Wardancer (3.5 base)

[sirpercival]

Fancy shmancy dancey pantsy

WARDANCER



A wardancer is a thing of deadly beauty and grace, gyrating through the battlefield and leaving behind a trail of bodies.

MAKING A WARDANCER
Start with dervish, stir in 10 more levels, add a dash of barbarian, and combine with some martial disciplines.  Mix well, and season to taste.
Abilities: Dexterity and Charisma make a Wardancer deadly.  As a melee class, a high Constitution is nearly a requirement.
Races: Any class which is particularly graceful and long of limb.  Elves make particularly good Wardancers.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: As rogue.
Starting Age: As rogue.

Class Skills
The Wardancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Martial Lore (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int

Table: The Wardancer				HD: d8
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 /+1 +7 /+2 +8 /+3 +9 /+4 +10 /+5 +11 /+6 /+1 +12 /+7 /+2 +13 /+8 /+3 +14 /+9 /+4 +15 /+10 /+5 +16 /+11 /+6 /+1 +17 /+12 /+7 /+2 +18 /+13 /+8 /+3 +19 /+14 /+9 /+4 +20 /+15 /+10 /+5	Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Reflex Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Special Battlegrace (nimble dance), wardance Graceful dance, rapid steps +10 feet Opportunistic recovery Uncanny dodge Improved wardance Deceptive motion Battlegrace (elegant defense) Mesmerizing dance, rapid steps +20 feet Improved uncanny dodge Greater wardance Improved deceptive motion Improved opportunistic recovery Battlegrace (supple offense) Inspiring dance, rapid steps +30 feet Superior wardance Greater deceptive motion Improved mesmerizing dance Improved inspiring dance Battlegrace (refined avoidance) Rapid steps +40 feet, supreme wardance	Maneuvers Known 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13	Maneuvers Readied 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7	Stances Known 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Wardancers are proficient with simple weapons, as well as the falchion, kama, light mace, light pick, longsword, rapier, sap, scimitar, scythe, shortsword, and whip.  They are also proficient with light armor, but not shields.

Maneuvers: A wardancer begins her career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers, chosen from the following disciplines:
Dancing Fox, Dancing Goddess, Dancing Leaf, Desert Wind, and Scarlet Rose. Once she knows a maneuver, a wardancer must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by wardancers is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. A wardancer's maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.

A wardancer learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the above table. She must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. The highest-level maneuvers she can learn are based on her initiator level, as normal. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered wardancer level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), a wardancer can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she observes her restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she can learn; she need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level.

Maneuvers readied: A wardancer can ready all three of her maneuvers per encounter at level 1, but as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she must choose which maneuvers to ready.  A wardancer readies maneuvers by meditating and dancing for 5 minutes; once readied, the maneuvers remain so until she spends 5 minutes to ready new ones.

A wardancer begins an encounter with all her maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she readied them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of his maneuvers can be used once per encounter unless he recovers them.  At the end of a wardancer's turn, she may recover up to a single expended maneuver of her choice if she succeeds at a Perform (Dance) check (DC 13 + 3 times the maneuver's level) as a free action.  She can't use a recovered maneuver in the same round that she recovers it, or recover a maneuver in the same round that she expended it.

Stances Known: A wardancer begins play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to her. At 4th, 10th, and 16th level, she can choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and she does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she currently uses as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, a wardancer cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one he already knows.

Battlegrace (Ex): A wardancer is the pinnacle of graceful combat.  As a move action, the wardancer may expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver without gaining its usual benefit; instead, she gains a bonus to Perform (Dance) checks equal to her Dexterity modifier for a number of rounds equal to the maneuver's level.  At 7th level, she may instead choose to gain a dodge bonus to her AC equal to her Charisma modifier.

At 13th level, as an immediate action the wardancer may expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver without gaining its usual benefit, instead gaining a bonus to initiative checks equal to the level of the maneuver.  She may do this when she and her party roll initiative, modifying her initiative roll for the current encounter.  At 19th level, the wardancer may expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver without gaining its usual benefit as an immediate action at any time, gaining a bonus equal to the level of the maneuver on her next saving throw made within one round.

