Prestige Class for a swashbuckler?


Advice


I'm looking for a good PrC for my swashbuckler? Should I even bother or stay full swashbuckler?


most prestige classes suck and unless your going for one particular trick that a prestige class and only that prestige class can offer i would recommend against taking levels in one


Devoted Muse is easy and advances your deeds, if you have someone else in your party that will benefit from you feinting for debuffs it's not a bad choice.

If your weapon of choice is the sacred weapon of a deity who has the deific obediences specified, and you worship that deity, the Sentinel PRC isn't the worst thing in the world.

But you're probably better off just sticking with swashbuckler. Prestige Classes are generally for "I have a specific thing in mind" and aren't usually great for martials.


Swashbucklers gets most of their good stuff by level 5, so after that it might be worth branching out. But there aren't many good prestige classes and aside from the already mentioned Devoted Muse I don't know of any that works well with high-Cha Dex-based melee types. So I'd suggest a standard multiclass, perhaps into Urban Barbarian or Urban Bloodrager.


Rose Warden is essentially rogue as a prestige class, albeit with some deity-specific (Milani) flavour. If you're bored with swashbuckler it's not a terrible choice.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

My PFS swashbuckler is a halfling, so I'm considering a few levels of halfling opportunist after 5th level.

Scarab Sages

Stalwart Defender is a good uncommon choice for a swashbuckler.


Evangelist is pretty sweet. :-)


Blymurkla wrote:
Swashbucklers gets most of their good stuff by level 5

This is more true of the gunslinger than the Swashbuckler, as the Swashbuckler's deeds scale a lot better than the Gunslinger's.

Taking a Swashbuckler from 5 to 12 instead of a PrC gets you an extra 7 damage from precise strike, if nothing else.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
PossibleCabbage wrote:
Blymurkla wrote:
Swashbucklers gets most of their good stuff by level 5

This is more true of the gunslinger than the Swashbuckler, as the Swashbuckler's deeds scale a lot better than the Gunslinger's.

Taking a Swashbuckler from 5 to 12 instead of a PrC gets you an extra 7 damage from precise strike, if nothing else.

That's a fair point. Halfling opportunists get sneak attack starting at 2nd level which can make up for the precision damage, but most PrCs don't.


Why do you need a prestige class? As Lady-J says most of them are not worth taking. If you are bored with swashbuckler or have everything you want from it and really want to change simply multiclass into a normal class. Most of them are a lot better than the prestige classes.

If you are looking to improve your combat ability and want more feats fighter could be worthwhile. Armor training and the ability to use heavier armor would increase your AC without sacrificing mobility. Since it is Mithral it would still be considered light armor so you still get the swashbucklers dodge bonus.

Slayer would give studied target and sneak attack for combat. It would also give you access to some slayer talents including ranger combat style for more feats. Taking archery as your combat style and acting as a switch hitter would give you a second combat style. It would also give you more skill and perception and stealth would become class skills.

If your alignment is lawful good you could go for a paladin. Your saves would increase significantly not only because of divine grace, but also because paladins get good fortitude and will saves. Smite evil will give you CHA to both to hit and to AC as well as your paladin’s level to damage. You also gain swift action healing for yourself.

Staying swashbuckler is also a valid option. Swashbucklers get access to fighter only feats for their bonus feats. This opens up things like greater weapon focus, and greater weapon specialization. While the swashbuckler does not get a lot of new exiting abilities beyond 5th level he does have abilities that improve as he levels up. Getting an extra +1 AC, or +1 to hit and damage or an extra feat may be boring but it adds up. Don’t forget that Precise Strike adds your swashbuckler level to damage as long as you have one point of Panache left. While this does not multiply on a critical at higher level it does make a difference.

Silver Crusade

For Swashbucklers is the Aldori Swordlord great for at least for 2 Levels.
I have an Ifrit Swashbuckler5/unch Rogue(Rake)5/Aldori SwordLord 2 that has around +25 on an Dazzling Diplay/intimidate Check which will make them Panicked if I beat the DC by 10....and I can take 10 on it.

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