With their aggressive steps, these dancers are able to weave forbidden magicks upon their enemies, producing results rivaling those of even the most powerful sorcerous cants. The popularity of this profession reached its peak during the Great War, when dancers were common additions to allied army units fighting on the front lines.
Role: A dancer inspires her allies, and often presses forward to fight enemies in melee. Outside of combat, she’s useful as an entertainer, less versatile but more durable than a bard.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Parent Classes: Bard and Monk.
Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gil (average 105 gil.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gil or less.
Class Skills
The dancer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Main Ability Scores:
The dancer mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and CHA for her class features.
Table: Dancer
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the dancer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A dancer is proficient with all simple weapons, all weapons with the “monk” special feature and with bladed scarves, but not with any armor (except for dancing scarves) or shields. Additionally, a dancer can wield a bladed scarf as a one-handed melee weapon.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the dancer receives the Limit Breaks (Perfect Dance and Trance).
Perfect Dance (Su): This Limit Break allows the dancer to perfect her dancing moves on the battlefield. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four dancer levels after 1st, the dancer gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC, +2 insight bonus to Attack rolls and skill checks. These bonuses improve by +2 for every four dancer levels attained after 1st. This limit break requires only a swift action.
Trance (Su): This Limit Break allows the dancer to perform any battle dance or mystic dance she knows without using any cost (bardic performance or ki points) for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four dancer levels after 1st. This limit break requires only a swift action.
AC Bonus (Ex)
When unarmored and unencumbered, the dancer adds her Charisma bonus (if any) (this bonus is halved if she has a level in another non-prestige class and this is not her favored class) to her AC and her CMD. She uses the captivating and confusing movements of the battle dance to evade her foes’ attacks. If the dancer gains an attribute bonus to her AC or CMD from some other source, it does not stack. In addition, a dancer gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five dancer levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). This bonus reflects the dancer’s intense training in unarmed and unarmored combat. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the dancer is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears armor (dancing scarves are exempt from this), when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.
Unarmed Strike (Ex)
At 1st level, a dancer gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A dancer may attack with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a dancer may make unarmed strikes with her hands full. A dancer applies her full Strength modifier (not half) on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes. Usually, a dancer’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A dancer’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that modify either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.
Table: Small, Medium, or Large Dancer Unarmed Damage
| Level | Damage (Small) | Damage (Medium) | Damage (Large) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st – 3rd | 1d4 | 1d6 | 1d8 |
| 4th – 7th | 1d6 | 1d8 | 2d6 |
| 8th – 11th | 1d8 | 1d10 | 2d8 |
| 12th – 15th | 1d10 | 2d6 | 3d6 |
| 16th – 19th | 2d6 | 2d8 | 3d8 |
| 20th | 2d8 | 2d10 | 4d8 |
Battle Dance (Su)
A dancer is trained in the use of the Perform skill, especially dance, to create magical effects on herself and allies. She can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Charisma modifier; this increases by 2 rounds per dancer level thereafter.
At 1st level, the dancer can use inspire courage.
At 3rd level, the dancer can use inspire competence.
At 9th level, the dancer can use inspire greatness.
At 15th level, the dancer can use inspire heroics.
Battle dancing benefits apply only when the dancer isn’t wearing any armor (dancing scarves are exempt from this). Like bardic performance, it cannot be maintained at the same time as other performance abilities. Starting a battle dance is a move action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a battle dance from one effect to another requires the dancer to stop the previous performance and start the new one as a move action. Like a bard, a dancer’s performance ends immediately if she is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round. A dancer cannot perform more than one battle dance at a time.
At 10th level, a dancer can start a battle dance as a swift action instead of a move action. This ability otherwise functions as bardic performance; feats and other effects that affect bardic performance (such as the Extra Performance feat) apply to it.
Fleet (Su)
While performing a battle dance, a dancer gains a +10 enhancement bonus to her land speed. This bonus increases by 5 feet for every four dancer levels gained after 1st level, to a maximum of +30 feet at 17th level.
Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level, a dancer gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be used if the dancer is wearing no armor (dancing scarves are exempt from this).
Versatile Dance (Ex)
At 2nd level, a dancer gains a bonus equal to half her level on Perform (dance) checks. She can use her bonus for her Perform (dance) skill in place of her bonus for Acrobatics.
Ki Pool (Su)
At 2nd level, a dancer gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy she can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in the dancer’s ki pool is equal to half her dancer level + her Charisma modifier. As long as she has at least 1 point in her ki pool, she treats any Acrobatics skill check made to jump as if she had a running start. At 10th level, she also reduces the DC of Acrobatics skill checks made to jump by half (although she still cannot move farther than her speed allows).
By spending 1 point from her ki pool, a dancer can increase her speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Finally, a dancer can spend 1 point from her ki pool to give herself a +4 insight bonus on Perform checks for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A dancer can gain additional powers that consume points from her ki pool by selecting mystic dance moves.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive. If the dancer possesses levels in another class that grants points to a ki pool, dancer levels stack with the levels of that class to determine the total number of ki points in the combined pool, but only one ability score modifier is added to the total. The choice of which score to use is made when the second class ability is gained, and once made, the choice is set. The dancer can now use ki points from this pool to power the abilities of every class she possesses that grants a ki pool.
