Here's the Warrior-Mage 3rd draft

Hi all!

After pondering, and tinkering, and re-examining, I've come up with a third draft of the Warrior-Mage class initially presented here.

The premise is that 5e hasn't presented a good approximation of the feel of the AD&D (half)-elf fighter/magic-user (with the exception of Bladesinger, which is a pretty good implementation of a specific type of fighter/mage). I've talked about why I feel this is important, etc, elsewhere. Suffice it to say that it had to be done, and I wanted it done right. This is my best current effort. It is intended to be primarily balanced with the Bladesong tradition from the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and the College of Valor Bard provides a secondary less direct balance comparison. There are some subtle differences between similarly named features in some places (in particular Warrior-Mage gets Second Wind 1/long rest rather than short, and has one less Cantrip than a wizard), so make sure to take a close look.

In addition to the material on the class (also found in a nice looking pdf at the bottom of the post--recommended, since it's hard to format well in a post, and I might have introduced errors), I've included mathematical comparisons of Warrior-Mage and Bladesinger.

Enjoy and comment!


Warrior-Mage

An elf in dragon scale armor cuts down one of the swarming fiends with her sword, the tuning fork in her other hand resonating with her words as she touches her companions and shifts the party to another plane.
A half-elf, his armaments covered by scholars' robes, searches through tomes in a vast library. With a satisfied smile he takes down a particular book, opens his spellbook, and begins to copy the magic of the spell he sought.
On the field of battle, a bloodied elf calls on reserves of strength to push forward. Cut. Thrust. Slash. His foes fall before his continual onslaught of strikes, but more remain to assault he and his companions. His strength depleted, he rests on his sword for a moment, and then intones the words that launch a fireball into the midst of his foes.
Warrior-mages are initiates of a revered elven tradition that combines the combat prowess of the fighter with the spellcraft of the wizard. Rather than focusing on either path, they train in both equally, sacrificing the fighter's depth of mastery and the wizard's depth of knowledge in exchange for the core capabilities of both.

ELVES TO THE SOUL
The elves have always had an affinity for both swordplay and spellcraft. Corellon Larethian, creator of the elves, is said to be both a skilled warrior and a master of magic. Throughout the ages, elves have expressed this inherent aspect of their nature in many ways. Most elves take naturally to sword and bow, and are taught in their use from a young age. Many elves know at least the rudiments of arcane magic, regardless of what path they take in life. Although not all elves seek to combine the two branches of their heritage, those who do are respected champions of the race.
Many elven fighters follow the Eldritch Knight archetype, enhancing their battle skills with magic. Wizards of the Bladesong tradition practice magically enhanced swordplay as an expression of magic itself.
Other elves treat neither martial skills nor magical arts as a supplement to the other, but train in them as two distinct and valuable fields. This is the path of the warrior-mage.

STUDENTS OF TWO WORLDS
As a student of both the warrior's path and the mage's art, the warrior-mage seeks to learn each skillset on its own terms.
The warrior-mage must both know what it feels like to fight by their strength and sweat alone, and feel the fear of standing unarmored against a foe with nothing but than their spells to protect them.
Traditionally, a warrior-mage trains under three masters: a fighter, a wizard, and an experienced warrior-mage. The fighter's fighting style will become the apprentice warrior-mage's own, and the wizard's school of specialty will influence their later specialization. The warrior-mage's teachings help them balance the two fields and draw strength from the union.
While a warrior-mage will learn how to blend their spellcasting and swordsmanship in some ways, they will at their core always understand each as its own endeavor.



CREATING A WARRIOR-MAGE
Your warrior-mage chose to pursue two contrasting skillsets, knowing they would never be quite as adept at either as someone who focused on one. Why? What is it about a balance between the two paths that appealed to them?
Think about your three mentors. Who were they, how did you meet, and what sort of relationship do you have (or did you have) with them?
Think about your place in elven society. Warrior-mages are revered in a manner similar to Bladesingers and Eldritch Knights. Is this an honor you sought, an honor you seek to avoid, or something in-between?

RESTRICTION: ELVEN TRADITION
On most worlds, only elves and half-elves can become warrior-mages. DMs may decide to allow characters of other races to become warrior-mages on worlds where such traditions exist amongst other races.
In addition, warrior-mages must have an Intelligence of 13 or higher, either a Strength or Dexterity of 13 or higher, and cannot multiclass. Their training involves blending the features of both fighters and wizards as an alternative to multiclassing.

QUICK BUILD
You can make a warrior-mage quickly by following these suggestions. First, make either Strength or Intelligence your highest ability score, followed by the other. (Some warrior-mages who focus on finesse weapons make Dexterity higher than Strength.) Second, choose the folk hero background. Third, choose the green-flame blade and prestidigitation cantrips, along with the following 1st-level spells for your spellbook: detect magic, disguise self, false life, grease, shield, and sleep.

Class Features
As a warrior-mage, you gain the following class features.

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d8 per warrior-mage level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per warrior-mage level after 1st

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion, and Survival

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a chain shirt or (b) leather armor
• (a) one simple weapon or (b) a shield
  
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• One martial weapon and an explorer's pack
• A spellbook, a longbow, and a quiver of 20 arrows

INITIATE OF BLADE AND TOME
You are considered to be both a fighter and a wizard for the purpose of using or attuning to magic items.

SPELLCASTING
As a student of wizardry, you study and cast spells like a wizard, and you use the same spell list.

CANTRIPS
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional wizard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as show in the Cantrips Known column of the warrior-mage table.

SPELLBOOK
At 1st level, you have a wizard spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells.

PREPARING AND CASTING SPELLS
You prepare and cast spells as if you were a wizard.

SPELLCASTING ABILITY
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, and functions as it does for wizards.

RITUAL CASTING
You can cast a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

SPELLCASTING FOCUS
You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.

LEARNING SPELLS OF 1ST LEVEL AND HIGHER
Each time you gain a warrior-mage level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Warrior-Mage table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook (see the "Your Spellbook" sidebar in the wizard class entry sidebar).

SECOND WIND
Starting at 2nd level, you have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your warrior-mage level.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

ELVEN WARCRAFT
At 2nd level, you begin your personal warrior-mage path, focusing on the elven warcraft elements best suited to your individual nature. This grants you a feature at 2nd level, and another at 6th and 18th level.

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by one. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

WAR MAGIC INITIATE
Beginning at 8th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT
Beginning at 10th level, you can reroll a Strength or Wisdom saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest..

IMPROVED WAR MAGIC
Starting at 14th level, when you use your action to cast a spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

ATTACK SURGE
When you reach 20th level, you can push your attack speed beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional Attack action (one weapon attack only) on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

SPELL MASTERY
At 20th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain spells that you can cast them at will. Choose a 1st-level wizard spell and a 2nd-level wizard spell that are in your spellbook. You can cast those spells at their lowest level without expending a spell slot when you have them prepared. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.
By spending 8 hours in study, you can exchange one or both spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Elven Warcraft
Both aspects of your warrior-mage's training present inherent options to focus your study. In addition, your combined experiences hone specific defenses.

FIGHTING STYLE
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose the Defense, Dueling, or Protection fighting style.

ARCANE SPECIALIZATION
Starting at 6th level, your study of wizardry allows you deeper insight into one of the eight schools of magic.
Choose a feature associated with an Arcane Tradition specializing in a school of magic. The possible features are: Arcane Ward, Grim Harvest, Hypnotic Gaze, Improved Minor Illusion, Minor Alchemy, Minor Conjuration, Portent, or Sculpt Spells.
Some of these features function differently for a warrior-mage, as described below.
Arcane Ward. The ward has hit points equal to your warrior-mage level + your Intelligence modifier, and when you cast an abjuration spell of 1st-level or higher the ward regains a number of hit points equal to the level of the spell.
Grim Harvest. The hit points you regain are equal to the spell's level, regardless of its school.
Hypnotic Gaze. You can maintain this effect for no more than 5 rounds.
Portent. When you finish a long rest, roll one d20.
Sculpt Spells. You choose a number of creatures equal to one third the spell's level (rounded up).

REMARKABLE RESILIENCE
When you reach 18th level, you become more adept at one type of saving throw normally trained in by fighters or wizards. Choose Strength or Wisdom. When you make a saving throw in your chosen ability without adding your proficiency bonus, you can add half your proficiency bonus.

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I'll post the math soon.

Da Maths

I've broken down down a comparison between Warrior-Mage and Bladesinger into a couple of tables below. I built the Warrior-Mage as a Dexterity-based rapier wielder because it provides the easiest comparison. I assumed a starting Dex and Int of 16, and alternated increasing them with ability score increases.
The first table shows what features each class has at each level. The second table boils down how the class differs from the other class at each level (ie, only features or numbers that are different at that level are shown). The notes for each table explain them further. I left off Initiate of Tome and Blade, as it is effectively just the ability to use wizard items, though it grants forward compatibility with new items that might require the fighter class.





Notes on Table
-Parenthetical Bladesinger abilities only apply with bladesong active (ie, most of the time when it matters).
-(Cantrip) in parentheses in the Warrior-Mage entry indicates they are dealing damage with green-flame blade or booming blade at that level, while Bladesigner is not. Therefore there is a possibility of secondary damage.
-Partial good save is a representation that both classes get a good save and a secondary save, while Bladesinger also gets a bonus to Con saves for concentration (which is likely half or more of the Con saves they'll make). Since the Bladesinger's ability scales better than the Warrior-Mages, I'm treating Remarkable Resilience as part of Warrior-Mage's scaling.
-Second Wind (1/long rest) has been included in the total hit points of the Warrior-Mage
-At 10th+ level, Song of Defense was used to convert all the slots gained through Arcane Recovery to damage negation. The virtual hp this adds to Bladesinger brings them very close to that of Warrior-Mage (they are usually a few points ahead after that point). Because this is as-needed slot to hp conversion, I included flexible slots/hp in their features.
-The feature equivalency for Arcane Specialization was extremely difficult, since the features I like the most for it (minor conjuration, minor alchemy, improved minor illusion) are of limited combat usefulness, but serve as fun utility toys, while other features have more combat utility. The extra cantrip can provide added combat power, Perfomance proficiencies is utility, and advantage with Acrobatics is useful both in and out of combat. With my nerfs to the combat features, I think they probably mostly balance.

This looks pretty interesting. I'll try to go through the earlier threads so see where the discussion went. But I like it so far.

A few questions (that may have been answered in the earlier threads but a recap here might be helpful):

Have you tried using the AD&D-style multiclassing? Divide the XP in half and just have two separate classes?

I think the class as you've built it looks pretty balanced in regards to other classes. However, I wonder why any (half-)elf would be any other class if it's built this way.

While it has the flavor of the AD&D version, what it lacks is the disadvantage of going this route - the fact that you advance half as quickly as other classes. Another factor, if you used the old multiclassing approach, then the highest level would be 10/10, not that far off from the AD&D 7/11 F-MU.

In this case, you are advancing as quickly as everybody else and you're able to essentially be a 20th level fighter and wizard.

It's an interesting conundrum, actually. You've designed a well-balanced class that covers what you're trying to achieve, to the degree that there really isn't a reason for a (half-)elf to be just a fighter or just a wizard. Now that you have me thinking about it, I'm going to have to think some more. Off to read what I can find for your earlier threads...

OK, read through the older threads and answered several of my questions.

So the biggest issue that you'll run into with any solution is that 5e is really designed very differently in terms of game balance.

For example, assuming a top level elven F/M-U of 7/11 level you'd have amassed 1,500,002 XP. Compared to your companions (assuming all human to avoid level limits):

14th level M-U
13th level Ranger
12th level Paladin
13th level Fighter
13th level Cleric
15th level Thief
14th level Illusionist
15th level Assassin (maximum)
13th level Monk

Some of these might be a level higher due to XP bonuses for high ability scores, I don't think you received those if you were multi classed, but don't recall.

In any event, the major difference is that all classes will have received all of their special abilities (if any) by this time. Hit points are maxed, and you're just gaining 1 or 2 additional plus Constitution bonuses. The only thing that is still really advancing is spell slots.

Your 11th level magic-user? 4, 4, 4, 3, 3
The 14th level magic-user? 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 2, 1 or considerably better.

In 5e, if you're working around the AD&D style multiclassing, you'd have a 10/10 F/W which is considerably less than a 20th level fighter, or a 20th level wizard.

Building it as a half-caster brings it closer to the AD&D one, but is actually the same in spellcasting ability at 20th level as the 10th level wizard. I never noticed the "half-caster" really is exactly half at 20th level...

Things I would like to see changed:
Make it a half-caster with cantrips and 1 first level spell at 1st level
No shields.
Simple weapons, longsword, shortsword, short bow, and longbow (in other words, elven weapons only)
Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence (I think this plays into the elves strengths better)

Although I like War Magic, I would also like something similar to a paladin's divine smite, where the fighter/wizard is dealing magic damage through their weapon attack. I would probably have a choice that is selected when you take the ability to use either fire or lightning damage.

I might also replace Indomitable Spirit with Evasion from the rogue. Again, this is because I think elves are more Dexterity-based fighters, and Wisdom isn't something that really makes sense for this class. You could just change it to Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws instead of Strength and Wisdom if you wanted to, and named it something different to reflect the change. That's probably a better solution.

With those changes, I think I might just add this class to my campaign. Racial specific classes like this would be interesting. For example, rather than the Battlerager barbarian path, I'd rather see something closer to a fighter/barbarian mix in the same vein as this hybrid.

Another factor in my campaign, is that classes like this (and the bladesinger) will only be available to elves that come from an elven homeland, such as Evereska. An elf that was born and raised in Waterdeep wouldn't have access to the training. In many cases this means that it's mostly an NPC class in my campaign.

The more I look it over, the better I like it. I also have ability minimums to qualify for classes, and this will require a Dexterity and Intelligence of 13, Constitution of 10, so they'll be quite rare anyway (we roll 3d6 in order, reroll 1's once).

Don't know how I missed the earlier threads, but I really like this. Thanks!