To the light Elves, sorcery is an elaborate artform that is used to accentuate all aspects of Elvish life.  Perhaps the most famous usage of magic in the light Elvish culture is the bladesinger, a warrior who has mastered the usage of magic during combat.

The philosophy of the dark Elves, however, holds a subtle difference.  The dark Elves, or Taranesti, do not add magic to their lives, but rather draw magic from every aspect of life, every word, every movement.  Deeply magical creatures, the Taranesti do not draw magic from the world around them, but from even the subtlest action they take.

Epitomizing this talent is the Taranesti Sword-Dancer, a masterful warrior who eliminates the distinction between physical weapons and weapons of magic.  To her, a lightning bolt is little different from a sword, a dagger and a burning hands both tools intended for combat.  Striking with her spells as keenly and quickly as a standard warrior would with blades, the Taranesti Sword-Dancer is the perfect, dark union of the arcane and martial arts.

Most Sword-Dancers are expertly-trained dark Elf fighter/sorcerers, or occasionally monk/sorcerers.  A few vicious clerics of the dark Elven goddess have mastered this fighting style, but usually arcane spellcasters derive more benefits from the style.  Many centuries ago one Taranesti Sword-Dancer brought her artform’s unique teachings to non-Taranesti, hoping to expand the power base of the dark Elves by luring in skilled warriors to the Taranesti way of thought.  Thus, though they are rare, a few human and light Elf Sword-Dancers do exist, often perverted from their original morals into agreeing with the beliefs of the dark Elves.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5
Bluff:2 ranks.
Concentration:4 ranks.
Perform:2 ranks, including dance as one form.
Spellcraft:4 ranks.
Feats:Expertise, Silent Spell, Weapon Focus (any melee weapon or unarmed).
Spellcasting:  Ability to cast spells of 1^st level or higher.
Other:Must receive training from a Taranesti Sword-Dancer.  This training takes eight weeks, and in addition to simple training in swordsmanship and spellcraft, it involves subtle indoctrination with Taranesti beliefs.

Class Skills
The Taranesti Sword-Dancer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), and Spellcraft (Int).  See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level:  2 + Int modifier.

Taranesti Sword-Dancer

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort. Save	Ref. Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Sword-dancing, Defensive Sword-casting, Sword-Dance (Touch Attack)	-
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Sword-Dance (Spellslash)	+1 level of existing class
3	+2	+1	+1	+3	Infuse Weapon, Sword-Dance (Expertise)	-
4	+3	+1	+1	+4	Extra Spellslash, Sword-Dance (Power Attack)	+1 level of existing class
5	+3	+1	+1	+4	Sword-Dance (Cleave)	-
	+4	+2	+2	+5	Sword-Dance (Spellsunder)	+1 level of existing class
7	+5	+2	+2	+5	Extra Spellslash	-
8	+6	+2	+2	+6	Sword-Dance (Disarm Spell)	+1 level of existing class

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Taranesti Sword-Dancer prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
A Taranesti Sword-Dancer gains proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, and in light armor.

Spells Per Day:
For the purposes of determining spells per day, caster level, and (for spontaneous spellcasters) spells known, whenever a level as Taranesti Sword-Dancer grants the ability “+1 level of existing class,” the character adds 1 effective level to one of her previous spellcasting classes.

The Taranesti Sword-Dancer can only cast spells gained from these effective casting levels if she is armed with one of her preferred weapons (see below).  If she is not armed with her preferred weapon, her caster level is effectively reduced to that from her original spellcasting class, not including the levels from Taranesti Sword-Dancer.

For example, if Denna, a dark Elf fighter 4/sorcerer 2/Taranesti Sword-Dancer 6, is disarmed of her favored weapon (a glaive), her caster level is reduced to 2.  She cannot cast any spell higher than 1^st level.  She does not lose any spell slots, though, so if she gets another glaive, she can cast the rest of her spells as normal. 

Sword-dancing (Su):
A Taranesti Sword-Dancer does not just ‘wield weapons’ and ‘cast spells,’ but rather melds the two artforms into one.  Through swordplay, she can evoke a myriad of magical effects without breaking the cadence of her attack.  All Sword-Dancer spells are cast in the this way; a Sword-Dancer cannot cast spells in the normal way.

When casting a spell with the sword-dance, a Taranesti Sword-Dancer nevers uses verbal components, but always has a somatic component, even if the spell normally does not.  Her spells are all automatically silent without changing the level they are cast at,  but she cannot benefit from the Still Spell feat.  If the spell requires a material component or focus, the Sword-Dancer must only have it on her person, not necessarily in her hand.

