Fun fact about Rakish Audacity, it doesn't specify the use of a melee weapon. So if you have Crossbow Expert you can Sneak Attack people at point blank with a bow or crossbow
That’s all great except you can’t take advantage of fancy footwork because that does specify melee weapon attack. So you’ve invested into a feat that takes away from your main ability. If you want to use a bow, it’s far better to sit in the back and hide or use steady aim if you want to use ranged weapons
I built a level 8 character for a 1 shot that was a rabbitfolk swashbuckler 4 gloomstalker ranger 4 and got the alert feat..... I had 20 in charisma and 19 in wisdom. My dm said no. I had a +19 to initiative.
20:30 and then there's an option that's actually reflected in classical rapier training, the rapier and main-gauche (a type of defensive dagger that often looks a bit like a modified sai, and is used the same way to catch and trap your opponent's sword). This is why my DM has a house rule that if you have proficiency with rapiers, and use a main-gauche in your off-hand, you get +1AC.
Seriously, if you want something fun, go Swashbuckler and pick up artificer initiate on lvl four, get arcane weapon and booming blade + poisoner's kit proficiency. My current swashbuckler does... Weapon + Sneak + Booming Blade + Arcane + Poison, every hit. It is freaking fun seeing all of those numbers.
@@theravenousrabbit3671 sounds pretty great. No UA in the game, so no arcane weapon, but I am hexblood so have hex (similar idea, though only one target). Could definitely find something useful to grab along worth booming blade, though
I have a tabaxi swashbuckler with magic initiate, it is loads of fun, Thunder Without Rain (named for his use of booming blade) may be my favourite PC yet.
My favorite build is a bladesinging swashbuckler and the wonderful thing about it is that both subclasses are front loaded so the features come online at a low level and are great throughout the entire campaign. Pairing booming blade with fancy footwork is something to behold.
Due to the way that Sneak Attack works (as you mentioned with Sentinel), Tasha's Battlemaster feat, combined with Riposte is my new go-to for any swashbuckler. Adds yet another d6 to the damage as well, and because you get 2 batlemasters styles from that feat to add just a little more flavor.
@@KnicKnac I used Riposte, Parry, and Trip attack. I'd try move in and out, but if I had to be in attack range, it was repost or parry if they hit or missed, and if there was a group, trip attack to get advantage on one of them, or give me a chance to move away. If using the feat, Riposte and Parry would be the two I like most.
@@muzzynat i also play a tabaxi swashbuckler, but will be taking martial adept for the two maneuvers for riposte and something else instead of spending 3 levels on battlemaster. more sneak attack dice, plus it opens options for multiclassing elsewhere - i'm thinking hexblade. i haven't played them much yet, but so far they're a fricking steamroller. a few things i've learned: steady aim is stupid strong when you're surrounded. very strong with a rapier/shield combo and booming blade. chuck mage armor in the mix and at max dex, you have an AC of 20, perfect to proc your riposte. and you can recharge your feline agility while you do it.
My halfling swashbuckler (with a few levels of battlemaster fighter) has been going through Descent into Avernus trying to swindle every fiend the party comes across. The subclass really benefits from going for a big personality.
@@The.bardbarian RP-wise, Avernus was entirely the wrong place for "small pirate, big personality" -- which made it kinda perfect, frankly. Mechanics wise, a swashbuckler will always be fun, especially with small groups (I was in a group of 4), but RP-wise it will really depend on the party. For me it can be easy to overplay a Swashbuckler; I ended up not toning down the personality so much as trying to be conscious (as player) when the character having a "drama moment" would contribute the most to the group and distract the least from the other players' characters having their own time in the spotlight. (Being an in-universe giant ham is one thing, being a giant ham at the table is something else, and I still have to remind myself of the difference.) There are definitely opportunities all through the campaign for Swashbuckler-y approaches in and out of combat.
Ok so...when you guys mentioned that the only way that the Swashbuckler won't get sneak attack is if he's surrounded, I immediately thought of a way to turn that weakness into a strength through a fun multiclass.....ready? Swashbuckler + Way of the Drunken Fist.
