What are the new Swashbuckler-friendly weapons?


Swashbuckler Playtest


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Let's figure out which PF2 weapons work best with the swashbuckler's abilities!

-Swashbucklers start being Trained in simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed strikes, so anything in those categories is fair game.

-The Precise Strike ability specifies Agile or Finesse weapons/unarmed strikes, so those would be best.

Interestingly, the rules do NOT specify that the weapon has to do piercing damage or be used in one hand to trigger Precise Strike, so that opens it up to more options than PF1 swashbuckler (ignoring feats like Slashing Grace).

Given those qualifications, here's what we have in Simple and Martial. The weapons with the highest damage dice are bold.

Simple: all are at 1d4, no clear winner.
-Fist
-Clan Dagger
-Dagger
-Gauntlet/Spiked Gauntlet
-Katar
-Light Mace
-Sickle

Martial:
-Dogslicer
-Elven Curved Blade
-Filcher's Fork
-Hatchet
-Kama
-Kukri
-Light Hammer
-Light Pick
-Main-gauche
-Orc Knuckle Dagger
-Rapier (obviously)
-Sai
-Sap
-Scourge
-Shortsword
-Spiked Chain
-Starknife
-Whip

Advanced: while the swashbuckler does not begin with proficiency in these, its good to see what's available
-Aldori Dueling Sword
-Sawtooth Saber

So all 3 of the "best" options, Elven Curved Blade, Spiked Chain, and Aldori Dueling Sword, are 1d8 weapons that have the Uncommon trait. An elven swashbuckler could easily pick up the Elven Curved Blade and someone from Brevoy could grab the Aldori Dueling Sword. I'd said its reasonable for a Nidaleese swashbuckler to be proficient with the Spiked Chain as well, given the nation's connection to Zon-Kuthon.

Thoughts? Critiques? Suggestions? Stuff I missed?


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Worth mentioning that the three "best" weapons are finesse but not agile; given that so much of your damage is going to come from your second attack in a round I suspect weapons with a lower damage dice but the agile property like the shortsword may math out to do more overall damage.


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Hypothetically a Swashbuckler could be making one attack per round, with the standard 3-action progression being "gain panache, finisher, raise shield/parry." I wonder how well this works (though obviously the curve blade and spiked chain are not parry weapons and cannot be used with a buckler.)


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MCing Monk and picking up a stance feat opens up some unarmed weapon choices with both Agile/Finesse and some useful bonuses too:

Crane: 1d6B +1AC(Circ) w/ Jump bonuses
Fire Talon: 1d4F +1AC(Status) 1/2LVL Fire Resistance
*Lashing Branch: 1d8S reflex save lockdown effect
Tiger Claw: 1d8S 10ft Step
Wolf Jaw: 1d8P gains Trip when flanking

Wolf seems strong for a Gymnast w/ the item bonus to Trip checks and Backstabber trait for +1 dmg vs flat-footed (+2 dmg @ 16th w/ +3 weapon.)

Fire Talon is pretty weak but the AC is Status so it stacks w/ Shield/Buckler/Parry. Might work for a tanky control character.

*Lashing Branch comes online @ 16, way too late for most MC builds to consider.

Dark Archive

Think the playstyle of the swashbuckler is likely a one strike turn with lots of movement/tumbling to get a higher hit chance/panache.

With that in mind I'd say the following are decent options:

1.) Rapier - Deadly is really nice as you'll be likely to have your opponent flatfooted and up your damage

2.) Shortsword - Versatile can be helpful. I'm not sure how Agile will play on a swashbuckler as you may only make one finishing attack per round?

3.) Filch's Fork - Basically the best 1d4 "dagger/knife/thrown" option of all the 1d4s. The crit specialization is also better than swords (i.e., flatfooted which is easy to do for most classes) as it stacks clumsy 1 onto them (-1 AC for your party).

4.) Starknife - Similar to #3 in many ways - swaps versatile for backstabber.

5.) Whip - Has reach, which is nice, but only 1d4. The Crit Specialization effect can be nasty if you pick up AoOs at L6 since it drops them prone. Also has some fun synergies with the Hobgoblin Leech-clipper L1 ancestry feat. Hobgoblins also have those two other ancestry feats to keep opponents demoralized and cause mental damage to them.

6.) Unarmed Strikes - I imagine you are just running up to people and slapping them to challenge them to a duel. I'd go Ancient Elf into Swash MC Monk gets you 1d6 attacks from L1-L3. At L4 you can take any of the finesse stances to get 1d8 Tiger Claws or 1D8 Wolf Bite. Until the you just play as a normal Swashbuckler with any weapon you want. After that point you could run around with two shields, or a shield and a whip (L6 get AoOs), or leave one hand open to throw a starknife/filch's fork. Very Versatile, and eventually you could pick up flurry. You won't have the AC proficiency of a monk, so be unarmored at your own peril (might be nice just to have the blunt 1d6 fist/blunt option for resistances/lost all my gear situations). The crit specialization for your unarmed strikes in the brawling group aren't too bad (slowed 1 with a fort save), but I don't think there is an easy way to get them without being a paladin/fighter.

7.) Aldori Dueling Sword - Human/Unconventional weapon feat drops it to martial for your use. I think the class gets most of what the archetype provides anyways, but for a braggart there is a decent L6 feat to get a free action demoralize on a crit hit/crit disarm which could be a nice mechanic for regaining panache.

8.) Dogslicer - Improved shortsword.

