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So I have a Dex Int based Inspired Blade Swashbuckler Rakshasa-blooded Tiefling in Society Play. Agile rapier covers dex to damage and most of the normal progression feats are going to tiefling racial feats. He went from 3rd to 5th level due to retraining a level of something else into swashbuckler and leveling up at the same time. So,
I need 2 things,
1. What should I use my bonus feats and feats after racial feats on? I honestly have no idea how I want him to battle besides attacking with big damage.
2. I am looking for a way to get
1) Power Attack without qualifying for it (7 strength...)
2) Trapfinding
3) A swim speed (so far, he's a pirate that can't swim well...)
Without advice, I am thinking of working toward the moonlight stalker feats, using mistmail armor. For the second part, 2 levels trapper ranger for trapfinding and power attack while pearls of sirines for the swim speed. Help?
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Don't drop your Str to 7?
Solves a lot of problems.
Easiest way to get Power Attack with such low strength is 2 levels of Ranger or Slayer, just take a Combat Style that includes it.
in all honesty Precise Strike removes the need for Power Attack IMO, unless you need it for prereqs.
Do you already have Weapon Specialization? What feats do you have? Weapon Versatility is another handy one.
Usually Steadfast Personality is a great swashbuckler feat, but if you're Int-based instead of Cha-based it might not be for you.
Piranha Strike.
Piranha Strike only applies to light weapons, it doesn't do anything for a rapier user.
...use a small sized Rapier?
Dangit.
...use a longsword instead and take Slashing Grace?
He's an Inspired Blade, so that's about as rapier-specialized as you can possibly get. Besides, he has an agile rapier so Slashing Grace is irrelevant.
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@Drogos
I like the pirate patch, though personally, I prefer things with much longer effects or many uses of. Also, favored enemy would probably be replaced by freebooter which is like studied target but the whole party gets it.
@Diminuendo
I also thought that precise strike covers the missing damage without power attack. Then I thought how awesome it would be to have both!!
@RumpinRufus
Feats: Expanded Fiendish Resistance, Weapon Focus, Fiend Sight (twice), and an unclaimed bonus feat. 7th level will be Armor of the Pit. 9th might be Grasping Tail or not.
@Lune
Most swashbuckler abilities only work with properly sized weapons I believe.
Thank you all. I should also mention that I don't mind going for the long dip, like for the 7th level Freebooter Ranger's swim ability
"Don't dump Str" is still the easiest solution to many of your problems.
Your Swim problem stems from low Str as well.
What's your point buy? You can make a Dex/Int character with 13 Str on most PBs.
PFS is 20PB. It's beyond time for him to change his stats though, unless it's all GM credit.
Ah, missed that it was PFS.
Yeah, nevermind then.
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Three levels of Infiltrator Ranger and Two-Handed combat style will net you a 15 ft swim speed 30 minutes per day and Power Attack. Plus you'll get a nice bump to your saves.
Thank you. I now know what I will be doing with my swashbuckler for at least 5 levels more.
6th Level: Trapper Freebooter Infiltrator Ranger
7th Level: Trapper Freebooter Infiltrator Ranger
8th Level: Corsair Fighter
9th Level: Corsair Fighter
10th Level: Trapper Freebooter Infiltrator Ranger
That should cover everything. Any additional advice though?
if you're using 5 levels of non-Swash then your Power Attack and Precice Strike will be doing the same damage as a pure Swash Precise Strike up to level 16 if you stay full BAB. At minus' to attack rolls too.
you're a Tiefling; take Variant Tiefling Ability No. 19 for a 30 footswim speed, or get a Ring of the Sea Strider
Take a level in sleuth alchemist.
Double up on your panache/luck get some inspiration for random combat stuff and then trapfinding.
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if you're using 5 levels of non-Swash then your Power Attack and Precice Strike will be doing the same damage as a pure Swash Precise Strike up to level 16 if you stay full BAB. At minus' to attack rolls too.
you're a Tiefling; take Variant Tiefling Ability No. 19 for a 30 footswim speed, or get a Ring of the Sea Strider
That... is a very good point... I counter with precision damage isn't multiplied by criticals and anything immune to crits is usually immune to precision damage anyway.
I don't believe you can take variant abilities in society. I like the ring though and I will knock off the 3rd Ranger level for it.
Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.
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Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.
Duelist isn't unacceptable. I just don't think its abilities and bonuses are worth it. Most of what it does is covered by swashbuckler already. The AC boosts are covered by an enchanted buckler (duelist doesn't work with a buckler), prerequisites needs 2 feats which could be spent instead to get a good handful of its abilities, and boosting reflex is redundant.
Sentinel looked like an interesting Prestige Class though. My only problem with that is that Besmara is excluded...
Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.
Duelist is basically redundant with Swashbuckler.
I might have been mentioned already, but ninja/rogue would also give access to Trap Spotter (you mean the one that allows automatic perception checks right?). It's probably not as useful as slayer, but it's an option. Ninja grants poison, Ki pool (based on CHA), and maybe vanishing trick (or something else neat).
You can reskin it if you don't like the ninja flavor, too.
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Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.Duelist is basically redundant with Swashbuckler.
Though I must admit that the last ability is great for swashbuckler.
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I might have been mentioned already, but ninja/rogue would also give access to Trap Spotter (you mean the one that allows automatic perception checks right?). It's probably not as useful as slayer, but it's an option. Ninja grants poison, Ki pool (based on CHA), and maybe vanishing trick (or something else neat).
You can reskin it if you don't like the ninja flavor, too.
I'm listening. Convince me of the ninja. Flavor isn't a problem but every time I've seen a ninja played, he was a trap spotter in the way a barbarian is a trap spotter.
1.) Grab 2 levels of Ninja.
