Swordmage - Revision history

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2023-06-23T13:24:52Z

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1d4chan>Phantom in the Distant Seas at 12:42, 29 September 2020

2020-09-29T12:42:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:42, 29 September 2020
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	~~[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]~~
	[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]		[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right\|Genasi and Elven Swordmage]]
	'''Swordmages''' are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or hooked a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		'''Swordmages''' are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or hooked a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.		Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.

	In fact, the swordmage's "subclasses" stem from this protective feature. Called the Swordmage Aegis, the different responses different the different types of swordmage; those with the Aegis of Assault (FRPG) teleport to the assailant and make a free attack, whilst those with the Aegis of Shielding (FRPG) reduce some of the damage that their ally takes, and those with the Aegis of Ensnarement (Arcane Power) can instead teleport the attacker to them and make them more vulnerable to ~~the ensuing beatdown~~.		In fact, the swordmage's "subclasses" stem from this protective feature. Called the Swordmage Aegis, the different responses different the different types of swordmage; those with the Aegis of Assault (FRPG) teleport to the assailant and make a free attack, whilst those with the Aegis of Shielding (FRPG) reduce some of the damage that their ally takes, and those with the Aegis of Ensnarement (Arcane Power) can instead teleport the attacker to them and make them more vulnerable to their imminent ass-beating.

	Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.		Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.

1d4chan>NathanielPrime at 06:51, 3 June 2019

2019-06-03T06:51:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:51, 3 June 2019
Line 15:		Line 15:
	Those players who are fans of [[gish]]es are conflicted on the Swordmage. On the one hand, it is without a doubt the purest invocation of the "feel" of the gish, with every power and feature reinforcing the idea of a warrior-wizard who attacks with sword and spell simultaneously, all without overshadowing the rest of the party or making either [[fighter]] or [[wizard]] obsolete. On the other hand, it's a 4e class, so it's tainted by that negative reputation which 4e has.		Those players who are fans of [[gish]]es are conflicted on the Swordmage. On the one hand, it is without a doubt the purest invocation of the "feel" of the gish, with every power and feature reinforcing the idea of a warrior-wizard who attacks with sword and spell simultaneously, all without overshadowing the rest of the party or making either [[fighter]] or [[wizard]] obsolete. On the other hand, it's a 4e class, so it's tainted by that negative reputation which 4e has.

	And then, of course, there are those who insist that the ability to do things like throw your sword so that it stabs some fucker in the chest and then blows up in a fireball before reforming in your hand, turn your sword into a lightning bolt that bounces off of multiple targets, cut doorways in space or split yourself into multiple copies who can each fight independently is not gishy ~~in the slightest..~~.		And then, of course, there are those who insist that the ability to do things like throw your sword so that it stabs some fucker in the chest and then blows up in a fireball before reforming in your hand, turn your sword into a lightning bolt that bounces off of multiple targets, cut doorways in space or split yourself into multiple copies who can each fight independently is <strike>not gishy</strike> ''fucking awesome''.

	{{D&D4-Classes}}		{{D&D4-Classes}}

98.240.212.40: A kid who's too weak to even kill goblins wouldn't be able to lift a sword strapped to a car battery, let alone wield it.

2019-05-27T14:34:28Z

A kid who's too weak to even kill goblins wouldn't be able to lift a sword strapped to a car battery, let alone wield it.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:34, 27 May 2019
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	[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]		[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]
	[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]		[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]
	'''Swordmages''' are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or ~~strapped~~ a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		'''Swordmages''' are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or hooked a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.		Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.

1d4chan>Pseftis at 17:38, 26 February 2019

2019-02-26T17:38:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:38, 26 February 2019
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]		[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]
	[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]		[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]
	Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		'''Swordmages''' are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.		Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.

2600:1700:EB20:7380:2C5F:68AF:9986:6E03 at 07:19, 21 November 2018

2018-11-21T07:19:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:19, 21 November 2018
Line 9:		Line 9:
	Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.		Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.

