So I'm currently playing a Half-Elf Swashbuckler in one of my campaigns (single rapier with Booming Blade and Elven Accuracy). My plan is to take a 3-level dip into Fighter starting at level 6 for shield proficiency and to pick up Battlemaster down the line. However, I'm a little stuck on my choices of maneuvers. Here's what I've whittled it down to so far:
1) Riposte 2) Precision Attack OR Feinting Attack 3) Trip Attack OR Disarming Attack
Riposte is the only no-brainer here. Potentially getting multiple applications of sneak attack per round is just too good, as such I expect this is what most of my maneuver die will be used on. As for the others, I can't quite make my mind up.
Precision Attack is an easy +1d8 for when I really need to hit something, but is that better than using Fenting Attack to give myself advantage against a target when combined with Elven Accuracy?
Trip Attack is nasty as they'll need to use up half their movement getting up, then take damage from Booming Blade if they move further. For Disarming Attack, my DM would allow me to follow this up with a free object interaction to attempt to kick the weapon away (with a Dex check to make sure I don't stab myself in the foot).
Pushing Attack is a solid way to move them away in hopes of triggering more Boom damage without the risk of eating a opportunity attack, not as helpful if you plan on getting Mobile feat or plan on using your bonus action to disengage.
Brace is another solid way to trigger more sneak attacks per round. Parry is also worth a shout since damage reduction could save your life in a pinch.
Trip attack can be useful for setting up the party to wail on them with advantage, if you have a lot of melee. If your group is range heavy I wouldn't go for it though, as that would give ranged attackers disadvantage. It would also make them do opportunty attacks at disadvantage if you want to move away without mobile or using disengage as your bonus action.
Maneuvering Strike is also potentially useful for party support to say, let the wizard get some distance from an enemy without having to misty step or disengage. Doesn't do much for your character specifically though unfortunately.
For precision attack I think it could be useful. Going for advantage is always a good thing but you probably won't 'always' have it. And if you're using booming blade that means no two weapon fighting meaning you get ONE chance to land your sneak attack per turn unless someone casts haste on you or you use up your action surge. Depending on how often you plan to have advantage, it may be worth saving one of your die to throw this out now and then. How often you're able to bonus action hide or have other factors to give you advantage in your particular game could sway this from being too niche to take or really valuable. Hard for me to say.
Anything that gives you a shot at sneak attack as a reaction outside of your turn is of course super useful as a rogue.
Disarming strike feels a little campaign dependant. WIll you be fighting humanoids a lot? Or more monsters that don't use weapons etc? It could be consistently useful or end up being niche depending on what your DM throws at you.
Pushing Attack is a solid way to move them away in hopes of triggering more Boom damage without the risk of eating a opportunity attack, not as helpful if you plan on getting Mobile feat or plan on using your bonus action to disengage.
Brace is another solid way to trigger more sneak attacks per round. Parry is also worth a shout since damage reduction could save your life in a pinch.
Fancy Footwork already allows me to back out of melee without provoking an AoO, so Pushing Attack would only really be useful if I'm trying to push enemies off my allies. Parry also seems redundant when I already have access to Uncanny Dodge.
Brace could be a useful alternative to Riposte, however!
Trip attack can be useful for setting up the party to wail on them with advantage, if you have a lot of melee. If your group is range heavy I wouldn't go for it though, as that would give ranged attackers disadvantage. It would also make them do opportunty attacks at disadvantage if you want to move away without mobile or using disengage as your bonus action.
Maneuvering Strike is also potentially useful for party support to say, let the wizard get some distance from an enemy without having to misty step or disengage. Doesn't do much for your character specifically though unfortunately.
For precision attack I think it could be useful. Going for advantage is always a good thing but you probably won't 'always' have it. And if you're using booming blade that means no two weapon fighting meaning you get ONE chance to land your sneak attack per turn unless someone casts haste on you or you use up your action surge. Depending on how often you plan to have advantage, it may be worth saving one of your die to throw this out now and then. How often you're able to bonus action hide or have other factors to give you advantage in your particular game could sway this from being too niche to take or really valuable. Hard for me to say.
Anything that gives you a shot at sneak attack as a reaction outside of your turn is of course super useful as a rogue.
Disarming strike feels a little campaign dependant. WIll you be fighting humanoids a lot? Or more monsters that don't use weapons etc? It could be consistently useful or end up being niche depending on what your DM throws at you.
So our party thus far is myself, a paladin, warlock and druid, so a fairly equal mix of melee and ranged. Your point about Maneuvering Strike is a good one, could come in useful helping out the squishier party members!
As for not always having advantage - that's why I'm thinking Feinting Attack could potentially be more useful that Precision Attack. I could give myself advantage, or cancel out disadvantage if I need to. Especially useful as I have Elven Accuracy already.
You're also right about disarming strike being niche. So far we've faced roughly equal parts humanoids and creatures. I suspect Trip Attack or Maneuvering Strike would be more consistently useful.
Canceling disadvantage would be very useful, if situational, since you can't get sneak attack if you have disadvantage. I'd probably take precision OR feinting to help not miss sneak attacks now and then, but not both. Whichever you think will help you more. Just keep in mind that feinting also eats your bonus action.
