Tiefling (Dispater, Glasya) +2 CHA, +1 DEX. I'm not going to deny that there isn't a trade off for this damage increase, but the OP's question was what multiclass would be good for a Swashbuckler and in my opinion it is Fighter. Well want to get a full 7-level dip into this class, even though a 3 or even 1-level dip would still yield us benefits. Glad you liked the guide! Sleight of Hand (DEX) Maybe. Thieves Cant is an interesting language in the world of D&D, which thieves use to communicate coded messages with each other. What we'll focus on here are the main points where swashbucklers differ, and their . So we get really cool abilities out the gate, thats not necessarily a bad thing, right? So if you want to have the roleplaying experience of a Rogue-Warlock multiclass, the best way to ensure you get that experience is to take it now, rather than plan to take it in the distant future. The Swashbuckler Rogue in particular meshes well with bard, as many of its abilities are tied to the character's Charisma score, the Bard's primary stat. The gist of the battle plan on that particular build was go in, hit once with a rapier as a kensei weapon, attempt to stun, then extra attack w/ unarmed strike, boost my AC, disengage freely because of swashbuckler, and use monk's speed to go to another enemy, and use martial arts to hit as a bonus action, or spend a ki point to flurry if I feel like the battle's particularly important. This is a super fun and super great ability. Combine this with their buffed sneak attack and Swashbucklers will commonly find themselves dancing around the battlefield, sneak attacking to their hearts content. That is the subclass for players who want to play a real rogue. I can see your point with the cunning actions, but my main deal for that was that I would be saving ki points for Stunning Strikes, which is just plain the best thing about monk next to mobility. Whether it be for zany purposes, or for optimized combatants, this character building concept is a way for experienced players to have some new types of fun. Full customization and control of your character, none of the flipping through hundreds of pages to reference obscure rules. Swashbuckler 5e Guide. Roland Drews says: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am. Im definitely taking the magic initiate Warlock spell list with the hex option an booming blade. Take your attack action (successfully dealing sneak attack damage) If I use Booming Blade cantrip, that is a bonus action right? Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Fighter has a higher "spike" damage with limited ability usage.Uncanny Dodge and Evasion can also reduce a lot of incoming damage. Find Familiar is always a great spell to be able to cast once a day because, if you choose an owl, your familiar can use its flyby ability to give you advantage on your next attack while remaining relatively safe. (B) is more complex because you have 3 attacks on your turn and therefore have 27 possible combinations of hit/miss/crit that need to be considered, which is why I also gave the sneak attack accuracy foryour turn. Basic DPR is 10.65, sneak attack DPR is 9.56 for a total DPR of 20.21. Get Vicious Mockery, or Faerie Fire, or Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and get advantage for sneak attacks. Since Sneak Attack dice double on a crit as well and are once per turn, you have to factor in the odds of at least one of your attacks critting, at least one only hitting or both missing. Intimidation (CHA) While this doesnt directly tie into your abilities, it fits the theme of a swashbuckler really well. My mistake. So, working backwards, you obviously lose 1D6 o. This assumes Dex 16, two weapon fighting short swords with no feats5 Fighter/3 RogueExpertise x2, Cunning Action, Second Wind, Action Surge, Extra Attack, ASI/Feat1d6+3 Attack Action1d6+3 Extra Attack Action1d6+3 Bonus Action2d6 Sneak Attack. We will assume that sneak attack will be dealt on the first successful hit each round and that the second ASI will be put into something that doesn't directly impact DPR. Warlock (Hex Blade) Hex blade is going to allow us to cast some vicious spells and still focus on melee combat. This is the class to take if we want to pull off fancy stunts. Another ability we get at 3rd level is fancy footwork, which eliminates a creatures ability to make opportunity attacks against us if weve made a melee attack against them this turn. You might as well call this ability hit and run. While at first glance theres a nice spread of features as you level up, picking them up at 3rd, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels, this class can be very top-heavy. Mixes of dialects, jargon, and nonsense words are used to communicate verbally, and a mix of symbols and secret signs are used to convey simple nonverbal messages. Elf: A +2 to DEX, Darkvision, and proficiency in the Perception skill. If we increase these characters to Rogue 9 (A), Rogue 4/Fighter 5 (B) and Rogue 5/Fighter 4 (C) respectively, character (A) gains +1d6 sneak attack and the Panache ability, their total attack routine now generates a DPR of24.18. Regarding Alignment. We cover the best feats for Rogues in our 5e Rogue Guide, the only changes would be: Fill out the form below to receive Escape From Mt. RELATED: The 10 Best Warlock Multiclass Combos In D&D. In particular, the combination of Hexblade warlock and Swashbuckler rogue can be lethal. Just get a large mount and you are set. (B) A Rogue(Swashbuckler) 3/Fighter (Battlemaster) 5 with the Two-weapon Fighting Style would make 3 attacks each dealing 1d8+4 damage. We can essentially goad a foe into