D&D 5E How would you do the sword mage in 5e?

[CreamCloud0]

yeah you can totally just make them 'swordmage' spells

internet is making it hard to judge your sincerity or sarcasm in that statement but

ageis of assault
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, S, M(a melee weapon worth at least 1sp)
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever a creature enters or moves within the range of this spell you can teleport to the nearest free adjacent square and make a single melee attack against them.

ageis of ensnarement
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, S,
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever an allied creature targets a creature within the range of this spell with an attack you can teleport to the nearest free adjacent square to the targeted creature and provide advantage on the attack being made.

ageis of shielding
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, M(a shield)
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever an allied creature within the range of the spell is targeted by an attack you can reduce the damage taken by (spellcasting modifier x proficiency bonus)+5HP.

these are just examples im not good at balancing.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

internet is making it hard to judge your sincerity or sarcasm in that statement but

100% sincere (although I can see why you may not be sure...
I'm not sure cantrips are the way I would go but I do like them.

ageis of assault
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, S, M(a melee weapon worth at least 1sp)
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever a creature enters or moves within the range of this spell you can teleport to the nearest free adjacent square and make a single melee attack against them.

ageis of ensnarement
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, S,
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever an allied creature targets a creature within the range of this spell with an attack you can teleport to the nearest free adjacent square to the targeted creature and provide advantage on the attack being made.

ageis of shielding
Level: cantrip
Casting Time: reaction
Range: 20ft
Components: V, S, M(a shield)
Duration: Instantaneous
whenever an allied creature within the range of the spell is targeted by an attack you can reduce the damage taken by (spellcasting modifier x proficiency bonus)+5HP.

my idea would look more like hex
1st level Abjuration

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 10ft
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You choose a target and MARK them (you have advantage on all opportunity attacks against them). If the target deals damage to someone other then you, you can use your reaction to grant the person the target is attacking resistance to all damage from the target for that round.

If the target dies you can hold the concentration and as a bonus action move it to a new target.

At Higher Levels When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.

 

[Storyteller Hero]

I'm a little late to this thread, but I designed a full class workup for a 5e Swordmage project on DMsGuild. It's PWYW so you can type 0.00 in the price box to download for free and buy again later if you want to toss a coin to the writer.

The Swordmage (5e Class) - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

 

[Clint_L]

The tricky thing is keeping it balanced. Most proposals I see for sword mages are a lot like Gerald of Rivia - basically the best at melee and really powerful at magic, too. Which is cool for a solo adventuring-style of game, but OP in a party-oriented game. So the trick is to get it balanced while still keeping the key elements that make the archetype desirable. Paladins are close but divine-themed, and I would argue that they are OP. Still, you could use them as a template except substituting arcane spells and flavour.

Probably, if you play as a sword-mage you will have to accept that you won't be the best with the sword or the best with magic.

 

[Scribe]

Probably, if you play as a sword-mage you will have to accept that you won't be the best with the sword or the best with magic.

I mean thats totally fine to me.

The issue isnt having less melee than a Fighter, and less magic than a Wizard. The issue is in the seamlessness (or lack of) in merging the 2.

 

[Shadowedeyes]

The tricky thing is keeping it balanced. Most proposals I see for sword mages are a lot like Gerald of Rivia - basically the best at melee and really powerful at magic, too. Which is cool for a solo adventuring-style of game, but OP in a party-oriented game. So the trick is to get it balanced while still keeping the key elements that make the archetype desirable. Paladins are close but divine-themed, and I would argue that they are OP. Still, you could use them as a template except substituting arcane spells and flavour.

Probably, if you play as a sword-mage you will have to accept that you won't be the best with the sword or the best with magic.

All that is why I've never been a huge fan of the archetype I think.

 

[Voadam]

The tricky thing is keeping it balanced. Most proposals I see for sword mages are a lot like Gerald of Rivia - basically the best at melee and really powerful at magic, too. Which is cool for a solo adventuring-style of game, but OP in a party-oriented game. So the trick is to get it balanced while still keeping the key elements that make the archetype desirable. Paladins are close but divine-themed, and I would argue that they are OP. Still, you could use them as a template except substituting arcane spells and flavour.

Probably, if you play as a sword-mage you will have to accept that you won't be the best with the sword or the best with magic.

I think this is as tricky as making any other melee class balanced, fighter, barbarian, paladin. Ideally you do like 4e and make them in that same class, good at melee doing things with their own flavor and mechanics. Doing multiple classes in the same role and having them be balanced and distinct was a strength of 4e and their uniform power structure.

The problem is that 5e magic generally provides stuff that straight martials don't so a multiclass is usually not as good at one thing done exclusively (melee or magic) but they have advantages from the blending even if they are at a lower power curve straight on.

I think a 5e swordmage full class can easily be made the equal of a paladin in combat and magic options.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The tricky thing is keeping it balanced. Most proposals I see for sword mages are a lot like Gerald of Rivia - basically the best at melee and really powerful at magic, too. Which is cool for a solo adventuring-style of game, but OP in a party-oriented game. So the trick is to get it balanced while still keeping the key elements that make the archetype desirable. Paladins are close but divine-themed, and I would argue that they are OP. Still, you could use them as a template except substituting arcane spells and flavour.

Probably, if you play as a sword-mage you will have to accept that you won't be the best with the sword or the best with magic.

I think a mix of artificer and paliden will do fine power scale wise... no one is calling either of them a power house

 

[Frozen_Heart]

It's weird how so many people think paladin and ranger are inherently fine and balanced, while an arcane version will always be inherently op.

 

[Scribe]

It's weird how so many people think paladin and ranger are inherently fine and balanced, while an arcane version will always be inherently op.

I have to wonder if its because people look at the unrestricted spell list and think 'no way!'

Meanwhile I would be quite happy with a bunch of restrictions, as long as what I envision, is possible regarding using the sword as the focus for spell and spell-like ability.

I'll probably write it up later, but it is weird, for sure.