D&D (2024) How should the Swordmage be implemented in 1DnD?

[Corinnguard]

There is a 3pp book called The Korranberg Chronicle: Adventurer’s Almanac that has a Swordmage class in it. I’m not really into Swordmages, but maybe it’s up someone else’s alley?

I am more a fan of Laser Llama's Magus class. https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-Mslo6ktmq1Yg5WTSjDQ I especially like it's Aegis feature.

Aegis​

At 6th level, you learn to conjure an Aegis, a barrier of arcane power to disrupt magical assaults. If you take damage from a spell or a magical effect, you can use a reaction to reduce the damage by 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier. If you reduce the damage of an instantaneous spell or effect to 0, it is instantly dispelled and has no effect on you or any of its other targets.

For example, if you reduced the damage of a fireball spell to 0, the fireball is dispelled. But, if you reduce the damage of a bolt from call lightning to 0, only that bolt is dispelled.

As part of this reaction, you can expend one spell slot and further reduce the damage by an additional 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus another 1d8 for each spell level above 1st, to a maximum of 6d8 (a total of 7d8 + your Intelligence modifier).

This is a very handy feature to have around when dealing with Area-of-Effect spells.

 

[steeldragons]

The Swordmage (as working title for the thread) is a class all its own. From Basic's "Elf" class to the massively popular "Fighter/Magic-user" multiclass of 1e, the guy who uses weapons, can wear at least some armors, and casts spells is really all the class is meant to/needs to be.

A few individual class features and/or class-specific mechanic to justify the "class of its own" seem a no-brainer. "Use your spell slots to:

• 1st level: Spell Strike: automatically imbuing your weapon strikes with spell energy. Default/begin with "force" damage, add/choose different elemental damages as levels increase, damage bonus increases with level or "d6 per slot used." Alternately, instead of "charging up" your weapon, you can use the magic to fire a bolt of <insert energy damage type>up to 50' away (ranged attack)
• 3rd level: Spell Shield: a reactive magic mini-"shield" to cancel an attempted attack (buckler style, 1 attack to start, more attacks as you level up or cancel 1 melee attack per round per slot level used (max 3?).
• 5th level: Arcane Armor: increase your AC via an innate "Mage Armor" power (increase AC +4 for spell slot # rounds) or manifest a 5' diameter "Shield" to block specific energy or physical attacks.
• 7th level: Sorcerer's Step: use a spell slot to "bamf" yourself around a battlefield, 20' and 1 "bamf" per slot level.

Subclass variants for psychic powers or nature/druidic magic, instead of arcane spells.

 

[Yaarel]

Ngl I do find it odd how so many people seem to dislike the idea of half casters. There are endless people wanting ranger to be a pure martial, while I also see people saying artificer should be full martial inventor, or full caster, on a regular basis. Less common, but I've seen it a few times is people wanting pure martial paladin.

And in swordmage threads, wanting it to be a full caster seems to be pretty common too.

Half casters are my favorite class types, so it's always seemed odd to me how people seem to dislike the concept.

The problem with D&D half-casters is mechanics. They become worthless at high tiers because they are unable to keep up with the full martial or full caster. As if only half as good as either, or half the level of either. It is the same problem as the 3e Bard − ultimately it was incompetent at everything − even to the point of being a running joke and a meme.

The 5e Warlock is the closest thing that 5e has to a versatile caster. It has fewer slots at a time compared to the Wizard chassis, but it is a full caster because it casts the appropriate slots for its tier level. The Warlock is competent fullcaster caster. And the Warlock chassis much more balanced than the Wizard chassis that the other full casters use. There are fewer spells at a time to nova. So the Warlock casting is a less swingy design, and compares better alongside martials.

 

[cbwjm]

Neither the paladin nor the ranger are worthless at high levels...

 

[tetrasodium]

\the Warlock chassis much more balanced than the Wizard chassis that the other full casters use.

You have a strange definition of "balance". There's a nice breakdown on I'm dry, letstakeashortrest

Spoiler: here

 

[Corinnguard]

Why do they need to keep up with the full martial or full caster? Half-casters are trying to be their own thing. They aren't trying to be a full martial and they aren't trying to be a full caster. They are trying to learn the ways of both the martial and the caster.

As for the game mechanics, you do realize that there aren't that many high-level campaigns where a Half-caster's abilities could become worthless. I say could because I can imagine a player finding creative ways to keep their character's abilities relevant.

 

[Yaarel]

Currently, Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Bard, and Sorcerer all use the Wizard chassis for spellcasting.

What if: Warlock, Psion, Swordmage, Fighter-Magicuser, and Warlord all use the Warlock chassis for spell casting.

