hmm...a devoted muse wielding a falcata?

[ohako]

The devoted muse prestige class likes to fight with something with a high crit multiplier, with the assumption that you'd use a glaive with Bladed Brush.

a) Bladed Brush has problems, and isn't PFS-legal.
b) The 6th-level power, inspirational strike, is a lot better if you actually crit when it happens. This is tricky for high crit multiplier weapons.

Except for the falcata. It's the only weapon I can think of that's got a crit chance of 19-20/x3.

So here's a chassis for a swash 5/devoted muse X. High Dex, high Cha

Feats
1st Weapon Finesse (from swashbuckler), EWP (falcata) (from somewhere), Weapon Focus (falcata)
3rd Slashing Grace (falcata) (at this point you can actually finesse the falcata, plus you get Dex to damage)
4th Combat Expertise
5th Improved Critical (from swashbuckler), Improved Feint

And at this point the swash is qualified (with the right skills and alignment) for devoted muse.

So, I need advice.

a) the 'from somewhere' to gain proficiency with the falcata. There's 3 race choices that'll work: human (military trained or otherwise), half-elf, or tengu (a falcata is a kind of sword). Which one would you choose? Is one those 3's alternate FCB for swash really powerful?
b) So, a swash plus a prestige class that mimics a swash is a bit limited, right? Kinda crummy saves, really focused on dealing damage. I'm...okay with that, but I've only got feats figured out to 5th level. What next?
c) any good traits out there, besides probably Indomitable Will?

[nicholas storm]

Rondelero Swashbuckler starts with falcata proficiency and can finesse the falcata.

[avr]

There's also getting the heirloom weapon trait and upgrading that, but in any case the human FCB of +1/4 Panache is probably the best. i.e go human or half-elf.

You're probably going to want a means to feint without spending a move or standard action. You could get either moonlight stalker feint or swordplay upset at level 11 exactly, or you could take a 1-level dip in monk to get feinting flurry at 9th.

Whichever way, greater feint is your first feinting feat from the PrC. Possibly twinned feint for the second.

Irrepressible is another trait to consider.

[Cavall]

Common as it is, +2 To initiative is a great trait for someone that has poor saves. Don't have to save if they are dead.

[ohako]

nicholas storm wrote:

Rondelero Swashbuckler starts with falcata proficiency and can finesse the falcata.

Hey, that's pretty cool. I guess I should have searched the word 'falcata' in the archives. I'm a little on the fence with that one, because

a) While you save a feat and a half over the vanilla swashbuckler, you don't get the Dex to damage that you would with Slashing Grace. I think I want that.
b) rondelero style (falcata + buckler) doesn't mesh so great with devoted muse, because they generally don't want to use a shield

avr wrote:

You're probably going to want a means to feint without spending a move or standard action. You could get either moonlight stalker feint or swordplay upset at level 11 exactly, or you could take a 1-level dip in monk to get feinting flurry at 9th.

Ooh, I like Moonlight Stalker. That's classy. Flourish feint to get to distracted, and while your target's AC isn't going down, you get just a plain +2 to attack and damage. Very nice.

I'm not so sure about the Swordplay Style chain, mostly because those two different shield bonuses don't stack.

So here's a V2 chassis. What do you think?

Devoted Muse of the Sword-Axe
Human
Alternate Racial Traits: Military Tradition (falcata and 1 other exotic weapon, maybe fighting fan or deer horn knife), Heart of the Fey
swashbuckler 5/devoted muse 6
Traits
Reactionary
Irrepressible
Feats
1st: Weapon Focus (falcata), Weapon Finesse (ish)
3rd: Slashing Grace (falcata)
4th: Combat Expertise
5th: Improved Feint, Improved Critical (ish again)
7th: Blind-Fight
8th: Greater Feint
9th: Moonlight Stalker
11th: Moonlight Stalker Feint, Skill Focus (Bluff)

If you're holding something but not using it (say, a fighting dan you have no intention of attacking with), does that count as your hand being 'occupied' for Slashing Grace?