I’ve been eagerly awaitingBaldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8, in part because it adds my favoriteDungeons & Dragonssubclass. However, after booting up the game and visiting Withers to change my class, I was disappointed to learn thatBaldur’s Gate 3had nerfed one of the main abilities for this subclass. Although it isn’t completely unplayable, it is a bit of a disappointment given how long I waited to play this class, and because the nerf takes away part of the class' main appeal.
Now, to be clear,this is the type of nitpicky complaint only made possible because, overall, Patch 8 is a great update. By simplyadding cross-play toBaldur’s Gate 3, Patch 8 has already satisfied me, and the 12 new subclasses it adds are nothing to sneeze at. Still, I can’t help but be a little disappointed to see how a minor change to my favorite class makes it a lot less powerful.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Nerfed The Swashbuckler’s Disengage
Baldur’s Gate 3 Made The Swashbuckler Less Mobile And Worse At Two-Weapon Fighting
I loveDungeons & Dragons5e’s version of the Swashbuckler.Its Fancy Footwork ability gives you a free disengage against an enemy you attack, allowing you to save your bonus action for an off-hand attack. This means twice the chance of landing a Sneak Attack, and the class' Rakish Audacity trait also makes qualifying for a Sneak Attack easier. Swashbucklers can easily dip in and out of fights, allowing your tank to soak up damage, but they also excel at fighting enemies one-on-one.
Effect
Fancy Footwork (Level 3)
If you make a melee attack against a creature, that creature can’t take opportunity attacks against you on the same turn.
Rakish Audacity (Level 3)
Increase your initiative bonus by your Charisma modifier. You can do a Sneak Attack if you are within five feet of an enemy and no other creatures are within five feet of you. You can still perform normal Sneak Attacks too.
Panache (Level 9)
You may make a Persuasion check as an action targeting a creature who can understand you. That creature contests your check with their Insight. Enemies that fail gain disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you. If the creature isn’t hostile, it’s charmed for one minute.
Unfortunately,Baldur’s Gate 3’s version of the Swashbuckler makes a few small changes that nerf some of these abilities. For one,you now have to land a hit to get your free disengage with Fancy Footwork instead of just attempting one. This gives you less of a guarantee that you’ll be able to back away from a powerful enemy, making the class riskier to play.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s version of Sneak Attackalso hurts the Swashbuckler, because you have to declare a Sneak Attack before knowing if you’ll hit.InD&D, you can apply Sneak Attack damage once per round after you hit. So, when you’re playing a Swashbuckler who excels at dual-wielding, you get double the chance to land a Sneak Attack, something you won’t get inBaldur’s Gate 3. Rakish Audacity’s initiative bonus is also nerfed if you play a high Charisma Rogue, because it’s now a flat bonus and not your Charisma modifier.
BG3’s Extra Swashbuckler Moves Don’t Make Up For What Was Lost
Baldur’s Gate 3 Adds New Moves For Swashbucklers
Baldur’s Gate 3does try to make up for what the Swashbuckler loses by giving the subclass a few new moves. you may attempt to Disarm or Blind enemies with your Dirty Trick abilities, and you can cast Vicious Mockery as a cantrip. Although these are nice additions,they don’t really make up for the lost mobility or the generally weaker version of Sneak Attackpresent in the game.
Although I’m not entirely satisfied withBaldur’s Gate 3’s version of my favorite class, I understand the need for changes toDungeons & Dragons' rules. The game operates differently in a lot of ways, and often in ways that I prefer toD&D. If nerfing my beloved Swashbuckler was necessary to preserveBaldur’s Gate 3’s balance, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, but I won’t pretend it doesn’t sting a little.
