D&D 5E Half (High) Elf Swashbuckler

[Guest 6801328]

All you optimizers probably already either played, or dismissed as unplayable, this combo a while ago, but I'm a bit slow in that department.

Anyway, I'm excited to play a High Elf Rogue(Swashbuckler) next. Some details:
background: courtier
cantrip: booming blade
4th level ASI: elven accuracy
expertise: acrobatics and stealth, then persuasion at 6th level (used for the Swashbuckler's Panache ability at 9th). Haven't decided 4th expertise.

I'll go with shortsword/dagger. I want to be able to make an offhand attack when necessary, so rapier is out. Aesthetically rapier is perfect for this concept, but I hate rapiers so I'm kind of glad rapier/dagger is off the table. Offhand dagger, though, instead of dual shortswords, just for style, as I'll only be making offhand attacks in limited circumstances.

At 5th level with Sneak Attack and booming blade it will be 4d6 + 1d8 + 4 damage, with nearly a 15% chance to crit when striking with advantage. At 11th level it will be 7d6 + 2d8 + 5 (or +4 if I go with more Feats. Lucky seems appropriate. Defensive Duelist fits, too, although I'll already have a defensive reaction.)

My group tends to use the optional flanking rule in the DMG, which means that the build's ability to move around behind an enemy to get advantage, strike, then move away without provoking opportunity attacks will rock. Since the Swashbucker doesn't have to spend Cunning Action to disengage, I can use it to either Dash (if deep behind enemy lines) or Hide if there's a handy pillar (to allow Sneak Attack next round without even needing to flank.).

If there are two enemies threatening opportunity attacks I can use offhand attack to negate the 2nd one, and if it's 3+ enemies then I will have to Cunning Action disengage.

Whaddyathink?

Now, to find the perfect avatar and roll20 token....

 

[Guest 6801328]

Whoops...I might have to go rapier after all. And switch to female. Check out this avatar:

(Source: Adele by Isriana on DeviantArt)

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Conceptually: I'm trying to picture the cliff duel from Princess Bride, but every time Dread Pirate Roberts attacks a sonic boom sound effect is laid in. That's gonna summon a lot of guards.

Optimizationally: No opinion. Seems fine.

 

[Mistwell]

All you optimizers probably already either played, or dismissed as unplayable, this combo a while ago, but I'm a bit slow in that department.

Oh hell no, I think it's an awesome combo that should be a blast to play. Your build looks plenty solid to me!

 

[Horwath]

If you have advantage on flanking, I would suggest 3 levels of Fighter(champion) for expanded crit range.

With elven accuracy you would have 27% crit chance.
You could even have a shield if you do not want to dual wield.

 

[Zardnaar]

Looks fine.

 

[Helldritch]

No complaint.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

You could always fluff your shortsword to be a smallsword or similar.

 

[Coroc]

All you optimizers probably already either played, or dismissed as unplayable, this combo a while ago, but I'm a bit slow in that department.

Anyway, I'm excited to play a High Elf Rogue(Swashbuckler) next. Some details:
background: courtier
cantrip: booming blade
4th level ASI: elven accuracy
expertise: acrobatics and stealth, then persuasion at 6th level (used for the Swashbuckler's Panache ability at 9th). Haven't decided 4th expertise.

I'll go with shortsword/dagger. I want to be able to make an offhand attack when necessary, so rapier is out. Aesthetically rapier is perfect for this concept, but I hate rapiers so I'm kind of glad rapier/dagger is off the table. Offhand dagger, though, instead of dual shortswords, just for style, as I'll only be making offhand attacks in limited circumstances.

At 5th level with Sneak Attack and booming blade it will be 4d6 + 1d8 + 4 damage, with nearly a 15% chance to crit when striking with advantage. At 11th level it will be 7d6 + 2d8 + 5 (or +4 if I go with more Feats. Lucky seems appropriate. Defensive Duelist fits, too, although I'll already have a defensive reaction.)