Hexblade one level dip. All you need. Look at a one level dip and compare it to a feat or racial trait Magic initiative. Lvl 1 spell and slot with two cantrips Warlock. Lvl 1 spell slot, comes back short rest with two cantrips. Not to mention 2 free known subclass spells and warlock level one spell list. Proficiency with medium armor and shields. Can have 14 Dex and Max charisma. Very tanky Charisma is now used as for weapon finesse attacks that procs sneak attack. First expertise in stealth and deception. You will still have a decent stealth roll. You can choose persuasion and sleight of hand as your second, your choice works great. This is for any subclass for rogue or fighter.
Fascinatingly, you can take a single Hexblade level at or before player level 4, qualifying for the Eldritch Adept feat at player level 5 (Swashbuckler 4 & Hexblade 1). In addition to using Booming Blade to enhance every melee hit, this shield-wielding Hex Swashbuckler goes from poor ranged options (since you may only designate 1 melee weapon to use CHA at Hexblade 1) with Agonizing Blast (sheathe the rapier and cast a somatic-verbal cantrip at 120 range, perhaps enhanced first with bonus action Hex at 90 feet). A second Hexblade dip or even 3 levels in Hexblade also do this, but will result in a really painful delay in your rogue's progression. Starting at level 1 as a hexblade-1 lets you start the game with this invocation as a feat, but replaces Dex save proficiency with Wis save proficiency and costs 1 total Rogue skill proficiency.
@@Verbose_Verbatim unfortunately nope. The level requirement in the evocations are the warlock level, not the character level, as stated in the book :/
Take a few levels if you're playing at high levels. The champion subclass ups your likelihood of getting that crit that rogue's love so much. Get up to level 5 or 6 and you get an extra attack.
Or play gestalt. The synergies and possibilities are ridiculous. How about a Rogue Paladin smiting those crit sneak attacks for absurd damage. Have the rogue take a 2 level dip in champion while the paladin takes a 3 level dip in hexblade. Now I summon my rapier and curse you while stabbing you in the back. Twice. Oh, and smite. Don't forget you crit on an 18-20 on a cursed enemy. Poking things to death never felt so fun, or easy.
Gentlemen, I am a big fan of both this series and your channel in general. I think a brief section in each of these 'how to play a class' videos that focuses on optimal multiclass combinations would be a welcome addition. Keep up the great Content! 👍
Having an old school background, the thief class of 2e was always my favorite, so The Complete Thief's Handbook was the first player supplement that I purchased for that system, and the Swashbuckler kit was the first class kit that I used. Since then, I've always loved the concept of the Swashbuckler.
The swashbuckler in 2nd Ed was busted as all hell! God I miss it. Reminds me of my first character I beat the Baldur's Gate series with. At lvl 40 he was untouchable and did insane damage.
Another decent option could be dipping a couple of levels into Bladesinger, You wouldn't miss any new class features and if you're willing to bump up your intellegence at the cost of maybe Strength or Wisdom then your bladesong + Defensive duelist + your normally high Dexterity should give you a pretty damn high AC
@@logancuster8035 yeah! and absorb elements would be a great addition. You can get some awesome cantrips like booming blade and minor illusion. Definitely worth it.
hexblade is another dip that works pretty well for many of the same reasons, doesn't get bladesong's buffs but does get more at will stuff and way better SAD synergy as well as access to shields
This Swashbuckler class really reminds me of a Phantom Thief from Persona 5, so a multiclass with any Warlock with Pact Of The Chain is perfect to be a rogue-like summoner.
