I'm starting in a new campaign soon and I want to play a swashbuckler rogue. But that's as far as I can get, I don't know what race or background to give them. My idea so far is a rogue who deals in information, not the stabby assassin. For race, I've thought about Shifter, Changeling or Half-elf. We have access to most WoTC official content, nothing homebrew. To avoid accidental spoilers or metagaming I won't share the module we'll be playing :)
For background Charlatan, Courtier, City Watch, Criminal (Spy), Faction Agent, Investigator all are ways in for building up a sort of information broker type. I would say, Mastermind or Inquisitive would give you more subclass features than Swashbuckler along these lines, but there's nothing preventing a Swashbuckler, or any character class, from taking on a more investigative leaning in the way they go about things. Those backgrounds will require you to work with your DM to figure out precisely how the character "plugs in" to the corridors of power and flows of information in the game world.
A changeling has a unique capability useful for spies and eavesdroppers, just realize it's limitations (it's not designed to replicate a particular individual for impersonation, your voice doesn't change, etc.). You'll also need to work with your DM on what Changelings are in your game world. Shifter gives some combat buffs, maybe good for the swashbuckler and again, like the Changeling, since they're an Eberon specific race, if they're not in your DMs world, you'll have to work with them to figure out what they are with the DM or learn the place they have in your DM's world. Half Elves are more garden variety normal to most D&D world so are a usually a bit more easily incorporated into generic settings "out of the box."
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Were I to try and make a Swashbuckler Rogue who deals in subterfuge, I'd be looking at a Smuggler background as Han Solo. I would also go for Human (bearing in mind I warm up to playing Humans in fantasy settings a great deal more than most), and that the fact a mere manling can do the job better than more fantastical races speaks volumes of their abilities. Changeling, as MidnightPlat, is a good race to go for with the mechanical side of charisma boosts and the ability to shapechange; I'd used them for the Smuggler background for a similar sort of character. But if you want to make your character your character, I'd say any that goes with wisdom/charisma/dexterity as the sort of traits you imagine them having (not just stat-wise) would be ideal.
It also depends on the setting though. Being a smuggler might not work so well if there's notoriously good harbour and aerial guard (Waterdeep, for instance) unless you deal underneath the city. Or perhaps in politics, but I once more refer you to MidnightPlat's ideas for backgrounds. Even being a researcher or sage could grant you permission to hit the bad books of a library or temple, and sell forbidden knowledge to others.
Good luck with your character. I reckon as you play you'll find even more ways to gather and use information; knowing is only half the battle, and all that!
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Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
I might suggest an entirely different tack. Don't play the Rogue class at all, but instead play a Teifling Bard acting as a Rogue. This is a concept I have seen pulled off in-game previously by a particularly capable player, and it was marvelous. The character was introduced to the rest of the party as a Rogue with the Criminal background. She was spec'd in charm and utility spells, but did not use those spells in front of other PCs, or at least, not in an obvious way. The character's description included the detail that she had particularly long and lovely horns. In truth, her horns had been cut off and replaced with hollowed mundane screw-on horns where she kept her thieves tools and a disguise kit (4lbs total, divided 2 and 2). The GM allowed her Bardic music to be cast through song instead of instrument, though she also RP'd being "bad" at playing a pan flute from time to time. She made it to level four, having taken School of Whispers, before the other PCs became aware that she was even a caster (in-character).
Charlatan works great for this, since you are a swashbuckler you will push Charisma so your goal could be charming noble lords and ladies to give up their secrets and use against them by pretending to be them. Often the worst things that happen in the world of D&D are typically plotted in courts of nobility. You could think of him more as a James Bond type of spy. If you are looking to expand a great dip down the line could be Aberrant Mind sorcerer. The ability to creep into peoples minds would add great flavor it would also give you green flame blade and booming blade that stacks with sneak attack for even more damage. College of Whispers / swords bard could also add some good flavor too. if you get 6 levels in sword bard for example you can also unlock an extra attack with your flourishes as well as some charisma based casting and even more expertise. Hexblade would let you pump charisma over dex but you can make up with a dip in that with expertise and pick up Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade, and an extra attack at level 5 + evocations like Mask of Many Faces, Devils Sight, or Eyes of the Runekeeper for infiltration and information gathering.
I suppose the obvious route for a swashbuckler would be a pirate, though there might be some other options if you want to experiment with a dashing renegade but do something less obvious. For instance there's the pirate's land-based cousin, the Highwayman. I've done a bit of experimenting with this one myself though they probably wouldn't fit the swashbuckler archetype. What I was leaning towards was scout mixed with a fighter/gunslinger.
You talk about a rogue who specializes in information rather than assassination- I'm not sure if swashbuckler would be the best role for that. It almost sounds like we need a "spy" subclass of rogue that specializes in observation. An arcane trickster might work, especially if you could get some spells that aid in observation or discretion. Criminal background would also be useful since this person may need criminal contacts.
We did an all Rogue one-shot once - well, I think we were all Rogue multi-classed. I went with a Swashbuckler/Sword Bard, and decided to play an over the top, flamboyant, talkative sort, who in effect acted as the distraction to the other, sneakier Rogues. And, since nobody expected the "obvious" one to be sneaky, she got to also get away with a lot of trickery, since they weren't expecting it.
