Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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I, along with many other players, eagerly await an updated version of the Swashbuckler to be brought to the 2024 rule set. I have been molding over mechanics and ideas from other rogue subclasses--along with the other official 2024 releases--which could be utilized and modified in creating a version on the Swashbuckler that would keep players excited!
Below are my opinions on what I think could be a rework for the Swashbuckler:
3RD LEVEL: RAKISH AUDACITY
- You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.
- You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don’t need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if you are within 5 feet of it, no other creatures are within 5 feet of you, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
3RD LEVEL: RIDICULE
- You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip.
- You can cast this cantrip as a Bonus Action a number of times (minimum once) up to your Charisma modifier per Long Rest.
9TH LEVEL: DEFENSIVE STANCE
You gain the following Cunning Strike options:
- Flourish (Cost: 1d6). Add the roll of your sneak attack die as a bonus to your AC until the end of your next turn.
13TH LEVEL: PANACHE
- Your charm becomes extraordinarily beguiling. As an Action, a creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 plus your Charisma modifier and Proficiency Bonus) or have the Charmed condition. A target charmed by this feature also has Disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you and can’t make Opportunity Attacks against targets other than you. This effect lasts for 1 minute, until you or one of your companions attacks the target or affects it with a spell, or until you and the target are more than 60 feet apart.
17TH LEVEL: COUNTER STRIKE
- When a creature makes a melee attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to avoid the attack, then move up to half your speed--without provoking Opportunity Attacks--and make a melee weapon attack against the creature with advantage. You can use this feature once per long rest.
These options create a very Charisma focused subclass as a powerful front line combatant. I would love to know what others think of this design for an updated Swashbuckler!
I would like a Swashbuckler to have a disarm Cunning Strike,
A way (for a limited amount of time) a way to counter to lessen the damage of an opponent with multiple/extra attacks.
Personally i'd drop the charm and viscious mockery - not every subclass needs to be a spellcaster. You could accomplish similar using the roleplaying of Intimidation and persuasion skills without needing to give them magic.
I would keep it as close to the legacy version as possible, in fact I would argue that the legacy version is already 5e24 compliant and should be able to be used as is.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (original Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
What and were is this legacy version?
It was a subclass introduced in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. It focuses on Rogues as 1v1 fighters, something like an Errol Flynn type, mixing mobility and panache to create a kind of dexterity-charisma hybrid fighter.
I'll be honest, I wouldn't complain if they just spun the subclass off largely unchanged. I'd fuss with some of the language to make it less ambiguous and more in-line with 2024 rules (I might, for instance, make Panache a Cunning Strike option), but other than that, it's a pretty good class as-is. I have a friend playing a Swashbuckler in a 2024 campaign, and they've never complained that they're missing anything.
BG3 Swashbuckler, is really fun to play, and I like that it uses Bonus Action to mitigate what you lose from extra attack from other melee builds. What level it happens at might be a consideration, usually you don't get class and subclasses features when you get ASI's so that there is more of a tradeoff to chase those features with potentially losing an ASI. Level 5 or 6 seems to make the most sense as it would line up with when other classes get extra attack. There would be some limitations with optimized dual weild builds, which i think is fine
When armed with a just a Rapier or a Rapier and Dagger the Swashbuckler can treat the Rapier as a light weapon.... Please, Please, Please....
Yeah, is it too many features though? Fancy footwork is pretty important for the sort of rogue style swashbuckler is trying for, not hiding for sneak attack and moving around the battlefield freely. I wonder if they did some sort of option in the subclass (I would like to see more options in classes and subclasses in general, like ranger and druid Druidic Warrior and Primal Order choices). Give players the choice of 1 of three of the BG3 level 4 features at level 3 and another at level 9? That I think would allow you to be the pocket sand or disarming attack style, and keep fancy footwork? The class is just very good in BG3, so some limitations on these features wouldn't be terrible. Also because of the extra feat at 10, I think building the subclass so that it works well as a Swash 10/other X multiclass for parties that are going full level.
I would also like to see them lean into the dueling fighting style a bit, or a pistol and sword fighting style, thematically
I find myself once more thinking about the Swashbuckler--it is by far my favorite Rogue Subclass of all time! In my opinion, the Swashbuckler pairs very well with the Battle Master Fighter, and I have often found myself combining the two whenever I play this character concept. Although multiclassing is always an option, I do prefer to stick to a single class and grow with it. So taking my thoughts from before, ideas from the 2024 UA that the Swashbuckler appeared in, and the original release of the Swashbuckler; this is my 'new' suggested break down to make this Subclass keep a similar concept and appeal, as it moves into a 5.5E format.
3RD LEVEL: RAKISH AUDACITY
- You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.
- You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don’t need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if you are within 5 feet of it, no other creatures are within 5 feet of you, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
3RD LEVEL: QUICK STRIKE
- When you take the Attack action on your turn and make a melee weapon attack with a weapon that lacks the Two-Handed or Heavy property, you can make one extra attack as a Bonus Action later on the same turn with the same weapon (you add your ability modifier to the extra attack's damage).
9TH LEVEL: PANACHE
- Your charm becomes extraordinarily beguiling. As a Magic Action, a creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 plus your Charisma modifier and Proficiency Bonus) or have the Charmed condition. A target charmed by this feature also has Disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you and can’t make Opportunity Attacks against targets other than you. This effect lasts for 1 minute, until you or one of your companions attacks the target or affects it with a spell, or until you and the target are more than 60 feet apart.
13TH LEVEL: DASHING STRIKES
- You have practiced new ways to use your Sneak Attack. The following effects are now among your Cunning Strike options.
- Parrying Stance (Cost: 2d6). Roll a d6. Until the start of your next turn, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to the number rolled.
- Invigorate (Cost: 2d6). Choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself. Until the end of that creature’s next turn, whenever it makes an attack roll or a saving throw, it can roll a d6 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.
17TH LEVEL: MASTER DUELIST
- Beginning at 17th level, your mastery of the blade lets you turn failure into success in combat. If you miss with an attack roll, you can roll it again with advantage. Once you do so, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
I also question the divide between how many people see the Swashbuckler as a Pirate (I.e. Hook, Jack Sparrow, etc.)? Mainly thinking in the aspect of guns.
So I also forward the idea of having the Swashbuckler gain: Ranged Weaponry. You gain proficiency with Martial Ranged weapons. (exactly as the Artillerist gets it).
Swashbucklers are perfect as is, they don't need anything.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (original Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
The only feature of Swashbuckler that doesn't work basically the same way in 5.5e as it did in 5e is Fancy Footwork. Due to the existence of Withdraw, it's significantly worse than it was in 5e. So if you're 'updating' Swashbuckler, that's really the only feature you need to think about.
A simple fix would be to allow the Swashbuckler to also apply use Withdraw whenever they use a different Cunning Strike. This would let them Trip+Withdraw, or Poison+Withdraw, etc.
Edit: Make the Withdraw not cost more Sneak Attack dice. Rogues are low enough in the damage department already.
That still loses a little bit of what the original had, since Fancy Footwork doesn't need to be used on a Sneak Attack, and can even be used with an attack that misses.
I might suggest instead keeping Fancy Footwork as is, but giving them an improvement to Withdraw that makes it still worth using. Perhaps something like:
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