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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Frozen_Heart" data-source="post: 8199969" data-attributes="member: 7029687">I can't believe I made an account just for this topic, but as I'm extremely invested and desperately want a 'swordmage' arcane half caster, here I am...I've got to say I completely agree with Defcon here. Swordmage type classes have always lacked any thematic identity beyond 'person who can cast and hit', which is one of the reasons they never stick in the collective consciousness. Everyone knows that the rough concept should have something, but the result are disjointed attempts like eldritch knight, which always fail to live up to what people are asking for mechanically, even if the theme is correct.What is always missed is people don't want half a wizard one turn, then half a fighter the next turn. They want a class which can set their sword on fire (or other elemental effects), and smack things with it. Yeah in 5e the paladin can do this, but it's got so much thematic and divine baggage that the people wanting a swordmage won't touch it.So we're in this weird position where both the mechanics and the theme are in 5e, but on two completely separate classes.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I've got to say I like the witcher monster hunter thematic ideas, but the issue there is you're fighting ranger for that thematic niche.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mage hunter is nice as an identity, as the mechanics of prior edition versions of the class hint towards it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">One idea for the identity of the class I've always had is one who gathers and 'confiscates' arcane lore and artefacts deemed too dangerous to exist out in the world.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The old kingdom book series also has an extremely good 'swordmage' type main characters, some acting to keep the dead down, while others act as seers. They're heavily based around a type of magic using runes.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Other themes could also be brought under the banner of arcane half caster. Such as elemental themed planeswalker swordmages (genasi really suit the theme), or death/blood knights who go for an more undead/vampiric/lich type feel.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Magic enforcers or knights, guarding powerful individuals or artefacts (or enforcing their will) is another one I keep seeing pop up.</li> </ul>- Most of these concepts seem to point towards individuals who go out and use a mixture of magic and martial abilities to combat threat beyond which normal people can deal with, whether it's dangerous monsters, magical artefacts and lore, power hungry mages, extraplanar threats, or rising dead. Imo there is definitely some potential to start weaving together a class identity around those, while mechanically its identity can be around the spellstriking type abilities which the prior versions of the class are so well known for.</blockquote>

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