| Colin Bryan |
I read this thread, considering I have a swashbuckler character based off of Slashing Grace and the Canny Tumble and Confounding Tumble Deed feats. Yeah, massive feat expenditure. But you all are approaching it from single-character POVs, rather than teamwork.
Confounding Tumble Deed on a swashbuckler not only denies Dex bonus to the target for an entire round, but with a level 7 swashbuckler (Mine is a level 9), it also gets them into a perfect position for flanking and opens them up for sneak attacks from Rogues and Slayers, and making them more susceptible to ranged touch attacks. When a swashbuckler with these feats (or a rogue that has at least Canny Tumble) is working as a part of a team, that team's melee capabilities go up to a whole new level of slaughter. The ACG has it summed up perfectly on the swashbuckler page: "Their deft parries and fatal ripostes are carnage elevated to an art form." Except, in the case of a swashbuckler with the Confounding Tumble Deed and Slashing Grace, it's their dancing feet, swaying wastes, and flashing blades that are carnage elevated to an art form.
You have a rogue in your party and you want to play a swashbuckler, Confounding Tumble is great to go for. This build makes spellcasters weep and fighters put their backs to a wall. You have a tank fighter in your party and you want to go as a swashbuckler? This build allows you to dance around the battlefield and make his life easier.
That said, back to the OP... despite my love of this build, I have to agree with what seems to be the general consensus. Canny and Confoundiing Tumble and Spring Attack rely on two different, mutually exclusive triggers. The former pair requires an AoO to be threatened in the first place. The latter prevents the AoO from being threatened at all. It would be a great idea, but unfortunately it won't work without GM house rules.