The call of the Rogue echoes throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, particularly for those drawn to the dynamic Swashbuckler subclass. This unique class boasts exceptional abilities that provide a tactical edge in battles.
Distinguished from their Rogue counterparts, Swashbucklers execute sneak attacks with greater ease and enjoy the ability to taunt foes, all while utilizing clever tactics to secure advantages in combat. They are ideal for players seeking a less traditional approach to gameplay yet remain prepared for challenges, including tactics suited for Honor Mode.
Optimal Character Creation for Swashbucklers
Creating your character is foundational. As a Rogue, you should prioritize Dexterity, Charisma, and Intelligence. However, for a Swashbuckler, an investment in Wisdom is beneficial, enhancing your overall effectiveness in the game.
Your specific stat allocation can vary depending on your chosen playstyle. For example, if you wish to engage in dialogue frequently, emphasizing Charisma over Intelligence may serve you well. Conversely, if diplomacy isn’t your focus, you might choose to distribute your stats differently.
Best Races for Swashbucklers
Certain races excel in the role of a Rogue, making them also excellent choices for Swashbucklers. Below is a summary of some of the top options:
|
Race |
Benefits |
|---|---|
| Drow |
Superior Darkvision, charm resistance, and access to spells like Faerie Fire enhance stealth and offensive capabilities. |
| Human |
Humans gain an extra skill, complementing the Rogues’ existing skills nicely. |
| Lightfoot Halfling |
Boasting the Lucky trait allows rerolls on poor outcomes, while proficiency in stealth complements your stealthy gameplay. |
| Wood Elf/Half Wood Elf |
An increase in movement speed and stealth proficiency along with Fey Ancestry and Darkvision enhances both mobility and stealth capabilities. |
Of these options, the Lightfoot Halfling stands out as perhaps the best choice, thanks to its advantageous traits and stealth proficiency. Nonetheless, any of these races will serve you well in the game.
Top Background and Skill Choices
Rogues begin with notable expertise and skill proficiencies, establishing their utility right from the outset. When deciding on skills, I suggest focusing on Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Deception. These skills are vital throughout your adventures. Additionally, having expertise in Deception, Persuasion, and Insight will prove advantageous during interactions with NPCs.
Regarding backgrounds, consider selecting Urchin, Criminal, or Guild Artisan. I opted for Guild Artisan due to its associated skills in Persuasion and Insight. For my skillset, I made it a point to be proficient in Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Perception, and Deception, pairing that with expertise in Persuasion and Sleight of Hand to align with my playstyle, although you may prefer a different combination.
Recommended Ability Score Distribution
Rogues are notably versatile, though Dexterity remains your primary offensive stat. Depending on your individual playstyle, consider this allocation:
|
Ability |
Score |
|---|---|
| Strength | 8 |
| Dexterity | 16 |
| Constitution | 12 |
| Intelligence | 12 |
| Wisdom | 14 |
| Charisma | 14 |
With a Dexterity score of 16, you enjoy a +3 modifier for attack rolls. Meanwhile, an 8 in Strength indicates it won’t be a primary focus, while a 12 in Constitution ensures a reasonable boost to health.
By placing 12 points in Intelligence, you retain utility with various skills. Simultaneously, allocating 14 points each to Wisdom and Charisma proves beneficial as this will enhance the effectiveness of the Swashbuckler’s Vicious Mockery spell and increase your talking power, respectively.
Swashbuckler Rogue Unique Abilities and Level Progression
Each subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 comes with distinct abilities, and the Swashbuckler Rogue is no exception. Below is a table outlining these abilities, their levels, and their descriptions:
|
Ability |
Level |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fancy Footwork | 3 | A melee attack allows you to avoid opportunity attacks from that target for the remainder of your turn. |
| Rakish Audacity | 3 | Gains a +1 bonus to initiative and enables sneak attack without needing advantage, provided you’re within 1.5 meters of the target and are not at a disadvantage. |
| Dirty Trick: Flick o’ the Wrist | 4 | You can disarm an opponent and gain an advantage on your next attack. |
| Dirty Trick: Sand Toss | 4 | Throw sand at an enemy to potentially blind them. |
| Dirty Trick: Vicious Mockery | 4 | Insulting a creature grants them disadvantage on their next attack roll. |
| Panache | 9 | Attempt to charm a humanoid, who must resist with an insight check. Failure results in disadvantage against you. |
The Rakish Audacity ability significantly elevates the Swashbuckler’s prowess, allowing sneak attacks without a need for advantage. This dramatically increases potential damage output as long as you don’t incur disadvantage.
