Temple Dancer (Cleric/Bard)

Deep within the holy sanctuaries of the gods are those who perform daily rites meant to demonstrate ones utmost devotion and love for their beloved deity. Many of these are but lay devotees or trained acolytes seeking the favor and blessings of their god. However, there are those blessed few touched by the hand of their god to demonstrate their devotion through ritualistic dance and song. The ritual dances of the temple dancer are special prayers of honor and glory to her deity. Through these performances, the temple dancer is blessed with greater divine power, special weapon training, and supernatural abilities for the soul purpose of enhancing her natural grace and ability to perform. She can use her dances in a variety of ways–from influencing those around her and aiding her allies, to bolstering her skills in battle against common foes on her god’s behalf. Those who come within close proximity of a temple dancer engaged in her ritual performances are in danger of harm from the wall of whirling limbs or razor sharp steel that she employs. (Orginal Concept by Oceanshieldwolf)

Primary Class: Cleric.

Secondary Class: Bard.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The temple dancer may select three bard skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal cleric class skills, one of which must be Perform. The temple dancer gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The temple dancer is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the temple sword, and her deity’s favored weapon (if it’s a melee weapon). The temple dancer is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Spellcasting: The temple dancer casts divine spells drawn from the cleric and bard spell lists. A temple dancer relies less on spells than other clerics, and can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. However, her alignment may restrict her from casting spells opposed to her moral and ethical beliefs. The temple dance uses the bard spell progression table for her daily allotment of spells and known spells. She also receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. The temple dancer otherwise learns and casts spells as a bard equal to her temple dancer level.

Dance of Devotion (Ex): At 1st level, whenever the temple dancer wields a temple sword or her deity’s favored weapon, she can use her Charisma modifier instead of her Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. She also treats any favored melee (not ranged) weapon as a one-handed weapon of its type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) when qualifying for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon. The weapon must be sized appropriately for a creature of the temple dancer’s size. A temple dancer cannot use this ability if she is carrying a weapon that is not a temple sword, or her deity’s favored weapon.

Domain: This is exactly like the cleric’s domains ability except that the temple dancer may select only one domain. This domain must be selected from one of those granted by the temple dancer’s deity, or the new Cadence domain, which supersede any domains the temple dancer’s deity normally grants access to.

Orisons: A temple dancer learns a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Temple Dancer Spells Known under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Temple Knowledge (Ex): At 1st level, a temple dancer gains the bard’s bardic knowledge ability, except that she adds half her temple dancer level (minimum 1) to only Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (religion), and Perform (dance) skills checks, and can make these skill checks untrained. This ability and temple training replace spontaneous casting.

Temple Training: A temple dancer relies on freedom of motion to cast spells and perform her duties. As such, her special training allows her to ignore the use of insignificant material components. Beginning at 1st level, the temple dancer gains the Eschew Materials as a bonus feat. However, as the temple dancer gains further training in the sacred ways of the temple, she can eschew more expensive material components. The cost of material components that the temple dancer can eschew increases to 10 gp or less at 6th level, 50 gp or less at 11th level, 100 gp or less at 16th level, and 250 gp or less at 20th level.

Temple Performance: At 2nd level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s bardic performance ability, but is restricted to Perform (act), Perform (dance), Perform (sing), and Perform (percussion) to create magical effects. This ability and all related performances replace channel energy and the cleric’s second domain.

Distraction (Su): At 2nd level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s distraction performance.

Fascinate (Su): At 2nd level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s fascinate performance.

Pavane (Su): At 2nd level, the temple dancer can use her performance to enact a slow dance that unleashes a wave of divine energy in a 30-foot radius. This wave of divine energy functions like a cleric’s channel energy ability, except that the temple dancer deals or heals 1d6 points of damage, plus an additional 1d6 points of damage every four levels after 2nd, to a maximum of 5d6 at 18th level. The energy type (positive or negative) that the temple dancer channels is determined by her deity, like a cleric. This ability qualifies the temple dancer for feats with the channel energy class feature as a prerequisite, such as Turn Undead or Command Undead. Using this ability requires a full round action and expends 1 round of performance.

Evocative Performance (Sp): At 6th level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s suggestion performance.

Healer’s Trance (Ex): At 8th level, the temple dancer can use her temple dance to enter a trance-like state while enacting a whirling motion that attunes her spirit to the aspects of her deity. By spending a move action focusing on her whirling, the temple dancer can apply the Quicken Spell feat to any cure spell (or inflict spells if the temple dancer channels negative energy during her pavane performance) she is about to cast (effectively spending a move action and swift action to cast the spell). This does not alter the level of the spell or the casting time. Using this ability requires a move action and expends 2 rounds of performance.

Dance of Greatness (Su): At 9th level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s inspire greatness performance.

Trance of Succor (Ex): At 12th level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s soothing performance.

Dance of Inspiration (Su): At 15th level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s inspire heroics performance.

Mesmerizing Performance (Sp): At 18th level, the temple dancer gains the bard’s mass suggestion performance.

Deadly Promenade (Su): At 20th level, a temple dancer can use her performance to transform into the whirling avatar of her deity, once per day. During the first round of his performance, the temple dancer draws her weapon and enters a divinely induced trance that allows him to spin at a tremendous speed. Doing so creates an impassable curtain of whirling steel, granting the temple dancer a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex saves against any attacks made against him. For each additional round of the performance, this bonus increases by +1, up to a maximum of +6. While the performance is maintained, any creature that attacks the temple dancer takes 4d6 points of damage, with a Reflex save for half damage.

At the end of the performance, the temple dancer can, make one of the following actions. He can, as an immediate action, make a single attack at his full base attack bonus against a single foe, and adds his performance bonus to his attack roll. If the attack hits, the target takes 10d6 points of damage plus a number of additional 1d6 damage equal to his performance bonus (maximum +6d6).

Alternatively, at the end of his performance, he can, as an immediate action, make a single attack at his full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If the attack hits, he deals an amount of damage equal to 4d6 plus his performance bonus (maximum +6). He can then make an additional attack (using his full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the previous foe and also within reach. If the temple dancer hits, he deals the same amount of damage (see above) and can continue to make attacks against foes adjacent to the previous foe, so long as they are within his reach. The temple dancer adds his performance bonus to each of his attack rolls. The temple dancer cannot attack an individual foe more than once during this attack action. In addition, if the temple dancer has maintained his performance for at least 5 rounds, his weapon is treated as having the vorpal weapon ability (see p. 472 of the Core Rulebook) with any attacks made during this immediate action. If the temple dancer is wielding a piercing, the opponent’s head is torn from its body, or if wielding a bludgeoning weapon, the opponent’s head is crushed into a bloody mass.

All benefits of the deadly promenade performance are retained until the temple dancer’s immediate action is completed. The temple dancer must begin a new performance to regain the benefits of the deadly promenade performance. Deadly promenade relies on visual components. This ability replaces deadly performance.

Quick Steps (Su): Starting at 3rd level, whenever the temple dancer uses her temple dance she gains a +10 enhancement bonus to her land speed.

Harmonious Grace (Ex): At 4th level, whenever the temple dancer is using her temple dance she gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +1 at 8th level and every four levels thereafter, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

Zealot’s Step (Ex): At 5th level, the temple dancer gains Combat Casting as a bonus feat.

Dance of Insight (Su): At 10th level, once per day, a temple dancer can gain a +5 bonus on a single attack roll, caster level check, or saving throw as an immediate action. This decision must be made before the results of the roll are known, but can be made after the die is rolled. This ability can be used twice per day at 15th level, and three times per day at 20th level.

Table: Temple Dancer

Table: Temple Dancer Spells Known