Build advice: halfling Errol Flynn

[Laserlight]

I'm a novice 3.5 player with a halfling Rogue 1 / Swashbuckler 3, by name Kestrel Langstaff. Kestrel wants to win sword fights, look good doing it, and pick up hot chicks.

NOTE: This is not "design a character from scratch", this is "I'm already at 4th level, about to get 5th level, where do I go from here?"

The campaign is nautical and thus far there are functionally no other player characters. Kestrel's using the "feats in lieu of sneak attacks" version of Rogue.

STR 12 DEX 18 CON 14 INT 14 WIS 8 CHA 14

Feats:
Combat Reflexes
Deft Opportunist
Weapon Finesse
TWF (Rapier and Dagger)
Daredevil Acrobatics

Notable abilities:
Insightful Strike

Skills:
At 9 or better: diplomacy, bluff, climb, tumble, move silently, hide
Others: musician 4, use magic device 3, jump 4, Local Knowledge 4

Next level is a level of Bard, because there's no point fighting if you can't tell the tale to an admiring bevy of comely half elven wenches. After that, it's Warblade. (No other TOB are available)

Right now, the thought is the Bardic Sage (Unearthed Arcana) with Healing Hymn (Complete Champion), and probably Knowledge Devotion when I can.

I get five cantrips, which I'm planning to be:

Prestidigitation: for general flexibility.
Light
Read Magic
Detect Magic
Message, for whispering in a girl's ear from across the bar, although I suppose it has other, less important uses


Comments on better cantrips, other things to do with Bard, or anything to take to prepare for Warblade?

[laeZ1]

Sounds like you've got it all planned out.

[Gavinfoxx]

What about the dead levels swashbuckler thing for level 4?

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x

Also, it needs more Tome of Battle. A LOT more Tome of Battle!

[Laserlight]

Sounds like you've got it all planned out.

Indeed. It's whether my plans make sense or not...

[Venusaur]

Have you thought about just going Rogue 4/Swashbuckler 16 with daring outlaw? It isn't necessarily better, just food for thought. Also, definitely take Song of the White Raven for BardBlade builds.

[gorfnab]

Here is a fencer build that I came up with awhile ago.

Human or Strongheart Halfling
1. Cobra Strike (UA) Deceptive Strike (PHBII) Monk - Camendine Monk, Combat Expertise, B: Dodge
2. Cobra Strike (UA) Monk - B: Mobility
3. Swashbuckler - Deadly Defense, B: Weapon Finesse
4. Swashbuckler
5. Swashbuckler
6. Thief Acrobat - Combat Reflexes
7. Thief Acrobat
8. Thief Acrobat
9. Thief Acrobat - Einhander
10. Thief Acrobat
11. Warblade
12. Warblade or Duelist - Ironheart Aura
13. Duelist
14. Duelist
15. Duelist - Robilar's Gambit
16. Duelist
17. Duelist
18. Duelist - Stormgaurd Warrior
19. Duelist
20. Duelist

Levels 10 through 12 can be rearranged depending on your needs. The current setup gives you Improved Evasion and Uncanny Dodge at these levels. However if you don't need Improved Evasion take one less level of Thief Acrobat and move the first level of Warblade to level 10. If you don't need Uncanny Dodge don't take the 2nd level of Warblade and instead go into Duelist a level early. If you don't need either abilities take Warblade at level 10 and enter Duelist at level 11.

If flaws are available pick up EWP: Broadblade Shortsword (pre-errata version if possible) or Versatile Unarmed Strike and Snap Kick (may need to rearrange later feats). If traits are available pick up Cautious.

The Monk and Swashbuckler levels (levels 1 through 5) can be switched around to taste. I personally like Swash 1/ Monk 2/ Swash 2

[Laserlight]

Have you thought about just going Rogue 4/Swashbuckler 16 with daring outlaw? It isn't necessarily better, just food for thought. Also, definitely take Song of the White Raven for BardBlade builds.

Daring Outlaw is to stack levels for Sneak Attack, yes? But I'm a dashing swordsman--and also I've gotten feats instead of Sneak Attack dice.

Bard Blade sounds appealing....

[gorfnab]

Daring Outlaw is to stack levels for Sneak Attack, yes?
Yes it stacks Rogue levels with Swashbuckler levels to determine sneak attack damage, however it requires 2d6 sneak attack. If you have a lenient DM you could pull off something like the following: Feat Rogue 1/ Swashbuckler 3/ Thug Sneak Attack Fighter 3/ Feat Rogue 13 + Daring Outlaw feat. This give you BAB 16, 11d6 sneak attack, and 8 bonus fighter feats.

[Yipyioh]

If you're looking at a nautical campaign with a swashbuckler I will immediately recommend you examine the Legendary Captain class from the 3.0 book Stormwrack. It's completely compatible with 3.5 as all 3.0 books usually are and the class as a whole if you wish to be a captain is a-MA-zing. Keep in mind, however, this book presents full rules on ship combat, something that was missing from the rest of the handbooks, and the class is fully dependent on those rules. Thus, your entire party and DM would have to know the rules in order for your character to be effective but it's really very much worth it as a prestige.

My credit on this subject comes from having a level 8 Swashbuckler/2 Beguiler/ 2 Legendary Captain character in a campaign that's been continuing for somewhere around 3 years now. Granted, the DM let me have a galleon that could fly so I could be useful on land missions as well when the rest of our party contains a super Ninja, a powerful Duskblade, and a 3/4 Orc who crits with a giant axe on a 12-20... But still. You have my two bits.

