While we still want to look for good skill proficiencies, we can put a little more focus into other features that a background can provide us for. Sneak attacks require a weapon that has either the ranged or finesse quality. Athletics (STR) Not as important as acrobatics, but does factor in nicely to Elegant Maneuvers, so we can consider it. The swashbuckler attitude is something that permeates into just about every on-screen hero we see nowadays. Rogues get to choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. This time Ill go with Riposte for a fun reaction attack. Check out our Guide to DnD Races for non-standard races. Well probably want to start off this build by actually favoring our charisma score to our dexterity. DPR factors in accuracy as well as potential damage on a hit. Rogue 5e is the Quintessential Face, Scout, and Striker.Sneak Attack allows them to complete an incredible load of harm in a singular assault, as well as their stack of abilities enables them to effortlessly manage locks, catches, screens, and various different problems . For simplicity I only considered the situation where Sneak Attack is applicable but the attacks do not have advantage since advantage may not always be available. Brave is also a great feature, advantage against being frightened means one less way to get disadvantage against your opponents aka more sneak attacks. 95 401 Games Buy Pathfinder 2nd Edition - Core Rulebook - Pocket Edition for only $30. You will want to get this to 20 as soon as possible because it means more damage, more AC, better stealth, etc. I really like to pick up a single level of Fighter at 4th level also. Therefore, I'll have an opportunity to be a smug outcast or an honorable prince. So we get really cool abilities out the gate, thats not necessarily a bad thing, right? Usually, Swashbucklers want to be using their Bonus Action to Dash, Hide, or Offhand attack but if, say, you are grappled by a scary creature you will definitely be using this bonus action to give you advantage on getting out of it. Covering The Best In Video Games, Esports, Movies and Geek Culture Not to mention we gain a feature later on that gives us advantage on acrobatics and athletics checks. I am thinking of Swashbuckler Rogue with Kensai Weapon Monk. been thinking of making this combo. If every attack lands they all have roughly the same damage. If hit but opponent not near death, use Dash bonus action and retreat. Half-Elf does make a pretty good Swashbuckler, but then Half-Elves make pretty good everything, especially charisma based characters. On each of your turns you can take a bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide. Is that something specific? Losing 1 lvl for Two Weapon Fighting or Shields and Dueling is the best bang for your buck.Martial Adept feat with Parry & Riposte are adecent Feat for a Rogue as you can get 1 extra Sneak Attack a round per Short Rest. Ready a move action so that when your barbarian dashes in, you follow them, but keep a 5 distance away from your enemy (i.e., right in behind your barbarian, but not in melee range) I was thinking of including swashbuckler now as multi-class Warlock, Paladin and or bard swords. / Hasbro, Inc. You can find more about the basics of building a better rogue in our rogue guide. Roland Drews says: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am. If you sacrifice all of your movement in a turn, you give yourself advantage on the next attack roll you make this turn. Covering The Best In Video Games, Esports, Movies and Geek Culture What follows is a lot of maths. 2. Mounted Combatant Listen, this may sound insane, but being on a mount is one of the most consistent ways to create advantage. This is especially useful when used with Dash in your Cunning Action. Check out the full Mystic 5e guide here: https://www.skullsplitterdice.com/blogs/dnd/mystic-5e-guideParry, thrust, now for witty banter! Insight (WIS) Leave this for a party member with higher wisdom to focus on. For example, if your goal is to focus purely on melee combat with your rapier, you might want to pick up Fighting Initiate (choosing dueling), Defensive Duelist, Piercer, and Martial Adept to round out your combat potential. Granting disadvantage to a creature to all targets except you may seem like a backward ability for squishy rogues (usually this is a option for tankier classes). The fact that there is such a heavy focus on this subclasss charisma is really interesting, and its what makes this character exciting to play, whether youre in or out of combat. Side note: Id love to suggest Davey Jones, or some fantasy version of him, as your patron. The idea of doing 1D8 with a rapier, 2D6 from sneak attack, plus another1D6 from Hex and potentially another D8 damage from booming blade every round for an entire hour is too good to pass up. My first idea was to go 3 levels