This style of spellcasting, while useful in the heat of battle, has several restrictions.

·                Preferred Weapon:Every Sword-Dancer must have the feat Weapon Focus in a melee weapon of some sort.  This weapon is her preferred weapon, which she must have in order to utilize her class abilities.  If she has Weapon Focus in several melee weapons, she can use any of them to access her sword-dancing abilities.

·                Melee Range Only:The Sword-Dancer’s spells can only affect targets that she would be able to strike with her weapon.  If she casts a spell that has targets, it affects only one target.  If it has an area of effect, this area is only one 5-foot square.  Either way, the effect of the spell cannot extend beyond the reach of the Sword-Dancer’s weapon.

·                Martial Prowess Difficulty Class:If the spell allows a saving throw, the save DC is equal to the Sword-Dancer’s base attack bonus + the spell level + the relevant ability modifier.  For example, Denna has a +2 Charisma bonus and a +5 base attack bonus, and casts burning hands.  The Reflex save DC is 8 (+5 for base attack bonus, +1 for spell level, +2 for Charisma bonus).

Similarly, any attack bonuses the Sword-Dancer receives from feats, racial abilities, or class abilities (such as Weapon Focus or a dwarf’s bonus to attacks against orcs) also increases the DC of a spell cast through the sword-dance.  However, bonuses from magic, either spells or items, does not increase the DC.

If the Sword-Dancer gives herself a penalty to her attack bonus from the Power Attack or Expertise feat or some similar source, the save DC of any spells she casts that round are reduced by the same amount her attack bonus is.  Similarly, if the Sword-Dancer is wielding two weapons in combat, she incurs a penalty to the DC of her spells equal to the penalty she would receive to her attack rolls when using that weapon.

The sword-dance is a synthesis of melee combat and spellcraft, and it has both benefits and drawbacks of each.  However, most Taranesti Sword-Dancer training is devoted to overcoming these drawbacks, as detailed below.

Defensive Sword-casting (Ex): 
Because a Taranesti Sword-Dancer casts by the act of using her weapon, she never incurs an attack of opportunity by casting a spell with the Sword-Dance.  If she casts a spell that is not allowed with the Sword-Dance, she must cast it traditionally, incurring a normal attack of opportunity.

Sword-Dance (Touch Attack) (Su):
A Sword-Dancer can deliver touch attack spells through her preferred weapon as though through a touch.  All other normal rules for touch attacks apply, including that casting another spell causes the charged touch spell to dissipate.  The touch spell is discharged upon the first target she successfully strikes with her weapon.  If the Sword-Dancer wields more than one weapon, the touch spell can work through either blade, whichever strikes first.  She cannot choose to ‘hold the charge’ in only one weapon.

When delivering a touch attack spell with a weapon, the Sword-Dancer can choose to deal damage with her attack.  Instead of making a touch attack that ignores armor-based AC, she must make a normal attack roll.  If successful, the touch spell is discharged and her weapon deals normal damage.  If she misses with her attack, the spell is not discharged, and she deals no damage.

Sword-Dance (Spellslash) (Su):A Sword-Dancer of 2^nd level or higher can do more than simply cast spells with weapon movements.  Indeed, she can incorporate her spells into her attack patterns.

Once per round, the Sword-Dancer can cast a spell instead of making a normal melee attacks.  If she uses the full attack action, she can both cast a spell and make attacks in the same round.  Likewise, she could replace an attack of opportunity, extra attacks gained from the Cleave feat, or the bonus attack from the Improved Trip feat.

Spells cast in this manner have a duration of no more than one round, lasting no longer than a melee attack would, and of course have all the restrictions of the sword-dance, as detailed above.

If the Sword-Dancer chooses to replace one of her iterative attacks (gained from having a high base attack bonus), the spell’s save DC is modified by the same amount that her attack bonus is modified.  For example, Denna has a Charisma modifier of +2 and a base attack bonus of +6.  As a full attack action she would normally get two attacks per round, one at +6 and one at +1.  Instead, she could choose to make one attack and cast one spell, such as burning hands.  If she replaced the better of her two attacks with the spell, the spell DC would be 9, but if she replaced the worse of her two attacks with the spell, the DC would only be 4, reduced by 5 for being her first iterative attack.

