Introduction

Deeds are a defining feature of the Swashbuckler, and are fueled by Panache.

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RPGBOT uses the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks. Also note that many colored items are also links to the Paizo SRD.

  • Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. Nearly never useful.
  • Orange: OK options, or useful options that only apply in rare circumstances. Useful sometimes.
  • Green: Good options. Useful often.
  • Blue: Fantastic options, often essential to the function of your character. Useful very frequently.

Deeds

Derring-Do (Ex): Too expensive for what you get.

Dodging Panache (Ex): To understand this ability it’s important to remember that creatures can take their 5-foot step between the attacks of a Full Attack. Therefore, if your attacker has not already moved the primary benefit of Dodging Panache essentially just moves the fight 5 feet. To make best use of this ability, you need to take a 5-foot step away from your attacker part-way into a Full Attack and hope that they don’t decide to ignore you and go attack your allies. You can also use this to get out of being flanked.

Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): This is a great way to defend yourself and get free attacks, but it will also burn through your Panache very quickly if you depend on it too much. Save this for particularly scary single attacks.

Kip-Up (Ex): Situational, but nice to have.

Menacing Swordplay (Ex): You don’t need to spend Panache to use this, and you don’t have a lot of uses for a Swift Action, so you should be intimidating enemies at every opportunity.

Precise Strike (Ex): This is a ton of extra damage, though you only get to use it if you don’t use Two-Weapon Fighting. Remember that it’s precision damage, so it won’t get multiplied on all of those critical hits that you should be getting. You can spend Panache to double the damage bonus on one attack, but that’s a very bad way to waste Panache.

Swashbuckler Initiative (Ex): Initiative bonuses are great, but Improved Initiative provides double the bonus. Very few people bother to take Quick Draw.

Swashbuckler’s Grace (Ex): Hugely improves the Swashbuckler’s mobility.

Superior Feint (Ex): Situational.

Targeted Strike (Ex): This adds some nice versatility, and provides some options to replace the Disarm and Trip combat maneuvers.

  • Arms: Good, and nice to have because Improved Disarm is rarely a worthwhile feat.
  • Head: Confused is garbage.
  • Legs: Good, but Improved Trip won’t cost you Panache.
  • Torso or Wings: Staggering a creature is a great way to prevent it from running away or making a Full Attack.

Bleeding Wound (Ex): 2 panache points for ongoing constitution bleed is a fantastic option for major enemies.

Evasive (Ex): Evasion is good on any character, and Swashbucklers have fantastic Reflex saves. You also get Uncanny Dodge, which means you get your Nimble AC bonus while flat-footed.

Subtle Blade (Ex): Situational.

Dizzying Defense (Ex): Many Swashbucklers will have Combat Expertise, which will provide a better bonus to AC by this level, but you can use both at once. It’s not clear if using Fight Defensively as a swift action allows you to make an attack, but I assume that it does, which means you get a free attack as a Swift Action for a Panache point. The bonuses and penalties for fighting defensively are also greatly improved, and 3 ranks in Acrobatics raises the base bonus from +2 to +3.

Perfect Thrust (Ex): This is a cool option, but your attack bonus should be good enough to hit anything which you’re fighting with reasonable frequency (your last iterative attack isn’t exactly reliable, but between 3 or 4 attacks you’re almost certain to hit with some of them), and you should be able to bypass the DR of most enemies with a bit of forethought and magic weapon. Expect to use this very rarely. This does notably allow you to roll to confirm critical hits against the target’s touch AC, but you do still need to roll a critical threat, and that’s more likely if you’re making multiple attacks.

Swashbuckler’s Edge (Ex): Acrobatics is probably the only one on the list which you will need regularly. Being able to take 10 for free means that you can reliably pass Acrobatics checks against normal DCs and against many creatures’ CMDs. You’ll still want to invest in Acrobatics to ensure that you keep up with CMD scaling, but if you bought items to boost your Acrobatics modifier you may be able to save a few skill ranks.

Cheat Death (Ex): This will absolutely save your life.

Deadly Stab (Ex): Save or die, and its dependent on your ridiculous Dexterity modifier.

Stunning Stab (Ex): Stunning a creature is devastating, and you don’t need to crit to do it.