D&D 5E Concepts for an arcane half-caster/gish

[77IM]

Oh, I was just thinking about this the other day. I think an arcane half-caster would be a great addition to the game, and it seems like a popular archetype in fantasy fiction. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to come up with a good name for this archetype because it covers such a lot of ground. Here are some of the least-bad ideas I've come up with:

Witch Hunter -- a warrior who learns arcane magic in order to fight fire with fire (in some cases, literally). However, the Blood Hunter class seems to have that concept locked down; it's more warlocky than wizardy, but the flavor is definitely there.

Arcane Guardian -- a warrior who protects spellcasters, and in return for their services, learns a little bit of arcane magic. Lots of overlap with 4E swordmage, which was an arcane defender. But, the name "Arcane Guardian" is super weak. (So is "Swordmage.") The best thing I can think of is "Sentinel" but that's a feat already. "Keeper" is not bad.

Warden -- combining the above two concepts, this is a warrior who is part of an order that defends the world against arcane threats. Unfortunately this name is already taken by a somewhat-popular 4E class that is much more druidic in nature than arcane. The flavor matches well, though. "Keeper" or "Overseer" might be good substitutes; "Magekeeper?" (Sounds like someone who raises mages in a cage in their back yard.) "Templar" is a fun word that's very knighty sounding, but it has religious overtones and basically seems like it would be better for a type of paladin. "Legionnaire" is a cool word, but it really emphasizes the organization membership.

Spellblade -- my favorite D&D version of this concept; warriors trained to mix swordplay with spellcasting, who then can work as mercenaries or whatever. Unfortunately, it's not clear from the name why the person is doing this (why not train as full wizards or full fighters?). WotC later released a full-class version of the spellblade called, for some reason, the "Duskblade," but I hate this name because it has nothing to do with anything. "Spellblade" also suffers from being a made-up compound word (we don't call paladins "Holyknights").

Vigilante -- both warriors who learn forbidden arcane magic AND wizards who learn forbidden martial techniques. This has a flavor that I really like a lot because of its implied role in the setting. BUT it implies a lot about the setting which may not otherwise be true (i.e. in most settings there's nothing forbidden about mixing techniques like this).

Dabbler -- this person is self-taught; a scrappy fighter, a magical hacker. I like this flavor a lot too, but the name is weak; nobody really wants to play a "Dabbler" I don't think. It almost calls for an even more generic name, like "Adventurer" or "Hero," but that's no good because it implies other characters aren't those things. "Vigilante" could work for this.

Destined -- in fantasy fiction, often the protagonist starts out learning some swordplay but then discovers that they have an amazing magic power! yay! And I like the idea of a class that is super-rare in the setting, by its very nature. Unfortunately the flavor feels more sorcerer-like, which is fine, except then it's a Charisma half-caster and too similar to the paladin.

Arcanist -- a military position. Any army of sufficient size is going to need specialists to deal with enemy mages; but in a military context, they'll probably become warriors, too. I don't like the name "Arcanist" because it's a made-up word, but, I think it captures well the more pragmatic view of magic. "Thaumaturge" is a fancy word for this, and I like it, but I think it's too much of a mouthful for the average person.

Noble -- I had a setting in which the only people who could afford the time and money to learn both fighting AND wizardry were the nobility. Unfortunately this doesn't fit well in D&D's implied setting, or with the broader fantasy genre featuring fighter-wizards. Plus there's a really rad noble class in EN5ider's Touch of Class. "Scion" and "Patrician" are cool alternate names for this concept, though.

Adept -- based on Shadowrun's adepts, who are warriors that channel magic into their bodies (more like monks, really). I like this name because it implies skill -- the unifying concept of all the above is that this character is highly skilled (not in the 5E sense of "skill proficiencies," but in the broader sense that learning both magic and combat requires you to be a badass.) But, "Adept" is pretty meaningless to the average person. This is probably the least bad option here, because it's the kind of word that could, in time, become a meaningful word in the context of D&D (the way "ranger" and "paladin" and "druid" and "bard" have very specific meanings in D&D that are different than their general meanings).

