Dancing Sword (Shortsword)
D&D 5e · 2014·Weapons·Very Rare·Requires attunement
Base weapon damage before your ability modifier. Use the calculator to include hit chance and critical hits.
Damage calculator
Hit chance
55%
Expected damage / attack
3.75
Attack bonus
+5
Average normal hit: 6.5 · Average critical hit: 10 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Martial weapon
- Damage type
- Piercing
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +0
- Weight
- 2 lb
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Very Rare
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Bonus Action: toss the sword and speak its command word.
Calculator assumptions & rules
One attack against a creature. Natural 1 misses; natural 20 hits and doubles damage dice, not flat modifiers. Expected damage includes misses and critical hits. Advantage uses the higher of two d20s; Disadvantage uses the lower. Magic bonuses shown on the item are counted once.
Uses only the weapon’s ordinary hit and the listed on-hit extra dice, when enabled. Class features, Sneak Attack, fighting styles, mastery effects, damage on a miss, special critical-hit effects, ongoing damage, resistance and immunity are excluded. Check the full rules below for additional effects.
Changing calculator inputs does not change the item’s rules or create a new page URL.
What Dancing Sword does
- Strength or Dexterity can drive this martial weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 1d6 weapon damage averages 3.5 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
You can use a bonus action to toss this magic sword into the air and speak the command word. When you do so, the sword begins to hover, flies up to 30 feet, and attacks one creature of your choice within 5 feet of it. The sword uses your attack roll and ability score modifier to damage rolls. While the sword hovers, you can use a bonus action to cause it to fly up to 30 feet to another spot within 30 feet of you. As part of the same bonus action, you can cause the sword to attack one creature within 5 feet of it. After the hovering sword attacks for the fourth time, it flies up to 30 feet and tries to return to your hand. If you have no hand free, it falls to the ground at your feet. If the sword has no unobstructed path to you, it moves as close to you as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if you grasp it or move more than 30 feet away from it. This is the Shortsword variant.
Full item details & properties
Rules for this edition
- Proficiency
- A martial melee weapon; proficiency allows adding your Proficiency Bonus to its attack rolls.
Magic properties
- Activation
- Bonus Action: toss the sword and speak its command word.
- Consumable
- No
- Dancing attacks
- Initial Bonus Action moves up to 30 ft. and attacks within 5 ft.; further Bonus Actions move/attack while within 30 ft. of you. Uses your attack roll and damage ability modifier. After fourth attack returns, or falls if no free hand/path; grasping or moving over 30 ft. away ends hovering.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 1d6 piercing
- Weapon class
- Martial Melee
Properties
Finesse
When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
Light
A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
Tags & related references
Compare alternatives
Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.
Same base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Flame Tongue (Shortsword)3.75 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d6 piercing · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reach · Conditional extra damage; see rulesNot specified · 2 lbSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Dancing Sword (Rapier)4.35 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d8 piercing · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 2 lbBoth use Finesse; compare reach and damage
Dancing Sword (Greatsword)5.85 expected damage / attack55% hit chance2d6 slashing · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · 6 lbSame item type and rules edition
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Dancing Sword FAQ
Does Dancing Sword require attunement?
Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.
Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?
The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.