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I'm starting in a new campaign soon and I want to play a swashbuckler rogue. But that's as far as I can get, I don't know what race or background to give them. My idea so far is a rogue who deals in information, not the stabby assassin. For race, I've thought about Shifter, Changeling or Half-elf. We have access to most WoTC official content, nothing homebrew. To avoid accidental spoilers or metagaming I won't share the module we'll be playing :)
For background Charlatan, Courtier, City Watch, Criminal (Spy), Faction Agent, Investigator all are ways in for building up a sort of information broker type. I would say, Mastermind or Inquisitive would give you more subclass features than Swashbuckler along these lines, but there's nothing preventing a Swashbuckler, or any character class, from taking on a more investigative leaning in the way they go about things. Those backgrounds will require you to work with your DM to figure out precisely how the character "plugs in" to the corridors of power and flows of information in the game world.
A changeling has a unique capability useful for spies and eavesdroppers, just realize it's limitations (it's not designed to replicate a particular individual for impersonation, your voice doesn't change, etc.). You'll also need to work with your DM on what Changelings are in your game world. Shifter gives some combat buffs, maybe good for the swashbuckler and again, like the Changeling, since they're an Eberon specific race, if they're not in your DMs world, you'll have to work with them to figure out what they are with the DM or learn the place they have in your DM's world. Half Elves are more garden variety normal to most D&D world so are a usually a bit more easily incorporated into generic settings "out of the box."
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Thanks! This was a great help to get me brainstorming!
Were I to try and make a Swashbuckler Rogue who deals in subterfuge, I'd be looking at a Smuggler background as Han Solo. I would also go for Human (bearing in mind I warm up to playing Humans in fantasy settings a great deal more than most), and that the fact a mere manling can do the job better than more fantastical races speaks volumes of their abilities. Changeling, as MidnightPlat, is a good race to go for with the mechanical side of charisma boosts and the ability to shapechange; I'd used them for the Smuggler background for a similar sort of character. But if you want to make your character your character, I'd say any that goes with wisdom/charisma/dexterity as the sort of traits you imagine them having (not just stat-wise) would be ideal.
It also depends on the setting though. Being a smuggler might not work so well if there's notoriously good harbour and aerial guard (Waterdeep, for instance) unless you deal underneath the city. Or perhaps in politics, but I once more refer you to MidnightPlat's ideas for backgrounds. Even being a researcher or sage could grant you permission to hit the bad books of a library or temple, and sell forbidden knowledge to others.
Good luck with your character. I reckon as you play you'll find even more ways to gather and use information; knowing is only half the battle, and all that!
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
If I was going to be a swashbuckler, I'd play a full on pirate. Start as a lowly sailor, get yourself a parrot familiar, and become notorious!
Race-wise, half elf would be quite apt. Cast out by their family and earning their keep on the seas...
Hi Valna92,
I might suggest an entirely different tack. Don't play the Rogue class at all, but instead play a Teifling Bard acting as a Rogue. This is a concept I have seen pulled off in-game previously by a particularly capable player, and it was marvelous. The character was introduced to the rest of the party as a Rogue with the Criminal background. She was spec'd in charm and utility spells, but did not use those spells in front of other PCs, or at least, not in an obvious way. The character's description included the detail that she had particularly long and lovely horns. In truth, her horns had been cut off and replaced with hollowed mundane screw-on horns where she kept her thieves tools and a disguise kit (4lbs total, divided 2 and 2). The GM allowed her Bardic music to be cast through song instead of instrument, though she also RP'd being "bad" at playing a pan flute from time to time. She made it to level four, having taken School of Whispers, before the other PCs became aware that she was even a caster (in-character).
Charlatan works great for this, since you are a swashbuckler you will push Charisma so your goal could be charming noble lords and ladies to give up their secrets and use against them by pretending to be them. Often the worst things that happen in the world of D&D are typically plotted in courts of nobility. You could think of him more as a James Bond type of spy. If you are looking to expand a great dip down the line could be Aberrant Mind sorcerer. The ability to creep into peoples minds would add great flavor it would also give you green flame blade and booming blade that stacks with sneak attack for even more damage. College of Whispers / swords bard could also add some good flavor too. if you get 6 levels in sword bard for example you can also unlock an extra attack with your flourishes as well as some charisma based casting and even more expertise. Hexblade would let you pump charisma over dex but you can make up with a dip in that with expertise and pick up Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade, and an extra attack at level 5 + evocations like Mask of Many Faces, Devils Sight, or Eyes of the Runekeeper for infiltration and information gathering.
I suppose the obvious route for a swashbuckler would be a pirate, though there might be some other options if you want to experiment with a dashing renegade but do something less obvious. For instance there's the pirate's land-based cousin, the Highwayman. I've done a bit of experimenting with this one myself though they probably wouldn't fit the swashbuckler archetype. What I was leaning towards was scout mixed with a fighter/gunslinger.
You talk about a rogue who specializes in information rather than assassination- I'm not sure if swashbuckler would be the best role for that. It almost sounds like we need a "spy" subclass of rogue that specializes in observation. An arcane trickster might work, especially if you could get some spells that aid in observation or discretion. Criminal background would also be useful since this person may need criminal contacts.
We did an all Rogue one-shot once - well, I think we were all Rogue multi-classed.
I went with a Swashbuckler/Sword Bard, and decided to play an over the top, flamboyant, talkative sort, who in effect acted as the distraction to the other, sneakier Rogues. And, since nobody expected the "obvious" one to be sneaky, she got to also get away with a lot of trickery, since they weren't expecting it.