I'm a big fan of the 3rd Edition swashbuckler, and have been meaning to attempt a 4E conversion for a while now. A few other people have attempted a 4E duelist/swashbuckler type class, but they're all either strikers (whereas I see swashbucklers more as defenders with a dash of controller), or don't quite fit my vision of the class.
Defender's aura and the rogue's tricks introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands seem a perfect a perfect way to express the swashbuckler's acrobatic and combat abilities, so my take on the swashbuckler is a rogue defender sub-class, heavily based on the thief. You'll notice that several of the tricks modify the defender opportunity action power, nimble guardian; I felt this was a way to give the class a slightly more unique feel. The idea was inspired by the various skald powers that affect skald's aura.
Note that this is all very much a WIP. Additional encounter powers, paragon and epic tier features, and more feats will be added in the future.
Role: Defender Power Source: Martial Ability Scores: Dexterity; Wisdom or Charisma
Class Traits
Hit Points: You start with hit points equal to 12 + your Constitution score. You gain 5 hit points each time you gain a level. Bonus to Defenses: +2 to Reflex Healing Surges per Day: 9 + your Constitution modifier Amor Proficiency: Cloth, leather; light shield Weapon Proficiency: Dagger, rapier, short sword, sickle Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, History, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery Trained Skills: Acrobatics and Bluff, plus four more from the list of class skills
Class Features
Level 1:Defender's Aura Benefit: As the berserker, cavalier, and knight class feature.
Level 1: Nimble Guardian Benefit: You gain the nimble guardian power.
Nimble Guardian
Rogue Attack
At-Will ♦ Martial
Opportunity Action
Personal
Trigger: An enemy subject to your defender aura either shifts or makes an attack that targets an ally of yours, without targeting you or an ally who has an active defender aura.
Effect: You make a melee basic attack against the triggering enemy. You can shift 1 square both before and after making the attack.
Level 1: Swashbuckler's Finesse Benefit: As the thief's Weapon Finesse class feature, except it applies to all light blades.
Level 1: Graceful Defense Benefit: While you are not wearing heavy armor and are not using a heavy shield or two-handed weapon, you gain a +3 bonus to AC.
Level 1: Acrobatic Charge Benefit: When you charge, you ignore difficult terrain and can move to the second-nearest square from which you can attack the enemy.
Level 1: Rogue's Trick Benefit: As the thief class feature, except you can't choose sneak's trick or thug's trick. You can also choose from the following new powers:
Defensive Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You can shift 1 square. Until the end of your next turn, you don't grant combat advantage for being flanked, and you gain bonus to AC against opportunity attacks. This bonus is equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Duelist's Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You can shift up to 2 squares. The next time you hit an enemy before the start of your next turn, you slide that enemy 1 square and then shift 1 square into a space the enemy vacated.
Lunging Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You can move up to your speed. Until the start of your next turn, you can use nimble guardian when an enemy 2 squares away shifts or targets an ally with an attack.
Obstructing Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You move up to your speed. Until the start of your next turn, when an enemy triggers nimble guardian by attacking an ally, you can choose to forgo making a melee basic attack. If you do so, the enemy's attack targets you instead of your ally, and it takes a penalty to the attack roll. This penalty equals half your Wisdom modifier.
Parrying Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You can shift 1 square. Until the start of your next turn, when an enemy triggers nimble guardian by attacking an ally, that enemy takes a penalty to the damage roll of the triggering attack. This penalty equals your Charisma modifier.
Riposte Trick
Rogue Utility
At-Will ♦ Martial
Move Action
Personal
Effect: You can shift up to 2 squares. Until the start of your next turn, you can use nimble guardian against the next enemy who targets you with a melee attack.
Level 1: Distracting Strike Benefit: You gain the distracting strike power.
Distracting Strike
Rogue Attack
At-Will ♦ Martial
Free Action
Personal
Trigger: You make an attack roll against an enemy using a melee basic attack with a light blade. The enemy must be granting combat advantage to you.
Effect: The enemy takes 1d6 extra damage if the attack hits. After the attack is resolved, an ally adjacent to the target can shift 2 squares as a free action.
Level 7: 2d6 extra damage. Level 17: 3d6 extra damage. Level 27: 4d6 extra damage.
