D&D 5E (2024) How should the Swordmage be implemented in 1DnD?

[Corinnguard]

Shocking Smite

The first time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your weapon arcs with lightning, and the attack deals an ...

www.dndbeyond.com

Acidic Smite

Using your bonus action you imbue you weapon with caustic power. The next time you hit with a melee attack the target takes an additional...

www.dndbeyond.com

Freezing Smite

The first time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your explodes with ice shards that spray 5ft from the hit...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[mellored]

evocation can create a bright light.

Still don't care about the spell school. I have no problem with whatever one you want to stick it in.

Doesn't even need to be a "spell". Elemental monks can deal a variety of damage, while pushing or pulling.

When you hit with an attack, spend a swordmage point to do a swordmage smite... or whatever.

Because cold slows cold blooded creatures due to their biology, it's not a universal truism the GM should be left to adjudicate.

On a hit deal cold damage, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn

Litterally Ray of Frosts effect, just with a weapon.
Smite of Frost.

Armor eating strike? Anything that is acidic enough to "eat" armor can pretty much delete flesh like piranha solution & Chlorine Trifluoride.

Black Pudding disagrees https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16808-black-pudding

This is fantasy magic. It can have fantasy acid.

The trouble is the extreme depths of doing it while tossing them on a martial "mage"

I haven't suggested anything a wizard isn't able to do. (Well, the acid is new, but still on theme).

Ray of frost, with a sword.
Thunderwave, with a sword.
Swordmage is a mage, with a sword.

The cherry on top school was not the only problem, a martial with every single top tier control & a notable array of debuffs who is also dressed up as a "mage" doing it is the problem.

You mean like a paladin?
Or an elemental monk?

Not sure why you think they would get "every single" one of them. Both 5e wizards and 4e Swordmages only got to choose a few options out of the list.

Let me guess, that list you posted in 157 should be the same arrangement of at wills encounter powers & daily powers as they were in 4e too?

Similar, sure. But not a strict copy.

It still needs to be within the 5e framework, and balanced with the 5e classes. Subclass at 3, ASI at 4, big damage boost at 5, ect.

 

[mellored]

The limited options for Smite spells was one of the first things I tried to rectify with homebrew and 3pp in regards to the disparity of spell types.

I also tend to allow Bladesingers, Hexblades, Eldritch Knights, Rangers and Battlesmith Artificers to gain access to certain smite spells that fit their theme. I know some people don’t like it when other classes get access to something unique to a single class, but despite these spells having Smite in the name, they mechanically fit the gish theme very well in my opinion.

Probably name the new ones "strike" to keep it more class neutral.

Acid Strike
Frost Strike
Air Cutter Stike
Swarming Strike (ranger needs a few more too).
Thorn Strike

also, probably leave Blinding Smite as a Paladin only thing. A little niche protection.

 

[Corinnguard]

Prismatic Strike.
Tremor Strike
Spirit Strike

 

[tetrasodium]

Still don't care about the spell school. I have no problem with whatever one you want to stick it in.

Doesn't even need to be a "spell". Elemental monks can deal a variety of damage, while pushing or pulling.

When you hit with an attack, spend a swordmage point to do a swordmage smite... or whatever.

On a hit deal cold damage, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn

Litterally Ray of Frosts effect, just with a weapon.
Smite of Frost.

Black Pudding disagrees https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16808-black-pudding

This is fantasy magic. It can have fantasy acid.

I haven't suggested anything a wizard isn't able to do. (Well, the acid is new, but still on theme).

Ray of frost, with a sword.
Thunderwave, with a sword.
Swordmage is a mage, with a sword.

You mean like a paladin?
Or an elemental monk?

Not sure why you think they would get "every single" one of them. Both 5e wizards and 4e Swordmages only got to choose a few options out of the list.

Similar, sure. But not a strict copy.

It still needs to be within the 5e framework, and balanced with the 5e classes. Subclass at 3, ASI at 4, big damage boost at 5, ect.

That all reads a lot like... Just make a fighter with options that are very similar the abilities of monk and paladin but also give them spellcasting from the wizard and maybe blur the lines between where spell crosses into attack so ensure maximum "'ask' your GM" confusion.. That's not a class for general release, it's a relationship perk.

 

[mellored]

That all reads a lot like... Just make a fighter with options that are very similar the abilities of monk and paladin but also give them spellcasting from the wizard and maybe blur the lines between where spell crosses into attack so ensure maximum "'ask' your GM" confusion.. That's not a class for general release, it's a relationship perk.

I have no idea where your getting the "ask your GM" confusion.

There isn't any confusion about how smites or elemental monks work. They don't require asking the DM.

And I would still be fine if they just added a larger variety of smite/strike + some Aegis spells. We have enough sword + magic subclasses.

But if other people are going to make a full Swordmage class, make it different. We have 5 full casters and 3 half casters. But 0 AEDU class.

 

[tetrasodium]

I have no idea where your getting the "ask your GM" confusion.

There isn't any confusion about how smites or elemental monks work. They don't require asking the DM.

And I would still be fine if they just added a larger variety of smite/strike + some Aegis spells. We have enough sword + magic subclasses.

But if other people are going to make a full Swordmage class, make it different. We have 5 full casters and 3 half casters. But 0 AEDU class.

There are zero ADEU classes because 5e is not an edition built around ADEU. That's not something you can simply attach to an edition builtr around attrition without creating a bunch of problems. As to how monks work, they are loaded with maybe it's skill masybe it's magic no maybe it's better and neither because it's ki/discipline as most useful for any given situation where one of the first two could be sub optimal

 

[mellored]

Aegis in spell form.

Aegis of Shielding. Level 1 enchantment

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 10 feet
• Target: one creature
• Components: V S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Wizard, Bard, Paladin, Artificer

You place a ward on a target creature. When the target deals damage to anyone except you, you can use your reaction to reduce it by 5.
This spell ends if the target is more than 60' away from you. And it's movement is 0 until the start of your next turn.
At Higher Level: increase the damage reduce by an additional 5 per spell level and early ending of the spell range by 10'.


Aegis of Ensnarement. Level 1 enchantment

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: 10 feet
• Target: one creature
• Components: V S
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Wizard, Bard, Paladin, Artificer

You place a ward on a target creature. When the target takes a hostile action against anyone except you, you can use your reaction teleport it to an adjacent space after the damage.
This spell ends if the target is more than 60' away from you.
At level 5: you can use your reaction before the hostile action. You then become the sole target of the hostile action.

 

[Gorck]

There is a 3pp book called The Korranberg Chronicle: Adventurer’s Almanac that has a Swordmage class in it. I’m not really into Swordmages, but maybe it’s up someone else’s alley?

 

[mellored]

There are zero ADEU classes because 5e is not an edition built around ADEU. That's not something you can simply attach to an edition builtr around attrition without creating a bunch of problems.

Warlock is 80% AEDU.

At-will -> Eldritch Blast / Pact of the Blade
Encounter -> Pact Magic
Mystic Arcanum -> Daily
Utility -> Invocations

As to how monks work, they are loaded with maybe it's skill masybe it's magic no maybe it's better and neither because it's ki/discipline as most useful for any given situation where one of the first two could be sub optimal

Part sword, part mage
Sounds like it would fit just fine.

But again, put my vote for just needing more spells. Not that I would be upset with a new class.