This is great! I actually recently finished playing my own anime swordsman inspired character. They were an elf precision ranger who rocked Gravity Weapon for that anime flavour. They wore medium armour as they took samurai inspiration and I flavoured the precision as being like "Iaido", where the anime swordsman draws their sword blindingly fast for one lethal strike. They were also sylph heritage with the Swift feat so they were extremely fast and athletic. So much fun!
This is a good build for what it's supposed to do, i didn't even know this was possible. I don't know if Katana is a stated weapon but the game supports that the european themed weapons can also be the eastern counterpart so the swords can also be the katana weapons
Katana is there. 1 handed d6 deadly d8 weapon that you can 2-hand to turn into a d10 weapon. Doesn’t have finesse trait though, so you have to use strength to hit.
Ooh 3 anime swordsman builds? This is gonna be great! I could see this build be used to represent someone like Mizu from Blue Eyed Samurai, although Mizu can use more than just a sword. I love the Blazing Streak feat, it's got that move and attack everything in a row that I like to see in things like Power Rangers (I built one for the Shadow Ranger from SPD using a Gnoll, but can't remember what that feat was).
Going With Monk and Ancestry Weaponry is a good Idea. I playes with the Idea of a (lightly amored) Samurai in Pf2e. My go too was, simply Fighter. Or a Swashbuckler Fencer / Grappler Style.
I had an Inkling the second you went for the Weapon familiarity feat but knew exactly what you were going for when you called for Monk, I went this route for Strength of Thousands (Ancient Elf Archetyped into Witch for the Cantrips for that touch of animesque magic). Was great fun, she died to a bee super early!
Haven’t played strength of thousands, but PF2 needs to stop sending wasp swarms after level 2 players. They are super deadly at low levels. Happens in at least 2 APs, three if they are in strength of thousands.
Here's hoping PCII gives Swashbuckler more options that fit the theme. Hopefully let it take Athletics or Acrobatics as a panache skill, and maybe let them have strength as an alternate key stat to help with disarms. My main gripe with Swash is that it forces you to be a dex build. I think the finesse requirement for finishers is good enough to keep the theme of precision
The Gymnist Swashbuckling style already lets you use Athletics as a panache skill, and acrobatics is always a panache skill through the 'tumble through' action. But yeah, there are a few updates to the swashbuckler build I'd like to see. Dex-to-damage like thief rogues get, and maybe auto-upgrading acrobatics like inventors get with the crafting skill (otherwise, their skill level ups are basically almost all chosen for them.)
@@PsiPrimeProductions1 Yeah Gymnast does get athletics, but it locks you into acro and athletics. I love the idea of braggart being able to use Athletics to further denilitate their foe. Str as a key stat would also allow for more dps focused builds, whereas dex build use reflexive riposte more often. Assuming this change went into effect, Gymnast would just get the skill you didn’t pick. Hard agree on the scaling skill. And since swash is meant to be a hybrid of rogue, I think it only fits that they get more flexible skill options. I’d go as far as to say they should get a free panache skill increase on 3, 5, 7, etc. It would fix the problem with swashbucklers being very fixed on builds. And it would make the class more fun to play
@@Iceblade269 Remember, the third way of generating panache. . . Doing cool sh!t. If you plunge your dagger into a tapestry and ride it down to the ground floor, that would be an athletics check to generate panache I’d say.
PF2 is really good about making sure players don’t get too powerful. If you wanna do max damage, I suggest looking at the Thaumaturge with a weapon impliment, and a regalia implement. They can do a lot of damage. Otherwise, the good old giant instinct barbarian.
@@PsiPrimeProductions1 Thx for the feedback. I was targeting the flavour of a Limit Break. Not so much the damage output. I just love the visuals in anime's that then accentuate the fighting style of the character. So no "good old giant instinct barbarian" for me.
@@haroldemmers6428 Ah! I thought you meant like, a broken character, not a Final-Fantasy style limit break. In that case, yeah, a dex magus with runic body (the new mage armor) would work.
Surprised you didn’t mention the sword scion background. You get dueling lore, dex as a boost, and get the aldori dueling sword, which is also a curved blade
Like I said, a million different little variations to the build. Technically the dueling sword doesn't work for THIS build because it doesn't work with ancestral weaponry, but I'm sure there's SOME way to make it work out there.
Dueling Sword would work better for a fighter or swashbuckler. Also Sword Scion requires DM permission to grab an AP-specific background, which can't be guaranteed (It's not available in Pathfinder Society play, for instance).
You should still do a Guts style swordsman build, and possibly differentiate between his Golden Age look, and his Bereserker armored dragon slayer sword wielding look.
