Swordmage

Unlike other swordmages, Blade Summoner specialize in conjuring magical weapons to overwhelm foes in battle. Blade Summoners require intense focus in order to control their conjurations and their own weapon.

Starting at 7th level, you can use your weapon or your summoned blade to block attacks. When you see another creature hit with a melee attack and you or your Aegis Blade are within melee range of the creature, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to the attacked target's AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss.

At 11th level, you can launch a conjured weapon to impale a foe. As an action, choose a creature within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw against your swordmage spell save DC. The target takes 4d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Also on a failure, if the target is on solid ground or next to a solid mass (such as a wall or tree), they are restrained. The creature can use its action to make a Strength check against your swordmage spell save DC. If it succeeds, the weapon is removed and vanishes, and the creature is no longer restrained.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

When you reach 15th level, you can dimensionally follow your summoned blade. After you use your bonus action to command your Aegis Blade, you can teleport to an unoccupied space adjacent to your Aegis Blade as part of the same bonus action. The teleportation fails if your Aegis Blade is more than 60 feet from you.

At 20th level, as a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you summon magical weapons that dance around you in a 15-foot aura that lasts for 1 minute. Any creature of your choice that enters the aura for the first time or starts their turn in your aura takes 4d8 slashing damage. Any creature within the aura has half cover to creatures outside of the aura, and the aura's space is difficult terrain to any creature but you.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after along rest.

Some swordmages seek to master the dangerous magic of chronurgy - the manipulation of time. Fascinated by past events or altering the future, Chronomancers channel time magic to aid them in battle.

Starting at 7th level, you can briefly peer into other timelines. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can gain one skill, language, or tool proficiency of your choice, as you temporarily gain the talents of a version of you in a different timeline. This proficiency lasts until you use this feature again.

When you see a creature within 30 feet of you fail an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to find a timeline where the creature succeeds. The chosen creature can reroll, and use the better result. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

At 11th level, you move so fast, it appears to outside observers that you are vanishing from one spot to the next. While your Aegis is active, and you use your bonus action to dash, you can instead teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see.

When you reach 15th level, you can lock a creature in a moment of time. As an action, choose a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. If the creature is willing, then they are locked in time for 1 minute. While locked in time, the target's speed is reduced to 0, and the target can't take any actions, be affected by any other effect, and is immune to all damage. The time lock lasts for 1 minute or until you end the effect on your turn (no action required).

An unwilling creature can make a Wisdom saving throw against your swordmage spell save DC. On a success, the creature isn't affected by this feature. At the end of each turn of an unwilling, affected target, it can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the time lock ends on the target.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

At 20th level, as a bonus action, you can create a beacon in time, intending to return to it if things go wrong. Keep careful track of everything that happens in this turn. At the end of your turn, you can choose to rewind time back to just after you used Time Beacon, undoing any harmful effects that happened to you during that turn including any damage you took. You also regain any expended resources spent during that turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest.

By becoming a Crimson Knight, you focus your studies on necromancy and the terrifying art of blood magic. Crimson Knights are often feared for their dark magic, but not all these swordmages are evil: some use blood magic to combat greater evils, while other Blood Knights ruthlessly bend others to their will.

Starting at 7th level, your blood magic can temporarily control others. When you see a creature within 30 feet of you make an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. If the creature is frightened of you, then they also take necrotic damage equal to your swordmage level.

This feature does not work on undead or constructs. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

At 11th level, you can heal your wounds through sanguine magic. As a bonus action, you can expend one spell slot to regain hit points. The hit points healed is 1d10 plus your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of 1) for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d10 for each spell level higher than 1st.

When you reach 15th level, you unleash a burst of blood magic to steal the vitality of nearby foes. As an action, choose any number of creatures within 20 feet of you. A chosen creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. If a creature is frightened of you, then they have disadvantage on the saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 necrotic damage on a failure, and half as much on a success. You regain hit points equal to half the damage taken by the creature.

This feature does not work on undead or constructs. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Beginning at 20th level, your frightful mastery of blood magic lets you control others more easily. As a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you enhance your blood magic for 1 minute. During this time, you regain the use of your Puppet feature at the start of your turn. After you use Puppet against a creature, and if the creature isn't already frightened of you, then the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest.

By choosing the Duplicitist archetype, you weave illusions and enchantments to become an illusive threat. Duplicitist swordmages are often deadly assassins, admirers of the fey, cunning warriors, or mischief makers.

When you reach 7th level, your slippery magic makes your subterfuge and spells difficult to resist. When you make a skill check using the proficiency you gained from your Cunning Trickery feature, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your proficiency bonus.

