D&D 5e - Player's Handbook Dervish

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Designed by BadgeredMushroom A lithe half-elf entertainer spins two deceptively decorative short swords rhythmically around her form, entrancing an audience of nobles in a royal court with the fluidity and grace of her motions as a snake charmer’s song would enthrall a cobra. An acrobatic human flips through the air while spinning a glaive with deft precision and ferocity tightly around his body, forcing a pack of hungry wolves to retreat from the deadly reach of his blade. A dragonborn unsheathes her scimitars as she wades through a group of would-be bandits, cutting them down with increasing speed and power with each foe she fells. Whether performing feats of agility, spectacles of battle prowess, or entertaining a crowd of onlookers, those who’s skill and precision with bladed weapons becomes an art form are known as dervishes. Dervishes practice performance level blade work and combine it with a formal training in martial combat, resulting in a fighting style that is as beautiful as it is deadly. All who walk the path of the dervish are trained to forego the use of armor in order to maintain the mobility needed to enact their deadly dance, as well as training in heavy bladed weapons, from hand axes to greatswords. Beyond that, dervishes specialize in various dancing styles. Some may carry two heavy bladed weapons, others may choose to wield one heavy bladed two-handed weapon, and there are dervishes who carry one heavy blade and incorporate hymns and other chants with quickening tempo to their dances. Not all who dance with blades are dervishes. Some acrobats, belly dancers, and contortionists include bladed weapons in their shows as props for acts of daring, and to leverage the allure that dervishes have about them. However, they lack the discipline and training that a true dervish undergoes to fully understand how to direct the momentum of their bodies and their blades as one. Due to this, dervishes are sought-after guests at the courts of royalty, often appearing at the behest of wealthy nobles, and can also be found doing double-duty as paid escorts and performers for foreign diplomats who must travel through areas of questionable safety. Some dervishes prefer to perform for audiences or as part of a troupe or larger show rather than actively seek battle, but don’t let that fool you. Many have tried to take advantage of such performers only to find themselves on the business end of a well-sharpened blade. Some dervishes join with bands of adventurers, especially those with skilled warriors, in order to study and learn from other schools of martial prowess. The dance of each dervish can be heavily influenced by the company they keep, both on the stage and on the battlefield. Through their awesome displays of martial prowess and fluid grace, dervishes naturally dictate the flow and pace of battle. Some may force their foes back into a corner or some other disadvantageous position through the speed and reach of their dance, others may inspire their comrades to action by the ever quickening speed of their dance and song, and others yet may distract or hypnotize onlookers with their intricate and precise movements. As you build your dervish, think about what events lead your character to take up the dance. Did you grow up in a culture where music and dancing where central to society? Were you an acrobat or some other type of entertainer to whom the way of the dervish had some natural appeal to? Were you orphaned and taken in by a circus or some other troupe and taught to dance by a mentor who belonged to this group? Were you a natural with bladed weapons but sought to learn a unique martial style rather than donning heavy armor and a shield and learning a traditional form of combat?

description

5th edition

Transcript of D&D 5e - Player's Handbook Dervish

Page 1: D&D 5e - Player's Handbook Dervish

Designed by BadgeredMushroom

A lithe half-elf entertainer spins two deceptively decorative short swords rhythmically around her form, entrancing an audience of nobles in a royal court with the fluidity and grace of her motions as a snake charmer’s song would enthrall a cobra.

An acrobatic human flips through the air while spinning a glaive with deft precision and ferocity tightly around his body, forcing a pack of hungry wolves to retreat from the deadly reach of his blade.

A dragonborn unsheathes her scimitars as she wades through a group of would-be bandits, cutting them down with increasing speed and power with each foe she fells.

Whether performing feats of agility, spectacles of battle prowess, or entertaining a crowd of onlookers, those who’s skill and precision with bladed weapons becomes an art form are known as dervishes.

Dervishes practice performance level blade work and combine it with a formal training in martial combat, resulting in a fighting style that is as beautiful as it is deadly. All who walk the path of the dervish are trained to forego the use of armor in order to maintain the mobility needed to enact their deadly dance, as well as training in heavy bladed weapons, from hand axes to greatswords.

Beyond that, dervishes specialize in various dancing styles. Some may carry two heavy bladed weapons, others may choose to wield one heavy bladed two-handed weapon, and there are dervishes who carry one heavy blade and incorporate hymns and other chants with quickening tempo to their dances.

Not all who dance with blades are dervishes. Some acrobats, belly dancers, and contortionists include bladed weapons in their shows as props for acts of daring, and to leverage the allure that dervishes have about them. However, they lack the discipline and training that a true dervish undergoes to fully understand how to direct the momentum of their bodies and their blades as one. Due to this, dervishes are sought-after guests at the courts of royalty, often appearing at the behest of wealthy nobles, and can also be found doing double-duty as paid escorts and performers for foreign diplomats who must travel through areas of questionable safety.

