Bard College
At 3rd level, the bard gains the Bard College feature. If your DM allows, you can choose the following option: the College of Dance.
The Dancer
To be a Bard is to create. To create art and invoke emotion within those who perceive it. Music is powerful in this way, as music has the ability to communicate emotion and power to any creature that hears it. So if one where to embody music, their form would carry that innate magic, would it not? This is the philosophy shared by Bards of the College of Dance.
Features
College of Dance Features
| Bard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Warding Beauty, Dance Arcanum |
| 6th | Dazzling Confidence |
| 14th | Dance Together, Crowd Pleaser |
Warding Beauty
Upon taking this archetype at 3rd level, you gain an unarmored defense equal to 10 + CHA Modifier + DEX Modifier. You may not wield a shield and benefit from this feature.
Dance Arcanum
Also beginning at 3rd level, you no longer need a spellcasting focus when casting your Bard spells so long as you are dancing as a part of your somatic components. Additionally, you learn to create unique magical effects with your dances. You gain access to the dance styles described in Appendix A at the end of this document.
Dazzling Confidence
Beginning at 6th level, the power of your personality radiates forth and influences those around you. You learn to impose your personality on the world around you in new ways. You may invoke one of the waltz styles described in Appendix B as an action.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Dance Together
Beginning at 14th level, you have mastered the art of your dance to such an extent that you can impart that knowledge on others. When you use one your Dance Arcanum feature to invoke a dance style, you may select a creature within 30 feet of you to also gain the benefits of that dance style.
Crowd Pleaser
Also beginning at 14th level, you have learned to draw power from your audience. For every friendly creature within 15 feet of you, you add +1 to your Bardic Inspiration Dice rolls. (For example, if you have 3 friendly creatures within 15 feet of you, your Bardic Inspiration Die becomes 1d10 + 3, or 1d12 + 3 as of 15th level.)
Appendix A: Dance Styles
Bards of the College of Dance can produce the following effects with their Dance Arcanum feature:
- Blade Dance: Your dance evokes the elegance and hostility of the mighty Viper. If a creature makes a melee attack against you, regardless of if they hit or miss, you may make a single weapon attack against that creature as a reaction. When making this attack, you roll your Bardic Inspiration Die and add the value rolled to that attack's damage.
- Flame Dance: You evoke the power of your raw personality and impose it upon the world. As a part of a spell attack, you may expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration, rolling your Bardic Inspiration Die + your Charisma Modifier and adding the value rolled to the damage of that spell.
- Shielding Dance You embody the power of your muse. As a bonus action, you strike a pose of confidence and power, rolling your Bardic Inspiration Die and granting yourself temporary hit points equal to the value rolled + your CHA modifier. You lose these temporary hit points at the beginning of your next turn.
- Alluring Dance You embody the elegance and beauty of music momentarily. As an action, you may expend a Bardic Inspiration Die, forcing a single creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see and/or hear you to make a Wisdom Saving throw against your Bard spell save DC. On a failure, this creature may not target you directly with any weapon attacks or harmful spells until the beginning of your next turn. This does not effect area of effect spells, however. Any creature immune to the Charmed condition automatically passes this saving throw, and if the creature has advantage against Charm, they also have advantage on this saving throw.
- Wind Dance You lighten your steps, increasing the efficiency of your stride. As a bonus action, you may expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to dash or disengage.
- Manuevering Dance You use fancy footwork to outmanuever your opponents. As an action, you may expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration to increase your walking speed by 10 feet and increase your AC by a number equal to your proficiency bonus until the end of your next turn.
Appendix B: Waltz Styles
Bards of the College of Dance can produce the following effects with their Dazzling Confidence feature:
- Heroes Waltz You begin to dance, radiating an aura of certainty and safety. For the next minute, every time you or a friendly creature within 15 feet of you needs to make a saving throw, they may add your Charisma modifier to that saving throw. This effect ends early if you are knocked unconscious or die. (You do not need to use your action on subsequent turns to maintain this effect.)
- War Dance Your dance is violent and evocative of destruction and fury. For the next minute, you and every friendly creature within 15 feet of you may add your Charisma modifier as Radiant damage to the damage rolls of their weapon, unarmed or spell attacks. This effect ends early if you are knocked unconscious or die. (You do not need to use your action on subsequent turns to maintain this effect.)
- Entrancing Waltz Choose any number of creatures within 60 feet that can see you. Those creatures make a Charisma saving throw against your bard spell save DC. On a fail, they have disadvantage on attack rolls against you for the next minute.