 3rd level, one at 6th level, one at 11th level and one at 17th level. You may select a dance from any level that you qualify for. When you gain an ASI, you may swap out one dance you know for one of equal or lower level, but you can know only one 17th level dance.
The Rules of the Dance
To enter a dance, you must be able to get the benefits of your martial arts feature.
Dances work exactly like concentration spells.
You can continue to dance while grappled, but not while restrained or immobilized.
If you are knocked prone, you must get up on your next turn or the dance ends.
If you cast a non-cantrip spell, the dance ends. Dance effects that mimic spell do not end dances.
If a dance requires a save, it uses your Ki save DC.
If a dance gives the benefits of a specific spell, it counts as that spell and does not stack with other castings.
Spell effects are “cast” and saves made when you begin the dance.
Dances cannot be counter-spelled but can be dispelled. Spell effects of dances cease to function in antimagic fields. A dance’s effect has the spell level of the spell it mimics.
If a dance creates a spell effect that would be harmful to you, it instead excludes you.
3rd level Dances
Dance of the Crushing Python - This overwhelming form transfers the power of your movements to your blows. It grants you the following benefits when you attack:
As long as you move 10 feet toward a target before making an attack, you have advantage on the attack.
If you use your flurry of blows, the target must make a Dexterity save or be knocked prone.
You can push a creature hit 10 feet away from you if it is no more than one size bigger than you.
Dance of the Floating Step – You move as elegantly and lightly as a fairy in the wind. While this dance is active you gain the benefits of the zephyr strike spell, you cannot be knocked prone, you ignore difficult terrain, and you do not activate traps on floors.
Dance of the Mirror/Mirage Mamba - This dance channels the mystical energies used to weave illusion magic. This dance creates a silent image effect. At 8th level, you may spend an additional 2 ki points when entering this dance to create a major image effect instead. The silent image and major image effects can be broken up into a number of identical medium-sized (or smaller) creatures equal to your PB that are capable of dancing (they do not have to dance). Also, you permanently learn the minor illusion cantrip.
Dance of Divine Grace – This inspiring dance fortifies you and your allies with supernatural bravery. You and a number of additional creatures up to your PB gain the effects of the bless spell.
Dance of Spring’s Dawn – This comforting dance channels the nurturing natural energies, granting you fey-like healing ability. While performing this dance, you can use your action to touch a number of willing creatures equal to the number of attacks you can make with your attack action. You may not touch the same creature more than once each turn. Each touch heals a number of hit points equal to your martial arts die + your Charisma modifier. After the first time you use this healing, you can repeat it on subsequent turns by spending a ki point. If you make an attack that deals damage, this dance ends.
I thought this was OP at first too. Also, keep in mind, this requires concentration, you cannot attack, you must touch each creature, and these calculations are using ki only to heal, no dashing, no dodging, no stuns, no flurry. This is an emergency in combat and a ki dump before a short rest ability. While similar to Hand of Healing from Way of Mercy, you do not have the harm option here.
You can use the healing for a total number of rounds equal to your ki pool since you get one free use from the dance (that costs 1 ki to enter). Calculations are per short rest (SR). Assuming 16 Cha starting, boosting Cha to 20 by 12th. This assumes ALL ki points are spent on this dance. Each ki you spend not healing in this dance reduces the short rest HP amount by 3/14/18/22 at each martial arts die increase.
L3 – 1d4+3 per round for 3 rounds - Avg 18 hp/SR (Fighter 3, 16 con avg 31 HP)
L5 – 1d6+3 x 2 for 5 rounds – Avg 70 hp (at most 35 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 5, 16 con avg 58 HP)
L11 – 1d8+4 x 2 for 11 rounds – Avg 198 hp (at most 99 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 11, 18 con avg 124 HP)
L17 – 1d10+5 x 2 for 17 rounds – Avg 374 hp (at most 187 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 17, 20 con avg 191 HP)
Assuming 2 short rests before a long rest per day is 36 hp at 3rd level; 120 at 5th; 396 at 11th and 748 at 17th
VS Other notable heals per day:
Goodberry healing w/life cleric, all slots spent on goodberry – L3 6x40 = 240 HP; L5 9x40 = 450 HP; L11 16x40 = 640 HP; L17 22x40 = 880 HP.
