Pathfinder 1E [Pathfinder] Class adaptation comments please.

[Guillaume]

It seems nice, but only playtesting would reveal whether it is balanced. I think PFRGP will not ultimately have a swashbuckler class, since I doubt it is open content, so you will probably have to stick with your own class indefinitely anyway.

Indeed, the swashbuckler class is IP of Wizards of the Coast. It cannot be directly transfered. However, it does not prevent Paizo of creating such class. In fact, there was a few swashbuckling classes created that are open content (see Swashbuckling Adventures, Skull & Bones, etc.). The fact that the Complete Warrior class is closed content does not preclude creating a new class as I did, AFAIK.

As to playtesting, you are quite right. I am hoping, that the community can look it over and point out to me the errors or potentially unbalanced options before they become a problem in my Savage Tide Campaign.

 

[Guillaume]

Well after some very constructive comments from people here, on Paizo.com and Le Scriptorium, I made some modificaitons to the class. The file is attached.

 

[FentonGib]

Am planning on converting my Ravenloft game to the Pathfinder system in the near future - unfortunately one of my players (and two NPCs that are related to him) are Swashbucklers (which imo are more common in the West Core than Fighters - since light weapons and armour are more in-vogue than heavy armours and shield). The Pathfinder system is great, but as has been said, the Swashbuckler isn't OGL and so there probably won't be an update to it, and it now feels a little weak compared to the power-upgrade that the clerics and wizards are getting.

So your conversion is a godsend. I'm pretty impressed with it. I'm not sure personally about so many choosable talents, and might actually hard-fix them similarly to the traditional progression rate. This is a personal preference though, but might do something akin to Monks and PRPG wizards and druids where at certain levels they can choose either/or - but even then I won't be changing the options you've done either, just how the players get them.

A thousand thanks Will try to post feedback when it eventually gets playtested and let you know how it goes.

 

[Kvantum]

They should have Sense Motive as a class skill, and Bluff is back to being called Bluff again, not Deception.

 

[Presto2112]

After seeing the work put into the Swashbuckler class by the OP, and comparing it to the lackadaisical work I did on other classes, I decidedto put a bit more work into the Hexblade. Lemme know what you think of it.

 

[Dimitri Mazieres]

Just one small suggestion: wouldn't it be better to give the class a good Reflex save, instead of a good Fortitude save?
It seems to me that it goes better with the overall "feel" of the class.

 

[FentonGib]

Guillaume my Ravenloft player has now updated his sheet to your Swashbuckler conversion and he's happy as bunnies with it. He feels it's on par with the official core classes and really liked the fact that he lost some features he wasn't keen on (like the dodge+1) but can pick feats and talents that focus on acrobatics (he loves the idea of the Errol Flyn type of prancing Swashbuckler). He (like me) thought it was perfect that you swapped the Fort save for Reflex.

He was always looking forward to level 7 to multiclass to Duelist, and for the first time he's now actually wanting to stick single-class because of the focus on concept. It's also making me seriously contemplate changing an NPC Duelist (his mentor) to just swashbuckler.

The ONLY personal conversion I did was remove Survival from the list of class skills, since to me Survival is the purview of wilderness experts and trackers, neither of which fits the Swashbuckler. Especially since Pathfinder (beta) allows you to buy cross-class skills at normal cost, meaning a player who wants a more survival-savvy character can just buy it. The Ravenloft feat "Dabbler" which allows them to get a cross-class skill and make it class-skill is a good accompanyment now to max out points.

Thanx for that. Will let you know how it plays out in game.

 

[Gailbraithe]

Just one small suggestion: wouldn't it be better to give the class a good Reflex save, instead of a good Fortitude save?
It seems to me that it goes better with the overall "feel" of the class.

The Grace ability is supposed to bring the Swashbuckler's Reflex save up to the level of a Good save, but only when the swashbuckler is in light or worse armor.

The armor resticted abilities prevents players from dipping into Fighter to get all armor, then switching to Swashbuckler and becoming nimble death machines in heavy plate.

 

[FentonGib]

I refined or added a few talents (based on the Duelist prestige class) to that Swashbuckler class for my game. I thought a couple of things (such as the Defensive Blades talent) were a bit wonky on balance for my liking (but that's just my opinion).

In case anyone's interested, here they are:

Talents:
Elaborate Parry (Ex): A swashbuckler gains two points of dodge bonus to AC for every point of attack sacrificed when using the combat expertise feat. Prerequisite: a swashbuckler must have the Combat Expertise feat before choosing elaborate parry.

Masterful Dodge (Ex): A swashbuckler is trained in Defence. The dodge bonus provided to her AC by the dodge feat rises by +1. Prerequisite: A swashbuckler must have the Dodge feat before choosing masterful dodge.

Precise Strike (Ex): A swashbuckler with this talent improves her ability to finely place her attacks to maximize damage. She adds +1d6 to her damage rolls with any light weapon or a weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse. A swashbuckler cannot use this ability when wearing medium or heavy armour or when encumbered with medium or heavy loads. Creatures that do not have a weak spot at all, due to their homogenous nature or near indestructible build are immune to this attack (ex. Elementals, oozes and some but not all undead).

Advanced Talents:

Defensive Blades (Ex): The shield bonus provided by the Two-Weapon Defence feat is doubled (including the bonus when fighting defensively or total defence). Prerequisite: a swashbuckler must have the Two Weapon Defence feat before choosing defensive blades.

Greater Masterful Dodge (Ex): The benefit of the Dodge feat rises a further +1 for a total bonus of +3 dodge bonus to AC. Prerequisite: a swashbuckler must have the masterful dodge talent before choosing greater masterful dodge.

Greater Precise Strike (Ex): The damage bonus from the precise strike talent rises to +2d6. Prerequisite: a swashbuckler must have the precise strike talent before choosing greater precise strike.

Note: the purpose for some of the refinements is to bring down some in power or add more compatibility/clarity the use with non-core feats, e.g. Improved and Greater Two-Weapon Defense.

 

[zerzix]

I really like the take on swashbuckler and curretly my pc died so I introduced a swash! I love him so far, but I had a question: On the talent Masterful Dodge...it doesn't say what type of action you take, it says "until next turn"...although one could extrapolate from the Dodge feat that it must be a swift action, since another way to get a Dodge bonus required a swift action, there isn't any proof for such a notion. I haven't actually proofread it, this kind of just jumped out at me.