The Swashbuckler

Role: Hybrid (Defender/Striker). The Swashbuckler can assume both roles relatively well no matter which build option you choose, however the Peerless Fencer is a better striker and the Courageous Knave is a better defender.

Power Source: Martial. There is nothing supernatural about the Swashbuckler.

Key Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma. Dexterity is important to all Swashbucklers as they need to bump up their AC from not wearing heavy armor, but also to grant accuracy to their attacks. Intelligence is best for the Peerless Fencer letting it deal more damage, while Charisma helps the Courageous Knave to keep enemies’ attention.

Armor Proficiency: Cloth, Leather. Swashbucklers rely on mobility and can’t be encumbered by medium or heavy armors.

Weapon Proficiency: Light Blades. Swashbucklers enjoy the flexibility, precision and speed of these weapons.

Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex. Swashbucklers are exceptionally nimble.

Hitpoints: 12 + Constitution score. 6 every level after.
Healing Surges per day: 7 + Constitution modifier.

Trained Skills: Acrobatics, and choose four of the following – Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise.

Build Options: Peerless Fencer, or Courageous Knave.
The Peerless Fencer and the Courageous Knave are the two Swashbuckler builds, one relying on speed and precision, the other on will and panache. Dexterity, Intelligence and Charisma are the Swashbucklers most important ability scores.

Peerless Fencer
You use your brainpower to outsmart and outfight your opponents and you particularly enjoy punishing your enemies mistakes. Aided by your intelligence your attacks are precisely targeted to hit opponents where it hurts the most. You have plenty of attacks which use Dexterity, but some also that use Intelligence – these should be your highest stats. You might look to Charisma as a solid secondary stat to add to your skill use and pick up some of the Courageous Knave’s attacks, but you also shouldn’t forget Constitution.

Suggested Feat: Combat Reflexes (Human Feat: Weapon Focus: Light Blades)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidate, Perception
Suggested At-Will Powers: Toe Poke, Swift Blow
Suggested Encounter Power: Run Through
Suggested Daily Power: Unyielding Strike

Courageous Knave
Though you are often compared to the Rogue you like to think you are more brave, forthright, and certainly the better fighter should it come to one-on-one combat. Aided by your charisma you keep your allies in high spirits as you bravely leap into the fray between them and your enemies. You have plenty of attacks which are modified by charisma and attack will making it just as important as your dexterity. If you want to branch into the Peerless Fencer’s powers you might consider intelligence as a third stat, but constitution is perhaps even more important for you than it was for the Peerless Fencer as you tend to draw attention to yourself.

Suggested Feat: Combat Reflexes (Human Feat: Defensive Mobility)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Streetwise, Thievery
Suggested At-Will Powers: Flashing Steel, Narrow Profile
Suggested Encounter Power: Showboat Strike
Suggested Daily Power: Triumphant Blow

Class Features: Deadly Riposte, Press the Advantage, Swashbuckler Weapon Talent.

All Swashbucklers share these features

Deadly Riposte: Whenever a foe misses you with a melee, non-opportunity attack, you may make an opportunity attack against it. Whenever you hit a foe with an opportunity attack you may choose to mark it. Additionally, choose one of the following options.

Insightful Strike – You gain a bonus to attack rolls against foes you have marked equal to 1/2 your intelligence modifier, and a bonus to damage rolls of opportunity attacks you make equal to your intelligence modifier.

Insult to Injury – Whenever a foe you have marked misses you with an opportunity attack you may make a Charisma vs Will attack against that foe. If you hit, that enemy must engage you on its next turn and takes a -2 penalty to any attack rolls including you as a target.

Press the Advantage: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +3 bonus to damage rolls against foes granting you combat advantage. Increase the bonus to attack rolls to +2 at 21st level. Increase the bonus to damage rolls to +6 at 11th level and to +9 at 21st level.

Swashbuckler Weapon Talent: You gain a +1 bonus to AC while wielding a light blade. Increase the bonus to +2 if you have hit an enemy this round and are wielding a light blade. Increase the bonuses to AC to +2 while wielding a light blade and to +4 if you have hit an enemy this round at 21st level. A Swashbuckler cannot benefit from these bonuses if he wears a shield, or any armor heavier than leather.

Your powers are both daring and precise, calculated yet flashy. You can protect allies and crush foes using your dexterity. Some powers benefit from high intelligence and thus are better suited for the Peerless Fencer, others reward a high charisma and are thus suited to the Courageous Knave, however you are free to choose whichever powers you choose.

Level 1 At-Will Exploits

Swift Blow – Swashbuckler Attack 1
With a deft flourish you bring your blade to bear upon your opponent before he can even think.
At-Will*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Requirement – You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.
Special: This power counts as a basic melee attack.

Narrow Profile – Swashbuckler Attack 1
By offering very little of yourself for your enemy to hit you gain a defensive advantage.
At-Will*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee or Ranged
Target: One creature
Effect: You gain a +2 power bonus to AC against the target’s attacks until the start of your next turn.
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.

Toe Poke – Swashbuckler Attack 1
With a frightfully quick lunge at the ground you wound your enemy’s feet causing him great pain and annoyance.
At-Will*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs Reflex
Hit: Intelligence modifier damage and target is slowed until the beginning of your next turn.
-Insightful Strike: Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs Fortitude
Hit: Target is immobilized until the beginning of your next turn.
Increase damage to 1[W] + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.

Flashing Steel – Swashbuckler Attack 1
With a witty quip and weapon display you taunt your foes and fill them with doubt.
At-Will*Martial
Minor Action – Close Burst 3
Target: One creature in burst
Attack: Charisma vs Will
Hit: Target creature is marked.
– Insult to Injury: Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs Will
Hit: Target takes a -1 penalty to all attacks and defenses until the beginning of your next turn.

