The Gaming Den

From a character standpoint, your character is not a "class", your character is not a game mechanic, and your character is certainly not the generic flavor text on whatever character class(es) you have.

Your character has a name, a schtick, and a goal. And if you take a level that doesn't advance those things you aren't roleplaying properly.

Let's say your character is Chiesse the Swashbuckler. Your character is a swashbuckling hero, not a "Fighter", not a "Rogue", a Swashbuckler. Every level you take should make you buckle more swashes. If you take a level that doesn't put more buckles on your swash, you are taking a level that contradicts your character conception and you are "Rollplaying".

So let's look at what you want to do... you want to be virtuos, tricksy, elegant, fight in light armor very well, have a waxed mustache, fearless stand up to any challenge, have remarkable wit, astounding luck, and carry a dagger in each hand.

OK, at 8th level you should be a:

Ranger 1
Fighter 2
Paladin 2
Rogue 3

Why? Because you are going to want to

Fight with a dagger in each hand - this ability is easiest to gain with a ranger level. The Ranger "forces" you to do so in light armor, which you were doing anyway.

Have astounding wit and luck: that comes from being a Paladin, and it "forces" you to be virtuous and true (which you would do anyway), as well as allowing you to do everything you do "fealessly.

Wax your mustache: Any character can wax their mustache, so this has no impact at all.

Be tricksy and elegant: A good part of this comes from the Diplomacy you can get as a class skill with your Paladin levels, but to really pull this off you'll want to sink a few points into bluff, tumble, etc. And that virtually screams Rogue. You'll want to keep this up o speed, so you'll want to spread your Rogue levels throughout the progression.

Have an elaborate fighting style: Fighting styles come from the Fighter class, and not much from other sources. If you want to be doing whirlwind for example (which can be quite effective with sneak attack and dual wielding, but more importantly is thematically appropriate) you'll need to come up with 5 feats from somewhere, and that absolutely requires 2 fighter levels if you want to do it before 9th level.

Is that a min/max build? Of kumquatting course it's a min/max build! It's min/maxxed to make the character more thematically appropriate, and it works. The fact of the matter is that if this character takes a 3rd level of Fighter instead of the Ranger level they are less of a swashbuckler, and more of... well.... nothing. Playing a character which is less of the character you want to play doesn't make you less munchkinny, it makes you an idiot. A bland, cardboard cut-out idiot who no one should respect.

-Username17