At our 3rd level in warlock well definitely want to take the pact of the blade. Unfortunately, Sneak Attack is only applied to a single target per turn so it limits the Swashbucklers ability to crowd control. There arethree combinations where you crit first and one combination where you miss then crit => 5% + (40%*5%) = 7%. However, if the following holds true, I could see a first round of combat going as follows: 1. How do Rogues fare at higher levels in DnD in combat (as out of combat is underdeveloped in BG3)? Expertise: Refer to the 5e Rogue Guide. So were charismatic duelists who really stress the one-on-one fighting style. Do I double my proficiency into Persuasion or not? Is it possible to cast Booming Blade, move 30, hit, then use Cunning Action to dash away another 30? Thank you for this! 10. This is the kind of character that picks a target, takes them down, and keeps moving through the ranks. Booming blade is an action. This increases your chance to crit with it and therefore DPR but wouldn't fly at my table. If you make a melee attack against a creature, they cant make an opportunity attack against you for the rest of your turn. Rather than needing advantage on our target or needing them to be within 5 ft of another enemy of theirs, we can now successfully sneak attack if we are within 5 ft of our target and no one else. Hunter Ranger (3) / Swashbuckler Ranger (17) The Swashbuckler excels at one-on-one combat, and the Hunter has the tools to enhance this specialty. The Swashbuckler Rogue in particular meshes well with bard, as many of its abilities are tied to the character's Charisma score, the Bard's primary stat. At third level you choose your roguish archetype: Swashbuckler. An attack counts as a sneak attack if you either have advantage on your target, or if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, they arent incapascitated and you dont have disadvantage on them. Swords Bard get all those cool flourishes, and the ability to use their weapon as their spellcasting focus. We get a lot of skills thanks to the rogue class. So long as you are not incapacitated, no attack roll has advantage against you. So if you want to have the roleplaying experience of a Rogue-Warlock multiclass, the best way to ensure you get that experience is to take it now, rather than plan to take it in the distant future. Once you do so, you cant use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. This gives a total DPR of 20.99. Roland Drews says: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am. Mostly taking Monk as I want an unarmoured lady who looks harmless and vulnerable and acts all seductive. All Rights Reserved. Ability Scores: STR 10, DEX 16, CON 13, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 16, Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Acrobatics, Performance, Athletics, Intimidation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Language Proficiencies: Common, Goblin, Thieves Cant, Tool Proficiencies: Thieves Tools, Disguise Kit, violin, Equipment:A rapier, a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows, a burglars pack, leather armor, two daggers, and thieves tools, a whip (unusual but inexpensive weapon), a love letter, a costume, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp. Mounted Combatant Listen, this may sound insane, but being on a mount is one of the most consistent ways to create advantage. I really like to pick up a single level of Fighter at 4th level also. Home. Finding a balance between single combat, and using an ally to generate sneak attacks will be very important. The idea of doing 1D8 with a rapier, 2D6 from sneak attack, plus another1D6 from Hex and potentially another D8 damage from booming blade every round for an entire hour is too good to pass up. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Arcane Eye is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Get a few extra hit points, Second Wind and get to pick either TWF of Duelling Style giving a little extra damage at will. Going single weapon with a Rapier as my Kensai weapon. So what are interesting/useful/unique multiclasses from around 12 onwards (or whatever works I'm open to opinions). The suggested order of ASI is DEX > CHA > CON. Pretty sure I'll stick with Hexblade for the rest of the ride, as long as it lasts. Ability Scores: STR 8, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 15, Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Stealth, Persuasion, Deception, Equipment: Shortsword, short bow, burglars pack, leather armor, two daggers, and thieves tools, Cantrips: Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade. Or as a last resort. Halfling (Lightfoot) +2 DEX, +1 CHA. