What you describe there is not mechanics, but flavour text. It's from the descriptive part of the Swashbuckler class.
The mechanics come later. To see how the mechanics bring the flavour provided by the description to life you can see the features 'Fancy Footwork' and 'Rakish Audacity'.
Fancy Footwork allows you a free disengage if you hit with a melee weapon. That makes two-weapon fighting more appealing to a swashbuckler than another subclass of Rogue. Rogues can disengage as a bonus action-- But if you hit as a swashbuckler, you don't need your bonus action for disengaging. That means that you can use the bonus action attack provided by two-weapon fighting. So this allows you 'fighting with two weapons while safely darting away from an opponent'.
The 'excels in single combat' is shown in Rakish Audacity, where you can gain the effects of sneak attack when in melee with no creatures other than the target within 5 feet of you.
In a simple response any character may attack with two weapons so long as the off-hand weapon is light. There is a penalty in that the damage is calculated without the ability modifier.
Some classes get the ability to fight with two weapons and they are allowed to use the ability modifier.
There is a feat that allows the character to fight with any one-handed weapon regardless of the light tag, as well as gain +1 AC and the ability to draw/stow two one-handed weapons rather than one as is normally the case.
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The suggested meaning to the line however comes from the ability Fancy Foot work which makes it so that: if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn. Which makes the need for Cunning Action's disengage function automatic against that target leaving you Dash and Hide.
So is STR more important for a swashbuckler than DEX cause of the focus on melee?
Nope! Most of the weapons a Rogue is proficient in are Finesse, meaning they can use Dexterity for their melee attacks. A Swashbuckler Rogue would get good use out of rapier, I bet!
You can't get sneak attack unless you use a ranged weapon or a weapon with the Finesse property.
However-- You could absolutely build a strength-based Rogue, if you wanted. Finesse will use whichever is highest from Strength or Dexterity. Mechanically Dexterity will be stronger, but if you wanted to go with a different flavour, the option is open to you.
In a simple response any character may attack with two weapons so long as the off-hand weapon is light. There is a penalty in that the damage is calculated without the ability modifier.
both weapon have to be light not just one when you make Attack action otherwise you cant make the bonus attack with the other hand.
In a simple response any character may attack with two weapons so long as the off-hand weapon is light. There is a penalty in that the damage is calculated without the ability modifier.
both weapon have to be light not just one when you make Attack action otherwise you cant make the bonus attack with the other hand.
This is one Rule I have a problem with since it restricts the most common type of dual-wielding, Sword/dagger. As a DM I have no issues if a player wants to wield a Rapier in their main-hand and a dagger(main gauche) in the offhand regardless of the rules and it fits with the "Swashbuckler" class fantasy.
Fancy Footwork allows you a free disengage if you hit with a melee weapon.
This is actually an oversight; you only need to attack a creature, not actually hit it. So even if you miss you're safe :)
Fancy Footwork
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to land a strike and then slip away without reprisal. During your turn, if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
The "land a strike" is flavor text, not a mechanic
In Xanathar's it says: "A swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight with two weapons while safely darting away from an opponent."
I don't really understand the mechanics of this. I mean how it would work. Can someone plz explain it to me? Thanks.
::: Smellhole
::: It's better to have loved and lost than to never have had a good pair of speakers.
What you describe there is not mechanics, but flavour text. It's from the descriptive part of the Swashbuckler class.
The mechanics come later. To see how the mechanics bring the flavour provided by the description to life you can see the features 'Fancy Footwork' and 'Rakish Audacity'.
Fancy Footwork allows you a free disengage if you hit with a melee weapon. That makes two-weapon fighting more appealing to a swashbuckler than another subclass of Rogue. Rogues can disengage as a bonus action-- But if you hit as a swashbuckler, you don't need your bonus action for disengaging. That means that you can use the bonus action attack provided by two-weapon fighting. So this allows you 'fighting with two weapons while safely darting away from an opponent'.
The 'excels in single combat' is shown in Rakish Audacity, where you can gain the effects of sneak attack when in melee with no creatures other than the target within 5 feet of you.
In a simple response any character may attack with two weapons so long as the off-hand weapon is light. There is a penalty in that the damage is calculated without the ability modifier.
Some classes get the ability to fight with two weapons and they are allowed to use the ability modifier.
There is a feat that allows the character to fight with any one-handed weapon regardless of the light tag, as well as gain +1 AC and the ability to draw/stow two one-handed weapons rather than one as is normally the case.
---
The suggested meaning to the line however comes from the ability Fancy Foot work which makes it so that: if you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can't make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn. Which makes the need for Cunning Action's disengage function automatic against that target leaving you Dash and Hide.Thank you MillieDM :)
k, thx, I get it.
So is STR more important for a swashbuckler than DEX cause of the focus on melee?
::: Smellhole
::: It's better to have loved and lost than to never have had a good pair of speakers.
Nope! Most of the weapons a Rogue is proficient in are Finesse, meaning they can use Dexterity for their melee attacks. A Swashbuckler Rogue would get good use out of rapier, I bet!
You can't get sneak attack unless you use a ranged weapon or a weapon with the Finesse property.
However-- You could absolutely build a strength-based Rogue, if you wanted. Finesse will use whichever is highest from Strength or Dexterity. Mechanically Dexterity will be stronger, but if you wanted to go with a different flavour, the option is open to you.
k, ty Mellie
::: Smellhole
::: It's better to have loved and lost than to never have had a good pair of speakers.
both weapon have to be light not just one when you make Attack action otherwise you cant make the bonus attack with the other hand.
Nox - Adult Oblex - The Trials
Jartrin Ephok - Dragonborn - Zanoliv
Bunol - Grim Angel - The Floating Lands of Goriate
Fair, I was making the (bad on me) assumption the main hand was a light/finesse weapon as we were talking rogue
This is one Rule I have a problem with since it restricts the most common type of dual-wielding, Sword/dagger. As a DM I have no issues if a player wants to wield a Rapier in their main-hand and a dagger(main gauche) in the offhand regardless of the rules and it fits with the "Swashbuckler" class fantasy.
Rapier plus dagger seems equal to 2 short swords in most all effects, so seems a fair rule.
This is actually an oversight; you only need to attack a creature, not actually hit it. So even if you miss you're safe :)
The "land a strike" is flavor text, not a mechanic
Subclass: Dwarven Defender - Dragonborn Paragon
Feats: Artificer Apprentice
Monsters: Sheep - Spellbreaker Warforged Titan
Magic Items: Whipier - Ring of Secret Storage - Collar of the Guardian
Monster template: Skeletal Creature
Basically, with Fancy Footwork, you avoid AoO.
With Rakish Audacity, you have more opportunity for 2d6 (to start) Sneak Attack damage.
With either one, and finesse / light weapons, you can attack with two weapons.