Swashbuckler Build - The Hex Duelist - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Swashbuckler Build - The Hex Duelist

The Swashbuckler does hypnotize many people's fantasies when you hear it first - a charming and heroic protagonist who uses their wits to always become the winner. Well, Baldur's Gate 3 does offer this fantasy, but there are a few aspects:

• Combat - Swashbuckler shines in the early game. Sadly, it falls off later on.
• Dialogues - being a rogue with access to Expertise​ and requiring high Charisma as a Swashbuckler, dialogues will be your place to shine.

The highlight of this subclass is its special dirty tricks - Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist, Dirty Trick: Sand Toss, etc. They offer an excellent use of bonus action, and if cards fall right, the combat becomes extremely easy with the debuffs at their disposal.

The main problem comes from limited main-hand attacks, compared to other martial classes. You do get Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee), which lands you additional damage rolls, but this does not replace the core problem, which gets exacerbated the more you play.

I also thought of using Hexblade dip, to somewhat concentrate on some important aspects like high Charisma, bonus proficiencies, and very strong cantrip - Booming Blade, which gives a significant damage boost.

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

The build takes most of the levels in Rogue. There are many variations on how you can do this build. However, I would prioritize

11 Swashbuckler Rogue

• The Expertise​ is excellent for higher bonuses to some important skills, namely charisma-related ones.
• Evasion​ that drastically reduces incoming spell damage.
• The ultimate pickpocket feature - Reliable Talent. This will make stealing all consumables like scrolls, arrows, and potions too easy!
• Uncanny Dodge​ can help with survivability if you get attacked by reducing incoming damage, which is useful both in combat and when stealing.
• Special bonus action use - Cunning Action: Dash, Cunning Action: Hide, which help with engaging and running away for pickpocketing.
• Fancy Footwork​ is a decent ability that maximizes your mobility, especially if you want your Dirty tricks to be applied on multiple enemies.
• Rakish Audacity​ gives bonus initiative, and most importantly, upgraded Sneak Attack (Melee)​ - Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee), which does not require Advantage to work.
• The highlight of Swashbuckler is dirty tricks - Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist, Dirty Trick: Sand Toss, Dirty Trick: Vicious Mockery. These can get enemies Disarmed, get them Blinded, and weaken their attack rolls. The important thing is that they use bonus actions.
• Panache​ is a nice feature that can help with dialogue checks. Sadly, during combat, its use is limited, unless you are fighting a specific strong enemy, like a boss.

1 Warlock Hexblade:

• Bind Hexed Weapon​ - the main level 1 highlight from Hexblade, which makes the weapon use Charisma as the main modifier.
• Warlock Spellslots that reset on short rest.
• Hex Warrior​ with bonus proficiencies in Medium Armor and Shield. This also lets you use Bind Hexed Weapon​ to use Charisma as the main weapon stat.
• Hexblade's Curse​ - not that important for Swashbuckler, as it already has plenty of good uses for bonus action.
• Shield​ spell for little survivability after each short rest.
• Booming Blade​ cantrip, which will greatly improve your weapon damage and give some other bonuses.

Synergy with other builds

Swashbuckler is pretty self-sufficient in terms of what it can do. However, if you are looking to get the most out of it, you can go for some synergies:

Controllers

As a Swashbuckler, you get access to Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee),​ which at level 11 can deal 6d6 damage. With a critical hit, these become 12d6. This makes it an excellent candidate for control builds that can guarantee a 100% critical chance via Hold Monster​/Hold Person. Here are the relevant builds:

• Fire Sorcerer - one of the most reliable builds for this type of setup with Hat of Fire Acuity + Scorching Ray​
• Lorecerer - similar to Fire Sorcerer, can use the same combo and can easily apply total control. Sadly, it is just limited to Hold Person.
• Spellsword build - Sorcadin, Bardadin, Swords Bard Archer, other caster related builds- Lore Bard or even Arcane Trickster with access to unlimited scrolls.

