Mechanically, the Swashbuckler rogue offers a very fun and mobile playstyle.
Though, I've often wondered if the image of a "swashbuckler" was a bit limiting...
Yes, you have a pirate, fencer or duelist type description...but say you want to have a background not entirely wrapped around sword-play...
Example: A character who is a butcher, and has refined his use of cleavers and cutlery to such a point that he now can literally carve up anything...or a back-alley doctor who ran afoul of the thieves guild after refusing to perform surgery on one of their thugs, and simply knows what parts of anatomy to target...
What are some atypical "swashbucklers" you've all created?
Professional duellist (in worlds where nobility fight duels of honour) You are paid to insult nobles to anger them enough for them to foolishly challenge you to a duel, where you can wound, or even kill them depending on what honour demands they call you out for. You might be a minor noble yourself, forever looked down on but often used in the schemes of nobles to alter lines of succession.
Iaijutsu style samurai (except with rapier) Not the samurai in armour leading an army, no this is the samurai who trains for one perfect moment, the draw of the weapon where one strike will determine the fight, the duel of wills. (in other words your ability to sneak just by being in 5' coupled with your initiative showing how whilst 'fighters' hack away like brutes you strike to end a fight in one blow) *samurai movie style.
The Street tough. You fought to survive, strike first, strike hard and cheat. A swipe with a blade, throw dirt with the other hand, or acid, or blood, a mantrap! Heck anything. you use your environment to win. Can they balance on a crumbling wall or branch? you can! you have slept on worse.
The Messenger. They know of you, but never who you are. You are one of the few who enter the highest reaches of societies inner chambers without being born to it. Trained into the customs of nobility your charm is undeniable, but the fear your presence brings is much stronger. You inform those who are above the law what your master has decided, You courteously inform them that your master would grieve if activities continued and lead to accidents. They would hate for more funerals after that unfortunate Red Larch tragedy had half the city in mourning colours. You never threaten, you warn of concerns.
Just play as someone who pretended they were the greatest swordsman in the world, and when someone called his bluff after a few charlatan tricks your character ran off and secretly started practicing by themselves to learn some really crazy dumb looking moves that SOMEHOW work lol. Combine the Swashbuckler with Lucky and Lucky Fumbler backstory... You turn the entire trope on its head and can make some clever and hilarious play as you still pretend how great you are, and in your mind be freaking out as your fight and survive these monsters when all you wanted to do was get free drinks at the local tavern hahaha.
Just play as someone who pretended they were the greatest swordsman in the world, and when someone called his bluff after a few charlatan tricks your character ran off and secretly started practicing by themselves to learn some really crazy dumb looking moves that SOMEHOW work lol. Combine the Swashbuckler with Lucky and Lucky Fumbler backstory... You turn the entire trope on its head and can make some clever and hilarious play as you still pretend how great you are, and in your mind be freaking out as your fight and survive these monsters when all you wanted to do was get free drinks at the local tavern hahaha.
Funnily enough, one backstory consisted of a worker who sweeped and dusted in a large, grand library (Candlekeep or some such place).
He'd read plenty of tales of adventurers and heroes in the books he tended to, and would often act out feats of daring swordplay with his broom handle.
I've been toying around with the idea of a philosopher of the sword. This would be a person who loves to talk and enjoys swordplay to such an extent as to try and engage people in duels for the primary purpose of being challenged in the art of talk-fighting. Probably a bit difficult to play since this character would need to be quoting real life philosophers to be interesting, which might break the 4th wall somewhat. What is Voltaire or Confucius or Irigaray doing in a fantasy campaign? kind of thing.
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Mechanically, the Swashbuckler rogue offers a very fun and mobile playstyle.
Though, I've often wondered if the image of a "swashbuckler" was a bit limiting...
Yes, you have a pirate, fencer or duelist type description...but say you want to have a background not entirely wrapped around sword-play...
Example: A character who is a butcher, and has refined his use of cleavers and cutlery to such a point that he now can literally carve up anything...or a back-alley doctor who ran afoul of the thieves guild after refusing to perform surgery on one of their thugs, and simply knows what parts of anatomy to target...
What are some atypical "swashbucklers" you've all created?
Free wheeling Mohel?
Abide.
Ha!
Professional duellist (in worlds where nobility fight duels of honour) You are paid to insult nobles to anger them enough for them to foolishly challenge you to a duel, where you can wound, or even kill them depending on what honour demands they call you out for. You might be a minor noble yourself, forever looked down on but often used in the schemes of nobles to alter lines of succession.
Iaijutsu style samurai (except with rapier) Not the samurai in armour leading an army, no this is the samurai who trains for one perfect moment, the draw of the weapon where one strike will determine the fight, the duel of wills. (in other words your ability to sneak just by being in 5' coupled with your initiative showing how whilst 'fighters' hack away like brutes you strike to end a fight in one blow) *samurai movie style.
The Street tough. You fought to survive, strike first, strike hard and cheat. A swipe with a blade, throw dirt with the other hand, or acid, or blood, a mantrap! Heck anything. you use your environment to win. Can they balance on a crumbling wall or branch? you can! you have slept on worse.
The Messenger. They know of you, but never who you are. You are one of the few who enter the highest reaches of societies inner chambers without being born to it. Trained into the customs of nobility your charm is undeniable, but the fear your presence brings is much stronger. You inform those who are above the law what your master has decided, You courteously inform them that your master would grieve if activities continued and lead to accidents. They would hate for more funerals after that unfortunate Red Larch tragedy had half the city in mourning colours. You never threaten, you warn of concerns.
Just play as someone who pretended they were the greatest swordsman in the world, and when someone called his bluff after a few charlatan tricks your character ran off and secretly started practicing by themselves to learn some really crazy dumb looking moves that SOMEHOW work lol. Combine the Swashbuckler with Lucky and Lucky Fumbler backstory... You turn the entire trope on its head and can make some clever and hilarious play as you still pretend how great you are, and in your mind be freaking out as your fight and survive these monsters when all you wanted to do was get free drinks at the local tavern hahaha.
Funnily enough, one backstory consisted of a worker who sweeped and dusted in a large, grand library (Candlekeep or some such place).
He'd read plenty of tales of adventurers and heroes in the books he tended to, and would often act out feats of daring swordplay with his broom handle.
I've been toying around with the idea of a philosopher of the sword. This would be a person who loves to talk and enjoys swordplay to such an extent as to try and engage people in duels for the primary purpose of being challenged in the art of talk-fighting. Probably a bit difficult to play since this character would need to be quoting real life philosophers to be interesting, which might break the 4th wall somewhat. What is Voltaire or Confucius or Irigaray doing in a fantasy campaign? kind of thing.