A 5e Swordmage?

In the 4e Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide, we meet the Swordmage. A class that combines magic and martial prowess seamlessly for the first time in DnD (IMO).

This isn’t a class that casts spells one round and makes attacks another, or even casts spells and makes attacks as separate things within a turn. The Swordmage makes melee weapon attacks that are magical. They teleport as part of an attack, magically mark targets of their attacks, punishing them with follow up magic if they attack the swordmage’s allies, hit a nearby creature with lightning when making a melee attack, throw their sword to create area of effect attacks, magically enhance their AC, and a whole delightful host of other tricks.

Damn near every attack power involves the weapon, and some kind of magic. And it’s not just “add X damage of Y type to the attack”. It’s visibly magical effects that no one else can replicate.

So what I’m wondering is, how close can we get to that in 5e, without 3pp or homebrew?

just to list what we have to work with;

SCAG cantrips
Lightning Lure (named after a similar power of the 4e Swordmage, IIRC
Hex/Hunter’s Mark
Flame Blade, Shadow Blade, Magic Weapon, Any other “summon a weapon that’s extra cool or enhance a weapon” spells?
Spiritual Weapon
Divine Smite/Smite Spells/Eldritch Smite
Various other “your next attack does X” spells
zephir strike
X Hex Invocations (Maddening Hex, Relentless Hex, etc)
Shillelagh
Bladesong
Blade Bard Flourishes
Sun Soul Monk, though barely. It’s still very split between melee attacks and magic spells
Divine Favor
Armor of Agythis, Absorb Elements, Hellish Rebuke (any other punishment for attacking me spells?)
Mage Armor

anything I’m missing?

I wonder what what we can legally build to take advantage of as much of that as possible and make a viable character.

doctorbadwolf said:

SCAG cantrips
Lightning Lure (named after a similar power of the 4e Swordmage, IIRC

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FWIW: lightning lure is one of the SCAG cantrips. Also, aren't all four of those cantrips (the others being green-flame blade, booming blade, and sword burst) based on 4e swordmage powers?

How is the name: hexblade, duskblade or swordmage?

So why not use Wizard/Bladesinger as your class?

Hexblade is pretty much the closest thing, right out of the box. It does damage and has access to utility, but doesn't really fully fill the swordmage's "I have 15 magical weapon powers that all do different things while teleporting every round" role as much as simply dealing some decent damage with eldritch smite while replicating some of the utility of wizard spells.

I miss the swordmage and, more so, the battlemind. There were some pretty fun tactical builds and tricks that don't really exist in 5e, per se. I like how you can get easy access to more utility stuff now, but I miss playing a super hardy badass that can create a telekinetic vortex or toss anything I hit 20' on every single melee attack with a right build.

I'd go with something like an High Elf, Eladrin or Variant Human (to gain take weapon master as a feat).

Str/Int build, take all SCAG cantrips + bladeward and true strike
Abjuration Wizard (for the aegis) or Conjuration (for the transposition)

Spend all spells on warding spells https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells?fi...ncentration=&filter-ritual=&filter-sub-class= or

teleportation spells https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells?fi...ncentration=&filter-ritual=&filter-sub-class=

Spend feats on Tough/Light Armor or take a multi in fighter.

BattleMaster superiority dice. While not magical in nature, when paired with something magical such as booming blade they can help you get a desired effect. For example you can Booming Blade + Pushing attack.

Light Clerics eventually get the ability to impose disadvantage on an attack targeting your allies.
Protection Fighting Style.
Spiritual Guardians (even though its a cast on the initial turn you can attack every turn after)

NaturalZero said:

Hexblade is pretty much the closest thing, right out of the box. It does damage and has access to utility, but doesn't really fully fill the swordmage's "I have 15 magical weapon powers that all do different things while teleporting every round" role as much as simply dealing some decent damage with eldritch smite while replicating some of the utility of wizard spells.

I miss the swordmage and, more so, the battlemind. There were some pretty fun tactical builds and tricks that don't really exist in 5e, per se. I like how you can get easy access to more utility stuff now, but I miss playing a super hardy badass that can create a telekinetic vortex or toss anything I hit 20' on every single melee attack with a right build.

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I would say paladin with a level dip into hexblade actually gets closer. Maybe add some sorcerer or fighter on there as well. Smite Spells the "15 different magical powers". Hexblade gives you booming blade and allows you to get straight for charisma as a main stat (much like the real swordmage used a single stat of int for his attacks).

There's various ways to get misty step for you. Thunderstep can be a very thematic spell. With quicken spell you can even use it and booming blade on the same turn.

200orcs said:

So why not use Wizard/Bladesinger as your class?

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Wizards don't do things when they attack. They either cast spells or attack. That's not what the OP is looking for.

As long as you have divine smite and one of the melee cantrips and put most levels into full casters then you have a viable character. So you can probably get most of the abilities you are after. The bigger issue will be ASI's as you are going to be fairly mad to multiclass into all the classes