	The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] [kits\|kit]] called the [[Bladesinger]]. They were promptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first a prestige class, and then the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.		The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] [[kits\|kit]] called the [[Bladesinger]]. They were promptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first a prestige class, and then the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.

	Swordmages have a number of Paragon Paths outside of those found in the Forgotten Realms documentation, such as the ones in Arcane Power as well as one or two tucked away in the Manual of the Planes. Most Swordmages take the "Intelligent Blademaster" feat, which allows them to use their Intelligence modifier for melee basic attacks and opportunity attacks, instead of their strength.		Swordmages have a number of Paragon Paths outside of those found in the Forgotten Realms documentation, such as the ones in Arcane Power as well as one or two tucked away in the Manual of the Planes. Most Swordmages take the "Intelligent Blademaster" feat, which allows them to use their Intelligence modifier for melee basic attacks and opportunity attacks, instead of their strength.

1d4chan>QuietBrowser at 21:47, 2 May 2018

2018-05-02T21:47:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:47, 2 May 2018
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]		[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]
	[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]		[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]
	Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a fighter when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a [[fighter]] when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	~~The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to~~ the ~~[[AD&D]]~~ [[Forgotten Realms]] ~~racial sourcebook for elves~~, ~~where as part of~~ the ~~vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race~~-~~restricted~~ [[~~Fighter~~]]~~/[[Wizard]] kit called~~ the [[~~Bladesinger~~]]. ~~They were romptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from~~ that ~~book as possible, the theme lived on in first the Eldritch Knight~~, and ~~then the [[Duskblade]]~~ of ~~3rd edition~~. ~~In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as~~ a ~~wizard tradition~~, ~~and some of~~ the Swordmage's ~~spells were brought back~~, ~~now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s~~.		Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can do something magical that assists that ally.

	~~Introduced in~~ the ~~[[Forgotten Realms]] Player~~'s ~~Guide~~, ~~this is~~ the ~~first~~ (~~and only~~) ~~Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily~~ the ~~best race for Swordmages compared to, say,~~ a ~~[[Githyanki]]~~, ~~but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided~~ that ~~since they're good at magic but not really that strong~~, ~~they'd just cast spells~~ and ~~inscribe runes onto their sword~~ and ~~use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow~~ them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the ~~Swordmage's allies, he can cushion the damage with magic shields or teleport the ally/enemy away~~.		In fact, the swordmage's "subclasses" stem from this protective feature. Called the Swordmage Aegis, the different responses different the different types of swordmage; those with the Aegis of Assault (FRPG) teleport to the assailant and make a free attack, whilst those with the Aegis of Shielding (FRPG) reduce some of the damage that their ally takes, and those with the Aegis of Ensnarement (Arcane Power) can instead teleport the attacker to them and make them more vulnerable to the ensuing beatdown.

	Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.		Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.

			The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] [kits\|kit]] called the [[Bladesinger]]. They were promptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first a prestige class, and then the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.

	Swordmages have a number of Paragon Paths outside of those found in the Forgotten Realms documentation, such as the ones in Arcane Power as well as one or two tucked away in the Manual of the Planes. Most Swordmages take the "Intelligent Blademaster" feat, which allows them to use their Intelligence modifier for melee basic attacks and opportunity attacks, instead of their strength.		Swordmages have a number of Paragon Paths outside of those found in the Forgotten Realms documentation, such as the ones in Arcane Power as well as one or two tucked away in the Manual of the Planes. Most Swordmages take the "Intelligent Blademaster" feat, which allows them to use their Intelligence modifier for melee basic attacks and opportunity attacks, instead of their strength.

			Those players who are fans of [[gish]]es are conflicted on the Swordmage. On the one hand, it is without a doubt the purest invocation of the "feel" of the gish, with every power and feature reinforcing the idea of a warrior-wizard who attacks with sword and spell simultaneously, all without overshadowing the rest of the party or making either [[fighter]] or [[wizard]] obsolete. On the other hand, it's a 4e class, so it's tainted by that negative reputation which 4e has.

