what do you more experenced BG2ers like more? they both look pretty cool to me, I'v allready nixed the bounty hunter btw.

I wouldn't give it a second thought, swashbucklers can't backstab, thus limiting their use in my mind. When I think of a thief a picture someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to land a good backstab.

It's odd... if you want a swashbuckling, "Ha-HA!" kind of character, surely you'd choose a Blade, not a Swashbuckler? If you really don't have a thief in the party, then Swashbuckler is ok... but I like Assassin, especially for morally ambiguous characters.