D&D 5E Half (High) Elf Swashbuckler

[Big Bucky]

Swashbuckler is a ton of fun to play. I took the Lucky feat which was custom made for this class. “Oh I missed the chandelier? Let’s see about that.”

 

[Guest 6801328]

Swashbuckler is a ton of fun to play. I took the Lucky feat which was custom made for this class. “Oh I missed the chandelier? Let’s see about that.”

Yeah I definitely want to get Lucky. With my current build I'll have 18 Dex 18 Cha by level 8. I might go for feats after that, because I want Lucky, Dual Wielder, and Mage Slayer. That would be levels 10, 12, and 16. But I doubt the campaign will go that long. Sad.

(Although it occurs to me that with Elven Accuracy AND Lucky I probably wouldn't need the offhand attack. I'll hardly ever miss. Especially if the campaign does get to higher levels, since Master Duelist (17) and Stroke of Luck (20) are further protection from misses.)

P.S. "Elegant Maneuver" at level 13 can also help with the chandelier swinging, although it does consume bonus action.

 

[MikalC]

Hot take: Do not take fighter or hexblade levels. Stick with a true rogue swashbuckler. After all... if all that matters is just gathering a pile of game mechanics together to do the most damaging build, then the flavor of any subclass is unnecessary. You might as well forsake all class flavor altogether and just build yourself a frankenstein's monster of game mechanics and then call yourself whatever you want.

However, the fact you wished to play a high elf swashbuckler seems to me to indicate you wish to actually run with that specific characterization. So don't sully that flavorful identity by multiclassing just to get "better mechanics". The swashbuckler is powerful enough on its own mechanically, and is much stronger flavor-wise than any cobbled-together build just for bigger numbers.

This... has to be the most pretentious claptrap I’ve heard all week.

“After all... if all that matters is just gathering a pile of game mechanics together to do the most damaging build, then the flavor of any subclass is unnecessary”

Yeah because you know, if you want flavor you can’t have good mechanics or high numbers.

And there’s totally no flavor that could be done with a swashbuckler who also had more martial training, perhaps was a soldier, and thus knows how to use a shield and some combat tricks.

Or a suave debonair swashbuckling rogue with a dark secret wherein a dark bargain gave him power beyond those of a normal mortal, but potentially at a price.

Nope. Optimization is totally against flavor .

And then you fail to read the actual post where he’s playing a half elf variant with the high elf. I guess that means his “pure characterization” is now just a steaming pile of putrid power gaming for you.

Seriously, get your holier than thou stick out of your butt and realize you can - gasp- have a mechanically effective build with multiple classes and still have precious characterization! In fact... you actually open up MORE options than you do if you’re as limited in imagination that you can only
consider a multiclass to be a “Frankenstein’s monster”

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

This... has to be the most pretentious claptrap I’ve heard all week.

“After all... if all that matters is just gathering a pile of game mechanics together to do the most damaging build, then the flavor of any subclass is unnecessary”

Yeah because you know, if you want flavor you can’t have good mechanics or high numbers.

And there’s totally no flavor that could be done with a swashbuckler who also had more martial training, perhaps was a soldier, and thus knows how to use a shield and some combat tricks.

Or a suave debonair swashbuckling rogue with a dark secret wherein a dark bargain gave him power beyond those of a normal mortal, but potentially at a price.

Nope. Optimization is totally against flavor .

And then you fail to read the actual post where he’s playing a half elf variant with the high elf. I guess that means his “pure characterization” is now just a steaming pile of putrid power gaming for you.

Seriously, get your holier than thou stick out of your butt and realize you can - gasp- have a mechanically effective build with multiple classes and still have precious characterization! In fact... you actually open up MORE options than you do if you’re as limited in imagination that you can only
consider a multiclass to be a “Frankenstein’s monster”

Then please, give an example.

The example will be subject to potential criticism, however.

 

[rgoodbb]

The only multiclass I might just consider is 1 level of Sorcerer. Draconic. Just 1 level mind.
13 AC + Dex allows no armour and that flowing shirt
Extra HP on the front line - no brainer
Booming Blade and Green-Flame Blade
Prestidigitation for looking fantastic. Gust for that distraction? Friends pre 9th level?
Absorb Elements boosts your Evasion or saves your life when that breath weapon is Con/Cold
Disguise self with your charisma
Feather Fall for that chandelieeeeeeeer!

It adds great fluff and utility. if you are already going with a bit of magic.

 

[MikalC]

Then please, give an example.

The example will be subject to potential criticism, however.

I provided two basic examples in my original post of concepts that work better with multiclassing or only with multiclassing so... yeah

 

[DEFCON 1]

This... has to be the most pretentious claptrap I’ve heard all week.

