Hit Die: d8

Requirements:

• Base Attack: 7+
• Perform: 5 ranks
• Tumble: 5 ranks
• Jump: 5 ranks
• Special Ability: Evasion
• Special Ability: Uncanny Dodge
• Dodge
• Mobility
• Expertise
• Improved Disarm
• Ambidexterity
• Two Weapon Fighting

Class Skills: The swashbuckler's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (STR), Craft (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Disguise (CHA), Escape Artist (DEX), Gather Information (CHA), Hide (DEX), Intimidate (CHA), Jump (STR), Listen (WIS), Move Silently (DEX), Perform (CHA), Spot (WIS), Swim (STR), Tumble (DEX) and Use Rope (DEX)

Skill Points: 4 + INT bonus each level

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A swashbuckler's weapon training focuses on weapons suitable for quick and flashy attacks. Thus, all swashbucklers are proficient with the crossbow (any), dagger (any, including main gauche), dart, light mace, quarterstaff, sap, short sword and of course, the rapier. Swashbucklers are not proficient with any armor and only with the buckler.

Table: The Swashbuckler

Swashbuckling: The swashbuckler is very adept at using the rapier in combination with either the buckler or main gauche in his offhand. His roguish lifestyle has honed his skill in this area. He is considered to have the Improved Two Weapon Fighting and Expert Defense feats when using either of these 2 weapon combinations. He may only use swashbuckling while wearing no armor and being unencumbered (light encumbrance only).

Rogue’s Luck: His roguish lifestyle also seems to bring trouble to the swashbuckler. Each adventure, the DM gains 1 special swashbuckler luck penalty per swashbuckler level to be used against the swashbuckler as he sees fit. This manifests at a time of the DM’s choosing, and allows a foe to re-roll any single die roll when the results of that roll affects the swashbuckler in some direct fashion. During any single adventure, no foe can use this more than once against the swashbuckler, so the DM must spread them around to all his foes. The DM should make every attempt to link each use of these luck penalties against the swashbuckler to the story line in some manner.

Dueling: Any time the swashbuckler is threatened by no more than a single foe, the swashbuckler's ability as a duelist is revealed. He declares he is dueling, and chooses a single foe during that round (he may choose a different foe each round, as he desires). All of his attacks under these conditions, against that foe, deal extra damage. The extra damage is +1d6 at 2nd level and an additional 1d6 at level 4, 6, 8 and 10. Should the swashbuckler score a critical hit with a dueling attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks cannot count as dueling attacks, only melee attacks count. The swashbuckler can strike for subdual damage instead of normal damage, with the usual –4 penalty. A swashbuckler can only use his dueling attack against a living creature with a discernible anatomy. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is also not vulnerable to dueling attacks. The swashbuckler must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The swashbuckler cannot use dueling while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach. If a swashbuckler has the sneak attack ability from another class, he can choose to convert those sneak attack dice into additional dueling dice, but this decision must be made upon first attaining this ability as a level 2 swashbuckler, and it is irrevocable, from then on, all sneak attack dice or similar damage bonuses, only apply when the dueling attack applies.

Canny Defense: The swashbuckler gains the listed bonus as a dodge bonus to AC when he is dueling a foe with his dueling ability. The bonus only applies against that foe he is dueling. Like all dodge bonuses, it is lost when the swashbuckler loses his DEX bonus to AC.

Panache: The swashbuckler has flare and panache even when he is backed into a corner or in a tight spot. He never loses his cool and always has some witty remark for every situation. The swashbuckler gains a bonus to his initiative checks equal to his CHA bonus. He also gains the Weapon Panache feat with his rapier, so he can use either his STR or his CHA to determine his attack bonus with it. He also doubles his CHA bonus to all charisma based skills/checks when those of the opposite sex are involved, he knows how to treat a lady (gentleman in the case of female swashbucklers).

Enhanced Swashbuckling: The swashbuckler now acts as if he has the Superior Two Weapon Fighting feat when using his Swashbuckling ability. He may also apply the feats he has with his rapier to either the buckler or main gauche when using it in his offhand.

Roguish Skill: The swashbuckler gains access to the rogue's list of special abilities (those rogues’ gains access to at level 10, 13, 16 and 19). The swashbuckler may now choose one of these special abilities free, and may choose from among these special abilities when he gains new feats in the future, spending his feats on one or more of these abilities if he desires.

Roguish Reflexes: The swashbuckler adds his swashbuckler class levels to those from all other class levels with the Uncanny Dodge ability, to determine the effect of his Uncanny Dodge ability.