Inspired Blade / MoMS / Duelist Build Help

[Sacob]

So I have been doing a lot of research into this class combo. I was looking for a Dex based fighter with lots of armor, but still could be a relatively good Diplomancer. After perusing boards and reading lots and lots of these threads, this is what I have put together. It is based on the build found here: http://knowdirectionpodcast.com/2014/10/fighting-smart/

Traits:
Dangerously Curious (UMD)
Trap Finder (Disable Device)

Race: Kitsune (-2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Cha)
Stats:
Str 10
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 13
Cha 16

1-4: Inspired Blade
5-6: Master of Many Styles
7-13: Inspired Blade
14-20: Duelist

4 stat bonuses to Dex, 1 to Int

Feats:
1. (Bonus) Weapon Finesse: Rapier, Weapon Focus: Rapier
1. Fencing Grace
3. Dodge
4. Mobility
5. (Bonus) Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist
5. Crane Style, Crane Wing
6. Crane Riposte
7. (Bonus) Improved Critical: Rapier
7. Combat Reflexes (House rules let me change this when I level up, when I achieve the feat through Duelist)
9. Step Up
10. Following Step
11. Step Up and Strike
13. Signature Deed: Parry and Riposte
15. Greater Weapon Focus: Rapier
17. ?
19. ?

If my math is correct, at level 20 this will net me (while naked):
Fort: 8
Reflex: 24
Will: 8

AC 29
Fighting Defensive AC 35 (-1 atk)
+10 to hit
+27 dmg (+6 Dex, +11 IB (Precise Strike deed), +7 Duelist (Precise Strike), then the IB rapier talents)

In addition it has +8 to AOO from movement.

I built it like this to get the Signature Deed feat for Parry and Riposte, as well as the Duelist Parry/Riposte. Every round I can forego one attack to parry and get AOO, and I can parry/riposte when I choose WITHOUT needing to spend the panache point. Couple that with the step up line and I can stick on things while still getting AOO on them.

I have no idea what kind of gear to get, or in what ways I can improve the build. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Eigengrau]

The Lunge feat would be great, also maybe another style feat to stack with crane style.

A Fortuitous weapon is a must have.

Decoy Ring in case you bite off more than you can chew.

[Sacob]

Fortuitous weapon, how did I not know about this!?

I had a few builds set up to make use of Panther Style, Snapping Turtle Style, and Wolf Style. Panther I would take Panther Style and Panther Claw to make the AOO a free action. I'm not sure I am allowed to do this with Panther, since it is Unarmed attacks.

With Turtle I am unsure as to whether I would want just the first (+1 shield bonus to AC) or take all three (+2, applies to touch AC, -4 crit confirms). And with Wolf, I would only take the first. With fortuitous and my multiple AOO per turn with 2 parries, people would be constantly tripping. Provoking more AOO when they get up!

Would it be worth going down these lines and possibly giving up the Step Up chain?

[Eigengrau]

Other than Crane Style I'm not entirely familiar with the other Style feats honestly. I thought there were a couple that IIRC that worked well with Crane.

Wouldn't Snake Style work for you along with Crane? Look at Monastic Legacy feat, at your current set up you could increase your unarmed attacks to 1d10 by level 20. With Snake Style those would be considered piercing damage as well.

One level of Cleric could let you take Crusaders Flurry and you'd be able to Flurry of Blows with your Rapier. So you'd be doing +17/+17/+12/+7/+2

The whole Step Up chain just sounds really cool to have with a Duelist/Swashbuckler character though.

There's a pair of Sandals that allow you to make use of the Deflect Arrows feat more than once/round. These would be cool to have once you get Deflect Arrows.

[Sacob]

Snake Style (and Panther Style) feats all work off of unarmed attacks. If the extra hits applied to Rapier, that would be fantastic, but I'm pretty sure the literal reading is Unarmed Strike only. While I'm not opposed to it, I'm unsure of the rules. Since my offhand is unarmed, would I be taking TWF penalties to attack if I use my Unarmed Strike? And if so, do I lose a lot of the Swashbuckler stuff that says I can ONLY have one weapon equipped, and an empty offhand? Or should I take TWF feats and be stabbing and punching all over the place? I want all the feats!

Deflect Arrows is something that I had to sacrifice for the two levels of MoMS :(. It is level 9 (I believe), but I can only get to 7 of Duelist with the 11 in Swash (for Signature Deed, and the deed that grants Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, and Improved Uncanny Dodge). The level 7 still gets me Elaborate Defense for when I'm fighting defensively though, though for Flurry I might need to rethink how far down duelist I go. I might have a spare feat lying around, so getting Deflect Arrows and those sandals would be great to make me even more tanky!

[Kifaru]

If you pair the MOM archetype with Kata Master, you can use your fists for all the Swashbuckler stuff.

[Eigengrau]

With unarmed strike as a monk you don't have to use hands to make attacks. Feet, knees, elbows, and head can all be used. All can be piercing with those attacks with Snake style or Kata Master. Using it this way there's no reason you can't two-weapon fight or flurry.

[Imbicatus]

Kifaru wrote:

If you pair the MOM archetype with Kata Master, you can use your fists for all the Swashbuckler stuff.

Not quite. You can use your unarmed strikes for all deeds granted by Kata Master, but not for deeds that are from the swashbuckler class.

The only way to use unarmed strike on deeds from the swashbuckler class is for your unarmed strikes do piercing damage.

[Sacob]

Unarmed Swashbuckler, that would be another interesting build I would like to try. Take two levels of MoMS to get full Snake Style, and then the rest into Swash (or an archetype that fits) would be kinda awesome. In fact, possibly back to another drawing board :P