A Sword-Dancer who casts spells spontaneously cannot modify a spell cast through the Spellslash ability with metamagic feats, since doing so would extend the casting time too long to fit into the flurry of combat.

Infuse Spell (Su):
Beginning at 3^rd level, a Sword-Dancer can channel energy from a spell into her blade.  As a standard action she can expend any spell slot or prepared spell to temporarily enchant her preferred weapon.  This enchantment lasts for a number of rounds equal to her caster level.

The bonus granted is based on the level of the spell expended. This bonus is an enhancement bonus, so does not stack with a weapon that is already enchanted.  The highest bonus takes precedence.

Spell Level Expended	Enhancement Bonus Granted	Additional Bonus Granted
0th	-	-
1st	+1	-
2nd-3rd	+2	Elemental Aura
4th-5th	+3	-
6th-7th	+4	Elemental Burst
8th-9th	+5	-

Additionally, if a high level spell is expended, the weapon gains additional bonuses. 

If a spell of 2^nd level or higher is used, the Sword-Dancer picks one elemental type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic).  The weapon is surrounded with an aura of energy of this type, and deals +1d6 points of elemental damage on a successful hit.

If a spell of 6^th level or higher is used, whenever the weapon deals a critical hit, it bursts with elemental energy of the type the Sword-Dancer chose.  If the critical multiplier is x2, it deals +1d10 points of damage, +2d10 for x3 multiplier, and +3d10 for x4 multiplier.

Sword-Dance (Expertise):
A Sword-Dancer of 3^rd level or higher can use the weapon motions of her spellcasting to improve her defenses.  When she casts a spell, she can take a penalty of as much as –5 on her spell’s save DC and add the same number to her Armor Class.  She cannot lower the DC to less than 1 in this way.  The changes to save DCs and armor class last until her next action. 

This bonus to her armor class is a dodge bonus.  However, if somehow the Sword-Dancer is also able to make melee attacks in the same round, she cannot use the Expertise feat with both the attack and spell.  The greatest bonus the Expertise feat can grant to AC is +5.

Extra Spellslash:
At 4^th level, a Taranesti Sword-Dancer can use her Spellslash ability with up to two attacks per round.  At 7^th level, she can convert up to three attacks per round into spells via the Spellslash ability.

Sword-Dance (Power Attack) (Su):
A Sword-Dancer of 4^th level or higher cast her spells more powerfully, increasing force at the expense of accuracy.  On her action before casting a spell, she can choose to subtract a number from her spells’ DC, and add half that number to her caster level.  This number may not exceed the Sword-Dancer’s base attack bonus.  The penalty on spell DC and bonus on caster level apply to all spells she casts through the Sword-Dance, until her next action.

This ability can only be used on spells that allow a saving throw to resist.

Sword-Dance (Cleave) (Su):
At 5^th level or higher, whenever a Taranesti Sword-Dancer drops a creature with a spell, she gains an extra melee attack against another creature in the immediate vicinity.  She cannot take a 5-foot step before making this extra attack.  She can use this ability once per round.

Sword-Dance (Spellsunder) (Su):
At 6^th level, a Taranesti Sword-Dancer gains the ability to cast greater dispelling once per day.  This spell has a range of no greater than the Sword-Dancer’s weapon’s reach, and affects only a 5-foot area.  However, the Sword-Dancer may use her base attack bonus in place of her caster level when determining the bonus to her dispel check.

Sword-Dance (Disarm Spell) (Su):
An 8^th-level Sword-Dancer can stop an incoming magical attack by removing it from the control of its caster, much like disarming a weapon from its wielder.  She can ready an action as if preparing to counterspell an opponent’s spell, but can only choose an opponent who is within range of her weapon.  If the opponent tries to cast a spell, she must make a Spellcraft check as a free action (DC 15 + the spell’s level).  If the check succeeds, she correctly identifies the spell and can attempt to disarm it.

To disarm the spell, she must make an opposed caster level check with the other spellcaster.  For the purpose of this check, the Sword-Dancer may use her base attack bonus in place of her caster level.  If the Sword-Dancer loses the opposed check, the spell functions normally, and if the spell affects the Sword-Dancer, she automatically fails any save against it.  If the Sword-Dancer succeeds the caster level check, she counters the spell.

For example, Denna wields a glaive, and has a reach of 10 feet.  She can ready an action to counter any spell cast by an opponent within 10 feet.  Her base attack bonus is +11, so she rolls d20+11 against her opponent’s d20+caster level.  If she succeeds, she counters the spell.