Author Topic: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer  (Read 3780 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Agita

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5465
  • SFT is mai waifu.
[PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« on: August 10, 2011, 06:55:49 PM »
Another collaboration with veekie. Layout shamelessly stolen from Uncle Kitteh.

VEILED DANCER


   A Veiled Dancer, preparing for combat and dancing.

 "Now pay attention. This is the Dance of the Nineteen Sages, and it'll be the last thing you see."

Dancers that employ articles of clothing like long flowing robes, shawls, ribbons or veils in their performance are common, but only those that take the idea to its conclusion are truly known as Veiled Dancers. Veiled Dancers claim that their movements resonate with the world itself, dancing with such abandon that wind and water, time and space fold around them to serve as veils in their dance.

BECOMING A VEILED DANCER
The most obvious entry is with levels in Bard, Rogue, Swashbuckler, or Swordsage, and most NPC Veiled Dancers have levels in some combination of these classes. However, entry is theoretically open to practically any class, and the class has good synergy with the Crusader, Paladin, and Warblade classes, among others.

 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
   Base Attack Bonus: +3.
   Feats:  Combat Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perform [Dance]).
   Skills:  Perform (Dance) 8 ranks, Tumble 8 ranks.


Class Skills
 The Veiled Dancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Survival (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at Each  Level : 6 + int

Hit Dice: d10

BABFortRefWillAbilities
1.+1+0+2+2Passionate Dance +1, Veiled Dance
2.+2+0+3+3Lotus Step, Veils as Water
3.+3+1+3+3Damage Bonus +1d6, Veils as Wind
4.+4+1+4+4Screen of Veils, Veils as Time
5.+5+1+4+4Cloud Step, Passionate Dance +2, Veils as Void

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Veiled Dancers are proficient with bladed scarves [Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide (3.5) or Inner Sea World Guide (PF)], collapsing crescent fans [Sandstorm], war fans [Arms and Equipment guide], whips [Player's Handbook], gnome battle cloaks [Races of Stone], and gnome twist cloth [Races of Stone]. They gain no additional proficiency in any other weapons, armor, or shields.

Passionate Dance (Su): A Veiled Dancer moves with unparalleled passion, working themselves into a frenzy and animating their allies to more reckless moves, stronger blows, faster reflexes. This ability works like a Bard's Inspire Courage ability, granting bonuses according to the table, except as described below. A Passionate Dance requires no musical performance, only dancing. Dancing in this way does not interfere with your movement or combat capabilities in any way. When you begin performing, you may move up to your speed using any movement mode you have access to as part of the action used to begin the performance. Your allies need not be able to hear you to gain the bonus, but they must be able to see you dance. You may use this ability once per day per veiled dancer level.
If you already have the Inspire Courage ability (or an equivalent ability with a different name) from another source, the bonus provided by Passionate Dance stacks with that provided by that ability, and you may activate both abilities as part of the same action. You may mix types of performances if required, but must dance in any case to receive the bonus from Passionate Dance. This ability counts as Inspire Courage for purposes of all feats, items, spells, and so on that reference that ability (such as Snowflake Wardance or Inspirational Boost).

Veiled Dance (Ex): With fast steps, flashing veils, and the occasional seductive move, veiled dancers are experts and diverting their opponents' attention from what they are actually doing. You may feint as a swift action, using Perform (Dance) in place of Bluff.

Lotus Step (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a veiled dancer learns to step lightly and quickly enough to move across water. So long as you are physically dancing (not necessarily using the Passionate Dance ability), you may move on liquid surfaces as if they were solid ground, as the Water Walk spell. In addition, you gain a swim speed equal to your land speed. If you already have a swim speed, use the better of your speeds.

Veils as Water (Ex): At 2nd level, you begin unlocking the true art of the veiled dancers. With movement and positioning as fluid and flexible as water, hiding your steps behind a veil until they are already finished, you can threaten a much larger area than your stature or weapons might indicate. While performing a Passionate Dance, your reach increases by 5 feet. Starting at level 4, your reach increases by 10 feet instead while performing a Passionate Dance.This increased reach is not due to any stretching of your limbs or weapons, but due to the fluidity and swiftness of your movements.

Damage bonus (Ex): At 3rd level, the extra damage you deal with your Sneak Attack, Skirmish, or Sudden Strike ability increases by +1d6. If you have more than one of these abilities, only one ability gains this increase.
If you have none of these abilities, you instead gain Skirmish +1d6.

