Swordmage, Variant (3.5e Class)

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Swordmage

The Swordmage is, at the essence, a fighter; he simply uses magic as his weapon instead of steel. While they may carry a mundane or magically enhanced weapon, their true weapon of choice is the constructs of arcana they can call upon at a moment's notice, to suit the situation at hand.

Unlike true spellcasters, the Swordmage is not limited in how many times per day he may use his powers, but unlike mundane warriors, he cannot rely on a single, reliable weapon at all times. His weapons are intensely ephemeral and temporary, and he must call upon new ones constantly, and in a lengthy battle he may find himself bereft of the weapons he needs most. Despite the name, the sword is only one of many weapons a Swordmage will employ in any given battle.

Making a Swordmage

A Swordmage is typically one with sorcerous or otherwise innate arcane talent, but more of a penchant for physical combat than magical. Though hardier than true mages, the Swordmage must rely on their arcane arms and armor in order to stand toe to toe with more solid fighters.

Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for Swordmages; their force of personality dictates the efficacy of their Incantations, the reality of the blades the conjure and the weapons the evoke, as well as their martial skill with said weapons. At the same time, Swordmages are usually lightly armored and are somewhat fragile compared to more physical combatants, so Dexterity and Constitution are also very important. Swordmages also have a sizable class skill list but only average skill points per level, making Intelligence quite useful.

Races: Genasi, with their elemental abilities and wild hearts, make excellent swordmages and are among the most common assault swordmages. Elves are unsurprisingly often drawn to Swordmagic. Gnomes, as a naturally arcane race, and Halflings, enjoying as they do a bit of chaos, often favor the path of the Swordmage over the mundane warrior, as their small size is less of a hindrance when using Incantations .Human and eladrin swordmages are also common, though more frequently they are shielding swordmages. Githyanki arcanists are frequently swordmages, having their own traditions similar to those of the shielding swordmage.