I know Guts is really popular, and he is a character with a lot of potential, but I think I’ll leave that build for someone else. Berserk was never really my jam. Not bad, don’t get me wrong, and I have watched it, but I don’t have a passion for it, so I don’t feel like I could do him justice.
@@PsiPrimeProductions1 fair enough. Apart from him having a preference for exceptionally large swords due to him training with swords bigger than himself as a child, every other fact or character tidbit about him is exceptionally grim and/or depressing.
@@zoliathan I mean, off the top of my head, make him a giant instinct barbarian with a large-sized greatsword. Grab sentinel dedication so he can wear full plate for his ‘berserker armor’ and then homebrew the stats for that armor.
For damage. Three extra damage doesn’t sound like a lot, but it REALLY adds up. After playing a swashbuckler fighting next to a champion, I learned this the hard way.
Unfortunately no, Ancestral weaponry requires you to have access to ALL of an ancestry's weapons, not just the one that you grab from Unconventional weaponry. You could house rule it to be different, but rules as written, technically no.
I mean, while having over-the-top powers is great, you run into the problem of being overpowered in a game predominantly designed around being balanced. If you want to be able to do cool over-the-top stuff, I suggest the game "Sentinels Comics RPG." It bills itself as a superhero game, but the system is so versatile you can build anything in it.
I think they get the core of the anime swordsman. But what you're thinking of (and yes I've thought about it too) would best come from an archetype. You could also lean into Magus more, for those "special strikes". The game is too balanced for powers to be "over the top" but they'll still be cool ither way.
Shouting out appreciation for the consistent crediting of sources for images inside the video
My girlfriend is currently running a sword ally champion based off of Sailor Moon. Going pretty well so far.
This is great! I actually recently finished playing my own anime swordsman inspired character. They were an elf precision ranger who rocked Gravity Weapon for that anime flavour. They wore medium armour as they took samurai inspiration and I flavoured the precision as being like "Iaido", where the anime swordsman draws their sword blindingly fast for one lethal strike. They were also sylph heritage with the Swift feat so they were extremely fast and athletic. So much fun!
With you for mechanics and Mythkeeper or The Lore Tour for lore, Pathfinder content is getting better and better on TH-cam.
Podfinder has the beginnings of a good lore channel as well
This is a good build for what it's supposed to do, i didn't even know this was possible.
I don't know if Katana is a stated weapon but the game supports that the european themed weapons can also be the eastern counterpart so the swords can also be the katana weapons
Katana is there. 1 handed d6 deadly d8 weapon that you can 2-hand to turn into a d10 weapon. Doesn’t have finesse trait though, so you have to use strength to hit.
Ooh 3 anime swordsman builds? This is gonna be great! I could see this build be used to represent someone like Mizu from Blue Eyed Samurai, although Mizu can use more than just a sword. I love the Blazing Streak feat, it's got that move and attack everything in a row that I like to see in things like Power Rangers (I built one for the Shadow Ranger from SPD using a Gnoll, but can't remember what that feat was).
It's funny because I just played with an incredibly similar build, but with a Tengu. Can't wait to play it.
Going With Monk and Ancestry Weaponry is a good Idea.
I playes with the Idea of a (lightly amored) Samurai in Pf2e.
My go too was, simply Fighter. Or a Swashbuckler Fencer / Grappler Style.
I had an Inkling the second you went for the Weapon familiarity feat but knew exactly what you were going for when you called for Monk, I went this route for Strength of Thousands (Ancient Elf Archetyped into Witch for the Cantrips for that touch of animesque magic). Was great fun, she died to a bee super early!
Haven’t played strength of thousands, but PF2 needs to stop sending wasp swarms after level 2 players. They are super deadly at low levels. Happens in at least 2 APs, three if they are in strength of thousands.
@@PsiPrimeProductions1there was one in Outlaws of Alkenstar, luckily my players snuck up and put them to sleep first
Here's hoping PCII gives Swashbuckler more options that fit the theme. Hopefully let it take Athletics or Acrobatics as a panache skill, and maybe let them have strength as an alternate key stat to help with disarms. My main gripe with Swash is that it forces you to be a dex build. I think the finesse requirement for finishers is good enough to keep the theme of precision
The Gymnist Swashbuckling style already lets you use Athletics as a panache skill, and acrobatics is always a panache skill through the 'tumble through' action. But yeah, there are a few updates to the swashbuckler build I'd like to see. Dex-to-damage like thief rogues get, and maybe auto-upgrading acrobatics like inventors get with the crafting skill (otherwise, their skill level ups are basically almost all chosen for them.)
