multiclass swordmaster?

[Zhure]

A non-fighter (in this specific example, a Warlord), takes the Student of the Sword feat (page 208) sometime before level 10. Then at 11 he chooses the Swordmaster paragon path (page 88) instead of one of the less-than-stellar Warlord paths.

At 11th level, among other things he gains "When you charge with a light blade or a heavy blade that is not a polearm, you can use Containing Strike or Reaping Strike instead of your melee basic attack." According to the update, one should 'replace “Containing Strike or Reaping Strike” with “cleave, reaping strike, sure strike, or tide of iron.”

In simpler terms, a Warlord turned Swordmaster from one reading could charge and in lieu of a basic strike use any of the at-wills of a Fighter. But the Warlord-Swordmaster normally doesn't have access to any of these at-wills. I see three interpretations:

1- he gains virtual Fighter at-wills and can use any of the four.
(This means a Fighter-Swordmaster could use any of the four even though he would normally only have any two (or three if human) so this seems the least likely possiblity.)
2- he chooses two which represent the ones he would've chosen as a Fighter and can instead use those.
3- he cannot use this ability since he doesn't have access to any of the named at-wills.

Which is more correct.
Z

 

[Lord Sessadore]

I would say that he simply cannot use the ability. I don't think this is any different than, say, the Warlock PP's that mention Warlock's Curse - it doesn't give you the ability, just allows different uses for it if you happen to have it. Since I don't think it would allow a Fighter to use any of the 4 at-wills, and it doesn't explicitly say "a multiclass non-Fighter chooses two of these at-wills that would fit him/her", I think that's the only valid interpretation. This is, of course, only my opinion.

Another alternative is to interpret it as intending "an at-will attack". I am very leery of that one, though, that reading would be ripe for abuse.

 

[Kordeth]

A half-elf warlord who chooses a fighter at-will as his Dilettante ability could do this once per encounter, but otherwise, no, the warlord taking the swordmaster PP gains no benefit from this ability. Paragon paths aren't really designed with multiclassing in mind, which seems to be part of the design goal for multiclassing.

 

[Reaper Steve]

Maybe they should re-errata that swordmaster ability to read something like "you can use any 1st-level fighter at-will power you know instead of your melee basic attack."

Of course, that will open the door for a wider selection of powers to be used once more 1st-level at-wills appear (I'm looking at you, 'Martial Power.')

 

[Exen Trik]

Maybe they should re-errata that swordmaster ability to read something like "you can use any 1st-level fighter at-will power you know instead of your melee basic attack."

I'd say "any 1st level melee weapon at-will power that you know", why limit it to only fighter powers, when more interesting options available to certain builds? I can't see how it would be unbalancing.

 

[Stalker0]

By the book, the warlord couldn't use the ability. But that's not a very satisfying answer now is it

To me, this is pretty large flaw in the multiclassing system, because its the rule, not the exception. Multi classing allows you to pick the feats and paragon paths of your new class...but there are very few where its actually useful to do so.

The fighter feats for example requires combat challenge. The swordmaster PRC requires fighter at-wills. As others have mentioned, the warlock prcs are all useless to multiclassers, as they require warlock's curse.

So in this case, I would alter the paragon path to work with the warlord, perhaps letting him use one of his warlord at-wills with the ability.

 

[brehobit]

Maybe they should re-errata that swordmaster ability to read something like "you can use any 1st-level fighter at-will power you know instead of your melee basic attack."

I believe the errata allows any of the 4 at-will fighter powers in the PHB.

 

[ObsidianCrane]

Maybe the multiclassing rules shouldn't be seen in light of just the Paragon paths in PHB1.

Swordmaster works best if you have one of the PHB1 at will powers from some source. The charge power only works with the specified at-will attacks. The DM is of course free to hous rule it.