Piercing party

If you opt in to use Bhaalist Armour late in the game, the build becomes excellent support in terms of applying Aura Of Murder. These are mostly melee two-handed martials and ranged builds:

• For Archers - Arcane Archer, Swords Bard Archer
• Thrower builds - Eldritch Knigh Thrower, Berserker Thrower
• Melee martials with piercing weapons - Bardadin, Battle Master, Sorcadin, Bladelock

Just having one of these will take your group to the next level and make the late game a breeze.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear, as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Rogue 1	STR - 8, DEX - 16 (15+1), CON - 14, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 17 (15+2)
		Skills: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion
2	Rogue 2	-
3	Rogue 3	Subclass: Swashbuckler
4	Rogue 4	Feat: Great Weapon Master: All In​ or Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
5	Warlock 1	Cantrips: Booming Blade, Minor Illusion​
		Subclass: The Hexblade
		Spells: Shield, any
6	Rogue 5	-
7	Rogue 6	Skills: any
8	Rogue 7	-
9	Rogue 8	Feat: Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma OR Savage Attacker​
10	Rogue 9	-
11	Rogue 10	Feat: Sentinel: Vengeance, Ability Improvement - +2 Dexterity, Actor​
12	Rogue 11	-

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Swashbuckler build. If you have already started playing, feel free to do a respec at Withers and follow along. This will make it easy to follow the build step by step.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc.

Race	Features	Description
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	As this is a melee build, the increased movement speed is an excellent and somewhat crucial addition for the build. You will be moving around the battlefield and using your dirty tricks to weaken foes.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
High Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	The main reason to go for these races is that they give access to Booming Blade. Of course, you will get it from the Hexblade subclass, so the priority is lower. However, this does open up going for 12 levels in Rogue.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	The half-orc features are a good addition for the swashbuckler. The small damage boost on critical hits and a survivability boost when you go down will likely be utilized a lot.
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy	Gives medium armour proficiency, allowing you to wear some good armors from the start. It also gives other useful actions, to help with exploration - Astral Knowledge, Enhance Leap, etc.
Zariel Tiefling	Darkvision​ Hellish Resistance​ Thaumaturgy​	Great race that offers unique looks and a few great features. I recommend Thaumaturgy​ as it helps immensely with dialogue checks without any negative consequences. The additional smites, like Searing Smite,​ can be helpful for a little more damage in the early and mid game.

Class

Overview
Rogue
Features
Sneak Attack (Melee)​	Exploit a foe's distraction to deal an additional 1d6 damage. Damage increases by 1d6 for every uneven Rogue Level gained.
Sneak Attack (Ranged)​	Exploit a foe's distraction to deal an additional 1d6 damage. Damage increases by 1d6 for every uneven Rogue Level gained.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing, still you can pick a few that would benefit you the most. My recommendations would be dexterity or charisma based ones:

Abilities

Now, let's take a look at the abilities of the Swashbuckler build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

The core mechanic to understand for ability points is that they give "ability modifiers" that apply to various skill checks. For example, Charisma works on Intimidation and persuasion checks. Wisdom on Survival or Animal Handling, and so on.

You get a higher ability modifier on even values - 10, 12, 14, etc. So keeping it on odd may be useless. However, there are various +1/2 modifiers in the game, specifically Auntie Ethel Hair or Feats that help round this up.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not that relevant, you can either increase it with Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for the early part of the game. Otherwise, Dexterity and later Charisma become the main weapon modifier.
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	One of the core abilities gives Armour Class, Initiative, and can act as a main weapon ability modifier.
Constitution	14	The Constitution will help with maintaining spell concentration and improving the HP pool.
Intelligence	8	This will not be relevant for the build
Wisdom	10	Just enough to remove the negative modifier for Wisdom.
Charisma	17 (15+2) - with Auntie Ethel Hair 17 (15+2) - no hair	Swashbuckler's Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ depends on Charisma. Moreover, with Hexblade dip, it will also become the main spellcasting modifier on items.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier or are useful in general:

• Sleight of Hand
• Intimidation
• Deception
• Performance
• Persuasion
• Acrobatics

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Swashbuckler build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class, you can start picking your options.

