LFR News or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Play a Drow, Genasi, or Swordmage.

[Crosswind]

Wow. Really, this doesn't trigger any huge alarm bells for people? I mean, I realize that FR's all about hugely retarded power creep, but Swordmages:

1.) Don't have to attack people to mark them. Just have to be near.

2.) Have no Paladin-like restrictions on what they have to do to keep someone marked. Have no fighter-like restrictions either. Once something's marked, it has no choice but to attack the swordmage or be at -2 to hit, and -5 to -10 damage. Absurd.

3.) Greenflame blade is strictly better than cleave in most circumstances.

4.) Lightning Lure is -incredible-.

5.) Sword Burst - Sure, why not give the swordmage the only non-wizard AoE at-will in the game? Who needs wizards, anyways?

So, uh. Best class abilities in the game. Best At-wills in the game. Good thing FR is living up to its standards.

-Cross

 

[wayne62682]

So, uh. Best class abilities in the game. Best At-wills in the game. Good thing FR is living up to its standards.

Sounds like my kind of class

But I still really hope they incorporate it in a non-FR book (or D&DI) so it doesn't get labeled FR only.

 

[Nikodemus]

1.) Don't have to attack people to mark them. Just have to be near.

The fighter is FAR more "sticky" than the swordmage, and does a better job punishment not just his marked target, but other creatures aruond him. The sword mage has a big edge against teleporting foes, or those who can move without provoking AoOs, but those are not common in the heroic or even paragon tier. Reducing an attack from one creature by 8 points (at heroic tear) is nice, but I would take the additional fighter damage any day of the week.

The dominant belief that I have seen on these boards is that offensive power is more desirable than defensive ones. I think most people would rather stick the extra damage on the BBEG, than reduce his damage by 8.

3.) Greenflame blade is strictly better than cleave in most circumstances.

Except if you are flanked or have monsters at two corners of a side, which often happens to the party member at the tip of the spear. Then Green flame is worse, and that is hardly a corner case. In addition, if you view the primary benefit of cleave/greenflame as clearing minions, the small amount of weapon damage are far more reliable than the small amount of fire damage, because of the number of creatures with fire resistance.

5.) Sword Burst - Sure, why not give the swordmage the only non-wizard AoE at-will in the game? Who needs wizards, anyways?

A bust 1 within 10 squares is better than a close burst 1 in almost all circumstances. Far more versatile, and will deal much more damage over the course of an encounter.

So, uh. Best class abilities in the game. Best At-wills in the game. Good thing FR is living up to its standards.

You can't compare one class ability and make that conclusion. Swordmages also get warding, which is a nice bonus, but inferior to a heavy shield in terms of its ability to protect. It give 1 more AC, but no ref defense and it drops if you go down.

You also get the ability to summon your sword.

Paladins get lay on hands, amd channel divinty. As well as proficencies that are as useful, if not moreso, as the sword mage warding. And paladins get better defense bonuses.

Fighters get extra bonus to hit (which is huge) and combat superiority. They also get the heavy shield proficency though the lack of plate drops them a notch in my book.

Yes, swordmages have a strong set of at wills. The class is hardly broken. At low levels (all we can evlaute at this point) the don't stand out as better than the paladin or the fighter. That being said, which is better for your party depends a lot on the make up of your group. I think sword mages make a great #2 defender, though I would worry about them as the only defender in the group.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

A very, very important thing to note on the balance of the swordmage: they only get cloth and leather armor proficiencies. I agree that their powers are a little better than the paladin or fighter (not a lot, but a bit), but having your defender in light armor doesn't seem like a win to me. Either you end up with a squishy defender, which is an oxymoron, or he has to spend 1-3 feats to get comparable AC to the other defender classes.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

A very, very important thing to note on the balance of the swordmage: they only get cloth and leather armor proficiencies. I agree that their powers are a little better than the paladin or fighter (not a lot, but a bit), but having your defender in light armor doesn't seem like a win to me. Either you end up with a squishy defender, which is an oxymoron, or he has to spend 1-3 feats to get comparable AC to the other defender classes.

