Boastful Gallant (Swashbuckler/Bard)

(Original Concept by Bardess)

All swashbucklers are braggarts more or less, and all bards as well; but a boastful gallant combines the swordplay and wordplay of both. Poetry, love, and glory are her lifeblood. Cheerful and romantic at heart, she deeply believes that seeing her beloved’s face and composing verses in his and her own bravery’s praise can give her the strength to defeat a hundred foes single–handedly. The thing is, that’s usually the case.

Primary Class: Swashbuckler.

Secondary Class: Bard.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The boastful gallant select three bard skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal swashbuckler class skills. The boastful gallant gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The boastful gallant is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the dueling sword and the whip. She is also proficient with light armor, and with bucklers.

Performance Deeds: In addition to swashbuckler’s deeds, the boastful gallant gains a number of performance deeds that function like a bard’s bardic performances. Unlike swashbuckler deeds, performance deeds require the boastful gallant to spend panache points each round to be maintained. A boastful gallant can only perform deeds or performance deeds of her level or lower.

Starting a performance deed is a standard action (including spending the panache point), but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a performance deed from one effect to another requires the boastful gallant to stop the previous performance deed and start a new one as a standard action. A performance deed cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the boastful gallant is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A boastful gallant cannot have more than one performance deed in effect at one time.

At 7th level, a boastful gallant can start a performance deed as a move action instead of a standard action. At 13th level, a boastful gallant can start a performance deed as a swift action. Each performance deed has audible components, visual components, or both.

A boastful gallant replaces five swashbuckler deeds with the following performance deeds.

Inspire Courage (Su): At 1st level, a boastful gallant gains the bard’s inspire courage performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six boastful gallant levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. A boastful gallant can affect a number of allies (including herself) equal to her Charisma modifier. This performance deed replaces the dodging panache deed.