The Barbarian dance techniques are an ability that allows you to improve your skills in combat by imitating the forms of animals. The Dance techniques are taught by eight Dance Masters scattered about the lands. The Masters hide their faces behind a mask of their respective animal to symbolize their total embodiment of the dance.
Dance techniques are fueled by your inner fire which slowly depletes as your dance continues. Once your dance ends, you can re-dance if you have enough inner fire. If you cannot, you have to wait for your inner fire to recharge. All dances except swan and cobra (the first two dance you receive) have a set amount of IF you automatically deplete to start the dance. That is, if you danced dragon and immediately stopped, you'd still have sacrificed a chunk of inner fire to initiate the dance. Lesser dances are likely to last longer because they don't tax inner fire as much as larger dances. ALL dances cap at 20 real life minutes in duration.
How long your dance will last is determined by your concentration, worn armor, burden and armor hindrance. Your overall concentration is determined by the formula (discipline x 3) + (intelligence x 1.5) + (stamina x 1) = concentration. The higher your concentration, the longer your dance. Cloth, bone, leather and light chain impose a 'light' penalty to your dance lengths. Starting at heavy chain through heavy plate your dances will be significantly shortened. Worn shields also count as armor that may hinder your dances. Parry sticks do not hinder dances. Armor and burden only effects the longevity of the dance however, not the power. The power of your dance is mostly determined by discipline. The boosts your dances provide also have a cap, though it is pretty high. All dances prodive a boost to your Barbarian magic resistance.
Every couple of minutes or so your dance will pulse. Depending on which dance technique you are using the messaging will be different. Example of an Eagle Dance pulse: "The riveting gaze of the Eagle continues to sharpen your senses." At times when using a combat dance, you'll see a "You feel your focus shift" messaging. This occurs when you noticeably change your encumbrance and/or overall hindrance after initiating a combat dance. When a Barbarian begins a combat dance, the potential duration of that dance is calculated. The "focus shift" messaging let's you know that your new potential overall duration for that combat dance has decreased. Here is an example of a situation: A Barbarian begins with overall unhindered in the armor he is wearing and no encumbrance. Then he begins the dance freely (here, lets say his dance will last potentially for 15 minutes) and shortly after he changes to plate armor. At this point, his overall hindrance is lightly hindered and he still is unencumbered. The Barbarian notices a "you feel your focus shift" message right when the dance pulses (here, his dance duration potential dropped to around 11 minutes). Then that same Barbarian goes back into the leather armor, while still having no encumbrance. At that point, his dance duration potential remains at 11 minutes. (You can decrease your dance time potential once the dance is started, but you cannot increase it once its already going). With combat dances, a Barbarian will usually also receive messaging that their dance is about to end.
It used to be that you could not start a dance while you were in water. Thankfully such days are over. Starting a dance in ankle deep or 'shallow' water requires 0 ranks of swimming. Going up the scale in terms of how 'hard' the swimming area is, the required ranks are of swimming are 100, 200, 400, 750 as per GM Aurdun.
Swan Dance
Circle Req: 10th
Benefit: Large bonus to balance and evasion. Does not have an initial inner fire hit. Automatically jumps you to pole range with a 3 second RT.
Weapon swap: Your hands gracefully move to grip your sword as a heavy edged weapon.
From inside the Leth Deriel Alder Bower Gate: se, sw, sw, sw, s, s, se, go building, n, ask Nightlark about dance.
Cobra Dance
Circle Req: 14th
Benefit: Melee offensive skill boost. Enhanced engagement speed (get to pole range faster). Does not have an initial inner fire hit.
Weapon Swap: Your hands quickly move to grip your sword as a two-handed edged weapon.
From outside the Dirge gate: go path, move w, move w, move nw, move nw, move nw, move climb hill, move nw, move ne, move go burrow, move down, ask Melcorek about dance.
Badger Dance
Circle Req: 18th
Benefit: Evasion boost, multi-opponent boost, overall melee defensive skill boost (evasion, parry, shield).
Weapon Swap: No special swap.
From outside Steel Claw Clan: go bridge, e, n, n, n, n, go ramp, n, n, go door, go door, ask Yutwian about dance.
Eagle Dance
Circle Req: 22nd
Benefit: Improves ranged weapons and perception.
Weapon Swap: No special swap.
From outside the Riverhaven West Gate: nw, nw, go path, go grate, ask Calenra about dance.
Bear Dance
Circle Req: 26th
Benefit: Boost to melee attacks and improves strength and stamina and vitality.
Weapon Swap: Your arms flex with power as your hands move your sword into position to be used as a two-handed edged weapon.
From the town intersection of Kaerna Village: ne, go gate, nw, nw, n, e, e, look behind Stables, go cave, ask Drathrok about dance.
Wolverine Dance
Circle Req: 30th
Benefit: Intermediate balance boost, strength boost, melee offensive skill boost, intimidation boost, Enhanced engagement speed (get to pole range faster).
Weapon Swap: With a quiet snarl, you move your hands to grip your sword as a heavy edged weapon.
From outside the Trader Outpost in Wolf Clan: w, w, go door, go curtains, go door, w, ask Mopeliar about dance.
Panther Dance
Circle Req: 40th
Benefit: Small boost to attacking with a ranged weapon, hiding, stalking skill boosts and agility and reflex boosts, as well as boosting intimidation.
Weapon Swap: Your hands fly to a two-handed edged grip on your sword.
From the center of Fayrin's Rest (room with the signpost and bench): sw, w, sw, s, sw, s, w, go break, w, look stone, go trail, n, ask Sathralor about dance.
Dragon Dance
Circle Req: 60th
Benefit: Substantial boost to evasion, shield, parry, multi-opponent, reflex, agility and intimidation, melee offense, ranged offense, strength, stamina and balance.
Weapon swap: Your eyes blaze as your hands move to a two-handed edged grip on your sword.
From outside the Enclave Northeast Gate on Hara'jaal: ne, nw, n, n, ne, ne, n, n, n, nw, n, ne, w, w, n, n, ne, ne, n, n, e, climb slope, n, w, nw, nw, n, n, ne, ne, dance eagle, search, climb trace, dance stop, dance panther, se, e, search, go shadow, go opening, ne, go arch, ask Uthranalak about dance.