Level 2

By this time, you should have landed in the Wilderness area already. A few good bonuses from Rogue are received here:

Action	Description
Cunning Action: Hide​	Easily enter sneak with a bonus action.
Cunning Action: Dash​	Cover more distance this turn: double your movement speed, using a bonus action.
Cunning Action: Disengage​	Retreat safely: moving won't provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Level 3

This level unlocks a Rogue subclass, which gives a little boost in terms of action economy:

Subclass

Overview
Swashbuckler
Features
Fancy Footwork​	One of the features that gives the "mobility" feeling for the swashbuckler. It's not game-changing, but it does help limit the offensive potential of enemies.
Rakish Audacity​	The initiative bonus is an important factor, but it also gives upgraded Sneak Attack (Melee)​ - Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee), which makes it easier to activate this feature against enemies that are stranded without allies.

Level 4

This is the most important level for Swashbuckler, and you get the highlight features of this subclass

Features

Feature	Description
Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​	The best trick that makes the enemy Disarmed​. This deals weapon damage and can also activate Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee), for even more damage. Sadly, you will be limited by enemies who have their weapons equipped. Another good thing is that it's success depends on how high your charisma is.
Dirty Trick: Sand Toss​	Makes the enemy Blinded, giving you an easy Advantage. This should be used when Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ is not available. It does do limited damage and benefits from your Dexterity.
Dirty Trick: Vicious Mockery​	The weakest option in my opinion. It could be used when an enemy is far away, or you have a very high chance of landing it. Still, I would not bet much on this one.

Feat

Here you have a few options to choose from:

Feat	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	This would be "the best" choice if you are wearing Phalar Aluve, which I urge you to use on this build. The bonus 10 damage works with Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist, and you can counteract the -5 to attack rolls via various options. The Phalar Aluve: Sing​ also gives a 1d4 boost to attack rolls, partially negating the penalties. In Act 3, if you go for Duellist's Prerogative, this becomes redundant, and you can respec out of it.
Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma	During the next level, you will get Hexblade and obtain Bind Hexed Weapon. This would be a safer option than Great Weapon Master: All In, especially if you don't want to tire yourself out with attack roll management.

Level 5 - Level 1 Hexblade

So rogue and Swashbuckler don't get any major features at this level, so I think it is a perfect time to multiclass into Hexblade and get all the sweet benefits it provides. To multiclass, you need to push this button during the level-up screen:

Class

Overview
Warlock
Features
Warlock Spell Slots	These spell slots can be used to cast spells and refill each Short Rest.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Booming Blade​	The new cantrip can be used with a normal attack without any cost. When enemies move while under its effect, they receive thunder damage. In later levels, it gives a direct damage boost. So no reason not to use it every turn.
Any	Feel free to take any of the cantrips that you find relevant. Friends​ is great for some dialogue checks, but it is risky, as NPCs might attack you. Minor Illusion​can help pull enemies together before a fight.

Subclass

Overview
The Hexblade
Features
Bind Hexed Weapon​	This action allows you to bind any melee weapon and makes you proficient in it. This also results in using Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity. It also has a 20% chance to apply Hexblade's Curse​ without activating it.
Hexblade's Curse​	Using the bonus action, you can improve your damage and increase your crit chance. This is a great alternative to Hex,​ and it does not use a concentration slot.
Hex Warrior​	This passive is responsible for the multiple bonuses you get, specifically armor and shield proficiencies.

Spells

Spell	Description
Shield​	Extremely valuable spell early in the game. Albeit with limited warlock spell slots, this becomes expensive to use in later levels. So I would only use it for the early game, or if you are in a pinch.
Any	Using other spells would be a waste of spell slots, as their effects are minimal. Just take anything.

Level 6 - Rogue Lv 5

Nothing fancy, more features:

Feature	Description
Uncanny Dodge​	A solid survivability improvement to reduce damage.

Level 7 - Rogue Lv 6

A few boosts to skill proficiencies.

Skills

You gain additional skill expertise picks:

• Deception/Persuasion/Performance - helps with persuading your pickpocket targets
• Acrobatics

Level 8 - Rogue Lv 7

Nothing fancy here, just a new feature:

Feature	Description
Evasion​	Improves your damage resistance to spells.

Level 9 - Rogue Lv 8

Another feat is unlocked to give a boost to the build.

Feat

Feat	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	I already covered this feat at level 4. You will most likely continue using Phalar Aluve, and this feat is the go-to choice for it. It will become redundant later on if you go for Duellist's Prerogative.
Savage Attacker​	In general, you do want this feat, but Great Weapon Master: All In​ is better for 2 handed attacks. However, if you go with Duellist's Prerogative, you will need to respec and take this feat instead, as the damage boost will be huge.

