College of Performance Bard
Where other bards focus on perfecting their art through musical instrument or song, you chose instead to perfect your art through dancing. Through the rhythmic movements of your body you can project feelings of amazement, courage and bravery onto your comrades, and feelings of fear and apprehension onto your enemies. While you may still learn how to use musical instruments or how to sing, the main skill you learn from the College of Performance is dance.
This particular school originates from Jhenta, where dance has been used for hundreds of years as a way of telling stories from history and mythology, before spreading out across other continents that adopted interpretive dance as a means of telling their own versions of history and stories. To some this use of dance is almost divine in nature, connecting them to their folklore heroes and deities and embodying their strength and ideals. The original Jhentanese name for these Performance Bards is Nataraja (Plural: Nataraji), and many native Jhentanese people still use this name despite the globalised name for the art.
When you first take this subclass you become proficient in unarmed strikes. At level three, your unarmed strike damage die is 1d4 + DEX modifier. You may also choose to use STR instead, and make this choice when you first choose the subclass. You can consult the Monk's martial arts damage die table to calculate your unarmed strike damage. You also become proficient in unarmoured defence; your AC is calculated from 8 + DEX + CHA. Wearing any armour or shields cancels this effect.
Additionally at third level, whenever you make a Performance check using dancing, your proficiency bonus for this skill check is doubled. Whenever you make a check to determine a particular school of dance your proficiency bonus is also doubled. Whenever you use a Bard ability that requires singing or playing a musical instrument you can instead choose to perform a dance to gain the same effect.
As you study the art of dance you are able to use it to embody several supernatural feats. Starting at third level you choose one dance to attune to, and at the end of a Short or Long Rest you are able to change which effects your dance has so long as you meet the level requirement. It takes a Bonus Action and one Bardic Inspiration point to perform the dance and begin the effect, and the effect lasts for one minute (or ten rounds). You can use another Bonus Action to end the effect of the dance early before being able to initiate a new dance.
Starting at sixth level you can use a Bonus Action to expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration on an ally or yourself to increase your movement speed by +30 feet until the start of the target's next turn. You can also learn two dance types at the same time, and replace one or both of them during a Short or Long Rest so long as you meet the level requirements for them. Your unarmed strikes also become magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances.
At 14th level you master your studies of the art of dancing. You no longer require a Bardic Inspiration point to begin a dance, however you still have to spend Bardic Inspiration points to heighten the effects. You can learn up to three dance types at the same time, and replace any of them during a Short or Long Rest.
Kathak
When you first take this subclass you become proficient in unarmed strikes. At level three, your unarmed strike damage die is 1d4 + DEX modifier. You may also choose to use STR instead, and make this choice when you first choose the subclass. You can consult the Monk's martial arts damage die table to calculate your unarmed strike damage. You also become proficient in unarmoured defence; your AC is calculated from 8 + DEX + CHA. Wearing any armour or shields cancels this effect.
Kathakali
Additionally at third level, whenever you make a Performance check using dancing, your proficiency bonus for this skill check is doubled. Whenever you make a check to determine a particular school of dance your proficiency bonus is also doubled. Whenever you use a Bard ability that requires singing or playing a musical instrument you can instead choose to perform a dance to gain the same effect.
Bharatanatyam
As you study the art of dance you are able to use it to embody several supernatural feats. Starting at third level you choose one dance to attune to, and at the end of a Short or Long Rest you are able to change which effects your dance has so long as you meet the level requirement. It takes a Bonus Action and one Bardic Inspiration point to perform the dance and begin the effect, and the effect lasts for one minute (or ten rounds). You can use another Bonus Action to end the effect of the dance early before being able to initiate a new dance.
