Swordplay Deflection clarification

[MiWill]

This is for a theoretical build, so there is no dedicated GM to ask for a ruling.

Few questions about Swordplay Deflection I want to make sure I'm clear on
1) Do I have to declare the opponent when I forego the attack?
2) Do I expend an AoO doing this, since I'm giving up the iterative attack?
3) Can I forego my lowest BAB attack, and Parry with my highest BAB (including modifiers that may alter my attack for the entire round)? When a swashbuckler does it they appear to use highest BAB
4) Do I have to Parry the next attack from the opponent? For example, I know I won't beat my enemies first attack roll, but I feel better about beating my enemies 2nd attack

Swordplay Deflection:

Swordplay Deflection
You can deflect incoming attacks.

Prerequisite(s): Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Swordplay Style, Swordplay Upset, Weapon Focus with the chosen weapon, base attack bonus +7.

Benefit(s): While using Swordplay Style, when you make one or more melee attacks, you can forgo a single melee attack to prepare an action to disrupt an opponent’s attack.

This functions as a swashbuckler’s opportune parry and riposte deed, except that if your result is greater than your opponent’s, you gain a +4 shield bonus to your Armor Class against attacks made by your opponent until the start of your next turn instead of preventing the hit, and you cannot attempt to riposte. If you have the opportune parry and riposte deed, you gain this Armor Class bonus anytime you successfully parry an opponent’s attack.

Parry and Risposte:

Parry and Risposte

Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, she can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If her result is greater than the attacking creature’s result, the creature’s attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature’s attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry and if she has at least 1 panache point, the swashbuckler can as an immediate action make an attack against the creature whose attack she parried, provided that creature is within her reach. This deed’s cost cannot be reduced by any ability or effect that reduces the number of panache points a deed costs.

[Cavall]

MiWill wrote:

This is for a theoretical build, so there is no dedicated GM to ask for a ruling.

Few questions about Swordplay Deflection I want to make sure I'm clear on
1) Do I have to declare the opponent when I forego the attack?
2) Do I expend an AoO doing this, since I'm giving up the iterative attack?
3) Can I forego my lowest BAB attack, and Parry with my highest BAB (including modifiers that may alter my attack for the entire round)? When a swashbuckler does it they appear to use highest BAB
4) Do I have to Parry the next attack from the opponent? For example, I know I won't beat my enemies first attack roll, but I feel better about beating my enemies 2nd attack
** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **...

1. No.

2. No. It functions as it but the cost is already paid.
3. Use the BAB of the attack omitted.
4. Says parry an attack not next attack.

[MrCharisma]

MiWill wrote:

1) Do I have to declare the opponent when I forego the attack?

2) Do I expend an AoO doing this, since I'm giving up the iterative attack?
3) Can I forego my lowest BAB attack, and Parry with my highest BAB (including modifiers that may alter my attack for the entire round)? When a swashbuckler does it they appear to use highest BAB
4) Do I have to Parry the next attack from the opponent? For example, I know I won't beat my enemies first attack roll, but I feel better about beating my enemies 2nd attack

1. No. You'd declare the opponent when they declare they're attacking you (but before they roll).

2. Yes. "Functions as ..." would include using up the action of an AoO.
3. It doesn't say explicitly, but I'd assume you make your "parry" with the same attack bonus as the attack you forgo during your turn. This would include any penalties from Combat Expertise or similar abilities (Since this isn't specified I could see this being ruled differently, but that's how I'd rule it).
4. No. You'd be able to declare which attack you parry, but you'd have to declare it before the attack is rolled (but after it's declared).

PS If you take 1 level of Swashbuckler then this basically just becomes an upgraded Opportune Parry and Riposte deed.

[MiWill]

2) So we've got opposite answers here. Unfortunately I think 2 is key to 3.
If 2) does cost both the iterative and the AoO, I can't imagine it doesn't use full BAB like the swashbuckler Parry and Risposte.

If 2) does cost an iterative only I could better see the argument of using the sacrificed Attacks bonus

[Pan, definitely not a Kitsune]

And for a third opinion, because obviously this wasn't confusing enough already:
1: No
2: Yes (See Mr Charisma)
3: I'd say yes. Also, I'd say that you can prepare multiple parries - as many as you can sacrifice attacks for (though you'd also need something (probably Combat Reflexes) to actually take the attacks of opportunity it gives you). Since it still "functions as…", I'd argue that it works at whatever your AoO-bonus is, because it's still an AoO, not actually a delayed iterative attack.
4: No.

[Jared Walter 356]

MiWill wrote:

2) So we've got opposite answers here. Unfortunately I think 2 is key to 3.

If 2) does cost both the iterative and the AoO, I can't imagine it doesn't use full BAB like the swashbuckler Parry and Risposte.

If 2) does cost an iterative only I could better see the argument of using the sacrificed Attacks bonus

I would rule

1) No
2) No
3) Full BaB
4) No

#2 depends on how you interpret "functions as". Technically, reading it exactly it would still cost a panche point and an AoO. Personally though, I read the first sentence of Parry and Riposte as a cost

"Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, she can spend 1 panache point and expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack."

Which I interpret the cost replaced by the forgoing an attack.

#3) This part of Parry and Riposte: "The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity"

paired with CRB pg 180 on attacks of opportunity: "You make your attack of opportunity at your normal attack bonus even if you already attacked in the round", and "All these attacks are at your full normal attack bonus"

This reads to me like it is intended to be at your highest attack bonus.

[Nikki Tempest]

Yikes, now to make it more convoluted... If true that the party is still calculated as if it were an attack of opportunity, even though it's not one, does that than mean I still have other attacks of opportunity?

[MrCharisma]

MiWill wrote:

2) So we've got opposite answers here. Unfortunately I think 2 is key to 3.

If 2) does cost both the iterative and the AoO, I can't imagine it doesn't use full BAB like the swashbuckler Parry and Risposte.

If 2) does cost an iterative only I could better see the argument of using the sacrificed Attacks bonus

I think I'd like to amend my answer. "Functions as ..." would mean that you'd use your highest BAB for the parry. Since the Duelist's Parry ability functions the way i said before and they specifically called out the Swashbuckler and not the Duelist I'd say that's how it should be.

If you want to go with "the same bonus as the attack you forgo" then your option here seems like a good compromise.

[Cavall]

Yeah that's the only way I could read it. If you're dropping lowest BAB yiu should get lowest BAB return, but at the same time unlike the other ability this loses attacks so to me the "aoo" cost is paid for.

[willuwontu]

1. No
2. No
3. Yes
4. No

[Diego Rossi]

1. No
2. Yes, it works as opportune parry and riposte and that is a problem.
Theoretically, you must pay all the costs in the deed, included the Panache cost unless the feat don't say differently (it doesn't).
I think it is an error as none of the prerequisites give panache, so I would say that you have to pay 1 attack and 1 AoO.
3. Yes
4. No

@Pan, definitely not a Kitsune: you can forgo a single melee attack and you prepare an action to disrupt an attack.
I don't think you can use it multiple times during the same round. The triggering action to prepare the feat is "one or more melee attacks", so multiple attacks allow you to use it only once.

[Pan, definitely not a Kitsune]

@Diego Rossi: Yeah, that's definitely also a possible reading. I wouldn't complain if my GM used that (if I were using the feat), and wouldn't be surprised if that was RAI clarified in a FAQ (if FAQs were still a thing).
But I myself would read it as a "one for one" exchange rate, and "single attack" just specifying that you don't actually sacrifice your full attack, but one of your iterative attacks.