In the context of the Warlord, the "spells" are Per-Rest nonmagical martial "exploits" that use the spell format with the "Martial" spell school. Of course, these Martial exploits are nonmagical and cant be negated by antimagic effects. These Warlord exploits are normal "per short rest" exertions, or at-will "maneuvers" (cantrips). Meanwhile the "stances" are the Invocation design space that supplies various class features to choose from. A player can pick certain Stances to be a "Lazy Lord" Tactician who grants extra attacks to teammates and other buffs them, a "Medic" Inspirer to coach intangible hit points plus first aid triage and bandaging to deal with physical wounds when downed at zero hit points, as well as the Stances offering other class features to choose from. The high tier nonmagical equivalent of the Invocation design space may or may not be "per long rest" for the Warlord, and might be high tier Legendary stances, but whose power and effectiveness are equivalent to the highest slot spells.

In the context of the Psion, the spells are spells, but Innate. LaserLlama and KibblesTasty have popular Psion classes that use the Warlock while converting the Warlock slots into spell points − successfully. Both have excellent reputations and widespread usage at D&D tables. I prefer the design by LaserLlama for its straightforward choices and points that are more on par with other casters. Those whose tastes prefer "fiddly" might prefer the KibblesTasty design. Both class designs are solid.

I suppose the Fighter-Magicuser is what the 5e Eldritch Knight should have been. The name "Fighter-Magicuser" is a working placeholder. This flavor is the old school (High) Elf combat tradition that multiclasses in both magical wizardry and nonmagical martialism. Other cultures like the Githyanki "Gish" are also known for this class. Where the 2014 Eldritch Knight is incompetent at both spell casting and at damage dealing, this Fighter-Magicuser class uses the Warlock chassis but has fewer spell slots. The slots still advance to the same slot levels as a full caster. The slots that are missing have nonmagical Martial features instead. It is something like a "Blade Lock" multiclassing with a Fighter. It has only one Arcanum slot that can be used for spells of slot levels 6 thru 9, while any of these spells automatically augments to the slot level of Arcanum slot that upcasts it.

The difference between Swordmage and Fighter-Magicuser is, the Swordmage is truly a mage and is a full caster. The Fighter-Magicuser is a partial caster who is competent at both martial and casting, the casting is high tier but less frequent.

 

[Yaarel]

You have a strange definition of "balance". There's a nice breakdown on I'm dry, letstakeashortrest

Spoiler: here

I havent looked at the video yet.

In principle, if the Bladelock is dealing massive damage because of burning out in a nova, that is ok. If it is dealing extreme damage during every encounter, that isnt ok. The Fighter class should be the standard for what pure reliable heavy damage looks like. Other classes should refer to it when comparing reliable damage statistics. If the Bladelock is the magical equivalent of the reliable Fighter thus lacking other signficant combat spell effects, that is probably ok.

Probably the "Hexblade" "Bladelock" is the closest thing that 5e has to a functional Fighter-Magicuser.

Why do they need to keep up with the full martial or full caster? Half-casters are trying to be their own thing. They aren't trying to be a full martial and they aren't trying to be a full caster. They are trying to learn the ways of both the martial and the caster.

As for the game mechanics, you do realize that there aren't that many high-level campaigns where a Half-caster's abilities could become worthless. I say could because I can imagine a player finding creative ways to keep their character's abilities relevant.

It sucks when the Half concept sucks and is half-asked at everything. It must be able to stay par at the highest tiers. Simply cutting competency in half is an extremely poor design. The features dont "add" up together. The features must OPERATE at the appropriate tier.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

The limited options for Smite spells was one of the first things I tried to rectify with homebrew and 3pp in regards to the disparity of spell types.

I also tend to allow Bladesingers, Hexblades, Eldritch Knights, Rangers and Battlesmith Artificers to gain access to certain smite spells that fit their theme. I know some people don’t like it when other classes get access to something unique to a single class, but despite these spells having Smite in the name, they mechanically fit the gish theme very well in my opinion.

I absolutely hate how 1DnD has doubled down on those being only paladin spells, inaccessible even via feats.

 

[tetrasodium]

In principle, if the Bladelock is dealing massive damage because of burning out in a nova, that is ok. If it is dealing extreme damage during every encounter, that isnt ok. The Fighter class should be the standard for what pure reliable heavy damage looks like. Other classes should refer to it for reliable damage. If the Bladelock is the magical equivalent of the Fighter thus lacking other signficant combat spell effects, that is probably ok.

That bold bit is where the foundation of the entire defense for warlock has fallen apart since 2014. The resting rules provide no safety break for the GM to say "no it's not appropriate to short rest [here/now/again]"while players are massively incentivized to rest early & often. Should the party just move from end of encounter to an immediate "letstakeashortrest" that burning out simply never happens and wotc has spent a decade showing zero willingness in providing the GM with more leverage that doesn't require fiat or houserules. No the use of doomclocks & "roleplay consequences" are not the answer either because 5e is also designed so PCs don't need anything but things to kill & face no opportunity cost if the world wants to shun the street sleeping "oh I'm an outlander" murderhobos who will be just fine even in starting gear all the way to 20

edit:

I havent looked at the video yet.

It's a spellcasrter who strides shoulder to shoulder with the wizard for spell slot levels from 1-20 & actually starts pulling ahead at 11 or so who also meets and exceeds the damage of literally every martial class. IoW what quite a few posters in this tghread have been calling for in a swordmage