The College of Dancing Weapons

The bards of the College of Dancing Weapons have little interest in wielding a sword like a common ruffian. Why, getting into a brawl might get you injured! It would be a crime for the world to lose your musical talent, so you are content in just playing to entertain the crowd, while your weapon does the fighting for you. No one can say you don't pull your own weight in a street brawl now, ey? And while you're at it, might as well earn some coin from passersby with the "exotic performance" your group got roped into, after you insulted a local Lord's son.

Ignoring the Critics

At 3rd level in this class, the bard can use their reaction to Dodge one attack targeting themself. They can do this a number of times equal to their dexterity modifier per long rest. This does not interrupt their performance.

Bonded Instrument Performance

Due to their personal attachments with their equipment, at 3rd level a bard of this College can magically link an instrument they have proficiency with, to either a simple melee weapon or a bundle of arrows placed in a quiver.

Using all of their movement, they can begin a performance using the linked instrument. This performance causes the linked weapon or arrows to hover beside the bard and attack; during this performance, the bard can use their attack action to strike at larger ranges than normal.

A simple melee weapon has a reach of 15ft, and can strike up to 25ft at disadvantage. If a versatile weapon, it deals damage as if wielded one handed, and two-handed weapons deal one size smaller die of damage (a 1d8 becomes 1d6, etc). At 14th level in this class, the range becomes 30/50.

Arrows have a range of 40ft, and up to 100ft at disadvantage. They deal damage as if fired from a shortbow (1d6 piercing) unless they are a special arrow or otherwise enchanted to do more. At 14th level in this class, the range becomes 80/200.

Attacking with this performance does not count towards flanking bonuses, unless at least 2 other creatures flank the target. When done attacking, melee weapons return to the bard's side; arrows will only return to the bard's side if they miss, otherwise they are considered spent.

If a natural one is rolled for the attack roll, the linked melee weapon or arrow falls to the ground. Melee weapons must be retrieved before a new performance can begin, but if linked to a bundle of arrows the bard can continue until the remaining arrows are spent.

With GM permission, the bard can link a bundle of Platinum Arrows (250gp per bundle of 5 arrows) instead of normal arrows. If a Platinum Arrow is linked, it is reusable and returns to the bard's side as a linked melee weapon does; however, a natural 1 attack roll with a Platinum Arrow will cause the arrow to break, rather than drop to the ground. To enchant a platinum arrow costs 5 times more than enchanting a normal arrow.

Unless the GM specifies otherwise, any other enchanted or special arrow acts like a normal arrow; usable for one successful hit each, returns to bard's side on a miss, and falls to the ground unactivated on a natural 1 until retrieved.

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This performance is maintained by using half of the bard's movement, but choosing the Dodge as an action will immediately end the performance. At 10th level in this class, it uses half movement to maintain and the dodge action no longer ends the performance. At 16th level in this class it only uses quarter movement to maintain. The bard gains no benefit from a shield during a Bonded Instrument Performance, unless it is an Animated Shield.

Other performances such as Countercharm can not be performed at the same time as this performance. If struck while doing the Bonded Weapon Performance, the bard must make a concentration check to maintain the performance. This performance does not prevent the bard from maintaining a concentration spell, but they cannot cast a concentration spell during a performance.

If the bonded weapon is non-magical, it counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances. The bard can change either the bonded instrument, or weapon, or both after a long rest.

Multiplying Strikes

At 6th level the bard can use their bonus action to expend a spell slot, while in a Bonded Instrument Performance. Doing so allows the bard to make an additional attack with their bonded weapon, so long as the attack action is chosen. At 16th level in this class, the Multiplying Strike feature can be used if either the Attack or Dodge action is chosen.

One extra attack is gained for each level of the spell slot used, for a maximum of 5 extra attacks (for example, expending a 9th level level slot only gives five extra attacks, just like a 5th level slot). The extra attacks can be split amongst any number of targets, so long as the first success is within the weapon's range, and each additional target is within 15 feet from the last successful strike, or within range of the bard. When using Multiplying Strikes with arrows, it uses multiple arrows at once, unless the bard linked a bundle of platinum arrows- a single platinum arrow can strike all the targets before returning to the bard's side.

Rolling a natural 1 to hit will immedietly end the extra attacks, dropping the bonded weapon to the ground and expending the spell slot.