Oh, the lands of Nuria Natal! Today, you bring us the taste of steel.
Where gods walk and men think it nothing to seek immortality. Where riches abound and fortunes are to be made in markets and in ancient tombs. Where the dead walk and the sun bakes. Nuria Natal is a land of wonders, whether you are a native or just passing through. Contained herein are options for characters who would explore Nuria Natal and the rest of the Southlands. They work best when coupled with Southlands Heroes.
Sword Dancer (Martial Archetype)
The archetypal sword dancer focuses on fast and careful moves. Those who model themselves on this archetype are lithe and graceful but are also charming and genial.
Sword Tongue
Those who follow the path of the sword dancer must not simply be graceful in combat but also must excel in social graces. At 3rd level, you become proficient in Deception, Performance, and Persuasion.
Light on your Feet
At 7th level, you add 5 feet to your moment. You are no longer hindered by difficult terrain.
Dust on the Wind
Beginning at 10th level, when wearing no armor or light armor, you add your Charisma modifier to your AC.
Howling Edge of the Razor
Starting at 15th level, you may make a melee attack as a reaction against any creature that has made a melee attack against you provided they are in range.
Teeth of Khamsin
Starting at 17th level, you can combine the dash action with an attack, including the Extra Attack feature. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a short rest.
For more options for player characters, check out Southlands Heroes.
To be very blunt, this is poorly worded and poorly balanced, and is too literal a translation of the original archetype into 5e. Three skills at level 3 is absolutely not what a fighter archetype should have as a primary feature- it’s not class changing or defining for such a combat-loaded class, except to mark it as something to avoid. As a secondary feature (perhaps without Deception) in addition to Light on your Feet or Dust on the Wind at 3rd level, it’d look a lot more appealing in contrast to existing published archetypes- especially Dust on the Wind, since you would get both combat and social bonuses from your Charisma from the start.
For Howling Edge: what timing is required for this? When the enemy’s attack hits, some-time that turn, or is it vengeance against anyone that has ever harmed you? The original archetype suggests the first but the wording here is different.
Teeth of Khamsin doesn’t seem to be as clearly worded as it could be either, and you’ve listed it as 17th level instead of 18th like other archetypes. Maybe something along the lines of “Starting at 17th level, you can choose to use the Dash action for free on a turn that you take the Attack action. Once you use this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.”
Since the archetype seems so sparse, why not make something new out of the old “Deadly Artistry” feature? Maybe a Charisma bonus to weapon damage or the like?
(Sidenote: I am very amused by the fact that when I opened my Southlands PDF it went straight to the Sword Dancer page. Past-Me was very prepared.)
I am made a fool in my own comment, I ignored my own fix and left it as 17th level! Let this be a warning to all future kobolds, who will probably just use my gravestone as spare materials for a trap later on anyways.
Hi. Some feedback
1. Level 10 ability
a . It should read “while wearing no armor”, as light armor is a type of armor.
b. Given that it requires no armor, this is not a bonus, but an ability that will guide how you to play it differently, how you will imagine it, and its stats distribution. As such, it should be a starting trait.
2. Level 15 ability – It can drop the “provided they are in range” part as its a requisite for the player’s melee attack.
3. Level 17 ability
a. It should read “short or long rest”
b. It redaction can be streamlined (and avoid using the name of formal actions when its not about taking them): You can move an additional distance equal to your speed when you take the Attack action. You can do this again when you take a short or long rest.
c. This being the last ability, and being once per short or long rest, I’d say it is under-powered. In net terms, its almost what the Rogue can do from the beginning with Dash as a bonus action. I would at least add not provoking opportunity attacks during it, or making it just one of the benefits obtained.
In the Midgard book, you seemed to take these comments to heart and changed this class a bit. I’m a little concerned about the result.
One of my characters has a vampire-ish class (+2 Cha/+1 Dex), put their stat bonuses into Dex and Cha at 4, 6, and 8. Add light armor (with a +1 from a different DM), a shield, and the occasional beer cleric granting +1 and we are up to a 26 AC.
That means it is going to be hard to find anything that can touch him without slaughtering the party, as you’re looking around challenge level 7 to get more than a 5% chance to hit. Even the auto-hit mob rules would require 20 creatures with +6 to hit to land a blow.
Removing the ability to use a shield, or any armor, or removing the bonus if they fall prone or suffer various status effects would have constrained this. As-is, it feels like a straight-up advantage over a monk or barbarian.