I’ve actually made a Swashbuckler with this in mind, though it’s more the personality and skills rather than the magic side of a Phantom Thief. He’s got a pretty standard Rogue backstory - put up for adoption at a young age and grew up in a rough orphanage where he used his skills and charms to get by. Eventually he joined a crew of other criminal wannabes, they were very young kids at this point with a few exceptions, and they quickly come to value him when his skills as a thief and a smooth-talker become apparent and this is before they see him in open combat, at which point he becomes the focal point of many heist and getaway plans. Eventually, however, a heist goes wrong for reasons that honestly don’t really matter. It could’ve been luck, or something for the DM to bring back later like some mystical outside force, but the Rogue is injured and left for dead by his crew. He barely escapes his pursuers with his life and, as he lay dying in some nondescript alley, he is found by a wandering priest who takes him in and mends his wounds. Now, this priest isn’t a Cleric of Divine Magic, but a genuine priest of a local church who’s faith and connection to their god is no less potent than a Cleric. As such, the healing process takes weeks and the Rogue, blindsided by such generosity questions the priest, asks why they helped him. The priest explains that will help anyone in need because it is the right thing to do. The Rogue, uncomfortable at receiving true kindness for the first time, explains who and what he is: a thief and a scoundrel, and he says he doesn’t deserve his help. See, this Rogue, despite what he says, has a strong moral compass and would only go along with heists where the people who were robbed weren’t bankrupted and the people they hurt would walk away without life threatening injuries. There is a major disconnect between the characters honest beliefs and what circumstances and pressure has driven him to, and it shows in how he tries to deflect help. “Irrelevant”, the priest responds as the Rogue says he should’ve been left to fend for himself, saying he didn’t deserve any aid. The priest explains that they had a small, baseless feeling that day, telling them to take the longer and more dangerous route to their church from their home, and when they found the Rogue they knew they were sent to his side for a reason. Whether the god this priest worships had any involvement in this meeting or if it is simply blind luck isn’t important until later game for reasons I will explain, but the Rogue, after hearing this, is shocked and emotional. Still, he tries to deflect it by saying that what goes around, comes around, and that he should’ve been left in the alley as it was what he has earned after his time as a criminal, even though he was barely sixteen. The priest doesn’t confirm or deny this - how are they to know the extent of the Rogue’s crimes, or what punishment he may deserve. All they know is that what goes around DOES come around, but sometimes YOU are what comes around, and that instead of working with criminals from this point onwards, maybe the Rogue could try opposing criminal elements from now on. After all, worse people than him are living on the streets and he has the skills to stop them, whether that be from the shadows or open combat. The Rogue, after some more time spent healing and mulling over this discussion, decides the priest’s words have merit and turns to vigilantism, wearing a mask to hide his face so no one knows who he is, essentially letting his old life die in the process, though he does keep his name, if only to use in his head and to those he trusts. Now he fights crime and helps the needy, taking on criminals in disguise and doing odd jobs as a kind of private investigator in his normal clothes. That’s my Rogue’s story. I also figure that he could have picked up this priest’s religion in his time at the church, but his faith will be new and will either grow or wain during the campaign. The reason why I mentioned the divine intervention aspect of his backstory is there is route I see this going where the Rogue gains contact with his god at some point if he goes down that route, maybe multiclassing into Paladin or getting some kind of divine buff or weapon. Anyways, long comment is long, but I really like this idea.
The classic Musketeer fighting technique is called "Main Gauche", and uses a rapier in the right hand, for defence, and a dagger in the, name sake, left hand for damage.
'Main gauche' is actually the name for a specialised parrying dagger to be used in the off hand in the style you describe, rather than the style itself ('main gauche' is French for 'left hand' ). The main gauche had broader quillions than a standard dagger as well as a guard for the knuckles.
It's weird that you left the original comment with the incorrect info after you got corrected. The rapier goes in the dominant hand, and the main-gauche goes in the off hand. Opposite of your original post.
I took a one level dip into fighter on my swashbuckler for the duelist fighting style and shield proficiency and it honestly made for one of the most fun builds I've played in dnd. I was aiming for a "greatest swordsman to ever live" bit and one-shotting nearly everyone who challenged me to a fight was great
Love what you guys are doing! Excellent analysis of the abilities and feats as always. And now a quibble. I was admittedly disappointed with the examples of swashbuckler rogues as less that intelligent - Jack Sparrow etc. I am always a little heart broken when there is talk of famous swashbucklers and no one mentions the one figure this subclass seems designed around: Cyrano de Bergerac. He is the heart of wit and intelligence. His words exude both charm and scathing criticism. He is also audacious- dueling 100 footpads and slipping behind enemy lines. His panache is not only mentioned several times in the play but also in Cyrano's last words, which were: "yet there is something still that will always be mine, and when I go to God's presence, there I will doff it and sweep the heavenly pavement with a gesture: something I'll take unstained out of this world... my panache." So yes, while we love the blundering Jack Sparrow and the vengeful Inigo Montoya - let's not forget Cyrano!
