E6 Daring Outlaw

[Barsoom]

Simple build question: in an E6 game, I want to make a Daring Outlaw. For that, I need, of course, Rogue 3/Swashbuckler 2; what should I get for my 6th level? Some obvious options I've been mulling:

Swashbuckler 3 - Insightful Strike is obviously useful. Still, I have a feeling I could do better
Rogue 4 - Uncanny Dodge is obviously useful, but see above
Barbarian 1 - Spirit Lion totem, full attack on a charge (TWF) is obviously good, but I can get almost the same things with Martial Study (Wolf Fang Strike) feat
Swordsage - not too appealing, since I can get multiple Martial Study and Martial Stance feats later

So, any ideas?

[Piggy Knowles]

Daring Outlaw seems less useful in E6 - you're not getting that all important +6 BAB, and at most you'll be looking at +1 to attack over a straight rogue. What is your goal in being a Daring Outlaw?

Pounce is handy and probably the better choice, but without Insightful Strike, I'm having a hard time figuring out the point of having Swashbuckler levels at all.

[hymer]

Some thoughts:
I think my choice there would depend a lot on my int score. If it's high enough, I'd take Swashbuckler3, maybe 14 or so. It can, after all, be boosted further.
On the other hand, if my skills need a little extra (perhaps due to average int), particularly UMD, I might be tempted to take rogue 4. At least it gets +1 BAB, something I'd be looking out for. At level 6, hitting stuff is still not a given, especially with TWF.

But in general, I'd open it up to look at every class with full BAB and see what they can do for me. Depending on the campaign, Ranger with FE (something you're dealing with all the time) is pretty cool, and Track may fit your conecpt. Even the lowly Fighter's bonus feat may be interesting, depending on your build and what E6 feats you DM allows. Duskblade is also an interesting option (though not necessarily powerful), boosting your lacking Will save and putting some spells on your list of stuff you may like to have in wands. A (Cloistered) Cleric dip doesn't get +1 BAB, but it's always a strong dip (and with the right domain can get you uncanny dodge if you feel like that).

[Alienist]

Isn't pounce pointless without +6 bab?

[Dusk Eclipse]

Isn't pounce pointless without +6 bab?

not if you have two weapon fighting, multiple natural weapons or :shudders: flurry of blows.

[Elric VIII]

Depending on what you want your character to do you can take Rogue 1/Thug Fighter 1/Swashbuckler 3/Barbarian 1.

Same amount of SA as Rogue 3/Swashbuckler 2, but you also get Insightful Strike and 4+Int skills per level (more at 1st).

[Lord Il Palazzo]

I'd lean toward either the third level of Swashbuckler for insightful strike (especially if you've got a two-weapon fighting build) or a dip of Swordsage. You could pick up some maneuvers later on with feats, but you can only take Martial Study three times and that's three other feats you wouldn't get (possibly including Shadow Blade). Swordsage 1 gets you 6 maneuvers known with four readied and a stance so it's worth more than four feats if you do want to get into Tome of Battle stuff.

A few other ideas:
Cloistered Cleric: Get the granted powers of three domains (or swap them out for Devotion feats) plus some utility spellcasting. Taking the magic domain would open up a lot of wizard wands and such-like without needing points in use magic device. The Travel Devotion feat (move your speed as a swift action for 1 minute per day) would also be hand for setting up full attacks (if you're two-weapon fighting) or just give double movement.
Warlock: Gain a ranged touch attack with which to make sneak attacks plus an invocation to use whenever. (See the Unseen for See Invisiblity and Darkvision whenever you want them would be cool, but there are some other good options.)
Monk: +2 on all saves and two bonus feats (Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple/Stunning Fist, though you can get a few others from the SRD monk variants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#monkVariantFightingSty les).) Not stellar, but this could be a lot worse.
Wizard: Like cleric, you get some basic utility spells to toss around. You can use the SRD variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) to get a fighter bonus feat (Improved Initiative comes to mind) instead of Scribe Scroll. If you're really ambitious, you can use the other SRD variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererWizard) to trade your familiar for an animal companion and then take Natural Bond (a feat from Complete Adventure) to get +3 on your effective Druid Level for determining your companion's abilities. A good companion could be a handy flanking buddy for your sneak attacks and a Dire Bat (taken from the level 4 list, via Natural Bond) would make a nice flying mount. (Maybe use the wilderness rogue variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#rogueVariantWilderness Rogue) to get ride and handle animal as class skills?)

