Bladeless Swordmage

[Wednesday Boy]

Is there any balancing reason to not allow a Swordmage to use a different weapon instead of a falchion, greatsword, longsword, scimitar, short sword? (Much like a 3.5 Duskblade doesn't have to use a blade.) I like the image of my Swordmage wielding a warhammer but I'm not sure if I overlooked any balancing issue. Thanks for the insight!

 

[RangerWickett]

I see no balance reason you have to use swords. One of my friends is playing a warforged 'spiked gauntlet' swordmage, and he pretends he's an anime mecha, shooting his fists at people.

 

[Squizzle]

Don't forget that the spiked shield counts as a light blade, and that it can be enchanted as a throwing shield. I very badly want to make a High Magus of the War-Frisbee, using the swordmage class.

 

[Caliban]

Is there any balancing reason to not allow a Swordmage to use a different weapon instead of a falchion, greatsword, longsword, scimitar, short sword? (Much like a 3.5 Duskblade doesn't have to use a blade.) I like the image of my Swordmage wielding a warhammer but I'm not sure if I overlooked any balancing issue. Thanks for the insight!

Madness! You risk unleashing the spell plague all over again! The Realms will face armageddon if a swordmage doesn't use a sword!

err... probably not a big deal.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Madness! You risk unleashing the spell plague all over again! The Realms will face armageddon if a swordmage doesn't use a sword!

My Passive Insight is detecting a twinge of sarcasm...

 

[WalterKovacs]

Just as a note ... the swordmage uses a blade as an implement and relies on a blade for stuff like their AC boost from warding ... but none of their powers say they need a sword. Specifically, their weapon based powers don't have the requirement lists you'd see for a rogue power, for example. [The main reason for pointing that out is that a staff wizard could multiclass into swordmage and use their staff as their weapon and be able to have intelligent blademaster, and powerswap into weapon based powers, etc and benefit ... they just wouldn't get the warding without the blade.

There may be some reason they wanted to restrict it to blades ... it may involve some combination of properties or feats for other items. Maybe just the prof/weapon damage tradeoff, combined with implement attacks that ignore the proficiency but use the weapon damage ... that could be the reason?

 

[eleventh]

Don't forget that the spiked shield counts as a light blade, and that it can be enchanted as a throwing shield. I very badly want to make a High Magus of the War-Frisbee, using the swordmage class.

Where do you find the enchantment for throwing shield? I skimmed the AV to no avail.

 

[WalterKovacs]

Page 121, it's levels are 6/16/26. It's in the arms slot section. [A spiked shield can be enchanted as a weapon OR as a shield]

 

[Herschel]

Plus, take a Great Axe and maybe use that Skullsplitter mini sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

Where do you find the enchantment for throwing shield? I skimmed the AV to no avail.

Swordmage Level 1 daily power