			And then, of course, there are those who insist that the ability to do things like throw your sword so that it stabs some fucker in the chest and then blows up in a fireball before reforming in your hand, turn your sword into a lightning bolt that bounces off of multiple targets, cut doorways in space or split yourself into multiple copies who can each fight independently is not gishy in the slightest...

	{{D&D4-Classes}}		{{D&D4-Classes}}

1d4chan>Biggus Berrus at 11:19, 11 October 2017

2017-10-11T11:19:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:19, 11 October 2017
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|~~right~~\|Genasi Swordmage]]		[[Image:Swordmage1.jpg\|thumb\|left\|Genasi Swordmage]]
			[[Image:Swordmages by Eric Deschamps.jpg\|300px\|thumb\|right]]
	Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a fighter when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a fighter when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] kit called the [[Bladesinger]]. ~~Promptly~~ shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.		The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] kit called the [[Bladesinger]]. They were romptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.

	~~==Dungeons & Dragons: Fourth Edition==~~		Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can cushion the damage with magic shields or teleport the ally/enemy away.
	Introduced in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can cushion the damage with magic shields or teleport the ally/enemy away.

	Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.		Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.
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	{{D&D4-Classes}}		{{D&D4-Classes}}

	~~[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons Classes]]~~

1d4chan>QuietBrowser at 10:09, 12 September 2017

2017-09-12T10:09:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:09, 12 September 2017
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	Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a fighter when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.		Swordmages are mages with swords. Basically, take a kid who realized he wanted to be a fighter when he grew up, then learned he was too weak to properly kill a monster with his sword. So he lit his sword on fire or strapped a car battery to it, and now boom! He's in business.

	The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Wizard]] kit called the Bladesinger. Promptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.		The Swordmage actually isn't an entirely new creation for 4th edition; it traces its lineage back to the [[AD&D]] [[Forgotten Realms]] racial sourcebook for elves, where as part of the vast amount of overpowered cheese elves got was a race-restricted [[Fighter]]/[[Wizard]] kit called the [[Bladesinger]]. Promptly shoved under a rock and buried with as much of the embarrassing shit from that book as possible, the theme lived on in first the Eldritch Knight, and then the [[Duskblade]] of 3rd edition. In 5th edition, the Bladesinger came back as a wizard tradition, and some of the Swordmage's spells were brought back, now being shared by wizards, [[Sorcerer]]s and [[Warlock]]s.

	==Dungeons & Dragons: Fourth Edition==		==Dungeons & Dragons: Fourth Edition==
	Introduced in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from Eladrin, which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a Githyanki, but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can cushion the damage with magic shields or teleport the ally/enemy away.		Introduced in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide, this is the first (and only) Arcane Defender using pre-Essentials design principles. This class probably originated from [[Eladrin]], which is weird since Eladrins aren't necessarily the best race for Swordmages compared to, say, a [[Githyanki]], but then again who cares, Githyanki don't even have feat support like a core race. That said, Swordmages decided that since they're good at magic but not really that strong, they'd just cast spells and inscribe runes onto their sword and use it to stab foes like a magical syringe full of TNT. Their class features allow them to benefit from using a one-handed sword without a shield to marginally make up for their lack of shield and heavy armor proficiency. They also have potent feature powers for marking enemies, so that if they attack the Swordmage's allies, he can cushion the damage with magic shields or teleport the ally/enemy away.

	Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.		Unfortunately for Swordmages, their third class feature doesn't actually confer a significant benefit in combat - Swordbond, which allows them to pick a weapon with which to bond. They can rebuild the sword if it is broken with magic, or they can summon it to their hand if it is within a certain distance (which is reasonably far.) No powers of theirs really take advantage of this (unless somehow their thrown sword power is botched and they need to get their weapon back pronto) but it can be useful if you find yourself disarmed in some lame gladiator/prison scene. It can also turn up profit: simply sell your sword, then when safely in possession of the coin and away from the merchant, summon it back into your hand. This is a great way to convince a DM to kill you, though. Another thing you could do, is use your sword as a trap. Hide it in a bush, put your target between you and the bush, then summon your sword to your 'hand' impaling the guy in between you and the sword.