Bladedancer

Bladedancer is a 1st tier archetype.

Bladedancers are swift and deadly masters of the sword, specialising in delivering flurries of rapid strikes, able to sacrifice a part of their health to enhance their close combat capabilities. Bladedancers prefer to avoid enemy attacks, either by parrying, dodging, or quickly repositioning before enemy counter-attacks. They even have the ability to parry ranged attacks.
Core focus: melee, swords, movement, dodge, parry.

Key Features

• Blade Dance
• Death From Above

Available Stat Advancements

• Weapon Skill Advancement
• Strength Advancement
• Toughness Advancement
• Agility Advancement

Available Skill Advancements

• Carouse
• Athletics
• Awareness
• Demolition
• Medicae

Tier 2 Options:

Bladedancer can become Assassin, Arch-Militant, Master Tactician or Executioner

Abilities

Ability	AP Cost	Range	Description
Blade Dance	2	Self	The Bladedancer makes (2 + AGI bonus / 4) melee attacks against random targets (including allies) adjacent to the Bladedancer, each dealing 50% of their normal damage. Blade Dance is a melee burst attack that does not count toward the attack limit per turn. This ability can only be used with a sword equipped. If two swords are equipped, the Bladedancer makes (1 + AGI bonus / 4) attacks with each one.
Death From Above	0	3	The Bladedancer leaps into the air and lands on the selected cell. Upon landing, they deal (AGI bonus + WS bonus) damage to all adjacent enemies. This leap can be made to any unoccupied cell within a 3-cell radius in the Bladedancer's line of sight. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The Bladedancer cannot jump to a cell that is inaccessible in combat. This ability can be used multiple times per turn, but each use requires a charge to be spent and inflicts +1 stack of short of breath on the Bladedancer until the start of their next turn. The Bladedancer gains +1 charge of this ability each time they kill a target (excluding kills made with this ability). ! Can only be used with a sword equipped.
Blood Oath	0	Unlimited	The Bladedancer targets a single enemy, vowing to dispatch their mark. The Bladedancer's next attack against their selected enemy cannot be dodged or parried. If this attack kills the target, the Bladedancer regains +(5 + 2 × TGH bonus) wounds and gains +1 AP along with an additional attack this turn. This ability can be used multiple times per turn, but it grants +1 AP and an additional attack only once per round.
Captive Audience	1	Self	The Bladedancer's next attack inflicts bleeding ((AGI bonus + WS bonus)) on all targets hit. These targets must pass a Toughness resistance test with a −(10 + 2 × AGI bonus) penalty or become immobilised for 1 round. All enemies immobilised by Captive Audience count as full cover for the Bladedancer and their allies when adjacent to those enemies.
Oath of Vengeance	0	Unlimited	The Bladedancer selects an ally. Until the end of combat, attacks made by the Bladedancer against enemies who have already attacked that ally gain +(10 + AGI bonus)% critical hit chance and +(20 + 2 × WS bonus)% critical damage. This ability can be used multiple times per turn, but the bonuses do not stack.
Acrobatic Artistry	1	Self	The Bladedancer immediately returns to the cell where they started their turn. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the Bladedancer used Death From Above this turn, this movement repeats all uses of this ability in reverse.
Veil of Blades	0	1	The Bladedancer faces a side of their choice and immediately ends their turn. Until the beginning of the Bladedancer's next turn, they can dodge area attacks without moving, are immune to all types of forced movement, gain +20% parry against attacks from that side, and can now parry attacks made against adjacent allies. While under the effect of Veil of Blades, the Bladedancer can even parry ranged attacks (except ranged area attacks) made from that side. The chance to parry a ranged attack is calculated as if it were a melee attack, where the attacker's Weapon Skill is equal to the hit chance of the attack. If an attack is parried in this way, it can be redirected toward one of the enemies on the selected side. The chance of redirection is equal to half of the Bladedancer's parry chance against this attack. ! This ability can only be used with a sword equipped.

Heroic Act / Desperate Measure

Ability	Range	Description
Death Waltz	3	The Bladedancer uses Death From Above against a target enemy without spending a charge, immediately making a melee attack against that enemy. The Bladedancer repeats this combination up to (2 + AGI bonus / 3) times against random available targets. If it is impossible to use Death From Above, the Bladedancer only makes a melee attack against a random available target (can be the same enemy).
Death Waltz (Desparate Measure)	3	The Bladedancer uses Death From Above against a target enemy without spending a charge, immediately making a melee attack against that enemy. The Bladedancer repeats this combination up to (2 + AGI bonus / 3) times against random available targets. If it is impossible to use Death From Above, the Bladedancer only makes a melee attack against a random available target (can be the same enemy).

Upgrades

Upgrade	Description
Death Waltz (Upgrade I)	Upon using Death Waltz, the Bladedancer immediately heals to full. The cost of abilities that cost wounds is reduced by half until the end of combat.
Death Waltz (Upgrade II)	Death Waltz also grants the Bladedancer +4 additional charges of Death From Above. Until the end of combat, Death From Above deals +AGI bonus additional damage.
Death Waltz (Upgrade III)	Until the end of combat, strikes made by the Bladedancer (including attacks made as a part of Death Waltz) reduce enemy Weapon Skill by −(2 + AGI bonus / 2) and decrease enemy armour and dodge by −(2 + AGI bonus / 2)%. These penalties stack.
Death Waltz (Upgrade IV)	Upon using Death Waltz after killing an enemy, the Bladedancer gains +3% dodge until the end of combat. Stacks up to Agility Bonus times.

