First time trying the swashbuckler class; any tips for my build and in general?

[Faolán Maiali the Azure Abjurer]

Playing the Serpent's Skull AP with some friends over Fantasy Grounds, and I'm playing a devout NG Catfolk swashbuckler with the Whirling Dervish archetype (worships Sarenrae, naturally), who acts as a mercenary in the Dawnflower's name, and donates extra payment that he negotiates from clients directly to good causes.

It's my first time using the swashbuckler class (despite playing 3.5e/PF for over a decade xD), so any sort of advice would be appreciated.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/swashbuckler/archetypes/pai zo-swashbuckler-archetypes/whirling-dervish-swashbuckler-archetype/

Ability Scores (racial modifiers already included)
Str 13, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 18

Favored class bonus: Probably going with extra hit points most levels.

Current 1st-level skills: Acrobatics, Climb (took the alternate racial trait that grants a climb speed), Diplomacy, Escape Artist (to escape grapples more easily than my CMB would allow), Intimidate, and Perception.

Traits: Focused Disciple (to help with most Will saves), Mercenary, Blade of Mercy (no penalty to nonlethal damage with slashing weapons and +1 damage when doing so), Headstrong drawback

Feat Roadmap
1st: Combat Reflexes (to make the most use of Opportune Parry and Riposte)
3rd: Nimble Striker (Catfolk racial feat)
Swashbuckler 4: Weapon Focus (scimitar)
5th: Enforcer (free Intimidate with nonlethal damage)
7th: Lunge (affected by Nimble Striker, so no AC penalty)
Swashbuckler 8: Dazzling Display
9th: Shatter Defenses
11th: Signature Deed (Dance of Dawn)
Swashbuckler 12: Blind-Fight/Power Attack/Extra Panache (not sure with this slot. I read somewhere that Power Attack was bad for swashbucklers, but I don't see how)
13th: Critical Focus
15th: Staggering Critical
Swashbuckler 16: Tiring Critical
17th: Critical Mastery
19th: Exhausting Critical

General advice on how to operate in combat, feat selection, etc. are all welcome.

[Wonderstell]

Nimble Striker at 3rd level is a bit premature. Even Lunge is a "not always" feat since it only increases reach at your own turn, so I don't think Nimble Striker is a very worthwhile feat.
Weapon Trick: One-Handed for Stylish Riposte is a good choice for Swash as they end up with quite a lot of AC.

Stylish Riposte:

When your AC exceeds the result of a foe’s melee attack against you by 5 or more, that foe provokes an attack of opportunity from you. Once you make such an attack of opportunity against a foe, you can’t again use this trick against the foe that day.

And you would want to consider the Deeds of Renown. They are special deeds that you need to replace certain deeds for. In your case you have no use for the Menacing Swordplay deed that grants a swift action demoralize, so you should definitely replace it with Hilt Hammer. It's essential so that you don't lose the entirety of Precise Strike against precision dmg immune foes or those with concealment.

Hilt Hammer:

Precise strikes with a slender blade do little to hinder amorphous or incorporeal creatures; when encountering such threats, some swashbucklers abandon precision in favor of brutish strikes. At 3rd level, the swashbuckler can activate this deed before rolling the attack roll when making an attack that would benefit from precise strike. An attack altered this way deals only half the normal damage from precise strike, but this damage is not treated as precision damage. This deed alters (but does not replace) the precise strike deed and replaces one other 3rd-level deed.

As for items, a Blue Scar Swordmaster's Flair is commonly recommended. The increased reach sets you up to gain some AoOs for movement as it unlike Lunge is increased reach for all purposes.

Swordmaster's Flair:

These garish tokens usually take the form of a colorful clothing accessories. So long as a token is grasped in the user’s off hand, she can spend 1 panache point to gain the use of a specific ability associated with the token. Once per day, the bearer can use the token to gain the full benefit of the token without spending panache. Non-swashbucklers can use the tokens, but unless they have another way of gaining panache, they can use the ability only once per day. A character can benefit from only one token at a time; holding a second token provides no additional benefit. There are four types of tokens, each offering a different benefit.

Blue Scarf: The user can spend 1 panache point as a swift action to increase her melee reach with light or one-handed piercing weapons by 5 feet for 1 minute.

[zza ni]

extra dot on the blue scarf. it's great especially once as a dervish you go around attacking a person in reach per attack while in Whirlwind Dance. some of them you want to be in your reach but not you in their.

also note - was in this faq that you can use it in the same hand as a buckler and count as having free hand for stuff like precise strike deed etc (for both items)

also also Tekko-kagi work as buckler (say so in info and is also said to be strapped to arm instead of being held - same text as buckler) and can be itemized by catfolk (but might clash with dervish's religion, ask gm). i's great for disarming enemies (+2 for disarming weapon ability +2 more vs blades and doesn't provoke). and as piercing one handed weapon can be used instead of your main weapon if it's lost. (as for the religion clash, if i recall right not all whirling dervish follow the Dawnflower, it started with them, but later on became a trend among others. my cats like to follow the cat godess)

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on a different note. you do not need to take enforcer to intimidate when you hit. you got Menacing Swordplay deed for that, its swift action and not free and can't frighten on a crit, but it saves you a feat.

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last bit, im sure you know ,but in case you didn't, magical weapons can be made to emit light (decided on when crafting them). and that there is just right for your 'dance of dawn' deed as you need some illumination to get it off.

[Faolán Maiali the Azure Abjurer]

I actually like the idea of using Enforcer more than the Menacing Swordplay deed for the following reasons:

Reasons:

It's a free action to Intimidate with the feat, and the duration is in rounds equal to the damage dealt AND if the attack is a crit (easy to pull off with the scimitar), the opponent becomes frightened for 1 round (no save), meaning an easy AoO (from all adjacent allies no less) when their turn comes up. Moreover, the feat says "you can make an Intimidate check" so if I do crit, I'm not forced to attempt to Intimidate them if I don't want them to run away.

Using Menacing Swordplay eats up my swift action for the round, which means I wouldn't be able to make use of dodging panache, opportune parry and riposte, charmed life, or doubling the damage bonus from precise strike. Because you can't take an immediate action if you're swift action for the round was expended, making use of menacing swordplay to intimidate eats up a lot of options compared to using Enforcer.

As for Nimble Striker, I'd also make use of the benefit to make charge attacks at no penalty to myself. But I do see the benefit of the other feat options presented and how it could be premature to take it at 3rd-level compared to something that would be more immediately and frequently useful. I'll definitely be taking Stylish Riposte since that would synergize really well with the opponents that will be shakened by Enforcer or Dazzling Display. -2 to attacks is basically pseudo-AC, after all, and counts since it modifies the attack result.

Can't make use of tekko-kagi though, since my religion trait is locked in by Blade of Mercy. Was planning on using a buckler, but decided to wait until I get my hands on a masterwork one, since the armor penalty of a buckler applies when using Weapon Finesse.

[Smallfoot]

You might want to reconsider taking the hit point Favored Class Bonus. A d10 and 18 Con has you well above average already. If you don't want more skill points, ask your GM if you can use one of the other racial bonuses - 1/4 more panache or charmed life (seems more appropriate for a catfolk) would both be welcome.