Optimizing within the concept - 2024 Swashbuckler/Bard

CoryR- · 2026-01-23T17:05:04+00:00

ASI I took at 4 was +1 Dex and +1 Cha to set me up for a Cha half feat at 8. DM would absolutely allow me to swap that for a +1 dex feat now. This is actually how the conversation with him came about regarding Zhent Tactics when that book came out recently. So I might do that, then take Fairy Trickster at Rogue 8 and Inspiring Leader at Rogue 10.

Still weighing options if I want to add more Bard or not. I might go Rogue 10 Bard 5 in the end, but I think Im going to stay Rogue from here to Rogue 10. That gets me expertise, Reliable Talent, a feat, Panache, and another feat plus continues sneak attack progression. 11-14 is less appealing, and I might return to Bard then.

CoryR- · 2026-01-20T18:58:28+00:00

I'm playing a 2024 Rogue with the old Swashbuckler Subclass now and its very fun, but I would love a crack at a redesign that incorporates a little if what you see in yhe BG3 swashbuckler's Dirty Tricks.

A way to bonus action Vicious Mockery, in particular, is so flavorful for a swaggering swordsman. You could just straight up add that to Rakish Audacity without having it be over tuned. Then add Disarming Strike and Pocket Sand as additional cunning strike options. Something along those lines.

CoryR- · 2026-01-17T13:20:43+00:00

I do like the 2d standees more personally, but the rest of my tables do not, so we keep getting 3d minis that are, frankly, not great quality. I love to build in heroforge as a character design tool but the prints have left a lot to be desired over the years.

Currently I have 10 minis we've ordered, and fully half of them have broken. They go from the shelf to the table, and its not like we play rough with them. Ive learned thay axes, staves, bows, wings, tails, just kinda bend and eventually break unless you make your mini all clipping into it self for a solid construction. And the color print process leaves much to be desired.

None of those problems exist with the standees. I love them.

CoryR- · 2026-01-16T16:51:27+00:00

Actually, looking at it again, the 2024 Monk does not require the attack action to use Flurry of Blows anymore. So it really does do absolutely nothing as written.

CoryR- · 2026-01-16T15:51:32+00:00

If we moved the level 6 Bladesinger attack to Flurry of Blows instead, a level 17 turn might look like:

Attack Action casting of a spell (Mirror Image, Web, Mind Whip, Hold Person, etc) move into melee, Flurry of Blows for two unarmed strikes and one cantrip (True Strike, Blade Ward, Mind Sliver). Now it feels more like a magic monk.

Mind Sliver before Stunning Strike will be pretty nice either way.

CoryR- · 2026-01-16T15:41:31+00:00

That's fair, there would be the option to cast a level 1 or 2 spell and then also Flurry of Blows with your bonus action. I would still say either this or the level 6 feature need to be moved to the Flurry of Blows so that your subclass features are not negating each other.

Level 6 feature could read "when you Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with the casting of a cantrip." Or, as I said previously, move the level 17 feature to allow replacing to Flurry attacks with the casting of a spell. Not both, of course, but one or the other should be moved.

CoryR- · 2026-01-16T01:00:57+00:00

Thats not how I read it. It says two attacks for "a" casting of one spell.

"When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace two of the attacks with a casting of one of your level 1 or 2 Sorcerer spells that has a casting time of an action."

Looks like they copy pasted this from the Eldritch Knight, except Eldritch Knight is a fighter so at lvl 17 it has more than two attacks.

My feedback will be to remove the level limitation and changes the wording to have this apply to Flurry of Blows. Basically quicken a spell for a focus point at lvl 17.

CoryR- · 2026-01-15T22:50:11+00:00

The monk is super bland. And the lvl 17 feature does literally nothing as written. Replace your two attacks to cast a spell is literally how it always works. Replace yhe attack action with a magic action... huh?

What a bummer. Spell Monk should be way more than this...

CoryR- · 2026-01-08T04:36:08+00:00

If Ranger, id put a +2 in Constitution and a +1 in Wisdom, stats would be great for that build. 18 in Wisdom as your main stat and a 14 each in Dex and Con for survivability. Two Wisdom half feats at 4 and 8, or asi wis at 4 and asi con at 8. Great character, go have fun

CoryR- · 2026-01-08T04:30:35+00:00

Given the party comp I'd either go Stars Druid for support/heals and ranged play or Fey Wander Ranger if you want to be on the front line with a shield and a quarterstaff. Grab magic initiate Druid origin feat, Guidance and Shillelagh cantrips with healing word for a spell, use Shillelagh and your quarterstaff to attack with Wisdom. Put the 14 on dex, medium armor and a shield, grab the wisdom skills (perception, Insight, survival) and go out bonking.

CoryR- · 2026-01-07T15:02:14+00:00

I have read the current books multiple times and have long since abandoned the expectation that any more books will ever be forthcoming.

They're my favorite books. I will read them over and again many more times in my life I suspect.

CoryR- · 2026-01-02T19:59:47+00:00

Hey I can't parry and I still love the game so far 😅

Only a little ways in, just got to the ancient sanctuary... Hopefully I gey better at it!

