Bard with Panache?

[JonGarrett]

My wife wishes to make a Catfolk Bard who uses two Rapiers (thanks Effortless Grace). She'd like to gain access to Panache and some of the other useful Swashbuckler abilities, but is going Bard for the back-up healing.

The obvious answers are obvious Amateur Swashbuckler or a dip into Swashbuckler, but I was hoping for something closer to an archetype that added panache and such. Since that doesn't seem to be possible, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for something close? Third party and 3.5 allowed by the GM. Who is me.

[Kalindlara]

I'd recommend homebrewing an archetype... I've been playing since before 3.0, and I can't recall anything better than Amateur Swashbuckler.

Of course, perhaps the forum's wisdom will surprise me. :)

[Aincrad Survivor]

Everyman Gaming has a book for Swashbuckler Archetypes one of which allows Two-Weapon fighting while still using Precise Strike. Also Two-Weapon Panache and Improved Two-Weapon Panache which allows you to apply precise strike to both weapons attacks.
But Precise Strike is based off your Swashbuckler level which she will will have virtually none.

Ever thought of Gestalt? Swashbuckler//Bard is pretty nice, but Daring Champion//Bard is solid and can use the two feats to tag her precise strike to all her rapier attacks.

[Cuup]

A Plume of Panache may be what you're looking for.

[Kalindlara]

I have a question:

Plume of Panache wrote:

This plume is over-sized, chic, and extravagant. To gain its effects, the user must affix it to a non-magical hat worth at least 10 gp. Once per day, the wearer can activate it; when she does, the plume provides her with 1 panache point that can be used for that deed. Once used, the plume appears wilted and bedraggled until its magic is replenished.

Am I the only one who's a little confused by the bolded portion?

[Arachnofiend]

First off... Your wife wouldn't happen to be a fan of the show Log Horizon, would she?

As for the question at hand, I too would recommend putting together some homebrew. I'd recommend against allowing Precise Strike to work with TWF (Precise Strike with one weapon is equitable to classic THF with Power Attack, if you then double that... well, you've got how hard my Daring Champion hits a Challenged foe except it works on everyone) and just giving her a panache pool for use with deeds like Opportune Parry/Riposte.

[JonGarrett]

Arachnofiend wrote:

First off... Your wife wouldn't happen to be a fan of the show Log Horizon, would she?

Noooo, we definitely didn't finish season 2 yesterday after mainlining the entire series in a few days. Meow.

I think we'll cobble together an archetype for her to use. Mostly just giving access to additional Panache and Deeds.

[Aincrad Survivor]

Arachnofiend wrote:

First off... Your wife wouldn't happen to be a fan of the show Log Horizon, would she?

As for the question at hand, I too would recommend putting together some homebrew. I'd recommend against allowing Precise Strike to work with TWF (Precise Strike with one weapon is equitable to classic THF with Power Attack, if you then double that... well, you've got how hard my Daring Champion hits a Challenged foe except it works on everyone) and just giving her a panache pool for use with deeds like Opportune Parry/Riposte.

Yes I agree its really powerful just by reading it, but they said they where using 2 rapiers so I figured it might be nice.

But only if you take the Greater variant do you get precise strike with both, the first one allows Precise Strike on your primary hand and normal off hand damage for your offhand.

[Tormad]

Maybe I'm missing something, but since rapiers are 1 handed weapons isn't dual wielding them not such a great idea?

A -4/-4 on a medium bab class isn't going to be doing anything great.

[Arachnofiend]

That's what Effortless Lace is for, it allows you to treat the weapon it's tied to as a light weapon.

[Aincrad Survivor]

Indeed Effortless Lace allows you to make it a -2/-2 but yeah Swashbuckler is a Full BAB class, which is why I think this is not a great idea.

[Cuup]

Kalindlara wrote:

I have a question:

Plume of Panache wrote:

This plume is over-sized, chic, and extravagant. To gain its effects, the user must affix it to a non-magical hat worth at least 10 gp. Once per day, the wearer can activate it; when she does, the plume provides her with 1 panache point that can be used for that deed. Once used, the plume appears wilted and bedraggled until its magic is replenished.

Am I the only one who's a little confused by the bolded portion?

Hmm I didn't even notice that before. Definitely makes no sense.

[DeathlessOne]

I'm playing a Bard (Archaeologist) 4 / Investigator (Sleuth) 3, with the Amateur Swashbuckler feat. Since Luck and Panache go into the same pool, and can be used interchangeably, it it a good middle ground if you don't want to dip swashbuckler.

Planning on 16 levels of Bard and 4 Investigator.

[TGMaxMaxer]

Originally it was likely that the Plume of Panache was tied to a specific deed, but they wanted to make it more like a Pearl of Power for Panache users and removed that without closely re-reading the left over text.

That is my opinion at least, but with some of the other last minute changes and poor editing it is very likely.

[Bandw2]

instead make it a swashbuckler archetype and give the class 1/2 casting starting at fourth level and replaces charmed life and all bonus feats. choose spells from the bards list and use charisma for all stats and what not. it will work out much better. Same spells known and spells per level as a paladin.

[cavernshark]

JonGarrett wrote:

My wife wishes to make a Catfolk Bard who uses two Rapiers (thanks Effortless Grace). She'd like to gain access to Panache and some of the other useful Swashbuckler abilities, but is going Bard for the back-up healing.

The obvious answers are obvious Amateur Swashbuckler or a dip into Swashbuckler, but I was hoping for something closer to an archetype that added panache and such. Since that doesn't seem to be possible, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for something close? Third party and 3.5 allowed by the GM. Who is me.

You might be able to take the Arcane Duelist archtype and modify the bonus feats granted to be ones like Amateur Swashbuckler instead of Arcane Strike, and then several of the Panache feats instead of the Disruptive line. The Arcane Duelist already has some of the swashbuckler flavor and trades away a decent amount of the iconic bard abilities for a more combat focus. Keep the arcane bonded weapon for a good blend of casting while armed.