Oath of the
Swordmage (v3)
Magic is a tool, just the same as a blade, hammer, or spear. Like swordplay, it is not the magic itself that is dangerous, but rather those who wield it to do the unspeakable. Of course, these tools can be used equally effectively against those that would abuse their power.
This is the central philosophy of the Swordmage: a warrior committed to the obstruction of those that would misuse the arcane. Unlike most paladins, Swordmages are able to harness both arcane and divine sources of magic through the use of their weaponry in their attempts to banish evil and bring balance to The Weave.
Tenets of the Swordmage
The tenets of the Oath of the Swordmage are central not only to their philosophy, but also to their ability to weave arcane magic through the practice of their weaponry. Only by embracing both are they able to fully commit to these ideals and become a true Swordmage.
Poise in the face of danger. A Swordmage should never lose control of their emotions, for a lack of control leads to the instability of magic.
Grace in the fury of battle. Combat is a dance, and both magic and swordsmanship are best combined through fluid, graceful movements rather than through brute force.
Strength in the flow of magic. Embrace the arcane in order to fight it. Only be engaging in all of your abilities will the Swordmage find their true power.
Ruin in the folly of greed. The current of the Weave is too strong for any one person to control its full force. Defeat those who would misuse this power.
Graceful Defense
3rd-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
You can add your Charisma modifier to your Dexterity modifier when determining your AC while wearing medium armor. The maximum bonus for medium armor applies as normal.
Oath Spells
3rd-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Swordmage Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.
Swordmage Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Absorb Elements, Hex |
| 5th | Branding Smite, Silence |
| 9th | Haste, Disepel Magic |
| 13th | Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum, Staggering Smite |
| 17th | Circle of Power, Legend Lore |
Credits
- Pg. 1 Art by Juni Frio (ArtStation)
- Pg. 2 Art by Tomasz Chistowski (Tumblr)
- Pg. 2 Sword of Sorcery from Granblue Fantasy
- Watercolor Stains by /u/flamableconcrete
Channel Divinity
3rd-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the
following two Channel Divinity options.
Arcane Insight. As a bonus action you can mystically divine information about the weave. For the next hour, whenever you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1). Additionally, when you use this feature you can learn the following information about the spellcasting (if any) of one creature that you can see within 30 ft. of you:
- Their spellcasting ability
- Their spell attack bonus
- Their spell save DC
Battle Mage. You can use a bonus action to empower a melee weapon that you're holding with special magic. For the next 10 minutes the weapon becomes magical, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your paladin spells. While wielding this weapon, you gain the following benefits:
- You can use Charisma, instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of the weapon.
- You can choose to use force damage instead of radiant damage for your divine smite features.
Aura of Transposition
7th-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
At 7th level, while concentrating on a Paladin spell that targets one or more creatures (including possibly yourself), the targets of the spell give off an aura that extends 5 ft. in all directions, allowing you to step through the Weave to attack or defend them.
When you take the attack action, you can teleport up to 15 ft. to an unoccupied space you can see within an aura before each attack. Once per turn, if you teleport within 5 ft. of an allied creature, they can use their reaction to teleport to the space that you left.
At 18th level these auras increase to 10 ft.
Spell Riposte
15th-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
When a creature that you can see within 30 ft. of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to teleport to an empty space within 5 ft. of it and make one melee weapon attack against the creature. On a hit the caster must make a Constitution saving throw in order to maintain concentration while casting the spell (using concentration rules as normal). On a failure, the spell fails, but they don’t expend a spell slot.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Weave Warrior
20th-level Oath of the Swordmage feature
At 20th level, you can become a conduit of pure arcane energy. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:
- You can cast any first level spell without using a spell slot.
- You can cast any Paladin spell as if you had prepared it at the end of your last long rest.
- While concentrating on a spell, you have advantage on melee weapon attacks.
Once you use this bonus action, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.