@@PsiPrimeProductions1 Yeah Gymnast does get athletics, but it locks you into acro and athletics.
I love the idea of braggart being able to use Athletics to further denilitate their foe. Str as a key stat would also allow for more dps focused builds, whereas dex build use reflexive riposte more often.
Assuming this change went into effect, Gymnast would just get the skill you didn’t pick.
Hard agree on the scaling skill. And since swash is meant to be a hybrid of rogue, I think it only fits that they get more flexible skill options. I’d go as far as to say they should get a free panache skill increase on 3, 5, 7, etc. It would fix the problem with swashbucklers being very fixed on builds. And it would make the class more fun to play
@@Iceblade269 Remember, the third way of generating panache. . . Doing cool sh!t. If you plunge your dagger into a tapestry and ride it down to the ground floor, that would be an athletics check to generate panache I’d say.
Love it. I have a new player with no RPG experience who wants that anime swordsman feel. Looking forward to more!
i would keep strength at +2 and boost another atribute personally. That +2 will be good enough for a long while.
I like to see some LIMIT BREAKING options for flavour.
Maybe a Magus build ;)
Good stuff by the way. Keep it up.
PF2 is really good about making sure players don’t get too powerful. If you wanna do max damage, I suggest looking at the Thaumaturge with a weapon impliment, and a regalia implement. They can do a lot of damage. Otherwise, the good old giant instinct barbarian.
@@PsiPrimeProductions1
Thx for the feedback.
I was targeting the flavour of a Limit Break. Not so much the damage output.
I just love the visuals in anime's that then accentuate the fighting style of the character.
So no "good old giant instinct barbarian" for me.
@@haroldemmers6428 Ah! I thought you meant like, a broken character, not a Final-Fantasy style limit break. In that case, yeah, a dex magus with runic body (the new mage armor) would work.
Surprised you didn’t mention the sword scion background. You get dueling lore, dex as a boost, and get the aldori dueling sword, which is also a curved blade
Like I said, a million different little variations to the build. Technically the dueling sword doesn't work for THIS build because it doesn't work with ancestral weaponry, but I'm sure there's SOME way to make it work out there.
Dueling Sword would work better for a fighter or swashbuckler. Also Sword Scion requires DM permission to grab an AP-specific background, which can't be guaranteed (It's not available in Pathfinder Society play, for instance).
More of this kind of video, please! ❤
I love these build videos of yours, keep them coming
Thanks, will do!
I like this kind of video format :)
Ah ha! I need glasses, so when I squint every sword looks like a katana. I win!
You are great!
The question is: Should you?! =)
You should still do a Guts style swordsman build, and possibly differentiate between his Golden Age look, and his Bereserker armored dragon slayer sword wielding look.
I know Guts is really popular, and he is a character with a lot of potential, but I think I’ll leave that build for someone else. Berserk was never really my jam. Not bad, don’t get me wrong, and I have watched it, but I don’t have a passion for it, so I don’t feel like I could do him justice.
@@PsiPrimeProductions1 fair enough. Apart from him having a preference for exceptionally large swords due to him training with swords bigger than himself as a child, every other fact or character tidbit about him is exceptionally grim and/or depressing.
@@zoliathan I mean, off the top of my head, make him a giant instinct barbarian with a large-sized greatsword. Grab sentinel dedication so he can wear full plate for his ‘berserker armor’ and then homebrew the stats for that armor.
Why strength though?
It's a finesse weapon. Sure up your saving throws. Athletics can be covered by allies.
For extra damage, grapple, shove and so, I guess
For damage. Three extra damage doesn’t sound like a lot, but it REALLY adds up. After playing a swashbuckler fighting next to a champion, I learned this the hard way.
Also, you're flurrying every turn, so that damage will come up a lot more than on a build that typically attacks only once a turn.
Human with unconventional weaponry would work more or less the same without needing any connection to elves right?
Unfortunately no, Ancestral weaponry requires you to have access to ALL of an ancestry's weapons, not just the one that you grab from Unconventional weaponry. You could house rule it to be different, but rules as written, technically no.
needs a 4th requirement: over-the-top powers
the general feel of these are not hitting the spot for me
I mean, while having over-the-top powers is great, you run into the problem of being overpowered in a game predominantly designed around being balanced. If you want to be able to do cool over-the-top stuff, I suggest the game "Sentinels Comics RPG." It bills itself as a superhero game, but the system is so versatile you can build anything in it.
I think they get the core of the anime swordsman. But what you're thinking of (and yes I've thought about it too) would best come from an archetype. You could also lean into Magus more, for those "special strikes". The game is too balanced for powers to be "over the top" but they'll still be cool ither way.