How to represent the Swiftblade.

[iTreeby]

In 3.5 one of my favorite prestige classes was the Swiftblade "haste personified". What class/subclass/multiclass would you use to make a build fitting the idea of a gish that has time magics?

I could see a sorcerer using hast and quickening booming blades, I could see a eldrich night using action surge, I could see a rogue... dashing as a bonus action? It's just hard to merge all the ideas into a somewhat decent build. Not trying to optimize per se just trying to capture the essence of the Swiftblade.

Feel free to use UA material as I'm not actually making a character, just curious to see what you can come up with.

[Jeebs]

What about the Oath of Vengeance Paladin?

Misty Step and Haste are fitting. Plus the ability to move as a Reaction.

[iTreeby]

What about the Oath of Vengeance Paladin?

Misty Step and Haste are fitting. Plus the ability to move as a Reaction.

Nice catch! They also have a channel divinity that slows people down.

[Sicarius Victis]

How about the old version of the Favoured Soul Sorcerer? Haste, and Extra Attack. Quickened BB, as previously mentioned. Trading other spell slots for sorcery points for more 3rd-level spells to cast Haste with is almost the epitome of what the Swiftblade was.

[Callin]

Bladesinger 6/ Eldritch Knight 7/ Arcane Trickster 7.

Bladesinger gives 10ft movement speed and 3rd level spells (Haste)
EK gives War Magic at lvl 7 for Action to cast a Cantrip and then Attack a second time. Also Action Surge
AT gives Cunning Action and Evasion.

You get 4 Ability Increases. I would put one to Mobility, and another to Alert (to keep with Theme) to be able to react on Surprise Rounds.


Thats probably a close approx to some good abilities while being just Dex/Int/Con dependent.

[iTreeby]

Bladesinger 6/ Eldritch Knight 7/ Arcane Trickster 7.

I really like this build, I totally forgot about war magic. I'm gonna have to look at the MC spell slot chart and see if it makes sense to try and shift another level into the half casting classes or two into bladesinger, I could also see transmuter for their stone if there is a different race worth considering such as tabaxi. Thanks for the input!

[PeteNutButter]

Bladesinger 6/ Eldritch Knight 7/ Arcane Trickster 7.

Bladesinger gives 10ft movement speed and 3rd level spells (Haste)
EK gives War Magic at lvl 7 for Action to cast a Cantrip and then Attack a second time. Also Action Surge
AT gives Cunning Action and Evasion.

You get 4 Ability Increases. I would put one to Mobility, and another to Alert (to keep with Theme) to be able to react on Surprise Rounds.


Thats probably a close approx to some good abilities while being just Dex/Int/Con dependent.

You are doubling up on extra attack with bladesinger 6 and fighter 7. Easy fix, just don't take that bladesinger past 5. Simple to replace it with another fighter level for another ASI/feat.

[Talionis]

Bladesinger 20. At level 20 you can cast Haste at will. Bladesinger is already very Seiftblade like.

[Sicarius Victis]

At level 20 you can cast Haste at will.

...No, you can't. You only get a 1st- and a 2nd-level spell at will. Haste is 3rd-level.

[DivisibleByZero]

Rogue Archetype: Swiftblade

level 3:
Spellcasting: Exactly as that of an Arcane Trickster, but your two schools are Transmutation and Conjuration.
Alacrity: Your body is augmented with the residual energy of speed inducing magics. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and deal an extra 1d6 points of damage during any round in which you move at least 10 feet before the attack. At 14th level, this bonus increases to +20 feet and an extra 2d6 points of damage during any round in which you move at least 20 feet before the attack.
In addition, as you dart around the battlefield, you move faster than the blink of an eye, and you become difficult to target with melee and ranged attacks. While under the effect of any Expeditious Retreat, Longstrider, or Haste spell that you cast yourself, any attack rolls made against you have disadvantage, and whenever you take the Dash action on your turn, the distance you may Dash increases by 10 feet. If under the effects of Expeditious Retreat, increase Dash distance by 20 feet instead.

level 9:
Fortified Hustle: At 9th level, you learn how to intuitively absorb speed magic into your body. While under the effect of any Expeditious Retreat or Haste spell that you cast yourself, the spell no longer requires concentration.
In addition, you now add your your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls, and you may now cast Longstrider as a bonus action on your turn.

level 13:
Diligent Rapidity: At 13th level, while under the effect of an Expeditious Retreat, Longstrider, or Haste spell that you cast yourself, you can move across the surface of placid or flowing water, but not whitewater rapids or stormy water, by taking the Dash action. You immediately sink if you do not take the Dash action in a round or come to a complete stop while traversing water.
In addition, if you know the Haste spell, you can now cast Haste as a bonus action on your turn.

level 17:
Innervated Speed: At 17th level, your mastery of the Haste spell can bring the world around you to a standstill. Any time you cast Haste in a 4th level spell slot you can choose to subsume the spell at the moment of casting instead, increasing your speed so greatly that other creatures seem frozen in time, as the time stop spell, but for one round. The Haste spell immediately ends after this round has passed. You cannot subsume a new Haste spell until the original innervated speed duration expires and your following turn ends. In addition, you no longer suffer the lethargic effects from casting Haste, and when the Haste spell ends you may move and act normally, but you cannot cast Haste again until a full round has passed.

