Swordmages and half-orcs hit the streets!

[igotsmeakabob!!]

I think the only way people would claim that the Swordmage is not a gish, is if they aren't familiar with the term as it is normally used, say, on the D&D boards. How is the Swordmage not gish? A gish is a character that uses martial skill and arcane prowess together in battle. Whether he shoots a fireball then swings his sword, or enhances himself with blur, bull's strength, haste, wraithstrike etc. and attacks. One of the more popular gish are the tankers and skirmishers, the ones who use magic to enhance their melee abilities.
The swordmage is an arcane-based warrior. He attacks with an ensorcelled blade and protects himself with magical wards. What about that is not gish?

Because he doesn't get ranged spells he isn't a mage? He teleports people, shoots lightning and acid from his blade.. whats the problem? He just uses his blade as a focus, unlike other mage's orbs, wands and staves.

A gish uses magic and arms together. The Swordmage seems to be a decent gish.

edit: I'm sorry, he actually DOES get ranged spells. Lightning bolt daily, nice.

edit: In the end though, I suppose it depends on a person's own definition of the term.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I have herd that the basic orgion of swordmages is that Warwizards of cormyre trained with Purple Dragon knights to supplament their lack of spells after the spell plauge.


So I think they should have wizard like dailys to show their spell caster roots.

 

[Fedifensor]

What armor was he wearing? Cloth? Leather?

Heavy fighter + shield is 18 - 19 AC, so with Int-mod of +3 applied two times he need at least leather armor to get to the scale + light shield AC or hide armor to get to the scale + heavy shield AC.

The dwarf swordmage had AC 20 at 3rd level with a 16 Int, wearing +1 surge leather armor (daily: gain +2 power bonus to all attack rolls and defenses, this bonus is reduced by 1 at the start of each of your turns). He also had a +1 defending longsword (when you take the total defense or second wind action, add the enhancement bonus of this weapon as an item bonus to all of your defenses until the start of your next turn). With a combination of his base AC and item abilities, he could get his AC quite high.

So, leather is +2, enhancement bonus is +1, Int mod is +3, swordmage warding is +3, level mod is +1, for a total of +10. 10+10=20.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The dwarf swordmage had AC 20 at 3rd level with a 16 Int, wearing +1 surge leather armor (daily: gain +2 power bonus to all attack rolls and defenses, this bonus is reduced by 1 at the start of each of your turns). He also had a +1 defending longsword (when you take the total defense or second wind action, add the enhancement bonus of this weapon as an item bonus to all of your defenses until the start of your next turn). With a combination of his base AC and item abilities, he could get his AC quite high.

So, leather is +2, enhancement bonus is +1, Int mod is +3, swordmage warding is +3, level mod is +1, for a total of +10. 10+10=20.

Wow...is the defending sword in the phb? I don't remember it

 

[DemonLord57]

Wow...is the defending sword in the phb? I don't remember it

No, it's probably going to be in Tome of Treasures or Martial Power.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

His AC was equivalent to a fighter in heavy armor with a shield, and he went on Total Defense at least once to hold a choke point. My take is that a swordmage is better defending against a single tough target, while a fighter is the better choice when defending against several targets. The swordmage also has a few AoE powers to go on the attack against small groups of foes.

We figured that out as well in our demo game. The Mark a Swordmage puts on it's chosen target is really, really effective.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We figured that out as well in our demo game. The Mark a Swordmage puts on it's chosen target is really, really effective.

do any of you that played in a game still have the sheet? if so any chance of seeing a scan? I would love to taake a look at the whole thing

 

[eleran]

Smart people do stupid things all the time.

They're called managers.

 

[AntlerDruid]

Anyone know what trained skills they had for the swordmage?

 

[Knight_Errant]

they're called managers.

win!