“After all... if all that matters is just gathering a pile of game mechanics together to do the most damaging build, then the flavor of any subclass is unnecessary”

Yeah because you know, if you want flavor you can’t have good mechanics or high numbers.

And there’s totally no flavor that could be done with a swashbuckler who also had more martial training, perhaps was a soldier, and thus knows how to use a shield and some combat tricks.

Or a suave debonair swashbuckling rogue with a dark secret wherein a dark bargain gave him power beyond those of a normal mortal, but potentially at a price.

Nope. Optimization is totally against flavor .

And then you fail to read the actual post where he’s playing a half elf variant with the high elf. I guess that means his “pure characterization” is now just a steaming pile of putrid power gaming for you.

Seriously, get your holier than thou stick out of your butt and realize you can - gasp- have a mechanically effective build with multiple classes and still have precious characterization! In fact... you actually open up MORE options than you do if you’re as limited in imagination that you can only
consider a multiclass to be a “Frankenstein’s monster”

Well... I believe at the time I posted, @Elfcrusher had not yet decided to go half-elf, they were still on a high elf build.

And second... I happen to believe that optimization is unnecessary when you are building for flavor. Elfcrusher made the decision right at the top that they wanted to build a High Elf Rogue Swashbuckler. That was the specific flavor they were going for. So why in the world would they take the suggestion like some people said to add a few levels of Hexblade (for example)? The Hexblade Warlock class/subclass has very specific flavor as well, and if someone was to take levels in that without actually applying said flavor to the character they were making... then yes, I think they were just taking game mechanics for the sake for it.

Now if Elfcrusher had put forth the idea that they wanted to add additional backstory to their character, a little extra flavor... then sure, suggesting Hexblade would make sense. But they didn't. They said specifically "Here's my Rogue Swashbuckler build, I love the flavor and I know it isn't optimized, what do you think?" And a bunch of people posted ways that completely ignored the flavor and just went optimization. So I came back with a post that completely ignored optimization and was all about flavor. You don't like that? Well, too bad. No one NEEDS to optimize a character build... because the range of difference between most builds is small enough that it doesn't really matter unless you are sitting at certain precariously-balanced tables.

The fact that you seem to be so... I won't angry, but maybe "strident" is the right word... that I dared to suggest that the optimization suggestions for multiclassing did not seem to care a whit for the actual flavor of Elfcrusher's character and all that mattered in the suggestions was getting the right combo of mechanics together for a "Super Build"... is telling. It seemed very, very important to you to make the point that a person can optimize a character up the wazoo while also supposedly maintaining tons of flavor (despite the actual posts not caring about that at all.) Thus I can't help but take your... intense... response to my post where I questioned that assertion as a bit of "They doth protest too much"... almost as though a mirror was held up to nature and you didn't care for the reflection that came back. But hey... you do you!

 

[TwoSix]

And second... I happen to believe that optimization is unnecessary when you are building for flavor. Elfcrusher made the decision right at the top that they wanted to build a High Elf Rogue Swashbuckler. That was the specific flavor they were going for. So why in the world would they take the suggestion like some people said to add a few levels of Hexblade (for example)? The Hexblade Warlock class/subclass has very specific flavor as well, and if someone was to take levels in that without actually applying said flavor to the character they were making... then yes, I think they were just taking game mechanics for the sake for it.

I take a little bit of exception to that, since I'm the one that mentioned Hexblade. I did specifically call out that I thought the flavor of the build was great, that Hexblade was "only if you wanted to trick out the build" (i.e. optimize it), and that OP and their DM would have to be onboard with reskinning (since Hexblade's default flavor doesn't mesh well with the concept.)

The reason I suggest it is because I believe strongly that the flavor of a character isn't derived purely from the narration of the concept, it's also driven by what the character can actually do. Successful, strong characters have more flavor (and transmit that flavor to the table) better than a character that isn't as good at what they do.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Some people multiclass for mechanical advantage, and then come up with a concept to rationalize it.

Some people have a concept that is best expressed through multiclassing.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

P.S. I decided to go full High Elf again, because Fey Teleportation (probably at level 8) would just be so cool. Swing from the chandelier and then freakin' teleport? Heck yeah.

 

[Fenris-77]

Some people multiclass for mechanical advantage, and then come up with a concept to rationalize it.

Some people have a concept that is best expressed through multiclassing.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

I'll get a campfire going and we can all toast some S'Mores and sing Kumbaya. Later we'll slip a couple of multi-class builds into @DEFCON 1 's DM binder and titter about it in our tents while we tell ghost stories and light up the bottom of our faces with cheap dollar store flashlights.