Advise for a Swashbuckler gestalt


Advice


I'm going to be playing in a gestalt game with 2 other players (3 total) in the giant slayer adventure path. We have all paizo books open, 25 point buy (lowest can be 10 PRE-RACIAL), races are somewhat open, and we take 2 traits as normal plus a campaign trait on top of it.

The build I'm going for will be able to 10 ft step, and have very high AC as he pokes things with his rapier. I'm thinking of being a tiefling (I'd choose a different heritage to maximize the stats, but unsure what to choose) in order to get darkvision, natural armor bonus, fire resistance, and my GM is going to let me roll a d100 for an alternative to the spell like ability when we do our first session. Also, tiefling allows you do be more human to qualify for things like the human favored class bonus. Besides tiefling I was considering human or aasimar.

Here is my build according to class/archetype and feats for a few levels.

Swashbuckler (inspired blade)/ Monk (master of many styles)

1. Weapon Focus (inspired blade), Outslung Style (monk bonus feat), Fencing Grace (level 1 feat), Improved Unarmed (monk)
2. Outslung Spring (monk)
Swashbuckler (inspired blade)/ Fighter (Armor Master)
3. Dodge (feat), Crane Style (fighter)
4. Combat Reflexes (swash), Weapon Specialization (fighter)
5. Crane Wing (feat)
6. One Handed Weapon Trick (fighter)
7. Lunge (feat)

From here I'm not too solid on what I want to take..
8. Crane Reposite (swash), Greater Weapon Focus (Fighter)
9. Critical focus

My favored class bonus would be going into the human one where you get 1/4th panache points. I want to aim to have high ac primarily, but obviously my character has a purpose of being the martial damage guy too. My GM ruled that I can use Piranha Strike with a finesse weapon, so that might be a thing, but I kinda feel it's not worth it.

My stats I so far have planned as follows (not considering racial modifiers.)

Str 10
Dex 18
Con 13
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 14

Int I would have considered to be 12, but it's minimal 1 panache for inspired blade, so the most I'd get would be a skill point. I was considering making INT the better score, and leave CHA at 10, but it is more beneficial to me with swashbuckler abilities than skills.

Suggestions on stacking more archetypes onto my Monk or Fighter, or suggestions of other classes, feats etc. to use to build my guy? Thanks


Qinggong Monk, for one.

Perhaps you'd like to consider Swordplay Style and the rest of the line.

Remember that Outslug Style doesn't work with rapiers- you need to use a weapon from the "close" fighter weapon group. You'll either need to drop Inspired Blade and use a fist or dagger, (or dagger variant), or drop Outslug Style.

As a standard tiefling, you should probably dump CHA to 10 and pump INT to 14. After racials, it'll be CHA 8 and INT 16. You'll lose a little ability to dodge and an occasional +1 to saves or AC, in exchange for an extra panache point and skill ranks. CHA 8 through 12 all give you the same number of panache points, same with INT. So CHA 12 / INT 12 (After racials) gives you 2 panache, CHA 8 / INT 16 gives you 4 panache (minimum 1 panache from CHA).

If you do/can pump CHA, consider the Osyluth Guile feat. It adds your CHA to AC against a single opponent while fighting defensively, which is something you will be doing a lot with Crane Style.

If you can, be a small Tiefling instead of a medium Tiefling. Also consider a Rakshasa-spawn or Div-spawn Tiefling, as they have better modifiers for you.


I don't see how Qinggong Monk could be useful when I'm only taking two levels of monk.

Swordplay style looks pretty terrible in my opinion. I play to use a buckler, so a shield bonus won't do anything for me.

Outslug style I plan to use for making movement and getting that AC bonus. I don't have an interest in the close weapon group bonus it gives. A 10 ft step is pretty cool in my opinion.

I don't plan on being a standard tiefling. I have access to all the different heritages, but I'm not decided which one to take. Cha seems like a better stat than int for this build though.

Thanks for the Osyluth Guile feat suggestion. I definitely need to figure out where to put this feat into the build!

I have a chance with a d100 roll to become small, but for flavor I'd prefer to be medium.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I think you are under utilizing the Gestalt here. Adding Fighter to a Swashbuckler doesn't actually accomplish much. You already have full BAB and qualify as a Fighter for feats. You'll get marginally better where you already excel, and that's it.

Consider instead a Bard, Investigator, or Paladin. All 3 add whole new dimensions to your character, and probably provide equal or better combat bonuses. They synergies with your stats, though for Investigator you'll want to swap INT and CHA.

The Bard and Inquisitor both will turn you into a monster of a skill monkey. Studied Combat and Inspire Courage actually provide better bonuses than Weapon Training, and you can use their magic to push that edge further. You'll also get a better will save. Only real cost is feats and a little bit of action economy, which will be offset as you level up. The Archeologist Bard can be used if the party doesn't need a Bardic Performance. A Mutagen can add +4 to your dex and +4 potential AC.

The Paladin doesn't offer skills, but you get freaking Smite Evil, amazing saves across the board, lay on hands, and a little casting. You can also use archetypes like Enlightened to add CHA to AC.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / Advise for a Swashbuckler gestalt All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Advice