fighting only us, or charm a non-hostile creature and turn them into a friendly acquaintance. Going for a martial focused build, well start off by grabbing up Piercer. You get to pick up Booming Blade, Eldritch Blast, and Hex, all of which are great spells for the swashbuckler. But, they can always be used to build a great character, and being able to choose a feat at 1st level is hard to pass up. Covering The Best In Video Games, Esports, Movies and Geek Culture This gives you a great way to make some money on the side and access to an unusual but inexpensive weapon (instead of a musical instrument since this is a variant of entertainer). . A swashbuckler is a brave, crafty, and heroic individual, while some may appear to have certain scoundrel qualities. Take a level 8 variant human character with an 18 Dex and the Dual Wielder feat for dual rapiers, a 60% to land a hit and all attacks qualify for sneak attack. For a rogue, this might put us in danger. Also I think its worth adding Half-Elf back into your race discussion, as a +2 to CHA and +1 to two other skills looks far more interesting for a sub-class ucsing CHA as an important secondary attribute. Part of the fun of leveling up is having something to look forward to, and if the features coming down the line are no more exciting than what youre already working with, theres not much incentive to stay in this class. If you play a highly mobile race like a Tabaxi or Wood Elf you can get in your melee attacks and still end your turn somewhere safe. I'm currently playing a Swords Bard who at level 4 took Elven Accuracy, at level 5 took a 1 level dip into Hexblade, and at level 6 started with Rogue. Thanks for the comments Cannae! It depends on what you are trying to get out of the character. Privacy Policy. Basically, if you get your target alone, youre dealing your sneak attack damage once per turn. Get a few extra hit points, Second Wind and get to pick either TWF of Duelling Style giving a little extra damage at will. I recommend at least 5 levels for Extra Attack, which if you are two-weapon fighting as per the intent of the subclass, that gives you three attacks per round to land Sneak Attack. Since our characters are based on dexterity and charisma, we can go in two ways, either moving towards a dexterity-based combatant or toward a charisma-based magic user. This doesn't include the effects of crits, the fact you may miss altogether or the fact that having additional attacks increase the odds of you landing your sneak attack (and maybe even critting it). Going Dex/Wisdom/Charisma, just need a campaign to play her in :). I'm playing a Swashbuckler 13/Battle Master 5 in a high-level one-off with a Scimitar of Speed and am really really enjoying how she's turned out so far. it's just a question of if your MC is . They getthe rest of the Bard package, too. Once you do so, you cant use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. One point of caution though is that the drow race has built-in disadvantage whenever you or your target is in sunlight, eliminating A LOT of opportunity for sneak attacks. There are also similarly 4 combinationsfor hitting => 55% + (40%*55%) = 77%. An attack counts as a sneak attack if you either have advantage on your target, or if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, they arent incapascitated and you dont have disadvantage on them. Youre right that your action will typically be used for attacking, rather than using Panache. In fact, had the first two and last two been switched, I probably wouldnt notice any serious power imbalance. A Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight . Halfling: The +2 DEX bonus, and Lucky make this an amazing choice for Swashbucklers. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. Therefore, I'll have an opportunity to be a smug outcast or an honorable prince. Rogues have a crazy amount of skills to choose from, and starting out with four proficiencies (not including any racial or background) is unbeatable. This skill is good for a specific build, and mainly a different type of bard like thief or scout would pick this up. Since crafty evasion is such a big part of the swashbucklers fighting style, it also stands to reason that they will do their best to put themselves where they need to be on the battlefield. Hopefully I roll a bunch of odd Dice and I can use feats to dip into the spell casting like magic initiate. Okay that last part is just cool, but still. Real life happens, DM gets burned out, etc. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Arcane Eye is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. You can use a bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on the next Acrobatics or Athletics check you make during the same turn. To clarify, this ability works on ability checks, not attack rolls or saving throws. Touch 6: The Knowledge from Without. This assumes Dex 16, two weapon fighting short swords with no feats8th lvl RogueExpertise x4, Cunning Action, Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, ASI/Feat x21d6+3 Attack Action1d6 Bonus Action4d6 Sneak Attack. The following options are great choices for the swashbuckler rogue to pick up. Less of the focus is on the swashbuckler, but we still get plenty of the abilities. Going single weapon with a Rapier as my Kensai weapon. Yes you loose access to Find Familiar, but you already say the Swashbuckler will almost always be able to sneak attack, so the value of a familiar to Help is minimal. For the purpose of meeting its prerequisites, your ranger level is equal to half your character level. Now, that being said, youre also going to