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The True Swordmage
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<blockquote data-quote="Marandahir" data-source="post: 7986495" data-attributes="member: 6803643"><p>Bladesingers were in 4e Essentials, too, and did something similar.</p><p></p><p>I go back and forth on what a Swordmage in 5e should be, and if it should be at all (rather than a range of subclasses fitting into different parents classes, each approaching the idea of Arcane Gish in a different way).</p><p></p><p>I think part of my issue with 5e Hexblade Blade-Pact Warlock as fitting the platonic idea of the 4e Swordmage is that pesky Charisma vs Intelligence difference. I think I'm also affected by the fact that Hexblades existed in 4e and felt very different from Swordmages, and also felt very similar to 5e Blade Pact Warlocks (and to 5e Hexblade Patron Warlocks especially).</p><p></p><p>Most of all, I feel like Sword+Mage is a rotten name, and completely narrow in focus and identity - I felt similar with Pact of the Blade Warlock and the term Hexblade and the term Bladesinger. Almost every Arcane Gish concept somehow includes Blade or Sword in its name (3.5e Duskblade is another example!).</p><p></p><p>I think it best to try to capture the platonic idea of the class, and then figure out what would fit underneath it. I think playing with the Arcane Aegis is a starting point, as is the important idea of Martial Weapons User + Arcane Magic User. Swordmages, for lack of a better word, are Arcanists who channel magic through their weapons, rather than hit and then cast, as you said above. I agree that the Paladin smite smells are a great idea, and the idea of giving a bunch of them to the Ranger spell list in UA speaks to the broader application of this class of spell casting. I think the Swordmage would need additional "Smite" type spells that do these things.</p><p></p><p>I think the subclasses can't be as simple as Aegis of Shielding vs Aegis of Assault vs Aegis of Ensnaring, though those builds in 4e are a good arrow in the direction of character concepts (teleporting front-lines warrior or arcane hunter). Shielding probably should be the standard Aegis power that all "Swordmages" get, just the basic application of the Aegis, as that is what Aegis means - the Defendery function.</p><p></p><p>I think a master-at-arms sort of Armamentalist, vs an Arcane Hunter vs a Jedi Knight sort of psionic arcane warrior vs a Lightsabery- radiant weapon wielding "Luminary" (literal and metaphorical) smart person are good concepts for subclasses. I'm not sure there are 10 concepts that fit clearly within this class chassis concept versus fitting better as Fighter, Artificer, Wizard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Bard, Rogue, Monk, etc subclasses, but I don't think it's a bad place to start thinking.</p><p></p><p>When I was brainstorming these ideas, one of my subclass ideas was an Iron Man or Gundam Fighter or Xenoblade Mechon/Skell-like power suit warrior. Then UA revealed the armorer Artificer, and I DOH'd so hard I almost hit my head - it was a far better fit as a type of martially-oriented Artificer than in my theoretical Swordmage chassis.</p><p></p><p>I still think there's room for a class where Arcane Magic is understood not as a bookish thing, nor as a Pact, nor even as innate, but something coming from bodily and martial discipline - where movement of weapon and casting of spell are one the same. The weapon and weave. It's almost more like a Kensei Monk, than anything, but I think the concept itself is just barely unique enough to be separate from the Monk chassis and its Ki. I also think it's separate from the Paladin's concept of magic, where regardless of Oath, the Paladin draws inner strength from their devotion to a platonic ideal, and how closely they align with and meet that ideal. Such a Swordmage might have codes in their Arcane Knightly Orders, but the codes don't make the magic.</p><p></p><p>I've thought a lot about the Knights Templar, and how perhaps they aren't Paladins so much as Secret Society Warriors. Arcane means secret, hidden. Perhaps these are a type of "Swordmage" bound in by initiation rites but not to profound or profane powers, but rather to arcane mysteries, martial practices, and bonds of fellowship with one another. Perhaps then a Templar might be a subclass of this "Swordmage" class, rather than fitting weirdly as a common-use parlance for a Paladin Oath yet-unseen.</p><p></p><p>I've been toying with calling this class the "Vanguard" - the Aegis protecting the front lines. I'm still unsure if it shouldn't just be a single, arcane-themed subclass of Ranger, though. I feel like it should be different, being Int and heavily arcane and not at all woodsy, but I'm having trouble tearing apart the platonic ideals of these two concepts.