Dance Talents (Ex/Su)
As a dancer gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level, the dancer gains one dance talent. She gains an additional dance talent for every 2 levels of dancer attained after 2nd level. Unless specified otherwise, a dancer cannot select an individual talent more than once.
- A complete list of dance talents can be found here: Dance Talents
Mystic Dances (Su)
Beginning of 3rd level and every three dancer levels thereafter, a dancer learns a new mystic dance move. Some mystic dances require other mystic dance abilities as prerequisites. Performing a mystic dance requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity and costs one ki point to activate. The dancer can maintain a mystic dance as a free action if it lasts several rounds. She can only have 1 mystic dance active at a time.
- A complete list of mystic dances can be found here: Mystic Dances
Beguiling Dance (Su)
At 3rd level, a dancer can perform a battle dance to distract her enemies. Whenever the dancer starts or maintains a beguiling dance, all enemies within 30 feet who can see her must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + half of the dancer’s level + her Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. Creatures that fail this save also have their attitude improved by one step for as long as she maintains the dance. This attitude adjustment does not prevent any subsequent attitude changes. For example, an enemy that becomes indifferent toward the dancer as a result of this effect still turns hostile if she then attacks it. A creature can’t be affected again by your beguiling dance effect for 24 hours whether or not it succeeds on the saving throw.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 4th level, a dancer cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A dancer with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her. If a dancer already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Dance of the Vexing Snake (Su)
At 5th level, while performing a battle dance, a dancer can dodge her opponent’s blows with her sudden, unpredictable maneuvers. She can use the Acrobatics skill to tumble at her normal speed without penalty.
Rain of Blows (Su)
At 6th level, while performing a battle dance, a dancer can speed up her attacks. When making a full attack action, she may make one extra attack with unarmed strikes, weapons with the “monk” special feature or a bladed scarf, as though under the effects of a haste spell. She also gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. At 9th level, and every three dancer levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses do not stack with the haste spell.
Dancer’s Strike (Su)
At 6th level, the magic of the dancer’s arcane maneuvers allows her to manifest auras of energy around her feet and hands. These auras can defeat an opponent’s damage reduction. The dancer can generate this aura as a standard action at will. It persists for a number of rounds equal to 5 + the dancer’s Charisma modifier before it fades.
At 6th level, the dancer’s aura makes her unarmed strikes count as magic damage.
At 12th level, the dancer chooses one aspect of her alignment, such as good or chaotic. Her aura allows her strikes to count as that alignment (as well as magic). She must choose one aspect of her alignment, and once she has made a choice she cannot alter it.
At 18th level, the dancer can choose any one special material or alignment that overcomes damage reduction (such as adamantine, cold iron, holy, or even lawful). Her aura now includes that material or alignment. Once she has made this choice, she cannot change it.
Wearying Dance (Su)
At 7th level, a dancer can perform a battle dance to tire her enemies. Whenever the dancer starts or maintains a wearying dance, all enemies within 30 feet who can see her must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + half of the dancer’s level + her Charisma modifier) or be fatigued for as long as she maintains the dance. Creatures failing this save that are already fatigued become exhausted. A creature can’t be affected again by your wearying dance effect for 24 hours whether or not it succeeds on the saving throw.
Contradance (Su)
Also at 7th level, as a swift action, the next waltz used while under the effects of Contradance is affected by the Empower Spell feat. If Healing Waltz was used, the effect will extend to a 30-ft.-area centered on the target player. This ability is usable once per day, plus an additional time per four dancer levels after 7th.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
At 8th level and higher, dancer can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a thief the ability to sneak attack the dancer by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more thief levels than the target has dancer levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum thief level required to flank the character.
Dance of the Floating Step (Su)
The dancer moves with such grace and speed that she can dance across water. A 9th level dancer, while performing a battle dance, can cross the surface of a liquid, such as water or magma, without taking damage or sinking below the surface. If she ends her movement on such a liquid, she takes damage and sinks as normal. The dancer must begin her movement on a stable, firm surface.
Unfettered Movement (Su)
At 10th level, a dancer’s footfalls become so light that she can dance gracefully on any surface and make a 5-foot step even in difficult terrain. In addition, three times per day she can use dimension door on herself only.
At 15th level, when using the unfettered movement ability to dimension door, a dancer can take other creatures with her as per dimension door.
Fan Dance (Su)
At 10th level, once per day, as a full-round action, a dancer can perform the fan dance which grants damage reduction 10/- to all allies within 30 feet for 1 round. At 15th level, the dancer can use this ability an additional time and the damage reduction increases by 5. At 20th level, the dancer can use this ability an additional time and the damage reduction increases by 5.
Frightful Dance (Su)
At 11th level, a dancer can perform a battle dance to scare her enemies. Whenever the dancer starts or maintains a frightful dance, all enemies within 30 feet who can see her must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + half of the dancer’s level + her Charisma modifier) or be shaken for as long as she maintains the dance. Creatures failing this save that are already shaken become frightened, and those that are already frightened become panicked. A creature can’t be affected again by your frightful dance effect for 24 hours whether or not it succeeds on the saving throw.
