What are the characteristics of a swashbuckler, in game terms?

[Nifft]

There is the Parry option from Skull and Bones. While limited at lower levels, once you get multiple attacks it becomes quite interesting.

Is this open content? Can you post it?

Thanks, -- N

 

[drnuncheon]

I would like to argue against the "Fighter/Rogues have too few hit points" line of thinking. If you are giving the swashbuckler abilities that the fighter doesn't have, you should not leave the swashbuckler with all the abilities the fighter normally has. You should trade off.

Nobody is saying there shouldn't be a tradeoff, just that the tradeoff for fighter/rogue is too severe, and it also involves trading off for things that you don't want (like, say, find traps/trap sense, sneak attack, etc).

J

 

[Desdichado]

I mostly agree with drnuncheon. I don't mind a swashbuckler with d8 hit dice, though. He does need, to my mind, full BAB progression, a better than average hit dice, some acrobatic combat class abilities or bonus feats, and some kind of AC "help" as he progresses, and a few more skills than a fighter.

 

[The Cardinal]

make it a specialist fighter (Dragon 311) but:

d8 HD
proficient with simple weapons, light armor, bucklers, rapier, short sword, scimitar, all whips
Fighter BAB
adds Charisma bonus to AC when not wearing armor
AC bonus: +1 per 4 full levels
fighter bonus feat list without "tank" feats (Improved Sunder, Toughness, Cleave, etc.) no fighter bonus feat at 1st level
skills 4+INT
"social" skill list
gains "specials" at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level ("lion's pounce", "rapier wit", etc)

 

[Steverooo]

A "swash" is a sweeping smash. When you conduct a swash while wearing a buckler, you are swashbuckling! Swashbuckling is as much about flair as it is about fighting!

I agree that CHA & DEX should be high. I think the Bard's weapon list is a good place to start. Both Zorro and Erol Flynn are good examples. I agree that only light armor, bucjkers, and small shield should be usable, and that a Monk-like AC Bonus is mandatory. I also agree that social and physical skills should be added, and that the Feat (which adds DEX to attacks, instead of STR) should be gained at first level, but disagree on tumbling. It should be a class skill.

In addition, however, I see two more class features that I think are required. Takyris and Michael Tree touched on them, I think...

First, the SB needs and ability to allow him/her to use "Environmental Defense" - in other words, do things like duck under a bench to avoid attack (getting Cover AC), then roll out, attack, and roll away... Currently only possible with Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack! This includes the ability to pull the lid off a barrel, use it to block a blow (maybe they should have all shield proficiencies, including tower, as well), or pick up a club, stick, etc., and use it to add to AC.

Also, they should have a Feat similar to Sword and Fist's Use Anything As A Weapon, where they can wield anything as a weapon, without the -4 "To-Hit" Penalty.

Full BAB? No, I think not. This is sounding an awful lot like a Bard without music, and with special abilities replacing magic and Medium Armors!

Anyway, the SB needs to be able to use cover/concealment to improve AC, use random objects from the environment as a shield and/or weapon, move and still attack (perhaps only if they make a tumbling check), and the ability to move in different ways ("Environmental Movement"), such as sliding down the draperies, roping the beams with his/her whip and swinging across, sliding down the rope to attack, cutting ropes and dropping chandeliers/portcullises on their enemies' heads, and (of course) swinging from the chandeliers!

So, how best to do all that?

Use Anything As A Weapon - Improvised weapons without the -4 penalty, table for damage. Most should do 1D6, usually blunt. Some do non-lethal (winebutt, coinpurse, etc).

Improvised Shields - Use anything as a shield for +1, +2, or +4 AC, depending upon size.

Take Cover! - The ability to take AC advantage of cover while still moving and attacking normally.

Improved Movement - Move up to your normal movement, including any leaps, climbs (at half rate), and tumbling, and still make your normal number of attacks (and still taking advantage of cover, if any) - as long as a Tumble check succeeds.

With all of that, his AC should be even with a Fighter's, his damage generally worse, his BAB lower (except with Improvised Weapons), but his movement far better...

That's pretty much what we see with Zorro... He does a lot of running, ducking, hiding, and escaping, fights when cornered (but only until he creates an opening to slip through), and then runs/rides off, leaving the slower fighting men in the dust, still chasing after him!

 

[hong]

What if you did the following:

Start with, say, Fighter:

Bump skill points to 4 per level
Add new skills -- say, the people-relating skills (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, Intimidate, Gather Information) along with some Dex-based skills, but NOT Tumble. Swashbucklers leap, keep their balance, climb, and wriggle out of ropes, but they don't generally do backflips or cartwheels.

Lose many of the weapon proficiencies (give them Simple, plus any piercing martial weapon, plus any swordlike slashing weapon of medium size or smaller -- no axes, no claymores, no hammers)

Lose Heavy and Medium armor

Gain defense stuff to compensate for lack of armor -- like Cha-bonus to AC and a monk-ish Defense progression

Change save to Reflex good

Restrict the fighter bonus feats, or swap out bonus feats for abilities like the stuff I mentioned in my first post.

Everything else, you can flavor-up.

Heh.

 

[Particle_Man]

Instead of tweaking the fighter or rogue, why not tweak the 3.5 ranger? They have good BAB and pretty good skill points. You could trade out ranger virtual feats and abilities for swash's virtual feats and abilities, and maybe tweak the skill lists slightly (less nature, more court stuff).

 

[hong]

Instead of tweaking the fighter or rogue, why not tweak the 3.5 ranger? They have good BAB and pretty good skill points. You could trade out ranger virtual feats and abilities for swash's virtual feats and abilities, and maybe tweak the skill lists slightly (less nature, more court stuff).

Heh².

 

[Dogbrain]

A "swash" is a sweeping smash. When you conduct a swash while wearing a buckler, you are swashbuckling! Swashbuckling is as much about flair as it is about fighting!

Actually, to "swashbuckle" is to strike ones buckler (as a challenge). Check the OED.

 

[hong]

Actually, to "swashbuckle" is to strike ones buckler

IYKWIM et al.


Hong "kitten no. 2" Ooi