D&D 5E Thoughts on Draconic Bloodline Swashbuckler multiclass?

Note this is based off the information of the UA not the SCAG since i dont own the SCAG book.

This popped into my head because with draconic bloodline you get the increased AC. And Dex is 2nd or 3rd main stat for a sorcerer. Swashbucklers on the other hand can add CHA to initiative. So if you have say 16 for each stat you would have a +6 to initiative. With Swashbuckler, if you have someone in melee you would no longer need Shocking grasp since all you would need to do is attempt to hit with a quarterstaff and use Bonus Action Dash then Quicken Spell for damage.

Don't these two classes synergize really well?

Sorcerer Main stats - CHA, CON, DEX
Swashbuckler Main stats - DEX, CON, CHA

The main problem is delaying your spell progression. And you need TWF or a good chunk of SA damage is gone. And you need a high Con to keep that twinned blur up.

But you can twin BB and dance away. It's a cool concept.

First off, kudos for coming up with a way to land a sneak attack, get away, and make a spell attack in the same turn using Fancy Footwork/Quicken. This is just the sort of ability "engineering" that keeps me up all night thinking about multiclass combos. It's a cool idea but I don't know if it's cool enough to give up 3 levels in either class to pull off. There is some synergy with the ability stats, but that is true for bard, warlock and paladin as well. You didn't elaborate on your character concept, so I don't know whether you envision a sorcerer who takes levels of Swashbuckler for Fancy Footwork and Rakish Audacity or a Swashbuckler who dips a few levels of sorcerer for the occasional SA - Quickened Firebolt combo. Either way you are delaying some fairly strong power upgrades in either class.

In terms of pure damage output, a 6th level sorcerer will completely outclass a sorcerer 3/swashbuckler 3. Having said that, I think there are some cool things you could do as a Swashbuckler with just your three levels of Sorcerer. Since your bonus action can happen before or after your action, you can work all sorts of shenanigans with 2nd level spells. After your SA, cast Spider Climb and run up a wall and out of reach. Cast Invisibility to give yourself advantage on your SA. Or make your SA and then turn Invisible. Before or after your SA, cast Misty Step or Mirror Image. And best of all, cast Hold Person and if it sticks you can SA with advantage and auto-crit. (I think I've found a new NPC villain to give players a headache!)

Which class would you pick to start? If you start rogue you lose the sorcerer's Con save proficiency, which you might not care about if you're only dipping sorcerer. If you start sorcerer, multi-class into rogue doesn't give you any weapon proficiencies, so the only sorcerer weapon you could use for a melee SA is a dagger. SA requires a melee weapon with the Finesse property; a quarterstaff is Versatile, not Finesse. You could still SA at range with a crossbow.

Also, Cunning Action competes with both sorcery point/spell slot conversion and Quickened Spell for your bonus action. You only get one bonus action per turn, so you won't be able to Bonus Action Dash, for example, and then Quicken a spell.

If you like the idea of slipping away after an attack to cast a spell, the sorcerer can already do this on their own without needing 3 levels of rogue. A 3rd level sorcerer who has an enemy next to them can Quicken a Shocking Grasp, and if it hits make a Booming Blade attack and then move away without triggering an AoO, or move away and cast another cantrip, or just use Disengage if Shocking Grasp doesn't hit. If you like the bonus to initiative that you get from Swashbuckler's Fancy Footwork, two levels of bard will get you Jack of All Trades which adds half your proficiency bonus to initiative. The initiative bonus is less than Fancy Footwork, but so is the multiclass cost and with bard you keep up with your spell slot progression just the same as if you advanced in sorcerer.

Playing a Dragonborn stone sorcerer (reflavored, to me this is what a Draconic bloodline should have been) lvl1 and Lore Bard rest of way. Very fun, CON to AC and you get to spam booming blade and Green flame blade and Thunderous smites, wrathful smites, dissonant whispers, etc. Lets me also play around with the Feats for Races article in UA.

AC is lowish (15 to start) but you can choose a shield if you want. I didn't, using a great axe to use the d12 and PC flavor but nothing prevents you from switching as appropriate.


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Well i was thinking about starting Sorcerer for the CON save proficiency. And by thinking about I mean i am since this is about thoughts for a character in a game im playing. The DM is starting my party off at level 3 so i was going to do 3 levels of sorcerer, get to level 5 to access 3rd level spells and then alternate between Rogue and sorcerer until i get the rogue level to 3 to become a Swashbuckler. And only dipping into rogue 3 levels. I still want my Wish spell.

The reason i plan for this is because my party is a Party of 3. We have a Cleric, Ranger, and me a Sorcerer. So I'm planning to be slightly utility since I'm also the face of the group. We also have another person joining later but I've no clue what hes going to be.

So by level 6 i would be a Sorcerer5/Rogue1. I have 3rd level spells. 5 Sorc points.
13 base AC. Metamagic. Proficient is Thieves Tools for thieving things. 5 Proficiency skills. Expertise in 2 skills. Sneak Attack with my 2 dagger or Crossbow.

By level 11 I will be Sorcerer8/Rogue3. Become a Swashbuckler. Have Elemental Ability for my Fire element spells. Take Elemental Adept to go against the resistances. 4th level spells. Cunning action to dash as a bonus action. Fancy Footwork since its, in my opinion that is, better than shocking grasp. Toujours l’Audace for going first since adding CHA to initiative. Which also synergies with Fancy Footwork now that i think about it.

1. The plan for battle is, Starting first. Shoot crossbow, move to the side, Quick cast a spell.
2. Take out dagger in the main hand (Holding Arcane Focus in off-hand), attempt to hide as bonus action
3. Cast a spell.
4. If someone get close you swipe with the dagger. Hit you get sneak attack damage, miss he still cant get opportunity attack. Either dash as bonus action or cast a spell.
5~. Alternate between 3 and 4 if needed

Starting as a Rogue you'll have better weapon proficiencies and 2 extra skills, multiclassing in to Rogue doesn't get you any weapon profs and you only gain 1 new skill. Spending a feat on Resilience Constitution isn't terrible if you have an odd constitution score anyway.

Then you don't have to stick to daggers, since there are a great number of magic weapons in the DMG that say "any sword."


My personal opinion is that Lore Bard lines up with Sorcerer better. The Sorcerer greatly appreciates the expanded list of prepared utility spells and cantrips from Bard. Being able to twin cast Healing Word or Cure Wounds is pretty crazy too. Jack of All Trades also boosts your initiative, and Cutting Words tanks the bad guy's roll. Helping your entire group.

6 levels in to Bard is 11 prepared spells and 3 Bard cantrips. You can even use Magical Secrets to learn Find Familiar!

The main benefit of taking Sorcerer levels is to break action economy in half with Quickened and/or Twinned. As a Rogue, you will want to maximise Sneak Attack, which only works once per turn. I can see a Swashbuckler taking one level of Draconic Sorcerer for the unarmoured AC and Booming Blade or any Sorcerer taking two levels of Rogue for Cunning Action. Beyond that though, I think Bard synergies better with Sorcerer. Bard 6/Sorcerer 14 gives 3 Metamagics options, 3rd level Bard spells including two Magical Secrets options if you went Lore, 7th level Sorcerer spells and full slot progression. You get skills similar to Rogue but instead of Sneak Attack you get Spellcasting. That synergises better with what Sorcerer tries to accomplish.