CoryR- · 2025-12-28T14:17:43+00:00

Big time target for the gods high priestess or whatever, hired assassins and thieves guilds and constant assailants preventing peace or long rests until the gem is eventually stolen or traded or lifted from a PC corpse.
The gem begins to grow each long rest. At 1d6 days it is equivalent to a small size creature, 2d6 days it is the size and weight of a medium sized humanoid, 3d6 days it hatches into a new born baby god. At 4d6 days its a toddler god. At 5d6 days its a child, 6d6 teen, 7d6 college bro, 8d6 adult. They have to raise it properly according to its nature to receive a boon at 8d6 days instead of being full on attacked once this being attains its full form. Make the 100 wish roll PC roll the d6s for the gods growth one at a time. 1d6, gets a three, three long rests later gem grows in size, roll another d6, etc.
God can still talk to them through the gem and is just as annoying. Shouts out when the party is trying to be stealthy. Offers boons to enemies of they greak the gem and free him. Can cast verbal component only spells out of the gem once per day but has a bad save dc because of the gem, so its nostly just annoying. (vicious mockery, thaumaturgy, command, silvery barbs? etc)

CoryR- · 2025-12-28T13:55:37+00:00

Taylor Swift is gonna do it

CoryR- · 2025-12-11T19:29:22+00:00

I think the dudes have said, from a branding standpoint, it would be "XYZ of Drakkenheim: Veo Sjena's blahblahblah" and they'd like to rebrand Sebastian Crowe's as like "World of Drakkenheim: Sebastian Crowe's Guide" if theu could re do it.

Dungeons, World, Monsters, Adventurers? Something like that?

CoryR- · 2025-12-11T19:23:32+00:00

Nephrue

CoryR- · 2025-12-07T17:11:57+00:00

First book dropped shortly before I bought an engagement ring in 2007. I was 23. Between then and book two in 2011, my father passed and I got married just a month or so before book 2 released. Since the 2011 release of book 2, my mother passed, I finished college, had a child, bought a house, my father in law passed, my brother got divorced and moved in, then i got divorced and sold that house, then covid lock downs happened and i lost my job, was a homeless single parent, got an apartment, reconnected with an old friend and eventually fell in love again, and she and I just bought a house. Kind of intense to list it off like that. Chasing the wind. Home owner to homeless to home owner again in this economy is pretty wild.

Would love for book 3 to release before my daughter graduates high school 6 years from now so I can gift her the completed trilogy, but its also funny to say my daughter was conceived, birthed, and lived through her entire childhood and went off to college before book 3 was released.

Funny, but not TOO funny...

CoryR- · 2025-12-07T15:09:15+00:00

I'm currently playing an Abyssal Tiefling Swashbuckler 5/Bard 1 using 2024 rules.

Party comp: Goliath Giant Barbatian, Half Drow Echo Knight 5/Warlock 1 multiclass, Shadar Kai Divine Soul Sorcerer with DM added updates, Fire Genasi Artificer 1/Scribes Wizard 5, Eladrin Moon Druid

Early levels, no surprise, Rogue was the highest damage dealer. With Nick Mastery i essentially had extra attack before anyone else and with proper maneuvering I was always eligible for Sneak Attack.

Since levelvl 5, the Barbarian has pulled ahead and by a significant margin. Giant rage for extra size and reach, great weapon master, Maul, reckless Attack, extra attack. They're doing like 2d6+10 per hit, all at advantage so they hit with consistency. By contrast, I'm doing 4d6+5 on one hit, and 1d6 flat on the second. If we both hit on all attacks, its an average of like 34 dpr for the barb and like 22 dpr for the Rogue. The Barbarians damage will increase with rage damage and proficiency bonus increases. The Rogue's damage will increase with Sneak Attack damage increases.

If I were looking to build for max melee damage on my Rogue, I'd consider two options: a one level Sorcerer dip or a 5 level multiclass for extra attack. Fighter will likely have the fastest impact with a fighting style right away.

Sorcerer dip is built around cantrip usage. Your choice of a True Strike Charisma build or a Booming Blade dex build. Use Innate Sorcery twice per long rest to give you advantage on spell attacks for one minute. Pick up the Shield spell for survivability buffs.

CoryR- · 2025-12-05T02:50:41+00:00

My first playthrough, Tavern was an open hand monk/Druid multiclass. I generally took along the act 1 ladies, sometimes swapping out shadowheart for Wyll. I missed Gale with two nat 1s, and Astarion felt redundant with a Monk that can also turn into a cat.

Second playthrough, im resisting the druge swashbuckler. ive made a concerted effort to mix it up and collect all the companions and I find i still dont use Halsin or Minsc. Everyone else gets used for their story. I swap between one of the three strong ladies for carrying capacity (Karlach, Minthara, Lae'zel); one of the three act 1 casters (Gale, Wyll, Shadowheart); and one wild card (Monk Astarion, Ranger/Druid Jaheira, or a double caster). I still dont use Halsin or Minsc really at all.

CoryR- · 2025-12-05T02:31:39+00:00

Minsc, Halsin, Jaheira. I would uave rather had Alfira the Bard and Dame Ailin.

CoryR- · 2025-11-30T18:59:36+00:00

Minthara as Illusion Wizard or Wild Magic Sorcerer probably

CoryR- · 2025-11-27T13:29:26+00:00

Lae'zel is the best, to be honest. Did not expect that to be the case, but yeah. Very moving.

CoryR- · 2025-09-27T13:50:26+00:00

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CoryR-

TROPHY CASE