Asura Dance (Ex)
At 11th level, creatures do not gain an attack roll benefit when flanking the dancer (though they can still gain other benefits of flanking, such as sneak attack), and she gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC to avoid attacks of opportunity from moving through a threatened square.
Whenever she takes the full-attack action and strike with an unarmed attack, she can move up to 10 feet before making her next attack. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target she strikes, but still provokes from other creatures as normal. She must have another attack to make in order to move in this manner, and cannot move a greater distance than her normal speed in a single turn.
Advanced Dance Talents (Ex/Su)
At 12th level, and every two levels thereafter, a dancer can choose one of the following advanced dance talents in place of a dance talent.
- A complete list of advanced dance talents can be found here: Advanced Dance Talents
Dance of Fury (Su)
At 12th level, a dancer can attack more than once as she moves while performing a battle dance. She can combine a full-attack action with a single move, taking the attacks at any point during her movement, but must move at least 5 feet between each attack. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.
Dance of the Crushing Python (Su)
The dancer’s speed and mighty unarmed strikes combine to make her a fearsome opponent. She can step into an opponent’s reach and confuse it with a series of feints and quick blows, distracting it from other threats. At 13th level, a dancer, while performing a battle dance, can rain a series of hammering blows upon a foe. She must use the Acrobatics skill to enter her opponent’s space without provoking an attack of opportunity. If she succeeds, she may then attack her opponent while in its space. If the dancer’s attack hits, her opponent takes a -2 penalty to AC and it cannot make attacks of opportunity until the start of the dancer’s next action. After the dancer completes her attack, she enters a square of her choice adjacent to the target.
Improved Evasion (Ex)
This ability, gained at 14th level, works like evasion (see above). A dancer takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What’s more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.
Dance of the Springing Tiger (Su)
At 15th level, a dancer, while performing a battle dance, can spring upon an opponent with the ferocity of a tiger. When charging, she can attempt a DC 25 Acrobatics check. If she succeeds, she may make a full attack rather than a standard attack as part of her charge.
Saber Dance (Su)
At 16th level, once per day, as a full-round action, a dancer can perform the saber dance which allows all allies within 30 ft. to double their number of attacks when using a full-attack action for 1 round.
Dance of the Soaring Eagle (Su)
At 17th level, a dancer, while performing a battle dance, gains a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability. If a flying dancer charges an opponent below her, she gains a +4 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage in place of the normal benefits of charging. She may use her dance of the springing tiger in conjunction with an aerial charge.
Leaf on the Wind (Su)
At 19th level, a dancer can use her battle dance to evade attacks with unearthly grace and to shake off the effects of her wounds. Unlike other battle dances, leaf on the wind requires a standard action each round to start or maintain the performance. Each round it is maintained, including the first, the dancer gains a +6 dodge bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves. If wounded, she heals 1 hit point of damage per dancer level.
Dance of Death’s Embrace (Su)
At 19th level, a dancer can perform a vicious, deadly dance to defeat her opponent. Before using this dance, the dancer selects a single target within 30 feet. As a full-round action, the dancer performs an elaborate dance that requires a DC 35 Acrobatics check to complete. If she succeeds, any time she makes a successful attack against her designated target she deals +2d6 points of damage. In addition, any critical threat the dancer makes against her designated target is automatically confirmed as a critical hit. This ability lasts until the end of the dancer’s next turn.
Battle Fury (Su)
At 20th level, the dancer can unleash a whirlwind of blows while performing a battle dance. As a full-round action, she can take a single move action and unleash a single attack at her highest bonus against each target within her reach during any point of her move, up to a maximum number of attacks equal to the dancer’s character level. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.
Favored Class Bonuses
Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have dancer as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.
- Burmecian: Add +1/2 on Escape Artist checks and on Acrobatics checks to cross narrow surfaces.
- Dwarf: Add +1 to the dancer’s base speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the dancer has selected it five times (or another increment of five). This bonus stacks with the dancer’s fleet class feature and applies under the same conditions as that feature.
- Elvaan: Add +1/6 to the bonus granted by the AC bonus class feature.
- Galka: Add +1 to the dancer’s total number of battle dance rounds per day.
- Genome: Add +1 to the dancer’s total number of battle dance rounds per day.
- Half-Breed: Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
- Hume: Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
- Lamia: Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
- Mithra: Add +1/2 on Escape Artist checks and on Acrobatics checks to cross narrow surfaces.
- Moogle: Add +1/6 of a new mystic dance.
- Moomba: Add +1 to the dancer’s base speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the dancer has selected it five times (or another increment of five). This bonus stacks with the dancer’s fleet class feature and applies under the same conditions as that feature.
- Namazu: Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
- Tarutaru: Add +1 to the dancer’s Perform check bonus gained by spending a point from his ki pool. A dancer must be at least 4th level to select this benefit.
- Vanu Vanu: Add +1 to the dancer’s total number of battle dance rounds per day.
Archetypes
- A complete list of dancer archetypes can be found here: Dancer Archetypes