In addition to these abilities, players also gain Feats as they progress, further customizing their characters.
|
Feat |
Description |
|---|---|
| Ability Improvement | Enhance one ability by 2, or two abilities by 1, to a maximum of 20. |
| Alert | Grants a +5 bonus to initiative and immunity to being surprised. |
| Defensive Duelist | If attacked while wielding a proficient finesse weapon, you can use a reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your armor class, potentially avoiding the hit. |
| Lucky | Receive 3 Luck Points to use for advantages or to force enemies to reroll their attack rolls. |
| Magic Initiate: Bard | Learn two cantrips and a level 1 spell from the Bard spell list. |
| Skilled | Gain proficiency in three skills of your choice. |
| Mobile | Increased movement speed and negation of slow effects from difficult terrain while dashing. |
Due to the emphasis on Dexterity for Rogues, the Ability Improvement Feat is a prudent choice, allowing an enhancement to Dexterity for better offense and defense. Meanwhile, the Lucky Feat complements a Lightfoot Halfling’s abilities well, although it remains advantageous for any Rogue.
The Magic Initiate: Bard Feat can also add value, particularly with the Minor Illusion cantrip or spells like Sleep and Disguise Self, which are beneficial for stealthy operations and escaping sticky situations.
Optimal Equipment for Swashbuckler Rogues
Equipping your character with the right gear is crucial for any Rogue. Here’s a list of equipment to keep an eye out for in your adventures:
|
Equipment |
Slot |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shade-Slayer Cloak | Back |
Reduces the required roll for a critical hit while hidden by 1. |
| Stalker Gloves | Hands |
Offers advantage on Sleight of Hand checks. |
| Shade-Slayer Cloak | Back |
Grants a +1 to initiative rolls and increases sneak attack damage by an additional 1-4 force damage. |
| Amulet | Body |
Once per long rest, scoring a critical hit can paralyze a target for two turns. |
| Ring | Body |
Provides access to Invisibility and Blur spells. |
| Jannath’s Hat | Head |
Grants advantage on Persuasion and Deception checks. |
| Cloak of Displacement | Back |
Enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls directed at the wearer until they’ve taken damage. |
| Elegant Studded Leather | Body |
Offers a +2 bonus on initiative rolls and advantage on stealth checks while granting the Shield spell. |
| Dagger | Feet |
Upgraded critical hits while granting True Strike on strike. Hit enemies become vulnerable to piercing damage. |
As a Rogue, it’s best to equip Light Armor, as heavier armors impose penalties to your Dexterity bonus and hinder stealth capabilities. My go-to choice is the Elegant Studded Leather, providing bonuses to initiative rolls and stealth checks.
The Cloak of Displacement proves invaluable, granting enemies disadvantage on their attack rolls until you take damage, significantly enhancing your survivability.
For foot gear, I suggest the Disintegrating Night Walkers, which provide immunity to many environmental hindrances and bestow you with the Misty Step spell, a fantastic tool for military maneuvering.
As for weaponry, the Bloodthirst dagger works wonders for dual-wielding strategies, especially if you want to apply various effects with your equipment strategically. For instance, equipping it in your main hand allows you to maximize its bonus vulnerabilities and combine it with the Cold Snap dagger or the Murderous Cut for strategic advantages.
By understanding the abilities, equipment, and ideal builds for a Swashbuckler, you can truly harness this Rogue subclass’s potential and navigate Baldur’s Gate 3’s challenges with finesse.
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