doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
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.
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.