2.) Take the Ninja Trick "Rogue Talent".
3.) Grab Trap Spotter.
4.) ???
5.) Profit.
Slayer's better if you don't want to drop your BaB though, especially since you're multiclassing way too much for such minor abilities in the first place.
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1.) Grab 2 levels of Ninja.
2.) Take the Ninja Trick "Rogue Talent".
3.) Grab Trap Spotter.
4.) ???
5.) Profit.
Slayer's better if you don't want to drop your BaB though, especially since you're multiclassing way too much for such minor abilities in the first place.
So far, it's just the 2 Slayer levels. I dropped Corsair.
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Though I must admit that the last ability is great for swashbuckler.Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.Duelist is basically redundant with Swashbuckler.
Isn't it only mostly redundant?
Swash's parry and reposte uses AOOs. Duelist uses reserved full attacks yeah?You could make one heck of a counter killer that way
Except when larger creatures are involved. Duelist takes a -4 penalty and Swashbuckler takes -2 for every size step larger the attacking creature is to you.
I'm listening. Convince me of the ninja. Flavor isn't a problem but every time I've seen a ninja played, he was a trap spotter in the way a barbarian is a trap spotter.I might have been mentioned already, but ninja/rogue would also give access to Trap Spotter (you mean the one that allows automatic perception checks right?). It's probably not as useful as slayer, but it's an option. Ninja grants poison, Ki pool (based on CHA), and maybe vanishing trick (or something else neat).
You can reskin it if you don't like the ninja flavor, too.
I don't know the Slayer too well to compare. I'm just mentioning it in case it fits what you want him to do. Here's quick highlight from 2 ninja levels though:
* 1d6 sneak attack
* Poison use
* 1+Cha Ki points (probably used for extra attack or movement speed)
* Trap Spotter + get extra ninja tricks/rogue talents via feats (Vanishing trick/shadow clone seems like the only standouts though, I didn't check the rogue list)
* Some exotic eastern weapons, if that's your thing
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I'm listening. Convince me of the ninja. Flavor isn't a problem but every time I've seen a ninja played, he was a trap spotter in the way a barbarian is a trap spotter.I might have been mentioned already, but ninja/rogue would also give access to Trap Spotter (you mean the one that allows automatic perception checks right?). It's probably not as useful as slayer, but it's an option. Ninja grants poison, Ki pool (based on CHA), and maybe vanishing trick (or something else neat).
You can reskin it if you don't like the ninja flavor, too.
I don't know the Slayer too well to compare. I'm just mentioning it in case it fits what you want him to do. Here's quick highlight from 2 ninja levels though:
* 1d6 sneak attack
* Poison use
* 1+Cha Ki points (probably used for extra attack or movement speed)
* Trap Spotter + get extra ninja tricks/rogue talents via feats (Vanishing trick/shadow clone seems like the only standouts though, I didn't check the rogue list)
* Some exotic eastern weapons, if that's your thing
That would be perfect if he was Charisma based and used Slashing Grace since the katana is the best weapon.
Ahh, I didn't realize he was only INT. Katana is only slightly better than the rapier though (average of 1 more damage)
Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.Duelist is basically redundant with Swashbuckler.
Perhaps I missed it. In what way are they redundant? Do some of their abilities overlap rather than stack?
I mean if you are using a buckler and set on doing so then I guess it isn't the PrC for you, but it does seem to both mechanically and thematically match otherwise.
Do you have this feat:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rcnr?All-Hail-Fencing-Grace
The Way it was posted its as good as official.
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Wait... so you are a Dex an Int based Swashbuckler using a rapier and you are NOT going with Duelist? I don't know what your other feats are but that seems like a natural progression to me.Duelist is basically redundant with Swashbuckler.
Perhaps I missed it. In what way are they redundant? Do some of their abilities overlap rather than stack?
I mean if you are using a buckler and set on doing so then I guess it isn't the PrC for you, but it does seem to both mechanically and thematically match otherwise.
All of the abilities stack. The problem is that you are adding to the same abilities instead of gaining new ones, for the most part, like getting another parry and riposte isn't needed since you already have one. Adding to reflex saves and initiative is nice but you already have those as high stats. Also, many of the abilities can be copied by feats and armor enchantments, and sometimes with better results, like Dragon Style or spending 1155 GP for a +1 Buckler (+2 AC).
Parry and riposte are some of the worst abilities of Duelist. I would not base a reason for taking Duelist on that ability for any build.
Getting more initiative is always good. Always.
And, like I said, without posting what your build is (like if it has Dragon Style and a Buckler that he uses frequently) it is impossible to predict what would be best for the character. Without that information I would say that Duelist is a good choice for a Swashbuckler.
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Honestly both of those are so expensive and the number of times I've run into water hazards in pfs can be counted on one hand, and Ives got a seeker, several characters in 7-11 and a smattering of lower level characters. It's just not that frequent a thing to spend 10k+ on. I would still stear you towards the eyepatch and a few potions of wb or something like an armor enchantment.Ring of the Sea Strider or Ring of Water Walking?
Unfortunately, the eye slot is used for other better items like arachnid goggles or eyes of the eagle. I'm going with the ring of water walking since it'll have many other uses. Also, I mostly use this character for sea/pirate adventures.
What enchantments are useful?
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Parry and riposte are some of the worst abilities of Duelist. I would not base a reason for taking Duelist on that ability for any build.
Getting more initiative is always good. Always.
And, like I said, without posting what your build is (like if it has Dragon Style and a Buckler that he uses frequently) it is impossible to predict what would be best for the character. Without that information I would say that Duelist is a good choice for a Swashbuckler.
That's fair. Duelist Swashbuckler is a viable build but I'm alright.