If I'm picturing something like the fencing scene between Wesley and Inigo in Princess Bride with lots of jumping, swinging, etc., I'm picturing a Swashbuckler. If I'm picturing something more like a competition fencer who faces opponents on even ground in more straightforward combat who overwhelms their opponent with technique, I'd play that as a Battlemaster. I don't think Champion has any traits that particularly feed into a fencer... Monk is interesting because I feel like it feeds more into the idea of being a dirty fighter, since as a monk you'll be landing unarmed strikes in addition to your rapier attacks, although that take doesn't feed particularly well into the flavoring of monks in general or the Kensei in particular, what with it including proficiency with calligraphy or painter's tools.
Swashbuckler or battle master is what I'd go for, depending on if you prefer fighter or rogue. Battlemaster can be very thematically appropriate if you pick maneuvers that suit a fencer. Disarming, feints, parry, riposte etc. Plus you can get the duelist fighting style right out the gate.
And swashbuckler, well it's right there in the name.
You should play whatever you think you'll enjoy more, but for me considering the whole package, battlemaster fighter with appropriate maneuvers feels more fitting than swashbuckler rogue, but that's just me. Unless you envision a more nimble character moving around the battle field a lot to make frequent use of cunning action to dash/disengage/hide etc. Sneak attack, especially with swashbuckler's new way of getting sneak attack, can flavor very well as not taking a foe off guard but rather your keen eye finding and punishing a flaw in their defenses. So it does still work very well, but if you imagine more of an honorable duelist standing their ground, battlemaster edges it out for me personally.
Aside from what's been said, I am surprised nobody suggested Swords or Valor Bard. Debonair, charming, classy and fashionable, good with a blade and better with "party tricks" Could MC it smoothly with a Swashbuckler too, if you wanted, to add some Sneak Attack to the first shot. Would also fill a lot of roles in a party, if you need a face, a sneaky type, lockpicking, whatever, Bard/Rogue could do it all, lol.
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Talk to your Players.Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
I like taking Swashbuckler, multi-classing into Battlemaster, and taking reposte. Then you can sneak attack with your reaction when they miss. Take dual wielding for extra AC and/or if you want two rapiers ... or skip the feat and use a shield (buckler) and stick with one attack (maybe pick up booming/green flame blade along the way). Seems more like a fencer to me than just a single class anyway.
I didn't really consider the bard because I was t hinking more of a 1v1 dueling approach. Granted there isn't generally a lot of 1v1 combat in D&D, but valor bard doesn't really get that much to help with the fencing compared to other choices.
The bonus proficiency just help it to catch up somewhat to fighter. Combat inspiration is good, but you can't inspire yourself. It just doesn't really scream fencer to me the same way certain battelmaster builds or swashbuckler can.
Valor Bard isn't as much of a fencer-type, but Swords Bard is. You can use your inspiration for flourishes similar to a Battlemaster's maneuvers... not as many and not nearly as versatile, but you also get access to a full suite of Bard magic. The tricky thing about Swords Bards is that, well... you're still a bard. More often than not you'll get better results from casting spells than from engaging in melee combat. Although there is a fun multiclass you can do with Paladin... you only need two levels of Paladin to get access to Divine Smites, which lets you convert spell slots into damage without requiring any additional actions. Even with your leveling into Bard slowed by 2 levels, you still end up with way more spell slots than you ever would as a full Paladin, and you can combine Divine Smites with Blade Flourishes. Although at that point it's less about being a fencer and more like a magic fighter.
Yes, melee bards suffer from the same issue as bladesingers - beyond a certain point, using your action to cast your spells is just way more effective than swinging your rapier. For swords bard, that's probably level 5. Then melee is ok with Extra Attacks at 6, but quickly falls off again as you get stronger spells. Paladin MC does make it interesting though, and I think lends itself to a different RP concept than Sorcadin.
With all the study and dedication your archetypal fencers, you're Inigo Montoya's, put into their swordplay, I think Battlemaster is probably the way to go for a dexterous, technically deft fencer
Maybe a little left field but what about a Ranger/Hunter? Go for Hunter Mark, Colussus Slayer, Multi-attack Defence, Whirlwind Attack and your choice of Evasion or Uncanny Dodge.
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I am making a character and I though like either Battle Master, Swashbuckler, champion, or maybe even Kensei?
The first one that comes to mind is definitely the Swashbuckler Rogue, though Battle Master & Samurai Fighters, Kensei Monks, and College Of Swords Bards all have something to offer. It comes down to what flavor of fencer you're going for. Do they have flair & panache? Swashbuckler & Swords Bard become more relevant. Focusing on tactics? Battle Master's your huckleberry. Someone who has devoted years of study towards perfection with the blade? Samurai & Kensei definitely score points there. I probably would avoid going with more than two classes, just for simplicity's sake, but you have a lot of options to play with.