Aura of vitality = 20d6 or 80 per cast 3/day = 240 at L. Bard 6+/Pally 11 + 55 lay on hands = 295 for the paladin.
Twinned-heal Divine Soul Sorc: 140 hp (70x2 creatures) 1/day at 11th, 2/day (290) at 13th, 3/day (318+100) at 18th
Mass Cure Wounds
9th Lvl is 3d8+5 (avg 20) x 6 creatures = 120 HP (20HP/each)
10th is 240 HP at 10th(40/ea)
11th is 240+150 (6th upcast) = 390 (65/ea)
17th is 240 + 150 (6th) + 180 (7th) + 210 (8th) + 240 (9th) = 870 HP (145/ea to 6)
Mass Heal spell = 700 HP over any number of creatures (plus healing from other slots)
6th level Dances
Dance of the Aurora –When you start this dance you generate a faerie fire effect centered on you that moves with you. At 8th level, you may instead spend an additional 2 ki points to create a hypnotic pattern effect, but it must originate from you.
Dance of Midnight – This quiet, hypnotic dance obscures the very air around you. When you begin this dance, choose either blur or silence, you gain the effects of that spell while you perform this dance. The silence effect is centered on you and moves with you.
Dance of the Nymph – This mystical dance enthralls and influences with supernatural charms. This dance produces either a clam emotions effect or a charm person effect. The charm person effect can target a total number of creatures equal to your PB. At 10th level, you may spend 3 additional ki points when entering this dance to instead gain a charm monster effect, but it only targets one creature.
Dance of the Willow Whisp – This bright dance draws your ki outward, granting you a magical ranged attack. For the duration of the dance, can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Charisma modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is your martial arts die.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action. When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action. You may not use flurry of blows while in this dance.
I felt this may be a good add
11th level Dances
Dance of the Springing Tiger – This ferocious dance mimics the movements of an attacking tiger. This dance grants you a 10 foot bonus to your speed (stack with unarmored movement) and you cannot be shoved or knocked prone. Twice during this dance, you can spend 4 ki points as an action to duplicate the steel wind strike spell. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of the Soaring Eagle – An uplifting dance that gives you a fly speed equal to your walking speed and the benefits of the zephyr strike spell while this dance is active.
Dances of the Elemental Veil
You permanently gain the listed cantrip when you learn one of these dances, Charisma is your spellcasting stat for it.
Dance of the Earth Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this strengthening dance which grants you a stoneskin effect. You learn the mold earth cantrip.
Dance of the Flame Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this wild dance that grants you a fire shield effect. Once per turn, you can add the shield's damage to one attack you make on a creature within 5 feet. You learn the control flame cantrip.
Dance of the Moonlight Veil – You must spend 3 ki points to enter this wavey dance that grants you a spirit shroud effect. You learn the mage hand cantrip.
For the Stoneskin, fire shield and spirit shroud dances, I was thinking of making these effects “You can spend an number of additional ki points up to your PB to affect an equal number of additional creatures within 30 feet of you”
Dance of the Water Veil – You must spend 5 ki points to enter this flowing dance. Water quickly gathers around you as you dance creating a maelstrom effect centered on you (this effect excludes you). You learn the shape water cantrip.
Dance of the Wind Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this breezy dance. When you enter this dance, you create either a gust of wind or wind wall effect. You may change between the two as a bonus action each turn. The effects also deal damage equal to your martial arts die + your Charisma modifier to creatures who enter or start their turn in the area. You learn the gust cantrip.
17th level Dances
Dance of the Roaring Storm/Tempest Tango – The moves of this twisting dance are almost too fast for the naked eye to see. You must spend 7 ki points to enter this dance. You pull in massive gusts of air as you dance, then release the energy to create a whirlwind, as the spell, effect centered on you. The whirlwind moves with you instead of at your direction. You gain a fly speed equal to your land speed inside this whirlwind. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of Death's Embrace - A vicious and deadly dance, only know to the greatest of battledancers. Before you attack a creature, you may spend 3 ki points and make a Performance check vs the target’s AC. If you make the check, each hit against the target this turn is a critical hit. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of the Void – Your heartbreaking movements create swirls of entropic blackness that form a 10 foot radius sphere around you. The area within the sphere is under the effects of an antimagic field as long as you maintain the dance. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Battledancer - A Monk Tradition
Attempt at a 5e version of the 3.5 Battledancer from PHB II. A Charisma-based monk that has a very capoeira/gipsy/elegant fighter feel. This started as a direct port, but the more I looked at other traditions and the base class, I realized it needed to be more unique and fun.
