An arcane swashbuckler could be rake or roustabout, emissary or entertainer, pirate or partisan. Regardless of their motivation, they live to adventure across the high seas and distant port towns seeking fame and fortune. 

Arcane swashbucklers use charm and panache to cast magical enchantments, leaving their foes dazed and confused. Striking with precision and poise, an arcane swashbuckler should always have the upper hand; whether fighting fair, playing dirty or just relying on a little luck. With both magic and skill on their side the arcane swashbuckler is always prepared for adventure.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast Bardic spells.

You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and music. Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the bard spell list.

Cantrips

You learn three cantrips: mage hand and two other cantrips of your choice from the bard spell list. You learn another bardic cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Arcane Swashbuckler Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your bard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level bard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the enchantment and illusion spells on the bard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Arcane Swashbuckler Spellcasting table shows when you learn more bard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the bard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the bard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an enchantment or illusion spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your bard spells. Your magic comes from the heart and soul you pour into the performance of your music or oration. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a bard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Arcane Swashbuckler Spellcasting

Rogue Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
			1st	2nd	3rd	4th
3rd	3	3	2	—	—	—
4th	3	4	3	—	—	—
5th	3	4	3	—	—	—
6th	3	4	3	—	—	—
7th	3	5	4	2	—	—
8th	3	6	4	2	—	—
9th	3	6	4	2	—	—
10th	4	7	4	3	—	—
11th	4	8	4	3	—	—
12th	4	8	4	3	—	—
13th	4	9	4	3	2	—
14th	4	10	4	3	2	—
15th	4	10	4	3	2	—
16th	4	11	4	3	3	—
17th	4	11	4	3	3	—
18th	4	11	4	3	3	—
19th	4	12	4	3	3	1
20th	4	13	4	3	3	1

Little Buddy

At 3rd level you may take a small pet as your companion. The pet must be a Tiny or Small Beast, with a Challenge Rating CR 1/2 or less.

If the pet possesses an Intelligence of 2 or greater, you may assume the pet is trained and that it will respond to simple commands such as 'Come' 'Fetch' and 'Stay.'

If the pet possesses an Intelligence of 3 or greater, you may attempt more specific commands - "deliver this note to that man, the one in the cloak". You must succeed on a WIS (Animal Handling) skill check of DC 10, and you may add your pet's Intelligence score (not the modifier) to your roll. The DM may increase the DC depending on the complexity, specificity, and potential for confusion.

Surprising Spell

Starting at 9th level, if you are hidden from a creature when you cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against the spell this turn.

Dirty Combatant

Starting at 13th level, fighting 'unfairly' has become second nature for you. During the first round of a combat encounter you may take two turns.

At the start of initiative, use this feature to roll initiative once again but this time without adding your initiative modifier. You take your first turn at your normal initiative roll, and another turn in the initiative order per your second initiative roll. You cannot use this feature when you are surprised, and you may only use this feature once per short rest.

At 17th level you may use this feature twice per short rest (once in two different combat encounters).

Spell Thief

At 17th level, you gain the ability to magically steal the knowledge of how to cast a spell from another spellcaster.

Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell’s effect against you, and you steal the knowledge of the spell if it is at least 1st level and of a level you can cast (it doesn’t need to be a bard spell). For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it using your spell slots. The creature can’t cast that spell until the 8 hours have passed.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.