Table: The Swordmage

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Weaponized Arcana
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Masterful Cant
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Fighters Embrace
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Iron Will, Sharp Senses
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Natural Teleporter, Teleporter Defence, Bonus Fear
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Protective Personality
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Arcaic Rune of Concealment
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Cocoon of Arcanic Restoration
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Presence of the True Fighter
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Arcanized Weaponry, Bonus Feat
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Supercharge Enchantments
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Horrifying Stance
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9
15th	+11/+5/+1	+5	+5	+9	Arcane Blade Burst, Bonus Feat
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Avatar of true Arcana, Bonus Feat
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) The class skills (and key ability modifier for each) of the Swordmage are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Swordmages are proficient with all one-handed weapons and martial weapons. They are also proficient with any weapon with the descriptor "sword" in it, Rapiers, Katanas, Scimitars, and Falchions also count as "swords". Armor and Weapon Proficiencies Swordmages are considered proficient in all of the weapons they can conjure with their Incantations, and with all simple weapons as well. Swordmages are proficient with Light Armor, but not with Shields. Incantations (Su): Incantations are special, extremely short-lived arcane spells used as weapons by the Swordmage. In general, an Incantation takes an attack action to use, that is, they may be used as many times during a full attack action as the Swordmage has iteratives, and they may be used for attacks of opportunity. Incantations are supernatural abilities, which means they ignore spell resistance, cannot be dispelled or countered, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity nor require concentration checks. Incantations do not require any components per se, but enough freedom of movement is required to actually make the attack in order to use them. Like a Beguiler, a Swordmage knows all of the Incantations on his list, and may cast them spontaneously. In addition to the Incantations specifically listed, he knows a Cantrip, or 0th level Incantation, for each weapon in which he is proficient: this Cantrip simply creates a copy of a perfectly average weapon, and makes a single attack with it. Unlike spellcasters, Swordmages may end up using any number of Incantations in a given day. In combat, he may cast his Incantations, at which point they are expended. Recovering his expended Incantations is a standard action, which he makes at any time. He may also recover his Incantations defensively, with the same rules as if he were casting a spell defensively. Upon successfully completing this action, all of his expended Incantations are again readied. An Incantation's effect is typically to create a "canted weapon" from pure arcana, and attack once with it. This attack typically has side-effects and other benefits associated with it. The weapon is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction, but is otherwise identical to a perfectly average Medium-sized weapon of the appropriate type unless otherwise indicated by the Incantation's description, regardless of the Swordmage's own size. However, a Swordmage never suffers penalties due to wielding an inappropriately-sized canted weapon, unless the Incantation's description adds specific size penalties (and this penalty will be the same for Swordmages of all sizes). A Swordmage threatens any squares he could attack with any of his Incantations. A Swordmage has access to incantation levels equal to 1/2 they're class level (minimum 1st level). A level 8 Swordmage has access to cantrips through 4th level incantations. Weaponized Arcana: In place of the usual Strength or Dexterity modifiers on attack and damage rolls, a Swordmage may choose to uses his Charisma modifier when using Incantations. If a weapon uses a multiplier on either the Strength or Dexterity modifier (exemple, 1.5x Strength on a two-handed weapon, 0.5x Strength on an off-hand weapon), the same multiplier applies to his Charisma modifier. Masterful Cant: At 2nd level, the Swordmage gains knowledge of a Cantrip for each martial weapon, and may use these even if not proficient with the actual weapons. In addtion, all weapons created with Incantations are considered at least Masterwork. Fighters Embrace: Starting at 3rd level, The Swordmage gains an aura reflecting his alignment (Aura of Good if Good, Aura of Law and Evil if Lawful and Evil), He adds Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival to his list of class skills, He gains proficiency with a number of martial weapons equal to his wisdom modifier, proficiency with all armors and with light and heavy shields. When a Swordmage who has embraced his full potential as a fighter gains a bonus feat he may choose from any of the normal Fighter feats. The Swordmage also gains the ability Iron Strikes which deals an extra +2 damage to all foes not wearing armor. Gain 1 level of toughness. Iron