PDK Swashbuckler Warlock?

[MagicalDad]

I only need a Warlock life for completionist, and since I have already done a Swashbuckler life (12 Bard / 6 Ftr / 2 Rog), I have all the gear for it. I need to be iconic (leveling with my wife), and would prefer not to burn a +1 Heart on it, so was thinking PDK 12 Warlock / 5 Bard / 3 FTR, going deep into Enlightened Spirit and Swashbuckler and splashing Stalwart just enough to get the stance. Can use CHA to dmg, and Fey for sonic spellpower synergy.

Any advice as to how to split enhancements, and what feats (other than the SWF line and Precision) would be most important? This is not for endgame, as I will TR as soon as I hit 30, but would like to be low-level reaper viable.

[SpartanKiller13]

I only need a Warlock life for completionist, and since I have already done a Swashbuckler life (12 Bard / 6 Ftr / 2 Rog), I have all the gear for it. I need to be iconic (leveling with my wife), and would prefer not to burn a +1 Heart on it, so was thinking PDK 12 Warlock / 5 Bard / 3 FTR, going deep into Enlightened Spirit and Swashbuckler and splashing Stalwart just enough to get the stance. Can use CHA to dmg, and Fey for sonic spellpower synergy.

Any advice as to how to split enhancements, and what feats (other than the SWF line and Precision) would be most important? This is not for endgame, as I will TR as soon as I hit 30, but would like to be low-level reaper viable.

Heads up I'm not a pro builder, but I do have some advice.

For ES T5: For AP, you're going to want 4 into Kensei for Haste boost and 6 into Stalwart for the +25 PRR/MRR. 37 into ES for most of the T5. 11 into TS for Utterdark, Stanch, and Feigned Health. Remnant into Swashbuckler or wherever (should have 22).

For SB T5: 35 AP into Swashbuckler for T5, 11 into TS, 4 into Kensei, 6 Stalwart, 24 into ES for Brilliance and 3d4 proc.

If you're going ES T5, you definitely want Maximize/Empower for the free +225 spellpower. Quicken can be applied, but my testing shows that it has basically no effect, so I wouldn't. I'd recommend Extend, for your Displacement SLA.

If you're going SB T5, the usual option is to grab a buckler and the relevant SB T3, and take Shield Mastery & IShield Mastery, for the 8 doublestrike and qualifying for US LShield Mastery twist adding another 7 doublestrike (total 15) along with a neat 10% Dodge.

Either way that's 3 feat recommendations to go with SWF x3 and Precision, so that should roughly cap your feats.

For skills remember to max Perform for sure, and Spellpower if you're also planning on offensive casting.

For gear, Utterdark means you just need Light/Light Lore along with Sonic/Sonic Lore. If you don't take it you'll also need Force/Force Lore. Ins spellpowers are nice but not required. Past that just grab your Cha/Con gear and melee stuff.

For Spells, make sure you grab Jump, Blur, Stoneskin, and Evard's. Evard's is IMO the strongest spell in-game, offering AoE damage (5 hits), soft cc (50% slow on successful save) and hard cc (5 attempts at a 10s lockdown). Use it and love it.

As a Fey pact (for Sonic) Dark Delirium (lvl 6 ability) is pretty great for champions etc - no save daze that only breaks 10% of the time you hit them (use it and then kill them after the fight).

[unbongwah]

Unless you're planning to go for T5 ES, this would probably look a lot like any Swashbuckler build: i.e., usual melee feats, T5 Swashbuckler, T3 Stalwart D, with probably just enough APs left for T4 ES (Brilliance + Spiritual Retribution).

If you're planning on T5 ES, you could do war 13 / ftr 4 / bard 3: trades melee DPS for extra temp HPs (Shining Thru) and possibly more caster DPS from Spirit Blast. Although with the recent nerfs to ES and MCed warlocks in general, I'm not sure how well that works in practice anymore.

[SpartanKiller13]

Unless you're planning to go for T5 ES, this would probably look a lot like any Swashbuckler build: i.e., usual melee feats, T5 Swashbuckler, T3 Stalwart D, with probably just enough APs left for T4 ES (Brilliance + Spiritual Retribution).

If you're planning on T5 ES, you could do war 13 / ftr 4 / bard 3: trades melee DPS for extra temp HPs (Shining Thru) and possibly more caster DPS from Spirit Blast. Although with the recent nerfs to ES and MCed warlocks in general, I'm not sure how well that works in practice anymore.

I wasn't sure which T5 was the goal, which is why I laid out a vague idea for either in my post.

Assuming Warlock 13 is for Tenser's? You don't get any blast die or pact die until 14 (where you also get a pact spell).

Also why Ftr 4? Kensei is sort of awkward with more than a few AP's, unless you can get the T5? Or is that for Stalwart T4? I feel like it only offers +1 feat over the required Ftr 3 (for defender stance) and that's not huge?

Given your set there, I'd assume Warlock 13/Bard 4/Fighter 3 would be better because you get CMW/Rage as well? Or maybe Warlock 14/Bard 3/Fighter 3?

I feel like feats aren't the tight part: Shield Mastery x2, Improved Crit, SWF x3, Precision, Maximize & Empower = 9 feats, which a PDK with Fighter 2 has at lvl 15? Take Extend at 18 for longer Displacement, then what is Fighter 4 for?

[unbongwah]

Assuming Warlock 13 is for Tenser's?

That and +5 UMD (Deceive Item), which means you can use Heal scrolls that much sooner.

Also why Ftr 4? Kensei is sort of awkward with more than a few AP's, unless you can get the T5? Or is that for Stalwart T4?

Extra feat, possibly T4 Kensei or SD. T4 SB is pretty blah, IMO, so if not going T5 SB you can stop at bard 3.

Given your set there, I'd assume Warlock 13/Bard 4/Fighter 3 would be better because you get CMW/Rage as well? Or maybe Warlock 14/Bard 3/Fighter 3?

Rage won't work in defensive stance and CMW with only CL:4 isn't worth it, IMO. War 14 gets you an extra d4 Pact dmg and +5 MRR.

I don't have a specific build in mind, I'm just thinking out loud.

[SpartanKiller13]

That and +5 UMD (Deceive Item), which means you can use Heal scrolls that much sooner.

True, I tend to either have enough UMD (all my Warlocks) or not so I didn't consider that.

Extra feat, possibly T4 Kensei or SD. T4 SB is pretty blah, IMO, so if not going T5 SB you can stop at bard 3.

T4 Kensei is pretty blah too IMO. StD gives 10% MS and +6 Con, so that's not bad.

Rage won't work in defensive stance and CMW with only CL:4 isn't worth it, IMO. War 14 gets you an extra d4 Pact dmg and +5 MRR.

I forget, I was just figuring that Bard 4 gave 2nd level spells and those were the two that seemed possibly useful.

I don't have a specific build in mind, I'm just thinking out loud.

Same, I just think have a different set of inputs and a lot less experience doing builds