Class Review: Swashbuckler

[Dragor]

Class Review: Swashbuckler

NWN Definition: "The swashbuckler embodies the concepts of daring and panache. Favoring agility and wit over brute force, the swashbuckler excels both in combat situations and social interactions, making her a versatile character indeed."

(No FRwiki Definition available)

http://www.sundren.org/wiki/index.ph...e=Swashbuckler

MY VIEW

Swashbucklers are extremely flexible RP wise since they get alot of skill points and many of the same options as a rogue. Mechanically this is my favorite class.

Weather a pirate or an adventurer or simply someone who shuns the archaic fighting styles of fighters, swashbucklers use their brains as much as their fighting skill to get into and out of situations.

I really cannot find anything to gripe about as taking any amount of Swashy levels simply adds a great flavor to almost any charachter.

Keep it clean. Thanks (one more base class to go)

[Root]

Not my thing, RP or mechanics-wise, but I have no problems with them. They seem a little mechanically weak considering that in PnP they're essentially a combination of the rogues skillmonkeying and the fighters ability in a duel, with the slight problem that skillmonkeying isn't nearly as useful in NWN, so they end up as pretty much a weaker fighter.

[Standur]

Not my thing, RP or mechanics-wise, but I have no problems with them. They seem a little mechanically weak considering that in PnP they're essentially a combination of the rogues skillmonkeying and the fighters ability in a duel, with the slight problem that skillmonkeying isn't nearly as useful in NWN, so they end up as pretty much a weaker fighter.

They end up being an extremely weak fighter in Sundren unless you can party and get some buffs. I've been Jonesing to play Ashard but I have trouble finding anyone to run him with.

[roguethree]

I've been wanting to play a Swash to 20 just to see how effective the two critical hit abilities are. The problem is playing a Swash to 20.

They could have called this class "Generic Adventurer." That's not to say I don't love it, and I'm searching for the strong build that Swashbuckler is a part of. As is, it combos very well with Duelist, but then you're a Duelist. Yuck.

[Thief Of Navarre]

They are quite good at low levels. as a Sun elf with 14 strength and 16 int you'll be hitting for 1D6+5 from the get go and with improved parry and some investment there is little that can touch you up to about lvl11. Then when things start getting multiple attacks and high damage AoE spells your pretty much screwed lacking the life saving Evasion or any viable method of increasing your damage output. Duelist seems one of the best options for them to increase damage output ~ Or rogue to take advantage of your increased flanking attack bonus; and with opportunist this gets even better when you catch people moving through combat (as the dumb AI invariably tries to go for lower HD targets casting spells).

Just my two cents.

[Torgar]

Alright, that settles it. After I get another character's RP and leveling all done with (who shall remain nameless until such time as he is ready to be unveiled), I will next play a pure Swashbuckler. I did it with Barbarian, at level 18 so far, and I have to say, pure barbarian is by no means a weak class at all. So, I will once more into the breach with swashbuckler, but it'll take a while before that happens, my next guy coming up is really getting me excited....and I just realized how that sounded, wow.

As for mechanically, the class is a fantastic class, but only in two instances.

1. One on One PvP: A duel wielding swash will destroy almost anyone one on one, with his (if you aren't using weapons with high critical ranges, you are playing the class wrong IMO) 15-20 critical range, with each critical doing 2 STR and 2 CON every hit, So that by the end of your first flurry of attacks, the opponent is likely at the point of being unable to hit you, and has lost 1/3 of their HP from damage and con loss.

2. PvE mobs I.E. the servers monster population: Of the fightable mobs on the server that give Exp, only the undead at the necropolis, Argyle, and the archers in Mossdale (undead ones) are really immune to the swashbuckler. Everything else from early levels just gets harshly destroyed, because of the ability to add your STR bonus with your INT bonus to your damage, and it's all multiplied on crits. So, as a duel wielder or even just a single weapon wielder, your damage is typically much better then your fellow fighter at similar levels, at the early to mid levels. Mid to end cap levels, fighter does more damage each hit, but now you've got STR and, later, CON damage crits, which more then makes up the difference. You're critical attacks do less damage numerically, but are more effective over all.

[Kaizen]

The elven dual wielding swashbuckler with starting 20 dex is always fun. 19swash/2duelist, with 25 dex. Hit 21, pick up perfect two weapon fighting, go to town with 11 attacks a round (level 2 duelist gets you a single use of haste), 15-20 resulting in a -2 CON, -2 STR.

The other route is to combine it with swash/rogue/invisible blade for a straight up blade fighter, go super super super bluff route (as in, grab all the feats - silver palm, negotiator, SF:Bluff) and sneak + bleed people out. Forget strength, make sure you cap out at 20 intelligence to make full use of the 5 IB levels.

If you want to be like, twins in the second Matrix kind of blade fighting, might I suggest swashbuckler/rogue/invisible blade/shadow thief of amn. The feats are a bit restricting. You have to plan out your levels, but 3 levels of SToA grants you another +4 to your bluff. Mmmm.

If you are evil, swash/rogue/IB/assassin. Intelligence again, as it helps your AC, damage, and death attack DC.

There's also the Swashbuckler/Wizard/EK. I don't know if it's possible on this server with the silly restrictions, but with a rapier it's pretty decent. Especially if you ever manage to pick up the epic feat combat insight.

There's another super awkward and complicated build, but it's just so ree-dic-you-lous I'd only embarass myself for posting it.