No.

You've not done the math. This isn't 3E. With their likely maxed INT and the fact that the heavy armours do not get AC bonuses from stats, they're going to be within 1-2 points of heavy armour wearers, only without any armour check penalties, and able to carry a different magic item to a shield.

It's not necessarily an advantage, but the idea that he's squishy? Nonsense.

 

[Zsig]

A very, very important thing to note on the balance of the swordmage: they only get cloth and leather armor proficiencies. I agree that their powers are a little better than the paladin or fighter (not a lot, but a bit), but having your defender in light armor doesn't seem like a win to me. Either you end up with a squishy defender, which is an oxymoron, or he has to spend 1-3 feats to get comparable AC to the other defender classes.

If you start off with an Intelligence of 18, and later chooses the Demigod Epic Destiny, your AC will be exactly the SAME as the Paladin's, at lvl 30.

45 (not considering any feats, and no shields. Giving the Paladin one Shield, and giving the Swordmage a 1-handed sword will increase the AC by 2)

Considering there's only 1 feat the paladin can get to increase his AC (Shield Spec (Heavy) or Armor Spec (Plate) ) while, the Swordmage can get 2 (Armor Prof (Hide), Armor Spec (Hide) ), chances are the Swordmage's AC will be 1 point higher, by spending ONE extra feat.

Sure, without the Shield no Reflex bonus... but he's got a nice Int for that.

 

[Vayden]

Which WotC developer was it who said "Gishes I've got you covered" so many months ago? Looks like a delivery in spades - the Swordmage is made out of pure win. I agree that it's not quite as good of a pure defender as the fighter, but those are some excellent looking abilities. The other very cool thing about the Aegis, if I'm reading it correctly - it falls in between the Fighter and Paladin in a very interesting mechanical spot.

Fighter: Can mark tons of enemies at a time (25 w/ a dragonborn fighter with enlarged breath), but the mark only lasts for one turn.
Paladin: Marks one enemy at a time, keeps it up as long as she stays on that enemy.
Swordmage: Can mark one enemy per minor action - can keep marking enemies until she activates the Aegis, at which point only that target is marked and can start again. Very interesting choice opened up there - should you activate the Aegis at this point, or let it slide this time so that you can keep threatening the 5 targets you have marked right now?

In conclusion, this class was built out of awesome torn from the hearts of dragons, and I am totally playing one at some point.

 

[Nikodemus]

Swordmage: Can mark one enemy per minor action - can keep marking enemies until she activates the Aegis, at which point only that target is marked and can start again. Very interesting choice opened up there - should you activate the Aegis at this point, or let it slide this time so that you can keep threatening the 5 targets you have marked right now?

You can only have one creature at a time marked with the swordmage. As soon as you place a new mark, you lose the previous one. The only way you can keep your mark active is if you use some power other than your aegis to make a mark, and we have yet to see such powers (they certainly may exist; we have only a limtied fragment of the swordmage).

 

[drothgery]

Which WotC developer was it who said "Gishes I've got you covered" so many months ago? Looks like a delivery in spades - the Swordmage is made out of pure win.

Yup, though I wouldn't be at all surprised for the Duskblade or something similar to resurface as the Striker counterpart to the Swordmage.

 

[gill_smoke]

Which WotC developer was it who said "Gishes I've got you covered" so many months ago? Looks like a delivery in spades - the Swordmage is made out of pure win.

But, but, but, they said that in regards to multiclass which is made of "not win". Try it Fighter/wizard is bad Wizard/fighter is horrible. "Gish out of the gate," they said. Not true.

This class is a Realms thingy that will not be a part of the core rules (unless they start the recycling early). The best you can hope for is a Dragon article explaining how to move it to Ebberon or generic setting.