Level 10 - Rogue Lv 9

Swashbuckler gets a new feature, which is somewhat decent from role play perspective.

Feature	Description
Panache​	The action is useful for dialogues, as you can apply Charmed​ and breeze through dialogue checks. However, the combat option of Panache: Disadvantage​ is very expensive to use, and its debuffs are quite weak. I do see its value against stronger enemies, which you fight multiple turns. But for many of the fights at this stage, the benefits are pretty limited.

Level 11 - Rogue Lv 10

This level unlocks another feat, now the third. There are plenty of choices depending on numerous constraints:

Feat

If you have started using Duellist's Prerogative, the Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat becomes irrelevant, and you can do a respec for other options.

Feat	Description
Sentinel: Vengeance​	In terms of pure power, this takes the top. It gives you an additional number of attacks, enabling Swashbuckler to compensate for the lack of Extra Attack​. Still, its activation is not straightforward, and depending on party composition might be useless.
Ability Improvement - +2 Dexterity	Gives a boost to initiative and armour class. I think the build does need to ensure 20+ Armour Class in the late game.
Actor​	Overall, this is needed in two main cases: You did not get +1 Charisma from Auntie Ethel Hair You want to reach 24 Charisma with +1 Charisma using Patriar's Memory from the Mirror of Loss

Level 12

The last level gives a semi-useful feature, which makes ability checks very easy.

Feature	Description
Reliable Talent​	This ensures that you cannot roll less than 10 for ability rolls. For something like Panache,​ it is a godsend (sadly, the feature itself is not that good). However, if you use this as a pickpocket, it makes it very easy to stock up on consumables.

That's it, the build is done!

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered, there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

Charisma

This is the most important ability, because the build uses Bind Hexed Weapon​ from hexblade, and your Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ uses it for success

1. 17 Charisma - the base from character creation.
2. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Charisma if you pick this choice.
3. Feat 1 - Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma.
4. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Charisma.
5. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss, Patriar's Memory - +1 Charisma
6. Feat 2 - Actor​ - +1 Charisma

This will result in hefty 24 Charisma. Of course, if you skip Actor,​ you will stay with 23, but it is still plenty. The modifier will be 6-7.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

As this is a spellsword build, you can use plenty of potion options

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	This is a very powerful potion. It gives an additional action point which can be used to cast a spell or attack. The activation is generally by drinking using a bonus action. However, you can stack together with party members and make one member Throw​ it on the ground, giving Hastened​ to everyone.
Potion of Invisibility	It can be used in two ways - the first one is to enter combat with a Surprised​ round, causing enemies to skip their turn. Another option is to leave combat if you see that it is not going in your favour. You can also use this for pickpocketing.
Oil of Accuracy	The attack roll bonus is pretty good, which improves your chances of hitting.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Helps with attack and damage rolls.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat, as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. This can then be used to attack one more time or cast a full spell.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength	For the early game, until you get Bind Hexed Weapon, the 21 Strength bonus is significant and can help address the -5 from Great Weapon Master: All In. Here is a farming guide for Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even surprise mechanics.
Elixir of The Colossus	Provides bonus damage of 1d4 and some other good bonuses.
Elixir of Heroism	Boosts attack rolls by 1d4; this is a good boost to increase the likelihood of landing attacks.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers, also called Elite.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits with attack rolls.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	It's an easy way to ensure you land critical hits.
Cull the Weak​	Base	It can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​​	Base	A great way to weaponize your reaction before obtaining Counterspell.
Ability Drain​	Base	Decreases enemy ability score.
Shield of Thralls​	Base	Excellent option for bonus temporary HP. It can also apply Stunned on foes after it is destroyed.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	It can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills, especially those relevant to the main character.
Black Hole​	Elite	Potent spell that can be used to pull enemies together. You can then follow up with area-of-effect spells or attacks. In general, it is a very effective action in the hands of any character.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	It can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Rogue Swashbuckler Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

