Jack Sparrow Build - Swashbuckler and Swords Bard Multiclass - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Jack Sparrow Build - Swashbuckler and Swords Bard multiclass

The build idea here is mostly about making a flavorful and enjoyable Jack Sparrow theme build. With the addition of Swashbuckler, this has become truly possible. The build will merge two similar-themed classes and give you an eventful and funny build to use through the playthrough.

The build will dip into Hexblade, as it will further emphasize the "Charisma" part of the build via Bind Hexed Weapon​ and allow it to be used for weapon attacks. I would also like to concentrate on using Scimitars/Rapiers with this build, as it fits the theme. Of course, as the build wants a lot of features, "the perfect" progression is hard to find.

There are some progression complications. Starting with Swords Bard, gets you Slashing Flourish (Melee)​ and Extra Attack​ attack earlier; however, Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ is delayed. The confusion is also when to take Hexblade for Bind Hexed Weapon? I will suggest my preferred progression option, but in the end, pick the class priority based on how you imagine you want to play this.

I will also take rapier weapons, which limits the early game potential of the build. But does fully commit to the playstyle of Jack Sparrow. I hope you will enjoy this.

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

The build takes multiple classes, all to perfectly match the full capabilities of this archetype.

4 Swashbuckler Rogue

• The Expertise​ is excellent for higher bonuses to some important skills, namely charisma-related ones.
• 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.

6 Swords Bard:

• Access to flourishes - Slashing Flourish (Melee)​, to hit multiple targets and greatly improve damage.
• Extra Attack​ is one of those powerful passive features that greatly improves the damage of martial classes.
• Bardic Inspiration,​ which can be used for flourishes or helping with various dice rolls.
• Full spellcaster progression, giving access to plenty of spell slots.
• Medium Armour Proficiency.
• Fighting Style - Duelling​ or Two-Weapon Fighting.
• Extra Attack​ for an additional weapon attack with the main action point.
• Song of Rest​ for an additional short rest, helping to manage resources.
• Jack of All Trades​ with a little boost to skill rolls, where you might be the weakest.
• Access to multiple skill Expertise,​ helping with world exploration and dialogue checks.

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 the build, 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.

There is one level left that I did not cover. To be fair, you can pick it based on your preferences, but it has minimal impact in the grand scheme of things:

• 1 Fighter - gives another Fighting style, which most likely would be Defence​
• 2nd-level warlock - Eldritch invocations like Devil's Sight.
• 7th-level Bard - access to level 4 spells and more spell slots.

So pick your choice, none of them are bad.

Synergy with other builds

The build has high charisma and plenty of proficiencies related to it. For this reason, it is a perfect main character. To support it, here are some combos that can work well:

Controllers

Almost any party can benefit from good controllers. They guarantee a 100% critical chance and allow you to maximize the whole group's damage. This is especially easy to utilize for melee 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.

Progression options

To be fair, the build can be progressed in various ways, and it really depends on your game knowledge, type of playstyle, and flavour that you want. Here are some examples:

• 4 Swashbuckler -> 1 Hexblade -> 6 Swords Bard -> any. This is my preferred progression. I like having Swash early on. Sadly, this delays Extra Attack​ to level 11, but Slashing Flourish (Melee)​ can somewhat compensate for this. This also feels the most natural to me to progress through the game.
• 6 Swords Bard -> 1 Hexblade -> 4 Swashbuckler -> more optimal progression, but swashbuckler features get delayed to the late game. So this means, you will not have something like Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ for Apostle of Myrkul.
• 6 Swords Bard -> 4 Swashbuckler -> 1 Hexblade -> any. This delays Bind Hexed Weapon, which is not that important if you are okay with using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength for Acts 1 and 2.

So pick your poison, I prefer the first one, as this feels the best in terms of what I want to achieve with this build in certain stages.

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: Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
5	Warlock 1	Cantrips: Booming Blade, Minor Illusion​
		Subclass: The Hexblade
		Spells: Shield, any
6	Bard 1	Cantrips: Vicious Mockery, Friends​
		Spells: Feather Fall, Longstrider, Speak with Animals, Healing Word​
7	Bard 2	Spells: any
8	Bard 3	Spells: Enhance Ability​
		Subclass: College of Swords
		Fighting Style: Duelling​
9	Bard 4	Cantrips: any
		Spells: Hold Person​
		Feat: Savage Attacker​ or Sentinel: Vengeance​
10	Bard 5	Spells: Glyph of Warding​
		Replace Spell: Speak with Animals​ -> Hypnotic Pattern​
11	Bard 6	Spells: any
12	Fighter 1 Hexblade 2 Bard 7 Swashbuckler 5	Pick any of these for the last level; each of them brings a different benefit to the build.

