I've been jaded for a while now on HP. My main is a triple completionist (except Deep Gnome.) The HP and PRR from Past Lives make a huge difference. 

I think you are a bit on the low side, but I wouldn't say abysmal.
20 Heroic Durability
45 GS item
20 Fighter
72 Bard
84 Con (14 base, 2 ship, 4 item, 2 Rage)
30 GFL
20 Guild (Hag Apothecary)
291 total

This is with very little effort (for a TR with GS.) Assumes no Past Lives (Primal or Barbarian), no Con tome, no vitality, no SFL item, only a +4 con item/pot, and no enhancements.

i m pretty sure my pure lvl 13 bard with starting con14, gs hp item, +5 noc armor, no gfl, no completionist, just two primal pl, has around 320 hp

Sailias wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 12:44pm:


You are correct

Quote:


http://ddowiki.com/page/Swashbuckler_enhancements

Well that explains a little, be nice if the damn game could be assed to say "hey, you ain't buckling that swash, bro." The fuck. I am at least getting Single Weapon Fighting on the bastard sword, so there's that.

Ok, so from the wiki?:

Quote:


FUCK! I don't like ANY of those weapons! Also I was wearing heavy armor.

Well, at least I know what needs improvement. Also, that I probably don't want to be a swashbuckler as much as I thought I did.

noamineo wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 2:13pm:



More sad news for you. If you are running around with a buckler and bastard sword you aren't even getting the SWF bonuses. Maybe try reading those words under the feats and enhancements, they often contain helpful tidbits.

noamineo wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 11:52am:

Consider trying a dex-based 14/4/2 Bard/Fighter/Rogue.  I ran a 12/6/2 version in a past life and it was a crit-spamming blender. It has decent saves, evasion, high dodge, displacement and decent PRR (light armor, shield mastery stuff, Stalwart Defense stance).  As a bonus, you can do most traps and locks.

Potential changes to this would be 12/6/2 Bard/Fighter/Rogue for the 3rd core in Vanguard and an additional fighter feat.  You could also want to swap up the leveling order to take bard levels earlier and drop Magical Training to pick up empowered heal, quicken and/or extend.  Magical Training can picked up via tier 1 Spellsinger if desired.

Regarding weapons, there are plenty of good, named rapiers and shortswords to use while leveling.  The interesting thing about Exploit Weakness with a Swashbuckler is that it turns even mediocre weapons into crit spammers.  Any finessable, level-appropriate weapon with good on-crit effects will put out respectable damage.  Once you hit level 23, equip a Balizarde and life is good.

I just threw this together at work but I think it's mostly correct.  Leveling order, feats and APs could probably be optimized a bit more with some effort.


BardFtr
14/4/2 Bard/Fighter/Rogue
Neutral Good Purple Dragon Knight


Level Order

1. Fighter         6. Fighter        11. Bard           16. Bard
2. Rogue           7. Bard           12. Bard           17. Bard
3. Rogue           8. Bard           13. Bard           18. Bard
4. Fighter         9. Bard           14. Bard           19. Bard
5. Fighter        10. Bard           15. Bard           20. Bard


Stats
               36pt     Tome     Level Up
               ----     ----     --------
Strength         8       +5       4: DEX
Dexterity       18       +5       8: DEX
Constitution    14       +5      12: DEX
Intelligence    12       +5      16: DEX
Wisdom           8       +5      20: DEX
Charisma        16       +5      


Skills
          F  R  R  F  F  F  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B  B
          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
         ------------------------------------------------------------
Perform                           1  1  2  2  3  2  2  2  2  2  2  2  23
Disable      5  1           1½ 1½ 1  1  2  2  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
Search    2  1  1           2  2  2  2  1  1  1  1  1½ 1½ 1  1  1  1  23
UMD          1  4  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  2  1  1  23
Heal      2                                      1  1  1  1½ 1  1½ 1  10
Balance   2  1  1  ½  ½     1  1  1  1        1                       10
Jump      4        1  1  2                                         1   9
Open Lo      2  3                                                      5
         ------------------------------------------------------------
         16 10 10  4  4  4  9  9  9  9  9  9  9  9 10 10 10 10 10 10