Wardance (Ex): The refined art of the wardance is what gives the wardancer her title.  A wardancer may enter a wardance at any time, up to once per day per class level.  She must move at least 5 feet in a round to maintain the wardance, up to a number of rounds equal to her ranks in Perform (Dance); if she does not move at least 5 feet in a round, or if she surpasses her maximum number of rounds, the wardance ends.  When a wardance ends, the wardancer becomes fatigued until the end of the current encounter.  She may not enter a wardance while fatigued. 

While in a wardance, a wardancer gains a bonus to her melee attack and damage rolls equal to her Charisma modifier; this bonus applies to martial strikes as well.  In addition, while in a wardance she may move up to her speed as part of a full attack action, or as part of a martial strike which involves two or more attacks.  She may divide up her movement however she chooses in 5-foot increments, but she must move at least 5 feet in between each attack.

Graceful dance (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, at the beginning of her turn a wardancer may make a Perform (Dance) check as a swift action (DC equal to 15 + the number of enemies within 30 feet); if she does so, she provokes no attacks of opportunity for moving through threatened squares in that round.

Rapid steps (Ex): At 2nd level, and every 6 levels after, a wardancer's base land speed increases by 10 feet.

Opportunistic recovery (Ex): Whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from a wardancer of 3rd level or higher by moving through one of her threatened squares, she may immediately recover one of her expended maneuvers as a free action.

Uncanny dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a wardancer can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.  However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.  If a wardancer already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved wardance (Ex): At 5th level, a wardancer has become even more skilled at the art of her namesake.  While performing a full-attack action in a wardance, the wardancer gains one additional attack at her highest base attack bonus for every 5 class levels.

Deceptive motion (Ex): Upon reaching 6th level, a wardancer learns to bend her body in unpredictable ways while dancing.  Whenever she moves at least 10 feet and ends her movement in a square from which she threatens an opponent, she may make a feint attempt against that opponent as a free action, but using her Perform (Dance) skill instead of Bluff for the feint.  She may do this any number of times in a round, as long as she moves at least 10 feet before each feint.

Mesmerizing dance (Ex): Whenever a wardancer of 8th level or higher does nothing but move during a round, and moves at least her base speed, any opponent who is within 30 feet of her at any point along her path and can see her must make a Will save (DC equal to the result of her Perform (Dance) check) or be fascinated for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier.  Unlike normal fascination, however, an affected creature is not granted a saving throw due to potential threats, and is only granted a save due to obvious threats when such threats occur in a space directly adjacent to the creature (obvious threats do not automatically end the fascination).  A creature who successfully saves cannot be affected by this ability again for 24 hours.  This is a mind-affecting effect.

Improved uncanny dodge (Ex): At 9th level, a wardancer can no longer be flanked.  This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does wardancer levels.  If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Greater wardance (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, a wardancer's skill with the wardance has reached new heights.  Whenever she is maintaining a wardance, the wardancer gains the benefit of evasion, as the rogue class feature.  In addition, she can move through difficult terrain at no penalty with a successful DC 20 Perform (Dance) check as part of the same action.

Improved deceptive motion (Ex): Upon reaching 11th level, any creature who is affected by a wardancer's Deceptive Motion class feature is also denied their Strength and Power Attack bonus to damage, if any, for attacks against her until the beginning of her next turn.

Improved opportunistic recovery (Ex): Whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from a wardancer of 12th level or higher for any reason, she may immediately recover one of her expended maneuvers as a free action.  This ability replaces the effect of the Opportunistic Recovery class feature.
 
Inspiring dance (Ex): Beginning at 14th level, a wardancer learns to inspire her allies with the glory of her dancing.  When entering a wardance, she may make a Perform (Dance) check as a free action; as long as she maintains the wardance, all allies within 30 feet of her (other than her) gain a morale bonus to attack and damage rolls based on the result of her Perform check, as given in the table below.

Check Result	Bonus
15 or below	+1
16-25	+2
26-30	+3
31-35	+4
36 or higher	+5

Superior wardance (Ex):  At 15th level, a wardancer's mastery of her signature technique is nearly complete.  While maintaining a wardance, the wardancer gains the benefit of improved evasion as the rogue special ability.  In addition, while wardancing, she may spend a swift action to forego the normal effect of any stance she is in to gain the benefit of the freedom of movement spell.  This benefit lasts as long as she would maintain the stance; she can end this effect and resume gaining the normal benefit of the stance as a swift action.  This effect, if active, also ends when a wardance ends, in which case the wardancer may regain the normal benefit of her stance at the beginning of her next turn by spending a swift action as normal.