Some dervishes prefer to perform for audiences or as part of a troupe or larger show rather than actively seek battle, but don’t let that fool you. Many have tried to take advantage of such performers only to find themselves on the business end of a well-sharpened blade. Some dervishes join with bands of adventurers, especially those

with skilled warriors, in order to study and learn from other schools of martial prowess. The dance of each dervish can be heavily influenced by the company they keep, both on the stage and on the battlefield. Through their awesome displays of martial prowess and fluid grace, dervishes naturally dictate the flow and pace of battle. Some may force their foes back into a corner or some other disadvantageous position through the speed and reach of their dance, others may inspire their comrades to action by the ever quickening speed of their dance and song, and others yet may distract or hypnotize onlookers with their intricate and precise movements.

As you build your dervish, think about what events lead your character to take up the dance. Did you grow up in a culture where music and dancing where central to society? Were you an acrobat or some other type of entertainer to whom the way of the dervish had some natural appeal to? Were you orphaned and taken in by a circus or some other troupe and taught to dance by a mentor who belonged to this group? Were you a natural with bladed weapons but sought to learn a unique martial style rather than donning heavy armor and a shield and learning a traditional form of combat?

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Designed by BadgeredMushroom

You may have been taken in, trained, or indoctrinated from a young age into this unique blend of martial skill and performance art, but it is now central to you and the way you experience life. Through your training, you are acutely aware of the rhythm and motion of the world around you, and your blade is a tuning fork of sorts that keeps you aligned with it. You can make a dervish quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Charisma your highest score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Far Traveler background.

As a dervish, you gain the following class features. Hit Dice: 1d8 per dervish level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per dervish level after the 1st

Armor: None Weapons: Any weapon that deals slashing damage Tools: None

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Endurance, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) any two-handed weapon you are proficient in or (b) any one-handed weapon you are proficient in

(a) an explorer’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack a whetstone and any one-handed weapon you are

proficient in

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Beginning at 1st level, you add your Charisma modifier rather than Strength or Dexterity to attack rolls and damage rolls made with weapons that deal slashing damage.

At 2nd level, you fight with momentum generated and kept in motion by your dance. Whenever you hit an enemy with an Attack action using a weapon that deals slashing damage, you build on the tempo of your dance.

The fervor of your dance is represented by momentum points. Your dervish level determines the maximum amount of momentum points you can have, as shown in the momentum points column of the dervish table. Each hit with an Attack action while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage gives you 1 momentum point.

You can spend these points to fuel various dervish features. You start knowing three such features: Warding Flourish, Mesmerizing Blades, and Gathering Storm. You gain more dervish features and increase the maximum amount of momentum points you can have as you gain levels in this class.

Your dance ends as soon as combat or your performance does, at which point you lose all stored momentum points. If you do not move at least 5 feet during each round, you also lose all stored momentum points.

While combat is a forte of the dervish’s training, they shine just as brightly in less violent scenarios, whether it be on stage at a formal performance, entertaining passersby in a busy market, or gracefully leaping over an obstacle. Whenever you make an Acrobatics or Performance check while interacting with friendly or indifferent creatures, you gain momentum points equal to the maximum allowed by your current dervish level.

Some of your dervish features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effect. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

The Dervish

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Immediately after you hit with an Attack action while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, as a bonus action you can spend 1 momentum point to push the target up to the range of your weapon as long as the target is no more than one size larger than you.

Immediately after you hit with an Attack action while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, as a bonus action you can spend 1 momentum point to attempt to mesmerize your opponent with your blade work. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or grant advantage to the next creature that attacks it. Creatures immune to charm effects are unaffected by this ability.

Immediately after you hit with an Attack action while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, as a bonus action you can spend 2 momentum points to make an extra attack against the same target. You do not gain momentum points from hitting with attacks made with this feature.

Beginning at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with an opportunity attack while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, you can spend 1 momentum point to interrupt their movement and move yourself within 5 feet of the creature.

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a style of dance: The Steel Gale, The Enchanting Rhythm, or The Raging Tempest, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your dancing style gives you additional features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, when you use the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.

Starting at 6th level, your attacks with weapons that deal slashing damage count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Beginning at 7th level, whenever a creature that you can see makes an attack roll against you with a ranged weapon that uses a piece of ammunition (arrow, bolt, bullet, dart, etc.) weighing no more than one pound while you are wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, you can use your reaction and spend 1 momentum point to add your proficiency bonus to your AC against the triggering attack. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll succeeds or fails.

Starting at 9th level, you gain resistance to slashing damage and gain advantage to saving throws against effects that would knock you prone.

At 10th level, you are inseparable from your dance and the rhythm of the world around you. You have advantage to saving throws against effects that would stun you, you get a +2 bonus to initiative, and your speed increases by 10 feet.