I wasn't giving full BAB classes any extra consideration since you won't be getting to +6 regardless. Maybe you could convince your DM to let the sneak attack fighter (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter) work with Daring Outlaw, in which case I'd definitely prioritize that last point of BAB. Swashbuckler 3 is still appealing but I think the winner would be barbarian for the pounce, especially if you're thinking of two-weapon fighting

[Lonely Tylenol]

If your DM allows it, be a Thug Sneak Attack Zhentarim Fighter 3 instead of a Rogue. You'll be less skillful, but you'll have full BAB. From that point, one of three things can happen here:

1) Your Fighter levels will track Sneak Attack separately from your Swashbuckler levels. This means you'll gain Sneak Attack +2d6 from your Fighter half (as a third-level Fighter of the Sneak Attack variant would), and Sneak Attack +2d6 from your Swashbuckler half (the 0+3 Rogue levels treat you as a third-level Rogue for the purpose of Sneak Attack). If this is the case, the third level of Swashbuckler gets you both INT to damage and an extra Sneak Attack dice, and comes recommended highly (you won't, however, gain the Dodge +1 benefit). Functionally, this is the same as taking three levels of Sneak Attack Fighter and three levels of Rogue, as far as tracking Sneak Attack progression is concerned.

2) Your Fighter levels stack with your Swashbuckler levels for the purpose of Daring Outlaw. This isn't RAW or RAI, and is in fact explicitly a houserule, but it's perhaps the most reasonable outcome. A Fighter 3/Swashbuckler 3 would then be treated as a 6th-level Rogue and 6th-level Swashbuckler for the purposes of all things yada yada. With this one, your sixth level is more open, because you only gain Insightful Strike (which, again, not totally a bad thign).

3) You don't have Rogue levels, so your Swashbuckler levels have nothing to stack Sneak Attack damage with. This would get you Sneak Attack +2d6 from the three levels of Sneak Attack Fighter, and that's it. If for whatever reason your DM decides to take this route, don't bother with a Daring Outlaw build.

Consult your DM as to which s/he will be using in their game.

This build gets you Sneak Attack +3d6 or better and full BAB from both components of Daring Outlaw. If your DM allows 1), take three levels of Fighter and three levels of Swashbuckler; your Sneak Attack progression is technically better than a single-classed Rogue (which dips tend to do anyway), you get INT and STR to damage (and if you somehow have all high ability scores, DEX to damage is a few feats away), and you can take the Two-Weapon Fighting line down to two iteratives, meaning if you can find a tricksy way to get all your attacks off, you can deal absurd amounts of Sneak Attack damage (just add Craven, Deadly Precision weapons, etc).

If your DM goes instead for 2), your sixth level is open. If you go this route, the third level in Swashbuckler is still viable (the chassis isn't horrible for a full BAB class, and you'll never be able to replace that INT to damage), but only if you had a heavy INT focus anyway. Strong alternatives would be Warblade if you have an INT focus (INT to Reflex, three second-level maneuvers, and a stance with ready access to all and the easiest recovery method in the game. Blood in the Water is a viable option here if you decide to crit-fish; although it won't let you multiply Sneak Attack dice, if you feat chain up Lightning Mace, you can get an absurd number of attacks with which to Sneak Attack), and Lion Totem Whirling Frenzy Barbarian if you don't have that INT focus (an extra attack if you choose it, plus the ability to full attack on a charge, which means four attacks with three at your highest iterative bonus for a Two-Weapon Fighter, and actually makes Improved Two-Weapon Fighting worth taking).

If your DM for whatever reason sticks with option 3), and you still want to play a Daring Outlaw (instead of Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 5), use the same advice as 2), but prioritize the Barbarian dip unless your INT is very significant. EDIT: Warblade becomes less necessary (you don't need full BAB) and Swordsage opens up (especially if you're playing with fractional BAB rules, as you still gain the BAB by rounding off what you had left with the Rogue levels). It's also more skillful, Weapon Focus and initiative bonuses aren't bad, and you get more maneuvers (and a wider list) to choose from.

[Barsoom]

Thanks, guys, excellent advice all around!