Level 2: Swashbuckler Weapon Talent Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with one-handed simple and military melee weapons.
Level 2: Skill Mastery Benefit: As the thief class feature, except replace Dungeoneering and Intimidate with Diplomacy and History.
Level 3: Improved Power Strike Benefit: As the knight, scout, and slayer class feature.
Level 4: Extra Rogue's Trick Benefit: As the thief class feature.
Level 5: Cunning Escape Benefit: As the thief class feature.
Level 7: Extra Rogue's Trick Benefit: As the thief class feature.
Level 9: Combat Readiness Benefit: As the thief class feature.
Level 9: Improved Finesse Benefit: As the thief class feature, except it affects Swashbuckler's Finesse.
Diverting Opportunist Prerequisite: Wisdom 13, rogue, nimble guardian power Benefit: When you hit with a melee basic attack by nimble guardian, you can choose to reduce the damage by half. If you do so, you slow the triggering enemy until the start of your next turn.
Elegant Flanking Prerequisite: Rogue Benefit: While you are flanking an enemy, you gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls against that enemy instead of the normal +2 bonus. You can also make an opportunity attack against that enemy if it shifts.
Elusive Opportunist You've found that a quick attack is the perfect distraction for you to slip away. Prerequisite: Wisdom 13, rogue, nimble guardian power Benefit: When you hit with a melee basic attack by nimble guardian, you can choose to reduce the damage by half. If you do so, you can crawl, escape, shift, squeeze, or stand up as a free action.
Group FeintYou lean left, go right, and leave a whole group of enemies holding the back. Prerequisite: Trained in Bluff Benefit: Whenever you make a Bluff check to feint, you can choose to make additional checks against any number of enemies that are adjacent to you. If you do so, you take a cumulative -1 penalty for each check you make after the first.
Hindering Opportunist Prerequisite: Charisma 13, rogue, nimble guardian power Benefit: When you hit with a melee basic attack by nimble guardian, you can choose to reduce the damage by half. If you do so, you can use either aid attack or aid defense against the triggering enemy.
Irrefutable Blade Prerequisite: Charisma 13, rogue, nimble guardian power Benefit: When you miss with a melee basic attack granted by nimble guardian, if that attack was made using a light blade the target still takes damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Leap Into the FrayYou can throw yourself into combat with reckless abandon. Prerequisite: Training in Acrobatics. Benefit: When you make perform a long jump as part of the charge action, you gain a +2 bonus to the attack roll of your melee basic attack or bull rush, and +1 bonus to damage rolls with your melee basic attack.
Prone Fighting Prerequisite: Dexterity 15 Benefit: You don't grant combat advantage or take a penalty to attack rolls for being prone. Also, when you hit an enemy with an attack made from the prone position, you can stand up as a minor action.
Quick Defense Benefit: You can use total defense as a minor action instead of as a standard action. If you do so, you take a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Savvy FeintJust as your foe thinks it has the upper hand, you suddenly reveal the truth: you are not left-handed. Prerequisite: Rogue, training in Bluff Benefit: While you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and your other hand is free, you can make a Bluff check to feint as a minor action, and you have a +2 bonus to the Bluff check made to do so. If the check succeeds, the target cannot gain combat advantage against you until the end of your next turn.
Vigilant Guardian Prerequisite: Defender role Benefit: You can make an opportunity attack against a charging or running enemy that enters a square adjacent to you.
Other recommended/thematic feats: Action Rush, Agile Stand, Blade and Buckler Duelist, Buckler Duelist, Distracting Feint, Duelist's Panache, Evasive Footwork, Opportunity Knocks, Press the Advantage, Risky Shift, Roundabout Charge, Skilled Feint, Sneaky Opportunity, Speedy Response, and Surprising Charge.
I've gone one better and written out the class traits in full .
I'm not planning on simply changing power strike's name, but rather giving them a more unique power. Perhaps a kind of hybrid of the fighter's covering attack and backstab:
Distracting Strike | Rogue Attack Encounter * Martial Move Action | Personal Trigger: You make an attack roll against an enemy using a melee basic attack with a light blade. Effect: The enemy takes 1d6 extra damage if the attack hits. After the attack is resolved, an ally adjacent to the target can shift 2 squares as a free action. Level 7: 2d6 extra damage. Level 17: 3d6 extra damage. Level 27: 4d6 extra damage.