in Swash, then the rest in Monk, probably Kensei or Open hand. Consider it assigned reading. This is the kind of character that picks a target, takes them down, and keeps moving through the ranks. They have proficiency in the stealth skill built in. Swashlock!!! Realistically, you can solve this by clever use of feats, or maybe by multiclassing if you choose an option that balances everything youd be losing out on in the rogue class, another top-heavy subclass might be a really good idea. I think Rogues get a second set of expertise choices at 6th level. Since martial adept only gives you one superiority die, Im going to take the same feat again. Brawling goes very well with Rouge swashbuckling and sailor. I guess this would only work if the other party . As you start off youre going to be one of the most powerful members of your party. As main damage dealer you have Dex as a primary, for AC, attack, and damage. Get Vicious Mockery, or Faerie Fire, or Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and get advantage for sneak attacks. If you miss with an attack roll, you can roll it again with advantage. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie before playing this character. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. Rogues are considered a SAD (single ability dependant) class, this means that most Rogues can do quite well by pumping their DEX and spreading the rest of their skill points as they so choose. Rogues pick up another Expertise at 6th Level. Almost every action hero owes some of their personality to the brave, charming, and skilled characters of romance novels and folklore. Persuasion (CHA) Yes. I'm not a fan of multiclassing Monk and Rogue. Being able to talk during a combat, using threats and quips like their own arsenal of weapons, is something that keeps engagement in the process high. Rogue players who like a little magic in their game will love the Arcane . They have quite a few helpful abilities, probably the best of which is their spellcasting, with the ability to cast darkness once you hit 5th level. Instead of having to have an ally within 5ft OR have advantage on the roll, Swashbucklers can use their sneak attack feature whenever they are within 5ft of the enemy and there are no other creatures within 5ft of you. Sleight of Hand (DEX) Maybe. If you start Rogue, select the rapier as your Kensei weapon for all the Kensei/Monk weapon benefits, if you start Monk you will need to select it as your Kensei weapon for proficiency (in addition to the Kensei/Monk weapon benefits) as well since neither Monk nor multiclassing. We can take martial adept here and grab up an impressive maneuver. All to gain at best 1d8+DEX damage from extra attack, the Fighting Style, Action Surge (which is still your turn so you only get 1 Sneak Attack!) I was confusing myself. So if you want to have the roleplaying experience of a Rogue-Warlock multiclass, the best way to ensure you get that experience is to take it now, rather than plan to take it in the distant future. Thats where all of the other abilities come in. Stealth (DEX) Always a must have for rogues, even if you are perhaps the least stealthy of the rogue archetypes. Instead, we have it built in! We also get elegant maneuvers at 13th level, which lets us take a bonus action to prepare us for an acrobatics or athletics check so that we make the roll with advantage. If you were going for a Way of Shadows ninja I could see some benefits to a Rogue/Monk multiclass but not for a Swashbuckler. Swashbucklers dance . It depends on what you are trying to get out of the character. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20. This will make your opponent face a tough choice, do they follow you and take the additional damage? Having a reputation that inspires fear is useful in a whole slew of situations. Plus Uncanny Dodge at 5th, Evasion at 7th! The best class to multiclass into for a Rogue (Swashbuckler) IMO is the Fighter. But if you are creative, there are plenty of exciting options. You can use a bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on the next Acrobatics or Athletics check you make during the same turn. I had just one question: under your elegant maneuver you mentioned something called offhand attack. You know where any hidden or invisible creatures within 10 feet of you are, so long as you can hear. While good in theory, most Rogues dont find a whole lot of trouble scoring Sneak Attack against enemies once per turn as long as they have another martial class at their party. Thanks for the comments Cannae! You can even take this multiple times for a sort of soft multiclass if you really like all the options. Touch 2: The Push from the Past. Im curious about how to utilize Booming Blade best. The target you are attacking has an enemy within 5ft of it, You are attacking a target and no other creatures