Will: At 4th level the Swordmage has not only become of stronger body but stronger mind as well, thus making the Swordmage impervious to all forms of compulsion, mind tricks, intimidation, etc. Sharp Senses: Also starting at 4th level, the Swordmage refines his senses to the point of near perfection and gains a +2 competence bonus to all Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. The Swordmage continues to heighten his senses through his enhancement and at levels 10, 15, 20 the bonus is doubled each time. Natural Teleporter: Starting at level 5, you have another movement type, Teleportation with the same distance as your normal movement speed. With teleportation, you can travel to any point that you can see within your movement range without provoking opportunity attacks(5ft increments). You may teleport any number of times during your turn until you've used up your entire movement amount. Teleporter Defense: Also, at level 5, as a reaction, if an ally you can see is hit by an attacker you can see, you can teleport to be adjacent to your ally or the attacker (or both, if possible), and you can either add your proficiency bonus (Base Attack Bonus) to the ally’s AC for defending against the triggering attack or you can make an attack against the attacker. Protective Personality: At 6th level, a Swordmage's constant use of Incantations has created a residual effect on him, and he can effortlessly surround himself in swirls of arcana to protect himself. He gains a Deflection bonus to AC equal to his Charisma modifier, he can no longer be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC. Arcaic Rune of Concealment: At 7th level, a Swordmage gains the ability to engrave a tattoo upon his skin with 1 of 3 abilities attached: 1. The tattoo conceals the Swordmage from any eyes except those who he chooses. 2. The tattoo gives the Swordmage the ability to negate the effects of "See Invisibility" and "True Seeing." 3. The tattoo gives the Swordmage the ability to conceal his motives from all he chooses. These effects are activated at the Swordmage's will and last until the Swordmage desires. Its an AOE making the effects permanate while in the presence of the Swordmage. Cocoon of Arcanic Restoration: Starting at 8th level, if the Swordmage would take damage, dropping his HP to -10 or lower in battle, he instead surrounds himself in a ball of Arcana Magic and restores his health up to 1/2 of his original health. This process takes a total of 1d12 worth of hours to complete. This effect doesn't work if the Swordmage is reduced to ash, there must be a corpse for the magic to work. Presence of the True Fighter: At 9th level the Swordmage has become so adapted to the art of war, that his presence in battle alone become encouraging to his allies. The encouragement gain his allies a +5 to all attack rolls and +3 to all save rolls. However if the Swordmage ever gets knocked out in battle the +s become -s until he can wake up. This ability is activated once the Swordmage allows it. Arcanized Weaponry: Starting at 10th level, a Swordmage may, while casting an Incantation, apply any enhancement bonuses or special abilities found on any actual weapon he has ever come across, to the weapon granted by the Incantation. The canted weapon's enhancement bonus cannot exceed +5, nor can its total equivalent enhancement bonus exceed +10. Supercharge Enchantments: Starting at 11th level the Swordmage may supercharge his incantations allotting a bonus to damage of +5 for extra Arcane damage. Horrifying stace: At 12th level the swordmage becomes a master fighter and taking his fighters stance literally strikes fear into the eyes of his enemies giving the a -2 to all rolls for 1d4 rounds. Arcane Blade Burst: At level 15 the Swordmage has become a master of his arcane powers and can control them so well that when he holds a weapon, solid or magical he can focus his energy to the tip of the weapon and launch a projectile out at his enemies doing 3d12 per charge. Each projectile can hold 3 charges. Damage times 2 for each projectile shot. A max of 3 projectiles per day. With a successful will save (DC 25) the Swordmage can expend all charges and projectiles at once. Avatar of True Arcana (Ex): At 20th level, a Swordmage becomes a living, breathing being of pure magical force. His type changes to Outsider, and he is considered native to every plane that has magic (so he may only gain the Extraplanar subtype if he is on a plane with the Dead Magic trait, he otherwise has the Native subtype). Unlike most Outsiders, the Swordmage may be affected by life restoring magic such as Raise Dead, is immune to being affected by spells of the Conjuration (Calling) subschool, and cannot be banished from any plane except those with the Dead Magic trait. In addition, twice per day but no more than once per encounter, a 20th level Swordmage may, as a Free Action, channel enormous amounts of Arcana through his body, in doing so he Supercharges himself into what is best described as a being of pure Arcana. His skin turns a reddish hue eyes glow brighter than the shiniest stars and begins floating. At this time the Swordmage can use the built up Arcana to Supercharge his Incantations giving them all auto crits at a x4 damage calculation or he can release the mass energy as a wave of purification seeking out foes and doing damage equal to the Swordmages level of d6 x2. (example: roll 20d6 the result x2) If the Swordmage expends all the energy at once he must roll a will