Veils as Wind (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a veiled dancer's movements stir the winds themselves, wrapping them around herself like so many more veils, and whipping them about as extensions of her own body. While performing a Passionate Dance, you may control the winds in an area around yourself as if using a Control Winds spell with a caster level equal to your character level. Altering the winds' strength and direction requires only a free action and no concentration, and may be done once per round. You yourself may choose to be unaffected by the winds, and you may choose for any allies benefiting from your Passionate Dance to remain unaffected as well.

Screen of Veils (Ex): From 4th level on, a veiled dancer's reflexes are so acute that even swinging a weapon is not safe within her reach. When a creature makes an attack within your reach, even a melee attack, you may make an attack of opportunity against that creature as an immediate action. This does not count toward your regular limit on attacks of opportunity per round.

Veils as Time (Su): At 4th level, a veiled dancer lears to wear time itself as a veil, twisting the relations of cause and effect with casual ease. While performing a Passionate Dance, any attacks of opportunity you make resolve before the action that provoked them. If the attack of opportunity somehow renders the target unable to perform the provoking action, the action is wasted.

Cloud Step (Su): At 5th level, a veiled dancer can tread even on empty air. As long as you are physically dancing (not necessarily using the Passionate Dance ability), you may choose whether to be affected by normal gravity, light gravity, or no gravity (see DMG page 147-148) as a free action, even when it is not your turn, and take no penalties associated with any gravity conditions other than normal. The direction of gravity remains the normal direction for the plane you are on.

Veils as Void (Su): At the cusp of her abilities, the veiled dancer wears empty space as a veil, contorting impossibly, being elsewhere than she appears to be, and hiding herself behind veils that should not be able to hide her form. Starting at 5th level, while performing a Passionate Dance, you are treated as incorporeal every other round, starting in the round you begin the dance.


PLAYING A VEILED DANCER
Motion is freedom. Combat is an art. Dancing is enlightenment. You're a performer, ham it up.
 Combat: Several options are available to you in combat, and generally it's easiest to focus on one of them and regard the others as gravy. Most of your Veiled Dancer abilities are contingent on Passionate Dance, which provides a buff to yourself and your party members while you're at it. This can be left as an afterthought or focused on. The increased reach granted by Veils as Water, the Control Winds effect of Veils as Wind, and the AoO effects of Screen of Veils and Veils as Time all lend themselves well to battlefield control, while the mobility options and the ability to feint as a swift action allow skirmisher or striker-style builds. As you likely rely strongly on Dexterity, that limits your range of available armors, potentially leaving you squishy; your high HD and a good Con can counteract this, as can appropriate use of your reach advantage.
 Advancement: Your Passionate Dance counts as Inspire Courage for nearly all intents and purposes even if you don't already have the latter from somewhere, allowing you access to things like the Snowflake Wardance feat without further qualifications. Conversely, if you do already have Inspire Courage from somewhere, the bonuses stack flat instead of stacking virtual Bard levels, potentially allowing for higher bonuses than normal. Robilar's Gambit and Karmic Strike combine viciously with Veils as Time, and the Combat Reflexes prerequisite plus increased reach always go well with an AoO-focused build.
 Resources: Most Veiled Dancers have only their companions and friends they have made to fall back on. Veiled Dancers associated with a church (see below) may have their deity's clergy as contacts, and may be afforded resources like any Cleric or Paladin.

VEILED DANCERS IN THE WORLD
"I wouldn't mind that being the last thing I see."
The talents of a Veiled Dancer lend themselves well towards the life of a wandering entertainer. As NPCs, they can perform on improvised stages on marketplaces of small communities, or be dancers of national renown, performing in concert halls of large cities and capitals. PC Veiled Dancers take to life on the road like a fish to water, and a performance ont he marketplace is always a great way to break the ice when visiting a new community, or when trying to get something out of an NPC. Some Veiled Dancers instead devote themselves to churches, dedicating their dance to the god or gods they serve and believing their abilities to be divine gifts. Usually, these serve gods whose portfolios somehow involve "party hard".
 Daily Life: Veiled Dancers rarely have something resembling a regular daily life, much less so if you're a PC. Those that choose to become professional entertainers may settle down, but few of the type of person that takes up the path of the Veiled Dancer are well suited to any kind of daily routine.
 Notables:
 Organizations: While many Veiled Dancers are mentored by another or a group of others, others come into the techniques on their own, and in general there is little in the way of an organized. overarching structure to them, other than a general sense of companionship resulting from sharing the same trade and abilities. Veiled Dancers devoted to a church have, as any member of the clergy, their own church to draw upon. Regardless of faith, a first meeting between unfamiliar dancers usually involves a frantic dance-off to get to know each other. Further, some Veiled Dancers are biased towards or away from one or another specific form of dance, which may create further companionship or rivalry.

