I am making a character and could not decide between the two, so I decided to try make a multi-class Swashbuckler /Inquisitor. But how many levels should I take in Swashbuckler to make it an effective fighting style?
I guess you only really need 1 level of Swashbuckler to get the panache pool and finesse ability. It kind of sucks because you need Charisma, but Inquisitors tend to sub in Wis for Cha skills.
Still, Dex->Wis->Con->Cha isn't bad. Depends how much you wanna cast and how much you wanna fight. You could be a sneaky skill monkey too, depending on what archetypes you go for.
Wow, I didn't even think about Inspired Blade. 1 Inspired Blade and then full Inquisitor, yeah.
Pre-Racial
Str: 10
Dex: 16
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 14
Cha: 8
Could go Human for a floating +2 or Tiefling for Dex and Int. Seems solid.
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Wow, I didn't even think about Inspired Blade. 1 Inspired Blade and then full Inquisitor, yeah.
Pre-Racial
Str: 10
Dex: 16
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 14
Cha: 8Could go Human for a floating +2 or Tiefling for Dex and Int. Seems solid.
Yep, that definitely works.
If you really want to do the whole 'charming Swashbuckler' thing, you can go Conversion Inquisition pretty easily as well.
Wow, I didn't even think about Inspired Blade. 1 Inspired Blade and then full Inquisitor, yeah.
Pre-Racial
Str: 10
Dex: 16
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 14
Cha: 8Could go Human for a floating +2 or Tiefling for Dex and Int. Seems solid.
Yep, that definitely works.
If you really want to do the whole 'charming Swashbuckler' thing, you can go Conversion Inquisition pretty easily as well.
I suppose that an inspired blade/inquisitor wouldn't need much CHA. You get panche from INT (and you always have a minimum of 1 from the CHA side), and inquisitor raises your fort and will saves (even gives you something like evasion for them) and you get a nice bump to reflex from swashbuckler dip+dex focus, so charmed life is not that important.
Anyway, I would at least take 3 swashbuckler levels to grab precise strike (+3 damage). Going 4 levels qualifies you for weapon specialization (and you get a bonus feat that level too), and if you are an inspired blade, it is not hard to pick up. 5 levels gives you whatever weapon training type thing you get (which means another +2 damage for inspired blade and free improved critical). So 5 levels gives you an extra +7 damage on each hit, and saves you from getting keen.
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Yeah, instead of that few points of damage bonus, you could be bane-ing. Although, as said, 3 levels does get you menacing swordplay, if you want to build for that. Swift action demoralize isn't that bad with the right build.
Eh. Merciful weapons and Enforcer is a better bet and doesn't require being two more levels behind on Inquisitor stuff.
I am gonna echo the "Bane is better." +5 damage vs +2d6+2(4-14) is an easy contest in my mind.
Actually... I forgot 2 points for the higher levels. So a level 5 inspired blade (that used its bonus feat to grab weapon expertise) does +9 damage, which is actually the same as the average added by bane (2d6~7 +2= 9).
There are advantages and disadvantages to either option though.
The inspired blade option is constant- as long as you have 1 panche, you get all +9 (+4 if you use up your panche...for reasons?). Bane from the inquisitor ability is for rounds/level.
Of course, bane has the advantage of raising your enhancement bonus. While the damage itself has been accounted for, we can't deny that it allows you to punch through DR far, far more easily. If you get a +3 weapon, most DR is ignored.
Of course, I suppose you are still 1-2 points behind on damage with the swashbuckler levels due to the fact that you are delaying the destruction judgment. So it comes down to whether that is worth the free improved critical. Still, you are not hemorrhaging damage potential here.