Irresistible Dance: Let the Rhythm Move You
Spell Level: 6
School: Enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
Choose one creature that you can see within range. The target begins a comic dance in place: shuffling, tapping its feet, and capering for the duration. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune to this spell.
A dancing creature must use all its movement to dance without leaving its space and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls. While the target is affected by this spell, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, a dancing creature makes a Wisdom saving throw to regain control of itself. On a successful save, the spell ends.
Review by Samuel West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
The scene is set; a despicable death knight stands before you, surrounded by his legion of damned soldiers adorned in dark plate, each wielding a blade burning with dark purple flames. He turns to face the group, raising his longsword towards the bard, and mutters “You dare challenge the greatest warrior in all of undeath?”, who then promptly responds, “I do challenge you… to a DANCE OFF!” as he busts out a split, which the death knight unwillingly mimics.
Irresistible Dance is the kind of corny D&D humor I love the game for. The spell is a solid player option to have, and can even be levied against the party without it feeling horrendous. Unlike the bulk of save or dies, Irresistible Dance always works, then asks a tough question to the dancer; is it worth my action to attempt to end this?
The fact that the spell will always do something makes it leagues better to use than offenders like Polymorph, Hold Monster, and Banishment. Irresistible Dance may not have an effect as potent should any of those spells work, but it will never do nothing. You always get at least one round of dancing and an action eaten to end the effect. In addition, the spell doesn’t entirely prevent action; it hinders it, but the recipient still gets to act as they choose, short of moving.
Against legendary monsters with legendary resistances, this is one of a short list of spells that bypass legendary resistance entirely. Denying movement to this kind of end game boss while debilitating its attack rolls and saving throws can offer up quick advantages that can easily snowball a fight towards victory.
Even outside making the ancient red dragon do the chicken dance, Irresistible Dance has a myriad of instances where it shines. Any monster you want to stay put has to; weaker willed monsters might be stuck for more than a single round. The addition preventing it from working on creatures immune to charm opens up a DMs toolbox to allow for counterplay as well; if the party is leaning a bit too much on spontaneous festivities, attaching a magic item to their villain to negate charm effects or matching the players against fey royalty or undead monsters like dracoliches.
My only gripe with the spell is its not a bard exclusive. There are few spells that SCREAM bard like Irresistible Dance, yet wizards have to have it too because older editions or whatever. It's a minor nit-pick, but in my heart this is a true bard spell through and through.
If you haven’t yet, try out Irresistible Dance. Yes, it's cheesy and silly. Every D&D table could use a bit of that, right?
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