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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 365192" data-attributes="member: 3146">Spring Attack--utility for a duelist very high as long as you are not the party's meatshield fighter (who can't keep moving because he has to stay between the bad guys and the squishies). Why? Because, with precise strike, you can do consistent high damage without a full attack action. And by spring attacking, you deny your opponent full attack actions as well. Since your opponent probably doesn't have precise strike, you are denying your opponent the opportunity to make full attacks which are more advantageous to him than to you. In addition, if you do have a meat shield fighter in the party, the bad guy will need to incur an AoO from him in order to engage you.Combat Reflexes/Expert Tactician. Expert Tactician in several situations: 1. You can bluff as an MEA (in this case you can make two attacks at your full attack bonus instead of iterative attacks and one of them is a sneak attack. 2. You have access to the blink spell. 3. You have incredible initiative and rely upon that to always win initiative. 4. Your party wizard is very fond of effects like improved invisibility (on you), blindness/deafness, and glitterdust all of which usually deny your opponents their dex bonusses.However, for a duelist character who uses spring attack, combat reflexes/Hold the Line might be a more attractive option. If you consistently spring attack, your opponent will often need to charge in order to engage you (especially if you hit him with a tanglefoot bag). Congratulations, you just got an AoO. Spring attack, rinse and repeat.Expertise also has good synergy with spring attack. Your primary attack will usually hit--especially if you use spring attack to get a flanking attack and then move away--so you will probably be able to afford to pump a few points into AC. Even if this is not the case, Expertise can be a good way to outlast time limited effects or use time dependant effects (potions of shielding if the bad guys use them, barbarian rage, wounding weapons etc.) If already have a reasonable AC (let's assume 25 for a 7th-8th level character--that's a 20 dex, 16 int, +4 mage armor, +1 ring of protection, +1 buckler) you can pump it to a point that bad guys have trouble hitting you with expertise. Taking my previous example, you apply full expertise and fighting defensively for -9 to hit and +8 (+5 expertise, +3 fighting defensively with 5 ranks of tumble) to AC. This puts the character's AC at 33. A typical brute foe (8th level raging 18 str barbarian with weapon focus and a masterwork weapon) might have a +16/+11 attack bonus. Said character now needs to roll a 16 to hit you. However, the AC on said foe is most likely only 14 (+4 chain shirt, +2 dex, -2 rage). Consequently, even with -9, you will still hit on a roll of a 9 (+7 BAB, +5 weapon finesse, +1 masterwork weapon, +1 weapon focus -5 expertise, -4 fighting defensively=+6/+1). Using expertise, spring attack, and fighting defensivly, odds are that the barbarian will only hit you once or twice before his rage runs out. After that, he will need a natural 20 in order to hit you and you will still hit on a 9. It takes a while but you danced around his blade and gave him (precise) papercuts with your rapier until he died.Items--20k with a 4k max.+2 Buckler 4k--16k remaining+2 Bracers of Armor (unless there's a friendly wizard or sorc to give you mage armor--if so, sub this out for a ring of protection +1 and get a Hewards Handy Haversack and Tanglefoot bags with the change) 4k--12k remaining +1 rapier 2k--10k remaining+2 cloak of resistance--6k remaining+2 Gloves of dexterity--2k remainingMiscelaneous potions, daggers, mundane items, etc. All remaining gold.If you're short on gold, I'd probably sacrifice the magic rapier first. +1 isn't that much better than masterwork (especially if your DM lets you buy a silvered rapier). You'll need the party wizard or cleric to cast GMW on you if you want to actually hurt anything with DR (at your level, most DRs are x/+2) anyway.</blockquote>

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