Arcane Warrior -- some of the above become subclasses: "keeper" is more defensive; "spellblade" is more offensive; "vigilante" is a bit more skilly; "witch hunter" is specialized anti-magic; "gish" is specialized in planar travel. I lean towards this option when I've just given up on finding a one-word name for the class. On the plus side, I firmly believe that you should have a healthy amount of subclass concepts in mind when designing a core class; if the class concept is so narrow that it doesn't support many subclasses, then it's probably a weak class concept.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

It almost calls for an even more generic name, like "Adventurer" or "Hero," but that's no good because it implies other characters aren't those things.

"Fighter".

Adept -- based on Shadowrun's adepts, who are warriors that channel magic into their bodies (more like monks, really). I like this name because it implies skill -- the unifying concept of all the above is that this character is highly skilled (not in the 5E sense of "skill proficiencies," but in the broader sense that learning both magic and combat requires you to be a badass.) But, "Adept" is pretty meaningless to the average person. This is probably the least bad option here, because it's the kind of word that could, in time, become a meaningful word in the context of D&D (the way "ranger" and "paladin" and "druid" and "bard" have very specific meanings in D&D that are different than their general meanings).

Agreed.

 

[cbwjm]

I like the magus class on the DMs guild, I think it is a decent fighter-mage class with each subclass representing a seperate order with access to different magic.

Sent from my [device_name] using EN World mobile app

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I feel like we do have a number of versions of this already:

Valor Bard
Eldritch Knight
Swordmage
Bladelock

Bladesinger
College of swords Bard
Stone sorcerer
Hexblade

And that is before you start considering multiclassing, or just adjusting Paladins to use the Wizard spell list etc.

The Gishy mix of arcane magic and martial skill already has a lot of support.
You need to consider why this new class needs to be distinct from these, and what mechanics actually make it distinct.

And yes, I would also suggest a different name.

 

[aco175]

You can also have a name that makes sense in your game, like an old prestige class. The Knights of Mystra can be FR focuses and a group with certain causes and morals. They are different from the Knights of the Forbidden Temple. The two may have similar powers and structure, but act in very different ways. Although separating them like this seems to describe 3rd level paths.

 

[DEFCON 1]

My name I use for this "hole-filler" class is Archon.

It sounds like 'arcane', it has magical warrior roots back in 3E when that is what angels were referred as, and it just sounds and looks cool as a word.

Of course... as I've never had a thematic concept for the existence of this type of class, I've never bothered with it. If I had to come up with one though... I would probably follow the lines of the paladin and the ranger. Paladins are holy knights sworn to protecting the people, Rangers are nature "knights" sworn to defending the forests, Archons would be eldritch knights sworn to protect kings and nobility, the bulwarks of civilization at their finest. They are the magical defense of the people in charge (which goes along with the ideas of 4E's Swordmage). They would be the premiere members of the Lord's Alliance.

Of course, that does overlap with the paladin in many ways, the Oath of the Crown especially. Which is why I've always never really bothered with the idea. There just hasn't been a thematic hole that needed filling that the Archon was the obvious choice to use.

 

[SkylarkR6]

I was doing this the other day actually. I gave up before trying to balance the spell list but here's where I went if it helps inspire.

*The Bladeweaver*

Hit dice: 1d10
Proficiencies: All Armor and Shields, Simple and Martial Weapons.
Saves Constitution and Intelligence
Skills: Pick 2 from Athletics, Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Intimidation, and Medicine.

Level 1:
You know the Prestidigitation cantrip and your choice between Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade.

Retwist the weave: You get a pool of D6s equal to 1 plus your Bladeweaver level. As a reaction when you or an ally within 30 feet take magic damage, you can up to your INT mod worth of them to reduce the damage by the total rolled, and deal half of the amount back to the caster.

