In short: Witty, roguish, acrobatic, and an excellent swordsman; that characterizes a Swashbuckler. He is proficient in the stiletto, main-gauche, rapier, or sabre, and when using this weapon, he employs the better THAC0 table for fighters instead of thieves. His skill with this weapon allows him to disarm his opponents with it. Because of his charm, he gains a +2 reaction adjustment for members of the opposite sex.

Requirements: Strength: 13, Dexterity: 13, Intelligence: 13, Charisma: 13

Description: Part acrobat, part swordsman, part wit and entirely roguish - this is the Swashbuckler. He is a sophisticated city-dweller, the epitome of charm and grace. Both the warrior and thief classes have Swashbucklers, but they have certain differences.

Swashbuckler is a happy-go-lucky thief, with ready wit and flashing rapier. His home is the city, where he can shine amidst the squalor. He is generally less interested than his warrior counterpart in poking people with his rapier, and is more involved and concerned with his wild theatrics and amazing displays of acrobatic skills. More often than not he also finds himself, justly or not, on the wrong side of the law.

The Swashbuckler is almost never aligned with thieves' guilds, he prefers to be 'freelance'. Swashbucklers who journey outside the cities may align themselves with bandits or pirates, however, and with their charisma and skill, they frequently assume leadership. Such responsibilities ill suits the Swashbuckler, however: the details of organizing and leading a large group will invariably set him packing in short order.

Most Swashbucklers come from a wealthy or aristocratic background. Their skills of stealth and acrobatics came not from survival needs, but whim. This motivation typically remains the driving force behind the Swashbuckler's career. Most of these young rakes retire when they get older and must assume responsibilities in the communities (family, noble title, business, and so forth). Many a Swashbuckler has kept up his activities however, in secret. His moonlighting may even be developed (usually purposely) to a point of distinguishable alter-egos. The daytime character may be a foppish dandy, gruff businessman, or air-headed noblewoman. At night the Swashbuckler emerges: a cunning, dashing, adventurous character.

What are the goals of the Swashbuckler? For the young ones, it is usually just thrills; a chance to break into the impenetrable castle, to replace the Queen's necklace with a fake, to outwit the guild master of thieves guild. A few have more serious goals (and these are the ones who tend to keep up their habit). A Swashbuckler may be a vigilante, charming and witty, but driven by an obsession for justice. His enemies may be criminals or, in an unjust society (where the aristocratic Swashbuckler's alter-ego may be an unwilling part of the apparatus of oppression), the authorities themselves.

Weapon Proficiencies: The Swashbuckler receives an extra weapon proficiency slot which must be devoted to a weapon among the following: stiletto, main-gauche, rapier, and sabre. With this, the Swashbuckler's weapon of choice, the thief is able to fight with the THAC0 of a fighter of his experience level. Throughout his career, he must devote half of his weapon proficiencies to these weapons, until he has mastered the use of (i.e. gained proficiency) in every one.

Armor/Equipment: The Swashbuckler must buy his weapon of choice, but other than that he may spend his gold however he pleases.

Special Benefits:

The Swashbuckler is permitted a special combat maneuver when using his weapon of choice: disarmament. To disarm an opponent, the Swashbuckler must declare his intention to do so before initiative is rolled. He then suffers a +1 penalty to his initiative roll, and a -4 penalty on his roll to hit.

If the Swashbuckler's attack is successful, he will (normally) cause his enemy's weapon to go flying out of his hand. Besides weapons, disarmament can be attempted against magic wands or other such devices held in one hand. Items worn (like jewelry) or held in two hands, (including two-handed weapons) may not be affected by a thief Swashbuckler with the disarm maneuver.

Finally, being such a romantic figure, the Swashbuckler gains an additional special benefit, a +2 reaction adjustment with members of the opposite sex.

Swashbuckler's advantages in Baldur's Gate II:

Special Hindrances:

Trouble seeks out the Swashbuckler. This is something that the DM will have to play with very carefully, if the Swashbuckler is to be balanced with the other thief kits.

When there's another Swashbuckler around - thief or warrior - intent on proving that he is the finest swordsman in the world, it's the Swashbuckler he seeks out and challenges (often in the middle of some illicit activities). When there is a lovely lady (or handsome young man, as appropriate) in distress, she or he will naturally cross the Swashbuckler's path, and pull him into the tangle. When the thief is practicing burglary on his uncle's mansion, the old man decides to return early from his journey. Life conspires to make life difficult for the Swashbuckler, and the DM should always throw just a little more good-natured bad luck at this thief type than at any other.

In Baldur's Gate II, Swashbucklers get no backstab multiplier.