D&D 5E (+) The Athamir, or The Swordmage as The Ritual Blade

[doctorbadwolf]

So, what I've landed on for the "swordmage" or "light mobile gish" class for 5e, is either the word Athame, or a close variant meant to denote "the idea of the ritual or ceremonial blade, as a title for a person". The concept then clarifies into the following;

The (eg Athamir ) is a member of a mystical or esoteric tradition or order, specifically one who takes on the role of being the "ritual dagger" in the metaphorical "hand" of the order or tradition. A divine assassin member of the class might consider themselves "the blade in the left hand of God", while a less stealthy individual might think of themselves as the sword in the right hand, standing alongside the shield, represented by someone like a Paladin or heavy Fighter.

Essentially, the name speaks to the idea that they have forged themselves into a weapon that is a synthesis of martial and mystical properties.

And yes, the esoteric BS nature of the above is intentional. It's very nearly the point of the class.

In terms of mechanics, this is a class that operates on a similar paradigm to the Monk, but is explicitly a spellcaster, and has abilities which combine martial manuevers with arcane effects. I've changed all of the "here is a monk feature, renamed" abilities of my previous attempt into abilities that are more unique and "concept-forward" for the class identity.

I'd love some feedback, though I've made this a plus thread to hopefully avoid unhelpful feedback, such as "dnd doesn't need this", or "the hexblade is a gish" or "your ideas are bad and you should feel bad", or worst of all, "we should be reducing classes not increasing them".

Mechanical principles in action: The class is comprised of the following key elements:

• Aegis. This is the fundemental defensive feature of the class, which is active as long as you are concious. It starts out as just an AC calculation, but comes to include all the base class defensive features, more or less.
• Dweomer Weapon. This is a weapon that you bond to yourself and through it bind power to yourself, it is a spellcasting focus as well as a weapon, and gains the thrown property is it is a melee weapon without that property, gains either a range of 30/60 or increases it's range by the same amount, and loses the loading property if it normally has that. When thrown, it returns to your hand. This also gains upgrades in the base class as wellas in some subclasses.
• Aether. This fuels the Aether Strike, which is a scaling spell attack that can be it's own attack or add on to a weapon attack. It also fuels your spellcasting and esoteric techniques.
• Manual Esoterica. This is your spellbook and martial manual of fighting techniques, in one book. You have spells known, but gain new spells like a wizard. You need your book to perform rituals (though I need to clarify that in the feature), and to learn new techniques, aegis forms, and spells. Your spellcasting is similar to a known spells version of the artificer, but with spell learning like a wizard, so half-caster round up, and gained at level 1. You gain 1 new spell every level (half of what wizards get), and get new esoteric techniques only a few levels, and only automatically get the basic aegis that others layer on top of, and any gained via subclass. Everything else you have to go find, get trained in, or invent/research.
  • Spellcasting costs 1 aether per spell level, and most esoteric techniques are at a level 1 basis with upcasting. All upcasting is limited to the level of spelll you can currently learn, so that the Esoteric Technique Level on the class table shows both what level of spell you can learn, and how many aether you can spend on a given ability at a given level.

The entire class is built on those 4 concepts.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Aegis of Protection: Only allows substituting Int for Dex, even though you could use either Int or Wis as spellcasting ability?

From power level I'd guess that aether is recovered on a Long Rest, but I didn't see it stated anywhere.

The starting equipment isn't clear that the book you start with is your Manual Esoterica.

As written, the class runs off a "spells known" mechanic, with the spellbook not necessary to memorise spells from?
Likewise you can't learn new spells from scrolls to know, just to inscribe into your manual and use as rituals?

Elemental Strikes: Should it read Dweomer Weapons rather than Aether weapons?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Aegis of Protection: Only allows substituting Int for Dex, even though you could use either Int or Wis as spellcasting ability?

It should read “Spellcasting ability modifier” in any place where it currently reads “intelligence”.

From power level I'd guess that aether is recovered on a Long Rest, but I didn't see it stated anywhere.

I may have accidentally cut the line about recovering Aether during the last revision, but it is the idea that you have the same amount as a monk has ki, and can recover your Aether with a ten minute ritual which can be done by itself or as part of a short rest, PB times per day.

If that ends up being too powerful, and a revision of the spell list doesn’t fix that, then the recovery ritual would only give you a portion of spent Aether.

The starting equipment isn't clear that the book you start with is your Manual Esoterica.

Good catch.

As written, the class runs off a "spells known" mechanic, with the spellbook not necessary to memorise spells from?

The spellbook is necessary to learn spells in play, as well as techniques and aegis forms, but is only required to cast rituals.

Likewise you can't learn new spells from scrolls to know, just to inscribe into your manual and use as rituals?

That isn’t the intention, no. You should be able to learn spells in all the same ways a wizard can, or by being trained by someone who has mastered it, or by using the home brewed spell research downtime activity that will be available to most spellcasters.

Elemental Strikes: Should it read Dweomer Weapons rather than Aether weapons?

Yes.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

It sounds like your culturally appropriating a Wiccan word.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It sounds like your culturally appropriating a Wiccan word.

No.

Wiccans neither invented the term, nor have they ever been the only people using it, nor is Wicca a culture. The term comes from the lesser key of Solomon, by way of the Order of The Golden Dawn and Alistair Crowley.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So, there is a lot of information in the top post. let's break it down a bit.

Here is an optional esoteric technique.