Level 1 Encounter Exploits

Run Through – Swashbuckler Attack 1
A timely lunge pierces your foe through and through causing bleeding wounds.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Target: One creature.
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, plus Intelligence modifier ongoing damage (save ends).

Showboat Strike – Swashbuckler Attack 1
Running in to rescue an ally you engage the enemy to give it a proper foe.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Close Burst 2
Target: One ally within burst.
Effect: Shift the target 1 square, then move to occupy the square the target did before being shifted (provoking attacks of opportunity as normal). Finally, make an attack against any enemy adjacent to you.
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage + Charisma modifier damage.

Defensive Strike – Swashbuckler Attack 1
You stand tough in the face of great danger.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee or Ranged
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: You gain a +1 power bonus to all defenses and AC until the beginning of your next turn.

Deceitful Attack – Swashbuckler Attack 1
You conceal your attacks with countless shadow lunges and jabs and when you finally do strike true nobody sees it coming.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Special: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: Close Burst 2
Effect: Make a Bluff check to feint. This check effects all enemies within burst. Then make an attack against any enemy adjacent to you.
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.

Level 1 Daily Exploits

Unyielding Strike – Swashbuckler Attack 1
You deliver a telling blow to your foe and as he tries to retreat you pursue doggedly.
Daily*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter any time you are adjacent to the foe and it moves you may move to follow it.
– Insightful Strike: Hit or Miss: The target grants you combat advantage (save ends).

Triumphant Strike – Swashbuckler Attack 1
With a particularly powerful attack you restore the faith of your allies and allow for a comeback victory.
Daily*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee or Ranged
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage. All allies regain the use of their Second Wind.
– Insult to Injury: Hit or Miss: You and allies within Close Burst 1 are healed 5 + charisma modifier hitpoints. You mark all enemies within the burst.

Telling Blow – Swashbuckler Attack 1
You drive your blade home before the enemy can react.
Daily*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Target: One creature
Special: You must be wielding a light blade.
Attack: Dexterity vs Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.

Dazzling Prowess – Swashbuckler Attack 1
Spinning, lunging, and parrying with grace and speed you cause foes you strike to marvel at your skill.
Daily*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Close Burst 1
Special: You must be wielding a light blade.
Target: Each creature in range
Attack: Dexterity vs Will
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and targets are dazed (save ends).
Effect: Until the end of the encounter whenever you hit a foe make a secondary Dexterity vs Will attack. If this secondary attack hits that foe is dazed until the beginning of your next turn.

Level 2 Utility Exploits

Bolster Spirit – Swashbuckler Utility 2
Reaching deep within you use your powerful will and persona to drive yourself and allies on to victory.
Daily*Healing, Martial, Stance
Move Action – Personal
Effect: You gain regeneration equal to 1/2 your charisma modifier until the end of the encounter.
– Insult to Injury: Allies gain the regeneration as long as they occupy a square adjacent to you.

Exploit Breach – Swashbuckler Utility 2
You find it easy to uncover gaps in the defenses of your enemies and you aren’t too proud to use this to your advantage.
Encounter*Martial
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Insight.
Minor Action – Close
Effect: One adjacent enemy grants you combat advantage until the end of your turn.
– Insightful Strike: The enemy grants you combat advantage until the beginning of your next turn.

Gustcloak Maneuver – Swashbuckler Utility 2
With a quick word of advice, a pull here and a push there you help an ally out of a tight spot.
Encounter*Martial
Move Action – Close Burst 1
Effect: Make an Acrobatics check with a +2 bonus. Instead of you moving or tumbling, etc, any ally within range moves instead using the result of your check to avoid opportunity attacks.

Jack-be-Nimble – Swashbuckler Utility 2
When you get going it’s next to impossible to stop you from reaching your foes.
Encounter*Martial
Minor Action – Personal
Prerequisite: You must be trained in Athletics.
Effect: On your next charge attack you can choose either to ignore any difficult terrain during your movement, or to make a single 90 degree turn during the movement, or to add 2 additional squares to your movement during the charge.

Steely Bravado – Swashbuckler Utility 2
Clinching your teeth you call every foe you can see to attack you allowing your allies a chance for safety.
Daily*Healing, Martial
Move Action
Effect: You mark all foes who have line of sight to you and gain temporary hit points equal to 3 times the number of foes marked this way.

Level 3 Encounter Exploits

Momentary Truce – Swashbuckler Attack 3
With your exceptional powers of persuasion you convince an enemy to ignore one of your friends.
Encounter*Martial
Standard Action – Close Burst 3
Target: One creature in burst
Attack: Diplomacy vs Target’s Level Check (1d20+Target’s Level)
Hit: Target cannot attack one ally of your choice until the end of your next turn. After that, target cannot attack that same ally (save ends).

Eye Gouge – Swashbuckler Attack 3
You take care to make a very precise swipe across your foes eyes.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee or Ranged Weapon
Special: You must be wielding a light blade.
Attack: Dexterity vs Fortitude
– Insightful Strike: You gain a power bonus to hit equal to your intelligence modifier.
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and target is blinded (save ends).

Tendonitis – Swashbuckler Attack 3
With a surgeon’s incision you attack your foe’s nerves and muscle tissue leaving him weak and in pain.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee or Ranged Weapon
Special: You must be wielding a light blade.
Attack: Dexterity vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and target is weakened and if it moves it is dealt damage equal to your dexterity modifier (save ends both).

Braggart’s Boast – Swashbuckler Attack 3
You attack with raw force of will and your enemies begin to wonder if all the tales they’ve heard of you are true.
Encounter*Martial, Weapon
Standard Action – Melee
Attack: Charisma vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
– Insult to Injury: You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. If you dropped an enemy with this power mark a target within Close Burst 2.