save in order to keep his mind intact DC of his level. If Will save is failed 4d4 x3 in damage. Bonus Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the Swordmage gains a bonus feat from the following list. He must meet all requirements for a feat in order to select it. Adamantine Incantations*, Align Incantations*, Arcane Mastery2, 6, Blind Fight, Cloak Dance, Cloudy Conjuration3, 7, Combat Expertise, Combat Intuition1, Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense1, Dazzling Illusion3, 7, Defensive Strike4, Dodge, Energy Abjuration3, 7, Evasive Reflexes5, Expert Tactician1, Eyes in the Back of Your Head4, Exotic Incantations*, Favored Incantation*, Fearsome Necromancy3, 7, Fleet of Foot, Force of Personality1, Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Combat Expertise4, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness4, Incantation of Choice*, Incantation Focus*, Incantation Specialization*, Innate Cant*, Insightful Divination3, 7, Iron Incantations*, Martial Study5, Martial Stance5, Metacantation*, Mobility, Piercing Evocation3, 7, Prone Attack4, Run, Sidestep Charge, Silver Incantations*, Spell Penetration, Spring Attack, Superior Expertise, Toughening Transmutation3, 7, Weapon Focus 1 Complete Adventurer 2 Complete Arcane 3 Complete Mage 4 Complete Warrior 5 Tome of Battle 6 Arcane Mastery may be qualified for with the ability to cast Incantations as well as the ability to cast spells. 7 Cloudy Conjuration, Dazzling Illusion, Energy Abjuration, Fearsome Necromancy, Insightful Divination, Piercing Evocation, and Toughening Transmutation may be triggered by casting Incantations from the appropriate school, in addition to spells. * New Feat. The new feats designed for the Swordmage may be found at Swordmage Feats. Swordmage Arts: Some Incantations have the [Art] descriptor. Incantations with this descriptor synergize with other Incantations that have the descriptor: if the Swordmage uses any two Swordmage Arts in a single round, all additional Arts he uses in that round gain extra features, as described in their entry. 0th Level Incantations Cantrips - Summon a weapon and attack once with it. 1st Level Incantations Berserker Axe - Attack with Power Attack. On your Attack, before making an attack roll, you may choose to subtract a number from the attack roll and add the same number to the damage roll. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attack and bonus on damage apply until your next turn. Creatures within 40ft and are able to see this attack are shaken unless they succeeds on a Will save. Blinkplate - Gain 8 Armor AC against three attacks of your choice. Charge Breaker - Attack with a halberd and prepare for a charge. Charged Arcana - Make a Ride-By Attack Charge. Critical Point - Make an attack with Rapier and Improved Critical, and critical threats automatically confirm. Dagger Stream - Conjure a burst of small knives to lacerate foes in an area. Grappling Hook - Attack a foe at range and drag them to you or you to it. Light Bow - Attack a foe with a glowing arrow that illuminates the area and causes dazzle. Piercing Spear - Spear attack ignores damage reduction, cover, and concealment. Rending Claws - Attack with a pair of punchdaggers, deal extra damage if both hit. Rope Cant - Thrown bola entangles foes. Sable Whip - Illusionary whip convinces foes they've been disarmed. Scourge - Attack with a holy flail that Turns Undead. Soul Harvester - Attack with the Cleave feat, gain extra damage on Cleave attack based on first foe's former HP. Sword and Board - Gain a Sword for a single attack and a Shield for the round. Upender - Trip with Improved Trip. 2nd Level Incantations Bleed Out - Spiked gauntlets leave a foe bleeding profusely. Blink Dagger - Teleport to foe and stab them. Cleaving Strike - Attack with the Cleave feat, use different Incantation on follow-up. Fellfrost Cross - Attack with two shortswords, leave foes suffering from frostbite and hypothermia. Iron of the Mind - Attack with a crossbow that uses Cold Iron bolts. Purification - Attack with a silver longsword. Cloak of the Shadows A veil of Arcane magic covers the Swordmage's entire body creating a camouflage effect needing a spot roll of 15 + the Swordmages Level to see him. Spiked Daggers Throwing daggers are launched at the foe if hit they take 1d4 per dagger and an additional d4 per round until removed, when removed they foe takes an additional point of damage per dagger ripped out. Damnation - Attack the nearest foe with a sword engulfed in black flame. Megaton Hammer - Giant hammer staggers enemies. 3rd Level Incantations Balmung - With this dragonslayer's sword, dragons no longer seem so frightening. Blade of Woe - Those killed after feeling this blade briefly rise again as zombies or skeletons under your command. Blinkplate, Greater - Gain better armor than with Blinkplate. Burn (Art) - Whirlwind attack with a flaming sword. Disruptive Discharge - Interrupt spellcasting with an electric arrow. Enchanted Gladius - This stout and sturdy sword stands stalwart against the subtle sinistry of abberations. Everdark (Art) - Sling fires a vile bullet that blinds foes. Frost (Art) - Icy gauntlet chills foes to the bone, limiting their actions. Purify (Art) - Divine bow destroys the undead. Sherwood Bow - This hunter's bow can attack twice as fast, and brings down mighty beasts quickly. Shock (Art) - Throw a shocking dagger that can paralyze foes. Silence Glaive - This spear can Silence enemies. Quickblade - A single attack with this dagger makes you faster. Radiance - This golden blade of light ignores armor and burns foes. Sever Gravity - Allows you to Fly, as the spell. Stonehew - This enormous pick goes through earth and stone like butter. Sunder - A blow from this hammer damages constructs, leaving a weak spot for follow-up attacks. 