D&D 3E/3.5 Help with my Drow Swashbuckler (3.5)

[StreamOfTheSky]

The Dervish is a decent class, probably stronger overall than Duelist. Still, front-like combatant is not how I would describe it. Also, to synergize Swashbuckler with Dervish, you have to take Weapon Focus (scimitar), which grants you no immediate benefit. Also, Dervish requires Combat Expertise, but their elaborate parry ability does not kick in when they use that feat.

Those are good points, though I still think Dervish is the better choice. You are kind of wasting a feat on weapon focus (scimitar) until you enter Dervish, which is why you should take that as late as possible. Alternatively, if your DM allows retraining, retrain it from whatever weapon you use pre-Dervish. The Elaborate Parry not explicitly working with Combat Expertise, even though that feat's required to enter the class to begin with, is absolutely annoying. Enough to make me want to scream at whoever wrote up the class for sheer idiocy. My group noticed a lot of cases where abilities only triggered off of "fighting defensively" and houseruled that you could use them with Expertise as long as you took a -4 or greater (the penalty from fighting defensively) penalty with Expertise. If your group hasn't made any such houserules, you can still always fight defensive AND use expertise. Granted, -2 TWF, -4 defensive fighting, and -1 to -5 for Expertise is a lot of penalties, but between full BAB and the Dervish Dance attack bonuses, you can still generally hit with most attacks. In any case, Elaborate Parry is a small benefit of the class, not even gained until late into it, so it's not a major loss if you never use it.

 

[Dandu]

Since a Duelist can't use armor or shields, you lose out on a lot of enhancements which could be quite useful. What the Duelist grants you in +Int or whatever to AC doesn't make up for what it takes away. That is why it sucks.

Think about it: Duelist has, over, say, a Swashbuckler/Dervish, Int to AC and +10 to AC when fighting Defensively. This isn't likely to be higher than +15 to AC.

+5 Breast plate alone gives +10 AC. It can be Mithral, which makes it light armor and allows for +5 max dex bonus, and Ghost Touch (+3 enhancement). Leaves room for the ever-useful Light Fortification (+1)
and another +1 enchantment.

A +5 Heavy Shield gives +7 to AC (Ghost Touch, Animated)

The +15 you get doesn't match the +17 someone using armor and shields can get. Admittedly, you have no restriction on your Dex bonus to AC, and will probably have a Dex to AC of at least 10 if you pump it, but there are ways to increase the Dex cap of armor too...

Though through the magic of TWF, the Dervish has an extra weapon... and if both are defending (and you have one) he gets +5 dodge AC over you.

These are rough off the cuff calculations. I might be wrong, but I hope you'll think over my point.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Dandu, you can add special properties to bracers of armor. Granted, that detracts from the +8 AC they can give, but you could always get +1 bracers with +7 in special properties (and then take a hit of Greater Mage Armor spell for a +6 AC).

I think Duelist may possibly give slightly better AC, but has worse standard offense, and the Dervish's "spike damage" completely blows Duelist out of the water.

 

[Dandu]

With regard to enchanting the Bracers of Armor... really? I've heard the idea proposed before, but I'm not quite sure what the RAW is on that since Bracers are magic items, not armor.

 

[pawsplay]

There is a reason why "you don't need X" abilities are rare. They can have drastic effects on how much gp you spend on your special toys. As weak as the Duelist and Soulknife are, they are often underestimated. The money a duelist does not spend on a shield, partially compensated for by Int to AC, can be spent on... anything else. Like a weapon, or an ioun stone, or a multi-ability score item. I often see people talk about how much the duelist loses for not having a shield, but I rarely see people talking about what they gain for anywhere from 2000 to 40,000 gp to spend on other toys.

 

[Dandu]

From the looks of things, you'll probably spend it on money to make your damage output relevant, and boosting at least three stats (Dex, Con, and Int) as opposed to two for the more traditional fighter (Str and Con). Ability enhancers get expensive, especially when you bring tomes into the equation.

That extra 40,000 gp you get? Goes to the +4 Circlet of Intellect you need to get the AC you're so proud of and a small 4,000 gp item.

 

[Dragonnety]

Skip the rapier. Go with an Elven thinblade (1d8, 18-20/X2). A drow is considered an elf, so the weapon prof is racial. You will find it in Races of the Wild.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Skip the rapier. Go with an Elven thinblade (1d8, 18-20/X2). A drow is considered an elf, so the weapon prof is racial. You will find it in Races of the Wild.

No, you don't automatically get proficiency with any racial weapons, only the ones your race describes. Races of the Wild has the Improved Weapon Familiarity feat, to gain proficiency with all racial weapons. It costs a feat, a resource the OP is starved for. It is not a free benefit.

Speaking of the OP, how did things work out for you?

 

[pawsplay]

From the looks of things, you'll probably spend it on money to make your damage output relevant, and boosting at least three stats (Dex, Con, and Int) as opposed to two for the more traditional fighter (Str and Con). Ability enhancers get expensive, especially when you bring tomes into the equation.

That extra 40,000 gp you get? Goes to the +4 Circlet of Intellect you need to get the AC you're so proud of and a small 4,000 gp item.

I only budged 4000 gp for a +2 circlet, above.

 

[Dandu]

I only budged 4000 gp for a +2 circlet, above.

You also don't save 40,000 gp by not needing armor at that level.



You had AC 26. You used the following:

• bracers of armor +4 (16000)
• amulet of natural armor +1 (2000)
• gloves of dexterity +4 (16000)
• headband of intellect +2 (4000)
• ring of protection +2 (8000)

Total spent to get AC 26 is 46,000 gp

A Swashbuckler who starts off with, let's say, Dex 16 (increased to 18 by leveling) and mithral Breastplate which gives +5 AC, and a shield which gives +2 AC has an AC of 21 already, before anything magical get added on to it.

+1 Mithral Breast Plate (5350 gp) and +1 heavy steel shield (1170 gp) gives AC 23. That's 6520 gp so far

A Ring of Protection +2 (8,000) gives AC 25. 14520 gp so far.

Gloves of Dexterity +2 (4,000) now give AC 26. 18520 gp so far.

I believe 18,520 is less than 46,000 by 27,480 gp if we have faith in the transitive property of mathematics. This leaves room for some rather nice equipment.

Note: After spending on AC, you had the following:

• +4 rapier (32320)
• cloak of resistance +1 (1000)
• expendables around 9000k

That's 42320 gp left after boosting AC. Someone who is not a duelist matches your AC and has 69,800 gp in his bank account afterwards.

So... what's this about you saving money again?