D&D 5E How would you do the sword mage in 5e?

[Flamestrike]

By that logic the Bladesinger and the Echo Knight are the same thing.

If you see things that way, great for you. Everyone who isn't satisfied with making an angry fighter and calling it a barbarian is gonna keep on having useful discussions on the topic, however.

My point stands. Of all the things 5E doesnt need, its another Gish.

We have more of them in this edition than ever before.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

My point stands. Of all the things 5E doesnt need, its another Gish.

We have more of them in this edition than ever before.

I mean... we're getting a new edition kind of.

I'd honestly rather get a swordmage class, and nuke bladesinger/eldritch knight than to have a repeat of what we have now.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I mean... we're getting a new edition kind of.

I'd honestly rather get a swordmage class, and nuke bladesinger/eldritch knight than to have a repeat of what we have now.

yep, better a dedicated class designed for arcane gish-hood than subclasses trying to make classes unsuited to being a gish into one.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Never found the 'reflavour anything' approach satisfying.

Like "cool, can I reflavour away having a warlock patron or paladin oath"

DM: "no"

 

[Voadam]

Never found the 'reflavour anything' approach satisfying.

Like "cool, can I reflavour away having a warlock patron or paladin oath"

DM: "no"

It sounds more like you have never had the opportunity to reflavor anything. Just to have requests to reflavor denied (which I would not find a satisfying solution either ).

I am currently playing a narratively non-magical nontheistic 5e paladin, smites are just hitting really hard action movie style, oath of glory channel divinity is anime acrobatics, lay on hands is 4e style warlord encouragement, etc.

In the game I DM the warforged artificer is narratively an actual robot rebooted from an ancient crashed space ship who does sci fi tech stuff. The cleric of an invention tinkering god has his plate mail narratively styled as steampunk space marine armor. One character who died was a full on narrative werewolf using human druid as the mechanical chassis.

 

[CreamCloud0]

It sounds more like you have never had the opportunity to reflavor anything. Just to have requests to reflavor denied (which I would not find a satisfying solution either ).

I am currently playing a narratively non-magical nontheistic 5e paladin, smites are just hitting really hard action movie style, oath of glory channel divinity is anime acrobatics, lay on hands is 4e style warlord encouragement, etc.

In the game I DM the warforged artificer is narratively an actual robot rebooted from an ancient crashed space ship who does sci fi tech stuff. The cleric of an invention tinkering god has his plate mail narratively styled as steampunk space marine armor. One character who died was a full on narrative werewolf using human druid as the mechanical chassis.

Sure sure, but sometimes you’d rather just the thing that you’re playing was designed with the intent of being what it is you’re playing it as without having to give everything about it a new coat of paint and change the curtains.

 

[Voadam]

Sure sure, but sometimes you’d rather just the thing that you’re playing was designed with the intent of being what it is you’re playing it as without having to give everything about it a new coat of paint and change the curtains.

Absolutely, and for where the mechanics and flavor work for an individual and their concept then they work. The kobold bard in my group is narratively a kobold bard and its a great fit. When I played a viking valor bard pirate concept it worked great.

WotC 5e however has no straight equivalent of the 4e warlord or swordmage however so getting something mechanically close and reflavoring is one option. Homebrewing up a whole subclass/class is another.

 

[ECMO3]

What spells involve throwing your weapon and it exploding and then coming back to you?

A question on this, and I am not being snarky - what 4e Swordmage ability allows you to do this? I did not play 4E a lot and never played a Swordmage, but I see a lot of people talk about this thing, but don't see it on any of the Swordmage class abilities.

That said, Ice Knife does most of this, except it is a knife instead of a sword and does not come back to you.

Which spells stop any enemy that comes near you from getting past you (gotta be low enough level you can use it in most fights at a reasonably low level)?

Cause Fear. Prevents enemies from approaching you at all.

Also, I would say Vortex Warp is pretty close to Aegis of Ensnarement and Misty step combined with an attack or blade cantrip is identical to Aegis of Assault.

 

[ECMO3]

Paladin and Ranger get all these fancy 'cast spell on your weapon then hit with it' type spells. Like Thunderous smite, ensnaring strike, and lightning arrow. The two 'classic gish' subclasses lack any of that.

They do have the magic weapon weapon spell which is absolutely cast on your weapon and then hit with it and they also have Spirit Shroud.

Bladesinger and EK also have the blade cantrips which are generally more powerful than the smite spells; considering they do comparable damage in tier 2 and more damage in tier 3 without using a spell slot.

 

[Voadam]

A question on this, and I am not being snarky - what 4e Swordmage ability allows you to do this? I did not play 4E a lot and never played a Swordmage, but I see a lot of people talk about this thing, but don't see it on any of the Swordmage class abilities.

Flipping through the FR Player's Guide I found:

Hell’s Own Blade Swordmage Attack 19
You hurl your sword, and it buries itself into the chest of a distant foe. Your sword explodes, sending waves of roiling flame out in all directions, before reforming in your hand.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Fire, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 10
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Effect: Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Targets: The primary target and each enemy within 2 squares of it
Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Miss: Half damage.

It seems familiar, I think I had it when I was playing epic.