Greater deceptive motion (Ex): At 16th level, any creature affected by a wardancer's Deceptive Motion class feature suffers a miss chance on all attacks (including attacks against other creatures) equal to 5% times the amount the wardancer succeeded on the feint attempt by (maximum 50%) for 1 round.

Improved mesmerizing dance (Ex): Whenever a wardancer of 17th level or higher affects a creature with her Mesmerizing Dance class feature, the creature is fascinated for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma score.  In addition, her Mesmerizing Dance can affect even creatures immune to mind-affecting effects; however, such creatures gain a +4 bonus on the Will save.

Improved inspiring dance (Ex): Beginning at 18th level, whenever a wardancer uses her Inspiring Dance ability, she also grants affected allies an identical morale bonus to saves and armor class.

Supreme wardance (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, a wardancer has reached the apex of her ability with the wardance.  Whenever she is maintaining a wardance (but no more often than once per round), she may replace any attack within a full-attack action with a martial strike which takes no more than a standard action to initiate.  In addition, while wardancing, the total distance she can move as part of a full attack increases to twice her speed, and she no longer becomes fatigued when a wardance ends.

[sirpercival]

Wardancer ACF: Divine Troubador
Some wardancers are divinely inspired to provide music for their dancing, rather than simply relying on the combat to provide its own rhythm.  Since they are paying less attention to the tempo of those around them, they lose a little bit of their evasive techniques, but in return they gain increased ability to share the inspiration of their muse with others.
Loses: Access to the Dancing Leaf discipline; Greater Wardance does not grant Evasion; Superior Wardance does not grant Improved Evasion.
Gains: Access to the Divine Muse discipline; gain Inspiring Dance at 10th level, Greater Inspiring Dance and 14th level, and at 18th level, the bonus from Inspiring Dance doubles.

Wardancer ACF: Wild Dancer
Certain wardancers revel in the carnage their movements leave behind. To them, the spray of blood is part of the dance, every bit as important as their own footwork and as beautiful as a shower of rose petals. Their graceful ferocity and eagerness for blood tends to overrule their more refined instincts, but each droplet of precious lifeblood seems to quicken their steps and invigorate them.
Loses: Access to the Desert Wind and Scarlet Rose disciplines, Graceful Dance class feature.
Gains: Access to the Crimson Earth and Tiger Claw disciplines, Intimidate as a class skill, gain fast healing 1 while maintaining a wardance.



Wardancer Feats

Autumn's Touch
As a leaf falls from a tree, so do you float gently to the ground.
Prerequisites: One Dancing Leaf stance, Wardance class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you maintain a Wardance while in a Dancing Leaf stance, any penalties you suffer from being prone are halved, and standing up from prone does not provoke an attack of opporunity.

Blistering Tempo
The fires that burn from your dancing are hotter than normal fires.
Prerequisites: One Desert Wind stance, Wardance class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you maintain a Wardance while in a Desert Wind stance, any fire damage you cause with your melee attacks or movement which originated from Desert Wind maneuevers, stances, and feats has a chance to affect even creatures resistant or immune to fire.  When dealing fire damage under such circumstances, make a Perform (Dance) check with a penalty equal to 10 + the creature's fire resistance (or a -40 total penalty for a creature with fire immunity).  The creature's resistance or immunity allows past an amount of fire damage equal to the result of your check (in addition to any damage it would have taken in excess of its resistance, to a total amount equal to the amount of fire damage you deal with the attack).
      For example, a wardancer with this feat in the Fiery Assault stance uses the Searing Charge maneuver (dealing 6d6 extra fire damage, for 24 total) to attack a red dragon, who is immune to fire.  He makes a Perform (Dance) check with a -40 penalty, resulting in a roll of 7; he therefore deals up to 7 points of fire damage to the dragon with the attack, assuming his attack dealt at least 7 points of fire damage, in addition to any other damage he might deal.  If he had instead attacked a creature with resistance to fire 20, he would have dealt 4 damage (the amount in excess of the creature's resistance) + 17 damage from the Perform check for a total of 21 fire damage.
Special: If you have levels in the Fire Walker prestige class, your Fire Walker class features count as Desert Wind maneuvers for the purposes of this feat.

