The DnD 2024 College of Dance Bard is a brand new Bard subclass , who channels the magical language of creation through fancy footwork and stunning displays of acrobatic skill. Their speed and grace make them hard to pin down in melee, and they can extend some of that nimbleness to their allies. Here’s everything you need to know about this new DnD College of Dance!
We’ve had our hands on the DnD 2024 Player’s Handbook for several weeks, thanks to an early copy graciously provided by Wizards of the Coast, and we’ve been scouring the massive tome for all the new and changed rules. I’ve even played a College of Dance Bard in Wargamer’s new edition playtest campaign: a nihilistic Tiefling mime who insists he studied at “the College of Dance, Improvisation, and Physical Theater” and calls everyone “uncultured swine”.
All the DnD classes and DnD races have been tweaked and expanded for this new version of Dungeons and Dragons, and DnD backgrounds have a new and more important role than ever before. When you’re finished reading up on the DnD Dance Bard, make sure you check our other articles to find out what’s changed elsewhere.
What is the College of Dance Bard?
The College of Dance Bard is a brand new Bard subclass which wasn’t available to Bard 5e characters. Bardic magic is drawn from the language of creation, the primordial song that sung the multiverse into existence. But “song” isn’t a literal translation of those magical meta-words, and the College of Dance harnesses its magic via another form of expression – dance.
College of Dance Bards are all graceful performers with great control over their bodies. This has its applications in combat: they’re hard to hit, and can hit back with surprising force with a perfectly placed fist or foot. This only becomes more pronounced as they grow in experience, and the magical dance that surrounds them even conveys some of their swiftness and poise to their allies.
College of Dance traits
Bards from the College of Dance gain several traits at level three, six, and 14.
| Bard Level | Abilities |
| 3 | Dazzling Footwork |
| 6 | Inspiring Movement, Tandem Footwork |
| 14 | Leading Evasion |
Dazzling Footwork
At level three, College of Dance Bards can employ Dazzling Footwork to confound their enemies in combat. This provides a package of bonuses, as long as the Bard isn’t wearing any armor or wielding a shield.
Dance Virtuoso
The Bard has Advantage to any Charisma (Performance) checks to dance!
Unarmored Defense
The Bard’s base Armor Class = 10 + Dexterity modifier + Charisma modifier.
Bardic Damage
The Bard can make unarmed strikes using Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack roll and damage bonus. In addition, they make the damage roll with their Bardic Inspiration die – this doesn’t use up their Bardic Inspiration at all.
Agile Strikes
When the Bard takes any kind of Action to use Bardic Inspiration, they can freely throw in an Unarmed Strike as part of the same Action.
Dazzling Footwork won’t turn the Bard into a full-on front-liner, but they are a survivable midline caster who can unstick themselves from tricky situations and survive (light) attention from enemies. By level four, you should be able to hit an AC of 16 or 17 without too much trouble, depending on where your stat progression has gone.
Inspiring Movement
From level six, Inspiring Movement allows the Bard, and one ally within 30 feet, to reposition when a visible enemy ends its turn within five feet of the Bard. This uses a Reaction and one use of Bardic Inspiration, and allows both characters to move up to half their speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks. Squishy Wizards and melee DPS characters will love having the College of Dance Bard around.
Tandem Footwork
Also at level six, Tandem Footwork lets a College of Dance Bard (who isn’t incapacitated) spend and roll a Bardic Inspiration die and add that to their Initiative score, and to the score for each ally within 30 feet who can see or hear them.
The Bardic Inspiration die at level six is a chunky D8. This is going to make the College of Dance Bard the reworked Rogue Assassin’s best friend.
Leading Evasion
The final College of Dance ability is Leading Evasion, available from level 14, which provides a defensive bonus against area of effect attacks, fireballs, and any other effect that gives them the chance to suffer only half damage by passing a Dexterity saving throw.
As long as the Bard isn’t Incapacitated, they – and any creatures within five feet of them – will instead suffer no damage if they can pass their Dexterity save, and half damage if they fail.
Keen to learn more about the new version of DnD? Make sure you read our DnD 2024 Player’s Handbook review, based on weeks with the book and a playtest campaign involving the whole Wargamer team.
Source: Wargamer
