Swordmage

Swordmages are powerful arcanists who blend martial combat with magic, often but not always elemental in nature. Ancient traditions of swordmages are common throughout Abeir and parts of Toril, such as Netheril or Evermeet, and are particularly common amongst eladrin, genasi, or githyanki. Wielding swords enchanted with spells swordmages are powerful foes to cross, hardened through years of training in the melding of spell and blade.

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 sometimes follow Torm or Tymora. Necromantic swordmages or those from Netheril tend to worship Shar, however, and have a more secretive bent in their traditions.

Geran Hulmaster is the best known example of a swordmage.

Abilities
Much like fighters or paladins swordmages are typically defensive in combat, serving to guard allies or distract enemies. Spells in which swordmages are specialized often reflect this to some extent, such as the swordmage's warding ability, which enables them to perpetually, while conscious and wielding a blade, maintain a field of magical force around them, making them harder to hit. Some swordmages extend this into the aegis of shielding spell, which allows a swordmage to magically deflect an enemy's blows against an ally. An alternative spell is aegis of assault, which enables the swordmage to teleport immediately to the location of an enemy about to hit an ally.

All swordmages maintain a close bond with their chosen blade formed through one hour of meditation. This arcane bond allows a swordmage to call his or her blade to them from a small distance or magically repair it through their arcane link over a one hour period of meditation. In cases where the blade is broken, lost, or otherwise displaced a swordmage can replace it with a similar period of meditation, though this causes the old bond to dissolve.

Primordial Paths


Several traditions of swordmages exist in both Abeir and Toril, though Abeir seems to have had more such arcanists. Many swordmages of these traditions from the primordial dominated twin of Toril follow paths of arcane power that emulate the elemental fury wielded by primordials and dragons as well as the elementals from whom genasi are sired.

Three paths dominate, known as the raging storm, the burning blizzard, and the astral fire. Swordmages of the raging storm use astrapomancy as the basis for their powers. Swordmages of the burning blizzard, on the other hand, specialize in nephomancy. The last of the common primordial paths is that of the astral fire and the swordmages who follow it use pyromancy as their primary weapon in battle.