[Cornuto]

1. One on One PvP: A duel wielding swash will destroy almost anyone one on one, with his (if you aren't using weapons with high critical ranges, you are playing the class wrong IMO) 15-20 critical range, with each critical doing 2 STR and 2 CON every hit, So that by the end of your first flurry of attacks, the opponent is likely at the point of being unable to hit you, and has lost 1/3 of their HP from damage and con loss.

Unless they're crit immune.

[roguethree]

pure barbarian is by no means a weak class at all.

On Sundren, if you're a dwarf with the DR feats. All other races need not apply.

Unless they're crit immune.

BECAUSE STONEBODY.

The elven dual wielding swashbuckler with starting 20 dex is always fun. 19swash/2duelist, with 25 dex. Hit 21, pick up perfect two weapon fighting, go to town with 11 attacks a round (level 2 duelist gets you a single use of haste), 15-20 resulting in a -2 CON, -2 STR.

If you did this with a weapon master, instead of disabled, the opponent would be dead.

[Kaizen]

It's impossible to get the feat Perfect Two Weapon Fighting and the class Weapon Master on this server.

blurry89 - 1
roguezero - 0

And that's the only issue I'm going to pull from your post. All other queries and/or respectable and legitimate arguements are hereby preemptively invalidated.

On a more serious note, yes, you're right. But seeing that this is about Swashbucklers and what to do with them, I thought I'd offer some insight other than lolpureswash. I'm saving those remarks for the Heartwarder/Master of Many Forms/Triadic Knight/Shadowbane Stalker threads.

[Thief Of Navarre]

The elven dual wielding swashbuckler with starting 20 dex is always fun. 19swash/2duelist, with 25 dex. Hit 21, pick up perfect two weapon fighting, go to town with 11 attacks a round (level 2 duelist gets you a single use of haste), 15-20 resulting in a -2 CON, -2 STR.

The other route is to combine it with swash/rogue/invisible blade for a straight up blade fighter, go super super super bluff route (as in, grab all the feats - silver palm, negotiator, SF:Bluff) and sneak + bleed people out. Forget strength, make sure you cap out at 20 intelligence to make full use of the 5 IB levels.

If you want to be like, twins in the second Matrix kind of blade fighting, might I suggest swashbuckler/rogue/invisible blade/shadow thief of amn. The feats are a bit restricting. You have to plan out your levels, but 3 levels of SToA grants you another +4 to your bluff. Mmmm.

If you are evil, swash/rogue/IB/assassin. Intelligence again, as it helps your AC, damage, and death attack DC.

There's also the Swashbuckler/Wizard/EK. I don't know if it's possible on this server with the silly restrictions, but with a rapier it's pretty decent. Especially if you ever manage to pick up the epic feat combat insight.

There's another super awkward and complicated build, but it's just so ree-dic-you-lous I'd only embarass myself for posting it.

Lester is a StoA and invisible blade and that extra +4 bluff makes feint (without being a bard with competence) viable untill mossdale where practically everything has a spot skill and 100% bab.

qq; Does the strength and con damage stack like the rogue's crippling strike? *edit* Meaning you could effectively kill them with the con damage in a single round if all attacks hit?

[Kaizen]

It sure does, and you sure can. You'll drop any melee fighter that isn't immune to crits fast. In fact, a level 20 swashbuckler is by no means a joke, at all. The class gets +5 dodge AC on top of all other AC when fighting one vs one, or one vs two, due to one of his/her feats. I forget what it's called, presently. That's a heavy shield +3. On other servers, you also get the +1 ac from Luck of Heroes for free, too.

It's getting there that is a pain in the rear.

If you go the dual wield route, your damage output is going to look something like

1-4+3 15-20/x2
1-4+3 15-20/x2

But I'm sure it will be worth it if you ever hit 19. And as far as my experience with the server goes, the DMs and staff tend to reward pure base classes that make it that far.

[roguethree]

It's impossible to get the Perfect Two Weapon Fighting and the class Weapon Master on this server.

I could do it.

qq; Does the strength and con damage stack like the rogue's crippling strike? *edit* Meaning you could effectively kill them with the con damage in a single round if all attacks hit?

Yes, it stacks, and sometimes 0 CON will kill the target. However, if their average base HD is d6 or higher, they're left with 1+ hp/level, plus temp HP. In theory, the damage you do in addition to the stat damage should be sufficient to kill them, but stranger things have happened.

[Cornuto]

I could do it.


Yes, it stacks, and sometimes 0 CON will kill the target. However, if their average base HD is d6 or higher, they're left with 1+ hp/level, plus temp HP. In theory, the damage you do in addition to the stat damage should be sufficient to kill them, but stranger things have happened.

0 Con is a -4 modifier. So you get your class HD per level -4 as your max HP.

So wizards (4hp/level) can die from pure con loss (unless they've got toughness or something), but rogues (6 hp/level) can't. A level 20 rogue with 0 con would have 40 HP... so if your attacks did more than 40 damage on top of the con loss he'd die.

[Thief Of Navarre]

0 Con is a -4 modifier. So you get your class HD per level -4 as your max HP.

So wizards (4hp/level) can die from pure con loss (unless they've got toughness or something), but rogues (6 hp/level) can't. A level 20 rogue with 0 con would have 40 HP... so if your attacks did more than 40 damage on top of the con loss he'd die.

Correct me if im wrong but even player characters die when thier constitution reaches 0. In the dungeon masters guide it states when a creatures constitution reaches 0 the creature is dead. Is NWN2 different?

*edit* Nevermind found something on it. http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ability_Score_Loss