Mystic Dancer (D&D Bard variant)

Unofficial rules compendium

The body is the vessel of the soul, and the movements of the body can be used to channel magical energy into the world and into physical perfection. The dance mystic lives to make this true and to perfect himself through the dance.

A dance mystic is variant bard with some monk features. Like a monk, the dance mystic prefers to fight without armor. Like a bard, he can use perform to influence and inspire those nearby but is specialized in dance rather than music or recitation.

Alignment

Any.

Hit Die

d6.

Class Skills

The dance mystic’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Jump (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Mystic Dancer

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Unarmed Damage	AC Bonus	Class Abilities
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	1d6	0	Mystic dance, fascinate, inspire courage +1, Mobility, Improved Unarmed Strike
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	1d6	0
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	1d6	0	Entice
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	1d8	0
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	1d8	1
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	1d8	1	Whirling Strike
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	1d8	1
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	1d10	1	Inspire courage +2
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	1d10	1	Inspire greatness
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	1d10	2
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	1d10	2
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	2d6	2	Dance of freedom, Inspire greatness (2 targets)
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	2d6	2
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	2d6	2	Inspire courage +3
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	2d6	3	Inspire heroics, Inspire greatness (3), Inspire Heroics (2)
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	2d8	3
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	2d8	3
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	2d8	3	Whirling Strike (2 attacks), Inspire greatness (4), Inspire Heroics (3)
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	2d8	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	2d10	4	Inspire courage +4

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dance mystic.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A dance mystic is proficient with the club, dagger, dart, falchion, flail, kukiri, quarterstaff, sap, scimitar, shuriken, and whip. Dance mystics are not proficient with any armor or shields.

Spells

A dance mystic casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a dance mystic must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a dance mystic’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the dance mystic’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a dance mystic can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Dance Mystic Spells. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. Table: Dance Mystic Spells indicates that the dance mystic gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.

The dance mystic’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A dance mystic begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice. At most new dance mystic levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Dance Mystic Spells. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a dance mystic knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Dance Mystic Spells are fixed.)

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third dance mystic level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a dance mystic can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the dance mystic "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level dance mystic spell the dance mystic can cast. A dance mystic may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

As noted above, a dance mystic need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level.

Table: Dance Mystic Spells

Level	Spells Per Day							Spells Known
	Zero	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	Zero	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
2	3	0	—	—	—	—	—	5	2*	—	—	—	—	—
3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	6	3	—	—	—	—	—
4	3	2	0	—	—	—	—	6	3	2*	—	—	—	—
5	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	6	4	3	—	—	—	—
6	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	6	4	3	—	—	—	—
7	3	3	2	0	—	—	—	6	4	4	2*	—	—	—
8	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	6	4	4	3	—	—	—
9	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	6	4	4	3	—	—	—
10	3	3	3	2	0	—	—	6	4	4	4	2*	—	—
11	3	3	3	3	1	—	—	6	4	4	4	3	—	—
12	3	3	3	3	2	—	—	6	4	4	4	3	—	—
13	3	3	3	3	2	0	—	6	4	4	4	4	2*	—
14	4	3	3	3	3	1	—	6	4	4	4	4	3	—
15	4	4	3	3	3	2	—	6	4	4	4	4	3	—
16	4	4	4	3	3	2	0	6	5	4	4	4	4	2*
17	4	4	4	4	3	3	1	6	5	5	4	4	4	3
18	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	6	5	5	5	4	4	3
19	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	6	5	5	5	5	4	4
20	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	6	5	5	5	5	5	4

AC Bonus (Ex)

When unarmored and unencumbered, the dance mystic adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a dance mystic gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five dance mystic levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the dance mystic is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Unarmed Strike

At 1st level, a dance mystic gains Mobility and Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A dance mystic’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a dance mystic may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a dance mystic striking unarmed. A dance mystic may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes. Usually a dance mystic’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. A dance mystic’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. A dance mystic also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown on Table: The Dance mystic. The unarmed damage on Table: The Dance mystic is for Medium dance mystics. A Small dance mystic deals less damage than the amount given there with her unarmed attacks, while a Large dance mystic deals more damage; see Table: Small or Large Dance mystic Unarmed Damage.

Table: Small or Large Dance mystic Unarmed Damage

Level	Damage (Small Dance Mystic)	Damage(Large Dance Mystic)
1st-3rd	1d4	1d8
4th-7th	1d6	2d6
8th-11th	1d8	2d8
12th-15th	1d10	3d6
16th-19th	2d6	3d8
20th	2d8	4d8

Mystic Dances

Once per day per dance mystic level, a dance mystic can use his dance to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). Each ability requires both a minimum dance mystic level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform (dance) skill to qualify; if a dance mystic does not have the required number of ranks, he does not gain the mystic dance ability until he acquires the needed ranks.

Starting a mystic dance effect is a standard action. Beginning one dance ends any other dance the mystic dancer is performing. Maintaining a mystic dance requires that the dance mystic continues to dance, moving at least ten feet each round. It is impossible to maintain a mystic dance when fatigued, entangled, bound, helpless, prone, climbing, swimming (if lacking a climb or swim speed) in a constrained space, or otherwise in a situation where you are unable to move freely or denied your dexterity bonus to armor class (except against specific opponents). Maintaining a mystic dance is draining; doing so for more than your Constitution score in minutes causes fatigue.

Mystic dances are variations on bardic music abilities. Any feat or ability that affects a bardic music ability that corresponds to a mystic dance also benefits that mystic dance.

Fascinate (Sp)

A dance mystic with 3 or more ranks in a Perform (dance) skill can use his dance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see the dance mystic, and able to pay attention to him. The dance mystic must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a dance mystic attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.

To use the ability, a dance mystic makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the dance mystic cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and watches the dance, taking no other actions for as long as the dance mystic continues to dance. While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the dance mystic to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result.

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Courage (Su)

A dance mystic with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use dance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to see the dance mystic dance. The effect lasts for as long as the ally sees the dance mystic dance and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six dance mystic levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Entice (Su)

A dance mystic of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use dance to force opponents to focus on him. Each creature to be enticed must be within 30 feet, able to see the dance mystic, and able to pay attention to him. The dance mystic must also be able to see the creature. The dance mystic can entice one target per three class levels with a single use of this ability, and enticement lasts as long as the dance mystic dances and for five rounds afterwards. Affected creatures must make a Will save (DC 10 +Charisma bonus +½ Dance mystics level) or be unable to attack anyone but the dance mystic. An enticed target cannot use any attack that affects targets and not include the dance mystic in the effect. Area effects and personal effects are not included. While enticed, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Entice is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Greatness (Su)

A dance mystic of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use dance to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability. For every three levels a dance mystic attains beyond 9th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 12th level, three at 15th, four at 18th). To inspire greatness, a dance mystic must dance and an ally must see him dance. The effect lasts for as long as the ally sees the dance mystic dance and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.

Dance of Freedom (Sp)

A dance mystic of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use dance to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s dance mystic level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted dance, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A dance mystic can’t use dance of freedom on himself.

Inspire Heroics (Su)

A dance mystic of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use dance to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet. For every three dance mystic levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, a dance mystic must dance and an ally must see the dance mystic dance. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally sees the dance mystic dance and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability.

Whirling Strike

At sixth level, in any round in which the mystic dancer moves at least 10 ft., he gets to make one melee attack per round as a free action. At level 18, this becomes two free melee attacks.