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Jack Sparrow 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. Still, there are other useful cantrips that you can take.
High Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	The half-orc features are a good addition for this kind of build, where you will engage in frontline combat. The instant resurrection and bonus critical damage will help immensely.
Lightfoot Halfling	Halfling Luck​ Brave​ Naturally Stealthy​	The ultimate race for luck. I think it fits extremely well for this build. But... it is a short race, and has a penalty to movement speed.
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy	Gives medium armour proficiency, allowing you to wear some good armor 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 Jack Sparrow 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. It will also be used as a weapon modifier with Bind Hexed Weapon.

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 its 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
Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma	During the next level, you will get Hexblade and obtain Bind Hexed Weapon. The high charisma will allow you to fully enjoy the benefits of the build.

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 - Bard Lv 1

This level takes the first step towards Bard, which will fulfill both the charismatic person role, but also unlock full combat potential that the Swashbuckler by itself would lack.

Class

Overview
Bard
Features
Bardic Inspiration​	An iconic bard feature that can improve damage, dialogue dice rolls, and saving throws.
Spell Slots	These can be used to cast spells and are restored each long rest.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Vicious Mockery​	Although the damage is low, it has its purpose. The cantrip can be used to impose a disadvantage on enemy attacks, in case you see that your normal attack would not kill it. However, the cantrip loses purpose in later levels.
Friends​	If you are the main character and do most of the dialogues, this is also a good choice as it gives an advantage during ability rolls. Be careful as cancelling it near the target might engage in combat.

Spells

The goal here is to mostly take utility spells. You will concentrate mostly on weapon combat, and the level 1 spells do not provide many offensive alternatives compared to what you already can do.

Spell	Description
Feather Fall​	Useful during exploration, when you need to jump down from high ground safely.
Longstrider​	It will boost the movement speed by 3m. This is a huge bonus and will allow you to get better positions when in combat. You can also activate it on all party members when not in combat, after a long rest!
Speak with Animals​	Utility spell, can be easily replaced by Potion of Animal Speaking.
Healing Word​	Although this is not a healer build, having a way to instantly make an ally stand up is a great way to use a bonus action.

Starting Instrument

Take anything here

Abilities

Pick one, stealth, acrobatics, or any of the charisma ones are recommended if you did not take them. Otherwise, pick anything.

Level 7 - Bard Lv 2

The level-up gives some welcome improvements for the build

Feature	Description
Jack of All Trades​	This will improve your chances of success when doing various dice rolls that you are not proficient in. It's not huge, but will help out during the game.

We gain a very good utility action to gain additional HP restoration and an action reset:

Action	Description
Song of Rest​	Unique action to Bards. It acts as a third short rest. This is especially useful for Warlocks, as they will gain even more spell slots during the day.

Spells

Take anything, all of them have a minor impact on the build.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace.

Level 8 - Bard Lv 3

This level is special, as you will get a direct improvement to your weapon attacks, and unlock the new subclass.

Spells

Spells	Description
Enhance Ability​	If playing on Honor Mode, this spell is mandatory. It can save your group from many problems and overcome ability checks where you are not proficient. Otherwise, you can do without it, but I would still recommend that someone in your group have it.

Subclass

Overview
College of Swords
Features
Slashing Flourish (Melee)​	Attack up to 2 enemies at once.
Slashing Flourish (Ranged)​	Attack up to 2 enemies at once.
Defensive Flourish (Melee)​	Attack defensively, increasing your Armour Class by 4 if you hit.
Defensive Flourish (Ranged)​	Attack defensively, increasing your Armour Class by 4 if you hit.
Mobile Flourish (Melee)​	Thrust your weapon with enough force to push your target back 6m. Afterward, you can teleport to the target.
Mobile Flourish (Ranged)​	Shoot a target with enough force to push it back 6m. Afterwards, you can teleport to the target.

Fighting Style

For this build, there is no difference in which one you pick in the long run, for the short term:

Fighting Style	Description
Duelling​	As the build uses rapiers and similar weapons for its theme, this is, I think, the most relevant pick.

Abilities

You can pick some more expertise options, I would prioritize the dexterity and Charisma ones:

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

Level 9 - Bard Lv 4

Another feat and some more spellcasting options

Cantrips

Feel free to take anything here. Choices I prefer - Mage Hand​ or Light.

Spells

Spells	Description
Hold Person​	I do recommend taking this spell. It can be useful, in case you decide to use Band of the Mystic Scoundrel + Helmet of Arcane Acuity for bonus action casting.

Replace Spell

Nothing or anything, I leave this up to you.

Feat

Feat	Description
Savage Attacker​	Both of these feats are good. Savage Attacker​ is more straightforward and gives a solid damage boost for damage rolls. Sentinel: Vengeance​ is great to get an extra attack during a turn, if you have correct positioning with your allies.
Sentinel: Vengeance​

Level 10 - Bard Lv 5

This level is a big one. First, we obtain level 3 spells, which are okay. However, we get awesome class features:

Feature	Description
Font of Inspiration​	Greatly improves your damage output throughout the day as you can use flourishes more often.
Improved Bardic Inspiration​	The bonus gained from Bardic Inspiration increases to +1d8, this will give a higher damage bonus for Flourishes.

