Rogue vs fighter types

[Whit]

1. Your a lvl 3 rogue swashbuckler with 2 short swords and short bow 20 arrows.
Pick 1 feat

Can you win vs a lvl 3 totem barbarian with great sword and long bow 20 arrows

Can you win vs a battle master with long sword shield and long bow. 20 arrows

You have over 50ft distance radius with a 10x10 pit separating you with a narrow log spanning it. The depth of pit is 10 ft deep Both battlemaster and barbarian can use dodge action or use bow if range combat or reserve action waiting for you to come into
Melee

[Man_Over_Game]

As a Rogue Swashbuckler, you won't have any means of getting sneak attack at range.

You said "Totem Warrior" barbarian, but you didn't specify what type. So I'd just pick Tiger.


You'd go first (Charisma bonus to initiative), making your attack at normal damage (I don't have Rage active yet).
Turn 2, I Rage and Dash, clearing the gap (Tiger grants 10 jump distance) and moving adjacent to you.
Turn 3, you can either choose to attack me or to run away (to cause my Rage to end early). I have 2 Rages, plenty for the fight, so you attack. I resist half of the damage.
Turn 4, I Reckless Attack you with my 2d6. We repeat until one of us dies.

Assuming average health rolls (2d12 + 12 Barbarian[25 avg], 2d8 + 8 Rogue[17 avg]) and we have a +3 in Constitution (Barbarian 28, Rogue 20) and we have a +3 in the relevant attack stat:

Turn 1: Rogue deals 1d6 + 3, 50% chance to hit, so roughly 4 damage.
Turn 2: No damage dealt
Turn 3: Rogue deals 2d6 + 3 + 2d6. 50% chance to hit on the attack damage on the first turn, 50% damage received on all damage, so... about 6 damage. (10 against Barbarian so far)
Turn 4: Barbarian deals 2d6 + 3 + 2, 75% chance to hit. 9 damage (9 damage against Rogue so far)
Turn 5: Rogue goes, another 8.5 (due to advantage to hit against Barbarian) damage (Barbarian's taken 18.5)
Turn 6: Barbarian goes, another 9 damage (18 against Rogue)
Turn 7: Rogue goes, another 8.5 damage (Barbarian's taken 27)
Turn 8: Barbarian goes, deals another 9 damage, puts Rogue at 27 damage out of 20 health and starts dying.

This is very dependent of the range of the two sides. If the Rogue can afford to move around, he can win just by Bonus Action Dash and normal attacks, eventually just dwindling the Barbarian down.

[Arcangel4774]

If you can tell between reserved action and dodge the rogue wins more often than not. Otherwise i think the rogue wins, but itd be a lot closer, especially with the battlemaster

[JackPhoenix]

If you can tell between reserved action and dodge the rogue wins more often than not. Otherwise i think the rogue wins, but itd be a lot closer, especially with the battlemaster

Considering there are no details of the build and nowhere to hide, the battlemaster may just as well be archer and simply turn the rogue into pincushion without taking a single step. He'll have better damage potential (longbow and maneuvers vs. shortbow and no sneak attack) and better resilience (better AC from heavy or medium armor, more HP simply from being a fighter and Second Wind on top).

"Reserved action" (I assume readied action) won't help either side and the fighter has no reason to bother with dodging, while the rogue would only delay the inevitable while preventing him from even hurting his opponent. The rogue has more incentive to move into melee range (he won't get sneak attack at range without hiding, and there's no cover unless he jumps into the pit, in which case the fighter will have to move to shoot into the pit, but nothing will change on the outcome).

But the information in the OP are too vague and insufficient to judge the situation correctly. But the rogue definitely doesn't "win more often than not".

[djreynolds]

Barbarian has damage reduction

The rogue, actually is the only combatant with 2 possible attacks, barring the fighter using riposte, the rogue can do 4d6 in melee with 2d6 SA and two short swords

The battlemaster has menacing strike, 4 uses and the parry maneuver for damage reduction.

Menacing strike could be the deciding factor, as it should shut down rage and if used correctly keep the rogue at a distance

[JNAProductions]

Rogue will usually lose, since they can’t properly sneak attack all the time.

It’s certainly not unwinnable for anyone, though.

[Reth]

I feel like using your bonus action to attack with your other short sword is a trap here. You'd be better off using the pit to break LoS with the barbarian/fighter and then bonus action hide. Since you're a swashbuckler you can always sneak attack as long as you're with in 5 feet of the other guy and even if you miss as long as you attack them you do not provoke OoA from moving away from them. Stick, move, hide.

[Foxhound438]

fighter takes sharpshooter, precision attack and action surge hits you for 37 damage consistently on turn one.

[Lunali]

As a Rogue Swashbuckler, you won't have any means of getting sneak attack at range.

Hiding or a magic initiate familiar still work.

[JackPhoenix]

I feel like using your bonus action to attack with your other short sword is a trap here. You'd be better off using the pit to break LoS with the barbarian/fighter and then bonus action hide. Since you're a swashbuckler you can always sneak attack as long as you're with in 5 feet of the other guy and even if you miss as long as you attack them you do not provoke OoA from moving away from them. Stick, move, hide.

You can't really do that, because if the enemy walks to the pit, he'll see you plain as day. Or rather, you can do that, you'll just waste an (bonus) action like that.

Plus you'll have problem with climbing in and out of the pit and juggling your weapon.


Hiding or a magic initiate familiar still work.

Nowhere to hide and familiar will work about once before it gets killed.

[Mr.Spastic]

The problem is you gave them all bows. The fighter will always win in that situation due to being able to take archery fighting style and be a battlemaster and trip them at 100 ft range. Take out bows and making it a test of pure melee and the rogue will always win. Because you can do this...

Go with a rapier, not shortswords. Hit them and bonus action dash out of melee range and they have to come get you wasting their actions. It's a guaranteed win. Swashbuckler absolutely owns melee fights by hitting them and moving to safety. I have a swashbuckler in a game I run and he is the only reason why my orcs use their javelins.

Note: Inquisitive would be better at range because of insightful fighting but not better than the fight if they go nova.