That’s not to say it isn’t absolutely fantastic! If you succeed on the check and the creature is hostile to you, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you and can’t make opportunity attacks against targets other than you. The Swashbuckler is a very exciting take on non-magical combat in Pathfinder, which can become a boring war of attrition between stat blocks. As an action, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by a creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. Put your next highest ability scores into Cha and Con. Your Athletics checks aren’t going to be very impressive. Then, your healer will only have to worry about you… or you’ll be a fantastic conversationalist, situationally dependant. Rogue’s pick up another Expertise at 6th Level. Now you can use a Persuasion check to attain a few benefits as an Action; useful if you’re far away from an enemy, or even in social situations! See that last sentence? Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. Constructed Resilience is decent for combat, but better for a scout or night watch. Sweet, an out-of-combat application! Taking a fighter with crossbow expert and sharpshooter, you'll need to cross-class into the hex blade warlock from Xanathar's Guide. Let’s slow down and find something that’s simple… And bad. Make sure your healer is nearby, and try to find good ways to generate AC. While the swashbuckler is wearing light or no armor and wielding no shield, its AC includes its Charisma modifier. The 5e Swashbuckler is excellent at catching people at sword-point. [/b] The swashbuckler can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Check out our Feats section to learn about the best feats for Swashbucklers. 5e Swashbuckler Optimization. With the Dash action, you’ll be dashing around the battlefield with 60 ft movement speed. Your Claws are somewhat wasted, since their dice are a bit low compared to Rapiers, but hey, at least you have a free off-hand weapon! That means that spending this action in any combat scenario means you have this taunt effect. Weapon Theft. Those are both incredibly efficient bonuses. You can take Moderately Armored to gain another +2 with a Shield, and just become impossible to put down when you use Panache. giving races Charisma boosts, so that shouldn’t be a problem. This race from. But, if you’re proficient in Athletics, you might be able to land a few Trips or Grapples using this ability. Very few beings can be useful with constant disadvantage on attacks. Stardew Valley Prismatic Jelly | What is It, Where Do You Get It? In case that wasn’t enough, Specialized Design can shore up holes in your Skills, and give you a Disguise kit proficiency. Or, if an enemy’s about to wipe your party off the face of Toril… It might be time to use this to maybe not get wiped off the face of Toril. This guide is meant as a deep dive into the Rogue Subclass, the Swashbuckler. […]. This feature also buffs the Rogue’s Sneak Attack ability. The Swashbuckler is a class that you can find in both the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything; nothing really changes. At its heart, the 5e Rogue is almost like a greatest hits version of previous Rogues/Thieves/Assassins, etc. felines are purr-fect for your new role. That’s pretty great! Uncanny Dodge: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide. Or maybe doing cool things like diving over a table to get a good stab off. With the Dash action, you’ll be dashing around the battlefield with 60 ft movement speed. Required fields are marked *. Was thinking about making a Swashbuckler multiclassed with College of Swords bard to proper zone into being a swave mouthy sword figther , Great use of the additional CHA score! […], With the recent release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, there are tons of new additions. An In-Depth Guide To The Pathfinder Swashbuckler. These Volo’s Guide felines are purr-fect for your new role. You’ll give yourself two chances to gain Withdraw for free, land a sneak attack, and get away; that could be two attacks on one creature, or one attack on a second creature! Be a Rogue. Your final ability returns to the impressive skills of your level 3 and 9 abilities… But … Because the Swashbuckler’s Rakish Audacity feature allows them to add CHA to their Initiative, it becomes a higher priority to buff. Archived. And trust me, that’ll become really annoying for most enemies later on, when you force them to target you! Privacy Policy. Both of these abilities are rather impressive buffs, and a single one would easily qualify as a level 3 buff for any other class. If you’re looking for a new take on rogue that allows you to become a party leader, then the Swashbuckler’s a great choice! If you like our content subscribe to Arcane Eye! This campaign is a homebrewed world but will be using the Tales from the Yawning Portal book for it's core adventures. CHA: Face skills and bonus to Initiaitve makes CON a priority for Swashbucklers. However, this has no effect on DC spells. This means that you could take two Dash actions on a turn, or Disengage and Dash in the same turn if you’re caught in a tough position. In most cases, this does mean that you’ll be targeted by that enemy exclusively. With Hide, you’ll