Beginning at 13th level, whenever a creature no more than one size larger than you that you can see makes an attack roll against you with a melee weapon, you can use your reaction and spend 4 momentum points to disarm the triggering creature. The weapon falls at the creature’s feet, or you may spend up to 3 additional momentum points to knock the weapon away from the creature in 5 feet increments, to a maximum of 15 feet, in any direction you choose. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll succeeds or fails.

By 14th level, you have developed stamina that few can match. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

At 15th level, your skill with bladed weapons cannot be matched. Your attacks with weapons that deal slashing damage score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, and you

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gain 2 momentum points instead of 1 when you score a critical hit.

At 18th level, you have attained such a high level of mastery over your dance and body that you are nearly impossible to stop. You no longer spend half your movement speed to stand, and you can use your bonus action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be grappled or restrained.

At the end of a short or long rest, you gain 4 momentum points that remain with you until you spend them or until the end of your next combat encounter, whichever comes first.

On all worlds where dervishes exist, three styles of dance are prominent above all others. Different regions of each world may favor one style over another, but there are small pockets where cultures and traditions intermingle and the lesser-known styles are practiced, and occasionally dancers of the more well-known style may borrow from a lesser-known style.

Dervishes who dance this style are truly one with their weapon, so much so that they are nearly inseparable from their weapon of choice, and are able to predict the movements of their dance partners or foes by sensing it through their blade. These dancers are not as overtly impressive or blindingly fast as others, but they are able to control large areas with their deadly flourishes and can effortlessly deflect attacks.

Beginning at 3rd level, you may target multiple creatures within range of your weapon as part of the same bonus action when you use the Warding Flourish feature by spending an additional 1 momentum point for each additional target.

Beginning at 6th level, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC while you are wearing no armor and wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage. You also gain proficiency in Endurance. If you are already proficient in Endurance, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Beginning at 11th level, when you make an Attack action while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, you

can spend 5 momentum points to attack any number of targets within range of your weapon, with a separate attack roll for each target.

Beginning at 17th level, you have advantage on all weapon attacks while using a weapon that deals slashing damage as long as you have two or more enemies within range of your weapon.

Dervishes who dance this style are masters of smooth, deliberate motion, expert at misdirection, and unmatched in their flexibility. Where other dervishes may spin their blades with dizzying speed, or attack with unerring accuracy and ferocity, dancers who follow this path are able to entertain audiences with impressive feats of flexibility and grace, distract enemies with sleight of hand and feints, and charm onlookers with the rhythmic movements of their blades.

Beginning at 3rd level, you may target multiple creatures as part of the same bonus action when you use the Mesmerizing Blades feature by spending 1 additional momentum point for each target beyond the first.

Beginning at 6th level, you learn to incorporate your acrobatic skills into your dance. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for Dexterity saving throws and you gain proficiency in Acrobatics. If you are already proficient in Acrobatics, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Beginning at 11th level, when you make an Attack action with a weapon that deals slashing damage, you can spend 5 momentum points to try to intimidate your foe into submission. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute.

If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can’t use this feature on that creature again for 24 hours.

Beginning at 17th level, while you have at least 1 momentum point, enemies have disadvantage on all Wisdom saving throws against you, and you have advantage on all Persuasion and Intimidation checks you make.

Dervishes who dance this style are not just masters of their own bodies and momentum, but they are able to quickly learn the movements of their foes, using their own

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movements against them. Other dancers are subtler, charming or distracting their foes, while some prefer to control parts of the battlefield and dictate the flow of battle. Dervishes who follow the Raging Tempest prefer the direct approach – demonstrating first-hand the deadly martial prowess at their disposal.

Beginning at 3rd level, you are able to make multiple extra attacks as part of the same bonus action when you use the Gathering Storm feature by spending 2 momentum points for each extra attack you make, up to a maximum of 4 momentum points.

Beginning at 6th level, you gain advantage to Wisdom and Charisma saving throws against charm or fear effects. You also gain proficiency in Intimidation. If you are already proficient in Intimidation, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

Beginning at 11th level, before you make an Attack action with a weapon that deals slashing damage, you can spend 5 momentum points to inflict a grievous wound on the target. If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or lose 5d6 hit points at the start of each of its turns. You can increase the severity of the wound by 1d6 for each additional momentum point you spend, up to a maximum of 5. This effect ends on a successful save.

Beginning at 17th level, you can attack four times, instead of three, when you use the Attack action on your turn. When you score a critical hit while wielding a weapon that deals slashing damage, you deal maximum damage with the first dice, and roll two additional dice for the attack’s damage against the target.

For example, if you score a critical hit with a glaive, you deal 10 damage (maximum on 1d10), then roll 2d10, and then add your relevant ability modifier.