Dancing Sword: any reason why you couldn't use several at once?

[Unoriginal]

Hi everyone!


I read something about an anime character using several flying weapons at once, and I was wondering if there was something in 5e preventing it?

Granted, Dancing Sword requires an attunement slot, so for most character it would be limited at 3 Dancing Swords, and both being Very Rare and requiring a bonus action per Sword to activate them while in combat doesn't make the idea practical, but I'm more checking if there was something outright preventing it.


The Flying Sword monster could be used for this concept in a more practical fashion, but I don't think there is a way for PCs to summon them without homebrew. And of course, Animate Object could be used for it, but swords aren't exactly the best targets for this spell nor is using a 5th level spell slot to do it cheap.

[Mellack]

It takes a bonus action to make it attack. So while you could have up to three floating after 3 rounds, you can only make one of them attack each round.

[RSP]

It takes a bonus action to make it attack. So while you could have up to three floating after 3 rounds, you can only make one of them attack each round.

Similar issue if adding in a Spiritual Weapon to the mix: takes a BA to use.

Off the top of my head, maybe use BA for Dancing Sword attack, then Ready Action to use SW’s attack (or vice versa), assuming your DM won’t just allow a BA in place of a Action.

Likewise, if really wanting two Dancing Swords, use Ready for one of those attacks.

[Unoriginal]

It takes a bonus action to make it attack. So while you could have up to three floating after 3 rounds, you can only make one of them attack each round.

You are 100% right. Seems I skipped the part about the Dancing Sword's attack happening as part of the same BA as commanding it to move when I re-read the item's text.

[Joe the Rat]

That pretty well nips it. It might be useful if you wanted to be able to alternate hitting people in different directions, but that's kinda niche.


The Flying Sword monster could be used for this concept in a more practical fashion, but I don't think there is a way for PCs to summon them without homebrew. And of course, Animate Object could be used for it, but swords aren't exactly the best targets for this spell nor is using a 5th level spell slot to do it cheap.
They'd work as well as any other tiny object, though I'd be more inclined to use daggers. Carrying ten daggers would be notable, but not as strange as carrying ten swords.

You might be able to use tiny servant as a foundation to develop a semi-autonomous flying sword spell.

[Damon_Tor]

I have a player who uses Animate Objects to animate a collection of shortswords and scimitars to this effect. I allow them to deal 1d6 damage (up from 1d4 as tiny objects) because they are "wielding themselves". In theory it makes an already strong spell a stronger, but there are a number of reasons why summoning spells in general are weak at my table die the how I build my high level encounters and how I play my NPCs. As such animate objects is rarely as good at the table as it would be in a white room.

[Kane0]

You are 100% right. Seems I skipped the part about the Dancing Sword's attack happening as part of the same BA as commanding it to move when I re-read the item's text.

You could be an artificer for the extra attunements, and check with your DM if you could make a custom infusion to command multiple minions with the same BA.

[Psyren]

I read something about an anime character using several flying weapons at once, and I was wondering if there was something in 5e preventing it?


What about Cloud of Daggers or Blade Barrier, placed somewhere in front of you?

Alternatively you could refluff something like a Swarmkeeper Ranger to be tiny knives, or sharp metal birds.

[HPisBS]

... The Flying Sword monster could be used for this concept in a more practical fashion, but I don't think there is a way for PCs to summon them without homebrew....

Sure there is. The only problem is that it's a 9th level spell: True Polymorph.

[Unoriginal]

What about Cloud of Daggers or Blade Barrier, placed somewhere in front of you?

A different concept, but I guess you could starts with Sword Burst, then go Cloud of Daggers, Blade Barrier, Mordenkainen's Sword and finish with Blade of Disaster.


Sure there is. The only problem is that it's a 9th level spell: True Polymorph.

Not summoning, though.

Guess you could summon a creature and True Polymorph them.

[HPisBS]

Not summoning, though.

Guess you could summon a creature and True Polymorph them.

Why does that matter? You wouldn't be summoning Dancing Swords, either....

[Unoriginal]

Why does that matter? You wouldn't be summoning Dancing Swords, either....

Most summoned creatures have to obey the summoner. If you turn something not under your control into a Flying Sword, the FS won't be under your control either.

[NaughtyTiger]

An item can be attuned to only one creature at a time, and a creature can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; the creature must end its attunement to an item first. Additionally, a creature can't attune to more than one copy of an item.

you can only attune to a single dancing sword.

[Unoriginal]

you can only attune to a single dancing sword.

I keep forgetting that rule. Thanks NaughtyTiger.

What happens if you have the same magic item but put on a different weapon, though? Like one is a scimitar and the other is a long sword.

[HPisBS]

Most summoned creatures have to obey the summoner. If you turn something not under your control into a Flying Sword, the FS won't be under your control either.

Look at its fluff text

[RSP]

I keep forgetting that rule. Thanks NaughtyTiger.

What happens if you have the same magic item but put on a different weapon, though? Like one is a scimitar and the other is a long sword.

Technically, a scimitar is not a copy of a long sword so I’d say you’re fine.

It still doesn’t really do anything for you though.