become an extremely annoying stealth monger, unable to be really targeted by most creatures. Darkvision is critical for a stealthy rogue, and Feline Agility lets you Dash for free! If you’re looking for a new take on rogue that allows you to become a party leader, then the Swashbuckler’s a great choice! Otherwise… Your bonus action is really good. The other noted weakness of the Swashbuckler is the Rakish Audacity feature. And you just get so much to help you out! Thankfully, 5e. This means that they are quite likely to have a solid CHA modifier to help be the face for the party. Swashbuckler are unworthy unless dualed in my opinion. So, when do you want to burn this? The information presented on this site about Dungeons and Dragons, both literal and graphical, is copyrighted by Wizards of the Coast. However, this has, effect on DC spells. If you want to boost your melee, go with College of Valor to pick up shield proficiency and you can still get an Extra Attack at level 6. Close. 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. A creature can be Hostile and not in combat with you, but you can use this on an Unfriendly to get the Charm. Dagger. You’re not quite as diverse out-of-combat as the other archetypes, but your combat ability is actually much better than most of the others. WIS: Can help with WIS saves and Perception. Swashbucklers are an interesting twist on Rogues. This let’s you become the party’s first choice to, for example, jump across a cavern, or pole-vault over an obstacle. Entering a square, he threatens to provoke opportunity attacks from him, except for one threat square for all circumstances. If you succeed on the check and the creature isn’t hostile to you, it is charmed by you for 1 minute. Hey all! In all ways, however, you’re a master of the battlefield. Well, if you have spellcasters that rely on Short Rests (like Warlocks), then you’ll have those often. I’m joking, it’s not bad. In addition, at level 3, you attain two other benefits to distance you from other rogues. Eldritch Adept Feat 5E Guide | Pros, Cons, and Builds, College of Swords 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, Death Cleric 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, The Best Laptop for World of Warcraft 2020 | Top Picks + Buyers Guide. The first ability is about standard for a skirmisher style… but it’s essential and strong. While other warriors are brutes clad Darkvision is critical for a stealthy rogue, and Feline Agility lets you Dash for free! This is 5e, so it's not like there's a wealth of complicated builds for every subclass. WATCH LIVE GAMES NIGHTLY ON MY STREAM CHANNEL! Stardew Valley Gourmand Frog | What is It, What Does It Do? This article will focus primarily on content from the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Player’s Handbook, but will also delve into some of the content in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Maybe consider choosing a race that can get a bonus to Dex, so you can start with at least a 16 there. That’s not to say it isn’t absolutely fantastic! There’s not much else on offer though. The swashbuckler makes three attacks: one with a dagger and two with its rapier. Swashbuckler. You can take Moderately Armored to gain another +2 with a Shield, and just become impossible to put down when you use Panache. You will want to get this to 20 as soon as possible because it means more damage, more AC, better stealth, etc. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. However, in doing so we’re going to gain a For starters, we’ll gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons. This is a super fun and super great ability. Starting at 3rd level, your confidence propels you into battle. This website is not produced, endorsed, supported, or affiliated with Wizards of the Coast. Cunning Action is one of the most important parts of the Rogue, so having it be available for more than Disengage lets you become a rather impactful skirmisher. In a departure from the norm, this page begins by explaining the reasons not to choose the Swashbuckler class kit, followed by the niche of this beloved class's benefits. The Dungeon Master’s Guide contains the rules for managing ships at sea, along with encounter tables, rules for weather, and other useful tools. D&D Beyond can help create your characters by making choices using a step-by-step approach. Let’s see what mastery implies within the, Alternatively, you can use the Cunning Action to instead Dash or Hide post-movement. You can’t throw this on a Lich and be the only person affected… Unless your GM has that be the case. Dagger. 5e Swashbuckler Optimization. gains +2 Constitution, +1 Float (Dexterity). Okay, so if you’re fighting an enemy, they’re hostile to you. You’ll need to know cantrips! Variant Human: +1 DEX and +1 CHA is a decent base for Swashbucklers. Not only do you get to reroll an attack roll – your most important element in combat – you get to reroll it. Unfortunately, Sneak Attack is only applied to a single target per turn so it limits the Swashbuckler’s ability to crowd control. Learn how to get the most from it with our Circle of the Shepherd Guide. 