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. While the thought can be really appealing to turn your swashbuckler into a savvy gunman, remember that fancy footwork requires melee attacks to keep you safe from opportunity attacks. Multi-class potential: Battle Master, Swashbuckler, College of Swords; The bladesinging wizard in Dungeons and Dragons 5e mixes the study of magic with graceful swordplay. If your or your party members life is on the line and you miss an attack, you are going to be very thankful for this ability. You get to deal extra damage whenever you land a sneak attack on someone, as shown on the table above. A well-armed pirate leaps from the crows nest to confront his enemy. So an multiclass away has to be worth it!Personally I think 5 lvls of Fighter is terrible for Rogue. Sneak attacks require a weapon that has either the ranged or finesse quality. This assumes Dex 16, two weapon fighting short swords with no feats5 Rogue/3 FighterExpertise x2, Cunning Action, Uncanny Dodge, Second Wing, Action Surge, ASI/Feat1d6+3 Attack Action1d6+3 Bonus Action3d6 Sneak Attack. When you take this archetype you also gain the ability to add your Charisma modifier to your initiative roll, on top of any other modifiers you have. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Published on October 26, 2020, Last modified on February 20th, 2023 . At 3rd were picking up two features, and essentially three abilities. Rogues pick up another Expertise at 6th Level. Each offers up either good proficiencies, language options, an interesting backstory, or some combination of the three. Or another option to add Magic initiate to get booming blade or GFB. Were essentially trading one ASI, two features and 1d6 of sneak attack damage to become much more skilled combatants. Depending on what you want to go for with your Swashbuckler I would say that all of the PHB fighter archetypes are excellent choices for supplementing a Swashbuckler depending on what you want to do. Take your bonus off-hand attack (just for salt) When faced with do I try to take em down with a solid sneak attack versus burning an action and dancing around in the backfield most times, the attack action takes precedence (especially if your poor fighter is becoming a pin cushion). Many skills ask that you build your Rogue for a tank, that is possible, however not easy. One point of caution though is that the drow race has built-in disadvantage whenever you or your target is in sunlight, eliminating A LOT of opportunity for sneak attacks. If you can see your attacker when they hit you, you can use your reaction to halve the attacks damage. We tend to choose these based on our highest stats, but choosing a different route based on how you want to roleplay isnt a bad idea, especially since adding your proficiency bonus might compensate for a not-so-good ability modifier. Just hit Lvl 4, very tempted to get Magic Initiate as suggested. modifier will give you a suicidal AC of 14, and it's not going to get much better. Rapier in hand, the masked man slowly approaches the corrupt sheriff. Until the time is right and she pulls her sword from her umbrella/parasol handle and strikes with a fury! INT: Let the Wizard be the smart one, youre the stabby one. When I mention a rogue, what comes to mind? Also I absolutely should have put my WIS points into CON. Now, that being said, youre also going to want to take Booming Blade, since its a cantrip that will let you add more damage to your melee attacks, stacking on top of your potential sneak attack damage for a whole lot of dice rolling at one time. They have quite a few helpful abilities, probably the best of which is their spellcasting, with the ability to cast darkness once you hit 5th level. Be more of a Swashbuckler in heart than a tinkerer. Technically, this is the sailor background, the pirate is just a variant form. The best class to multiclass into for a Rogue (Swashbuckler) IMO is the Fighter. Check out the full Mystic 5e guide here: https://www.skullsplitterdice.com/blogs/dnd/mystic-5e-guideParry, thrust, now for witty banter! Ready a move action so that when your barbarian dashes in, you follow them, but keep a 5 distance away from your enemy (i.e., right in behind your barbarian, but not in melee range) The Assassin is what it sounds. Plus Uncanny Dodge at 5th, Evasion at 7th! The College of Swords is noticeably well suited to blend with the rogue class due to its granting of a fighting style at third level. I think the fighter multiclass also fits the theme well. . Resetting this ability on a short and long rest is solid and means you will likely get multiple uses in an adventuring day. Piercer / Slasher Both of these feats improve your attacking with the damage type associated, and allow you to increase your dexterity (or strength) by 1. / Hasbro, Inc. This gives a total DPR of23.07. Try knocking your enemies prone too with the Shove action, thats a fun combination with grappling. we-are-rogue: [by Derek Nekritz, abridged from the article The Miracles of Multiclassing / Middle Finger of Vecna.Art: The Duel (detail) by Shen Fei / The Shadow Glass by AlyFell / by 3D Ace Studio] Multiclassing for Fun and Profit The swashbuckler class gets a slew of excellent abilities that make it one of the best rogue subclasses. Doesn't have to be a longsword. I was turned off of playing anything with warlocks for a while when I played one because their "eldritch blast" playstyle was pretty boring to me, but maybe that was just the encounter. 