Spells

Spell	Description
Glyph of Warding​	Get this spell as soon as possible. It is amazing! You can cast various types of elements, but most importantly, it can put enemies to sleep without HP limitations. So this is the perfect crowd control option.

Replace Spell

Remove Spell	Add Spell	Description
Speak with Animals​	Hypnotic Pattern​​	I don't think the Speak with Animals​ serves any purpose as you should have stocked on Potion of Animal Speaking easily throughout the game. You can also not do this replacement, and instead take the Hypnotic Pattern​ next level.

Level 11 - Bard Lv 6

This is a major progression improvement, as you finally acquire the highly desired feature of melee combatants:

Feature	Description
Extra Attack​	You can now attack two times, and this can be done together with Slashing Flourish (Melee). So you can easily hit 4 enemies in one turn, without any buffs.

We also get additional action, that can freely be used before combat:

Action	Description
Countercharm​	You and any allies within 9m have an advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed​ or Frightened.

Spells

You can pick one spell here. I think the core ones are already covered, even not taking into account how you play the build. Some good ones - Fear​ or Plant Growth.

Replace Spell

Anything or nothing, your choice.

Level 12 - pick your class!

The last level is a freebie, and to be fair, you can pick whatever you prefer. The core of the build is already covered, and you have all the major features of it. So here are some options, and pick what you prefer:

• Fighter 1 Lv - gives additional Fighting Style, for which my recommendation would be Defence​. Otherwise, you can get Constitution Saving Throw proficiency if you respec and pick the first level as a fighter, and the rest as recommended.
• Hexblade Lv 2 - unlocks Eldritch Invocations, which can be situationally useful. For example, Devil's Sight​ can work well with Darkness​ if you have Warlock or Beast Master in your party.
• Bard Lv 7 - access to level 4 spell slot, and spells. I don't think they are hugely beneficial with everything that you already have, but they could be useful if you are running Helmet of Arcane Acuity + Band of the Mystic Scoundrel.
• Swashbuckler Lv 5 - gain access to additional dice roll for Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​, and unlock Uncanny Dodge.

No matter which option you pick, the build will not change much, so I recommend taking anything that you find useful or relevant to your setup.

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 if did not take Auntie Ethel Hair.

This results in 22 Charisma, so it is a good modifier of +6.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

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

Potions

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.
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 a lot to hit better and harder. 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 Surprised​ 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.

I do want this build to emphasize Scimitar and Rapier weapons from the early game. I think it perfectly fits the theme of Jack Sparrow, and what you would expect. Of course, this means that your damage will be inferior to some other well-optimized builds.

Act 1

The goal is to get the best Rapier and Scimitar weapons as early as possible.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Phalar Aluve	This is a perfect weapon from the early game up to the late game. If you want a more "optimized" setup, I would go with it. You can also take Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat and wield it with two hands, for a big boost to damage. The highlight is Phalar Aluve: Melody,​ which allows to buff allies or debuff enemies, depending on what is needed more.
	Rupturing Blade	This weapon is a bit risky to use, but it does come with a pretty good unique effect, Searing Blood.
	Rapier +1	These are the first weapons that I would recommend. To be fair, I am in favour of Rapier +1 due to its +1 enchantment. The Speedy Reply doesn't have it, but it does provide a unique effect, granting Momentum.
	Speedy Reply
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.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	You can use shields once you get the proficiency from Hexblade. If your race provides it, that's even better.
	Safeguard Shield
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)	Infernal Rapier	Both of these weapons are average, but they do look cool. They are obtained somewhat later in Act 2, so be aware of that. You will have to push through to Act 3 for a really powerful weapon.
	Justiciar's Scimitar
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	The bonus initiative still plays a major role
	Darkfire Shortbow	Allows casting Haste.
Shield	Ketheric's Shield	The best shield in Act 2. It also gives a bonus spell saved DC, which works with the swashbuckler's Dirty Tricks.
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.
	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	Can be used to stack Arcane Acuity​ which improves the success of Bard spells and Dirty Tricks.
	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	You can use any spell with Concentration or even armors like Dark Justiciar Half-Plate with Shar's Aegis​ to enable its effect for bonus 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

There are two setups that I recommend, each of which depends on whether you want to lean more on the Dirty Tricks or use some spellcasting and embrace a spellsword build.

Helmet of Grit Setup

This setup aims to get additional bonus action, which allows the use Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ and something like Dueller's Enthusiasm​ in one turn.

Slot	Item	Description
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.
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.
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.

