Targeted Strike and Menacing Swordplay and such seem like a lot of fun mid-levels. What I don't get is how people can do that when they need to save the actions for Charmed Life or the panache+actions for Parry + Riposte (or they need wait until 11th when you can take Signature Deed as a feat to reduce the Targeted Strike cost).
Honestly the fortuitous enchantment should be the second only to keen.
Fortuitous is probably #1 honestly, since you get improved critical for free at level 5, which doesn't stack with Keen.
I'd probably keep free or early access "improved critical" honestly. It seems like the fantasy of the swashbuckler requires you to be able to make very precise attacks to vital areas.
Fix #1
1. Ban all DEX-to-damage options.
2. Remove Precise Strike from existence.
3. Remove a Swashbuckler's Weapon Training.
4. Remove Targeted Strike.
5. Rewrite Swashbuckler's Finesse to allow use of any light or one-handed weapon, as long as it is wielded in one hand.
6. Give Swash good Will saves. They have irrepressible personalities.
7. Charmed Life is rewritten: "Whenever a Swashbuckler would fail a saving throw, she may immediately reroll that saving throw, adding her Charisma bonus to the result." This has the same amount of daily uses as Charmed Life usually does, costs no action, and is less important overall because Will is a good save anyway.
8. New feature: "Graceful Stroke (Ex) – At 1st level, a swashbuckler who uses a light or one-handed weapon wielded in one hand gains a +1 bonus to damage if she adds her Strength modifier to the weapon damage roll. At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1 (to a maximum of +10)."
9. New deed at 3rd level: "Confident Strike (Ex) – At 3rd level, whenever the swashbuckler fails an attack roll with a light or one-handed weapon wielded in one hand, she may spend 1 panache point to immediately reroll that attack roll adding her Charisma bonus to the result. This ability may be used once per round."
10. New feature: "Masterful Thrust (Ex) – At 5th level, the swashbuckler gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with light or one-handed weapons she wields with one hand. Additionally, once per round when she strikes an enemy with a light or one-handed weapon wielded in one hand, she may designate that attack as a masterful thrust.
In addition, you learn one of the following poises. At 8th level and every three levels thereafter, you may choose another poise to learn.
Whenever you make a masterful thrust, you may apply the effects of any one poise you know."Poises could be like:
Defending – The target of your attack takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls against your allies for 1 round.
Entangling...
I took some of your ideas and made this google doc Unchained Swashbuckler.
I changed out Targeted Strike for Confident (as 3rd was too full).Opportune Parry and Riposte no longer requires an immediate action, but uses up an AoO.
Greater graceful stroke is now precision damage, but graceful stroke isn't.
Masterful Thrust is +1 hit/5 levels.
Instead of bonus feats I grant at 4th Martial Versatility.
Charmed Life is no longer X/day, but 1/rd. However, I limited it to Cha mod and level limit.
Nimble now increases total AoO by Nimble amount.
Swashbuckler's finesse now add Dex to damage (but not as a replacement so low strength will penalize. Only works on melee attacks that qualify for weapon finesse.
While mostly I removed limitation of light/one handed weapons, I maintain it must be wielded in one hand. Except Masterstroke thrust which is still a light or one-handed weapon.
Greater Graceful Strike is gained at 6th (5th already have 2 abilities) gives 2d6 (average 7, better than graceful stroke). Advancing every 3 levels by 1d6 (18th level you'll have 6d6, average 21).
It is still worth it as 21 is 3 higher than 18 from graceful stroke (and max is 36 which is 18 higher than graceful stroke).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kemSTlxSp657sgoeEfwUKDCLZDp3BgpBMLQQalO KDJI/edit
These are the poises I've chosen so far: any more ideas-
1.Defending – The target of your attacks takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls against your allies for 1 round. At 11th level, this lasts 2 rounds.
2.Entangling – Targets cannot take 5 ft. steps and movement speed is halved for 1 round. At 11th level, this lasts 2 rounds.
3.Pilfering – Free steal attempt as with Improved Steal, if you already have improved steal, you gain +2 bonus. At 11th level, this improves to Greater Steal.
4.Blindfighting: Your attack is treated as you have blindfight. If you already have Blindfight, you are treated as using improved Blind Fight feat. At 11th level, if you already have improved Blind Fight feat, you treated as using the Greater Blind Fight feat.
5.Bulwark: For the rest of round, you provide soft cover to all adjacent allies. At 11th level, granting total cover to all allies directly between you and an enemy. You also provide soft cover to all allies within reach.
6.Deflection, Armed: For rest of round when using a light or one-handed piercing weapon, when you would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, you can spend an attack of opportunity in order to deflect it so that you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by spell effects can’t be deflected.
Beginning at 11th level, you can deflect any ranged attacks (including spells that require ranged touch attacks) as if they were arrows.
7) Deft Feint: You get a free feint as with improved feint, additionally whenever you attempt to feint an enemy, you can make an attack roll (with a -3 penalty ) instead of making a Bluff check.
Starting at 7th level you are treated as using the Greater Feint feat for this pose, even if you doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
8) Disruptive Stance Within this poise, the DC to cast spells defensively increases by 4 for all enemies within your threatened area. This increase only applies if you are aware of the enemy’s location and are attempting to disrupt his or her casting. In addition, you may make an attack of opportunity against any opponent you threaten who dismisses a spell, directs or redirects an active spell, casts a quickened or swift spell, or attempts to turn or rebuke undead or channel energy without doing so defensively (by way of a concentration check). If your attack is successful, your opponent must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 10 + damage dealt) or lose the action that provoked the attack of opportunity.
