Magical Swashbuckler


Advice


Something I've been thinking of making for a new game is a swashbuckler gnoll. Why gnoll? Cause I like animal races, and they look fun. I'm planning on asking about getting an ability for the 4 rp that they have under the "standard" 10 rp.

Anycase, I don't just want a swashbuckler. Eventually mundane guys get kinda boring, and weak or one tricked. And we've only got three players in the group until we can find more.

So what I'm thinking is somehow blending Swashbuckler + Magus to make an amazing duelist (At least I'm hoping they'll be) Currently I'm thinking 1 level of Inspired Blade Swashbuckler + 19 or so levels of Magus.

That one level is of course to give me a rather large pool of Panche I can use to fuel my deeds, that is also refreshable.

Magus, I'm thinking the possibility of using the blade bond magus.

I know we're starting at level 3 and are going to be starting in a prison without our gear. I'm trustful though that the gear will be given back shortly after though, maybe after a session or two at the most.

Is there anything I should look in for this build?


A Magus can get the "Flamboyant" and "Arcane Deed" Arcana to cherry pick panache deeds that they want. It's best to just go straight magus. If you want more fighting prowess, consider the Kensai archetype.


Right, but just using flamboyant, you'll use up a rather large amount of arcane pool wouldn't you? While taking 1 level of inspired duelist, you can gain Cha+Int and keep regaining points in that pool to use for deeds.

From my understanding of Arcane Deed, it doesn't block your ability to use panche for the deeds gained there.

Though, Kensai seems a better fit than black blade, I do like that.


Darche Schneider wrote:

Right, but just using flamboyant, you'll use up a rather large amount of arcane pool wouldn't you? While taking 1 level of inspired duelist, you can gain Cha+Int and keep regaining points in that pool to use for deeds.

From my understanding of Arcane Deed, it doesn't block your ability to use panche for the deeds gained there.

Though, Kensai seems a better fit than black blade, I do like that.

You can be both a Kensai and a Black Blade Magus.


Kensai can be combined with Black Blade. You lose 2 arcana this way, though. Plus, you won't need the free EWP or the free Weapon Focus if you go Inspired Blade 1st level.

On the other hand, your Black Blade comes online at Magus level 3, which is the level you're starting from. If you dip Swashbuckler, you'll have to wait a while for your sword to become active.

Also, the Magus doesn't need to spend Arcane Pool points if the deed he copies doesn't require spending of panache points, like Precise Strike or Evasive (must haves). But that said, if you're set on this choice, see if your GM will allow you to select Inspired Strike as an Arcane Deed at the requisite level, since the archetype definitely should have access to it.

A magus with a reliable way to force crits on his Spellstrikes is definitely a magus to fear.


Yeah, Won't need the EWP or Weapon focus with Inspired blade. So that does hurt a little.

On the other hand..

Opportune Parry and Riposte uses one Panche/Arcane Point and One AoO
Kensai get the ability to make AoO even if they are flat footed.
At level 11 (12 for this character) I get to add my Int bonus to the number of AoO that even stacks with combat reflexes.

Then there is the Int to Crit.

I could wait a level before I get the black blade /if/ I went black blade magus. Question is though, would it be worth it to have it? I lose out on a bit of arcane pool and have to wait till level 6 to get the first arcana.

The stats I rolled are 11, 10 15, 16, 16, 16

So I'm looking at 10 str, 16 dex, 11 con, 16 int, 15 wis 16 cha before modifiers of race right now.


For a buffer before digging into your non-replaceable in combat arcane pool get the Amateur Swashbuckler feat. Though it only gives you one panache initially you can fill up the pool via crits or kills.


Wolfgang

This is what I've got thus far.

Silver Crusade Contributor

Um... not to be a bother, but kensai get proficiency and Weapon Focus at first level. There's a reason my group took to calling it the base magus... :)


Kalindlara wrote:
Um... not to be a bother, but kensai get proficiency and Weapon Focus at first level. There's a reason my group took to calling it the base magus... :)

They also lose spell recall.

Silver Crusade Contributor

GeneMemeScene wrote:
Kalindlara wrote:
Um... not to be a bother, but kensai get proficiency and Weapon Focus at first level. There's a reason my group took to calling it the base magus... :)
They also lose spell recall.

Is that a problem? Nothing here made it seem like that would be an issue. Or is this a concern about optimization?

Oh. Or about my group's statement. I think I see. :)


Kalindlara wrote:
GeneMemeScene wrote:
Kalindlara wrote:
Um... not to be a bother, but kensai get proficiency and Weapon Focus at first level. There's a reason my group took to calling it the base magus... :)
They also lose spell recall.

Is that a problem? Nothing here made it seem like that would be an issue. Or is this a concern about optimization?

Oh. Or about my group's statement. I think I see. :)

More a complaint of mine; spell recall is one of my favorite magus features but damn near every archetype wants to throw it away. Which is a shame because otherwise I agree that Kensai matches the image better than the base Magus.


Just get a few pearls of power.


Well I haven't quite gotten into power yet. Our first session was a lot more of finishing up the last bits of our characters for the jail break.

Though I did notice the first three swashbuckler deeds do not need a 1h or light piercing weapon to be usable. So I've got that.

If I was to make this character though in a future incarnation, I think I'd totally go with katana instead of the rapier user. Just gotta hope they release an archetype that would be more fitting on the swashbuckler side of things.


It's kinda arcane-pool heavy, and the "extra pool" feat is crap (2 pool? when there are so many others that are more valuable, like metafeats?) but if you take a staff magus, you could get a wyrwood staff. If you plan on taking Precise Striking (with the arcane deed arcana) take a shortspear instead. A lot of GMs ban wyrwood because of the whole "coup de gras" thing,

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ow5v?Wyroot-Coup-de-grace-Endless-Arcane-Pool# 1

but if your gm allows it with caviats, still a good way to compensate for everything you spend on other feats. Consider; as long as you keep 1 arcane pool, you get your magus level in damage. d4 for shortspear, +10 for magus? Giggles. And that's assuming you don't also take that dex to damage feat. Ugh, that's a whole other debate...

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