Is swiftblade as fun as it seems?

[Hiro Quester]

I have usually played "gishy" type characters (bard/sublime chord; druid with 1 level monk dip). I really enjoy having lots of options in ways to help the party solve problems.

I have been strongly considering playing a swiftblade next time. The class features seem like a lot of fun, and worth losing bit of spell casting for. Party role as buffer and DPS.

Considering something like a strung-out venerable desert kobold sorcerer swift blade, that I could play as like a speed-addicted drug fiend, who loves hasted combat for the speed high it gives him.

I'm principally asking those who have experience playing or DMing a swift blade.

Is this as fun as it seems it could be? Are there other gishy classes that would be better (duskblade? Battle sorcerer/Abjurant champion....?)

[Troacctid]

I've DM'd for a couple similar characters, although not a Swiftblade exactly.

With Swiftblade, the numbers are there, you just need to be careful not to fall into the Weapon Finesse trap. Your primary stat should be Strength, not Dexterity, or you'll have trouble dealing damage.

[pilvento]

I played a monk/sorcerer/enlightned fist/swiftblade from lvls 9 to 19th and it was a lot of fun for me, but from time to time all the actions and dice rolling took a lot of time durning the encounters...

I also falled right into the terrible weapon finesse trap, but i was channeling vampiric touch, moving at full speed and delivering a flurry of blows with greater mighty wallop on and quickening scorching rays in the same turn... so i was fine i guess.

With ascetic sorcerer you can use CHA for monk abilities and then with boots of battledancing you can use CHA for attack rolls and dmg rolls. Charisma had a lot of love in 3.5

[Flickerdart]

Axiom: Doing stuff is fun.

Axiom: Actions let you do stuff.

Corollary: The more actions you have, the more fun you have.

Swiftblade grants you actions. Therefore, Swiftblade is fun.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

How about a RotD web enhancement-based desert or arctic kobold unarmed swordsage 1/monk 1/martial wizard 5/swiftblade 10/swordsage 3 (with swordsage interspersed with swiftblade at key levels for the maneuvers you want) would be pretty fantastic, especially if you focus on taking attacks with movement, take Improved Trip (monk), Expeditious Dodge, bracers of armor with Mobility, Sun School, Snap Kick, Karmic Strike, Combat Reflexes, and Elusive Target. Avoid attacks using a reach weapon, Elusive Target, and Karmic Strike (take your AoO 5' step prior to the attack that made it, and zip out of the way). Take movement-based maneuvers (swift/move/standard) and use them to zip around the battlefield, making trip attacks with Sun School, Snap Kick, and Improved Trip. If you sub out some swordsage levels with TWO levels of martial monk, feel free to take heavy duty options like Improved Whirlwind Attack. Either way, buy (and then once you're done with it, sell) a sparring dummy of the master for 10' steps.

This would absolutely kick ass in a gestalt game with primarily wizard levels on the other side to shore up your caster level.

[Hiro Quester]

I like the idea of monkly Swordsage type swiftblade. But in practice it seems that the swiftblade losing caster levels is already painful. Losing caster levels hurts. I like casting.

So maybe one level in a martial class like Monk or Swordsage might be okay (flurry of blows, improved unarmed strike, dodge for SB prerequistitse).

But I'd prefer to keep as much casting as possible.

Edit: and yeah, after playing the bard I mentioned, I found lots of ways to milk CHA for combat effectiveness.

Oohhh. Ascetic Mage feat for sorcerer/ monk getting cha to AC and using spell's as untyped bonus to attack and damage isn't a bad foundation.