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

[mellored]

One problem with just throwing more weapon strike and martial augmenting abilities into the wizard list, is that it benefits the wizard far more than it would ever benefit an eldritch knight.

There is a good reason for cleric not getting the paladin spells, and for druid not getting the ranger spells.

If a wizard wants to Teleport Slash with no Str or Multiple Attack or Sneak Attack or Weapon Mastery or Fighting Style...

I can't see any reason why not let them.

 

[Neonchameleon]

One problem with just throwing more weapon strike and martial augmenting abilities into the wizard list, is that it benefits the wizard far more than it would ever benefit an eldritch knight.

There is a good reason for cleric not getting the paladin spells, and for druid not getting the ranger spells.

I'm not so sure. Wizards as a rule (even bladesingers) do not want to be in melee combat and if they end up there something has gone wrong. A spell that works with a melee attack is therefore in general a whole lot less worth preparing than something to get them out of melee combat.

The situation is different with clerics; about half of the cleric subclasses have heavy armour proficiency and do extra weapon damage. Clerics hitting people with melee weapons is already a thing - so getting extra damage on theirs is useful to them. Wizards rarely hit people with weapons.

 

[Yaarel]

The Swordmage must be a full caster.

When they made the Artficer a part caster, I immediately lost interest in it.

What makes the Swordmage distinct is, it specializes in melee spells, including augmenting weapons, unarmed strikes, auras, along with teleports and other mobility, force armor, healing and regeneration. Slot 1 spells thru slot 9 spells.

The Swordmage is as comfortable in melee combat as the Fighter, and as close and personal as the Barbarian, but the weapon of choice is pure magic.

 

[Corinnguard]

The Swordmage must be a full caster.

When they made the Artficer a part caster, I immediately lost interest in it.

What makes the Swordmage distinct is, it specializes in melee spells, including augmenting weapons, unarmed strikes, auras, along with teleports and other mobility, force armor, healing and regeneration. Slot 1 spells thru slot 9 spells.

The Swordmage is as comfortable in melee combat as the Fighter, and as close and personal as the Barbarian, but the weapon of choice is pure magic.

How would keep a full caster version of the Swordmage from being too OP? Some people are going to see it that way.

 

[Yaarel]

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How would keep a full caster version of the Swordmage from being too OP? Some people are going to see it that way.

5e game engine makes melee full casters balance.

The Druid, Cleric, Bard, and Bladesinger are all melee casters - and it is no big deal.

Casting a spell from 50 feet away is about the same as casting from 5 feet away - except the close up is more vulnerable.

 

[tetrasodium]

One problem with just throwing more weapon strike and martial augmenting abilities into the wizard list, is that it benefits the wizard far more than it would ever benefit an eldritch knight.

There is a good reason for cleric not getting the paladin spells, and for druid not getting the ranger spells.

Agreed, but there are a couple other problems that go with such spell additions.

• If weapon strike/augmenting abilities are created for a fish type like EK they necessarily need to be primarily self buffs built for a hybrid fractional caster. That creates a messy balance point that spells and class abilities made for actual wizards need to be balanced against before building those spells and class abilities for wizards.
• Wizard weapon buffs should be built as force multiplier group reciprocity injection tools and it's a lot harder to do that with meaningful oomph party members will lust for if the spells were made to suit the needs of a hybrid gish class instead of the wizard.
• Sure they could make two spells, but that gets messy with stacking safeguards or broken if not sub par without conflict . 5e lacks the Mechanical hooks to cleanly handle stacking with any nuance and concentration is a disaster that actually makes a lot of buffs into never cast spells

Artificer makes a good chassis for a sword mage because it leans so heavily on its subclass for the bulk of its power rather than either base class or spellcasting. that sets up a nice fence between it and both sides of the sword mage gish that neatly avoids feeling too much like either if good or just a weaksauce version falling short at both.

 

[Corinnguard]

The Swordmage needs to balance swordplay with spellcasting. So IMO they need to be a half-caster.

 

[TwoSix]

How would keep a full caster version of the Swordmage from being too OP? Some people are going to see it that way.

Restricted spell access would be the easiest way to do it. A small, bespoke class spell list with mostly swordmage-specific spells.

I don't necessarily agree with @Yaarel's assertion that it MUST be a full caster, as I like several half-caster implementations of the trope just fine, but if classes like Bladesinger exist and aren't busting the game wide open, then it must be possible to make other full casters with Extra Attack and some degree of melee capability.

 

[Corinnguard]

Restricted spell access would be the easiest way to do it. A small, bespoke class spell list with mostly swordmage-specific spells.

I don't necessarily agree with @Yaarel's assertion that it MUST be a full caster, as I like several half-caster implementations of the trope just fine, but if classes like Bladesinger exist and aren't busting the game wide open, then it must be possible to make other full casters with Extra Attack and some degree of melee capability.

Abjuration and Evocation magic like that in the Eldritch Knight subclass? Personally I like this version of the subclass: https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-MDt9Rta4SHLK7oAJzbf It allows you to pick any two Wizard schools of magic and gain a particular benefit from those schools.

 

[cbwjm]

I'd still make it a half caster but maybe have it's levels stack with a wizard so that a bladesinger 12 (effective spell caster level 6)/wizard 1 can add 4th level spells to their spellbook. I'd also give swordmage a spellbook, but I understand not everyone is keen on that.