I've been thinking about getting back into PbP after five years of grad school and figured it would be a great time to dip my toes into PF2E too. That means I need to build a fun character using a brand new ruleset (to me) and was wondering if y'all had any words of wisdom to share.
Concept: A Goblin who has been working as a farm hand for the last few years is convinced that one of the chickens is talking to her, convincing her that she has latent magical powers and a heroic destiny. A familiar is not necessary because it might be funnier to just be a regular chicken, but I would like her to be great at support (the power of friendship!) while still getting into the fray herself, calling all her attacks like any true magical girl ('Whirlwind STRIIIIKE!!!'). I also like the idea that she can take a lot of damage and keep going if possible, with things like Unbreakable Goblin heritage.
I think Swashbuckler would be a great chasis, but build-wise, I'm way out of my depth. I have seen suggestions of Bards or Marshal archtypes to help with the support, but would a straight Swashbucker work just as well?
Any advice for builds would be most welcome!
Just to make clear. Do you want she have magical powers or that just think it has magical powers?
For martial option probably a Battledancer Swashbuckler with Familiar Archetype feat (the isn't really needed by may help to the mechanical presence of chicken in the game and maybe useful sometimes). Also maybe fun to put a fire rune (or any other property rune with a magical visual effect) as soon as possible to represent she's magical powers! kkkk
For magical option is a a Battledancer Swashbuckler with Witch Archetype (baba yaga) really providing some magical power to her. So she will be really an unorthodox Magical Girl Goblin. (I can easily imagine Baba Yaga patroning a swash goblin with chicken familiar to help to save the world just for fun)
Swashbuckler in general is for a 'go big or go home' type of character. When the dice favor you, the outcome is spectacular. When the dice don't favor you, the outcome is sub-par. So it is really good for a character concept that is going to attempt really outlandish things - and have have them not work all that often.
IMO Battledancer is the weakest type mechanically. Not necessarily unplayable, but it only leaves one good option for gaining Panache (the default of tumble through) since the Fascinated condition is pretty much useless in combat. They can still gain Panache by making performance checks, but the action itself seems a bit of a waste other than gaining panache.
Fencer and Gymnast are both great for different reasons.
Fencer can attempt Panache with Feint repeatedly against the same enemy and it doesn't increase Multiple Attack Penalty. So a 'gain and spend panache immediately' playstyle works with Fencer.
Gymnast can gain Panache from Grapple and Trip and that will by itself have value to the rest of the party even if that is all that you do on that turn - which is common since Grapple and Trip will increase Multiple Attack Penalty making it less desirable to use additional attack actions. So they often have a 'gain panache one round and spend it on the next' playstyle.
Also to note - Gymnast often ends up without the high charisma that is typical of the other Swashbuckler styles since they have to focus more on strength - so the general Swashbuckler advice of high charisma options like Bard and Marshal may not do so well with a Gymnast.
Wit and Braggart are both good. Their additional options for gaining Panache are both fairly useful. Braggart (demoralize) does have the drawback that it can't be used on the same opponent repeatedly (without being level 9+ and successfully landing a finisher on that enemy). Wit (bon mot) may be in the same state, but that depends on GM ruling. So both of these lean more towards the 'gain panache and keep it for the passive bonuses' playstyle.
I have seen suggestions of Bards or Marshal archtypes to help with the support, but would a straight Swashbucker work just as well?
Swashbuckler has in-class one of the best support abilities - in the form of the One for All feat. Which also helps out the Wit style Swashbuckler specifically by giving them another no-MAP repeatable option for gaining Panache. Do be aware that Aid is unreliable at very low levels. It gets better at about level 4 or 5. Also the Panache gain has a higher DC than just succeeding at Aid - so it is very possible to succeed at aiding your ally and not gain Panache for it.
Generally I think of Swashbuckler as one of the character types that benefits from party support at least as much as they provide it. They also have plenty of things to spend their actions on already.
That said, if you want to increase your support abilities, a charisma Swashbuckler like Fencer or Wit along with Marshal archetype is pretty good. Adding a spellcasting archetype like Bard or Sorcerer also makes a lot of sense for the utility spells that you can get. You won't have many high level slots for damage dealing or healing spells, but it is better than nothing.
Thank you for the thorough responses! One for All seems like a great place to start, and it seems like Swashbuckler is a very suitable class.
@YuriP: I like the idea that she just thinks she has magical powers, although I'm not against a little magic. Something like a fire rune does sound like fun though, for a no magic build!
I'm thinking maybe BattleDancer with One for All, Marshal Dedication for the Aura and Leading Dance to get Panache with some battlefield control? I'm not sure if that leaves me bereft of attacking options though, since I've yet to play combat in PF2e
Isn't the Swashbuckler unable to get a feat like whirlwind strike?
Perhaps, but that's only one definition of whirlwind strike. Perhaps the character thinks she has the power of elemental wind and uses that as the name of her finisher, twirling twice to wind up before landing the attack. And I can see this for a Battledancer.
The only reason I'd suggest against Gymnast is the whole 'you're Small' issue for when you want to trip an ogre. There are ways around this (named 'Titan Wrestler') but it can be a bit of an annoyance at certain times (especially if you want to wrestle someone Huge); still, who wouldn't like to see a magical girl throwing clotheslines and dropkicks?
Isn't the Swashbuckler unable to get a feat like whirlwind strike?
I had to use the search function on my browser to try and figure out where whirlwind strike was being mentioned.
Yeah, just as flavoring for the name of an attack it would be fine. Not actually referencing the feat with that name.
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Hahaha, I had no idea it was the name of a feat. I just meant flavour-wise, the character will just shout out loads of silly names for the things she does.
I'm starting to like the idea of Gymnast with Titan Wrestler now. A small bouncy goblin with no idea of self preservation clotheslining an ogre because her chicken told her to lol. If there's some kind of glamoured armour available, all the better
Glamered armor rune.
And no, I don't know why that needs to be a level 5 rune.
Glamered armor rune.
And no, I don't know why that needs to be a level 5 rune.
It was 2,700 gold pieces in 1E. Past a +1 bonus cost. And it's a semi-powerful ability to disguise that you're wearing plate armour to the royal ball. Or wearing a fancy dress to the royal ball and the princess chose the theme of 'Hold of Belkzen death metal'.
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I don't know what the access on it would be like in PFS (I don't play it), but I've considered the Soulforger archetype for a magical girl character of my own. It shows as 'limited' under access on AoN, so presumably it's somewhat available.
Probably requires some boons.
I'm think he don't worrying too much about the class balance. Also the class is subpar (IMO) and a bit more complex to play but works well enough to anyone that don't care too much about action economy effectiveness to play and have fun.
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If you go with a Charisma Swashbuckler, you could also go with a Sorcerer Archtype and pick up real magic. The Archtype starts with two cantrips... But spells cost actions (usually two) and gaining Panache takes an action, which leads to a 'this round bounce around, next round use spells' result. Hmmm, maybe gain Panache, then don't use it; make use of the abilities that come when you have Panache long term (+AC?). Then, cast a spell and do something martial with remaining action(s).
Or, if not married to the idea of a Swashbuckler, a melee Flurry Ranger. with a chicken (bird) Animal Companion. The chicken really _is_ talking to you...