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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6321790" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Actually 4e accomplishes the archetype extremely well in 3 different iterations.  Well, only 2 if you say the Hexblade is a Fighter/Warlock (which it is).  But if you mean Fighter/Magic-User then he would count.  Both the Swordmage and the Bladesinger are legitimate Fighter/Wizards, each very different in their suite of abilities and specialty, and they both perform quite well in their respective roles.  The main problem in past editions is the incoherency of design, the lack of focus which leads to a sort of monk-like "does a bunch of stuff but none of it well."  They eschew an outcome-based-design for an organic approach.  Unfortunately, you can't make a functional crossover vehicle by just throwing together the chassis and turbocharged v8 of a Ferrari and the suspension and gearbox of an SUV and just hope for the best.  In the same way, you can't just bring together the disparate features/abilities of the F and the M-U and expect something competitively proficient (at any job really) to emerge.  In order for an F/M-U to function, there needs to be a clear and transparent focus of "what exactly is this guy  trying to do" and there needs to be a bridge that synthesizes the divergent F and  MU power sets/features which ultimately gives life to that focus.  Do those things, and make whatever bridge that synthesizes the roles actually interesting/tactically engaging in play, and that output can be pretty nifty.  Come to think of it, the Skald (Essentials Bard) probably serves as yet another coherent iteration of an F/M-U.  And if we're good with an M-U being any kind of magic, then of course the Warden and Paladin are in play.  Heck, front-line combatants mixing martial and magic also includes the Barbarian/Essentials Scout (both primal magic), and the Avenger/Paladin/Warpriest (Divine).  Even a melee burst/blast Dragon Sorcerer fits the bill (and well).  Regardless of how you classify it, each and every one of those classes have a very specific design focus and a suite of class feature/abilities/powers that directly work toward accomplishing it.  The 5e Fighter is supposed to have an Eldritch Knight subclass.  I'll be curious if its an organic mush of "stuff that doesn't lead to a coherent whole" or an actually focused subclass.</blockquote>

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