If your Swashbuckler level is 11th or higher, enemies in your threatened area that fail their checks to cast spells or channel defensively also provoke attacks of opportunity from you.
9) Einhander: This poise only works using a light or one-handed weapon in only one hand, while keeping the other free or with only a buckler.
You gain a +2 shield bonus to AC which doesn't apply to touch or flatfooted as long as you aren’t helpless or immobilized.
Starting at 11th level, you can treat your one-handed weapon as a two-handed weapon (or a light weapon as a one-handed weapon) for the purposes of damage from your strength score, power attack, and other relevant effects. Your shield bonus from this ability rises by 1.
10) Expert Tactician: You gain a +4 bonus when flanking instead of the normal +2 bonus.
Starting at 11th level, for determining flanking with your allies, you may count your location as being 5' in any direction from your real location. You also may ignore cover bonuses less than full cover.
11) Evasive Target: For rest of round, You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC against all ranged attacks. These improve by an additional +1 per 3 Swashbuckler levels you possess, to a maximum of +7 to AC at 20th level.
12) Punishing Stance: For rest of round you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage with all melee attacks. This additional damage is not multiplied in the case of a critical hit. You also take a -2 penalty to AC, because this fighting stance emphasizes power over a defensive posture.
For every 4 levels in Swashbuckler you possess, you can increase the bonus damage by an additional +1d6 by increasing the AC penalty by an additional -2 (maximum +6d6 damage, -12 to AC at 20th level).
13) Thicket of Blades: With this poise, any opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats all the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain. (Each square of difficult terrain counts as 2 squares of movement, and the creature cannot run, charge, or take a 5-ft. step).
Starting at 11th level, your threatened area is difficult terrain for all enemies, even if they do not start their turns within that area.
Power Attack does not disadvantage the swashbuckler's attack rolls anymore than other martial classes.
In a way, it does. The higher the damage, the less increase the damage bonus grants, while the accuracy penalty stays the same.
Sample calculation: Let's say we have two characters, each hitting on a 5 or more (i.e. 80%). Character 1 does an average of 20 damage on a successful hit, while Character 2 does an average of 30 damage. Power Attack for -3/+6. Character 1 does an average 20*0.8=16 damage per attack, or 26*0,65=16,9 with Power Attack. Character 2 does an average 30*0.8=24 damage per attack, or 36*0,65=23.4 damage with Power Attack. Ignoring crits, because they don't change the basic concept.*
In practise, the numbers should be more favourable, but the basic concept is still the same.
*) With a 15-20 crit weapon and 10 points of precision damage for Character 2, the actual numbers would be: 20.8, or 22.0 with PA, for Character 1, and 28.8, or 28.5 with PA, for Character 2.
Exactly how is it wrong?
Dump Strength -> no Power Attack -> can never take the staple feat for scaling damage that multiplies on a critical hit -> less damage
Because as you can see above, "no Power Attack -> less damage" is not universal true. It depends on the enemies as well as the own character, of course, but it's not true as a universal statement.
Even if it's not always useful, you're better off having the option to take/use the feat than never being able to take or use it.
In theory, yes, but once again, you're ignoring the cost (i.e. one of your feats).
Kitkat is right, in skull and shackles it's incredible.
I'd say that says more about the AP than it does about the class. If you only encounter nails, a hammer is the best tool ever. Also, no, one single character can not possibly be more than just an anecdote.
revert all nerfs piazo made to swashbucklers should do it
It feels like most of these nerfs were intended to keep swashbuckler stuff out of the hands of non-Swashbucklers, or were just fixes for poorly worded stuff (e.g. Battle Cry.)
Like the Swashbuckler has no problem using slashing grace; they reworded the feat to keep the Magus from getting it. Opportune Parry & Riposte is the best deed, so keeping people from getting it with a single feat is not unreasonable.
Power Attack does not disadvantage the swashbuckler's attack rolls anymore than other martial classes.In a way, it does. The higher the damage, the less increase the damage bonus grants, while the accuracy penalty stays the same.
Sample calculation: Let's say we have two characters, each hitting on a 5 or more (i.e. 80%). Character 1 does an average of 20 damage on a successful hit, while Character 2 does an average of 30 damage. Power Attack for -3/+6. Character 1 does an average 20*0.8=16 damage per attack, or 26*0,65=16,9 with Power Attack. Character 2 does an average 30*0.8=24 damage per attack, or 36*0,65=23.4 damage with Power Attack. Ignoring crits, because they don't change the basic concept.*
In practise, the numbers should be more favourable, but the basic concept is still the same.
The critical problem with your train of logic is that your argument says that Power Attack isn't worth it for a Dexterity fighter with Dex-to-damage. Here, you're proving the opposite of this by showing that Power Attack is more useful if you have lower average damage. Since Dexterity builds deal less damage than Strength builds due to weaker weapons and being unable to two-hand weapons, you show that Power Attack is actually useful for Dexterity builds. Thus, reinforcing that dumping Strength is bad for Dex-to-damage builds because you can't get Power Attack.
This is all assuming I agree with your math example. There's numerous other problems with it.