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

[doctorbadwolf]

"I think it’d be easy to keep the infusions. Just add more weapon, armor, maybe tattoo,.....Why wouldn’t a swordmage be enchanting their gear?"

That is what I was referreing to by gadgets - weapons, armors, tatoos etc. I don't think that is what people are looking for in a Swordmage.

So, as I said in the post you quoted from, you just…don’t flavor it as items.

 

[ECMO3]

So, as I said in the post you quoted from, you just…don’t flavor it as items.

Ok then why do we need a Swordmage class instead of a reflavored Artificer or Artificer subclass?

Pulling this thread a little more, just use the Artificer class as is with a Homberew Swordmage subclass:

Swordmage Subclass:
Additional Subclass Spells
1st Level: Ice Knife, Searing Smite
2nd Level: Flame Blade, Spiritual Weapon
3rd Level: Blinding Smite, Spirit Shroud
4th Level: Fire Shield, Staggering Strike
5th Level: Steel Wind Strike, Conjure Volley

Level 3:
Arcane Combat Training: You get proficiency in Arcana and proficiency in Longsword, Shortsword, Scimitar and Greatsword.

Thrown Sword: A Longsword, Short Sword, Scimitar or Greatsword has the thrown property and a range of 20/60 feet when you wield it. When you throw a sword you are limited to one attack that turn regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

Fighting Style: Select from the fighter options

Level 5:
Sword Magic: Attacks you make with a Dagger, Longsword, Shortsword, Scimitar and Greatsword are considered magical.

Sword Step: You gain the misty step spell. You can cast this spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest without using a spell slot. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have. Additionally, when you cast this spell, you have the option of casting it without a verbal component but with a somatic and material component by throwing a dagger, sword or scimitar to the area you want to teleport to.

Level 9:
Sword Strike: As an action you can throw a dagger, sword or scimitar up to 120 feet and make a melee spell attack with it. On a hit the target takes weapon damage plus your intelligence modifier. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Warmagic: Same as the Eldritch Knight ability


Level 15:
Bursting Sword: When you use your sword strike ability you can choose to cause the sword to explode in a firey blast. You do an additional 2d6 of fire damage to the target and everyone within 20 feet of the target with a dex save for half damage. This destroys the weapon if it is not magical and sets fire to flammable objects that are not worn or carried.

Does this scratch the itch?

 

[Scribe]

Ok then why do we need a Swordmage class instead of a reflavored Artificer or Artificer subclass?

Because I dont like the Artificer...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Ok then why do we need a Swordmage class instead of a reflavored Artificer or Artificer subclass?

Because not everyone is down to reflavor/has a DM that allows it.
Because some people dislike artificer for its mechanics, regardless of themes.
Because some DMs are more open to a homebrew subclass than a base class.
Because a swordmage built from the ground up to be a swordmage will be a better swordmage.

Pulling this thread a little more, just use the Artificer class as is with a Homberew Swordmage subclass:

Swordmage Subclass:
Additional Subclass Spells
1st Level: Ice Knife, Searing Smite
2nd Level: Flame Blade, Spiritual Weapon
3rd Level: Blinding Smite, Spirit Shroud
4th Level: Fire Shield, Staggering Strike
5th Level: Steel Wind Strike, Conjure Volley

Level 3:
Arcane Combat Training: You get proficiency in Arcana and proficiency in Longsword, Shortsword, Scimitar and Greatsword.

Thrown Sword: A Longsword, Short Sword, Scimitar or Greatsword has the thrown property and a range of 20/60 feet when you wield it. When you throw a sword you are limited to one attack that turn regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.

Fighting Style: Select from the fighter options

Level 5:
Sword Magic: Attacks you make with a Dagger, Longsword, Shortsword, Scimitar and Greatsword are considered magical.

Sword Step: You gain the misty step spell. You can cast this spell a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest without using a spell slot. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have. Additionally, when you cast this spell, you have the option of casting it without a verbal component but with a somatic and material component by throwing a dagger, sword or scimitar to the area you want to teleport to.

Level 9:
Sword Strike: As an action you can throw a dagger, sword or scimitar up to 120 feet and make a melee spell attack with it. On a hit the target takes weapon damage plus your intelligence modifier. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Warmagic: Same as the Eldritch Knight ability


Level 15:
Bursting Sword: When you use your sword strike ability you can choose to cause the sword to explode in a firey blast. You do an additional 2d6 of fire damage to the target and everyone within 20 feet of the target with a dex save for half damage. This destroys the weapon if it is not magical and sets fire to flammable objects that are not worn or carried.

Does this scratch the itch?

On an artificer chassis it’s pretty close. I’d do a few things differently but that’ll be the case regardless.

I’d still need to modify the base class, and I’d rather just build a new class if I’m doing that much work.

Also, it is like the Hexblade, in that it presents one swordmage, where I feel the archetype merits the many subclasses treatment just like other current base classes.

This one doesn’t work for people who really want a defender swordmage, though.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I don't want a wizard with a sword. I want a character that's a melee combatant, but who fights with magic. Their abilities (be they spells or something else) should all be melee or short range (30 ft or so), or be based on either moving the swordmage to their opponent or the other way around. I absolutely don't want them having the same spell list as a wizard. I don't want a swordmage casting a fireball, but I could see an ability that lets them either leap or teleport a fairly long distance and creating an AOE effect where they land.

To me, that sounds like a monk.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

To me, that sounds like a monk.

Kinda. Close enough that I think one could solve the Monk’s problems and the lack of a proper swordmage with 1 new class that uses the monk as a basis for building an esoteric master of a martial tradition, with more “mystic” than the phb monk, and less focus on “you have to fight like Bruce Lee”.

 

[Einlanzer0]

Once upon a time I was a fanatic about getting a Swordmage class, but I've convinced myself over the last couple of years that by far the best spot for the swordmage concept in 5e would be an Artificer subclass. The Artificer was designed in a "template" enough way to make all kinds of half-arcane half-warrior concepts fit into it, and swordmage easily fits the concept of "using magical armaments and tools to empower yourself in combat" schtick of the class without any significant thematic contradictions.

The design of classes in 5e tends toward being thematically broader than in previous editions, and way more concepts than before can be tucked into one of the existing classes as a subclass pretty comfortably. Even more with the 2024 rules, since Fighter, Rogue, and Sorcerer in particular all have a generic enough design for the base class to host a ton of different specific concepts within the subclass. I'm currently homebrewing a Fey Witch and an Oracle origin for Sorcerer, a Spirit Shaman for Warlock, and a Scholar-Explorer class for Rogue for example.

I'm actually kind of surprised Swordmage for Artificer hasn't been created yet, but easy enough to build a custom one in DNDBeyond