Depends what you want to do. Ive tested a few different builds. If you want to lean into the booming blade dart in and out with one big hit each turn then id get swashbuckler first then 3 swords bard to get flourishes would be all you need then back to rogue. If youd rather get the extra attack feature and more spells then after 3 rogue youd go all the way to 10 bard to get magical secrets. Holy weapon and spiritual weapon were my grabs but if go dual wielding instead of dueling you may prioritize other spells here. Then go back to rogue til 9 to get panache. Both builds were alot of fun to play and very effective
Having seen the subclass rankings for rogues many months ago. I was really excited about playing the Swashbuckler. Now, with this kind of insight, it's moving higher up on my list of classes to play the next time I'm a player and not a DM. Lot's of great ideas here and super excited to try and implement them at the table.
My campain is wrapping up, and my half elf swash-blade has been an absolute terror on field. Using booming blade and green flame blade from my warlock dip has been excellent
Every video online talks about pirates or Robin Hood and I'm always screaming Zorro and princess Bride at the screen so thank you for mentioning it! I cannot wait to start my swashbuckler "Esteban de la Marcia aka The Sidewinder"
IMO, it would be more iconic for a swashbuckler to be able to parry and riposte than to add charisma to initiative. Therefore the way i would build a swashbuckler would be to multiclass 3 levels fighter battlemaster. I would pick up dueling fighting style, along it riposte (for the sneak attack), precision strike (to land a sneak attack you really need to land), and some other manouver which fits the character. Going half elf with high elf heritage for booming blade is probably one of the "better" races to pick for this. Edit: forgot to mention that the swashbuckler would be using a buckler
I personally would go to 5 levels of Fighter for Extra Attack if you have the space for it, cause I find it a bit surprising the Swashbuckler doesn't get Extra Attack at level 6 like a Swords Bard does. Battlemaster definitely, because of the manuevers. With that you can be Zorro in 5e
@@jcdenton2187 I think the reason they don't get Extra Attack is because sneak attack can only happen once per turn so that second attack has drastically less damage
Mentioning Zorro as a swashbuckler rogue is a particularly good example. I also think of Robin Hood and even more modern fiction examples like Batman as swashbucklers. The Black Viper in the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure is a perfect example.
I love taking telekinesis with my swashbuckler rogue. It increases charisma by 1, and it really adds a lot of flexibility to my bonus action which is so opened up by Fancy Footwork. Also, an invisible Mage Hand that you can cast as a rogue without components is just amazing. Also incredible with Arcane Tricksters who now have increased range on their Mage Hand and a lot more things they can do with it and cast it without alerting their enemies.
Yeah, This is what I homebrewed a Parrying Dagger for. 1d4 piercing, light, finesse, martial, special. Special: Off-hand weapon. While wielding this weapon, your AC is increased by 1. This bonus is lost until the start of your next turn upon attacking with this weapon. Rogues and monks should get this as a proficiency.
The Hexblood from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft would be a cool race/lineage too. You get Hex and Disguise Self, as well as Darkvision, you're fey creature, get 2 more skills, and you can choose your Ability Scores. Dhampir would also be fun, since then you can walk on walls, and that bite could be handy too. You could actually make a really cool vampire hunter-style character out of a swashbuckler.
I'm actually playing a Dhampir Rogue. It isn't a Swashbuckler, i think it fits better an Archer because of the distance you can take with Spider Climb, but really it can work well with any subclass, it is *THE* race for Rogues.
@@mydknightcloud I have been thinking about a dhampir echo knight were the echos are reflavored as shadows, ghosts, or are made of mist. A reborn echo knight works too, and can give you a nice death knight feel.
I like the idea of adding three levels in battle master fighter for good low level fighter ability’s and the maneuvers to add to you skill as a dualist
I don't comment often, but this is the first channel I go to when looking at a new class. Sure, there are other fantastic creators out there with great advice, the sound quality and dual-presentation make everything easy to digest a long video without losing interest.
