Swordmages without swords

[andarilhor]

It´s a thing which just stroke me: There is no rule in swordmage to they do not use other kind of weapons when using power without the implement keyword.
This way you can do a dwarf swordmage using one warhammer! Or a wizard with swordmage multiclass may use his powers with the staff.
The only restriction I see in this it's the fact swordmages do not gain proficiency with many militar weapons which are not blades...
Any thougts abou this!?

 

[Mirtek]

While you can use all weapon powers with any weapon, you won't get any warding bonus if not using a light or heavy blade.

IMHO one could also just houserule to allow swordmages to use all their powers and features with all weapons. Hammer rythm or not isn't game breaking for a swordmage and many won't raise the necessary stats even if allowed to use hammers.

 

[Starfox]

There is no particular reason Swordmages use swords - if you really like, and especially if your world associates arcane magic with another kind of weapon, you can change the flavor of the class by changing what kind of weapon they use.

The basic swordmage seems to use a sword largely because Corellon does so, and Corellon is the god of arcane magic. If your world has a dwarven smith as the main god of arcane magic, tall means make Swordmages into Magesmiths and change every reference to sword or heavy blade into hammer.

I'd still make the class rely on one kind of weapon only - or possibly have several versions of the class in different cultures using different weapons. Letting them choose freely kind of diminishes the class.

 

[arscott]

and don't forget--there are non-sword blades. You could play a glaive-mage, or a spiked shield mage. Even a spiked chain mage with the right feats.

 

[Diirk]

Spiked Shield mage is kinda rules abusy tho... the extra +2 warding for having nothing in offhand is presumably meant to compensate for not using a shield, so having a shield as well as that seems a little bit too good.

 

[Burrito Al Pastor]

Spiked Shield mage is kinda rules abusy tho... the extra +2 warding for having nothing in offhand is presumably meant to compensate for not using a shield, so having a shield as well as that seems a little bit too good.

Yeah, but then you're spending a feat to use a +2 proficiency bonus 1d6 damage weapon as your primary weapon. That's worse than a short sword.

"No implements" also means you're forfeiting twelve of the 83 swordmage powers available, including one of the at-will attack powers.

 

[Diirk]

"No implements" also means you're forfeiting twelve of the 83 swordmage powers available, including one of the at-will attack powers.

Why no implements ? You can use any light or heavy blade as an implement, which would include the spiked shield.

"You use your blade as your implement, employing it both as a melee weapon and as a conduit for your arcane magic."

 

[andarilhor]

I believe the swordmage can have some feats like that:

Hammermage
PR: Dwarf, Swordmage
B: You can use the throwing hammer or the warhammer as implement as they are blade weapons, when you do that your swordmage warding gives one point less bonus.

Something similar to the variant rogue weapons of the martial power book...

 

[Mort_Q]

I've built a Staff Wizard multiclassed into Swordmage that's.... flavourful, if not powerful. YMMV.

 

[Herschel]

It's like the beach without the water: you could have it, but why?

It's basically the 4E Bladesinger. The sword fits the graceful, intelligent warrior motif.

*start rant*

The way to make a character different is how you play it, not stats/weapons/etc. Too many people lose sight of that and just want special options because they lack the creativity or imagination to actually have fun with what is there.

I saw the same thing when new Minis were brought out. As soon as the set was known, people were clammoring for what was going to be in the next set (most often to just complain about) when they hadn't even opened or really used the ones they had coming from the current set.

*rant off*