shorty swashbuckler weapons

Aerakar

I am having a case of serious restartitis, and having been inspired by some recent swashbuckler threads, I have decided to roll with a thief class I have NEVER in my life played due to its lack of backstab, the venerable swashbuckler.

I have went back and forth on halfling or dwarf - better dexterity or better strength - and more or less settled on dwarf, since I doubt skill-points will ever be a serious problem.

On weapons, has anyone played a dagger-wielding swashbuckler? I am thinking to start out specialized in daggers and then go 3 pips in TWF.

Luthford

go with elf: strenght and dexterity at max value, bonus with swords and bows and high resistance to sleep and charme (sirene in the sword coast).. or with halforc: a thief with 19 strenght (20 with the tome) is funny XD

Grond0

Daggers are a perfectly good choice yes. Although at epic levels the swashie can mix it up in melee with the best of them, at lower levels it's pretty fragile. Daggers give the option of either using ranged attacks or nipping in and out of melee to take advantage of high weapon speed. At higher levels, using a returning throwing dagger in its melee form allows decent APR.

ThacoBell

Daggers and short swords are my favorite dual wield options. I say go to town on them.

DreadKhan

You probably should consider a bludgeoning weapon too, though this is bigger in BG2 I suppose. Staves are versatile, and you can dualwield staffmaces in BG2 fwiw. Clubs is the other option, and its certainly playable in BG1. Iirc, swashbucklers can't specialize out the gate though.

Then again, you might just leave bludgeoning to your party.

Aerakar

Thanks for the answers @Grond0 , @ThacoBell , and @DreadKhan . I will go ahead with daggers for BG1.

@Luthford , I thought about elves, but I will take the charname into BG2 so the shorty saves are appealing.

In BG2 I'll add a speed weapon specialization, i.e. scimitar or short sword, at levels 16 and 20.

@DreadKhan , on blunt weapons, I'll think about it some more. I may try club for something new at some point in the build, as I play with staves regularly on my thieves. Mainly though blunts will be a back-up weapon since no backstabbing, so I could keep a nice club in my pack for emergencies even without a proficiency pip.

Another question: does everyone recommend taking that 3 TWF pip early at level 12? Or take it later in the build after adding a speed weapon (or blunt) pip?

ThacoBell

I always take that third pip in TWF asap. I like the extra chance to hit, even if its only 1 attack a round. I usually have debuff effects on both my weapons. If you are going to use an apr weapon in the offhand, it may not be worth it.

Aerakar

@ThacoBell , how would you kit out a swashbuckler with weapons from BG1 through TOB?

I have just started watching Black Sails to stay motivated!

ThacoBell

@Aerakar For BG1 I would make sure to have daggers. The Dagger of Venom is easily one of the best weapons in the game. BG2 has a ton of status/damaging/APR daggers so its a matter of preference. Though, I personally really like the Jade Dagger from Hexxats quest that causes paralysis. Dagger of the Star is still a good lategame weapon, even if Swashies cannot backstab. The free invisibility will take aggro off and allow safe repositioning as well as providing an attack bonus for attacking while invisible. Short swords also have some great secondary effects in SoD/BG2. Scimitars will also give access to an APR weapon.

DevardKrown

BG1

-Play Dwarf
-Start 2 Pips in Dagger.
-Play With Dagger of Venom(or any replacement until affordable) and Bucklys Buckler
-enjoy free Hp Regeneration.
-Replace Bucklys with Kiels once you get the Con Book
-Spend Weapon proficiency points lvl 4 and 8 in Two-Weapon-Fighting.
-Swap now to dualwielding 2 Daggers.

IGNOR SNEAKING, Focus on Finding Traps/Picking Locks and Setting Traps.

Finish BG1+SoD

BG2

-Put a Pip into Quarterstaffs as Backup weapon. (nasty piercing immune enemy's !)
-Boomerang Dagger+2 Mainhand , Kudane+2/Belm+2 offhand are your starting goal in weapons, proficiency the offhand you want/is left over. (mages "Enchant Weapon" can make them hit as +3 weapons)
-Upgrade to Firetooth+3 Mainhand.

from here you just finish your weapon proficiency's and wait for UAI

-add Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization for natural 4.5 APR if you want.
-Use Staff of Magi for +4/5 Bossfights or to annoy mages.



Enjoy a very Decent DMG/THAC0 Values and very low AC.

Aerakar

@DevardKrown thanks for the advice. As noted above, I do want to go with dwarf and with daggers for sure.

The only real question I have left is the blunt choice. Staff is interesting and I use it on my backstabbing thieves often. But for the swashbuckler, I was thinking club to better leverage the TWF pips. But as you note, this is a back-up weapon whether staves or clubs. Staves would work well with whirlwind also, no?

DevardKrown

Aerakar said:

@DevardKrown thanks for the advice. As noted above, I do want to go with dwarf and with daggers for sure.

The only real question I have left is the blunt choice. Staff is interesting and I use it on my backstabbing thieves often. But for the swashbuckler, I was thinking club to better leverage the TWF pips. But as you note, this is a back-up weapon whether staves or clubs. Staves would work well with whirlwind also, no?

the problem is you only get the club of detonation as +5 club, while you have a couple +4/5 staffs .. and no one really can use the staff of magi to a good effect, also dont forget that you COULD dualwield with staff-mace+2 just to overcome piercing immune enemy's until UAI.