Long-time player here and started with the old THAC0 rules. First time playing D&D in years though and a 5th Ed. novice. Very different than 3.5. lol Anywho, started a game with coworkers and decided on a DragonTurtleBorn homebrew Rogue. Breath weapon and Charisma bonus with unarmored natural armor of 17 akin to a Tortle. So I felt the need to go even crazier and go Swashbuckler. A stealthy, charismatic 450-lb turtle dancing around the battle field. It's beautiful.
I know everything I need to know about swashbuckling from the "insult sword fighting" mini-game from Secret of Monkey Island. It's all about the cutting insults and clever comebacks.
This is one of my favorite vids, if only because I love me some Swashbuckler. Flavor for days, and frankly the literal best melee rogue in the game. I admit to min/max cheesing and going 15/15/15 Dex/Cha/Con with a Half-Elf, landing me at 16/17/16 at level 1, which with this character is insane. Once you hit 12, Elvish Acc is amazing and really from 12th level, you are pretty much maxed on Dex and Cha anyway, so... take whatever feats make you happy. I honestly felt like at the early levels, expertise allows you to do a ton both technically and character-wise, and then your feats and whatnot from level 12 on, are amazing too.
Swashbuckler Rogue is my favorite splash class. It works beautifully with a Fighter, a Paladin, a Hexblade Warlock, a College of Swords Bard, a melee focused Ranger, etc.
For a oneshot I made a few pre-made characters for my friends, and made a swashbuckler Kenku called "swish-swash" the sound of a blade cutting a person's hand off As it was a high level oneshot I gave it the sun blade and boots of flaying... ye
I'm presently playing a goblin swashbuckler rogue in the Eberron setting, and at 9th level he's really become a powerhouse. He's the Face of a party comprised of stealthy morally ambiguous types (Moon Druid, Arcane Trickster, Gloomstalker Ranger, Artificer). At some point the GM just started sighing before any stealth check, as if wondering why he is bothering to do so. I multi-classed into Warlock and became a Hexblade Warlock, thus gaining proficiency in shields and getting that sweet Booming Blade, along with Hex and Shield for my spells. This campaign has been extremely high gold so far with access to a well stocked store. Adding the magic item Boots of Speed along with an Eagle Whistle, the new nickname for him in fights is "Green Thunder from Down Under" (he's a Dhakaani goblin which I'm using an Aussie accent to play). Sitting at 22 AC, he's about as beefy as I can get him right now, and in the last arc he challenged the mini-boss to a duel, rocked him with a 61 damage crit in the first round, then befriended him along with his entire gang. It's been a blast. Highly recommend the blend of Hexblade and Swashbuckler, but there's so many options that would be great. I took a 2nd level of Warlock to get Devilsight and Mask of Many Faces. Thanks for the guide and the Feat suggestions! I look forward to grabbing one at level 10. :D
Sentinel is great a great idea if you’re staying in the thick of the fight! Even better for the swashbuckler is Riposte from Battlemaster Manuevers or Martial adept. It makes enemies think twice before attacking you. Because if they miss… SNEAK ATTACK. The synergy with Booming Blade is also crazy fun.
Great video! I’m playing a Swashbuckler in a campaign right now and love it. I went the Booming Blade & Familiar (owl) route. You get advantage almost every attack and when you hit, you hit hard. If you don’t outright kill a normal enemy, then you move away and let them come to you thereby taking more booming damage. I am taking levels in Ranger for Hunter’s Mark and Beastmaster. Soon I’ll get a parrot primal beast of the sky to weaponize my bonus action. Two birds and one rapier!
I have a Gnome swashbuckler rogue that I have built with your advice and is now my most favorite character to roleplay and guide through combat that i have ever played in over 20 years of playing D&D. I cannot thank you both enough for all the hard work and passion that you do!
A swasbuckler with devil's sight can use the darkness combo on almost all enemies until CR 10, CR 11 is where all monsters gain some form of blindsense, or tremorsense or truesight.
you can cast darkness on an object, like a gemstone. stick it in a locket and close the locket. now you have pocket darkness. use a free action to open it.
@@karsten69 well that's true, it doesn't help with that problem. but it would free up an action to use your attacks. and anytime you need darkness, you open the locket, and close it when you don't need it. the darkness works in the same way a light does - if it's smothered by something, it doesn't affect the area anymore
When I eventually get to play Swashbucker, I would multiclass into fighter for 3 levels to get battle master maneuvers, shield proficiency, and action surge. Then I can use riposte and other maneuvers to fully reinforce that duelist archetype. And with the cherry on top I then get the magic initiate feat (sorcerer) to get booming blade for even more damage.
