D&D General why do we not have an arcane half caster?

[jmartkdr2]

I'd suggest defaulting to medium armor proficiency and add options for heavy armor and/or unarmored defense. These could come from subclasses, or they could come form some separate customization option (something like invocations, but for combat stuff.)

In fact, since you need to be able to customize both the magic style and weapon/armor style a bit, I'd say you'll need something like the Warlock's Pact Boons (at least) to get the variety need to make the Janissary cover the whole niche.

If not two distinct subclasses, though that might be pushing it.

 

[Undrave]

I'd suggest defaulting to medium armor proficiency and add options for heavy armor and/or unarmored defense. These could come from subclasses, or they could come form some separate customization option (something like invocations, but for combat stuff.)

In fact, since you need to be able to customize both the magic style and weapon/armor style a bit, I'd say you'll need something like the Warlock's Pact Boons (at least) to get the variety need to make the Janissary cover the whole niche.

If not two distinct subclasses, though that might be pushing it.

I can see the Martial stuff be customization options (Fighting styles, including new ones?) and the type of Magic be the subclass? With its own 'Domain' spell list?

 

[TwoSix]

I can see the Martial stuff be customization options (Fighting styles, including new ones?) and the type of Magic be the subclass? With its own 'Domain' spell list?

I've seen homebrew that takes that approach (the Sterling Vermin Magus comes to mind). I think it's a strong approach.

 

[fearsomepirate]

OK, here's a sketch. I'm templating this on the 5e half-casters, using the 4e Swordmage as a guide. It's not complete but I think this outline should work.

You meld magic and swordplay together to become a bulwark of the party. You're also some weird purple spiky thing who dresses more for Better Dommes & Gardens than D&D, but ya know how this game can be.

Caster progression: 1/2
Armor proficiencies: Light, Medium.
Weapon proficiencies: Simple melee, swords of all kinds
Casting focus: Your sword
Weapon bond: (See Eldritch Knight)
ASI schedule: Same as a Paladin.
Aegis: recharges on a short rest

Level 1: If you are not using a shield, add 1/2 your INT bonus to AC, rounded up (maybe this should just be your INT bonus?). Gain 2 Wizard cantrips of your choice.

Level 2: Choose Two-Weapon, Great Weapon, Armored, or Duelist fighting style. Get your spell slots. You start with 3 wizard spells known.

You gain the Arcane Defense ability. When you take non-physical damage, as a reaction, you can expend a spell slot, reducing the damage by 2d8 with an L1 slot, and +1d8 for each slot above that.

Level 3: Choose your Discipline. A Discipline adds an Aegis option and hits you with some extra Spells Known, same progression as a Paladin Oath.
Level 5: Extra Attack
Level 6: You can substitute a wizard cantrip for one weapon attack.
Leve 10: You can substitute a a wizard spell for one weapon attack.
Level 11: After a long rest, choose one fire/cold/poison/acid/lightning. You do +1d8 damage with that element when you make a melee weapon attack.

==== Discipline of Whatever ====
Aegis of Assault (bonus action):
Choose an enemy. For the next minute, whenever that enemy attacks somebody other than you, you can teleport up to 30' as a reaction and make a melee weapon attack.

Aegis of Shielding (bonus action):
Choose an enemy. For the next minute, whenever that enemy hits somebody other than you, you can use your reaction to interpose a magical barrier of force, reducing the damage dealt by the attack by 1/2. This includes any poison or whatever, no loopholes.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I definitely don't think it should be limited to swords only. One of the main things I dislike is restricting players to one tiny vision of how they have to play the class, rather than how the player wants to build their character.

 

[jmartkdr2]

OK, here's a sketch. I'm templating this on the 5e half-casters, using the 4e Swordmage as a guide. It's not complete but I think this outline should work.

You meld magic and swordplay together to become a bulwark of the party. You're also some weird purple spiky thing who dresses more for Better Dommes & Gardens than D&D, but ya know how this game can be.

Caster progression: 1/2
Armor proficiencies: Light, Medium. No shields.
Weapon proficiencies: Simple melee, swords of all kinds
Casting focus: Your sword
Weapon bond: (See Eldritch Knight)
ASI schedule: Same as a Paladin.
Aegis: recharges on a short rest

Level 1: If you are not using a shield, add 1/2 your INT bonus to AC, rounded up (maybe this should just be your INT bonus?). Gain 2 Wizard cantrips of your choice.