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I am making a character and I though like either Battle Master, Swashbuckler, champion, or maybe even Kensei?
insert original witty signature here:
All of those would work. Pick the one with features that appeal to you the most or feel would best assist the way you want to showcase their ability.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
If I'm picturing something like the fencing scene between Wesley and Inigo in Princess Bride with lots of jumping, swinging, etc., I'm picturing a Swashbuckler. If I'm picturing something more like a competition fencer who faces opponents on even ground in more straightforward combat who overwhelms their opponent with technique, I'd play that as a Battlemaster. I don't think Champion has any traits that particularly feed into a fencer... Monk is interesting because I feel like it feeds more into the idea of being a dirty fighter, since as a monk you'll be landing unarmed strikes in addition to your rapier attacks, although that take doesn't feed particularly well into the flavoring of monks in general or the Kensei in particular, what with it including proficiency with calligraphy or painter's tools.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Swashbuckler for sure. I mean that’s what they were actually called. Look up movies starring Errol Flyn.
I'd say Samurai could also very well represent the fencing noble.
Swashbuckler or battle master is what I'd go for, depending on if you prefer fighter or rogue. Battlemaster can be very thematically appropriate if you pick maneuvers that suit a fencer. Disarming, feints, parry, riposte etc. Plus you can get the duelist fighting style right out the gate.
And swashbuckler, well it's right there in the name.
You should play whatever you think you'll enjoy more, but for me considering the whole package, battlemaster fighter with appropriate maneuvers feels more fitting than swashbuckler rogue, but that's just me. Unless you envision a more nimble character moving around the battle field a lot to make frequent use of cunning action to dash/disengage/hide etc. Sneak attack, especially with swashbuckler's new way of getting sneak attack, can flavor very well as not taking a foe off guard but rather your keen eye finding and punishing a flaw in their defenses. So it does still work very well, but if you imagine more of an honorable duelist standing their ground, battlemaster edges it out for me personally.
Aside from what's been said, I am surprised nobody suggested Swords or Valor Bard. Debonair, charming, classy and fashionable, good with a blade and better with "party tricks" Could MC it smoothly with a Swashbuckler too, if you wanted, to add some Sneak Attack to the first shot. Would also fill a lot of roles in a party, if you need a face, a sneaky type, lockpicking, whatever, Bard/Rogue could do it all, lol.
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
I like taking Swashbuckler, multi-classing into Battlemaster, and taking reposte. Then you can sneak attack with your reaction when they miss. Take dual wielding for extra AC and/or if you want two rapiers ... or skip the feat and use a shield (buckler) and stick with one attack (maybe pick up booming/green flame blade along the way). Seems more like a fencer to me than just a single class anyway.
I didn't really consider the bard because I was t hinking more of a 1v1 dueling approach. Granted there isn't generally a lot of 1v1 combat in D&D, but valor bard doesn't really get that much to help with the fencing compared to other choices.
The bonus proficiency just help it to catch up somewhat to fighter. Combat inspiration is good, but you can't inspire yourself. It just doesn't really scream fencer to me the same way certain battelmaster builds or swashbuckler can.
Valor Bard isn't as much of a fencer-type, but Swords Bard is. You can use your inspiration for flourishes similar to a Battlemaster's maneuvers... not as many and not nearly as versatile, but you also get access to a full suite of Bard magic. The tricky thing about Swords Bards is that, well... you're still a bard. More often than not you'll get better results from casting spells than from engaging in melee combat. Although there is a fun multiclass you can do with Paladin... you only need two levels of Paladin to get access to Divine Smites, which lets you convert spell slots into damage without requiring any additional actions. Even with your leveling into Bard slowed by 2 levels, you still end up with way more spell slots than you ever would as a full Paladin, and you can combine Divine Smites with Blade Flourishes. Although at that point it's less about being a fencer and more like a magic fighter.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Yes, melee bards suffer from the same issue as bladesingers - beyond a certain point, using your action to cast your spells is just way more effective than swinging your rapier. For swords bard, that's probably level 5. Then melee is ok with Extra Attacks at 6, but quickly falls off again as you get stronger spells. Paladin MC does make it interesting though, and I think lends itself to a different RP concept than Sorcadin.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
With all the study and dedication your archetypal fencers, you're Inigo Montoya's, put into their swordplay, I think Battlemaster is probably the way to go for a dexterous, technically deft fencer
Maybe a little left field but what about a Ranger/Hunter? Go for Hunter Mark, Colussus Slayer, Multi-attack Defence, Whirlwind Attack and your choice of Evasion or Uncanny Dodge.
The first one that comes to mind is definitely the Swashbuckler Rogue, though Battle Master & Samurai Fighters, Kensei Monks, and College Of Swords Bards all have something to offer. It comes down to what flavor of fencer you're going for. Do they have flair & panache? Swashbuckler & Swords Bard become more relevant. Focusing on tactics? Battle Master's your huckleberry. Someone who has devoted years of study towards perfection with the blade? Samurai & Kensei definitely score points there. I probably would avoid going with more than two classes, just for simplicity's sake, but you have a lot of options to play with.