5th Edition. Not quite perfect, but it offers you an immense amount of tankiness that is otherwise hard to find. I’m all about maximizing that action economy! ... Swashbuckler You focus your training on the art of the blade, relying on speed, elegance, and charisma in equal parts. You are beguiling, after all! Or the Charm simply isn’t as mind-controlling as expected. 1. But, the Swashbuckler’s ability to get out of dodge with their Fleeting Footwork and Cunning Action Dash will likely leave any creature in the dust. If Shove or Grapple would leave you in a really good spot, Elegant Maneuver is a smart choice. They can dive into combat, do massive damage on a target, then move away because of their Fancy Footwork ability. If it does, then you’ll only have one melee situation where you can’t get Sneak Attack (an ally knocked out next to the enemy), which is wild! Perhaps you’re a pirate, or a fencer, or a circus performer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. I think Rogues get a second set of expertise choices at 6th level. Afterwards, Constitution keeps you alive for a bit longer. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to land a strike and then slip away without reprisal. Krampus’ Lair – A Christmas-Themed D&D Adventure, 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, Ability Scores: STR 8, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 15, Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Persuasion, Deception, Equipment: Shortsword, short bow, burglar’s pack, leather armor, two daggers, and thieves’ tools, Cantrips: Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade. With Hide, you’ll become an extremely annoying stealth monger, unable to be really targeted by most creatures. The swashbuckler can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. You were designed to be the greatest fencer in the world… Right? Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage. Source:Volo's Guide to Monsters That’s efficiency! Put your highest ability score into Dex. If you really want to swing that second weapon, you can, since you’ve got 1/3rd of your Cunning Action reliant on swinging a weapon attack. Every Swashbuckler feature is both useful and thematically consistent, providing defense, offense, mobility and even some awesome battlefield control and out-of-combat utility. 12. That was a lot of good stuff! The Swashbuckler is a Rogue; that Dexterity better be as high as possible! The free feat and skill is another huge benefit of going with the Variant Human. Your Claws are somewhat wasted, since their dice are a bit low compared to Rapiers, but hey, at least you have a free off-hand weapon! Rapier. Master Duelist. There are some swordsmen who can’t sit by and allow basic combat needs to be their legacy. Below are some of the best options for Swashbucklers from the standard races. What might be harder to find is a Charisma boost, since you’re going to want high Charisma for Rakish Audacity and Panache. So, when do you want to burn this? Enter Xanathar's Guide to Everything, which had its own variation of the Swashbuckler for 5e. All Rights Reserved. In case that wasn’t enough, Specialized Design can shore up holes in your Skills, and give you a Disguise kit proficiency. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to equipment section if other classes and in-depth game mechanics are already well understood. No more waiting in the shadows for one of your party members to engage an enemy before you rush in. Resetting this ability on a short and long rest is solid and means you will likely get multiple uses in an adventuring day. Talk about value for a subclass feature. Despite my insistence that you need good Charisma and Dexterity, here I am. The Swashbuckler’s Panache ability also adds a fair amount of battlefield control to the Swashbuckler’s arsenal which is more than the rest of the Rogue subclasses, save the Arcane Trickster, end up with. Pros: Gain advantage up to three times per long rest with Samurai’s Fighting Spirit. The Good God Botherer - D&D 5E Cleric Optimisation Guide January 8, 2019 At 8:05 pm […] be to start with a couple Rogue levels. Integrated Protection is critical for you, however. Green: Good options. Combine this with their buffed sneak attack and Swashbucklers will commonly find themselves dancing around the battlefield, sneak attacking to their heart’s content. Learn more with our Swashbuckler 5E Guide. Beginning at 17th level, your mastery of the blade lets you turn failure into success in combat. Fill out the form below to receive a coupon code for a free copy of Escape from Mt. For our full class guides, we use the following color rating scheme: For our Subclass Guides, we focus mainly on the Blue and Sky Blue options and options that are different from the parent class’ rating for races, backgrounds, and feats. Dungeons and Dragons is a Trademark of Wizards of the Coast, LLC. That means, no matter what the situation is, you’re getting Sneak Attack. Sneak Attack: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide, Thieve’s Cant: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide, Cunning Action: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. You can find a full overview of the Rogue class here: DnD 5e Rogue. They are the Swashbuckler. We cover the best background for Rogues in our 5e Rogue Guide, the only changes would be: Ability Score Increases (ASI) at 4th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level. However, if you dare take up to 7 levels of Fighter, you can gain some stellar bonuses to combine with the Swashbuckler archetype. Constructed Resilience is decent for combat, but better for a scout or night watch. Despite the flavor text of the ability, you can use this with ranged weapons, Rules as Written. 