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A 5e Swordmage?
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<blockquote data-quote="doctorbadwolf" data-source="post: 7557594" data-attributes="member: 6704184"><p>Great catch! And yes, they are! </p><p></p><p></p><p>I’d go Swordmage or Spellblade, I don’t like most other names for the concept. </p><p></p><p></p><p>because even with the SCAG cantrips, it’s still 90% wizard. The Bladesinger is fun, but it doesn’t have access to some of the things needed to make a solid gish that is singularly focused on magical melee combat with a weapon. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Hexblade, especially with Tome Pact for extra cantrips IMO, is really close. Mage Armor works for me as an AC solution, though it’s not perfect, and the X Hex Invocations help with having more options. As well, Warlock has fun spells like Armor of Agythis and Thunder Step, which help. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>i think I’d want to MC rogue on that build, rather than fighter. Swashbuckler rounds out the melee juice, combined with the higher speed of a Bladesinger. Arcane Trickster loses less in spell power, gets extra cantrips. A BS based gish is best off being hard to pin down, IMO, rather than worrying about armor. </p><p></p><p>One thing that a Swordmage needs is a class feature to boost unarmored or lightly armored AC, and d8 or higher hit dice. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>id love to just add some magical maneuvers to the Battlemaster, tbh. </p><p></p><p></p><p>the smite spells really are closer to Swordmage powers than most anything else. The problem for me with Hexadin is that I want invocation when I have a warlock. I want Relentless Hex, Armor of Shadows, Devil’s Sight, Maddening Hex, etc, so I want to take more levels of Warlock; but I also want Auras, Smite Spells, and Improved Divine Smite. </p><p></p><p>Basically, both classes are so damn good and fun, I don’t wanna MC them...</p><p></p><p></p><p>You can do it with two classes, it’s just gonna lose you some of the spells. </p><p></p><p>I may may try to build a spellcasting Monk that gets most of the gish/Swordmage spells based on 4 elements, with reasonable ki cost and working better in general with playing a monk. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>frog has been championing this one quite well, but is focused on mechanics while you are singularly concerned with story. </p><p></p><p>The Swordmage is someone who has trained from the start as a magical warrior. Not a warrior who has learned some tricks, or a Mage who knows his way around a blade, but a focused path that is focused on using magic and martial prowess seemlessly together. Not only are their attacks magical, but their defenses, and they use magic to control the battlefield in various ways. An elite warrior from an exclusive school. A member of a secret or just exclusive order. For the Swordmage, the sword and the Weave are one, and their intellect is as much their weapon as either. </p><p></p><p>Given my way, it would include fighting styles, ranged and melee weapons spells, unarmored defense or a class feature shield equivalent if you are wearing light or no armor, and Mage Armor as an always prepared spell, and at least the full on classic Swordmage one would have ritual casting and a spell-book. 3 skill class</p><p></p><p>That at is just as coherent a story foundation as a ranger or paladin, and just as prevalent in fantasy games and media. </p><p></p><p> That would get you closer, once you look at Xanathars, SCAG, and probably the EE players resource spells. To me</p><p></p><p> It gets most of the way. I want Amror of Agythis on it, and spells like the Smite Spells, and the two core classes work a bit at cross purposes, IMO. </p><p></p><p>It would help, certainly!</p><p></p><p></p><p>Agreed. I’m fine with waiting to third, even 6th, for the concept to really come fully online, as long as it doesn’t feel like playing a different concept before then, but waiting till after 10 is, for me, the same as the concept just not existing in the game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="doctorbadwolf, post: 7557594, member: 6704184"] Great catch! And yes, they are! I’d go Swordmage or Spellblade, I don’t like most other names for the concept. because even with the SCAG cantrips, it’s still 90% wizard. The Bladesinger is fun, but it doesn’t have access to some of the things needed to make a solid gish that is singularly focused on magical melee combat with a weapon. Hexblade, especially with Tome Pact for extra cantrips IMO, is really close. Mage Armor works for me as an AC solution, though it’s not perfect, and the X Hex Invocations help with having more options. As well, Warlock has fun spells like Armor of Agythis and Thunder Step, which help. i think I’d want to MC rogue on that build, rather than fighter. Swashbuckler rounds out the melee juice, combined with the higher speed of a Bladesinger. Arcane Trickster loses less in spell power, gets extra cantrips. A BS based gish is best off being hard to pin down, IMO, rather than worrying about armor. One thing that a Swordmage needs is a class feature to boost unarmored or lightly armored AC, and d8 or higher hit dice. id love to just add some magical maneuvers to the Battlemaster, tbh. the smite spells really are closer to Swordmage powers than most anything else. The problem for me with Hexadin is that I want invocation when I have a warlock. I want Relentless Hex, Armor of Shadows, Devil’s Sight, Maddening Hex, etc, so I want to take more levels of Warlock; but I also want Auras, Smite Spells, and Improved Divine Smite. Basically, both classes are so damn good and fun, I don’t wanna MC them... You can do it with two classes, it’s just gonna lose you some of the spells. I may may try to build a spellcasting Monk that gets most of the gish/Swordmage spells based on 4 elements, with reasonable ki cost and working better in general with playing a monk. frog has been championing this one quite well, but is focused on mechanics while you are singularly concerned with story. The Swordmage is someone who has trained from the start as a magical warrior. Not a warrior who has learned some tricks, or a Mage who knows his way around a blade, but a focused path that is focused on using magic and martial prowess seemlessly together. Not only are their attacks magical, but their defenses, and they use magic to control the battlefield in various ways. An elite warrior from an exclusive school. A member of a secret or just exclusive order. For the Swordmage, the sword and the Weave are one, and their intellect is as much their weapon as either. Given my way, it would include fighting styles, ranged and melee weapons spells, unarmored defense or a class feature shield equivalent if you are wearing light or no armor, and Mage Armor as an always prepared spell, and at least the full on classic Swordmage one would have ritual casting and a spell-book. 3 skill class That at is just as coherent a story foundation as a ranger or paladin, and just as prevalent in fantasy games and media. That would get you closer, once you look at Xanathars, SCAG, and probably the EE players resource spells. To me It gets most of the way. I want Amror of Agythis on it, and spells like the Smite Spells, and the two core classes work a bit at cross purposes, IMO. It would help, certainly! Agreed. I’m fine with waiting to third, even 6th, for the concept to really come fully online, as long as it doesn’t feel like playing a different concept before then, but waiting till after 10 is, for me, the same as the concept just not existing in the game. [/QUOTE]
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