[Jim]

Well, versatility-wise, the Swashbuckler has the advantage of being able to get the party through Watcher's Keep and the Marching Mountains in one piece, and sneak around at a moment's notice, instead of just being a poor substitute for a Warrior. The Blade, on the other hand, can, umm....mumble a tune that does essentially nothing, and cast a few low-level spells.

Your post has merit, but everything you've suggested a Blade can do too. Traps can be disarmed via Mirror Image / stoneskin and locks opened via knock. Sneeking around at a moments notice? A single level 2 spell will grant much longer invisibility without needing skill point checks each round that will always fail if an enemy is on screen. It seems to me that you are trying to put the Blade down because they do not excel in any one area - moderate warrior skills and moderate spellcasting, but combining the two makes for a capable character. The THAC0 may well stop decreasing at 10, but with helmets, gauntlets, STR enhancing items, magical weapons and effective dual wielding, the THAC0 reaches a state that makes the warrior abilities of the Blade more than capable of dealing with around 95% of enemies. Being able to use chainmail and helmets effectively matches the slow improving AC bonus of the Swashbuckler in the early stages of the game. Then there's the spell buffing. To top this off, the Blade has the Offensive Spin ability which will dish out more damage than even the very high level Swashbucklers, and against even the toughest melee opponents, Defensive Spin = problem solved. It is combining all these abilities into one character that makes the campaign so easy to do with a blade.

I'm not trying to say that Blades will always be better than Swashbucklers, since I like them both very much, I am simply suggesting that Blades are far, far from useless if used properly.

This is not even counting UAI. Once UAI is called into play, then the Swashbuckler is pretty much immune to any physical attacks that don't come from people like Abazigal, and makes the Swashbuckler able to match the Blade spell for spell. There's also the fact that the Swashbuckler's THAC0 also applies to missile weapons, making him a better archer than a Blade (or Sharpshooter kit from G3) could ever be.

Immune to physical attacks? Surely you jest! DoE+Ronarchs Horn+Jans Adventure Wear(tm) is all a thief can muster through UAI. Lacking AoF, Hardiness and the innate physical defense of a barbarian leaves the thief/bard open to damage from all attacks. Haer'Dalis will beat this due to his natural resistance to physical attacks regardless. A bard doesn't even need UAI to use the DoE or Ronarchs Horn which is a immediate bonus.

If you are referring to spell protections cast from scrolls - again a Blade can do this without UAI so it's pretty much even stevens. If you are referring to a godly AC that can barely be touched, again the Blade has the defensive spin ability, which combined with any armour combination that the Swashbuckler can muster will always be better that the swashbucklers AC bonuses. Sure, the Blade can't move in this state (unless you cheese it with Free Action) but enemies in the game that threaten a great AC will always come to the character anyway. Ultimately - offensive spin matches the offensive capabilities of a Swashbuckler (the Blade is lacking +7 to hit in the most extreme case, but this will only cause problems in the most extreme battles for which spells such as TT will help, or even potions of power if need be), defensive spin surpasses the AC bonus of the Swashbuckler and the spell buffs of the Bard will give him the fighting advantage until the Swashbuckler reaches godly levels.

Ahem. Mirror Image + PfMW + Improved Haste. Staff of the Magi. Time Stop. Whack. Belm + Kundane. Another Time Stop. Dead Pontifex. Total party hitpoint loss: 0 You were saying? A Blade could do this, true, but only by using Vhailor's Helm.

I stand corrected....Nalia can effectively dual wield once she reaches an extremely high level, or is lucky enough to find a scroll of Time Stop somewhere, as well as possessing arguably the most powerful weapon in the game in her inventory.