When a creature makes a saving throw against one of your spells, you can impose disadvantage on the saving throw as a reaction. Once you use this reaction, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

At 11th level, you can effortlessly cloak yourself in illusion. You can cast disguise self at will, without expending a spell slot.

Starting at 15th level, you can quickly escape from danger while leaving behind a mirror image of yourself. When you turn invisible from a spell or your aegis, you can also teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. You also leave behind an illusionary image of you that shares your AC and saving throws. A creature that uses an action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion by succeeding on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your swordmage spell save DC.

The image lasts until your invisibility ends or if the image is damaged.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At 20th level, you weave shadows together to create a near copy of yourself. You can use your action to create a shadowy duplicate of yourself as if you had cast the simulacrum spell. The duplicate's AC equals your own AC. It has a shadowy weapon that matches the statistics of your Arcane Weapon. The duplicate cannot use Double Trouble on itself.

The shadowy duplicate fades away after 1 minute or once it falls to 0 hit points. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest.

A few, rare Swordmages forgo close quarter combat to instead focus on engaging their enemies from afar. Eldritch Snipers prefer to channel their battle magic through bows, crossbows, or anything that can be thrown.

When you reach 7th level, you can enchant your arrows with deadly elemental magic. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you can inflict elemental magic against the creature. You can choose from one of the following effects:

Starting at 15th level, the damage increases to 4d8 for each arrow. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

At 11th level, you can use a piece of ammunition as a scrying point. As a bonus action, you can create an invisible sensor within 10 feet of a piece of ammunition or a weapon if it can be thrown. As an action, you can see and hear through the sensor as if you were there. During this time, you are deafened and blinded. The sensor moves with the ammunition, remaining within 10 feet of it. A creature that can see invisible objects sees the sensor as a luminous orb about the size of your fist.

You can sustain this effect for up to 10 minutes, and you can end it at any time (requires no action). The effect ends early if the ammunition is destroyed or if you use this feature on another piece of ammunition.

Starting at 15th level, as a bonus action, you can rapidly fire a bright beacon to an unoccupied space within 120 feet of you to illuminate enemies. Each object within a 20-foot radius of the space is outlined in light. Any creature of your choice within the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your swordmage spell save DC or also be outlined in light. For 1 minute, objects and affected creatures shed dim light in a 10-foot radius.

Any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the affected creature or object can't benefit from being invisible. If you hit an affected creature while you are under the effects of your Aegis, then the bonus damage from your Aegis increases to 2d6.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

At 20th level, when you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you can infuse the attack with deadly necromancy. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the target takes 8d10 necrotic damage and half as much on a success. Additionally, if this attack reduces the target to 50 hit points or fewer, the target dies.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Elementalists are swordmages that specialize in magic originating from the elemental planes. By binding the primal power of the planes to themselves, these swordmages become mortal embodiments of the elements. They might show minor physical manifestations of this power such as earthen skin, an ozone smell, or damp hair.

Starting at 7th level, you gain one of the following features. You can choose to gain the feature of the same type as your Elemental Attunement or a different one.

When you reach 15th level, your affinity to your chosen planar element grows stronger. You gain one of the following features. You can choose to gain the feature of the same type as your Elemental Attunement or a different one.

When you reach 15th level, when you activate your aegis, planar energy converges on you. You gain one of the following features. You can choose to gain the feature of the same type as your Elemental Attunement or a different one.

At 20th level, you can temporarily transform into an aspect of your chosen element. As a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you can also activate your Elemental Aspect, which lasts for 1 minute or until you fall unconscious. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest. You gain one of the following Elemental Aspects. You can choose to gain the feature of the same type as your Elemental Attunement or a different one.

Swordmages choosing this archetype focus on protecting others from harm through abjuration magic. Guardians normally serve as elite guards for rulers or are wandering swordsmen defending the innocent.

Starting at 7th level, as an action, you can create a 10-foot radius beacon of abjuration magic within 30 feet of you that lasts for 1 minute. You can move the beacon 30 feet as a bonus action on your turn. The beacon has one of the following effects depending on your Guardian Role:

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a short or long rest.

When you reach 11th level, you learn a ritual to magically bind yourself to another person to better protect them. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The person must be within your reach throughout the ritual, and must be willing. After the ritual is concluded, you can sense the location of the chosen person as long as they are on the same plane of existence as you. You can sense when the person is damaged, affected by a hostile magical effect, or killed.

As a bonus action, you can teleport to an unoccupied space adjacent to your bound person as long as they are on the same plane of existence as you. Teleporting in this way consumes the magic of the bond, ending the connection between the two of you.

If you attempt to bond with another person, you must break your current bond.