For the start of the game 2-handed setup is my go-to recommendation. Be sure to grab Great Weapon Master: All In​ if you are up for it.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Phalar Aluve	The weapon is my go-to choice until Act 3. It is Finesse one, meaning it works with Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​ and Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​. Moreover, you get Phalar Aluve: Melody,​ which gives you an excellent use for main action, to buff allies and yourself. The weapon can be obtained fairly early.
	Larethian's Wrath	The second option, which has finesse property, and a great action attack - Razor Gale.
	Any +1 weapon	Get any finesse weapon with a +1 enchantment, like Rapier +1.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat.
	Gandrel's Aspiration	Gives easy Advantage against monstrosities, for all weapon attacks.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Excellent headwear that gives Arcane Synergy. You can easily trigger it with Booming Blade.
	Haste Helm	Improves movement speed, allowing one to reach important targets easily, early in the game.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	Accessible if you are Dark Urge.
Armor	The Graceful Cloth	I think this is the best Act 1 armour, as it gives +2 Dexterity, which translates into multiple benefits. Make sure to cast Mage Armour​ on yourself from an ally caster if you are not wearing any other light or medium pieces.
	Adamantine Scale Mail	With the hexblade dip, you are able to wear medium armor. They alleviate any Armour Class problems for Act 1 and simplify progression.
	Scale Mail +1
Gloves	Gloves of the Growling Underdog	These gloves are the two best options. The Gloves of the Growling Underdog give a pretty easy advantage, and as a swashbuckler, you will try to stay close to the enemies. The Gloves of Baneful Striking are an excellent choice for debuffs and can benefit not just you, but your allies.
	Gloves of Baneful Striking
	Wondrous Gloves	Gives additional armour class for survivability.
	Gloves of Missile Snaring	Defensive gloves against ranged attacks.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	One of the best boots in the game with all the bonuses and easy use of Misty Step.
	Boots of Stormy Clamour	The boots can easily apply Reverberation​ via Booming Blade or any of the dirty tricks. I think this build can somewhat as a debuffer, especially as you will be using Phalar Aluve: Melody.
	Boots of Genial Striding	Allows movement without limits on Difficult Terrain.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	If you can acquire it, this can be the best amulet option for most of the game.
	Amulet of Branding	Excellent amulet that gives an easy vulnerability source, for the mid-game.
	Amulet of Misty Step	Gives a free Misty Step,​ which greatly improves your mobility.
Rings	Ring of Arcane Synergy	Use this ring or Diadem of Arcane Synergy. The Arcane Synergy​ effect is easy to activate with Booming Blade.
	Ring of Protection	Bonus armour for survivability.
	Crusher's Ring	Movement speed boost, which is especially important in some big area fights in Act 1.
	Caustic Band	Improves damage on each hit.

Act 2 - mid-game

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	-	Use the Act 1 weapons, as they are still the best picks.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	The bonus initiative still plays a major role
	Darkfire Shortbow	Allows casting Haste.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Still serves as the best headwear in terms of damage boost. If another character is using it, an alternative is Ring of Arcane Synergy.
	Covert Cowl	It can give a marginal boost to damage with a decrease in critical hit rolls.
	Fistbreaker Helm	A distant option to improve Spell Save DC and initiative. I would say this is a low priority and would rather use this on a dedicated caster. But the dirty tricks like Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ can benefit from it.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate	One of the best-looking armors in the game. You can wear them, and they provide useful bonuses like an Advantage on stealth checks. The main highlight is Shar's Aegis,​ which improves Armour Class and gives you an option to wear Strange Conduit Ring.
	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	The best medium armor in this stage, with a decent Armour Class boost, and not limited by +2 Dexterity modifier.
	Studded Leather Armour +2	It can be obtained late in Act 2, once you reach level 9. Solid armor, the main draw is its decent 15 Armour Class.
	Shadeclinger Armour	The advantage of saving throws is usually overlooked. Still, this is an excellent bonus, enabling better spell and various effects resistance.
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	All of these gauntlets are great options as they give a permanent damage rider. Just choose which damage you prefer - fire or necrotic.
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets
	Gloves of Battlemage's Power	This can be an alternative to Gloves of Baneful Striking, and you can activate their effect with Booming Blade. This will help you land any of the Dirty Tricks. But I do think it is redundant, compared to other options.
Boots	Evasive Shoes	Gives +1 Armour Class, which is a significant survivability boost.
	-	Boots from Act 1 are still perfect.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	Continues to be the best amulet in terms of damage boost.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Excellent pick with Shield​ spell, without using your spell slots.
	Periapt of Wound Closure	Excellent amulet that can help in tight situations when you are Downed.
Rings	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	A very good ring that inherits damage from your weapon and works especially well in Act 2.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	Can be easily activated thanks to Booming Blade​ on the first attack. Use this ring or Diadem of Arcane Synergy.
	Strange Conduit Ring	I would wear this together with Dark Justiciar Half-Plate or Dark Justiciar Half-Plate and activate Shar's Aegis​ for additional damage.
	Risky Ring	This ring is an option, as having a high hit chance makes it easier to land your dirty tricks and debuff enemies.
	Caustic Band	Still good options from Act 1 that prove useful, especially in the first hours.
	Ring of Protection	Provides +1 Armour Class to avoid hits.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