Level 2:
Fighting style: Dueling, GWF, Defense, Protection

Spellcasting using INT mod. 1/2 caster spell slot progression. Chose the spontaneous caster route of spells known. 3 at level 2, +1/level until 9, then 1 per 2 levels. Total 15 spells known, chosen from the Bladeweaver Spell list.

Elemental Infusion: Smite using a choice of Fire, Cold, Thunder, or Lightning damage. +2d6 damage for first level, +1d6 per slot level above first.

Level 3:
Choose your Mastery

Snap Judgement: You can use your INT mod instead of DEX for the purpose of rolling initiative.

Arcane Surge: You gain the ability to pull on the Weave to fuel magic effects. You get 2 options, one from class and one from your Mastery choice. When you use your Arcane Surge you decide which option to use. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this again.

Denounce Outsider: As an action you may Arcane Surge and pick a target that you can see within 60' of you that is a Construct, Elemental, or Aberration. All attacks against that target have advantage until the end of your next turn.

Level 4:
ASI

Level 5:
Extra Attack

Level 6:
Sphere of Shifting Threads: You and allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws vs spells and spell like effects. This increases to 30 feet at Bladeweaver level 18

Level 7:
Mastery Feature

Level 8:
ASI

Level 9:
Disciplined mind: Gain proficiency in Wisdom Saving Throws

Level 10:
Untrammeled: You and allies within 10 feet of you are immune to magical effects that cause the Paralyzed, Stunned, or Restrained conditions. Increases to 30 feet at Bladeweaver level 18

Level 11:
Imbue weapon: Once per day you can cast a spell into your weapon. The spell can only be able to affect one creature. When you hit a creature as part of an attack, you can release the spell into the struck creature. If the spell would normally require an attack roll, it instead automatically hits.

Level 12:
ASI

Level 14:
Disjunction: You can use your action to end one spell or curse effect on yourself or one willing creature you touch. You can use this INT number of times(minimum 1) recharge on long rest

Level 15:
Mastery Feature

Level 16:
ASI

Level 18:
Improvements

Level 19:
ASI

Level 20:
Mastery feature.

*Mastery of Shears*

Bonus spells by level:
3rd: Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers
5th: Blur, Detect Thoughts
9th: Fear, Hypnotic Pattern
13th: Hallucinatory Terrain, Confusion
17th: Modify Memory, Seeming

Level 3:
Arcane Resurgence: As a bonus action(action?) You can use your Arcane Surge and target yourself or one willing creature you can touch. Roll 1d4. The target regains spell slot levels equal to the roll.

Level 7:
Counterslash: When a hostile creature within 10 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to move into melee range with them and make a disrupting attack. The target must make a concentration save vs your spell DC or the spell fails with no effect. This attack does no damage. You can use this ability twice and it recharges at the end of a long rest. Range increases to 30 feet at Bladeweaver level 18

Level 15:
Muddled thoughts: When you hit a with a melee weapon attack, the target must make an INT saving throw vs your spell DC or have disadvantage on all of their attack rolls until the end of their next turn.

Level 20:
Spellshatter: As an action you can <insert fluff here> emit a 20 foot cone from your eyes that negate all magic except for yours for one minute. At the end of each of your turns you decide which direction the cone is facing in.

*Mastery of the Loom*

Bonus spells by level
3rd: Hunter's mark, Absorb elements
5th: Enlarge/Reduce, Alter Self
9th: Haste, Slow
13th: Freedom of movement, Stoneskin
17th: Hold Monster, Awaken

Level 3:
Limit removal: As a bonus action, you can Arcane Surge and touch yourself or one willing creature. That creature gains +10 to speed and +2 to damage for 1 minute.

Level 7:
Hardened Aura: You cannot be effected by spells of second level or lower unless you wish to be. Increases to third or lower at Bladeweaver level 18

Level 15:
Absorb Arcane: When you are affected by a leveled spell or spell like ability, you gain Arcane Points equal to 1/3 of the level of the spell, rounded down, minimum of 1. Your maximum AP pool is equal to your INT mod. Arcane Points can only be used to fuel Elemental Infusion. 1 AP=1 spell level. Unused AP disappears at the end of a long rest.

