Halfling Swashbuckler

[Shadowscale]

All the books are available I have a game in the morning my stat rolls were 12 13 16 18 10 15 before adjustments.
I plant to play the mouser archetype for a first level game. Anyone have any ideal traits, ideas where to allocate my ability scores, which weapon to use, or feat and future feats?
Any and all help would be appreciated I'm thinking a space pirate theme as its a space campaign. I like the feat where you can use a cape as a buckler.

[avr]

Swashbucklers have less viable builds than some classes. The good choices at first level are fairly limited.

As a halfling swashbuckler you're obviously going for a dex-based build. Put the 18 in dex, then 16 cha (for charmed life), then 15 con, then whatever.

As a mouser one of the few compatible archetypes is the musketeer. As well as a little ability with guns it gives the weapon focus (rapier) feat as a bonus, which allows you to take fencing grace with your first level feat. If you want to do damage this is probably your best option.

If you'd rather play with combat maneuvers you don't take the musketeer archetype. Your first feat is exotic weapon proficiency (whip). The mysterious avenger archetype avoids the EWP feat tax (so you start on another feat tax, combat expertise) but isn't really appropriate for a pirate.

Neither way do you have a spare feat at first level, sorry.

[Shadowscale]

Swashbucklers have less viable builds than some classes. The good choices at first level are fairly limited.

As a halfling swashbuckler you're obviously going for a dex-based build. Put the 18 in dex, then 16 cha (for charmed life), then 15 con, then whatever.

As a mouser one of the few compatible archetypes is the musketeer. As well as a little ability with guns it gives the weapon focus (rapier) feat as a bonus, which allows you to take fencing grace with your first level feat. If you want to do damage this is probably your best option.

If you'd rather play with combat maneuvers you don't take the musketeer archetype. Your first feat is exotic weapon proficiency (whip). The mysterious avenger archetype avoids the EWP feat tax (so you start on another feat tax, combat expertise) but isn't really appropriate for a pirate.

Neither way do you have a spare feat at first level, sorry.

I didn't think to take musketeer on top of mouser, I think I'll do that and take fencing grace. Any idea for traits?
Also if I do this and don't use guns is that losing out?
Looking into it I also lose weapon finesse at first level though, especially considering its the charisma one, wouldn't I be losing out?

[avr]

A musketeer gets weapon finesse with the rapier only. Since that's the only weapon you get dex to damage with via fencing grace anyway, you shrug and accept that your backup weapon is another rapier.

Losing cha for intelligence feat prereqs only matters if you're getting into combat maneuvers and you can't spare the 13 int. I think you have a spare 13 in your rolls if you want to do that so no loss there.

Given how little you trade for it it's not a great loss if you're allergic to guns. Personally I'd use one over a bow given free proficiency and no strength bonus but it's up to you.

This is not a character which is going to be dependent on traits. Maybe grab an initiative boost, then get a boost to your favorite skill or blood of dragons for low light vision. You could get the helpful halfling trait which doubles aid another bonuses, but it feels un-piratey. YMMV.

[Shadowscale]

A musketeer gets weapon finesse with the rapier only. Since that's the only weapon you get dex to damage with via fencing grace anyway, you shrug and accept that your backup weapon is another rapier.

Losing cha for intelligence feat prereqs only matters if you're getting into combat maneuvers and you can't spare the 13 int. I think you have a spare 13 in your rolls if you want to do that so no loss there.

Given how little you trade for it it's not a great loss if you're allergic to guns. Personally I'd use one over a bow given free proficiency and no strength bonus but it's up to you.

This is not a character which is going to be dependent on traits. Maybe grab an initiative boost, then get a boost to your favorite skill or blood of dragons for low light vision. You could get the helpful halfling trait which doubles aid another bonuses, but it feels un-piratey. YMMV.

You make a good point and a blunderbuss come to think of it is pirate like. An initiative boost and that halfling aid trait sound good to me, do you know what they're called and which book they're in by chance? Any future feat ideas as I level? Not planning on many if any maneuvers except steal and dirty trick, and the ability to do the cape thing, everything else anything you know to boost light armored AC, maybe two weapon fighting feats would help for two rapiers? I just want them to hit hard.

[avr]

You make a good point and a blunderbuss come to think of it is pirate like. An initiative boost and that halfling aid trait sound good to me, do you know what they're called and which book they're in by chance? Any future feat ideas as I level? Not planning on many if any maneuvers except steal and dirty trick, and the ability to do the cape thing, everything else anything you know to boost light armored AC, maybe two weapon fighting feats would help for two rapiers? I just want them to hit hard.
Reactionary is an initiative trait in the APG, Helpful is in Halflings of Golarion.

If you're going for the dueling cape feat, you'll need the prereq dodge.

Risky Striker is a -1 penalty to AC when used - but taking out your enemies faster can save you from being damaged too.

There are these things called dares which you can take in place of your bonus feats, and which become active when you're out of panache. Frantically Nimble gives you +2 AC and gives you a panache back if you're missed 3 times in a row.

Combat Expertise is a prereq to the Improved Disarm & Improved Steal feats and is a (not very good) defensive feat too.

Swashbucklers lose a bunch of benefits if they use TWF, I don't recommend it.

There's nothing official but it may be worth asking if you can get the Opportune Parry & Riposte deed back at the cost of a feat. It's a swashbuckler's best defence and annoyingly a mouser trades it away.

[Grod_The_Giant]

As a mouser one of the few compatible archetypes is the musketeer. As well as a little ability with guns it gives the weapon focus (rapier) feat as a bonus, which allows you to take fencing grace with your first level feat. If you want to do damage this is probably your best option.
Huh? It gives you Weapon Finesse with the rapier only, but no Focus. Inspired Blade is the only archetype that gives you finesse and focus at first level, but it doesn't stack with Mouser.

I actually wouldn't take Musketeer, because it's honestly not that good. If you want to use a blunderbus, taking a level or three of Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger, Musket Master) is much better-- you still get Rapid Reload, but you also get double Cha Grit/Panache points (they're the same thing-- it's explicitly mentioned that they stack), Cha to gun damage (at cost), and extended touch attack range (via Deadeye). Two more levels gets you a +1 to Will (which can be pushed up to +2 with the Fate's Favored trait), +2 initiative, and knocks your reloading down another step to a Move action.