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marandahir, post: 7986495, member: 6803643"] Bladesingers were in 4e Essentials, too, and did something similar. I go back and forth on what a Swordmage in 5e should be, and if it should be at all (rather than a range of subclasses fitting into different parents classes, each approaching the idea of Arcane Gish in a different way). I think part of my issue with 5e Hexblade Blade-Pact Warlock as fitting the platonic idea of the 4e Swordmage is that pesky Charisma vs Intelligence difference. I think I'm also affected by the fact that Hexblades existed in 4e and felt very different from Swordmages, and also felt very similar to 5e Blade Pact Warlocks (and to 5e Hexblade Patron Warlocks especially). Most of all, I feel like Sword+Mage is a rotten name, and completely narrow in focus and identity - I felt similar with Pact of the Blade Warlock and the term Hexblade and the term Bladesinger. Almost every Arcane Gish concept somehow includes Blade or Sword in its name (3.5e Duskblade is another example!). I think it best to try to capture the platonic idea of the class, and then figure out what would fit underneath it. I think playing with the Arcane Aegis is a starting point, as is the important idea of Martial Weapons User + Arcane Magic User. Swordmages, for lack of a better word, are Arcanists who channel magic through their weapons, rather than hit and then cast, as you said above. I agree that the Paladin smite smells are a great idea, and the idea of giving a bunch of them to the Ranger spell list in UA speaks to the broader application of this class of spell casting. I think the Swordmage would need additional "Smite" type spells that do these things. I think the subclasses can't be as simple as Aegis of Shielding vs Aegis of Assault vs Aegis of Ensnaring, though those builds in 4e are a good arrow in the direction of character concepts (teleporting front-lines warrior or arcane hunter). Shielding probably should be the standard Aegis power that all "Swordmages" get, just the basic application of the Aegis, as that is what Aegis means - the Defendery function. I think a master-at-arms sort of Armamentalist, vs an Arcane Hunter vs a Jedi Knight sort of psionic arcane warrior vs a Lightsabery- radiant weapon wielding "Luminary" (literal and metaphorical) smart person are good concepts for subclasses. I'm not sure there are 10 concepts that fit clearly within this class chassis concept versus fitting better as Fighter, Artificer, Wizard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Bard, Rogue, Monk, etc subclasses, but I don't think it's a bad place to start thinking. When I was brainstorming these ideas, one of my subclass ideas was an Iron Man or Gundam Fighter or Xenoblade Mechon/Skell-like power suit warrior. Then UA revealed the armorer Artificer, and I DOH'd so hard I almost hit my head - it was a far better fit as a type of martially-oriented Artificer than in my theoretical Swordmage chassis. I still think there's room for a class where Arcane Magic is understood not as a bookish thing, nor as a Pact, nor even as innate, but something coming from bodily and martial discipline - where movement of weapon and casting of spell are one the same. The weapon and weave. It's almost more like a Kensei Monk, than anything, but I think the concept itself is just barely unique enough to be separate from the Monk chassis and its Ki. I also think it's separate from the Paladin's concept of magic, where regardless of Oath, the Paladin draws inner strength from their devotion to a platonic ideal, and how closely they align with and meet that ideal. Such a Swordmage might have codes in their Arcane Knightly Orders, but the codes don't make the magic. I've thought a lot about the Knights Templar, and how perhaps they aren't Paladins so much as Secret Society Warriors. Arcane means secret, hidden. Perhaps these are a type of "Swordmage" bound in by initiation rites but not to profound or profane powers, but rather to arcane mysteries, martial practices, and bonds of fellowship with one another. Perhaps then a Templar might be a subclass of this "Swordmage" class, rather than fitting weirdly as a common-use parlance for a Paladin Oath yet-unseen. I've been toying with calling this class the "Vanguard" - the Aegis protecting the front lines. I'm still unsure if it shouldn't just be a single, arcane-themed subclass of Ranger, though. I feel like it should be different, being Int and heavily arcane and not at all woodsy, but I'm having trouble tearing apart the platonic ideals of these two concepts. [/QUOTE]
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