Breath of the Goddess
While you dance, you seem to sprout phantom extra arms which mirror your attacks.
Prerequisites: One Dancing Goddess stance, Wardance class feature, Perform (Dance) 12 ranks.
Benefit: Whenever you maintain a Wardance while in a Dancing Goddess stance, once per round you may roll twice on an attack roll and take the better result.

Dance of Thorns
Opponents quickly discover that your movement is as deadly as it is beautiful.  Your fluid movements and flashing steel can harm those near you even when you do not intend.
Prerequisites: One Scarlet Rose stance, Wardance class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you maintain a Wardance while in a Scarlet Rose stance, any opponent whom you move past (passing through a square in which you threaten them) without attacking suffers the base damage of your off-hand weapon as piercing damage, from catching the point of your blade during the dance.  The damage dealt by the weapon includes any damage sources and effects that can be triggered upon contact (such as energy-type weapon enhancements that add damage, contact poisons, injury poisons if damage overcomes DR, etc.), but not damage sources and abilities that require an actual attack to be triggered (such as Power Attack, Strength to damage, damage bonus from Wardance, etc.).  You may only damage a given opponent once per round with this feat.

(click to show/hide)

There's no actual rule for the distinction I'm trying to make, and there's no way to make a huge list of effects since I would have to add to it for every freekin homebrew class...

But the idea is this: pretend you accidentally smacked someone with your sword.  You wouldn't have tried to hit them, so you wouldn't put any strength or technique behind it, you wouldn't have used any special attacks or anything like that.  However, if your sword was on fire, they would burn from the fire.  If your sword was poisonous, that would matter.

Foxfire
Your dance leaves an illusory trail that makes it difficult for enemies to make sense of the battlefield.
Prerequisites: One Dancing Fox stance, Wardance class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you maintain a Wardance while in a Dancing Fox stance, your motions leaves behind a distracting trail of faerie fire that lasts until the beginning of your next turn.  You suffer a -5 penalty to Hide checks, but in the confusion, all allies within 5 feet of you at any point during your movement gain concealment for 1 round.  You may suppress or resume this effect as a free action.

Graceful Inspiration
You use your dance to inspire enemies.
Prerequisites: Inspire Courage class feature, Wardance class feature.
Benefit: Your Wardancer levels stack with your levels in the class which granted you Inspire Courage to determine the bonus granted by your Inspire Courage ability.  In addition, whenever you are maintaining a Wardance, you may activate your Inspire Courage ability as a swift action.

Harmonious Inspiration
Your inspirational dance is even more inspirational.
Prerequisites: Graceful Inspiration, Inspiring Dance class feature.
Benefit: Whenever you use your Inspiring Dance ability, increase the bonus granted to your allies by an amount equal to the bonus normally granted by your Inspire Courage ability.  Your Inspiring Dance counts as Inspire Courage for any effects which apply to Inspire Courage (you only gain the benefit of effects which increase your Inspire Courage bonus once).

[sirpercival]

I hate dead levels, but I have no idea what to fill them with.  Thoughts on what I have, and suggestions for more stuff?

[Braininthejar]

hmm... desert wind but no tiger claw?

Anyway, for new stuff... half the pictures of wardancers depict them in the air. So perhaps perform(dance) instead of jump checks? An ability to move through occupied squares by leaping over opponents? Always counting as having a running start?
Sect secrets of using warpaint to paint protective wards on the body? (speaking of which, the whole idea of a wardancer is fighting with inhuman grace, to the point that in Warhammer, it was elf only - are any of the abilities limited by armor/encumberance?)

[ariasderros]

hmm... desert wind but no tiger claw?

Tiger Claw is about Ferocity, this class is about grace. Scarlet Rose even calls that difference out.

I hate dead levels, but I have no idea what to fill them with.  Thoughts on what I have, and suggestions for more stuff?

I'd say with as evasive as this class is with AoO's and Dodges, giving Evasion at 12 and Improved Evasion at 17 would fit quite well.