Level 2: Choose Two-Weapon, Great Weapon, Armored, or Duelist fighting style. Get your spell slots. You start with 3 wizard spells known.

You gain the Arcane Defense ability. When you take non-physical damage, as a reaction, you can expend a spell slot, reducing the damage by 2d8 with an L1 slot, and +1d8 for each slot above that.

Level 3: Choose your Discipline. A Discipline adds an Aegis option and hits you with some extra Spells Known, same progression as a Paladin Oath.
Level 5: Extra Attack
Level 6: You can substitute a wizard cantrip for one weapon attack.
Leve 10: You can substitute a a wizard spell for one weapon attack.
Level 11: After a long rest, choose one fire/cold/poison/acid/lightning. You do +1d8 damage with that element when you make a melee weapon attack.

==== Discipline of Whatever ====
Aegis of Assault (bonus action):
Choose an enemy. For the next minute, whenever that enemy attacks somebody other than you, you can teleport up to 30' as a reaction and make a melee weapon attack.

Aegis of Shielding (bonus action):
Choose an enemy. For the next minute, whenever that enemy hits somebody other than you, you can use your reaction to interpose a magical barrier of force, reducing the damage dealt by the attack by 1/2. This includes any poison or whatever, no loopholes.

This really locks you in to a very specific take on the idea - unarmored, sword-only.

Also, don't use the wizard spell list. That's why the EK never worked in the first place: wizard spells are designed to let you play like a wizard, not a gish.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Without armor proficiency, Swordmage is going to pretty MAD. Rather than fiddle with conditional buffs the way 4e did, I'd just use existing classes as a template. There's the monk/barbarian way, or just give him better armor. What are you doing about Aegis? Given what it did in 4e and the power level of 5e, seems like it should work something like Channel Divinity as a short rest power.

I disagree. They need to be a bit different. Originally, they calculated AC as 13+Int, and were allowed to use shields. That still leaves them needing a good attack stat and Con, but leaves them able to more freely use Strength or Dex for attack.

+Int to AC while lightly armored or unarmored, and/or +1 to AC with a free hand, is basically an advanced fighting style.

For the Aegis, I’m basically ignoring precedent. It’s your magical AC calculation, and you can use a reaction to take half damage from elemental damage sources, and can spend 1 Aether as part of that reaction to gain a damage buff on your next attack when you do so.

 

[fearsomepirate]

This really locks you in to a very specific take on the idea - unarmored, sword-only.

Well, it's literally called "swordmage," and where are you getting "unarmored" from? I gave it both light & medium armor, and an INT bonus to AC.

Also, don't use the wizard spell list. That's why the EK never worked in the first place: wizard spells are designed to let you play like a wizard, not a gish.

It's not a 1/2 arcane caster if it doesn't have access to the arcane spell list. EK is a great subclass. It works just fine if you choose the right spells.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Well, it's literally called "swordmage,"

Even so, there are lots of great visuals and themes using other weapons, and swords are ridiculously overplayed.

Fighter's, EK's, Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians, none of these are limited in the weapons they can technically use (even if there is some clear favoritism going on in Paladins and Rangers) and so if this class is meant to stand with the other martials, it needs to be able to use axes, hammers, spears, bows, ect.

I'd love to play a character with a whip of fire. A bow that shoots shards of ice. A spear that creates spikes of stone. An axe that sends waves of cutting air. These are all things that, visually, a magical warrior should be okay doing. Not just using swords.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Just to go on a mini-rant for a second.

Got to DnD Beyond and search for magic weapons and you will find that there are about 106 unique magical weapon entries.

Of those entries, the number that are specifically a sword (Rapier, Longsword, Shortsword, Scimitar, or Greatsword) is 39. That is literally over 1/3 of all magic weapons in the game. Doing filter searches, no other category of weapon even breaks 20.

Meaning, including the generic "it must be a weapon" items, there are less than 20 axes (greataxe, handaxe, battleaxe) less than twenty hammers (light hammer, warhammer, maul) less than 20 spears, less than 20 bows. Ect.

And look, I get it. Swords are cool. But can we not focus on yet more classes that exclusively use swords? We've got plenty of those