What is the benefit of Swashbuckler Initiative with Quick Draw? Quick Draw allows you to draw a weapon as a free action, why would it matter to draw during the initiative role?
What is the benefit of Swashbuckler Initiative with Quick Draw? Quick Draw allows you to draw a weapon as a free action, why would it matter to draw during the initiative role?
Threatening enemies. If you didn't have a drawn weapon, they could move away without an AoO, cast freely, etc.
Remember, you can only use free actions in your turn.
Yup. If you go last in initiative then any enemy charging past you to the wizard canndo so freely. If you had Swashbuckler's Initiative and Combat Reflexes you could take AoOs on anyone trying to get past you.
If you roll low for initiative AND fail your perception check this could potentially mean a surprise round and the first round where you're doing nothing
Also remember that as a DEX-based character (probably) your AC is likely not great when you're flat-footed. Having a weapon out in order to parry might save your life.
A swashbuckler can also get a lot of benefit out of keeping a 13+ Str, investing in Power Attack (which is somewhat counter-intuitive), and using Martial Focus to qualify for the Cut from the Air/Smash from the Air/Spellcut weapon mastery feats (along with Combat Reflexes, if you really want to use this as your theme song). Swashbuckler Initiative + Quick Draw means you always have your weapon in hand at the start of combat.
Ah! So it grants you a threat range which allows you to use the Parry deed while flat-footed. Makes a lot of sense. Thank you!
I don't think it allows you to parry while flat-footed (parry uses an AoO, and you can't take AoOs while flat footed), but Combat Reflexes allows you to take AoOs while flat-footed, so betwween them you CAN parry while flat-footed.