Help with PFS swash

[Flames of Chaos]

I've been playing a swashbuckler occasionally at the few cons I can travel to as the only opportunities to play society play, and when I made the char I went all in on the Rascal style as I wanted to try it out. As with most of my chars for PF/PF2, I had a good idea of their backstory as well as their mechanics, or so I thought.

I recently played in a multi-table special, and I just couldn't get any Panache, though apparently both I and the table DM totally didn't know about the new changes to the Bravado trait and how it worked with Panache. I decided to try using a whip for range, not knowing about the problems with Finesse and actions that might have the Bravado trait; I also didn't know that Dirty Trick is a maneuver, and therefore *HAS* to be in melee due to the restrictions on the feat itself.

What I need help with is this: Is Rascal worth pursuing longer term (levels 2-6), or would I be better off going Gymnast and switching from dex primary with a little strength to full STR? I hesitate because it doesn't feel right with the character, but I also don't want to gimp the char permanently due to RP flavor problems.

Any help would be really appreciated. I should probably also add I had planned to go down the throwing route now that they added Brandishing Draw and Twirling Throw as Swash feats and that kind of fighting has intrigued me for a little while. Any advice beyond "this is a horrible mess" would be really appreciated!

Oh, and he's about to level to 2 which is why I wanted to address this now with the char before I have to spend resources to retrain.

[Flames of Chaos]

I should also add I'm open to ditching the whip if there's a better weapon, but I really didn't want to do short sword again as that's how I played my main swashbuckler in Ruby Pheonix and I wanted to branch out a little. That being said, again I would like to at least be a little effective in melee occasionally.

[TheFinish]

So, of the changes you mentioned:

- Rascal is definitely an option but it's sadly not well supported, and Dirty Trick has several downsides. Not only the one you mentioned regarding Reach, but also the fact that it is both Manipulate and Attack, meaning you get the worst of both worlds by provoking Reactive Strikes and incurring MAP. Also aside from one feat (Dastardly Dash), Dirty Trick has no real support or further development.

- Gymnast is a good choice if you have at least +2 STR. The Whip has Disarm and Trip, so if you take Disarming Flair you now have 2 actions you can do at your weapon's Reach that grant you Bravado. The +1 circumstance bonus from Stylish combatant will help you mostly keep up so long as you improve STR to +3 at level 5 (if you start at +3 STR and go up to +4 you're actually better at those maneuvers than most people).

- The third option to keep you as a pure DEX user is Battledancer. Take the Acrobatic Performer Skill Feat and you can use Acrobatics when you use Fascinating Performance, letting you focus on just Acrobatics, which means you don't need Charisma or to upgrade your Performance skill. Fascinating Performance's effect is very poor, but it has no range limit (the enemy just has to be able to see you)

If you want to go into thrown weapons, the third option is your best bet, and I'd switch the Whip out for a Starknife. Twirling Throw sounds good but it's actually a much better idea to either get a Returning Rune on your Starknife or getting yourself a Thrower's Bandoleer. That way you just spend money for a better effect, but I'm honestly unsure how PFS does treasure, so you know better than me in this regard.

[Castilliano]

Whip amplifies the value of Guardian's Deflection, a gem at 4th level, and likely to make you friends at a table of random players. With new Bravado rules & Reach, you should be able to attack with a Finisher every round from a relatively safe position (as front lines go) or in awkward spaces where a random party is still learning to coordinate.

So yeah, a whip works whether or not you use its Trip/Disarm capabilities. Which I wouldn't anyway in typical situations since I'd avoid abilities that increase MAP before my Finisher unless especially needed. Which is to say I'd avoid Gymnast or Rascal and go for a Style that feeds your Panache w/o such a drawback. Even w/ a mediocre Charisma (or a low one which can be patched with Assurance), the other Styles should get you Panache every round. As should Acrobatics anyway, so no need to fret over Style.

I'd recommend a buckler too, though there are so many competitive low-level feats so I can understand skipping it. But maybe retrain for it if going to 10th+ because Buckler Dance is a great Stance.

And remember a good secondary bow since you have Dex. It goes against the standard Swashbuckler tropes, but who knows what kind of ranged resources a random party might have and PFS likes odd combats. Arrows will also give you access to metal attacks if needed for specific enemy Weaknesses or Regeneration (which a whip won't address well and a random party might lack). This and some of the other advice would differ if playing routinely with a party that develops synergy.