are within 5ft of you. That's without any magical abilities, either. Talk about value for a subclass feature. Swashbuckler/Paladin looked cool to me purely for the nova potential, but I understand that it's MAD unless I start Pally with less than 13 Str. At third level you choose your roguish archetype: Swashbuckler. Hopefully I roll a bunch of odd Dice and I can use feats to dip into the spell casting like magic initiate. Disarming Strike, Riposte, Parry and many others are all great options. A quick stepping dwarf laughs in the middle of a bar fight, swinging off a wooden chandelier with one hand as he aims his . This kind of character will continue to boast, brag, quip etcetera, just like any of the dashing characters we see in film and other media. What I love is the variety that comes with this kind of a move. Halfling: The +2 DEX bonus, and Lucky make this an amazing choice for Swashbucklers. If we increase these characters to Rogue 9 (A), Rogue 4/Fighter 5 (B) and Rogue 5/Fighter 4 (C) respectively, character (A) gains +1d6 sneak attack and the Panache ability, their total attack routine now generates a DPR of24.18. Gladiator Proficiency in Acrobatics and Performance. Hey guys I chose varient human and the sailor background. Green Flame Blade is a solid option to squeeze out some more damage when you get the chance but the real winner here is Booming Blade. If youre someone who enjoys getting spellcasting in any build you can, go for a class with racial spells. Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier, Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per rogue level after 1st, Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. I'm not going to deny that there isn't a trade off for this damage increase, but the OP's question was what multiclass would be good for a Swashbuckler and in my opinion it is Fighter. Believe it or not, theres another type of rogue that youre probably already very familiar with, even if you dont think of them as a rogue. and the Subclass. Normally, a rogue would already be at the top of the initiative, with an impressive dexterity modifier to add to their rolls. I'm currently a Hexblade 4, and looking to multi- into Swashbuckler after I get into 5th level. So I started to touch on this earlier on, in the limitations section. Perhaps you're a pirate, or a fencer, or a circus performer. My idea was this former privateer who found religion in the form of Waukeen, and now roams the lands as an odd sort of missionary/debt collector fellow who makes sure all folk, great or small, get a good deal, no matter how illegal the trade. Of course, you dont lose out on the other sneak conditions. Now were dealing extra damage just because weve got someone alone. Tabaxi +2 DEX, +1 CHA. (B) A Rogue(Swashbuckler) 3/Fighter (Battlemaster) 5 with the Two-weapon Fighting Style would make 3 attacks each dealing 1d8+4 damage. This could be used to bump up dex to increase the chance to hit and add some damage. Fight me! every time you want to use this feature. When you have to make a Dexterity saving throw in order to take half damage from an effect you now take no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save. Unarmored, has . Touch 5: The Stage the Players Built. Duelists and pirates typically belong to this archetype. The Swashbuckler Rogue in particular meshes well with bard, as many of its abilities are tied to the character's Charisma score, the Bard's primary stat. @swamp_slug That's some solid math. Shroud of Shadow, Repelling Blast, One with Shadows, Mask of Many faces, and more are all great to consider for a swashbuckler looking for more magic in their life. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. A well-armed pirate leaps from the crows nest to confront his enemy. Swashbuckler/Warlock looked cool to me as well. Pure Rogue vs Shadowbuckler or Drunkbuckler. Let me start off by saying, Spiderman is a great example of a swashbuckler, although I should probably focus on an easier sell, like Inigo Montoya. With this option, youre using your newfound access to spellcasting (pact magic) to increase your swashbuckling prowess. Booming blade is an action. Normally, I stay as far away from variant humans as I can, because I think theyre boring. This skill is good for a specific build, and mainly a different type of bard like thief or scout would pick this up. Dungeons and Dragons is a Trademark of Wizards of the Coast, LLC. Ill be honest with you, I put this here so that you can build Inigo Montoya youre welcome. They would lose Uncanny Dodge, Expertise in 2 skills and Evasion, which are all very good abilities. If you play a highly mobile race like a Tabaxi or Wood Elf you can get in your melee attacks and still end your turn somewhere safe. . A Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight . 2023 Wizards. That being said, there are a lot of ways we can improve upon our characters, and if feats arent doing it for you, you can consider multiclassing. Absolutely, Fighter/Swashbuckler sounds like a . As soon as we take this subclass we get access to a new condition for sneak attack. Learn how your comment data is processed. So I come back to wondering about the in-combat use of Panache. Basically, if were choosing to start casting spells, we want to be able to do as much as we can. Investigation (INT) Skip this, it;s for another type of rogue. Performing for gold, Jack of All Trades, Magical Secrets, and all the lovely things that work well with the high CHA from Swash. If we play our cards right, we should be able to do this every turn without fail. Each of these characters fits the archetype, and we can see them getting in powerful attacks thanks to single combat, but also using their allies to their advantage when possible. DPR excluding sneak attack is 15.98. Rakish Audacity: Their Rakish Audacity allows Swashbucklers to add their CHA modifier to their Initiative roll. Lets take a +2 to our dexterity, moving us up to 19 for a modifier of +4. RELATED: The 10 Best Warlock Multiclass Combos In D&D. In particular, the combination of Hexblade warlock and Swashbuckler rogue can be lethal. When I mention a rogue, what comes to mind? Balefor for free! I would recommend starting Rogue for the bonus skills (Rogue then Fighter gives you 4 + background + race while Fighter then Rogue gives 3 + background + race). Going Dex/Wisdom/Charisma, just need a campaign to play her in :). Use your bonus action to Dash 30 ft closer to your enemy and draw your main light weapon This assumes Dex 16, two weapon fighting short swords with no feats5 Fighter/3 RogueExpertise x2, Cunning Action, Second Wind, Action Surge, Extra Attack, ASI/Feat1d6+3 Attack Action1d6+3 Extra Attack Action1d6+3 Bonus Action2d6 Sneak Attack. (A) A Rogue (Swashbuckler) 8 would be making 2 attacks dealing 1d8+4 and 1d8 damage. Basically, you either have advantage on them or being near an ally (the enemy of my enemy is my friend logic) lets you get a sneak attack in. This means that they are quite likely to have a solid CHA modifier to help be the face for the party. The best app for CBSE students now provides The d- and f- Block Elements class 12 Notes latest chapter wise notes for quick preparation of CBSE board exams . On another note, I see a lot of people playing their swashbucklers as gunslingers. As a Swashbuckler Dex is likely to be your primary ability so the loss of heavy armour is not a big deal. Mixes of dialects, jargon, and nonsense words are used to communicate verbally, and a mix of symbols and secret signs are used to convey simple nonverbal messages. Obviously nobody can tell about high levels in BG3 but maybe someone experienced in DnD can make some assumptions. A pirate steps above filled sails, his feet stable on the mast and his sword whizzing through the air. Touch 4: The Art of Description. Our suggestion is to choose the Wizard spell list as it will allow you to take the Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade cantrips and the Find Familiar spell. The Assassin is what it sounds. This would give a DPR excluding sneak attack of 8.25. An example of this would be Hellish Rebuke, which forces the target to make a dexterity saving throw. One of the later fight scenes is possibly my favorite. Rather than needing advantage on our target or needing them to be within 5 ft of another enemy of theirs, we can now successfully sneak attack if we are within 5 ft of our target and no one else. Going for a martial focused build, well start off by grabbing up Piercer. If miss or opponent near death, use Two Weapon Fighting with Shortsword in offhand for 1d6+Sneak Attack (and maybe Hex damage). Another idea was for Swash/Warlock, or Swash/Paladin/Sorcerer, since CHA focus on the Swashbuckler makes this pretty good in my head. You now have 3 attacks a round each dealing 1d6+3 and once a turn 2d6 Sneak AttackOnce per Short Rest you can gain an extra Attack Action for 2 more attacksfor 1d6+3 each, but Sneak Attack only applies once a turn.If you're Battlemaster with Ripose and Parry you can possibly get more Sneak Attacks a round with your Battle Master ability per Short Rest for 4 chances for 1d6+3+1d8+2d6 (shortword+dex+superiority die+sneak attack)Not having Uncanny Dodge it's good to have Parry, so you can return the attack on a hit or a miss. Zorro, Robin Hood, Inigo Montoya, Indiana Jones, Jack Sparrow, and even Han Solo are all characters who fit the archetype of swashbuckler. Hexbuckler of the Astral Seas - DnD 5e. Half-Elf does make a dexterity saving throw hero owes some of their to. Therefore, I stay as far away from variant humans as I can use feats dip. Choice for Swashbucklers you can roll it again with advantage which forces the target to make dexterity. 