Balance-wise I’m looking for a concentration gish feel with support utility. Almost a concentration version of way of the four elements.
The dance mechanic is a concertation mechanic that uses ki points to enter dances and to use some of the dance abilities. You can cast cantrips while dancing, but any other spell breaks the dance.
The dance abilities may be slightly more powerful than some other tradition features, but the addition of concentration and the use of ki points should balance it out. This also helps limit the abuse in multi-classing.
Open to cutting/combining dances.
Most dances have a lower-level ability but later allow you to spend additional ki points for stringer effects.
For the dances that mimic spells, I tried to make the spells it mimics concentration to
I’m a little worried about balance with MC Paladin, Warlock or Rogue. I’d appreciate any advice on how to word abilities to limit too much abuse.
PB = Proficiency bonus
3e class for reference https://dndtools.net/classes/battle-dancer/
Free-spirited and inspired by life around them, battledancers often have more in common with bards and entertainers than other martial classes. The training and philosophy of battledancing lends itself to free-spirited chaotic-aligned creatures, but the style counts almost every alignment among its ranks.
Battledancers can be found in many places in the world such as performance troupes, a circus, as a court jester, a flashy combatant in local areas, sailing the high seas, as a seductive assassin, or moonlight hero. While they are performers publicly, most battledancers are adept at keeping their deadlier skills hidden from view.
Feel free to flush out your dancing style. Are you a capoeira fighter? A ballerina? A belly dancer? A break-dancer? A warforged that does the robot? How do your dances look outside of combat? What do they look like in combat? Does your dance create energy patterns? Do you use the same dance moves to entertain as you do to fight? Do you keep your battledancer skills hidden from most? Are you a teacher? Spy? Assassin? A good old-fashioned entertainer? A mix of these?
The Dance is Life (First Level)
Unlike most monastic traditions, battledancing begins at first level, but the tradition’s dances are not gained until third level. At 1st level, all monk abilities that normally use Wisdom (or modifier) now use Charisma, including your Ki save DC.
You gain proficiency in the Performance skill. Your skill at dancing is good enough to earn some coin in the town square, be asked to perform by a traveling troupe, or land a gig at all but the highest-end taverns or theatres you come across. Traveling entertainment troops usually recognize you as a skilled dancer, but not necessarily a battledancer. You may also use your Performance skill in place of Persuasion if you use your dancing to influence a creature, such as performing for royalty.
If you use a battledance in a performance for pay or tips, you gain advantage on any checks made that would increase pay or tips for that performance. Be careful when using dances that produce charms or similar effects. Once you stop dancing, creatures will know if something happened to them.
Monastic Tradition: Battledancing
At 3rd level, you begin to learn mystical battledances. Beginning a dance is a bonus action that costs 1 ki point (or more depending on the dance). Each dance lasts for 1 minute and maintaining a dance requires your concertation, so you may only have one active at a time. You may spend a ki point when a dance would end to extend it for 1 minute without losing the benefits of the dance.
You learn two dances at 3rd level, one at 6th level, one at 11th level and one at 17th level. You may select a dance from any level that you qualify for. When you gain an ASI, you may swap out one dance you know for one of equal or lower level, but you can know only one 17th level dance.
The Rules of the Dance
To enter a dance, you must be able to get the benefits of your martial arts feature.
Dances work exactly like concentration spells.
You can continue to dance while grappled, but not while restrained or immobilized.
If you are knocked prone, you must get up on your next turn or the dance ends.
If you cast a non-cantrip spell, the dance ends. Dance effects that mimic spell do not end dances.
If a dance requires a save, it uses your Ki save DC.