NPC Reaction
To NPCs, you appear as any wandering entertainer or adventurer - possibly a relief from the daily drudge, possibly a way to waste that extra money, possibly a common pickpocket. Common people will generally welcome you, but typically keep a hand on their purse until they are certain you can be trusted.

VEILED DANCERS IN THE GAME
As a rare and disorganized group of people pursuing a rare and elusive art, Veiled Dancers are easy enough to integrate into an ongoing campaign - that dancer over there? He's now one.
 Adaptation: The Veiled Dancer PrC isn't created with any specific setting in mind, and so should be easy to adapt to any setting that has any kind of dancer. Alternatively, one could run with the idea of deity-inspired Dancers and call them a sect of a specific deity (The Fury in Eberron, for example, is an excellent choice), or a subset of believers that any church has to one extend or another.
 Encounters: Veiled Dancers are typically found on the road or in a city giving performances, or else in groups of adventurers.

Sample Encounters
EL 8: A dancer arrived in town recently, and immediately became extremely popular among the male population. During each performance, she invites one or two of the crowd onto the stage to dance with her... and picks their pockets in the process. For today's performance, one of the PCs is chosen to dance with her.
Rogue 5/Veiled Dancer 3; Important feats: Weapon Finesse, Shadow Blade
EL 10: A Dirgesinger has been raising undead and is now commanding them to attack the temple of a local god of music. The temple's Veiled Dancer enlists the party's aid against the zombies as he and the Dirgesinger engage in a dance for the fate of the town.
Bard 1/Paladin (Harmonious Knight) 6/Veiled Dancer 3; Important Feats: Song of the Heart, Snowflake Wardance
EL 12: A chancellor of the kingdom asks the veiled dancer belonging to a passing troupe of artists to perform the Dance of the Seven Veils for him. She tells the old pervert exactly where he can stick his Seven Veils, and the PCs are caught in the middle of escalating hostilities between the palace guards and the troupe's combatants.
Warblade 7/Veiled Dancer 5; important feats: Combat Reflexes, Stand Still, Robilar's Gambit

Full statblocks may or may not follow if I get bored.

Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed   ()
hp  ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will
------------------------------------------------
Speed   ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions
« Last Edit: August 21, 2011, 11:25:06 PM by Agita »
It's all about vision and making reality conform to your vision. By dropping a fucking house on it.

Agita's Awesome Poster Compilation
Lycanthromancer's Awesome Poster Compilation

Garryl

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1240
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2011, 08:18:11 PM »
I was under the impression that AoOs are normally resolved before the action that provokes them. Was the intention for Veils as Time to modify the few effects that function otherwise (Robilar's Gambit and Karmic Strike, I think)?

Veils as Void should make sure to turn your equipment incorporeal as well. It wouldn't hurt to either make it optional or to let you still interact with (or at least attack) the corporeal creatures as well. Since you lose your Strength score while incorporeal, that can also be a problem if the ability isn't optional. You should also address what happens if you recorporate inside a solid object. Also, to confirm, that's supposed to be incorporeal as the subtype, not just the condition (which I'm not even sure is written as such anywhere but the SRD; AFB so I can't check), right?
A Guide to Free D&D - A resource of free, official D&D resources on the web.
General listing of my homebrew.
Links to things I've worked on
[spoiler]
Idiot Crusader, refreshing maneuvers for free every round.
The Opposed Checks Handbook - Under construction.
Adaptations Handbook - Under construction.
[/spoiler]

Bozwevial

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 4497
  • Developing a relaxed attitude to danger.
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2011, 08:57:27 PM »
I was under the impression that AoOs are normally resolved before the action that provokes them. Was the intention for Veils as Time to modify the few effects that function otherwise (Robilar's Gambit and Karmic Strike, I think)?
They are, except for the few that resolve during the provoking action (such as interrupting a spell during casting). Technically, this would actually make you unable to interrupt a spellcaster, since the damage would come before the casting started.