Talents

Talent	Description
Spinning Blades	Whenever the Bladedancer parries an attack, the number of attacks made by the next Blade Dance is increased by +1. This effect stacks up to AGI bonus times.
Escape Artist	Whenever the Bladedancer dodges an attack made by an enemy who attacks them for the first time, the Bladedancer gains +1 charge of Death From Above.
Shadow Dancer	As long as the Bladedancer has less than 50% wounds, they gain +12% dodge and +3 MP. The Bladedancer also gains +8% dodge and +2 MP for every unconscious ally in combat.
Facing the End	The Bladedancer gains +3 Weapon Skill and +3 Agility for every injury they are currently suffering and +10 Weapon Skill and +10 Agility for every trauma.
Death Warden	The Bladedancer's Medicae is now determined by Weapon Skill instead of Intelligence (if their Weapon Skill is higher). The Bladedancer deals +(5 + Medicae / 10)% critical damage and can use medikits as if having Medicae skill advancement or the corresponding feature or talent.
Blinding Blades	Enemies attacked by the Bladedancer have their Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, and Perception reduced by −(10 + Bladedancer's WS bonus) until the start of the Bladedancer's next turn. These penalties do not stack.
Killing Rhythm	Whenever the Bladedancer kills an enemy with an attack of opportunity, the Bladedancer immediately gains +1 charge of Death From Above.
Duellist	The Bladedancer deals an additional +(5 + Bladedancer's WS bonus)% damage against enemies armed with a melee weapon.
Feel No Pain	Whenever the Bladedancer uses an ability that costs wounds, they gain half of the wounds spent as temporary wounds. The number of temporary wounds gained cannot be decreased by effects that reduce the cost of abilities.
Paid in Blood	Once the Bladedancer has killed four enemies in total, the next ability which requires spending wounds will cost no wounds and instead restore (5 + 2 × TGH bonus) wounds.
Blessed Scars	Whenever the Bladedancer is healed for the first time in a round, they are healed for an additional +TGH bonus wounds and gain +10 Toughness until the end of combat. Stacks.
Unforgiving	After the Bladedancer loses any number of wounds, their next attack deals +(5 + TGH bonus)% more damage. If that loss causes the Bladedancer to suffer an injury or trauma, the bonus damage increases to +(10 + 2 × TGH bonus)%.
Rising Tempo	Each attack made by the Bladedancer increases the damage of all subsequent attacks they make this turn by +5%. This effect stacks up to 3 times. Area attacks, burst attacks (including the Blade Dance), and any other attacks that deal multiple hits are considered single attacks.
Sweeping Motions	The Bladedancer's melee area attacks cost −1 AP less (but no less than 1).
Balancing on the Edge	The Bladedancer can use both a desperate measure and a heroic act in the same combat (but not in the same round). Whenever the Bladedancer uses a desperate measure, they gain +10 Weapon Skill and +3 resolve.
Steady Hand	The Bladedancer's parry is increased by +TGH bonus%. An attacker's melee critical hit chance bonus determined by the difference between the attacker's and the Bladedancer's Weapon Skill characteristic is halved.
Race Against Death	The Bladedancer's maximum wounds are increased by +(Bladedancer's dodge / 10).
Guillotine	Death From Above deals double damage to enemies that have less than 50% wounds.
It Takes Two	If all the strikes made as part of Blade Dance are directed against the same target, the last strike deals double damage.
Bloody Requiem	Whenever the Bladedancer kills an enemy, the Bladedancer's resolve is increased by +1 until the end of combat.
Promises of Blood	Blood Oath restores an additional +1 AP.
Grand Performance	Targets affected by Captive Audience have their armour, dodge, and parry reduced by −(10 + AGI bonus)% until the end of combat. This penalty is doubled for targets failing the ability's Toughness resistance test.
Slip Away	Whenever the Bladedancer uses Acrobatic Artistry, their dodge and cover efficiency are increased by +(5 + AGI bonus)% until the end of their next turn. This bonus is doubled against all attacks made by enemies during the Bladedancer's turn (including extra turns).
Blood Bonds	Every ally targeted by Oath of Vengeance gains the same bonuses as the Bladedancer against all the affected enemies.
Anticipation	Whenever the Bladedancer parries a melee attack while under the effect of Veil of Blades, they deal 50% of their normal damage to the attacker. Additionally, while under the effect of Veil of Blades, the Bladedancer's chance to deflect a ranged attack at an enemy is increased by +20%.
Dance Partners	As long as the Bladedancer has two swords equipped, the Bladedancer's Weapon Skill is increased by +AGI bonus.
Blade in His Hand	Any Bladedancer attacks made with a sword deal +AGI bonus% additional damage. This bonus damage is doubled if using a two-handed sword.
Blood Rush	Whenever the Bladedancer uses an ability that costs wounds, they gain +3 MP in the current turn.
In Footsteps of Death	Every time an enemy is killed by the Blade Dancer's allies, the number of MP on the Blade Dancer's next turn is increased by +2.

Levels

Total Skill Selections: 5
Total Stat Selections: 5
Total Archetype Talent Selections: 5
Total Common Talent Selections: 3
Total Ability Selections: 2

Level	Features
1	Blade Dance
2	Skill Selection
3	Death From Above
4	Death Waltz Archetype Talent Selection
5	Common Talent Selection Stat Selection
6	Ability Selection Skill Selection
7	Stat Selection Archetype Talent Selection
8	Skill Selection Common Talent Selection
9	Heroic Ability Upgrade Selection
10	Archetype Talent Selection Stat Selection
11	Ability Selection Archetype Talent Selection
12	Stat Selection Skill Selection
13	Common Talent Selection Skill Selection
14	Stat Selection Archetype Talent Selection
15	Heroic Ability Upgrade Selection