Booming blade does not scale with Cha or Int or Wis. If you are only interested in Booming Blade, you can roll a High Elf or Half-elf (high elf heritage) for the cantrip. Or you could just take Magic Initiate - Wizard for Find Familiar and Booming Blade + 1 out-of-combat cantrip.
you can get battlemaster maneuvers from feats, too. if you take a hexblade dip (1 level) you get booming blade, hexblade's curse, and the shield spell as well as another spell and cantrip of your choice. very strong! booming blade is amazing on swashbucklers, especially if you can figure out a way to get advantage (e.g. feinting attack)
@@PantherFox I mainly wanted the fighter levels to have more superiority dice and the action surge. I know my duelist build is not the most optimized tho but it fits the character I wanna play.
Swashbuckler is the rogue subclass best suited to dual-wielding due to not being dependent on their bonus action for hit and run. Twice the attacks, double the chance to get your sneak attack in, too.
Two of the big advantages that Rogues have: They can work with one primary stat and one secondary stat. This, coupled with the fact that Rogues get one more ASI than many other classes, means that you can top out your Dex, have a good Cha, and STILL have enough ASIs for Feats.
A sleeper hit for choice of feats is Magic Initiate, using the Bard's list of spells. Cantrip #1 should absolutely be Vicious Mockery, for blatantly obvious reasons. Cantrip #2 I'd probably go with Message. For the level 1 spell (once per long rest), there are several good choices, but mine would probably be Feather Fall, so the party can make those death-defying dives faithful to the trope.
You can chose “Hex” with the Fey Touched feat, which is great to land your Panache because you can give the enemy disadvantage on Wisdom checks. It’s a great use for your concentration and a easy way to add damage
On the subject of Crossbow Expert with a hand crossbow and a melee weapon, I think DMs letting that work is probably quite common, for one simple reason: style. Having that sort of fighting style is just really cool.
In our long time campaign (level 10 now) I play a tabaxi swashbuckler (Level 7)/ fighter battlemaster (3 for action surge). Somewhere along we found wings of flying and the party gave it to my swashbuckler. Between climbing walls or flying he can get in and out quickly and do some real damage. He duel wields two +1 rapiers. Between sneak damage and three hits with action surge he can do real damage. He actually is based on a male version of Captain Amelia and the Three Musketeers.
another fun and informative review! you make a good point about the diverse ways of interpreting a "swashbuckler rogue", plus the many possibilities of re-interpreting a famous character in fiction. among my favourite lately was a swashbuckler rogue, based partly on Seahawk in the She-Ra series
I'm playing with a Swashbuckler that just reached level 3. I'm really excited about this video! Thanks, guys! EDIT: My Character, a Variant Human called Aureo Vabame, has a ring that's exactly like the blue one that Kelly is wearing. It's a good signal haha
So I’m playing a Swashbuckling Rogue in the Eberron setting. They’re a changeling who was a cunning young kid stealing extra food from shops in the port they lived in. They eventually (because of backstory) moved to Sharn to become an actor. Dreams didn’t pan out, so they decided to turn to a life of crime, and though they’re dexterous, they’re not really a thief at heart, they like glitz and glamour. I really like my Rogue lmao
My first character was a swashbuckler rogue. Feels good to see this subclass get some love here. I thoroughly enjoyed playing around my somewhat generic charlatan orphan background. When Tinderstrike ended up in his possession it was a perfect match. I only took one feat back then (didn't have all those great guides to fall back on), and that feat was Inspiring Leader. Also works well with good charisma.
Only played a swashbuckler once. Well, hex-buckler. Most fun time I ever had at the table. * Almost entirely charisma dependent. * Medium armor and a shield for solid AC * Cantrips for booming blade, minor illusion, and magic stone. Hits like a truck. * Pact of the chain. Multiple attacks are nice, but I wanted more AC. And an invisible imp giving advantage feels a whole lot less cheesy than flyby shenanigans. *Mask of Many and Misty Visions. Add actor, expertise, +20 charisma... Only issue I had was not stealing the limelight.
