Frozen_Heart
Hero
This is the next in a series of threads about how to implement certain commonly requested class concepts in 1DnD, in order to see how people want certain class/subclass concepts handled in the new system. I'm focusing on the most suggested and talked about classes first, and maybe I'll move onto some more obscure ones later. I've avoided the swordmage for a while as I just know that this thread is going to start fires, but now I've covered the other popular suggestions, I guess it's time for the flames.
The concept of a spellsword has had a long and troubled history in DnD, appearing extremely early, but never successfully keeping its own identity unlike the paladin and ranger it has often been compared with. Even the class name has never been settled upon, and perhaps this is partly why it's never stuck around. The eldritch knight and bladesinger appeared early, but never moved the concept beyond 'person who hits and casts'. This was followed by the 3e duskblade which introduced spellstrike, a concept which proved such a hit that it got spun off into the pathfinder Magus. 4e reworked spellcasting, and introduced the swordmage as its attempt at a gish character. This was a teleporting warrior with a huge list of blade and strike type 'powers'.
To many, 5e has felt like a step backwards for the swordmage. Bringing in the eldritch knight and bladesinger again, but going all the way back to the 'person who hits things and casts wizard spells' from earlier editions, losing all the mechanical development gained over 3e and 4e. In its place, the Paladin has been moved in, gaining a much larger variety of smite spells to fill the role of 'magic warrior'. Despite this, the strong divine theme puts many off the class.
So in 1DnD, how should the concept of a swordmage/magus class be handled? Continue to split it among subclasses, or give it a dedicated class?
Previous threads:
Blood Hunter - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-blood-hunter-be-implemented-in-1dnd.695012/
Artificer - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-artificer-be-implemented-in-1dnd.696630/
Psion - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-psion-mystic-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697153/
Warlord - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-warlord-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697300/
Summoner - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-a-summoner-pet-class-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697591/
Shaman - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-shaman-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697756/
The concept of a spellsword has had a long and troubled history in DnD, appearing extremely early, but never successfully keeping its own identity unlike the paladin and ranger it has often been compared with. Even the class name has never been settled upon, and perhaps this is partly why it's never stuck around. The eldritch knight and bladesinger appeared early, but never moved the concept beyond 'person who hits and casts'. This was followed by the 3e duskblade which introduced spellstrike, a concept which proved such a hit that it got spun off into the pathfinder Magus. 4e reworked spellcasting, and introduced the swordmage as its attempt at a gish character. This was a teleporting warrior with a huge list of blade and strike type 'powers'.
To many, 5e has felt like a step backwards for the swordmage. Bringing in the eldritch knight and bladesinger again, but going all the way back to the 'person who hits things and casts wizard spells' from earlier editions, losing all the mechanical development gained over 3e and 4e. In its place, the Paladin has been moved in, gaining a much larger variety of smite spells to fill the role of 'magic warrior'. Despite this, the strong divine theme puts many off the class.
So in 1DnD, how should the concept of a swordmage/magus class be handled? Continue to split it among subclasses, or give it a dedicated class?
Previous threads:
Blood Hunter - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-blood-hunter-be-implemented-in-1dnd.695012/
Artificer - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-artificer-be-implemented-in-1dnd.696630/
Psion - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-psion-mystic-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697153/
Warlord - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-warlord-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697300/
Summoner - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-a-summoner-pet-class-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697591/
Shaman - https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-should-the-shaman-be-implemented-in-1dnd.697756/