Help me make this character work

[thorin001]

This is effectively a dare character.

The basic premise is a dwarf swashbuckler who uses a heavy pick as his weapon.
Swashbuckler must be the primary class, but some multiclassing is fine.
He is a miner, so he really likes his pick. Switching to another weapon for a proper dwarf, like a waraxe, at later levels is a possibility.

Your deviousness is appreciated.

[Mysterious Stranger]

The best way to do this is to use the pick only for the first two levels and then switch to a dwarf war axe Once you get slashing grace with the dwarf war axe you not only get DEX to damage it counts as a one-handed piercing weapon, so it works with all the swashbuckler class abilities. Slashing Grace does not work with picks and getting DEX to damage will be better than the bonus damage from the dwarf FCB. Do not bother taking it since you will not be using the pick past 2nd level.

The big problem is that the dwarven stat adjustments are suboptimal for a swashbuckler. Getting a bonus to CON and WIS is useful, but the penalty to CHA is harsh. Using a dwarf war axe will boost up the damage above what a racial bonus to DEX would give, but you will be slightly behind in your bonus to hit.

[Pizza Lord]

I would suggest taking the Vengeful Heart deed of renown. You will lose the derring-do deed and one other 1st level deed (probably dodging panache, since your Cha is likely to be lower, but maybe it won't be if you max it). This will let you use a samurai's resolve ability, which can let you remove a condition, get two rolls on Fort or Will saves, or remain conscious and stable below 0 hit points.

Since this is a dare, and you character is made on the premise that he wants and prefers to use his heavy pick (not switch it out for the best weapon), I won't suggest changing it to a different weapon. (Now, if there was a musket-pick or a musket-pickaxe, I might suggest taking some gunslinger levels to stack your panache/grit pool).

At 1st level, Swashbuckler's finesse gives you Weapon Finesse with one-handed piercing weapons (heavy pick)

Archetype options could be:
Corsair— You lose nimble, but the Intimidate bonus will offset your racial Cha penalty, and if you have a way (horn of fog) or a party member that can conjure fog, you will be far more effective than opponents in it, since you can see normally out to 10 feet and not worry about concealment like others. Granted this is probably situational.

Courser— The added base speed is good for countering dwarf land speed and the quick access to Spring Attack can be good if you have other front-liners in your party to support, as you can move up to their space and attack and move back with Spring Attack. The added speed is really the main benefit. (I understand this doesn't actually do anything special with the pick, but let's be honest, I don't think a single swashbuckler archetype is built around picks. Maybe I'll make one.)

[TxSam88]

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

The best way to do this is to use the pick only for the first two levels and then switch to a dwarf war axe Once you get slashing grace with the dwarf war axe you not only get DEX to damage it counts as a one-handed piercing weapon, so it works with all the swashbuckler class abilities.

AON lists the Heavy Pick as a one handed piercing weapon. I see no reason why it won't work with the Swashbuckler abilities.

heavy pick

[Liliyashanina]

Heavy pick is a one handed piercing weapon, so it innately works with swash abilities, it can be made into a finesse weapon via an
effortless lace for a fairly achievable 2.5K price tag.

Since you are useing a low crit but high multiplier weapon, cyclops helm is very useful.

You can totally be a str based swashbuckler.

Like, take a single level dip in steelblood bloodrager and you get bloodrage, heavy armor etc. and still get parry and riposte.