In theme feats for Swashbuckler: Defensive Duelist: While wielding a finesse weapon, as a reaction add proficiency bonus as AC to potentially make an attack roll miss. Very handy. Very in theme. Fight Initiate: If you don't plant on dipping a couple levels of Fighter, this feat lets you pick a fighting style. Go Duelist, Two weapon fighting or something to boost your AC. Alert: +5 initiative bonus, cannot be surprised. Make sure to always get attack first. Tough or Resilient (or both): Boost CON. Now you are probably gonna pick a Rapier... so choose Piercer. You can actually pick all this feats or more if you go variant Human / Custom Lineage.
a one level multiclass into sorcerer can go such a long way for this build. Divine is always useful for the free 2d4 increase when you muck up, and draconic gives you an additional point of ac for your build overall, or +2 if you don't have studded leather yet. You also get 4 cantrips, so thats minor illusion, message, booming blade, and a ranged option, which complements the rogue playstyle so well. And then you get two 1st level spell slots, which you will always be using on silvery barbs. That one level dip adds a ridiculous amount of utility, damage, and stability to the class and frees up your race of choice if you were using your race to get access to booming blade.
I've only been playing my flirty Tiefling Swashbuckler/Battlemaster for a year but I'm learning so much from this video. Just dipped into Warlock for Hexblade but I plan on going at least 9 levels of Swash now.
I know folks like rapier for the 1d8, but I would actually think scimitar combined with the slasher feat would work really good for a swashbuckler. That -10 ft movement penalty from slasher has a lot of potential synergy with the subclasses' skirmish abilities, and I bet applying a big debuff on top of double sneak attack dice when you crit would be a very good feeling.
Truth be told I think sneak attack mitigates the relevance of 1d8 vs 1d6 weapons for the most part but the slasher feat is an interesting idea for a swashbuckler. Could also be worthwhile for a scout rogue perhaps
A great feat option I'm enjoying on my swashbuckler is the telepathic feat. First of all, the extra charisma score helped round out the uneven number, secondly the free telepathic communication helps with sneaky communication (even if it's one sided) + you can use it to annoy people mid-fight by taunting them from inside their head, or if you're extra obnoxious, beatbox badly inside their head. Lastly, no components detect thoughts is massively useful for the swashbuckler, who will often be the face of the party.
About a month ago, I have learned the validity of a variant to the Bucler and Blade style using the more stylish small cape instead. Made of heavier fabrics with stones or weights hidden at the end, it offers great defense, great distraction, and the stones add bludgeoning damage for effectiveness against helmets. However, to translate this into D&D, it would be a soft shield ideal for Shield Master, and I'd argue would allow you to use Dex for the shove.
Between you guys and web DM I have had the wonderful experience of watching four men grow into their youtube presence in incredible ways. Plus watching you two change hair styles and grow and enunciate and flourish is about as heartwarming as a wonderful several year long campaign..or at least i assume as ive never found a group or any friends to play with, outside of the groups i created and ran for children with my former job in behavioral health. thanks for all you do and keep doin =]
A Swashbuckler, a War Wizard, a Forge Cleric and a Vengeance Paladin recently completed my Tyranny of Dragons campaign. One of the strongest parties I've ever had to DM for.
My swashbuckler has "Medium Armour master" (no disadvantage on stealth checks and plus 3 dex bonus allowed in medium armour) and "Defensive Duelist" (Add your proficiency to your AC as a reaction) half plate and a shield. 1 level in warlock for booming blade and hex. Hes a fighter/Rogue, with the dueling fighting style and the Battlemaster Archetype which really adds some cool option for the swashbuckler to do like disarming and tripping enemies over.
I played my Swashbuckling Rogue as a dual wielding hand crossbow guy, named... San Holo. Using the swashbuckling abilities as ways to use the bows in close proximity.