Level 1: Graceful Defense Benefit: While you are wearing light or no armor, and are not using a heavy shield or two-handed weapon, you gain a +3 bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to Reflex.
It could skill use some more Graceful Wording.
Weapon Proficiencies: I recommend "Simple melee, short sword and rapier."
Acrobatic Charge: what is the purpose of second-nearest square?
Elegant Flanking: A swashbuckler seems to me to be, thematically, a duellist. One who engages foes single-handedly or is swarmed by them, not one who gangs up on one with his allies.
Savvy Feint: Its been changed to "Gain Combat Advantage" in 4th edition. Furthermore, since its use is limited to once per encounter, a +2 isn't much. I suggest:
Benefit: You can use Bluff to gain combat advantage against an enemy as a minor action. You can still use Bluff in this way only once per combat.
-or-
Benefit: You can use Bluff to gain combat advantage against an enemy as an immediate reaction when an enemy misses you with an attack. You can still use Bluff in this way only once per combat.
-or- Benefit: When you successfully use Bluff to gain combat advantage against an enemy, you instead gain a bonus to attack rolls against that enemy equal to your Charisma modifier.
I was amused to see your inclusion of shields instead of encouraging hand-free fighting. This of course is more historically correct, but further from the hollywood swashnuckler we all love. Perhaps you could introduce two new feat, one for each style.
Your Distracting Strike idea is fine, if you're going for a leaderesque ability. CA might be more in line with what you've already established.
Acrobatic Charge: what is the purpose of second-nearest square?
It allows you to charge an enemy when the nearest square to them is occupied by another creature.
Elegant Flanking: A swashbuckler seems to me to be, thematically, a duellist. One who engages foes single-handedly or is swarmed by them, not one who gangs up on one with his allies.
Swashbuckler/duelist type characters in novels and movies do tend to be honorable characters who go for one-on-one or one-against-many combat. However, in D&D such fights tend to be rather rare; a swashbuckler will have allies available most of the time. I also wanted to allow for players to play less honorable swashbucklers if they wanted to. Also, note that the feat is open to all rogues, not just swashbucklers.
Savvy Feint: Its been changed to "Gain Combat Advantage" in 4th edition.
I'm not quite sure what you mean, as once you have combat advantage for period of time (e.g. until the end of the next round) you don't keep gaining combat advantage again everytime you take an action during that period. There are numerous instances where the phrase "have combat advantage" is used in 4E, e.g. the feats Accursed Coordination, Cunning Ambusher, Hidden Pulse, Sorcerous Assassin, and Wielder of Piercing Flame.
I was amused to see your inclusion of shields instead of encouraging hand-free fighting. This of course is more historically correct, but further from the hollywood swashnuckler we all love. Perhaps you could introduce two new feat, one for each style.
Yeah, I was re-reading the Duelist Rogue articile in Dragon #381 (which introduces a couple of feats requiring a shield), and thought I might as well make shields an option. Regarding a feat for weapon-only swashbucklers, how about combining that idea with the feinting feat (guess what this is inspired by ):
I Am Not Left-Handed Prerequisite: Rogue, training in Bluff Benefit: While you are wielding a one-handed weapon in one-hand and your other hand is free, you can make a Bluff check to gain combat advantage by feinting as a minor action, and gain a +2 bonus to the Bluff check if you do so. If the check succeeds, you gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls against the target instead of the normal +2 bonus.
Your Distracting Strike idea is fine, if you're going for a leaderesque ability. CA might be more in line with what you've already established
I think I might offer three or four different powers. There's no harm in providing choice .
For clarification on my bluff/feint comment, read the bluff skill.
What is confusing about the charge power is what the character does at the of it. If he is in the second nearest square, isn't he too far away to make an attack. I understand what it does, but am unclear on your intent.
I like the idea for the new feat. I would simplify it though.
The official wording of Bluff: "you can try to gain combat advantage against an adjacent enemy by feinting". My wording: "while you have combat advantage against an enemy by feinting". I'm still not sure what the issue is? Once you've gained combat advantage, you have combat advantage until the duration ends (i.e. normally until the end of your next turn).
