Building a sword master

[DrDinocrusher]

So I've been mulling over the next character I'd like to play in the Adventurer's League, and a master swordsman assassin seems like a fun build. So far, a bugbear battlemaster 3/assassin X seems like the way I want to go. Obviously as its a finesse build for sneak attack I'll be using a rapier primarily but other than that I'm still trying to decide how I want to structure the build. Largely it depends on what maneuvers and feats I take.

Maneuver wise, right now I'm leaning towards parry, riposte, and feinting attack as the 3 maneuvers I can use. They're both flavorful and powerful for this particular character. While feinting attack is not usually on the top of a battle master's list of maneuvers, it does mean I can have sneak attack on demand. I'm also attracted to replacing parry or feinting attack with precision or lunging strike.

The big question is if I should take a feat or not. I won't get my first ASI until level 7 unfortunately so dex is a good choice of course but a feat would help drive the whole 'sword master' thing home. Featwise, I was considering Sentinel so I can help out my team more as well as work more sneak attacks in to increase my damage output and drive home the idea of being a incredibly fast and lethal swordsman. Lucky is not flavorful but powerful as always, alert is good for an assassin, and mage slayer would help me specialize in what I assassinate.

Any suggestions on how I could improve this build?

[djreynolds]

Swashbuckler I think will bring more than assassin, if only for fancy foot work and rakish audacity.

Battlemaster is sweet, precision is great as is trip and riposte is cool, rakish audacity will allow you to sneak attack anyone without a pal within 5 ft.

5 levels of any rouge and you will get uncanny dodge better than parry.

Assassins are no doubt great, it really depends on the campaign and getting surprise rounds and such. maybe a homebrew campaign where you can really put you assassination skills to work.

Lots of potential here in the classes, you can go in any direction

[DrDinocrusher]

Swashbuckler I think will bring more than assassin, if only for fancy foot work and rakish audacity.

Battlemaster is sweet, precision is great as is trip and riposte is cool, rakish audacity will allow you to sneak attack anyone without a pal within 5 ft.

5 levels of any rouge and you will get uncanny dodge better than parry.

Assassins are no doubt great, it really depends on the campaign and getting surprise rounds and such. maybe a homebrew campaign where you can really put you assassination skills to work.

Lots of potential here in the classes, you can go in any direction

Swashbuckler was my first choice but as this will be an AL legal, the PHB+1 rule prevents me from playing that as well as a bugbear. And I'd rather have the +5ft reach as that's a relatively unique and difficult to replicate ability that should open a lot of possibilities in combat.

And good point on uncanny dodge, I suppose I'll take disarming attack instead of parry.

[djreynolds]

No swashbuckler, well that hurts.

Shieldmaster, good for rogue's with expertise is nice way to get advantage. Trip helps with that also.

Any rogue will do the job in combat. Arcane trickster should not be underrated as you can select the shield spell and grab cantrips like GFB and BB and perhaps take war caster so you can use these cantrips on you AoO similar to sentinel.

Stuff like mirror image is nice. And so invisibility as this will help out with getting advantage. Unless you prefer no magic.