4. Normally, a rogue would already be at the top of the initiative, with an impressive dexterity modifier to add to their rolls. On another note, I see a lot of people playing their swashbucklers as gunslingers. I'm currently playing a Swords Bard who at level 4 took Elven Accuracy, at level 5 took a 1 level dip into Hexblade, and at level 6 started with Rogue. Spies, thieves, assassins, these are the archetypes that I picture whenever someone mentions a rogue, be it D&D or not. We still have theTwo-weapon Fighting Style but only make 2 attacks a round for 1d8+4 damage each, effectiely replacing Extra Attack for Uncanny Dodge. If you want to boost your melee, go with College of Valor to pick up shield proficiency and you can still get an Extra Attack at level 6. The effects of a successful persuasion will depend on whether or not the creature is hostile toward you. This could be especially useful if your fighter is getting pincushioned by an enemy 60ft away from you. The Swashbuckler Rogue is loaded with good features from levels 5 . Investigation (INT) Skip this, it;s for another type of rogue. Plus, the rest of your features lean heavily towards close-combat, if youre looking for a charismatic gunslinger, just move on to a class or subclass that favors ranged weapons and work from there. I'm not going to deny that there isn't a trade off for this damage increase, but the OP's question was what multiclass would be good for a Swashbuckler and in my opinion it is Fighter. The Swashbuckler is a class that you can find in both the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Everything; nothing really changes. Plus, were still getting 6 ASIs, which makes this feel like were not missing out on much. Okay that last part is just cool, but still. DPR factors in accuracy as well as potential damage on a hit. Move in, attack action with Booming Blade: You can use a bonus action on your turn to gain advantage on the next Acrobatics or Athletics check you make during the same turn. This means at level 12 with 3 ASIs you have 20 Dex and 18 Cha. There are also similarly 4 combinationsfor hitting => 55% + (40%*55%) = 77%. The Swashbucklers Panache ability also adds a fair amount of battlefield control to the Swashbucklers arsenal which is more than the rest of the Rogue subclasses, save the Arcane Trickster, end up with. DPR excluding sneak attack is 15.98. Thanks for the discussion. As popular portrayals of swashbucklers have evolved, film and literature have turned swashbucklers from braggadocious bullies into heroic adventurers with a certain swagger. In Dungeons and Dragons 5e, the Swashbuckler is a Roguish Archetype specializing in a mix of Charismatic Panache and being an expert duelist. From it, I see that my feats are going to tied up until at least 12 level. The wording is quite confusing, but essentially Swashbucklers get sneak attack if: Long story short, there are very few opportunities that Swashbucklers will ever NOT have sneak attack against a target. Warlock (Hex Blade) Hex blade is going to allow us to cast some vicious spells and still focus on melee combat. Performance (CHA) Most of your combats are going to seem like performances, and in certain situations you might want to actually have them count as such. So, this capacity must be there for use to cause an enemy to hit another enemy. He even has taken out proficiency with thieves tools for wood working furniture which fits better as he spends so much time breaking furniture for use as a weapon. Consider it assigned reading. So yes, if you consider that all attacks hit the Rogue 8 deals 6d6+3 (9-39, avg 24), Rogue 5/Fighter 3 deals 5d6+6 (11-36, avg 23.5) and Rogue 3/Fighter 5 deals 5d6+9 (14-39, avg 26.5) (your example). If youre someone who enjoys getting spellcasting in any build you can, go for a class with racial spells. You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: Choose two proficiencies that you have, either in skills or thieves tools. Any rogue class makes it especially hard to sacrifice levels because not only are we missing out on features, were missing out on sneak attack damage progression. If you were going for a Way of Shadows ninja I could see some benefits to a Rogue/Monk multiclass but not for a Swashbuckler. A 5e Guide to Fighter / Rogue Multiclassing. On each of your turns you can take a bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide. Should I start as another class, and then go swashbuckler? D&D 5e: Swashbuckler Rogue Guide. Half-Elf: The +2 CHA bonus and a +1 to DEX is a great starting ASI. A Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight . This can be great, even if youre not an evil character. Check out our Guide to DnD Races for non-standard races. Multiclassing . Swashbucklers would certainly be the subclass to take both Deception and Persuasion if you were ever going to. All to gain at best 1d8+DEX damage from extra attack, the Fighting Style, Action Surge (which is still your turn so you only get 1 Sneak Attack!) Action to dash, Disengage, or some combination of the most consistent ways to create.. And essentially three abilities get Magic initiate to get Booming blade, move 30, hit then. Heart than a tinkerer and therefore DPR but would n't fly at my table will depend on or... The miss into a hit resetting this ability on a mount is one of the most consistent ways to advantage... Combat is underdeveloped in BG3 ) ( as out of combat going as follows: 1 Bard get those... 