| Dance Name | Required Level | Dance Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Flames of the Furious | 3rd Level | Your performance takes on a powerful, aggressive stance, with a lot of stomping and leaping. This burning, divine rage causes magical fire to spawn from your hands and feet, and you can use this to smite your enemies. These flames take on a colour of your choosing. Whenever you make and unarmed strike while under the effects of this dance you do an additional 1d6 Fire damage. You can use your Bardic Inspiration to increase the damage by 1d6 per Bardic Inspiration point spent. |
| Winds of the Welkin Wyrm | 3rd Level | Your dance takes on a curling, elegant performance as you embody a dragon diving in and out of the clouds. All allies within 10 feet of you gain a +10 foot movement speed bonus for the duration of this effect. Allies that are Deafened and/or Blinded are immune to this effect. |
| Lover's Lullaby | 3rd Level | Using a slow, intimate dance, you are able to cast the spell Sleep without any spell components or arcane focus, however the radius is always centred on you, but you are not affected by it. Otherwise it follows the same qualifications as the Sleep spell. You can use your Bardic Inspiration to increase the the number of die rolled by 1d8 per Bardic Inspiration point used. |
| Harrowing Haka | 5th Level | You perform a powerful haka which instils fear into the hearts of your enemies. After performing this dance, all enemies that you can see within 120 feet from you must make a CHA saving throw against your spell DC or become Frightened of you for the duration of the dance, and must immediately use their reaction to move as far away from you as possible, avoiding any danger or potential damage, including opportunity attacks. If they cannot move without taking damage they remain in place without moving. If they succeed the saving throw they become immune to this effect until the dance ends and you begin another dance. Deafened and/or Blinded enemies are immune to this effect. |
| Cavort of the Champion | 5th Level | You begin a spritely, energetic dance that inspires your team mates to do their best. All allies you can see within 30 feet of you become immune to the Frightened condition while under this dance effect. Additionally, whenever you or your affected allies make a Saving Throw or Death Saving Throw, they can add your CHA modifier to the roll. Allies that are Deafened and/or Blinded are immune to this effect. |
| Blessed Bolero | 7th Level | You begin a quick-stepping, sweeping dance that infuses your allies with divine energy. All allies you can see within 30 feet of you of your choice (up to your CHA modifier and a minimum of one) and including yourself are healed for 2d8 + your CHA modifier. You can increase the amount of die rolled by 1d8 per Bardic Inspiration point spent. After this initial wave of healing and while the dance effect remains, you can then use your subsequent Bonus Actions to give yourself and the allies of your choice within 30 feet of you (up to your CHA modifier and a minimum of one) 2d4 + your CHA modifier of Temporary HP. You can only have one source of Temporary HP, so this dance effect immediately removes any previous Temporary HP you or the targeted allies have regardless of which value is higher, including any Temporary HP gained from this dance effect from a previous Bonus Action. You can increase the amount of die rolled by 1d4 per Bardic Inspiration spent when you take this Bonus Action after the initial dance effect. Allies that are Deafened and/or Blinded are immune to this effect. |
| Sarabande's Shield | 7th Level | This slow, waltzing Molfercitan court dance inspires a sense of protection and justice in your allies. All allies you can see within 30 feet of you of your choice (up to your CHA modifier and a minimum of one) including yourself can use their Reaction to add your CHA modifier to their AC or to their Saving Throw roll against an enemy effect. This can be added before or after knowing if the enemy attack hits or if the Saving Throw roll fails, but not after damage die has been rolled or the effect has been applied. Once this effect has been used by yourself or an ally, it cannot be used again unless the initial dance finishes and you begin another dance. Allies that are Deafened and/or Blinded are immune to this effect. |
Mohiniyattam
Starting at sixth level you can use a Bonus Action to expend a use of your Bardic Inspiration on an ally or yourself to increase your movement speed by +30 feet until the start of the target's next turn. You can also learn two dance types at the same time, and replace one or both of them during a Short or Long Rest so long as you meet the level requirements for them. Your unarmed strikes also become magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances.
Sattriya
At 14th level you master your studies of the art of dancing. You no longer require a Bardic Inspiration point to begin a dance, however you still have to spend Bardic Inspiration points to heighten the effects. You can learn up to three dance types at the same time, and replace any of them during a Short or Long Rest.