Spellsword setup

This setup aims to use illusion and enchantment spells (Hypnotic Pattern, Fear, etc.) in addition to dirty tricks.

Slot	Item	Description
Head	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	This helmet will allow easily stack Arcane Acuity​ and reach a very high success chance for spells.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	So, without Helmet of Grit, the Amulet of Greater Health is not such a huge priority, even some previous act amulets work well, and you can maximize your damage with Broodmother's Revenge.
	Amulet of Greater Health
	Any other amulet
Rings	Ring of Arcane Synergy	The best option to wear, as you cannot wear Diadem of Arcane Synergy.
	Band of the Mystic Scoundrel	This ring will allow casting spells like Hypnotic Pattern​ with a bonus action.

Other Items

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Duellist's Prerogative	These are the best weapons that I recommend for this build. Duellist's Prerogative is my best recommendation option. Still, if for some reason you want to avoid it, the other two weapons can be paired with shield, for some bonus armour class.
	Crimson Mischief
	Belm
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.
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.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour	To be fair, it is hard to recommend anything besides Bhaalist Armour. It's Aura Of Murder​ is such a huge damage boost that it outranks any other option. With the high number of attacks you can do, this can reach some huge numbers.
	Helldusk Armour
	Armour of Agility
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 and Sword Bard's disposal.
	Boots of Stormy Clamour
	Disintegrating Night Walkers
	-	Boots from previous acts.

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 Dueller's Enthusiasm, 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.

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 build can land high number of attacks late in the game, especially once you go deep into the Swords Bard:

• Base attack
• Bonus action attack with Dirty Tricks
• Helmet of Grit (if you take it) - additional 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.
• Slashing Flourish (Melee)​ - can hit 2 more enemies if they are stacked together.
• Extra Attack​ - gives another attack for the main action point.

Flourishes

Swords Bard brings a few unique, attacks, but the main one to use is Slashing Flourish (Melee), which can hit two enemies at the same time. This gives a huge damage boost for what Swashbuckler could not achieve by itself.

So your goal is to target foes that are standing together, as you can 2x your damage output. If not, you can utilize normal attacks or use Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ with a bonus action.

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.

This is, of course, not a major problem, as many Charisma-based characters can do dialogues well, but for roleplay purposes, I think the Jack Sparrow Build covers all of this.

Spellcasting

The build can do some spellcasting, as the core of it is Bard. You have various spells from utility like Longstrider​ to total control using Hypnotic Pattern​. Of course, this uses your action point and kind of intervenes with your main hand attacks or Slashing Flourish (Melee).

Still, spellcasting is viable if you go for one of the mentioned setups - Helmet of Arcane Acuity + Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. Now you can build up Arcane Acuity​ with Slashing Flourish (Melee)​ attacks and cast a spell (like Hypnotic Pattern​ or Fear​) using bonus action. This is a very powerful setup, but does limits the uses of Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist.

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. The early game can be somewhat underwhelming due to a lack of good weapons. Still, I leave some good tips below on how to maximize your effectiveness:

• 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.
• At level 5, make sure to use Bind Hexed Weapon​ to ensure full bonuses from charisma to weapon modifiers.
• Use Booming Blade​ to inflict more damage, but also easily activate Arcane Synergy​ for easy bonus damage.

Mid to Late Game Combat

The mid and late-game setup looks more or less the same until Act 3. Here, as you get Swords Bard, a big potential opens up to the build.

• With swords Bard, you can heal a downed ally via Healing Word​ or give some buffs with Longstrider. This is not your priority, but you can still use these if need arises.
• Once you get Slashing Flourish (Melee),​ you can hit multiple targets if they are close together. Use your bonus action for Dirty Trick: Flick o' the Wrist​ or Dirty Trick: Sand Toss​to weaken foes or improve your hit chance via advantage.
• Don't forget Song of Rest​ for additional short rest, especially if you have builds that restore their resources during it.
• If you go for Helmet of Arcane Acuity + Band of the Mystic Scoundrel combo, use the bonus action for casting spells - Hypnotic Pattern, Fear, etc.
• If you go with Helmet of Grit, use the bonus action for dirty tricks. This also cements your commitment to engaging enemies in close range and minimizing any spellcasting.

Build Variations

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

Setup	Description
Swashbuckler Build: 11 Swashbuckler 1 Hexblade	This build goes more into Swashbuckler and relies on Rakish Sneak Attack (Melee)​ for additional damage. I do think it is an inferior option, but some people might prefer it.
8 Hexblade 4 Swashbuckler	A more warlockish setup that obtains Deepened Pact​ for additional main weapon hit.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Jack Sparrow Build for Baldur's Gate 3. This is a great Swords Bard and Swashbuckler multiclass, to get the best fantasy of a charismatic adventurer, being able to trick foes and charm their allies.

Cheers!