Need help coming up with mechanical rewards for daring swashbuckler stunts.


Advice


One of my players has a swashbuckler coming up in a new campaign. They've expressed their love of chandelier swinging, bannister sliding, and general over-the-top stunt work. I want to make that present in the game. The only problem is that there's not much payoff for these sorts of stunts beyond, "You made your Acrobatics check and now flank the goblin."

What are some suitable mechanical rewards for successful derring-do maneuvers? Do I engineer exploration encounters that rely on this biz, or is there a reliable way to make "put myself at the mercy of the dice to look cool" a viable combat strategy?

(Comic for illustrative purposes.)


This is part of the reason I so dislike the class. God knows it can use a mechanical boost, especially when fighting opponents that can't be conveniently reached by walking over firm ground, but a) I don't want the game to turn into players one-upping each other with crazy stunts that have no basis in the rules, and b) granting a Swashbuckler something for free that other players payed with a bunch of feats and class features for feels horrible for those players. For example, letting the Swashbuckler full attack a target on the other side of the room if they describe some chandelier swing is sure to leave a bad taste in the mouth of the player who paid three rage powers to let their Barbarian do basically the same.


I would try to create more tactically sound enemies. A wizard or pair of archers up on a ledge, a group of warriors creating a tight defensive line to protect the cleric who is buffing them, that sort of thing.

Not every single encounter of course, but if you ask: how could this group of opponents best array themselves to suit their offensive or defensive goals, then I suspect that opportunities for stunts will present themselves.

Then the reward is shutting down that wizard, or what have you.

On another tack, stunts can sometimes be parallel to stealth. E.g. if you can get up to that 2nd story window, or across that ravine then opportunities open up.


DRD1812,

If you're willing to extend the established relationship between characters with the panache class feature (scroll down to the "Grit and Panache" section) and grit users to the Gunslinger's optional Daring Act rule (scroll down to right before Alternate Capstones), then the Swashbuckler can perform a "daring act" to regain panache:

Ultimate Combat wrote:

As a general guideline, a daring act should be risky and dramatic. It should take a good deal of guts, and its outcome should have a low probability of success. If it is successful, the [swashubuckler] regains 1 [panache] point.

Before attempting a daring act, the player should ask the GM whether the act qualifies. The GM is the final arbiter of what's considered a daring act, and can grant a regained [panache] point for a daring act even if the player does not ask beforehand whether the act qualifies.

That's a pretty cool mechanic (I think) and makes the Derring-Do deed, dare I say, worthwhile?


rewards for standing out doing something cool?

here is one, it also includes the base for the next daring stunt!


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Phoebus Alexandros wrote:

DRD1812,

If you're willing to extend the established relationship between characters with the panache class feature (scroll down to the "Grit and Panache" section) and grit users to the Gunslinger's optional Daring Act rule (scroll down to right before Alternate Capstones), then the Swashbuckler can perform a "daring act" to regain panache:

That was driving me crazy! I remember reading the "daring act" rule a million years ago, but I thought it had been errata'd out of Swashbuckler. Turns out I was looking in the wrong class.

I can picture that optional rule falling flat at some tables, but I think it will play OK with my group. Cheers!


Glad to have been of help!

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