Agita

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5465
  • SFT is mai waifu.
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2011, 09:21:38 PM »
I was under the impression that AoOs are normally resolved before the action that provokes them. Was the intention for Veils as Time to modify the few effects that function otherwise (Robilar's Gambit and Karmic Strike, I think)?
You're... right, actually. As written, its primary function is interaction with Robilar's/Karmic and Screen of Veils, which isn't quite what was intended. As written, it also interferes with interrupting spellcasting with AoOs (if the AoO happens before they start casting, it's not interrupting the action), which is not as intended. We're currently tinkering with a version that sends the AoOs back to the start of the creature's turn instead and trying to minimize the :psyduck. Here's a preliminary version; go poke holes in it.

Veils as Time (Su): At 4th level, a veiled dancer lears to wear time itself as a veil,  twisting the relations of cause and effect with casual ease. While  performing a Passionate Dance, you may choose for any attacks of opportunity you make to resolve at the start of the turn of the creature that provoked them. If one or more of these attacks of opportunity would somehow render the target unable to take one or more of the actions it took during its turn, those actions are wasted and their results are undone, but any attacks of opportinity provoked by them remain used.

In addition to implementing start-of-turn AoOs, this version also allows you to choose whether to do that with any given AoO or not, allowing you to play it safe if you want to smack a spellcaster.

Veils as Void should make sure to turn your equipment incorporeal as well. It wouldn't hurt to either make it optional or to let you still interact with (or at least attack) the corporeal creatures as well. Since you lose your Strength score while incorporeal, that can also be a problem if the ability isn't optional. You should also address what happens if you recorporate inside a solid object. Also, to confirm, that's supposed to be incorporeal as the subtype, not just the condition (which I'm not even sure is written as such anywhere but the SRD; AFB so I can't check), right?
When you become incorporeal, your equipment becomes incorporeal by default as well. The incorporeal condition seems to be just the "condition" of having the incorporeal subtype. As for addressing the other problems, veekie and I came up with two alternatives. Which looks better?

Veils as Void (Su): At the cusp of her abilities, the veiled dancer wears empty space as a veil, contorting impossibly, being elsewhere than she appears to be, and hiding herself behind veils that should not be able to hide her form. Starting at 5th level, while performing a Passionate Dance, you are treated as incorporeal for purposes of adjudicating attacks and effects that target you.

Veils as Void (Su): At the cusp of her abilities, the veiled dancer wears empty space as a veil, contorting impossibly, being elsewhere than she appears to be, and hiding herself behind veils that should not be able to hide her form. Starting at 5th level, while performing a Passionate Dance, you are treated as if under the effects of a Blink spell. You may activate or suppress this ability as a free action at the start of your turn.

These take care of the problems in different ways. The first takes only the parts of incorporeality we really want, while the latter addresses them by referring to a spell that already defines the situations you pointed out. The Blink version also combines with Cloud Step to result in a form of flight (at half your land speed, I think), as you can move three-dimensionally while on the ethereal plane and turn off gravity while on the material plane.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2011, 09:24:28 PM by Agita »
It's all about vision and making reality conform to your vision. By dropping a fucking house on it.

Agita's Awesome Poster Compilation
Lycanthromancer's Awesome Poster Compilation

PhaedrusXY

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 8022
  • Advanced Spambot
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2011, 01:41:04 AM »
I definitely think treating it as Blink is the way to go. Interesting class.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Garryl

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1240
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2011, 01:48:22 AM »
I agree. Blink (or the greater version) is probably the better option. It lets you do (most of) what you originally intended with less hassle than the alternatives.
A Guide to Free D&D - A resource of free, official D&D resources on the web.
General listing of my homebrew.
Links to things I've worked on
[spoiler]
Idiot Crusader, refreshing maneuvers for free every round.
The Opposed Checks Handbook - Under construction.
Adaptations Handbook - Under construction.
[/spoiler]

veekie

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 9034
  • WARNING: Homing Miko
Re: [PrC] The Veiled Dancer
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2011, 04:53:24 AM »
Thoughts on the revised Time?
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."