D&D 5E Giving the arcane gish an identity.

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I mean, all classes apart from the 'core three' have a story behind them. A paladin has sworn an oath and gains their power from it. A cleric follows a god and is powered by their faith. A ranger protects civilisation from the wilderness.

Some of these are more loose from others, but they're all there. For a gish class, there needs to be more than 'this guy can swing a sword and cast a spell' as their entire class background.

A swordmage is part of a distinct tradition of magic that incorporates martial techniques to create effects difficult to duplicate by other magical traditions.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

If 'Guardian' is too generic what about 'Sentinel'? Recycle 'Warden'?

Sentry? Steward? Curator? Preserver? Claviger?

'Steward' or 'Curator' sounds like someone who has pledged to keep an item of power from evil hands or from being used AT ALL. Could be a cool subclass concept... Especially if they are on a quest to DESTROY said artefact.

I mean though I like the name 'guardian', it's more the idea for a class identity. Duskblades were described as guardians of an ancient elven empire. Janissaries were elite guardians of a sultan.

So all of those names work. Librarian is another one I like, both for its 40k vibes, and as the role of the main character from the old kingdom series (who is a spellsword).

 

[Parmandur]

The Arcane Gish in 5E is called the Artificer.

 

[Marc_C]

Well I learned a new gaming word today : Gish. "role-playing games) A magician, or character that is skilled in both physical combat and the use of magic. Most gish characters use their magical abilities to increase their own personal combat abilities (known as "buffing").

 

[Frozen_Heart]

The Arcane Gish in 5E is called the Artificer.

The artificer and the gish have always been completely different classes, with completely different themes, origins, and histories. It's like saying warlock, sorcerer, and wizard are all the same class.

 

[Parmandur]

The artificer and the gish have always been completely different classes, with completely different themes, origins, and histories. It's like saying warlock, sorcerer, and wizard are all the same class.

The 5E Artificer is a Gish: an armored, weapon using, combat focused half-caster. So this Gish has a focus on creating and manipulating magic items for Gish purposes in combat, it's still a Gish. I wouldn't expect to see any other full Class Gish at any point, maybe some more Subclasses adding magic or adding combat abilities to an existing Class.

 

[Mind of tempest]

We're not going to saddle this thing with 'mandatory' lore that will hamper its utility as a piece of the character building toolbox like people like to turn the warlock into are we? I keep seeing people talk about the 'story' of the class and I'm getting nervous.

can you strip lore from a paladin? if so you should have no problem.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well I learned a new gaming word today : Gish. "role-playing games) A magician, or character that is skilled in both physical combat and the use of magic. Most gish characters use their magical abilities to increase their own personal combat abilities (known as "buffing").

Origin: A caste of fighter/magic-user githyanki in the 1E Fiend Folio

Which is, of course, another way to solve this "story" problem: They're called "gish," they're githyanki (who are playable in 5E) and any who try to teach their techniques to outsiders have terrible githyanki things happen to them.

 

[Aldarc]

I hate compound word class names.

So no magic-users or fighting-men? Got it.

 

[Mind of tempest]

So no magic-users or fighting-men? Got it.

we did get those fixed as they sound horrible to the ear.