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How to make a Duelist/Fencer Class?
- Thread starter Miziziziz
- Start date
Quickleaf
Legend
Speaking of new/homebrew classes, I think an essentials style sub-class of rogue would make a great fit for a swashbuckler. I could see designing such a class with a copy of Capoferro's Italian rapier dueling manuscripts at your side while watching Princess Bride or the Musketeers.
For example, the class might gain combat advantage by declaring "hot squares" which, once the swashbuckler moves to, cause adjacent enemies to grant CA. Various tricks could cause different things to happen during or after the movement to a "hot square."
For example, the class might gain combat advantage by declaring "hot squares" which, once the swashbuckler moves to, cause adjacent enemies to grant CA. Various tricks could cause different things to happen during or after the movement to a "hot square."
On Puget Sound
First Post
My version is a hybrid ranger-rogue. Click on Chizz in my signature.
Nemesis Destiny
Adventurer
The key to Rogue or Thief as a swashbuckler is in feat and background selection.
The Noble Bred For War background gets you +1 initiative and training in any martial weapon (choose Rapier, obviously).
The feat Flash of the Blade says that while you wield a rapier, you can still deal sneak attack damage to your target even without CA, as long as you are the only one adjacent to it. Presto! 1v1 dueling with buckets of damage. Bonus points for using either Sly Flourish or Feinting Trick (it does have a use and this is it). Sadly, those two powers are not stackable.
If you have half decent strength, you could use Riposte Strike.
From there, you either go the Two-weapon Fighting and Two-weapon Defence route for slightly more damage, or you go Light Shield proficiency with Blade & Buckler Duelist for better defences. If you can grab a Rhythm Blade, you can have the best of both with the TWF build. Using a Parrying Dagger can further help your AC, and though you need to spend a feat on it, a Rhythm Parrying Dagger nets you +3AC/+2Ref with all those feats.
I think an Ironsoul Monk would be a close runner-up to this if you reflavoured it. Flurry of Blows gives you some multitargeting ability and minion control that the Thief lacks. Careful power selection makes it less an ssue for Rogues.
The Noble Bred For War background gets you +1 initiative and training in any martial weapon (choose Rapier, obviously).
The feat Flash of the Blade says that while you wield a rapier, you can still deal sneak attack damage to your target even without CA, as long as you are the only one adjacent to it. Presto! 1v1 dueling with buckets of damage. Bonus points for using either Sly Flourish or Feinting Trick (it does have a use and this is it). Sadly, those two powers are not stackable.
If you have half decent strength, you could use Riposte Strike.
From there, you either go the Two-weapon Fighting and Two-weapon Defence route for slightly more damage, or you go Light Shield proficiency with Blade & Buckler Duelist for better defences. If you can grab a Rhythm Blade, you can have the best of both with the TWF build. Using a Parrying Dagger can further help your AC, and though you need to spend a feat on it, a Rhythm Parrying Dagger nets you +3AC/+2Ref with all those feats.
I think an Ironsoul Monk would be a close runner-up to this if you reflavoured it. Flurry of Blows gives you some multitargeting ability and minion control that the Thief lacks. Careful power selection makes it less an ssue for Rogues.
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SensoryThought
First Post
I agree the artful dodger rogue can do the job, with sly flourish, opening move, acrobatic strike, and handspring attack good lvl 1 powers. With high Dex/Cha I also think it feels the most swashbuckling. And get the 'flash of the blade' feat as mentioned.
Err... get Cunning Stalker instead, which effectively does the same thing, except better. Flash of the Blade lets you do sneak attack damage with a rapier when you're adjacent to an enemey and no one else is. Cunning Stalker gives you comat advantage in that same situation, which means you can sneak attack, get a +2 to hit, and don't have to use a rapier (though you'll use one anyway, because rapiers are cool).
Nemesis Destiny
Adventurer
Actually, I just realized something - for a Thief, that feat won't work with Feinting Trick, because Feinting Trick is only good if you *don't* have CA. In that one instance, Flash of the Blade works better because it allows Sneak Attack +Cha mod damage. Is the loss of +2 to hit worth the +Cha mod damage? Probably not at level 1, but the thief is very accurate, and with high enough Cha, it could eventually be a worthwhile tradeoff.
Cunning Stalker is still strictly better for the original Rogue using Sly Flourish.
Cunning Stalker is still strictly better for the original Rogue using Sly Flourish.