OVERALL: IMO I think #6 with a whip could be great. Eventually get some back-up thrown items for ranged combat. I would rank the deadly trait high (i.e., rapier, filch's fork, starknife) as you're likely to be dropping one big hit accurate hit with flatfooted and/or frightened 1. Don't pick an Agile only weapon, as your class DC is Dex based so you need the Dex to hit (i.e., finesse), and it likely doesn't matter too much if most of your attacks are once a round. Some of the other weapon traits (disarm, trip, etc.) are neither here nor there for me, but if you want to be doing that regularly, then those will weight higher (largely means you don't need a free hand to execute the disarm, trip, etc.). Opportune Riposte does spell out that you can disarm an opponent on your reaction, so it might be great with a boosted athletics skills/finesse to use dex on that check. I don't think the 2H finesse/agile weapons are that great as you can get those weapon damage sizes from the aldori dueling sword/monk stances easily and still have a sturdy steel shield to keep yourself alive.

One big key strength of the class is that the static precision damage when you have panache is making up for a loss of dex to damage in most cases (i.e. assuming 14 STR / 18 DEX starting).

I hope they don't change a lot in this class. It is one of the few that makes me not want to jump right in!


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Red Griffyn wrote:
6.) Unarmed Strikes - I imagine you are just running up to people and slapping them to challenge them to a duel. I'd go Ancient Elf into Swash MC Monk gets you 1d6 attacks from L1-L3. At L4 you can take any of the finesse stances to get 1d8 Tiger Claws or 1D8 Wolf Bite. Until the you just play as a normal Swashbuckler with any weapon you want. After that point you could run around with two shields, or a shield and a whip (L6 get AoOs), or leave one hand open to throw a starknife/filch's fork. Very Versatile, and eventually you could pick up flurry. You won't have the AC proficiency of a monk, so be unarmored at your own peril (might be nice just to have the blunt 1d6 fist/blunt option for resistances/lost all my gear situations). The crit specialization for your unarmed strikes in the brawling group aren't too bad (slowed 1 with a fort save), but I don't think there is an easy way to get them without being a paladin/fighter..

This is all correct, but have you considered...Iruxi swashbucklers?

Grand Lodge

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AnimatedPaper wrote:
Red Griffyn wrote:
6.) Unarmed Strikes - I imagine you are just running up to people and slapping them to challenge them to a duel. I'd go Ancient Elf into Swash MC Monk gets you 1d6 attacks from L1-L3. At L4 you can take any of the finesse stances to get 1d8 Tiger Claws or 1D8 Wolf Bite. Until the you just play as a normal Swashbuckler with any weapon you want. After that point you could run around with two shields, or a shield and a whip (L6 get AoOs), or leave one hand open to throw a starknife/filch's fork. Very Versatile, and eventually you could pick up flurry. You won't have the AC proficiency of a monk, so be unarmored at your own peril (might be nice just to have the blunt 1d6 fist/blunt option for resistances/lost all my gear situations). The crit specialization for your unarmed strikes in the brawling group aren't too bad (slowed 1 with a fort save), but I don't think there is an easy way to get them without being a paladin/fighter..
This is all correct, but have you considered...Iruxi swashbucklers?

I have!

If I understand it correctly I will, with the right combination of feats and lucky rolls, be able to tear a hole in one unfortunate target on my way to tearing the spine out of another target that had the bad luck of being behind the first one.

I can't wait to do this.

Dark Archive

AnimatedPaper wrote:
Red Griffyn wrote:
6.) Unarmed Strikes - I imagine you are just running up to people and slapping them to challenge them to a duel. I'd go Ancient Elf into Swash MC Monk gets you 1d6 attacks from L1-L3. At L4 you can take any of the finesse stances to get 1d8 Tiger Claws or 1D8 Wolf Bite. Until the you just play as a normal Swashbuckler with any weapon you want. After that point you could run around with two shields, or a shield and a whip (L6 get AoOs), or leave one hand open to throw a starknife/filch's fork. Very Versatile, and eventually you could pick up flurry. You won't have the AC proficiency of a monk, so be unarmored at your own peril (might be nice just to have the blunt 1d6 fist/blunt option for resistances/lost all my gear situations). The crit specialization for your unarmed strikes in the brawling group aren't too bad (slowed 1 with a fort save), but I don't think there is an easy way to get them without being a paladin/fighter..
This is all correct, but have you considered...Iruxi swashbucklers?

That is a good option! The L1/L5 ancestry feats will get you 1d6 agile, finesse, versatile (slashing/piercing) and will be a good backup to whatever you want to use. It isn't explicitly stated, so I'd assume the claw is part of the 'brawling group' for crit specialization. I don't think any of the other unarmed attacks from them are 'finesse or agile' so they wouldn't work.


Leaving monk multiclass aside, one handed/buckler is an extremely easy way to have your hand open for a Gymnast for his maneuvers.

Since you'd usually always use a maneuver, I'd always go for an Agile weapon to follow up. Shortsword feels extremely solid there as your main weapon.

On the opposite time, with a braggard I would go for dual weapons, one of the almost always a Rapier.

I don't see why a swash would only attack once per round. In between Gymnast using maneuver+attack (2 wttacks) and braggard having his panache gain on free actions and reactions a lot of time, as well as both having panache gain on movement if needed with tumble through, I think it would be pretty feasible to always attack twice.

Paizo Employee Developer

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Your list forgets the Nunchaku, which is just such a flavorful weapon. I never considered Bruce Lee as a Gymnast Swashbuckler until now, and it's such a perfect fit. It's not great mechanically, but it can be flurried if you wanted to multiclass. Just a neat flavor-option though.

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