Feats

1        : Single Weapon Fighting
1 PDK    : Shield Mastery
1 Fighter: Precision
3        : Force of Personality
4 Fighter: Weapon Finesse
6        : Magical Training
6 Fighter: Improved Shield Bash
9        : Improved Single Weapon Fighting
12        : Improved Critical: Piercing
15        : Greater Single Weapon Fighting
18        : Improved Shield Mastery


Spells

Bard

Cure Light Wounds, Sonic Blast, Focusing Chant, Merfolk's Blessing

Blur, Cure Moderate Wounds, Invisibility, Soundburst

Displacement, Haste, Good Hope, See Invisibility

Cure Critical Wounds, Freedom of Movement, Dimension Door, Shout

Greater Heroism, Greater Dispel Magic, Shadow Walk

Enhancements (80 AP)

Swashbuckler (36 AP)

• Confidence, Swashbuckling, Uncanny Dodge, Panache
• On Your Toes III, Tavern Shanties III
• Fast Movement
• Elegant Footwork, Skirmisher, Resonant Arms III, Swift Strikes, Dexterity
• Battering Barrage II, Dexterity
• Thread the Needle, Exploit Weakness, Coup de Grace: Melee

Stalwart Defender (21 AP)

• Toughness, Stalwart Defense
• Item Defense III, Durable Defense III
• Resilient Defense III, Armor Expertise III
• Hardy Defense III, Shield Expertise III
• Swift Defense

Vanguard (10 AP)

• To the Fore!
• Shield Specialization, No Weakness II
• Shield Specialization, Missile Shield III

Spellsinger (6 AP)

• Spellsinger
• Studies: Musical III, Lingering Songs II

Kensei (4 AP)

• Kensei Focus: Light Blades
• Haste Boost III

Purple Dragon Knight (3 AP)

• Damage Boost
• Improved Recovery

I'll agree with the people pointing out the lack of Swashbuckling abilities on a Swash build was probably hurting you a lot.

I'll just want to echo what the other poster mentioned about Abishai though. Those seriously punish builds that either lack a strong reflex save + evasion or significant MRR. Without one of those two those level 13-15 elites with Abishai will rip you apart. I hate running them on my pure cleric that lacks the past lives/gear to build up MRR, has a crappy reflex save, and lacks evasion. I can solo them but they require far more hiding around corners, etc, than I'd like.

Lol I love the vault.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Basically... everything."

Ok, so I need to swash some buckles with a "correct" weapon or give up on swashbuckling all togeether. I am running around with a Turbulent Epee(apparently) so I may give that a shot. Don't have the CITW sword, though, and won't for a long-ass while, but if I make it to 22 on this build I could throw on a TF, no problem.

The annoying thing is I specifically picked this build planning on SWFing with a bastard sword. I have a ton. I doin't really want to go hunting down a bunch of rapiers...

Will have to fiddle with it I guess. Fortunately I'm only lvl 14, options are plenty.

noamineo wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 5:47pm:


You can use anything that swashbuckling "sees" and have very similar DPS. I'd recommend Dice from Multitude of Menace in house C.

Sailias wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 6:10pm:


Just pulled Dice last night! Only took me about 40 friggin runs!

noamineo wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 6:12pm:


Dice is amazing DPS, you'll be fine.

Gringo wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 6:13pm:


Shockingly, I actually have most of those. Probably have Razorend(when the tome exploit was live, I stocked up on everything that looked good), have fucktons of enevenomed blades.... even have all the stuff to epic it. I even already have a Star of Day sitting in the TR cache(see "exploits" above). Only think I don't have are the CITW weapons, but I could get buy on thunderforged.


Rastelin wrote on Mar 14^th, 2016 at 6:24pm:


It probably doesn't help that I was wearing heavy armor so no dodge and definitely not swashbuckling. Man, it sure be nice if the friggin game would tell you these things! "Hey, you have dodge but you're wearing heavy armor." "You, you ain't swashbucklin, brah." Kinda really annoying, should not have to sift through fine print to make sure abilities are working.