I think you can do two setups. They depend on what items are available to you. My preferred one is the Piercing Duelist.

Piercing Setup

This is my go-to recommendation for the best damage. You will need Bhaalist Armour to utilize all the effects. This does require respec at Withers and take Savage Attacker​ feat instead of Great Weapon Master: All In.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Duellist's Prerogative	The best fitting weapon in terms of look for the Swashbuckler. Of course, it is also very good, with additional reaction and bonus action attack. Make sure you are not wearing anything else in the offhand.
	Crimson Mischief	Alternative option, which should be dual-wielded with one of the off-hand weapon options that I suggest below.
	Drakethroat Glaive	Only used to buff your main weapon with Draconic Elemental Weapon.
Melee (Off-Hand)	Belm	If you will use Crimson Mischief, this is the best option to pair it with, giving Perfectly Balanced Strike, to make another attack with your main-hand weapon.
	Dolor Amarus	Alternative option, which is especially powerful if you will land critical hits, thanks to paralyzing effects like Hold Monster​/Hold Person.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour	The only recommended armor for this setup. The Aura Of Murder​ is an extremely powerful debuff that doubles your piercing damage, this is why these particular weapons were recommended.

2-Handed Setup

This setup is aimed at those who did not get Bhaalist Armour and continue using Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat, to maximize damage and obtain an additional bonus action attack.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	The Dancing Breeze	The best choice to go here is The Dancing Breeze. The finesse property +2 enchantment and unique Whirlwind Attack​ are excellent for Swashbuckler playstyle. Otherwise, you can continue using Phalar Aluve.
	Phalar Aluve
	Drakethroat Glaive	Only used to buff your main weapon with Draconic Elemental Weapon.
Armor	Helldusk Armour	This armor is relevant especially if you decided to go with 16 Dexterity, as it will compensate well for the Armour Class.
	Armour of Agility	The best medium armor with a full dexterity bonus to armour class.
	Elegant Studded Leather	Gives access to the Shield​ spell, which can be activated once per short rest.

Other Items

Slot	Item	Description
Ranged	Vicious Shortbow	The ultimate bow for a stat stick. It gives a special effect, which inflicts additional critical damage with any weapon hit. You can easily guarantee critical hits with Hold Person​/Hold Monster.
	Hellrider Longbow	The bonus initiative is an excellent boost to go early in combat. If it is not a surprise round, it is almost guaranteed. I would only use this if you are concentrating on melee attacks and spell casting.
	Bow of Awareness	The +1 initiative is still good.
Head	Helmet of Grit	This helmet gives an additional bonus action when you have less than 50% HP. For this reason, I urge you to get the Amulet of Greater Health to maximize it and retain good survivability.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	It provides an increased chance of avoiding enemy attacks with attack rolls.
	Thunderskin Cloak	If you have a Cleric in the party with Revorb setup, or you use Boots of Stormy Clamour, this cloak can easily apply Dazed.
Gloves	Legacy of the Masters	Any of these gloves will prove useful in my opinion. Helldusk Gloves give some fire damage and Spell Save DC for landing tricks. Legacy of the Masters is better in terms of weapon damage potential, and with Bhaalist Armour, their bonuses are doubled.
	Helldusk Gloves
	Craterflesh Gloves	These gloves can be ridiculously overpowered if you can guarantee critical hits.
Boots	Boots of Persistence	There are plenty of boot options, and all of them are good. The main outlier might be Boots of Stormy Clamour, which gives an easy way to apply Reverberation​ with all the tools at Swashbuckler's disposal.
	Boots of Stormy Clamour
	Disintegrating Night Walkers
	-	Boots from previous acts.
Amulet	Amulet of Greater Health	I would say this is a key item for the build. Pair it with Helmet of Grit for additional bonus action, which greatly improves what you can do - another dirty trick or maybe Perfectly Balanced Strike.
	Broodmother's Revenge	In terms of offensive power, it is the best option.
	Fey Semblance Amulet	The amulet is a great option for a boost in spell resistance via Saving Throws.
	-	Options from previous acts
Rings	Ring of Arcane Synergy	The best option to wear, as the helmet slot will be taken by Helmet of Grit.
	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	Deals additional damage that is inherited from your weapon. This does require being Lightly Obscured, which is easy to achieve.
	Ring of Protection	The +1 Armour Class is still a relevant boost for survivability.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Bladesinging Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively.