[iTreeby]

Rogue Archetype: Swiftblade

level 17:
Innervated Speed: At 17th level, your mastery of the Haste spell can bring the world around you to a standstill. Any time you cast Haste in a 4th level spell slot you can choose to subsume the spell at the moment of casting instead, increasing your speed so greatly that other creatures seem frozen in time, as the time stop spell, but for one round. The Haste spell immediately ends after this round has passed. You cannot subsume a new Haste spell until the original innervated speed duration expires and your following turn ends. In addition, you no longer suffer the lethargic effects from casting Haste, and when the Haste spell ends you may move and act normally, but you cannot cast Haste again until a full round has passed.

Thanks for answering with your own custom rogue subclass, I'm sure it took some time and thought. The ability to not have to concentrate on haste seems very very good. Because you normally risk losing a turn when haste ends.


Edit: had a brain fart

[Callin]

I only put Bladesinger to 6 to get that extra Spell Level in there. I am sure either Fighter or Rogue 8 would be just as acceptable for another Ability Increase or Feat.

[DivisibleByZero]

Thanks for answering with your own custom rogue subclass, I'm sure it took some time and thought. The ability to not have to concentrate on haste seems very very good. Because you normally risk losing a turn when haste ends.

Didn't take long at all.
I just copy/pasted the original PrC into a text file and made changes so that it fell more in line with 5e, and included uses for ExpRet and LongS so that the slower casting progression didn't make a subclass which got its main feature (Haste) at 13th level. Removed some things which don't apply to 5e, added minor things to fill holes, edited a little bit of wording, etc.

[Corran]

Not sure what a swiftblade is, but reading this thread reminded me of an idea Citan had presented in another post, so I will copy paste it and leave it here:

a) TWF way: dip Fighter 1 for TWF style and Constitution saves, then Haste yourself away. Option to go Swashbuckler Rogue if you really want further mobility (free disengage, +CHA to Initiative) and damage (+2d6) but honestly I would not advise it: getting Mobile feat will keep your progression as Wizard and provide nearly the same benefit (free disengage, +10 feet -20feet under Haste-), and 2d6 is frankly not worth delaying your Wizard progressing by three full levels (along with permanently locking away free 1st and 2nd spell in the end). 120 feet of movement under Haste will be already much more than enough in nearly all situations. And if you really need to, you can use the Extra action from Haste to Dash instead of attacking (it's EXACTLY the same as going Rogue 2-3, using the extra action from Haste to attack and Cunning Action to Dash, except you lost 3 Wizard levels XD).***

b) Weapon cantrip way: Use Mirror Image or Blur first, then Greater Invisibility when you get it. Rogue 2 is a good idea so you can use your bonus action to either Dash or Hide, Swashbuckler can be considered if you also bump CHA (like ASI: +1 INT, +1 CHA). Warcaster is near mandatory (BB+ Sneak attack on opportunity attack, + better concentration). Resilient: Constitution would be a good idea. :)


***Additionally, you get the TWF style, which means that when you get Wizard 14 you have competitive damage (Extra Attack + bonus action attack + Haste attack, all weapon+DEX+INT).

[DivisibleByZero]

Not sure what a swiftblade is,

http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/prc/20070327

I would have used an half caster base if there were an arcane one, but since there isn't I thought the AT chassis was most fitting, as it does away with the need for one subclass feature devoted to Extra Attack, and still retains the mobile nature of the concept.

[Corran]

http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...d/prc/20070327

Thanks for that!

I would have used an half caster base if there were an arcane one, but since there isn't I thought the AT chassis was most fitting, as it does away with the need for one subclass feature devoted to Extra Attack, and still retains the mobile nature of the concept.

Yeah, arcane trickster does seem very fitting. The only problem is that they get haste too late. But if you tweak it a bt, like you did, it would work very well.

[DivisibleByZero]

Thanks for that!


Yeah, arcane trickster does seem very fitting. The only problem is that they get haste too late. But if you tweak it a bt, like you did, it would work very well.

Bard would have worked fantastically, except for the fact that they don't get Haste (or Expeditious Retreat) and that their subclasses only get three features, one of which would have had to go to Extra Attack, so it would have been lacking.
Wizard or Sorcerer might have worked, except for the fact, once again, that Extra Attack would have had to have been tossed in, and that Swiftblade shouldn't be a full caster IMO.
Warlock just felt wonky.
Since no arcane half caster exists, AT chassis felt best, with a few minor tweaks. I think it worked out well, too, so thanks.