"#### Dweomer Mark


When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you mark the target of the attack as a bonus action with this technique. The mark last for 1 minute or until you mark another creature. As long as the marked creature is within 30ft of you and you can see them, when they target a creature that is friendly to you with an attack, you can teleport to up to 30ft to a space within 5ft of the attacker, and make a single weapon attack against them, as a reaction."

Now, what I like about it is that it provides a punishment for doing what you don't want it to do, and it is very magical. It could probably stand to deal damage equal to your aether die, or something, but otherwise I think it's good.

Perhaps marking a target should be a basic technique, with a subtle feature like being able to reduce damage when your marked target deals damage? Compelled Duel is a level 1 spell that is currently on the swordmage list, maybe something like it could be a basic technique, which marks the target and gives them disad on attacks that don't include you. Then there are optional techniques that target a creature marked by you?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Another topic is subclasses, or in this case, the Esoteric Orders.

In the document attached to the OP, I detail the Aegis of The Four Winds. This is basically the classic elemental aegis swordmage. You even get to combine multiple aegis forms at later levels, and eventually enter the avatar state and use all four elemental aegis forms at once. You also learn some additional spells, like Absorb Elements and Chromatic Orb. I figure later you would learn summon elemental spirit or whatever from tasha's?

Another Order concept I have is the Order of The White Lotus, which is a very swordplay focused order. The most flashy magic thing it would get is a high level ability to create a mirror of the Athame to fight beside them, similar to a tasha's summon spell. Well, or there might be a different order that focuses on that ability.

Either way, the focus of the White Lotus would be passive bonuses to speed, accuracy, critical chance, critical damage, etc. They might get some battlemaster manuevers instead of bonus spells known, alternatively. One way or another, they are just really excellent weaponmasters.

The Order of The Goetic Circle would be the most ritualist, most scholarly, most outwardly magical, Order. Probably specializing in one handed weapons with a wand, rod, staff, or their manual, in their other hand as a magical focus, with different passive benefits depending on your choice of impliment. (This idea might instead be a Wizard subclass, but I can see both living in the same product)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Okay I’m adjusting things a bit.

A basic thing, now, is that you have two at-will attack boosters that take a bonus action, rather than one. one is just making an Aether strike.

The other is marking the target, and gaining extra damage against it once per turn equal to an Aether die. Something like that.

Any thoughts on what an at-will mark ability could do? Add Aether damage to your next attack before the end of your next turn against the marked creature if it has hit or missed a creature you can see? Isn’t that what the DMG optional mark ability does?


Anyway, then Aegis brand becomes “when you mark a creature, spend 1 Aether as a bonus action and it gains disad against creatures other than you, and you can deal proficiency mod damage to it once per turn.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I may have accidentally cut the line about recovering Aether during the last revision, but it is the idea that you have the same amount as a monk has ki, and can recover your Aether with a ten minute ritual which can be done by itself or as part of a short rest, PB times per day.

If that ends up being too powerful, and a revision of the spell list doesn’t fix that, then the recovery ritual would only give you a portion of spent Aether.

OK. So 1 Aether is equivalent to 2 spell points at first level, although the conversion reduces a bit after that. Means a 1st level Athame gets as many spells as a full casting class.
That would also mean that a level 9 Athame could cast more level 3 spells than a spell-point-based pure caster, and a level 20 Athame could cast more 5th level spells than the level 20 full caster.

The spellbook is necessary to learn spells in play, as well as techniques and aegis forms, but is only required to cast rituals.

That isn’t the intention, no. You should be able to learn spells in all the same ways a wizard can, or by being trained by someone who has mastered it, or by using the home brewed spell research downtime activity that will be available to most spellcasters.

Yep. It looks like there are bits from two different classes pasted in there. You may need to do some integration and add a bit similar to the wizard about memorising spells from the Manual, and how many the Athame can have memorised compared to how many they get to add to their book.

Would it be worth changing the damage type of the Aegis of Earth to Bludgeoning?
That would free up Force damage for a different School.

Bonus spells for Aegis of Fire: Unsure what the second one is.
Flameblade is a very poor spell for the class - Remember you take an action to make a melee spell attack: you don't get Extra Attack or any bonuses to weapon attacks, and you're not going to be upcasting it effectively.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

OK. So 1 Aether is equivalent to 2 spell points at first level, although the conversion reduces a bit after that. Means a 1st level Athame gets as many spells as a full casting class.
That would also mean that a level 9 Athame could cast more level 3 spells than a spell-point-based pure caster, and a level 20 Athame could cast more 5th level spells than the level 20 full caster.

Costing spells differently feels completely wrong in play, however, so if soemthing has to give, it’s something other than the Aether cost of spells.

Yep. It looks like there are bits from two different classes pasted in there. You may need to do some integration and add a bit similar to the wizard about memorising spells from the Manual, and how many the Athame can have memorised compared to how many they get to add to their book.

The idea right now is that you don’t prepare spells, you know them. It may not end up working long term, but I’m going to playtest it this way.

Would it be worth changing the damage type of the Aegis of Earth to Bludgeoning?
That would free up Force damage for a different School.

Might be.

Bonus spells for Aegis of Fire: Unsure what the second one is.
Flameblade is a very poor spell for the class - Remember you take an action to make a melee spell attack: you don't get Extra Attack or any bonuses to weapon attacks, and you're not going to be upcasting it effectively.

Yeah that one is a placeholder mostly.