Regarding the charge, it's the second nearest square to you, not the second nearest square to the enemy. The square you're talking about would be a square nearer to you than the nearest square; the second nearest square would be in fact be a square further from you than the nearest square. Check the wording of charge: "you must move directly to the nearest square from which you can attack the enemy", and note that I've deliberately re-used the text "from which you can attack the enemy" in the Acrobatic Charge description. Imagine for a moment that the enemy is directly facing you, and if you trace a line between it and you, that line is completely vertical. In this instance, the nearest square from which you could attack would be directly in front of the enemy. There would actually be two second nearest squares from which you could attack: the square diagonally in front and to left of the enemy, and the square diagonally in front and to the right of the enemy.
Beyond allowing you to charge if the square in front of the enemy is occupied, Acrobatic Charge also allows you to more easily flank the enemy. If an ally is in the square diagonally behind and to the left of the enemy, normally you wouldn't be able to use a charge to flank that enemy; with Acrobatic Charge you can charge to the square diagonally in front and to the right of the enemy, thus flanking it with your ally.
Alright. It could use simpler language, in my opinion. Maybe others don't find it confusing. This would change the usage slightly, but I recommend "...and can the movement in any square adjacent to the target."
Since you've opted to keep the list of weapon proficiencies, it makes sense to me that the weapon talent feature should be similar.
Wow, I was writing one of these up at exactly the same time you were, but I got distracted from new years. These essentials classes are much easier to write and mine is very similiar to yours. Some differences from mine that you may want to take into account:
1. The class should get defender level hit points and surges to survive (i.e. 15+Con score at level 1, +6 per additional level). 2. Graceful defense has a couple of issues. First, when combined with a light shield, it gives the swashbuckler a higher potential AC at 1st level than any other class. Second, wouldn't it be better to give a bonus to fortitude? Your version fo the swashbuckler will have an almost unhittable reflex and AC but an average will denfense and an abysmal fortitude. 3. My version of the class had a bigger focus on combat advatage to make it feel more like a defender rogue, i.e. mark punishment did extra damage with CA, encounter power required CA, etc. I thought it might lead to some more interesting play. A new trick could accomplish this easily. 4. Parrying trick is way too powerful. At high levels, this will make your allies almost unhittable. Make it a static -2 or -3 instead.
Here's my WIP notes. Probably not going to post to my blog now so feel free to loot ideas:
Trained Skills: Bluff and Diplomacy, plus four more from the list of class skills.
Heroic Swashbuckler
Level 1: Defender Aura
Benefit: You gain the Defender Aura power, as described in Heroes of the Fallen Lands.
Level 1: Flourish
Benefit: You gain the Flourish power.
Flourish Rogue Attack
You use a flashy attack to deliver a deadly blow.
Encounter – Martial
No Action Personal
Trigger: You hit an enemy granting combat advantage to you with a basic attack using a light blade.
Effect: The triggering attack deals 1[W]+your charisma modifier extra damage.
Level 1: Catch Attention
Catch Attention
An enemy makes the mistake of taking their attention off of you.
At-Will - Martial
Opportunity Action Melee 1
Trigger: An enemy in your defender aura makes an attack that doesn't include you.
Effect: Make a melee basic attack with a light blade against the triggering enemy. If that enemy was granting you combat advantage, it takes 2d6 extra damage. The extra damage increases to 3d6 at level 11 and 5d6 at level 21.
Level 1: Swashbuckler's Parry
Benefit: You gain a +3 shield bonus to AC when you hold a light blade in one hand and either nothing or a dagger in your left hand.
Level 1: Weapon Finesse
Level 1: First Strike
Level 1: Swashbuckler's Stance
Confident Stance
Effect: Whenever you hit with a basic attack, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Demoralizing Stance
Effect: When you hit with a basic attack, the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Misguiding Stance
Effect: When you hit a creature granting you combat advantage with a basic attack, you may slide the target 1 square.
Light-Footed Stance
Effect: When you hit with a basic attack, you may shift 1 square.
Flanking Stance
Effect: You gain combat advantage with melee basic attacks against creatures adjacent to at least one ally.
Vicious Stance
Effect: Whenever you hit a creature granting you combat advantage with a basic attack, the target takes extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Level 2: Swashbuckler's Resilience
Benefit: You may use your Charisma Modifier instead of your Constitution modifier when determining your number of healing surges.
Level 2: Skill Mastery
Level 2: Utility Power
Level 3: Improved Flourish
Level 4: Ability Score Increases
Level 4: You gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude.
Level 5: Swashbuckler Mastery
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with light blades.
Level 6: Utility Power
Level 7:Extra Rogue Stance
You gain an additional rogue stance.
Level 8: Ability Score Increase
Level 8: Vicious Taunt
Target: One enemy in burst.
Effect: Pull the target into a space adjacent to you and you gain combat advantage against the target until the end of your next turn.
Level 9: Rapid Blade
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Initiative checks.
Level 10: Utility Power
Level 13: Improved Flourish
Level 15: Paragon Finesse
Benefit: The bonus to damage rolls from you Weapon Finesse feature improves to +3.
Level 16: Utility
Level 17: You gain one additional rogue stance.
Level 19: Unbalancing Flourish.
Benefit: The bonus to Fortitude from your class feature improves to +4.
Level 20: You may knock the target of your flourish power prone. Level 21:
Level 25: Epic Weapon Finesse
The bonus to damage rolls from your weapon finesse feature improves to +4.
Level 29:
Benefit: Enemies grant combat advantage while in your defender aura.
1. The class should get defender level hit points and surges to survive (i.e. 15+Con score at level 1, +6 per additional level).
I don't know... it just seems strange to have a rogue with the same level of durabity as a fighter, barbarian, or paladin... or in fact just about any other defender. There are strikers with defender level HP (avenger and PH2 barbarian for example), so why not a defender with striker level HP? This a character who uses his speed and quick reactions for defence, not his toughness. The higher than average AC (though not the highest - see below) should make up for the loss of 3 + 1/level HP, I'd have thought?
Now obviously some other defenders have Con as a secondary or even a primary and thus have a few extra hit points, but not all do - the paladin in particular (this being a character who also has to sacrifice his healing surges to use one of his class features). Having said that, given that a swashbuckler's Con is indeed his tertiary score (or should be), a few extra healing surges is certainly a good idea. I've therefore bumped it up to 9 + his Constitution score.
2. Graceful defense has a couple of issues. First, when combined with a light shield, it gives the swashbuckler a higher potential AC at 1st level than any other class.
A 1st level swashbuckler with 18 DEX, leather armor, and a light shield has 10 AC, which is the same as a 1st level berserker with 16 DEX, hide armor (or cloth + the Arid Desert class feature), and a heavy shield. This is of course while the beserker is is in defender mode, since when he switches to striker he loses 2 AC.
Second, wouldn't it be better to give a bonus to fortitude? Your version fo the swashbuckler will have an almost unhittable reflex and AC but an average will denfense and an abysmal fortitude.
You're absolutely right about the Reflex - I've now dumped that. However, again a Fortitude bonus just doesn't seem thematically appropriate for a swashbuckler. Besides, the majority of defenders have at least one poor defense: the weaponmaster has either poor Reflex or poor Will (potentially both if he goes Con secondary); the warden and batlemind both have poor Reflex; the knight has poor Reflex AND poor Will; the berserker has poor Will unless he chooses Frozen Land. The only defenders who don't are the PH1 paladin, the swordmage, and the cavalier.
3. My version of the class had a bigger focus on combat advatage to make it feel more like a defender rogue, i.e. mark punishment did extra damage with CA, encounter power required CA, etc. I thought it might lead to some more interesting play. A new trick could accomplish this easily.
That's a pretty good idea actually. I'll look into what you came up with sometime this weekend .
4. Parrying trick is way too powerful. At high levels, this will make your allies almost unhittable. Make it a static -2 or -3 instead.
I don't see an issue with it myself. There are several official at-wills that also reduce damage based on a secondary ability modifier, e.g. the artificer's static shock, the cleric's sonnlinor's hammer and tenebrous blessing, and the runepriest's word of diminshment (with Rune of Protection). Even if you start off with 18 CHA, at epic level this power is going to be reducing damage by 13 points, which isn't really all that much at epic.
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