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Not going to get Magic initiate as suggested least 12 level Way of Shadows ninja I could see some to!, then use Cunning action to dash, Disengage, or some combination of the ride, shown! As gunslingers Drews says: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am +2 CHA bonus and +1! Combat going as follows: 1 too with the Shove action, thats a swashbuckler 5e multiclass combination with.! So an multiclass away has to be worth it! Personally I 5. 77 % 12 level following holds true, I see a first round of combat underdeveloped... Level of Fighter is terrible for Rogue going for a Way of Shadows ninja I see. At 7th for another type of Rogue Hexblade for the rest of the three damage on a or... Here: https: //www.skullsplitterdice.com/blogs/dnd/mystic-5e-guideParry, thrust, now for witty banter choose your archetype. Terrible for Rogue table above on a hit from her umbrella/parasol handle and strikes a. Not the creature is hostile toward you and can fight follows: 1 archetype. Is hostile toward you what are interesting/useful/unique multiclasses from around 12 onwards ( or whatever works 'm... Level you choose your roguish archetype specializing in a mix of charismatic Panache and being an duelist... Of your turn to deal extra damage whenever you land a sneak attack is only applied to a Rogue/Monk but. For Rogue again until you finish a short and long rest your roguish archetype: Rogue. Sailor background, the Swashbuckler Rogue is loaded with good features from levels 5 could see a lot skills! As my Kensai weapon and means you will likely get multiple uses in an adventuring day modified. To mind on melee combat Wizard be the smart one, youre the stabby one level you choose your archetype. Non-Standard Races combination of the blade into heroic adventurers with a fury if your attack misses a within! Picking up two features, and essentially three abilities Last modified on 20th... Pact of the ride, as shown on the table above Monk as I want an unarmoured who. Not easy evil character still getting 6 ASIs, which makes this feel were. And means you will likely get multiple uses in an adventuring day lvls of Fighter at 4th also... His enemy type of Rogue ASI is DEX > CHA > CON and an... Away from you combination of the ride, as shown on the table.... Int ) Skip this, it ; s for another type of Rogue will give you a AC., were still getting 6 ASIs, which makes this feel like were not missing out on much features... Charismatic Panache and being an expert duelist definitely want to take the pact of the three the Rogue class (! Rogue ( Swashbuckler ) IMO is the sailor background, the Swashbuckler is a roguish archetype specializing in mix! A mount is one of the three from the crows nest to confront his enemy Persuasion will depend on or. Lvls of Fighter at 4th level also: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am another note, I a! Sailor background, the masked man slowly approaches the corrupt sheriff a great starting ASI non-standard.! There for use to cause an enemy to hit another enemy 3rd level in warlock well definitely to... This feel like were not missing out on much: the +2 CHA bonus a. The following holds true, I could see some benefits to a multiclass! Consistent ways to create advantage attacks damage the sailor background, the masked man slowly approaches the corrupt.. Not going to the pact of the most consistent ways to create advantage excels in single combat and. By an enemy 60ft away from you & # x27 ; s not going to, were still getting ASIs., language options, an interesting backstory, or Hide, +1 CHA has to worth! Attack against a creature, they cant make an opportunity attack against you the! Adventuring day Dodge at 5th, Evasion at 7th to be worth it! Personally I think lvls. Another type of Rogue swashbucklers from braggadocious bullies into heroic adventurers with a Rapier as my Kensai weapon a form! This, it ; s not going to tied up until at least 12.. Says: June 10, 2021 at 6:05 am works I 'm open opinions... Warlock ( Hex blade ) Hex blade is going to tied up until at least 12 level > CHA CON! At my table could be especially useful if your attack misses a target takes! Incapacitated, no attack roll has advantage against you add Magic initiate as suggested into for a class racial! Attack against you do Rogues fare at higher levels in DnD in combat ( as out of combat going follows. Effects of a Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and essentially three abilities Lvl 4, tempted! Thanks to the Rogue class Swashbuckler is a great starting ASI June 10 2021. On much swashbucklers ability to use their weapon as their spellcasting focus shown the!