Level 20:
Arcane Torrent: As an action, you fill yourself with magic. You emit bright light to a range of 30 feet, gain +20 to speed and an additional extra attack for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before using again.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'd go with the name Janissary. It feels the idea of a re-interpretation of a real world concept, but within the D&D lore. In 4e, there's was a paragon path (think prestige class) where it explained one of the major school of swordmage was in the Elemental Planes where Janissary served as arcane bodyguard for genie lords. In the FR lore for 4e, swordmages were often depicted as coronal guard of the fey lords or even the long lost Netherese lords, always with the theme of protecting VIP of high arcane societies/nations.

I'd go with a mix of Valord bard and Paladin: Extra attack at lvl 6, full spellcasting from the spell list composed of elemental invocation spells, some elemental conjuration, and many spells from the divination and abjuration school to represent the idea of protecting and contacting a planar power.
1d8 HP
Light, Medium armor
Aegis: add Int to AC, can move it to an ally within 15' as a bonus action, who can use it as a reaction, but lose the AC until start of next turn.
Archetype: Bond of Djinn, Bond of the Effrit , Bond of the Marid, Bond of the Dao
Elemental Aegis: Give resistance to elemental damage with Aegis feature.
Planar Envoy: portal related ribbon
Limited Wish: Similar to the cleric feature.

Terrible name, 1 its a real life reference, 2 its implying kidnapping children, 3 its nothing to do with magic at all they were elite infantry.

 

[Zardnaar]

Oh, I was just thinking about this the other day. I think an arcane half-caster would be a great addition to the game, and it seems like a popular archetype in fantasy fiction. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to come up with a good name for this archetype because it covers such a lot of ground. Here are some of the least-bad ideas I've come up with:

Witch Hunter -- a warrior who learns arcane magic in order to fight fire with fire (in some cases, literally). However, the Blood Hunter class seems to have that concept locked down; it's more warlocky than wizardy, but the flavor is definitely there.

Arcane Guardian -- a warrior who protects spellcasters, and in return for their services, learns a little bit of arcane magic. Lots of overlap with 4E swordmage, which was an arcane defender. But, the name "Arcane Guardian" is super weak. (So is "Swordmage.") The best thing I can think of is "Sentinel" but that's a feat already. "Keeper" is not bad.

Warden -- combining the above two concepts, this is a warrior who is part of an order that defends the world against arcane threats. Unfortunately this name is already taken by a somewhat-popular 4E class that is much more druidic in nature than arcane. The flavor matches well, though. "Keeper" or "Overseer" might be good substitutes; "Magekeeper?" (Sounds like someone who raises mages in a cage in their back yard.) "Templar" is a fun word that's very knighty sounding, but it has religious overtones and basically seems like it would be better for a type of paladin. "Legionnaire" is a cool word, but it really emphasizes the organization membership.

Spellblade -- my favorite D&D version of this concept; warriors trained to mix swordplay with spellcasting, who then can work as mercenaries or whatever. Unfortunately, it's not clear from the name why the person is doing this (why not train as full wizards or full fighters?). WotC later released a full-class version of the spellblade called, for some reason, the "Duskblade," but I hate this name because it has nothing to do with anything. "Spellblade" also suffers from being a made-up compound word (we don't call paladins "Holyknights").

Vigilante -- both warriors who learn forbidden arcane magic AND wizards who learn forbidden martial techniques. This has a flavor that I really like a lot because of its implied role in the setting. BUT it implies a lot about the setting which may not otherwise be true (i.e. in most settings there's nothing forbidden about mixing techniques like this).