If a dance gives the benefits of a specific spell, it counts as that spell and does not stack with other castings.
Spell effects are “cast” and saves made when you begin the dance.
Dances cannot be counter-spelled but can be dispelled. Spell effects of dances cease to function in antimagic fields. A dance’s effect has the spell level of the spell it mimics.
If a dance creates a spell effect that would be harmful to you, it instead excludes you.
3rd level Dances
Dance of the Crushing Python - This overwhelming form transfers the power of your movements to your blows. It grants you the following benefits when you attack:
As long as you move 10 feet toward a target before making an attack, you have advantage on the attack.
If you use your flurry of blows, the target must make a Dexterity save or be knocked prone.
You can push a creature hit 10 feet away from you if it is no more than one size bigger than you.
Dance of the Floating Step – You move as elegantly and lightly as a fairy in the wind. While this dance is active you gain the benefits of the zephyr strike spell, you cannot be knocked prone, you ignore difficult terrain, and you do not activate traps on floors.
Dance of the Mirror/Mirage Mamba - This dance channels the mystical energies used to weave illusion magic. This dance creates a silent image effect. At 8th level, you may spend an additional 2 ki points when entering this dance to create a major image effect instead. The silent image and major image effects can be broken up into a number of identical medium-sized (or smaller) creatures equal to your PB that are capable of dancing (they do not have to dance). Also, you permanently learn the minor illusion cantrip.
Dance of Divine Grace – This inspiring dance fortifies you and your allies with supernatural bravery. You and a number of additional creatures up to your PB gain the effects of the bless spell.
Dance of Spring’s Dawn – This comforting dance channels the nurturing natural energies, granting you fey-like healing ability. While performing this dance, you can use your action to touch a number of willing creatures equal to the number of attacks you can make with your attack action. You may not touch the same creature more than once each turn. Each touch heals a number of hit points equal to your martial arts die + your Charisma modifier. After the first time you use this healing, you can repeat it on subsequent turns by spending a ki point. If you make an attack that deals damage, this dance ends.
I thought this was OP at first too. Also, keep in mind, this requires concentration, you cannot attack, you must touch each creature, and these calculations are using ki only to heal, no dashing, no dodging, no stuns, no flurry. This is an emergency in combat and a ki dump before a short rest ability. While similar to Hand of Healing from Way of Mercy, you do not have the harm option here.
You can use the healing for a total number of rounds equal to your ki pool since you get one free use from the dance (that costs 1 ki to enter). Calculations are per short rest (SR). Assuming 16 Cha starting, boosting Cha to 20 by 12th. This assumes ALL ki points are spent on this dance. Each ki you spend not healing in this dance reduces the short rest HP amount by 3/14/18/22 at each martial arts die increase.
L3 – 1d4+3 per round for 3 rounds - Avg 18 hp/SR (Fighter 3, 16 con avg 31 HP)
L5 – 1d6+3 x 2 for 5 rounds – Avg 70 hp (at most 35 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 5, 16 con avg 58 HP)
L11 – 1d8+4 x 2 for 11 rounds – Avg 198 hp (at most 99 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 11, 18 con avg 124 HP)
L17 – 1d10+5 x 2 for 17 rounds – Avg 374 hp (at most 187 to 1 creature)/SR (Fighter 17, 20 con avg 191 HP)
Assuming 2 short rests before a long rest per day is 36 hp at 3rd level; 120 at 5th; 396 at 11th and 748 at 17th
VS Other notable heals per day:
Goodberry healing w/life cleric, all slots spent on goodberry – L3 6x40 = 240 HP; L5 9x40 = 450 HP; L11 16x40 = 640 HP; L17 22x40 = 880 HP.
Aura of vitality = 20d6 or 80 per cast 3/day = 240 at L. Bard 6+/Pally 11 + 55 lay on hands = 295 for the paladin.