My group tends to use the optional flanking rule in the DMG, which means that the build's ability to move around behind an enemy to get advantage, strike, then move away without provoking opportunity attacks will rock. Since the Swashbucker doesn't have to spend Cunning Action to disengage, I can use it to either Dash (if deep behind enemy lines) or Hide if there's a handy pillar (to allow Sneak Attack next round without even needing to flank.).

If there are two enemies threatening opportunity attacks I can use offhand attack to negate the 2nd one, and if it's 3+ enemies then I will have to Cunning Action disengage.

Whaddyathink?

Now, to find the perfect avatar and roll20 token....

Keep in mind the biggest thing for the swashbuckler : he gets advantage and sneak attack when he is "alone" with his target in opposition to regular rogues who need someone "flanking".
That means he is able to do sneak attacks almost every round, so defensive duelist is a great feat. I recommend you also own a buckler if you do only rarely intend to offhand attack, this +2 extra combined with high DEX gives astounding AC, which is good when you "tank" an opponent alone

The swashbuckler player in my campaign has a mithril chain +1 a DEX of 20 and uses a parrying dagger (house rule +1 to AC) so he got an AC of 23 right now, but could have 24 also with a shield

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Rogues with Booming Blade are a very strong option, with Swashbuckler or the mobility feat it (circumstantially) becomes borderline broken. Suck it Paladin. The cantrip also goes up with character level if you ever want to multiclass (booming blade is basically my go to basis for low level multiclass builds as it means they get a big power boost at level 5 when all the non-multiclassers get their extra attacks or 3rd level magic and so you don't have to spend a level or two feeling underpowered).

I almost always go offhand dagger myself when two-weaponing it, because you never know when you might need to do something with a little more range and if your table remotely enforces the official one free object interaction rule switching between two melee weapons and a ranged weapon is cumbersome. Also if you need to drop a weapon to do something with a free hand simple daggers are generally cheap and plentiful should you not recover it. Most my characters end up with 2-6 daggers because literally every class can use them and you will always eventually find the occasion.

I've never played this particular build, but I have played an Arcane Trickster/Bladesinger Wizard with Mobility that heavily relied on your tactics and it was a very effective character. Now he brought a familiar, shadowblade, shield, absorb elements, bladesong, and misty stepping to the combat table, so there were definitely other things going on. But booming blade was the bread and butter and it was some tasty bread and butter. And that was with him having crap stats. A full on swashbuckler truly committed into making their blade boom with the best of them and being able to bring the accuracy of elves into the mix would be a sight to behold. And if you ever find yourself getting bored with the character mechanics just dip into Battlemaster Fighter or Sword Bard to spice things up.

Several major Booming Blade caveats:
1. I think you probably know this, but to be clear, you can't Booming Blade and make a bonus action offhand attack that turn, because you are not taking the attack action but the cast a spell action. This means you are committing to just one bite at the sneak attack apple. The value of offhand attacks for a Rogue is not in the single extra d4 or d6 of damage, but in doubling the chance of successfully laying down the Xd6 sneak attack damage. Now when your main attack is double advantage you probably want to go booming blade, but when you don't have advantage consider carefully, especially if there is reason to believe they aren't likely to move on the next turn and trigger that second set of thunder damage dice.

2. The Booming Blade probably booms. Strict RAW doesn't say the spell makes noise per se but what makes noise in 5e is mostly a DM decision and the spell description talks about both "thunder damage" and "booming energy" both of which scream for a ruling of "this thing is loud". Rogue sneaky time and blade boomy time may not always play well together. In fact many DMs would make the cantrip a particularly good way to wake up every monster in next few rooms and bring down the hurt.

3. Booming Blade's additional damage when they move only works if the DM moves them. Make sure you are on the same page as your DM about whether this is a world where everybody just knows "I've been booming bladed, better stand still", one where even animals sense "this movement is about to trigger thunder damage", one where people don't recognize it but learn from what you just did to their buddy, or one where enemies just blunder through everything. There's no right answer. If the DM is going to not move them then you've just gotten an awesome battlefield control ability, if they are then you are laying down extra damage. But if it is going to be your go to move then you want to make sure what your expectations should be.

My only caveat about Swashbuckler is that getting sneak attack becomes so easy that when I played one I started getting sloppy about planning how to get it.