Riposte + Defensive Duelist+ Sneak Attack build

[MadBear]

I'm currently contemplating a build for my next character. I was hoping to make a swashbuckling rogue X/Battlemaster Fighter (3 or 5 or 6)

The idea behind this build would be that rogues greatly benefit from reaction attacks, but they are hard to get. Also, DD allows you to increase the chance per round that a creature misses.

I know this build isn't in anyway new, so I'm more curious about people playing this type of character, and their experiences with how effective (or ineffective) this type of build would be.

One thing I can't decide is when to break from going fighter. If I go fighter 6, you'll get extra attack, and 2 asi's, which you can use to max dex (assuming v.human to get DD).

If you go fighter 5, you still get extra attack.

And finally, if you go fighter 3, you'll stack on more levels of rogue.

Thanks in advance. :D

[ImproperJustice]

Doesn’t DD and Riposte both require your reaction?
I don’t have the books in front of me, but that is my first concern.

[MadBear]

Doesn’t DD and Riposte both require your reaction?
I don’t have the books in front of me, but that is my first concern.

Dang it, you're completely right. That's unfortunate. :(

[ImproperJustice]

I’m sorry.
It would be a cool combo otherwise.

[CTurbo]

Your idea of a Battlemaster/Swashbuckler using Riposte for extra sneak damage is sound. Just forget about Defensive Duelist. Parry and Rally are two other great maneuvers for such a build. Sentinel is a great feat to add. Stand by your party tank, if they attack him, you attack. If they attack you and miss, you attack. If they attack you and hit, you parry.

You just need to decide what fighting style you want. Swashbucklers benefit from TWF so that's a good choice, but Riposte depends on the enemy missing you with an attack which means that you benefit more from having a higher AC, in which case I would use a shield and take Defensive Style.

I would go at least Fighter 5 for the second attack. But this means waiting a long time for your build idea to "come online"

I'd be tempted to start Fighter 1, then Rogue 5, then Fighter 4, then Rogue from there, but either way you're gonna be at level 8 before your idea really starts to work.

[Corran]

Replace defensive duelist with sentinel and now you have 3 uses for your reaction (sentinel, riposte, uncanny dodge) with mutually exclusive triggers. You will need a high effective AC (S&B and defense for starters, blur and maybe protection from evil if AT) for this to work smoothly though (and a melee buddy, preferably geared towards dpr) and it best plays as a frontliner than as a skirmisher.

Edit: I would most likely not stop at fighter 3 when extra attack is only 2 levels away (especially if I was S&B'ing). I would also not plan on a 5 fighter/ rogue 15 split unless I was starting at level 20, cause slippery mind would come online at level 20 and I would want wisdom save proficiency a lot sooner than that. So I would grab resilient wisdom at some point and thus I would look to avoid the overlap caused at 20 by getting slippery mind. Thus I would go for 14/6 or 13/7 (rogue/fighter).

[Crgaston]

It still works great. Once you have Uncanny Dodge. If they hit you, you take half damage. If they miss you smack em.

Though you probably want Dueling FS for this, if you took Protection, if they decided attacking you wasn’t worth it and attacked your melee buddy instead, you could use your reaction to impose Disadvantage on one of those attacks.

Which means you can set yourself up for using your reaction a lot.

[bid]

Parry and Rally are two other great maneuvers for such a build.
I'm not sure parry is a better deal than uncanny dodge. Riposte and rally are nice though.

[NiklasWB]

My current character is a Battlemaster 5/Swashbuckler 3 (at the moment), and it is a blast when fighting things that don't have a great attack bonus. I have an AC of 19 (DEX 18 and a bracer that acts a re-flavored regular shield when I wield a single weapon and nothing else in the off hand), and should get an ASI for DEX 20 / AC 20 next level. I'm also planning on taking Defensive Duelist at some point. Not because it is optimal, but because it is thematic and fun. I'll also continue in Rogue for Uncanny dodge. Then I'll have the following scenario:

1. If I get hit but think the proficiency bonus will turn it to a miss? Defensive duelist
2. If I get hit and the proficiency bonus will not help? Uncanny dodge
3. If I no not get hit. Riposte
4. I also hava gloves of missile snaring. So if I get hit by a ranged projectile. Snatch it.

A lot of competing/complementary reaction uses, but that's part of the fun. With Cunning Action, these reactions and at least two attacks, I should always be able to make use of both my action, bonus action and reaction every single round.

[Arial Black]

If I have Riposte, Defensive Duellist, and Uncanny Dodge (requiring at least 5 levels of rogue and 3 levels of fighter battle master (or a feat):-

* if my foe misses me I can use my Reaction to Riposte

* if my foe hits me, but would miss me if I used Defensive Duellist, then I use that feat and my Reaction to turn the hit into a miss

* if my foe hits me and even Defensive Duellist would not be enough to make it miss, then I use my Reaction to take half damage re: Uncanny Dodge