Hmm... also, something like how the Crusader gets Cha to Will only, not stacking with Divine Grace, but say 1/4 your ranks in Perform (dance) to Reflex? So if you keep the skill maxed out, it is a 50% boost to Reflex.

[littha]

I would grab some of the warhammer wardancer fluff. They have magic tattoos that protect them from harm and I believe they become forest spirts (probably fey or outsiders) at some point.

[TravelLog]

Needs Jump, Climb, and Swim for sure as a martial class. Bluff may also be appropriate.

Greater Wardance isn't that great and could be made better. As is, it's essentially just Rapid Shot for melee attacks. Perhaps swap it with the 10th level ability and then grant an extra attack every 5 levels thereafter?

Also, be aware that stacking different types of ability score boosters could break the ability relatively easily, which is why I recommended the more static boost.

As for dead levels, give them TWF for free? And perhaps some kind of "move so fast it looks like you teleported" in a straight line, making an attack with each weapon (if TWFing) or your weapon (if not), making the attacks against an enemy's flatfooted/touch/etc. AC (depending on how you want it to be).

I'll try and think of more for you.

[Garryl]

Supreme Wardance feels capstoney to me.

Note that feinting only applies to the next attack within 1 round you make against the target. Improved Deceptive Wardance is, as written, somewhat less effective as a result.

Just to confirm with the wardance, are you unable to enter a new wardance while fatigued for any reason, or only while still subject to the previous wardance's fatigue?
Wardance fatigue should fade at end of combat (or maybe a minute later, I forget how the Barbarian Rage works exactly). You should also only be able to enter it once per encounter, maybe, even if you cure or are immune to the fatigue, depending on how close an analogue you want to rage/whirling frenzy.

Agreed on adding Jump, Climb, and Swam for class skills. Possibly also Disguise to consider.

Agreed on making Greater Wardance a fixed number of extra attacks. As it is, most people get 1 extra attack, some people focus heavily on both Dex and Cha and get a 2nd extra attack around level 20, and other people stack templates and spells and whatever and get 5 extra attacks.

Maybe some feats to give a special benefit to your Wardance based on the discipline of the stance you're in?

[Bozwevial]

Quick question, is there intentionally no limit on the number of free actions you can spend recovering maneuvers?

[phaedrusxy]

Hmm... I like the looks of this. I might take it over Warrior-Poet. Cha to attack and damage at 1st level is nice. Trading a disciplines for Divine Muse and taking the feat to gain access to Lost Lyrics could get you Inspire Courage as a bard of your IL, a boost that's basically Cha to AC + Haste for 2 rounds, and a counter that lets you substitute a Perform check for any saving throw. 

Edit: Crap, no White Raven? Hmm... that means I can't use this to enter IotSV. I know typically people trade out the "official" disciplines to gain access to homebrewed ones. I guess doing the opposite should also be OK?

[GuyFawkes]

For Opportunistic Recovery, maybe it just triggers on AoOs that are caused by movement, since wardancer is all about movement anyway? Also, I support giving set number of added attacks granted by greater wardance.

For Deceptive Motion, does this grant a free feint attempt for every opponent after moving 10 ft, and not just one, like when in wardance? If not, then maybe Improved and Greater Deceptive Motion maybe severely limited.

Maybe stick in the 'no longer gets fatigued after wardance' somewhere in there?

For additional abilities,

Maybe something that gives a morale bonus to allies within a certain feet when wardancing, or have battlegrace affect allies when used while wardancing. Conversely, maybe penalties to enemies within a certain feet while dancing.

Fast movement?

Free Spring Attack seems fit to be granted for this class, but maybe allow to use a martial strike or maneuver instead of a regular attack. I don't how useful this is though since you'd most probably be dancing all the time anyway, but yeah, I'll just put this in here anyway.

Ignore terrain, including moving in and out of opponent spaces as if they are not there, while dancing. Bonus to grapple checks while dancing, or just make it into freedom of movement while dancing.

[sirpercival]

hmm... desert wind but no tiger claw?

Anyway, for new stuff... half the pictures of wardancers depict them in the air. So perhaps perform(dance) instead of jump checks? An ability to move through occupied squares by leaping over opponents? Always counting as having a running start?
Sect secrets of using warpaint to paint protective wards on the body? (speaking of which, the whole idea of a wardancer is fighting with inhuman grace, to the point that in Warhammer, it was elf only - are any of the abilities limited by armor/encumberance?)