Utilizing Dirty Tricks

So the main mechanic that you will want the Swashbuckler for is its Dirty Tricks. These give an excellent bonus action use, and help to apply some level of control. I would use this priority with the tricks:

1. Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ - the most important trick, in my opinion. The foe gets Disarmed,​ which can leave them helpless, especially if they are a melee martial. However, sometimes I allow them to pick their weapon, as this forces them to use up their action, while otherwise they would cast a spell. This trick also activates Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​, which I will cover a bit later.
2. If the enemy is unarmed, then the next priority would be Dirty Trick: Sand Toss, which makes them Blinded​ and provides an easy advantage for your whole group.
3. The last one, which should be used if you cannot reach them, is Dirty Trick: Vicious Mockery​.

However, for numbers 2 and 3, if you have an option to use Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack, Perfectly Balanced Strike, etc., go for these in most cases, especially if the enemy is close to dying. As the dead enemy is better than a live one.

2 Handed Weapons and Great Weapon Master

Swashbuckler in the early game can use two very good two-handers and gain all rogue benefits - Phalar Aluve, Larethian's Wrath. To further empower them, I recommended taking Great Weapon Master: All In, which comes with a few problems, especially early in the game, mainly -5 to attack rolls.

However, if you can effectively use it at level 4, you will be able to easily kill most of the enemies you encounter, especially as it is easy to die in Act 1. So if you are up for putting in additional effort the benefits are immense. Here are the main ways to increase your attack rolls:

• Bless​ from Cleric or Paladin, for a 1d4 bonus.
• Spells like Faerie Fire, and Blindness​ give an advantage to attackers.
• Oil of Accuracy or Diluted Oil of Sharpness, for a 1 and 2 attack roll bonus.
• Gloves of the Growling Underdog - can be obtained in Goblin Camp, and give an advantage for attack rolls.
• Phalar Aluve: Sing​ gives 1d4 to attack rolls.

Now, if you want more in-depth information, I have a guide covering how to increase attack rolls, which lists a lot of options and combinations. You can then pick the bonuses based on your party setup.

For Act 3, in the equipment section, I recommend piercing weapons which are better in my opinion if you will obtain Bhaalist Armour.

Bind the Weapon

Once you get Hexblade dip, remember to activate Bind Hexed Weapon. This will force the weapon to use the Charisma modifier instead of Dexterity or Strength. Of course, if you opt out of using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for the early game, continue to do that.

Once you have 20 Charisma or start using other elixirs, specifically Elixir of Bloodlust, Bind Hexed Weapon​ becomes essential.

If wearing Bhaalist Armor, utilize piercing damage

In Act 3, the best setup in terms of damage becomes Bhaalist Armour + piercing weapon. The Aura Of Murder​ is crazy powerful, enabling you to deal double weapon damage. This is a good and significant boost for a single character, but it can get crazier...

If you have archer builds, they too will benefit from Aura Of Murder​ and knowing how much damage they can deal... this can skyrocket.

Another step is melee piercing builds like Paladins, Bardadin, Battle Master, etc., who use weapons like Nyrulna or Shar's Spear of Evening, they too will benefit from the effect and get their piercing damage doubled.

So, Swashbuckler can act as a stepping stone in Act 3, for your party to become extremely powerful and breeze through the hardest game encounters.

