Swashbuckler

Swashbucklers are proficient with simple and martial weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers.

More than just a lightly armored warrior, a swashbuckler is a daring combatant. She fights with panache: a fluctuating measure of a swashbuckler's ability to perform amazing actions in combat. At the start of each day, a swashbuckler gains a number of panache points equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Her panache goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than her Charisma modifier (minimum 1), though feats and magic items can affect this maximum. A swashbuckler spends panache to accomplish deeds, and regains panache in the following ways.

Critical Hit with a Light or One-Handed Piercing Melee Weapon: Each time the swashbuckler confirms a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon, she regains 1 panache point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the swashbuckler's character level doesn't restore panache.

Killing Blow with a Light or One-Handed Piercing Melee Weapon: When the swashbuckler reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon attack while in combat, she regains 1 panache point. Destroying an unattended object, reducing a helpless or unaware creature to 0 or fewer hit points, or reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the swashbuckler's character level to 0 or fewer hit points doesn't restore any panache.

Grit, luck, and panache draw on the same heroic pool: a character with more than one pools them together, and a panache user can spend and gain grit or luck points in place of panache and vice versa (a character with both panache and luck does not gain twice her Charisma bonus). Swashbuckler levels stack with gunslinger levels for satisfying Signature Deed's level requirement.

At 1st level, a swashbuckler gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat with light or one-handed piercing melee weapons, and she can use her Charisma score in place of Intelligence as a prerequisite for combat feats. This ability counts as having the Weapon Finesse feat for purposes of meeting feat prerequisites.

Swashbucklers spend panache points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant a momentary bonus or effect; some last longer, and a few remain in effect while she has at least 1 panache point without costing panache to maintain. A swashbuckler can only perform deeds of her level or lower, and she automatically has every such deed -- she does not choose them. Unless noted, a deed can be performed multiple successive times as long as she has or spends the required panache.

1st level: Derring-Do, Dodging Panache, Opportune Parry and Riposte. 3rd level: Kip-Up, Menacing Swordplay, Precise Strike, Swashbuckler Initiative. 7th level: Swashbuckler's Grace, Superior Feint, Targeted Strike. 11th level: Bleeding Wound, Evasive, Subtle Blade. 15th level: Dizzying Defense, Perfect Thrust, Swashbuckler's Edge. 19th level: Cheat Death, Deadly Stab, Stunning Stab.

Full text for each deed is on its own Swashbuckler Deed feat entry. Deeds with a resolvable save DC (Deadly Stab, Stunning Stab) carry that derived_value on the feat row.

At 2nd level, the swashbuckler gains a knack for getting out of trouble. Three times per day as an immediate action before attempting a saving throw, she can add her Charisma modifier to the result of the save. She must choose to do this before the roll is made. At 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the number of times she can do this per day increases by one (to a maximum of 7 times per day at 18th level).

At 3rd level, a swashbuckler gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC while wearing light or no armor. Anything that causes the swashbuckler to lose her Dexterity bonus to AC also causes her to lose this dodge bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 3rd (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level).

At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a swashbuckler gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as combat feats. Swashbuckler levels are considered fighter levels for the purpose of meeting combat feat prerequisites. Upon reaching 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a swashbuckler can instead retrain one previously learned bonus feat for a new one (subject to the usual restrictions).

At 5th level, a swashbuckler gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with one-handed or light piercing melee weapons. While wielding such a weapon, she gains the benefit of the Improved Critical feat. These attack and damage bonuses increase by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 5th level (to a maximum of +4 at 17th level). (Resolver: this weapon-group attack/damage bonus is not computed yet -- the same gap as Fighter Weapon Training -- so it is carried as prose only.)

At 20th level, when a swashbuckler threatens a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon, that critical is automatically confirmed. Furthermore, the critical modifiers of such weapons increase by 1 (x2 becomes x3, and so on).