I think that for a warhammer-style wardancer (as described by others -- I have absolutely no knowledge of warhammer, and didn't even know there was a similarly-named concept), Tiger Claw would make sense.  But I really didn't envision anything about feyness or feral savagery or anything... simply a warrior of grace and motion.  I could change the name if it would make everyone feel better... Reaper would work.

I'd say with as evasive as this class is with AoO's and Dodges, giving Evasion at 12 and Improved Evasion at 17 would fit quite well.

I like this -- I think I'm actually going to tie it to Wardance.  Thematically, while dancing you can move yourself out of the way more efficiently.  An alternative is to allow Perform (Dance) to sub for Ref saves.

Needs Jump, Climb, and Swim for sure as a martial class. Bluff may also be appropriate.

Greater Wardance isn't that great and could be made better. As is, it's essentially just Rapid Shot for melee attacks. Perhaps swap it with the 10th level ability and then grant an extra attack every 5 levels thereafter?

Also, be aware that stacking different types of ability score boosters could break the ability relatively easily, which is why I recommended the more static boost.

As for dead levels, give them TWF for free? And perhaps some kind of "move so fast it looks like you teleported" in a straight line, making an attack with each weapon (if TWFing) or your weapon (if not), making the attacks against an enemy's flatfooted/touch/etc. AC (depending on how you want it to be).

I'll try and think of more for you.

I completely spaced on those skills, thank you.  Bluff was already in

Agreed that the extra attacks should be static.  I've also realized I need to give out speed boosts so you can actually fit all your attacks in during a Wardance.

I could do TWF for free, except that you already have Scarlet Rose if you want to do TWF... I didn't want to pigeonhole.  I know TWFing is the dervish's schtick, but I think there's enough other stuff going on that it's a little out of place.

Supreme Wardance feels capstoney to me.

Agreed.  I'm going to redistribute the Wardance abilities, so that'll end up at 20.

Note that feinting only applies to the next attack within 1 round you make against the target. Improved Deceptive Wardance is, as written, somewhat less effective as a result.

I'll clarify.

Just to confirm with the wardance, are you unable to enter a new wardance while fatigued for any reason, or only while still subject to the previous wardance's fatigue?

Fatigued for any reason.  I'll probably include a feat to bypass that.

Wardance fatigue should fade at end of combat (or maybe a minute later, I forget how the Barbarian Rage works exactly). You should also only be able to enter it once per encounter, maybe, even if you cure or are immune to the fatigue, depending on how close an analogue you want to rage/whirling frenzy.

Good idea, will be added.

Agreed on adding Jump, Climb, and Swam for class skills. Possibly also Disguise to consider.

Why disguise?

Maybe some feats to give a special benefit to your Wardance based on the discipline of the stance you're in?

Yes, indeed.  You preempted me!

Quick question, is there intentionally no limit on the number of free actions you can spend recovering maneuvers?

No.  I had intended once per round.  I'll clarify.

Hmm... I like the looks of this. I might take it over Warrior-Poet. Cha to attack and damage at 1st level is nice. Trading a disciplines for Divine Muse and taking the feat to gain access to Lost Lyrics could get you Inspire Courage as a bard of your IL, a boost that's basically Cha to AC + Haste for 2 rounds, and a counter that lets you substitute a Perform check for any saving throw. 

Edit: Crap, no White Raven? Hmm... that means I can't use this to enter IotSV. I know typically people trade out the "official" disciplines to gain access to homebrewed ones. I guess doing the opposite should also be OK?

White Raven doesn't really make sense for this... however, for that game, I'll allow you to substitute a thematically similar discipline for the WR prereq in IotSV.

For Opportunistic Recovery, maybe it just triggers on AoOs that are caused by movement, since wardancer is all about movement anyway? Also, I support giving set number of added attacks granted by greater wardance.

Hmm... I'll think about it.  There are fewer AoOs from movement than other types, from what I've seen in games, so I'm afraid that would make it come up a lot less.  Though if I need another ability, I could always start with movement AoOs only and then expand later.

For Deceptive Motion, does this grant a free feint attempt for every opponent after moving 10 ft, and not just one, like when in wardance? If not, then maybe Improved and Greater Deceptive Motion maybe severely limited.

