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Can you explain what you want to do? Like, what is this "huge difference" you are talking about in terms of actual game play?

 Melissia wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:
EK is a 'tanky' spellcaster, which is what a Swordmage is.

Leather armor doesn't really make for a tank... maybe if you reduce damage by using a single one-handed sword with no shield to get the aegis bonus to +3... but I usually opted for a two-handed sword instead, and the +1 bonus. I played mine like a striker more than a defender/controller...

Doesn't change the fact that it is a Defender and gets Defender HP, surges, boost to AC and NAD, as well as a mark. Being a Defender isn't just having the highest AC, but making it harder for the enemies to attack allies. The two-handed Aegis punishes those that ignore your mark by attacking them, just like a Fighter or a Paladin, both of which are still Defenders as well.

 Melissia wrote:
Still haven't gotten a chance to really sit down with a copy of the rulebook, or to play for that matter . What's everyone's impression of the magic system so far, for those that have been playing? I've heard bits and pieces of promising stuff in the thread so far, so I'm feeling optimistic...

I don't need my wizard to be powerful, but I do want them to be interesting and useful. I actually prefer non-combat utility mages over fireball slinging combat mages most o the time.

It's step up from 3.P, being better balanced and a fair bit more elegant. That's not saying much though and still looks to suffer from the Angel Summoner & BMX Bandit problem at high-levels, albeit (thankfully) just a few times a day.

 Manchu wrote:
Can you explain what you want to do? Like, what is this "huge difference" you are talking about in terms of actual game play?

To put it in the bluntest way possible, rather than "you can cast spells, or you can hit them with your sword", I'd like "you can cast spells BY hitting them with your sword."

 Melissia wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
Can you explain what you want to do? Like, what is this "huge difference" you are talking about in terms of actual game play?

To put it in the bluntest way possible, rather than "you can cast spells, or you can hit them with your sword", I'd like "you can cast spells BY hitting them with your sword."

Anyway to get to the main point of your question:

There isn't anything for this kind of character in the PHB. Nothing that's (imo), even all that close for a re-fluff or minor houserule, to be honest. That said the engine could certainly handle it. However, it'd probably take a solid 5 hours or so of home brew work to get something really playable. You'd need to find a GM that enjoys homebrewing, I don't know how readily available they are in your area.

Doesn't seem too hard; just play a EK that takes all/mostly touch spells and describe you spell attack action as "I swing my sword at them." If the spell is successful then you clearly hit them with your sword.

If you're looking for a class that let's you do weapon damage + spell damage or replaces spell attack with melee attack (which are both way beardy IMO) then it's firmly "ask you DM" territory.

Or wait for splat books!

Yeah, probably playing a basic wizard until I get splatbooks.

Try a pact blade warlock...

The War Wizard feat lets you cast spells instead of do weapon attacks for Opportunity Attacks.

But then I'd have to play as a warlock, and all the baggage associated with warlocks.

Which is a bit unfair I guess. I'll have to look at the warlock's actual info for 5e to see if they did the lore for them a bit more tastefully than in the past...

 Melissia wrote:
But then I'd have to play as a warlock, and all the baggage associated with warlocks.

Which is a bit unfair I guess. I'll have to look at the warlock's actual info for 5e to see if they did the lore for them a bit more tastefully than in the past...

This is how I 5E Warlock:

Yeah, it's just mechanics, skin it however you want.

Eldrich knight gets the ability to cast a cantrip and attack as one action. Then at higher levels the same with normal spells too. Take the warcaster feat and you dont need a free hand for the Somatic part of spells. Meaning the only spells you cant use with both hands having weapons are ones with a Material cost.

In effect, you can swing your sword (1H to 2H) wie;d a shield if you want and cast spells at the same time

 Melissia wrote:
all the baggage associated with warlocks

As in?

You could possibly get with the DM and try to update the 3.5 Duskblade- it does exactly what you're describing. Swing a sword to hit people with spells. The spell list included mostly touch spells, with a few things to buff melee. So basically buff yourself, charge in, and start slicing with spells. I'm not sure how well that would work in fifth.

Why update anything when that'll just be a kludge? We've just given like 3 or 4 ways to do what she's looking for.

I like converting stuff...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Plus you can wear heavy armor in addition to your spellslicing.

 Sinful Hero wrote:
I like converting stuff...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Plus you can wear heavy armor in addition to your spellslicing.

Anyone can do that if they have the proficiency.

That's the thing, Duskblades already have the proficiency with heavy armor and ability to slice monsters with spells. Just needs an update.

So this sounds like an Eldrich Knight, or am I missing something that makes them different?

Isn't an Eldritch Knight a fighter that casts spells, while a Duskblade a wizard who hits things with spells?

 pretre wrote:
Anyone can do that if they have the proficiency.

Getting it is the trick though. Multiclassing into Fighter doesn't get it for you, though starting at level 1 as a fighter does. If you don't have it you would have to spend feats to get it, and requires each armor proficiency feat of the previous type (light > medium > heavy) to get it, which is a lot of feats just for that.

 Ahtman wrote:

 pretre wrote:
Anyone can do that if they have the proficiency.

Getting it is the trick though. Multiclassing into Fighter doesn't get it for you, though starting at level 1 as a fighter does. If you don't have it you would have to spend feats to get it, and requires each armor proficiency feat of the previous type (light > medium > heavy) to get it, which is a lot of feats just for that.

Or be a dwarf, iirc.

The multi-classing route is probably my favorite though.

I like that they made the Feats fairly strong to actually give you something to think about instead of just increasing stats

 pretre wrote:

Or be a dwarf, iirc.

The multi-classing route is probably my favorite though.

Dwarves just don't have any penalties to wearing heavy armor, they don't get it as a free proficiency. If multi-classing make sure to check the list of things you don't get for doing so, which is why if you start as a Fighter you get it but if you multiclass into it later you don't the armor. Feats/Attributes bonuses are also class based and not done by base leve ie if you take one level of fighter and then go wizard you won't get a bonus/feat until level five (level 4 Wizard).

 WrentheFaceless wrote:
I like that they made the Feats fairly strong to actually give you something to think about instead of just increasing stats

TBH increasing stats is one of the strongest, maybe the strongest thing 5E feats do.

Mountain Dwarves get Light and Medium armor Proficiency. I've heard a few people suggest using that for Dwarf Casters that have armor, albeit not the heaviest of armor.

 Melissia wrote:
I'd like "you can cast spells by hitting them with your sword."

If you have Blade Barrier on your spell list, you can cast swords by hitting them with your spells.

 Manchu wrote:

 WrentheFaceless wrote:
I like that they made the Feats fairly strong to actually give you something to think about instead of just increasing stats

TBH increasing stats is one of the strongest, maybe the strongest thing 5E feats do.

Indeed the Feats that increase stats are quite powerful