D&D 5E Swordmage! (+thread)

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay! This thread is here for the specific purpose of brainstorming and workshopping a 5e Swordmage, as an arcane half-casting warrior, whose primary identity is that of a warrior-scholar who either has invented or was trained up in a tradition of warcraft that makes martial prowess and magic into one indistinguishable thing, rather than a multi-tasking of the two. This is not a thread for arguments about whether or not such a class is good, necessary, or worth developing.

Remember, it's homebrew. You don't have to use it.

That said! Let's build a Swordmage!

Okay, I was unclear about the concept, and other stuff, and I want to clear things up.

I've done about half of a rough draft, on homebrewery. I think the core concepts are clear now, but let me know if I need to explain them better still in the document.

All feature details are up for debate, but the basic concepts represent my mechanical and conceptual goals for the class.

Swordmage rough draft

For the Esoteric Techniques, the list right now is very rushed and way incomplete. The choices are there to represent the sort of things I want it to be able to do, though it's missing conjuration spells. Gonna make a 3rd level technique that conjures lesser elemental critters that do your bidding, I think. Probably using the UA style stat block.

For the Schools. White Lotus is the closest to the classic swordmaster. Guardian is a tanky defender with Aegis Auras. Dervish is an elemental damage focused guy. Hermeticist is the most scholarly Swordmage, maybe gets expanded spell access? I do wonder about a semi-divine School. It would make sense. Get access to cleric rituals, radiant Aegis...could be legs there.

The Aegis is basically a magical fighting style with secondary elements as you level. Your Aegis determines what your bread and butter techniques are. There might be a high level feature or a School that lets you change your Elemental Aegis during a rest.

Absorb Elements, Arcane Parry, and Armor of Agythis, give three low level options to increase your defense at the cost of Aether.

 

[Zardnaar]

Unarmored defense based on Dex+int

Perhaps intelligence to hit and damage.

Half caster, access to wizard spells.

Saves con plus int.

Less damage than say dedicated fighter or whatever but can negate incoming damage.

 

[aco175]

This could be a whole class or a 3rd level path for fighters. Maybe there is a way to make it a path for wizards and fighters.

Most people would not play it if they do not get a 2nd attack at 5th level. Maybe this is the fighter path and the wizard path gives you something else like teleport 30ft 1/rest or a number of times per Int modifier?

 

[Garthanos]

For me being a Swordmage was
0 Yes exactly martial prowess and magic into one indistinguishable thing, rather than a multi-tasking of the two
1 An Intelligent based blademaster (Strength or Con Secondary)
2 A defender in function although a striker type would be cool too.
3 Teleportation specialist

Also say no to normal shields that is what magical shielding is for

 

[Garthanos]

Have you noticed this one...

Swordmage, A True Arcane Half-Caster for 5e - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Swordmage, A True Arcane Half-Caster for 5e - We are formerly Geeks New England. If you came here looking for their Swordmage, you've found it!Spellsword. Battlem

www.dmsguild.com

 

[doctorbadwolf]

This could be a whole class or a 3rd level path for fighters. Maybe there is a way to make it a path for wizards and fighters.

Most people would not play it if they do not get a 2nd attack at 5th level. Maybe this is the fighter path and the wizard path gives you something else like teleport 30ft 1/rest or a number of times per Int modifier?

I wouldn’t really consider making it a subclass, tbh.
It absolutely should get extra attack, yes. The whole point is that it has features that make the attack action magical, so a big part of scaling would come via extra attack.

For me being a Swordmage was
0 Yes exactly martial prowess and magic into one indistinguishable thing, rather than a multi-tasking of the two
1 An Intelligent based blademaster (Strength or Con Secondary)
2 A defender in function although a striker type would be cool too.
3 Teleportation specialist

Also say no to normal shields that is what magical shielding is for

Agreed.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Have you noticed this one...

Swordmage, A True Arcane Half-Caster for 5e - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Swordmage, A True Arcane Half-Caster for 5e - We are formerly Geeks New England. If you came here looking for their Swordmage, you've found it!Spellsword. Battlem

www.dmsguild.com

Haven’t read it yet, but by description is seems to have a different focus. I’ll check it out tho.

 

[Leatherhead]

Is there any way to incorporate Booming Blade and Greenflame blade?
Those were Swordmage attacks back in 4e.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Is there any way to incorporate Booming Blade and Greenflame blade?
Those were Swordmage attacks back in 4e.

We could, but honestly I think it's better if the class adds magic to the attack action, rather than replace it with cantrips. That way, the class still has natural access to things that trigger upon the attack action, and we can do cool things like letting the swordmage choose an elemental damage type when they take the attack action, and give them optional upgrades via a smite-style feature that do stuff like cause the target of the attack to become the center of an area of damage of the same type, or be thrown 20 ft and do damage to themselves and whatever they run into, etc.

 

[Garthanos]

Teleporting true swordmage/eladrin style ... you are still using your movement you are moving through adjacent planes and evading opportunity attacks... you might be able to do a superior dodge the same way. Perhaps give them faster movement for a Teleportation specialist (see monk for accelerated mobility with a resource tie in).