As written, it's only a single opponent you threaten at the end of your movement.  You're right, though... it does not synergize well with Wardance.  I'll have to rethink.

Maybe stick in the 'no longer gets fatigued after wardance' somewhere in there?

Like I said, that may be a feat, or I'll roll it into the capstone.

For additional abilities,

Maybe something that gives a morale bonus to allies within a certain feet when wardancing, or have battlegrace affect allies when used while wardancing. Conversely, maybe penalties to enemies within a certain feet while dancing.

That could be cool...

Fast movement?

Yeah, I've realized this is necessary.

Free Spring Attack seems fit to be granted for this class, but maybe allow to use a martial strike or maneuver instead of a regular attack. I don't how useful this is though since you'd most probably be dancing all the time anyway, but yeah, I'll just put this in here anyway.

Yeah, I think the improved wardance is strictly better.  You still get to move your speed, and you get to full attack.

Ignore terrain, including moving in and out of opponent spaces as if they are not there, while dancing. Bonus to grapple checks while dancing, or just make it into freedom of movement while dancing.

Freedom of movement actually makes a ton of sense.  Brilliant!

[Garryl]

Agreed on adding Jump, Climb, and Swam for class skills. Possibly also Disguise to consider.

Why disguise?

Costumes, man! Acrobatic dancing makes me think of Cirque du Soleil.

[sirpercival]

Agreed on adding Jump, Climb, and Swam for class skills. Possibly also Disguise to consider.

Why disguise?

Costumes, man! Acrobatic dancing makes me think of Cirque du Soleil.

Lol.  OK, it shall be included, just for you.

[sirpercival]

OK, massive updates are done.  How's it looking now?  I'll tell you how it's looking: no more dead levels, and cleaner ability progressions.

Wardance now grants moving with a full attack at level 1.  I realize it was too important to give out at level 5; anyone who wants to TWF should be able to do it for reals at level 1 with the rest of the class features.

[Garryl]

Mesmerizing Dance's duration of fascination seems short. Out of combat, 1 round isn't enough time to do much of anything useful (especially with a new save every round and a single successful save granting immunity). In combat, fascination fails automatically.

Inspiring Dance will scale ridiculously. Skill checks get optimized out the wazoo with the greatest of ease.

[sirpercival]

Mesmerizing Dance's duration of fascination seems short. Out of combat, 1 round isn't enough time to do much of anything useful (especially with a new save every round and a single successful save granting immunity). In combat, fascination fails automatically.

Inspiring Dance will scale ridiculously. Skill checks get optimized out the wazoo with the greatest of ease.

OK, so I'll change Inspiring Dance to check/10 instead of check/5.

Any suggestions for Mesmerizing Dance?  I'd like it to be useful in combat as well...

[phaedrusxy]

Any suggestions for Mesmerizing Dance?  I'd like it to be useful in combat as well...

The Hypnotism spell specifically says that it works in combat, but that targets get a +2 to their saves. You might base Mesmerizing Dance on that, but get rid of the stupid hit die limits.

And please don't change the name because it's used in some other game. This is D&D, not warhammer...

[sirpercival]

Any suggestions for Mesmerizing Dance?  I'd like it to be useful in combat as well...

The Hypnotism spell specifically says that it works in combat, but that targets get a +2 to their saves. You might base Mesmerizing Dance on that, but get rid of the stupid hit die limits.

And please don't change the name because it's used in some other game. This is D&D, not warhammer...

Lol.  Thanks for that last bit...

I think I'll just put in some exceptions to explicitly allow the dance to be used in combat.  And I'll up the duration of both iterations.

[Garryl]

Mesmerizing Dance's duration of fascination seems short. Out of combat, 1 round isn't enough time to do much of anything useful (especially with a new save every round and a single successful save granting immunity). In combat, fascination fails automatically.

Inspiring Dance will scale ridiculously. Skill checks get optimized out the wazoo with the greatest of ease.

OK, so I'll change Inspiring Dance to check/10 instead of check/5.

That kinda leaves the same problem, just with half the values. The difference in that single ability between people who don't optimize the crap out of it and people who do is too large. Just figure out what kind of bonus you want it to give and give that.