Maneuvering is useful for party tactical stuff, but if you want stuff that will buff the rogue instead of provicing party utility, I'd drop it.
Really I just love battlemaster in general, so many things you can do with it with different manuvers to emphasize different things.
I’d go with Feinting Attack, Brace and Riposte. You’ll be able to move to melee, BB, and step away. If they’re foolish enough to eat the BB damage to close, you can Brace for extra SA. If you want to stay in melee, Aim for Advantage and Riposte / Uncanny Dodge.
IMHO the only problem with Battlemaster is that it has so many good choices. Trying to just pick 3 starting out is tough. I would ask the DM if you could pick the initial 3 and then play it for a level. If any of them don't work as you thought, see about switching them for another one.
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Hi everyone!
So I'm currently playing a Half-Elf Swashbuckler in one of my campaigns (single rapier with Booming Blade and Elven Accuracy). My plan is to take a 3-level dip into Fighter starting at level 6 for shield proficiency and to pick up Battlemaster down the line. However, I'm a little stuck on my choices of maneuvers. Here's what I've whittled it down to so far:
1) Riposte
2) Precision Attack OR Feinting Attack
3) Trip Attack OR Disarming Attack
Riposte is the only no-brainer here. Potentially getting multiple applications of sneak attack per round is just too good, as such I expect this is what most of my maneuver die will be used on. As for the others, I can't quite make my mind up.
Precision Attack is an easy +1d8 for when I really need to hit something, but is that better than using Fenting Attack to give myself advantage against a target when combined with Elven Accuracy?
Trip Attack is nasty as they'll need to use up half their movement getting up, then take damage from Booming Blade if they move further. For Disarming Attack, my DM would allow me to follow this up with a free object interaction to attempt to kick the weapon away (with a Dex check to make sure I don't stab myself in the foot).
What would you take? Thanks in advance!
Pushing Attack is a solid way to move them away in hopes of triggering more Boom damage without the risk of eating a opportunity attack, not as helpful if you plan on getting Mobile feat or plan on using your bonus action to disengage.
Brace is another solid way to trigger more sneak attacks per round. Parry is also worth a shout since damage reduction could save your life in a pinch.
Trip attack can be useful for setting up the party to wail on them with advantage, if you have a lot of melee. If your group is range heavy I wouldn't go for it though, as that would give ranged attackers disadvantage. It would also make them do opportunty attacks at disadvantage if you want to move away without mobile or using disengage as your bonus action.
Maneuvering Strike is also potentially useful for party support to say, let the wizard get some distance from an enemy without having to misty step or disengage. Doesn't do much for your character specifically though unfortunately.
For precision attack I think it could be useful. Going for advantage is always a good thing but you probably won't 'always' have it. And if you're using booming blade that means no two weapon fighting meaning you get ONE chance to land your sneak attack per turn unless someone casts haste on you or you use up your action surge. Depending on how often you plan to have advantage, it may be worth saving one of your die to throw this out now and then. How often you're able to bonus action hide or have other factors to give you advantage in your particular game could sway this from being too niche to take or really valuable. Hard for me to say.
Anything that gives you a shot at sneak attack as a reaction outside of your turn is of course super useful as a rogue.
Disarming strike feels a little campaign dependant. WIll you be fighting humanoids a lot? Or more monsters that don't use weapons etc? It could be consistently useful or end up being niche depending on what your DM throws at you.
Fancy Footwork already allows me to back out of melee without provoking an AoO, so Pushing Attack would only really be useful if I'm trying to push enemies off my allies. Parry also seems redundant when I already have access to Uncanny Dodge.
Brace could be a useful alternative to Riposte, however!
So our party thus far is myself, a paladin, warlock and druid, so a fairly equal mix of melee and ranged. Your point about Maneuvering Strike is a good one, could come in useful helping out the squishier party members!
As for not always having advantage - that's why I'm thinking Feinting Attack could potentially be more useful that Precision Attack. I could give myself advantage, or cancel out disadvantage if I need to. Especially useful as I have Elven Accuracy already.
You're also right about disarming strike being niche. So far we've faced roughly equal parts humanoids and creatures. I suspect Trip Attack or Maneuvering Strike would be more consistently useful.
Canceling disadvantage would be very useful, if situational, since you can't get sneak attack if you have disadvantage. I'd probably take precision OR feinting to help not miss sneak attacks now and then, but not both. Whichever you think will help you more. Just keep in mind that feinting also eats your bonus action.
Maneuvering is useful for party tactical stuff, but if you want stuff that will buff the rogue instead of provicing party utility, I'd drop it.
Really I just love battlemaster in general, so many things you can do with it with different manuvers to emphasize different things.
I’d go with Feinting Attack, Brace and Riposte. You’ll be able to move to melee, BB, and step away. If they’re foolish enough to eat the BB damage to close, you can Brace for extra SA. If you want to stay in melee, Aim for Advantage and Riposte / Uncanny Dodge.
IMHO the only problem with Battlemaster is that it has so many good choices. Trying to just pick 3 starting out is tough. I would ask the DM if you could pick the initial 3 and then play it for a level. If any of them don't work as you thought, see about switching them for another one.