Swashbuckler - Code of the Nightblade (Patreon)

The Nightblade is a roguish sort of swashbuckler, accustomed to the shadows and operating stealthily on the edges of the battlefield. They often serve as infiltrators or even shinobi, skirmishing with deadly strikes as they slink between pools of shadow.

Shadow's Grace is your minor feature at level 3 — Stealth proficiency and no vision penalties in dim light. Dark Dodge enables your playstyle - when you Nimble Step, you can Hide for free, and you become unperceivable for your Nimble Step. The precise description is a little fiddly, but here's the thing: ordinarily, you can't Hide in melee range, because you're right there of course you are, so the enemy immediately spots you. Maybe your DM lets you Hide, but as soon as you move, the enemy notices you (the precise text from the rulebook is, "In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach a creature, it usually sees you.") But Dark Dodge allows you to stay hidden for the 15 feet of movement you get from your Nimble Step. So you can shift around the battlefield, finding enemies to backstab with your unique Deed, Skulking Strike. Sneaky Swashbuckling kicks in at 7th, giving you advantage on initiative and penalizing the attacks of enemies you backstab. Speaking of backstabbing, Backstab at 11 bumps up your Panache gain and the damage of Skulking Strike. Infiltration Tools starts to pull in that ninja flavor, giving you a short-rest-recharging gadget for better hiding, blinding a single target, or water walking. Then Shadow Draught is your capstone, giving you a potion for short-term super-invisibility and free crits.

As always, you're invited to come discuss and offer feedback on Discord!