CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
Seems like reflavoring the Shatter spell would be perfect for that style of effect. Why not allow it?
D&D 5E How would you do the sword mage in 5e?
- Thread starter Shades of Eternity
- Start date
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
In a game, I’d allow it without hesitation, though I’d rather it deal slashing damage. Reflavoring doesn’t mean something is in the game when it actually isn’t, however.
Slit518
Adventurer
I would do a d10 arcane up to level 5 and access to Cantrips.
Their magic would fuel from the Constitution perhaps, they would be Str/Con based Class.
Choose 3 skills from a combination of Fighter and Wizard Skills.
All armor and weapons, and of course Extra Attack at 5th level.
They can infuse Cantrips into their weapon as a Bonus Action a number of times equal to their Proficiency modifier, regaining all spent uses on a Short or Long Rest.
They would have their own Spell List much like a Ranger or a Paladin does.
Their Magic is very simple, only really requiring Verbal components in most Spells, and most Spells costing no more than a Bonus Acton to cast.
Their magic would fuel from the Constitution perhaps, they would be Str/Con based Class.
Choose 3 skills from a combination of Fighter and Wizard Skills.
All armor and weapons, and of course Extra Attack at 5th level.
They can infuse Cantrips into their weapon as a Bonus Action a number of times equal to their Proficiency modifier, regaining all spent uses on a Short or Long Rest.
They would have their own Spell List much like a Ranger or a Paladin does.
Their Magic is very simple, only really requiring Verbal components in most Spells, and most Spells costing no more than a Bonus Acton to cast.
UngeheuerLich
Legend
Fighter level 4
Abjurer level 6
Sentinel feat.
Misty step spell.
Probably magic initiate arcane as first level feat.
Abjurer level 6
Sentinel feat.
Misty step spell.
Probably magic initiate arcane as first level feat.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
Not having their own spell list is one of the reasons eldritch knight and bladesinger fall flat as a swordmage.
Paladin and Ranger get all these fancy 'cast spell on your weapon then hit with it' type spells. Like Thunderous smite, ensnaring strike, and lightning arrow. The two 'classic gish' subclasses lack any of that.
Paladin and Ranger get all these fancy 'cast spell on your weapon then hit with it' type spells. Like Thunderous smite, ensnaring strike, and lightning arrow. The two 'classic gish' subclasses lack any of that.
I always LOVED how its subclasses were all chess piece named.
The ORIGINAL version of the Mercer Blood Hunter straight up had a 5E version of that feature for one of its subclasses: The Profane Soul.
Unfortunately, after the Blood Hunter was updated, the Profane Soul subclass lost that feature. But you can probably still find it somewhere online.
Flamestrike
Legend
Anything with re-flavoring.
If I was playing a Swordmage in 4E I could pretty easily convert it to 5E with it doing basically the same stuff.
Using magic and weapons to kill things.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
By that logic the Bladesinger and the Echo Knight are the same thing.
If you see things that way, great for you. Everyone who isn't satisfied with making an angry fighter and calling it a barbarian is gonna keep on having useful discussions on the topic, however.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
I mean if reflavoring can do anything, why even have classes beyond magic user, fighting man, and thief?
We still have ranger, despite scout rogue and ancients paladin existing as nature themed gishes. We still have paladin, despite heavy armour and melee clerics being a thing. And yet arcane gish is apparently not enough of a design space.
Hell, in DnDone we're not getting a single arcane half caster at all, despite paladin and ranger still being in.
We still have ranger, despite scout rogue and ancients paladin existing as nature themed gishes. We still have paladin, despite heavy armour and melee clerics being a thing. And yet arcane gish is apparently not enough of a design space.
Hell, in DnDone we're not getting a single arcane half caster at all, despite paladin and ranger still being in.
Flamestrike
Legend
My point stands. Of all the things 5E doesnt need, its another Gish.
We have more of them in this edition than ever before.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
I mean... we're getting a new edition kind of.
I'd honestly rather get a swordmage class, and nuke bladesinger/eldritch knight than to have a repeat of what we have now.
CreamCloud0
One day, I hope to actually play DnD.
yep, better a dedicated class designed for arcane gish-hood than subclasses trying to make classes unsuited to being a gish into one.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
Never found the 'reflavour anything' approach satisfying.
Like "cool, can I reflavour away having a warlock patron or paladin oath"
DM: "no"
Like "cool, can I reflavour away having a warlock patron or paladin oath"
DM: "no"
Voadam
Legend
It sounds more like you have never had the opportunity to reflavor anything. Just to have requests to reflavor denied (which I would not find a satisfying solution either
).I am currently playing a narratively non-magical nontheistic 5e paladin, smites are just hitting really hard action movie style, oath of glory channel divinity is anime acrobatics, lay on hands is 4e style warlord encouragement, etc.
In the game I DM the warforged artificer is narratively an actual robot rebooted from an ancient crashed space ship who does sci fi tech stuff. The cleric of an invention tinkering god has his plate mail narratively styled as steampunk space marine armor. One character who died was a full on narrative werewolf using human druid as the mechanical chassis.
CreamCloud0
One day, I hope to actually play DnD.
Sure sure, but sometimes you’d rather just the thing that you’re playing was designed with the intent of being what it is you’re playing it as without having to give everything about it a new coat of paint and change the curtains.It sounds more like you have never had the opportunity to reflavor anything. Just to have requests to reflavor denied (which I would not find a satisfying solution either
I am currently playing a narratively non-magical nontheistic 5e paladin, smites are just hitting really hard action movie style, oath of glory channel divinity is anime acrobatics, lay on hands is 4e style warlord encouragement, etc.
In the game I DM the warforged artificer is narratively an actual robot rebooted from an ancient crashed space ship who does sci fi tech stuff. The cleric of an invention tinkering god has his plate mail narratively styled as steampunk space marine armor. One character who died was a full on narrative werewolf using human druid as the mechanical chassis.
Voadam
Legend
Absolutely, and for where the mechanics and flavor work for an individual and their concept then they work. The kobold bard in my group is narratively a kobold bard and its a great fit. When I played a viking valor bard pirate concept it worked great.
WotC 5e however has no straight equivalent of the 4e warlord or swordmage however so getting something mechanically close and reflavoring is one option. Homebrewing up a whole subclass/class is another.
A question on this, and I am not being snarky - what 4e Swordmage ability allows you to do this? I did not play 4E a lot and never played a Swordmage, but I see a lot of people talk about this thing, but don't see it on any of the Swordmage class abilities.
That said, Ice Knife does most of this, except it is a knife instead of a sword and does not come back to you.
Cause Fear. Prevents enemies from approaching you at all.
Also, I would say Vortex Warp is pretty close to Aegis of Ensnarement and Misty step combined with an attack or blade cantrip is identical to Aegis of Assault.
Last edited:
They do have the magic weapon weapon spell which is absolutely cast on your weapon and then hit with it and they also have Spirit Shroud.
Bladesinger and EK also have the blade cantrips which are generally more powerful than the smite spells; considering they do comparable damage in tier 2 and more damage in tier 3 without using a spell slot.
Voadam
Legend
Flipping through the FR Player's Guide I found:
Hell’s Own Blade Swordmage Attack 19
You hurl your sword, and it buries itself into the chest of a distant foe. Your sword explodes, sending waves of roiling flame out in all directions, before reforming in your hand.
Daily ✦ Arcane, Fire, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 10
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Effect: Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Targets: The primary target and each enemy within 2 squares of it
Secondary Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8 + Intelligence modifier fire damage.
Miss: Half damage.
It seems familiar, I think I had it when I was playing epic.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