4th Level Incantations Chain of Despair - Attack with a spiked chain and bestow a curse upon your target. Dragoon Leap - Jump into the air and impale a foe on your halberd. Echo Blade - This knife will echo every one of your attacks for the round. Hammer of Return - Throwing hammer banishes outsiders. Mighty Cleaving Axe - as Cleaving Axe, but Mighty Cleaving! Needle of Light - This thinblade scores a critical fully half the time! Star of Courage - A brilliant mace encourages your allies and demoralizes your enemies. Tempest Attrition - Parry attacks and counter. 5th Level Incantations Daggerwing - Summons wings with blades for feathers, to guard yourself or attack your foes. Dancing Guards - A pair of dancing rapiers parries blows for you. Dominating Whip - Whip dominates humanoid foes. Earth Rod - Staff fossilizes enemies. Lightning Fury - Throw a lightning bolt that splinters into dozens more. Thrice-Betraying Dagger - Attack three foes at once with a powerful teleportation effect. Winter's Breath - Shuriken summons a whirlwind to pull foes out of the fight temporarily. 6th Level Incantations Assassin's Guile - Sneak a bit of extra damage to those who have been attacked by your teleportation effects. Blaze (Art) - Punch out foes with a flaming gauntlet, cause an explosion. Brilliance (Art) - A shining blade of justice blinds all but the purest of hearts. Dance of Blades - Summon longswords to surround you and fight for you. Ice (Art) - Shatter an icy flail and the resulting blizzard freezes an area and batters foes. Kinslayer - Dominate your foe with a strike. Memory Cutter - Cut away some of your foe's experience. Mordenkainen's Sword - Summon a sword to fight for you. Null (Art) - Vile chains fill the area with cloying darkness. Return to Dust - Net entangles foes and disintegrates their remains. Stun (Art) - A whack with this staff releases a discharge that stuns all around you. Zero-Sum Interrupt - An attack so fast the foe bleeds before they are even hit, circumventing all defenses. 7th Level Incantations Blade of Fate - Strike at your foes and gain incredible fore-knowledge of their movements for the rest of the round. Blinkplate, Superior - As Greater Blinkplate, but also gaining the benefits of Greater Blink. Chaos Blade - Make a full-attack as a standard action, with a better attack bonus. Flaming Sword of the Wrath of God - This sword is absolute anathema to the chaotic and the evil. Graviton Hammer - Hammer reverses gravity. Subtle Knife - Cut your way into a whole new world. Unleash the Sun - Don a helmet forged from the sun itself. 8th Level Incantations Cut Off - Separate your mind from others, protecting it from danger. Don't Fear - With a coup de grace, trap a foe's soul. Ruby Prison - Trap foes in a personalized Forcecage. Thunderclap - Blast your foes with a wave of sound. The Warrior Returning - When about to die, instead heal yourself and take an attack of opportunity against your would-be killer. Will Blade - An illusory sword can nonetheless be really fatal. 9th Level Incantations Annulment - Eliminate the supernatural powers of others. Deadly Elegance - Shadow copies impale nearby foes. Divinity (Art) - Gain angel wings, smite foes, and bolster allies. Electrocute (Art) - Thrown javelin becomes an incredible bolt of lightning, damaging and stunning all in its path. Freeze (Art) - This icy dart freezes foes solid. Incinerate (Art) - Attack with a fiery flindbar. Pankratosword - A sword so fine it can cut the indivisible, unleashing destruction and devastation. Perfect Strike of the Thrice Betrayer - All those whom you've betrayed before take crippling damage from a shadow strike. Prismatic Shield - Use a bit of Prismatic Wall as a shield. Ravages of Time - Act at twice your normal speed. Starfury - Four shurikens of light explode and attack secondary targets. Threadstring Bow - Attack with your very soul. Thunderbluss - A shotgun blast devastates foes. Void (Art) - This vile strike can slay a foe outright, and blind those who witness it. Epic Swordmage Table: The Epic Swordmage Hit Die: d8 Level Special 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th Bonus Feat 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th Bonus Feat 4 + Int modifier skill points per level. Swordmage Starting Package Weapons: . Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier. Skill Ranks Ability Armor Check Penalty Feat: . Bonus Feats: . Gear: . Gold: . Campaign Information Playing a Swordmage The culture of the swordmage varies from place to place and person to person but many archetypes exist. Most swordmages favor gods of magic such as Corellon or Selune. Others of a good alignment might follow Torm or Tymora. Evil swordmages or those from Netheril are drawn to the worship of Shar, however, and have a more secretive bent in their traditions. Swordmages in the World “ "My magic is a weapon, a keen edge brought to bear against the greatest of foes, and none shall best me in combat." --Nothoreon Kilnarok, Human Swordmage ” Daily Life: . Notables: . Organizations: . NPC Reactions: . Swordmages in the Game Adaptation: . Sample Encounter: . EL : . Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes