Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
Interestingly I think it is not JUST a bookish thing it is both just as many martial types IRL encoded their maneuvers with flowery names and illustrated them in books a swordmage encoding his arcane/martial maneuvers in books makes sense too.I still think there's room for a class where Arcane Magic is understood not as a bookish thing, nor as a Pact, nor even as innate, but something coming from bodily and martial discipline - where movement of weapon and casting of spell are one the same. The weapon and weave. It's almost more like a Kensei Monk, than anything, but I think the concept itself is just barely unique enough to be separate from the Monk chassis and its Ki. I also think it's separate from the Paladin's concept of magic, where regardless of Oath, the Paladin draws inner strength from their devotion to a platonic ideal, and how closely they align with and meet that ideal. Such a Swordmage might have codes in their Arcane Knightly Orders, but the codes don't make the magic.
Perhaps some inspiration from battlemaster maneuvers could be involved mechanically? These are an admixture of arcane and martial.
I liked a lot of your description and there is definitely a Kensei flavor element involved but with Intelligence backing rather than wisdom ... I admit thinking in terms of an ideal where a merger between physical and intellect is perhaps the platonic ideal in question. Perhaps using Intelligence for to hit and initiative might support this while leaving a physical for the base damage is good.
I see the weapon as ones carver of reality ...
It cuts and stabs and pins at a distance not just close. (moderate range even with sword)
it cuts reality and the elements which compose the planes stream in its wake.
It cuts through space and time - sure all the teleports, but also swordburst in an at-will could be seen as this and a paragon path at high levels allowed some incredible area of effect but low damage (easily seen that way).
The weapon is your reality sculptor's tool - one that can do metamorphing of enemies to harm them. (this is beyond the 4e swordmage) but still within the paradigm of the blade being a reality sculptor.
The weapon creates dangerous terrains and barriers ( perhaps you run along and the barrier is streaming out beside you where your weapon cuts.)
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