Dabbler -- this person is self-taught; a scrappy fighter, a magical hacker. I like this flavor a lot too, but the name is weak; nobody really wants to play a "Dabbler" I don't think. It almost calls for an even more generic name, like "Adventurer" or "Hero," but that's no good because it implies other characters aren't those things. "Vigilante" could work for this.

Destined -- in fantasy fiction, often the protagonist starts out learning some swordplay but then discovers that they have an amazing magic power! yay! And I like the idea of a class that is super-rare in the setting, by its very nature. Unfortunately the flavor feels more sorcerer-like, which is fine, except then it's a Charisma half-caster and too similar to the paladin.

Arcanist -- a military position. Any army of sufficient size is going to need specialists to deal with enemy mages; but in a military context, they'll probably become warriors, too. I don't like the name "Arcanist" because it's a made-up word, but, I think it captures well the more pragmatic view of magic. "Thaumaturge" is a fancy word for this, and I like it, but I think it's too much of a mouthful for the average person.

Noble -- I had a setting in which the only people who could afford the time and money to learn both fighting AND wizardry were the nobility. Unfortunately this doesn't fit well in D&D's implied setting, or with the broader fantasy genre featuring fighter-wizards. Plus there's a really rad noble class in EN5ider's Touch of Class. "Scion" and "Patrician" are cool alternate names for this concept, though.

Adept -- based on Shadowrun's adepts, who are warriors that channel magic into their bodies (more like monks, really). I like this name because it implies skill -- the unifying concept of all the above is that this character is highly skilled (not in the 5E sense of "skill proficiencies," but in the broader sense that learning both magic and combat requires you to be a badass.) But, "Adept" is pretty meaningless to the average person. This is probably the least bad option here, because it's the kind of word that could, in time, become a meaningful word in the context of D&D (the way "ranger" and "paladin" and "druid" and "bard" have very specific meanings in D&D that are different than their general meanings).

Arcane Warrior -- some of the above become subclasses: "keeper" is more defensive; "spellblade" is more offensive; "vigilante" is a bit more skilly; "witch hunter" is specialized anti-magic; "gish" is specialized in planar travel. I lean towards this option when I've just given up on finding a one-word name for the class. On the plus side, I firmly believe that you should have a healthy amount of subclass concepts in mind when designing a core class; if the class concept is so narrow that it doesn't support many subclasses, then it's probably a weak class concept.

Tie it to the campaign and make up a name perhaps (see Jedi in Star Wars). The best gish I have seen in 5E (Paladins excluded) was a FIghter1/warlock XYZ blade lock fiend pact. 2 attacks a round, proficient in con save and heavy armor, used hex to deal more damage (instead of smiting), used weapons most of the time resorting to spells for ranged attacks.

 

[Einlanzer0]

@Einlanzer0 Argonaut is a terrible nonsensical name for a fighter-mage. If you're serious about designing this, I'd look to (1) myths, (2) literature, and (3) films with characters that fit the fighter-mage archetype. Shoot for, say, 3 examples of each and then look for patterns – what features do they share?

For example...

(Myth) Sun Wukong / The Monkey King. Described in the classic Journey to the West, but undoubtedly part of Chinese culture long before its publication, dating back to at least the Song Dynasty. The Monkey King was a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices, becoming a warrior, magician, and trickster. He was charming and mischievous, betting with Buddha, and otherwise stealing the spotlight with his over the top persona. His alignment might be described as Chaotic Neutral; he is playful, irreverent, and likes proving his superior skill/cunning/fighting prowess. Among some of his powers are super-strength, jumping ridiculous distances, transforming into a variety of animals and objects, amazing fighting skill allowing him to overcome heaven's best warriors, creating clones of himself with strands of his hair (which can also be turned into animals/weapons/objects btw), commanding the elements, and creating magic circles to protect against demons.

Compare him to another fighter-mage of myth/literature/film, and see if any patterns emerge! If you need a starting point, you could try TV Tropes (Magic Knight).

Thanks for your childish hyperbole, but I kindly disagree - in part because the concept is more than just "fighter/mage".