I've played multiple swashbucklers, and each time I've ended up multiclassing to help overcome the somewhat trappy nature of their theme; rogues have the AC of a secondary attacker, but swashbucklers tend to try and pull focus as the center of attention. Throwing in a few levels of a gishy charisma caster (college of swords bard, hexblade warlock) can unlock armor capabilities and features like defensive penache or devil's sight/darkness that can really crank up the AC, and gaining a multiattack makes landing that first sneak attack that much more guaranteed.A fighter battlemaster with riposte gives another reaction attack option for that extra sneak attack/round. I love swashbucklers. I also think they're a trap, they're not tanky enough to endure the attention they inevitably draw to themselves. Multiclassing is key. I think a top 5 multiclass dip would be a great follow-up video, with guidance on when to actually take that plunge; mid-tier play can feel a little weak as you try and pull the various abilities online and your sneak attack dice stall for a while.
Halflings are criminally underrated as Swashbucklers: ~ +2 Dexterity, which (by your own creation system) let's you start with a ridiculously high Dex (19) or with 17s in both Dexterity and Charisma ~ Advantage against being Frightened and the Lucky trait come in clutch more often than many people would think ~ Halfling Nimbleness synergizes with Naturally Stealthy to disorient opponents so they have no idea where you are and will strike ~ EVERY Halfling subrace has an additional trait which synergizes amazingly well with the Swashbuckler archetype Out of the box (as 3rd-level character): ~ +6 to Initiative (19/15 or 17/17; +7 w/Lightfoot or Mark of Hospitality - 19/16 or 17/18) ~ Can move through allies (Halfling Nimbleness) to surprise foes (Advantage) with a powerful strike (Sneak Attack + Finesse), slip away without reprisal (Fancy Footwork), take one step back to Hide (Naturally Stealthy; Bonus Action), and still have 15' of movement to play with ~ Only 1-in-400 chance to Fumble (Nat1) vs 1-in-20 LOADS of fun RP options open up at 4th level, especially with Bountiful Luck Feat!
Swashbuckler is a fun choice if you want to be a Strength-based Rogue. Pick Moderately Armored for decent AC despite mediocre Dexterity (Half Plate + shield with 12 Dex gives you 18 AC, 1 higher than Studded Leather with 20 Dex). If you don't want to spend a feat, you can play a Mountain Dwarf and still get the medium armor proficiency. No shield, but that means you can focus on grappling, which really is what Str-Rogues excel at.
As I built my Swashbuckler I choose to build a very charismatic Goblin with the charlatan background But I reworked the background a bit to make them a salesman but is honest as possible. His healing potions are not always perfect but do always provide healing. He doesnt fool with the products he sells its just the stuff he happens by. People are often stunned by a charming well spoken goblin.
Captain Seamus Finnegan, half-elf Swashbuckler extraordinaire, made quite prodigious use of Inspiring Leader, regaling his crew with stories of all the amazing things he had done literally the day before. That they were also there for. :D
My swashbuckler rogue, Florian Bluequail, is a half sea-elf noble background with the aberrant dragonmark feat that gave him booming blade and fog cloud. He got the mark in a pre-campaign one-shot where the artefact his team were hired to find exploded and buried a magic shard in his cheek.
Mine is a old human innkeeper (55-60 yo, and sometimes acting as fence to revitalice the business), who after a heart attack decides to sell the burning deer (the family business, an inn), buy the greatest horse he could find, and pursue his lost love and his thirst for adventure. He is a bit of a gambler (one of those who take advantage). Now after a year with his thirst more than sacieated (not really, but he loves to complain), he wanders around complaining about his rheuma and hip.
played a swashbuckler rogue (pirate themed) for a long time then multi-classed with hexblade warlock & it's a ton of fun, a ton of personality & a ton of utility! ended up being a big damage dealer in my party as well as the face. would recommend!
I have a newer player playing a swashbuckler in my game. I gave him a choice between a homebrew item called "The Gauntlet of Throwing Down" that lets him cast compelled duel to draw a single target out to use rakish audacity, and an upgrade to his flintlock. He didn't understand fully how the gauntlet would help because he didn't fully understand RA and he took the flintlock upgrade. After a battle or two and he started getting sneak attack from RA and figured out how it worked, he understood why I wanted to give him the gauntlet and let him trade in the flintlock upgrade for the gauntlet.
An option that I took for my swashbuckler was a changeling. The alter self ability makes it to where you can get into even more shenanigans. It's made for a lot of fun
