Name:Swashbuckler
Category:Profession
Description:A swashbuckler is charming and debonair when speaking and agile when fighting. Swashbucklers are lightly armored warriors who wield fencing swords (e.g. main-guache, rapier, sabre, stilleto). They also typically are very well-spoken, making them natural leaders.
Many swashbucklers also make snide little comments will they're fighting evil. This annoys the evildoers to no end. Some swashbucklers are more concerned with persuasion, while others are more concerned with combat.
Combat Technique:Swashbucklers often engage in large flashy battles. They're always running around, kicking over tables, and throwing junk. The chop up candles, cut ropes, and generally destroy all the furniture.
This wanton destruction serves a purpose though. Swashbucklers use every available object in battle.
Preferred Skills:Melee combat, particularly fencing. Typical weapons include fencing swords. Swashbucklers who are less concerned with combat will concentrate primarily upon persuasion and stealth skills.
Benefit:Swashbucklers should have some sort of acrobatics skill, which may make them more difficult to hit in combat (if they're wearing light armor). Also, most swashbucklers are such romantic figures that they receive bonuses on reaction rolls from NPCs of the opposite sex.
Disadvantage:A swashbuckler's disadvantages are the natural consequences of his benefits. Swashbucklers usually wear light armor so that they can get their acrobatics bonus, which keeps them from getting the benefits of heavy armor. Their use of a relatively limited number of weapons may inconvenience them when those weapons aren't available.
Finally, their "romantic" profession can cause them various problems (e.g. jealous husbands, crazy stalkers). Many swashbucklers make these problems worse by actively seeking trouble with their deeds of derringdo.
Fictional Examples:The Three Musketeers, Zorro
Real World Examples:Appropriate For:Allies, npcs, or players. Although villain swashbucklers are possible, they usually change to some other kind of villain over time.
Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Steven Fletcher. All rights reserved.