Maximize the number of attacks

The Swashbuckler rogue comes with the major problem - a limited number of attacks. This stems from the lack of Extra Attack, which other melee combatants get. Still, we can try to circumvent this and maximize the possible bonuses:

• Base attack
• Bonus action attack with Dirty Tricks
• Helmet of Grit bonus action, for another dirty trick or feat-based bonus action attacks - Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack​
• Haste​ or Potion of Speed for an additional action point.
• Elixir of Bloodlust - one more action point if an enemy dies.

Value of being the main character

I do think this build is an excellent main character, albeit as a build, it is mediocre. Here are the main benefits of this:

• High Sleight of Hand allows you to unlock all the chests and disarm traps, always putting you in the lead.
• Very high Charisma and multiple proficiencies + Expertise​ make your dialogues easily reach +8 bonus rolls.
• Although quite late, you get Panache,​ which gives an easy advantage in dialogues.

This is, of course, not a major problem, as many Charisma-based characters can do dialogues well, but for roleplay purposes, I think Swashbuckler is perfect.

Being a pickpocket

One thing that a rogue can do well throughout the game is pickpocket. I do have a dedicated pickpocket build, which picks optimal race, levels, etc. However, the main feature - escaping being Invisible​ can be replicated with Potion of Invisibility, which is abundant once you reach Act 2.

This way, you can safely pickpocket with this char and take it to the next level once you get Reliable Talent.

Correctly using Rakish Sneak Attack

So the main feature of Rogue is Sneak Attack (Ranged),​ which is enabled from the first level. It acts as an Extra Attack​ feature, which the rogue doesn't get. As a Swashbuckler, you get an upgraded version - Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee), which is easier to activate, on straggler foes, without allies around.

One problem with this attack is that it automatically activates when you attack, and in some cases, you don't want to use it. For example, the enemy may have left a few hitpoints, and wasting 20+ damage would be reckless. To best address it, is to enable the "Ask" reaction in the reactions window:

So with this, you will be asked if you want the additional sneak attack damage when using normal attacks or Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist. Of course, you will still have the Base attack + Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​ action in your hotbar, if you wish to unleash both of these at the same time.

I also recommend checking if the Sneak Attack is possible, as the notification may not appear if one of the conditions required for it is not met. Just select the action and hover over the enemy to confirm:

This opens up for some neat combos, like 2x sneak attacks on the initial combat turn, if you hit an unprepared enemy. Just land the first attack, and then you can confirm the reaction popup for another sneak attack:

Early Game Combat

Let's cover how you should progress through combat levels 1-6.

• For the first few levels, play a standard rogue, use Ranged attacks + Sneak Attack (Ranged)​ to maximize the survivability.
• With Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee),​ it will be easier to enable sneak attack, for a decent damage boost.
• At level 4, you can start using dirty tricks. Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ is the main one, followed by Dirty Trick: Sand Toss. These should be used in most combat encounters as they allow you to apply control and weaken foes.
• Get Phalar Aluve by level 4, the main action should be used on Phalar Aluve: Melody,​ and the bonus action on tricks. I found this to be the best setup to buff allies and effectively use your action economy.

Mid to Late Game Combat

The mid and late-game setup looks more or less the same until Act 3.

• Once you decide whether you go for a piercing or a Two-handed setup, you can commit to the playstyle. With Bhaalist Armour, you no longer care about supporting and only worry about engaging enemies head-on with your tricks.
• Panache​ has limited uses in combat, as it's costly to use and consumes a whole action. The out-of-combat use is better.
• Remember to rely on Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​ for better damage and compensate for the lack of Extra Attack.
• The rest is more or less the same

Build Variations

Here are some variations that work similarly and utilize the same classes at their core.

Setup	Description
12 Rogue Swashbuckler	Gives access to 4th feat, but this would lose you Hexblade. Meaning you would have to go more into Dexterity and leave Charisma at 16.
8 Hexblade 4 Swashbuckler	A more warlockish setup that obtains Deepened Pact​ for additional main weapon hit.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Swashbuckler Build for Baldur's Gate 3. The build offers excellent main character vibes and interesting early game features. It does leave the late game wanting more, as many of the classes get something neat. Still, for flavour and roleplay, this is one of the best picks.

Cheers!