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!
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.
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.
I really liked the Baldur's Gate 3 version of Swashbuckler, mostly because it had an additional feature called Dirty Tricks (granted at level 4, weirdly) that gave you some new bonus action options that were basically:
Make an attack and if it hits, disarm the target if they fail a Dexterity save
Make an attack and if it hits, blind the target if they fail a Constitution save
All of which grant advantage on your next attack against the target if they're successful. These all felt very fitting with the Swashbuckler theme, and it was nice having more bonus action options (since the Cunning Action ones are less useful to someone who's trying to stay up in the enemy's face a lot, and Steady Aim wasn't in the game at all).
These all seem like good candidates for turning into Cunning Strike options too (though there's already a blinding one at level 14).
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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.
I really liked the Baldur's Gate 3 version of Swashbuckler, mostly because it had an additional feature called Dirty Tricks (granted at level 4, weirdly) that gave you some new bonus action options that were basically:
All of which grant advantage on your next attack against the target if they're successful. These all felt very fitting with the Swashbuckler theme, and it was nice having more bonus action options (since the Cunning Action ones are less useful to someone who's trying to stay up in the enemy's face a lot, and Steady Aim wasn't in the game at all).
These all seem like good candidates for turning into Cunning Strike options too (though there's already a blinding one at level 14).
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