At 15th level, your Aegis grows in strength, and your Aegis gains a benefit depending on your Guardian Role:

When you reach 20th level, as a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you can create powerful magical shields around you and a number of allies up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). All shielded creatures gain temporary hit points equal to 20 plus your Intelligence modifier.

If a creature damages a shielded creature while the shielded creature has these temporary hit points, the attacking creature takes force damage equal to the total temporary hit points gained.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest.

The inquisitor takes on the dangerous role of hunting and slaying evil arcane entities, be they wielders of dark magic or powerful otherworldly creatures. Inquisitors are equipped with ways to track, attack, and guard themselves from menacing foes.

Beginning at 7th level, you have an uncanny intuition after investigating the hidden and obscure. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Insight) check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your proficiency bonus.

Your experience with hostile magic causes you to gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Charisma saving throws.

At 11th level, you can use your knowledge of supernatural entities to quickly deduce a foe's weak points. As a bonus action, choose a creature within 60 feet of you. Make an Intelligence (Investigation) check contested by the target's Charisma (Deception) check. On a success, you learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. You also have advantage on attack rolls against the target until the end of your turn.

Once you use this feature on a creature, regardless of success or failure, you can't use it again on them for one hour.

Starting at 15th level, you redirect harmful magic to invigorate yourself. You gain resistance to damage from spells.

When you use your reaction from Aegis of the Hunter and succeed on the saving throw, you siphon off some of the magic. You gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8 plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

At 20th level, as a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you can create a 10-foot radius zone of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, within 30 feet of you that lasts for 1 minute. You can move the antimagic zone 30 feet as a bonus action on your turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until after a long rest.

Swordmages that become Meteor Knights study the esoteric magic of dunamancy, specifically concerning the manipulation of gravity. Fascinated by celestial bodies, these swordmages channel the powers of the stars to keep foes in their orbit of destruction.

Starting at 7th level, you can teleport towards an area in a fiery explosion reminiscent of a meteor. When you use your Arcane Step feature, you can double the teleportation distance and each creature within 10 feet of the space you teleport to must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, a creature takes 2d8 fire damage and is knocked prone. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't knocked prone.

At 15th level of this class, the damage increases to 4d8. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

When you reach 11th level, your fiery magic flashes like a star. When you use Star Fall or cast a spell that deals fire or radiant damage, choose one creature damaged by your Star Fall or spell. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your swordmage spell save DC or be blinded until the end of your next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.

At 15th level, you utilize your mastery of dunamancy to escape dangers that would threaten others. You are always under the effects of the feather fall spell.

Also, when you fall from a height of more than 10 feet, and have a use of your Star Fall feature, you can use Star Fall, except you rapidly fall instead of teleporting. At the end of the fall, you don't take damage from the fall and don't fall prone. The rest of the effects from Star Fall remain the same except the fiery explosion emanates from the space you land.

Beginning at 20th level, as a bonus action or as part of your bonus action to activate your Aegis, you create heavy gravitational pull in a 30 feet aura centered on you for 1 minute. The area inside the aura is difficult terrain for creatures of your choosing. Any creature of your choosing that starts their turn inside the aura must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage and is pulled to an unoccupied space adjacent to you. On a success, the creature takes half damage and isn't pulled.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Swordmages that become Swordscholars refrain from specializing in a type of magic, but instead prefer a more holistic approach. Their rigorous studies reward them with magical secrets unknown to other swordmages.

At 7th level, you have delved deeper into esoteric studies and have learned to cast spells as rituals. You gain a ritual book, which contains the spells you can cast as a ritual as long as you have the book on hand. Your ritual book starts off with two 1st level spells and one 2nd level spell with the ritual tag from the wizard class. If you already have a ritual book, you can add those spells to your book.

If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical scroll or a wizard's spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the wizard's spell list, the spell's level must be of a level you can cast, and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual books takes 2 hours per level of the spells, and costs 50 gp per level of the spell. This cost represents material components spent on practicing the spell, as well as the fine inks you must use to record it.

Starting at 11th level, you can quickly remember a spell you've read about that would help in your situation. As a bonus action, you gain the ability to cast one spell of your choice from the swordmage's spell list. The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and you follow the normal rules for casting it, including expending a spell slot. The ability to cast the spell vanishes from your mind when you cast it or when the current turn ends.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

When you reach 15th level, after casting a spell, you retain an echo of the spell's energy to empower you in combat. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you can gain one of the following effects depending on the spell's school that last until the end of your next turn:

At 20th level, your magical studies reach a culmination as you study powerful magic beyond your peers. You learn a 6th level spell from the wizard class. The spell counts as a swordmage spell for you. You can cast the chosen spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.