[Gwendol]

Songbird is a good spell for you.

[Laserlight]

Granted, the DM let me have a galleon that could fly so I could be useful on land missions as well when the rest of our party contains a super Ninja, a powerful Duskblade, and a 3/4 Orc who crits with a giant axe on a 12-20... But still. You have my two bits.

If I can persuade my DM to let me have a flying galleon, I will definitely need to look into this. I may, however, need to have the Beguiler: Usable On DM variant...

[Palanan]

Let me be the first to say that Stormwrack was published in 2005, and is solidly 3.5 material.

[Laserlight]

If I can persuade my DM to let me have a flying galleon, I will definitely need to look into this. I may, however, need to have the Beguiler: Usable On DM variant...

My DM has not said a flat "No" to the flying galleon idea, but ...no cannon. And money spent on flying galleons is money not spent on a really exquisite harem.

Nix the galleon idea.

[Laserlight]

Becoming a bard, taken from Kestrel's Journal (http://battlehonors.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-million-sparks-of-song.html):

The trees of Tor Wood are tall, such that in the evening gloom and the mist that pervades this land, I could little see even the tops of the trees, and the Sky not at all. And it is quiet, with no buzz of insect or trill of birdcall, nor any sound save the chuckling of the creeks and the footfalls of my companions on the moss and stone. The journey was uneasy, with much climbing up and down, and us troubled by our wounds, and the wood brooding. But at the end of this journey we came unto a place which was a fane of the Earthmother, wherein stood three Trees, not like the others, for those were straight and slender, but these, mighty and spreading, in the manner of an oak, and their roots tumbled together, and old, old. In the compass of the roots before them was a hollow, and in that hollow was a Pool, being about a rod across, and very deep, and unruffled by any breath of wind, and even I, who am more inclined to merriment than reverence, knew it to be a Holy thing, numinous and fearsome. Inae was troubled, for there should have been a Guardian but none appeared, but she saw no hurt to the Well. She knelt there and prayed, and drank of the Well, and then bade me do likewise, and I did.
And here is a wondrous thing, for behold, when I drank of the Well, I saw a mighty shower of sparks, as from some great smith's hammer, but each spark was a Song, and I could see them and hear them, all at once, the myriad colors and melodies, a thundercloud of butterflies, and the stars sang together, and all my wounds were healed.
That night, in the first watch as Inae slept, Owain and I spake, and he taught me songs of virtue, that could make bold a fighting man, or bring light to darkness, or diverse other things. He taught me also the Lay of the Elder King of Moonshaes, and another concerning Three Northlander Brothers and the Clever Ffolke, which I shall turn into a merry tale of Foxwit the Halfling and the Biggers. I in turn told him the news of Waterdeep, and the tale of a roguish halfling and the Admiral he bearded, the which Owain will make into a song, and I taught him also the halfling song Beer Comes in Pints, which amused him.

[Urpriest]

My DM has not said a flat "No" to the flying galleon idea, but ...no cannon. And money spent on flying galleons is money not spent on a really exquisite harem.

Nix the galleon idea.

Bah, a skilled Bard/Swashbuckler should never have to actually spend money to acquire a harem.:smallwink:

[Laserlight]

Bah, a skilled Bard/Swashbuckler should never have to actually spend money to acquire a harem.:smallwink:

It's not the purchase price that gets you, it's the upkeep and maintenance

[White_Drake]

I keep all of my harem-gathering characters human; things get awkward when most of the worlds' population is at least twice your size. I once had a halfling betrothed to a mermaid.

On a more helpful note, I recently based a character off of a similar concept, using intimidation via his reputation as the world's greatest swordsman in combat. He looked something like this:

Classes:
Barbarian 1
Swashbuckler 5
Rogue 4
Alternate Class Features:
Whirling Frenzy (Barbarian)
Lion Spirit Totem (Barbarian)
Martial Rogue (Rogue)
Penetrating Strike (Rogue)
Prestige Classes:
Avenging Executioner 5
Dread Pirate 5
Feats:
Extra Rage
Intimidating Rage
Imperious Command
Daring Outlaw
Combat Expertise
Riposte
Improved Initiative
Quick Draw
Rapid Assault
Mercurial Strike
Skill Tricks:
Never Outnumbered
Twisted Charge
Nimble Charge
Traits:
Quick
Flaws:
Brash
Short Attention Span

Even if nothing else in there catches your interest, I would definitely suggest looking at the Scarlet Corsair (Stormwrack), or the nigh identical Dread Pirate (Complete Adventurer).

[Laserlight]

I keep all of my harem-gathering characters human; things get awkward when most of the worlds' population is at least twice your size.

"Yes, I'm a halfling, but it doesn't matter how tall a woman is when she's tied to the bed".


Even if nothing else in there catches your interest, I would definitely suggest looking at the Scarlet Corsair (Stormwrack), or the nigh identical Dread Pirate (Complete Adventurer).

I looked at Dread Pirate but it seems to be oriented more towards leading a mob of cutthroats; thus far, Kestrel has been the Dashing Lone Swordsman.

[Yipyioh]

My DM has not said a flat "No" to the flying galleon idea, but ...no cannon. And money spent on flying galleons is money not spent on a really exquisite harem.

Nix the galleon idea.

Well once I got Leadership my DM almost let my have a nymph companion so... ;)

But it doesn't have to be a flying galleon, the Legendary Captain class is considered top-tier provided you're playing in a nautical campaign... Which you are. The only reason I have one is because the rest of our players would probably be fairly useless on the sea if it became a waterfest.