Twinned-heal Divine Soul Sorc: 140 hp (70x2 creatures) 1/day at 11th, 2/day (290) at 13th, 3/day (318+100) at 18th
Mass Cure Wounds
9th Lvl is 3d8+5 (avg 20) x 6 creatures = 120 HP (20HP/each)
10th is 240 HP at 10th(40/ea)
11th is 240+150 (6th upcast) = 390 (65/ea)
17th is 240 + 150 (6th) + 180 (7th) + 210 (8th) + 240 (9th) = 870 HP (145/ea to 6)
Mass Heal spell = 700 HP over any number of creatures (plus healing from other slots)
6th level Dances
Dance of the Aurora –When you start this dance you generate a faerie fire effect centered on you that moves with you. At 8th level, you may instead spend an additional 2 ki points to create a hypnotic pattern effect, but it must originate from you.
Dance of Midnight – This quiet, hypnotic dance obscures the very air around you. When you begin this dance, choose either blur or silence, you gain the effects of that spell while you perform this dance. The silence effect is centered on you and moves with you.
Dance of the Nymph – This mystical dance enthralls and influences with supernatural charms. This dance produces either a clam emotions effect or a charm person effect. The charm person effect can target a total number of creatures equal to your PB. At 10th level, you may spend 3 additional ki points when entering this dance to instead gain a charm monster effect, but it only targets one creature.
Dance of the Willow Whisp – This bright dance draws your ki outward, granting you a magical ranged attack. For the duration of the dance, can hurl searing bolts of magical radiance. This special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Charisma modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is radiant, and its damage die is your martial arts die.
When you take the Attack action on your turn and use this special attack as part of it, you can spend 1 ki point to make the special attack twice as a bonus action. When you gain the Extra Attack feature, this special attack can be used for any of the attacks you make as part of the Attack action. You may not use flurry of blows while in this dance.
I felt this may be a good add
11th level Dances
Dance of the Springing Tiger – This ferocious dance mimics the movements of an attacking tiger. This dance grants you a 10 foot bonus to your speed (stack with unarmored movement) and you cannot be shoved or knocked prone. Twice during this dance, you can spend 4 ki points as an action to duplicate the steel wind strike spell. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of the Soaring Eagle – An uplifting dance that gives you a fly speed equal to your walking speed and the benefits of the zephyr strike spell while this dance is active.
Dances of the Elemental Veil
You permanently gain the listed cantrip when you learn one of these dances, Charisma is your spellcasting stat for it.
Dance of the Earth Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this strengthening dance which grants you a stoneskin effect. You learn the mold earth cantrip.
Dance of the Flame Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this wild dance that grants you a fire shield effect. Once per turn, you can add the shield's damage to one attack you make on a creature within 5 feet. You learn the control flame cantrip.
Dance of the Moonlight Veil – You must spend 3 ki points to enter this wavey dance that grants you a spirit shroud effect. You learn the mage hand cantrip.
For the Stoneskin, fire shield and spirit shroud dances, I was thinking of making these effects “You can spend an number of additional ki points up to your PB to affect an equal number of additional creatures within 30 feet of you”
Dance of the Water Veil – You must spend 5 ki points to enter this flowing dance. Water quickly gathers around you as you dance creating a maelstrom effect centered on you (this effect excludes you). You learn the shape water cantrip.
Dance of the Wind Veil – You must spend 4 ki points to enter this breezy dance. When you enter this dance, you create either a gust of wind or wind wall effect. You may change between the two as a bonus action each turn. The effects also deal damage equal to your martial arts die + your Charisma modifier to creatures who enter or start their turn in the area. You learn the gust cantrip.
17th level Dances
Dance of the Roaring Storm/Tempest Tango – The moves of this twisting dance are almost too fast for the naked eye to see. You must spend 7 ki points to enter this dance. You pull in massive gusts of air as you dance, then release the energy to create a whirlwind, as the spell, effect centered on you. The whirlwind moves with you instead of at your direction. You gain a fly speed equal to your land speed inside this whirlwind. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of Death's Embrace - A vicious and deadly dance, only know to the greatest of battledancers. Before you attack a creature, you may spend 3 ki points and make a Performance check vs the target’s AC. If you make the check, each hit against the target this turn is a critical hit. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.
Dance of the Void – Your heartbreaking movements create swirls of entropic blackness that form a 10 foot radius sphere around you. The area within the sphere is under the effects of an antimagic field as long as you maintain the dance. You may not use this dance again until you finish a long rest.