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 swashbuckler might not slot perfectly into most people’s vision of a rogue in D&D, but this subclass is fun. You should grab Persuasion with Expertise to make this easier to us. Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss another post! This sounds like a super fun build to play and RP . It should be at least. / Hasbro, Inc. Despite the flavor text of the ability, you can use this with ranged weapons, Rules as Written. This bonus increases by +1 at every five levels after 5th (+2 at 10th level, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th). Published on October 26, 2020, Last modified on November 17th, 2020. You also gain Perception and Stealth proficiency without even blinking an eye. +1 to AC means you’ll actually be fairly hard to hit. These swordsmen are filled with a passion for both combat and glory, duelists whose names will be known throughout the land. You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don’t need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if you are within 5 feet of it, no other creatures are within 5 feet of you, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. It’s safe to assume that this isn’t exactly the same as Charm Person, so they might not know they were charmed afterwards. Awesome for a performer! With advantage! Besides… You’re a cat. Starting at 13th level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on the next Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check you make during the same turn. 4. Panache was a major element of the Swashbuckler from then on, and of course it had to make its way here somehow! Meaning that there are a bunch of new Feats to choose from. Their Sneak Attack is more flexible than ever (except for one glaring case, more on that later). Swashbuckler 5e Guide Published on October 26, 2020, Last modified on November 17th, 2020 In this post, we will examine the different choices you will be presented with when leveling up your Swashbuckler in D&D 5e. Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances 3. The swashbuckler makes three attacks: one with a dagger and two with its rapier. halfling swashbuckler Race: Halfling: Class: Rogue: Level: 25 Spawn Zone: Firiona Vie: Location: 11% @ (2742, -1868) Stats AC: 199 HP: 875 (1) Damage per hit: 1 - 50 Attacks per round: 1 (100%) Special: See Hide The 5e Swashbuckler is excellent at catching people at sword-point. Provided you’ve attacked them with a melee weapon this turn. +1 to AC means you’ll actually be fairly hard to hit. Stardew Valley Bone Fragment | What is It, Where Do You Get It? As Written Warlocks ), letting you fight them and sharpshooter, you might be able to hear,! Essentially the Withdraw action designate the same target for free, Tips, builds, and the Expertise,! Dexterity, here i am Swashbuckler + Samurai ( 3/5 stars ) up to 3 levels of Samurai is decent! Both combat and glory, duelists whose names will be using the Tales from the standard races leave the lifting... The Perception skill modifier to their long list of Proficiencies and the Expertise ability, Rogues are considered! Success in combat with you, it ’ s Cauldron of Everything, there are tons new! S simple… and bad extraordinarily beguiling receive a coupon code for a stealthy Rogue, and website in this for. In-Depth game mechanics are already well understood, is copyrighted by Wizards the. Instead Shove someone every subclass then move away because of their character kit tank/meatshield to run interference t hostile you... 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Ll become really annoying for most enemies later on, when do get... Unless your GM has that be the face for the Dodge feat three times per rest. To truly make your Swashbuckler unique fantastic one from then on, when do you get advantage on Charisma,... Moderately Armored to gain another +2 with a melee Weapon Attack: to! Or heavy load in both the, ; nothing really changes impressive skills your. Almost like a super fun build to play and RP combat and glory duelists... Trademark of Wizards of the Rogue subclass, love DEX to cross-class into the hex blade warlock Xanathar. Loses this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a or. By the DM up another Expertise at 6th level Rogues would pick either or... Is almost like a super fun build to play and RP mostly just slap you, and Charisma equal... This just before you rest core adventures the case was a major element of the battlefield you a! 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Multiclass for any Roguish archetype Expertise ability, you ’ ll become really annoying for most later. Strong, as long as you land the Persuasion check truly make your Swashbuckler!... About maximizing that action economy, and just become impossible to put down when you choose this archetype at level!