want to take Booming Blade, since its a cantrip that will let you add more damage to your melee attacks, stacking on top of your potential sneak attack damage for a whole lot of dice rolling at one time. A character with this multiclass combo will be extremely strong in one-on-one fights, as they can deal Sneak Attack damage using Rakish Audacity when fighting alone. Taking a look at the swashbuckler I like it but at higher levels I'm less interested in the options reliable talent's cool but then asi could go either way, elegant manuever the same and I don't have much interest after that. For a Swashbuckler I would also recommend levels in Fighter in the case that you wish to multiclass. Instead, a rogue now takes half of 2d10 on a failed save and no damage on the successful save. Misty step is great for getting across the map fast, and having an option to move easily is perfect for a swashbuckler backed into a corner. 55% chance of dealing 1d8+4 (avg 8.5) / 1d8 (avg4.5), 5% chance of dealing 2d8+4 (avg 13) / 2d8 (avg9). The swashbuckler attitude is something that permeates into just about every on-screen hero we see nowadays. Usually, Swashbucklers want to be using their Bonus Action to Dash, Hide, or Offhand attack but if, say, you are grappled by a scary creature you will definitely be using this bonus action to give you advantage on getting out of it. In D&D, this gives us a really exciting character to play. As popular portrayals of swashbucklers have evolved, film and literature have turned swashbucklers from braggadocious bullies into heroic adventurers with a certain swagger. This guide is meant as a deep dive into the Swashbuckler Rogue subclass. Win initiative Both of these bloodlines are great for swashbucklers. Putting all of the conditions together means most of your bases are covered, unless you are outnumbered by enemies. / Hasbro, Inc. Realistically, you can solve this by clever use of feats, or maybe by multiclassing if you choose an option that balances everything youd be losing out on in the rogue class, another top-heavy subclass might be a really good idea. You make a persuasion check against a creature who can hear and understand you. What are your thoughts on finding a way to boost the Swashbucklers AC since they are most often in melee? I'm thinking I want to bring em' up to level 9, but what sort of multiclasses would be good on a swashbuckler? A well-armed pirate leaps from the crows nest to confront his enemy. God, I just realized some of you reading might not have seen The Princess Pride. For simplicity I only considered the situation where Sneak Attack is applicable but the attacks do not have advantage since advantage may not always be available. Features that you automatically obtain through the Rogue class will appear in Orange and features that you gain through the Swashbuckler archetype subclass will appear in Pink. Dungeons and Dragons is a Trademark of Wizards of the Coast, LLC. Thank you for this great article! But I do see your point. You can either increase one ability by 2 points or two abilities by 1. D&D 5E Swashbuckler/warlock multi class. Plus Uncanny Dodge at 5th, Evasion at 7th! Is it another option for cunning action? Talk about value for a subclass feature. As soon as we take this subclass we get access to a new condition for sneak attack. Rogues get the second most amount of ASIs/feats of any class, with 6 levels to choose ASIs for. She's already a criminal, and she's melee based - she uses EB only if she's out of range. We see crafty footwork, elite evasion, and plenty of panache being used to throw their opponents on edge. Acrobatics (DEX) Especially with your Elegant Maneuvers at 13th level, this skill is a must for a rogue. 4. Slippery Mind: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide. Doesn't have to be a longsword. Started out a Lvl 3 Half Elf with this subclass. Swashbuckler/Paladin looked cool to me purely for the nova potential, but I understand that it's MAD unless I start Pally with less than 13 Str. Our charming qualities and quips allow us to become better suited for any situation in and out of combat. we-are-rogue: [by Derek Nekritz, abridged from the article The Miracles of Multiclassing / Middle Finger of Vecna.Art: The Duel (detail) by Shen Fei / The Shadow Glass by AlyFell / by 3D Ace Studio] Multiclassing for Fun and Profit One of the later fight scenes is possibly my favorite. He tosses a second sword to the trembling villain, promising a fair fight for even the most wretched of scum. Not to mention we gain a feature later on that gives us advantage on acrobatics and athletics checks. Were looking for a bonus to our dexterity and then to our charisma, a pairing that isnt incredibly common. Also I absolutely should have put my WIS points into CON. So I come back to wondering about the in-combat use of Panache. Variant Human: +1 DEX and +1 CHA is a decent base for Swashbucklers. I think that would basically be two Bonus Actions which I dont think is allowed. From it, I see that my feats are going to tied up until at least 12 level. Reference obscure rules allow us to become better suited for any situation in and out of range had the two! Two been switched, I & # x27 ; ll focus on here are the main points where swashbucklers,! Life happens, DM gets burned out, etc excels in single,... Is an interesting language in the case that you wish to multiclass interesting language in the case that wish. To cast some Vicious spells and still focus on here are the main points where swashbucklers,. Princess Pride class, with 6 levels to choose ASIs for to certain! 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