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

[Yaarel]

The short-rest casting mechanics of the Warlock class is genius. The satisfying amount of design space for "invocation" choosable class features is nice too.

I am so glad the Warlock fans refused to change it during the playtest.

I want to see more classes that use its chassis, including Psion, Swordmage, Warlord, plus the Fighter-Magicuser as a separate class.

 

[Yaarel]

It occurs to me.

If there is a new Spell School called "Martial", whose spells sotospeak are nonmagical maneuvers and exploits,

then the Swordmage that is a "tanky Wizard" and not a Fighter-Magicuser can still function somewhat like a Fighter-Magicuser by preparing spells from the Martial School.


There is a meta design benefit by doing this too. By converting Martial exploits into the spell format, they can compare directly with spells, slot by slot. Thus the differences between martial and caster becomes clearer, and what the martials need to be able to do at the highest tiers more obvious.

 

[Corinnguard]

If there is a new Spell School called "Martial", whose spells sotospeak are nonmagical maneuvers and exploits,

So the maneuvers of the Battle Master subclass ought be to rebranded as spells?

 

[Yaarel]

So the maneuvers of the Battle Master subclass ought be to rebranded as spells?

Ultimately everything is "powers".

Defacto, each of the "Superiority Dice" is like a spell slot.

However, for Swordmage or even any caster with an interest in nonmagical exploits, including the Bard, the Bladesinger, the wildshape Druid, the War Cleric, etcetera, it would be convenient and balance more easily to choose exploits from a new Martial School while picking spells.

Similar to how the Mage Armor spell is virtually always-on or close enough and the Warlock Invocation Armor of Shadows is at-will, some spells can have a 24 hour duration thus be virtually at-will every day.

Placing 24-hour duration spells among instantaneous duration spells helps measure what these are really worth, in terms of actual use and desirability. Ultimately this will improve the D&D game by clarifying the balance of all classes, whether they formally use "spells" or not.

Technically the always-on spells have a Duration that is "until the end of your next long rest".

 

[mellored]

To clarify, would Sword Art be like the 2014 Warlock "Otherworldly Patron" feature?

I was just going to go with a simple.

Chose one of the following. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you take a short rest. These scale by swordmage level.
*Smite
*other smite
*Elemental Burst
*swap locations with an ally before they will be hit.

Level 5
Choose another option from this list, or one from lower level.
*elemental weapon
*blinding smite
*something else

 

[Yaarel]

I was just going to go with a simple.

Chose one of the following. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you take a short rest. These scale by swordmage level.
*Smite
*other smite
*Elemental Burst
*swap locations with an ally before they will be hit.

Level 5
Choose another option from this list, or one from lower level.
*elemental weapon
*blinding smite
*something else

Doublechecking with the UA7 Warlock:

• Invocations at levels 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, and 18.
• Cantrips at levels 1, 4, and 10.
• Slots at levels 1, 2, 11, and 17.
• Incarnums at levels 11, 13, 15, and 17.
• Subclass features at levels 3, 6, 10, and 14.

(The level 1 Pact Magic implies a subclass, since presumably the Patron is the "mysterious entity", but doesnt require this.)

The "Pacts" of Blade, Chain, or Tome are now formally "Invocations" that one might or might not choose at level 1.

Possibly the Swordmage might make the Smite a similarly optional Invocation.

Possibly the Swordmage needs more cantrips (aka maneuvers), tho starting with two cantrips is standard, and the invocations more than satisfy the at-will options.

 

[DammitVictor]

mario, luigi and peach? is there any specific game/s you're referencing there, i know mario and luigi consistently have fire and lightning abilities pop up respectively and peach healing/protection but i don't personally recall them ever channeling those abilities through the use of weapons? or are you using the interpretation of a warrior that also separately utilises magic (of which we already have a few) rather than a weapon enhancing magic fighting style

Mario and Luigi use their hammers in most of the RPG entries. Peach has an intelligent parasol, which enhances her control over fire, water, and wind. They seem to have both weapon and non-weapon magical abilities, which is how I would prefer a Magus/Swordmage to function.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Mario and Luigi use their hammers in most of the RPG entries. Peach has an intelligent parasol, which enhances her control over fire, water, and wind. They seem to have both weapon and non-weapon magical abilities, which is how I would prefer a Magus/Swordmage to function.

ah see, personally i think DnD already has enough classes and subclasses that utilise various combinations of the weapons plus spellcasting fighting styles and i'd finally like one that actually properly synergises those two things properly into a single fighting style, if they're using a separate action to add the magic to their basic attacks then i think the two aren't intergrated enough, weirdly, the closest thing i think we currently have to my preferred incarnation of swordmage's design is the monk's magic fists (and magic monk weapons), rather than any of the 'magic fighter' classes like ranger, paladin, cleric or bladesinger whatever else.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

It occurs to me.

If there is a new Spell School called "Martial", whose spells sotospeak are nonmagical maneuvers and exploits,

5e players accidently invent 4e.

Again.

 

[Corinnguard]

Ultimately everything is "powers".

5e dropped the Martial Power a long time ago.