| Jadebird |
In My opinion...which may be horribly wrong as I am not the game/class designer. It seems that the Dervish Dancer still gets Bardic Performance due to the fact that at no point in time does it state " This ability REPLACES The normal Bardic performance. In that line of thinking it means you can either be the "I help every one guy", or the gypsy swords woman.
This gives the Dervish the same amount of group buffing ability, while allowing the char to have a foundation upon which to add the later skills. If you don't get to have the standard bardic performances...then why bother, seeing as a normal bard reading poems during a combat gives his allies AND himself bonuses...where the DD only gives himself the bonus...which means you might as well be playing a fighter, a barbar, or better still a Magus.
In regards to wither or not the abilities stack...I want to beleive they all do. For instance, if you go in to a battle dance, of inspire courage at level 8, and all the abilities stack that means your bonus are...
Note( These values are for if your dervish dancer doesn't get the x2 bonus like the dawnflower)
Inspire courage = +2atk, +2dam, +2saves against charm/fear
Rain of blows = +1atk, +1AC, +1ref, Extra attack during full round
Razors kiss = Improved Crit with everything.
Fleet = 45 Move speed
And while that may seem a little cheesy...a none human with eight levels in Standard fighter, can use his extra 4 feats/class skills too...
Armor training = Move full speed in Fullplate armor, reduced armcheck.
Weapon Training = +1 on attack and damage rolls
Bravery = +2 Wil against fear.
Four more feats = More damage (weapon focus, weapon spec, power attack), OR More ac ( Dodge, Combat Expertise and so on)
In most cases, should the DD and fighter meet, and battle, the fighter will pump out more damage then the Dervish, even with one fewer attacks, and have a higher ac as well...so its not " Oh lord that belly dancer with a sword is a better fighter then my...fighter!"
I can kinda see why some might think that it these all shouldn't stack due to Leaf on the wind...But it states its a standard action to start and maintain..meaning your either hodging for all your worth and trying to heal, or your not. And really by level 14, most, if not all classes have some wtf abilities. A 14th level fighter can literally up, vital strike something on the charge for x3(Before crit)damage, crit on a roll of 16 and up, and then stagger, and exhaust, it with the crit, and have a +12 to confirm. and don't even get me started on a standard rogue at that level...
So all in all I'd have to say that yes...they keep the bardic performance abilities, save where it says such and such ability replaces said ability, AND that the dance abilities all stack. Since even though at level 14 and up your a little cheese tastic because of Dance of fury, and Leaf on the wind...but is the DD any more cheesy then a Straight Pally at that level?