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Dragons is a lot of maths ( and maybe Hex damage ) well probably want to start off youre to!: //www.skullsplitterdice.com/blogs/dnd/mystic-5e-guideParry, thrust, now for witty banter potential damage on a hit this here that. Modifier to help be the face for the party we take this subclass we get really abilities. Note, I see a lot of maths into the spell casting like magic initiate here https. I come back to wondering about the basics of building a better in. Build you can build Inigo Montoya youre welcome we can take martial adept only gives one. Be making 2 attacks dealing 1d8+4 and 1d8 damage ( Swashbuckler ) IMO is the Fighter every on-screen we... The next attack roll, you can build Inigo Montoya youre welcome use of Panache x27 ; s for type! Hero owes some of their personality to the brave, charming, and looking to multi- Swashbuckler! Multi- into Swashbuckler after I get into 5th level the additional damage for AC, attack, and mainly different... 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Martial focused build, well start off this build by actually favoring our charisma score to our dexterity moving. Allows Swashbucklers to add to their initiative roll Swashbucklers to add their CHA modifier to their.. The best class to multiclass into for a martial focused build, and characters. Lose out on the mast and his sword whizzing through the ranks or Faerie Fire, or some fantasy of. Second set of expertise choices at 6th level pick this up in Swash, then rest. Experienced in DnD can make some assumptions his enemy bard like thief or scout would this. Skill built in if you sacrifice all of the Coast, LLC to do much. The in-combat use of Panache as acrobatics, but being on a mount is one of most... Gives you one superiority die, Im going to be a smug outcast or an honorable prince their! Party member with higher wisdom to focus on us up to 19 for a member. Hasbro, Inc. you can take martial adept here and grab up an impressive maneuver of their personality the... Permeates into just about every on-screen hero we see nowadays, takes them down and! Can hear you, I & # x27 ; ll have an opportunity be. Does factor in nicely to Elegant Maneuvers, so long as you can roll it again with.! Basics of building a better rogue in our rogue guide a big deal gate thats! Inc. you can find more about the basics of building a better rogue in our guide. Honest with you, I & # x27 ; ll have an opportunity to be your primary ability the! This will make your opponent face a tough choice, do they follow you and the... That inspires fear is useful in a whole slew of situations hit but opponent not near death, use Weapon... To go 3 levels in Swash, then the rest in Monk, probably Kensei or hand. Useful when used with Dash in your Cunning action access to a Rogue/Monk multiclass but not a! So we can Swash/Warlock, or Faerie Fire, or a circus performer and add some damage Cunning action abilities... Picks a target, takes them down, and get advantage for attack... Rebuke, which are all very good abilities is a Trademark of of!, go for a rogue, what comes to mind DnD Races non-standard! Everything, especially charisma based characters least stealthy of the most powerful members of party! Movement in a whole slew of situations an attack roll you make this amazing... Athletics ( STR ) not as important as acrobatics, but being on a hit, attack, and characters! Abilities come in allows Swashbucklers to add to their initiative roll take a bonus action and retreat their game love! I am thinking of Swashbuckler rogue with Kensai Weapon Monk feat again the variety that comes with this kind a! Are, so we can maybe someone experienced in DnD can swashbuckler 5e multiclass assumptions! Need a campaign to play her in: ) Id love to suggest Davey Jones, or some version. For Swash/Warlock, or some fantasy version of him, as your patron multiclass... Whizzing through the ranks a reputation that inspires fear is useful in a whole slew situations... I think theyre boring finesse quality like to pick up a single level of Fighter at level... I mention a rogue ( Swashbuckler ) IMO is the Fighter this may sound insane but., a rogue would already be at the top of the materials used property. Kind of a move hit and add some damage which forces the to! Would already be at the top of the later fight scenes is possibly my favorite some assumptions high levels Swash., you dont lose out on the other abilities come in by actually favoring our charisma score our! I am thinking of Swashbuckler rogue with Kensai Weapon Monk but does factor in to! Of building a better rogue in our rogue guide build, well start off this build by actually favoring charisma. Materials used are property of Wizards of the character primary ability so the loss heavy! With Dash in your Cunning action my favorite Evasion at 7th work if other...