THE

SWORDMAGE

1
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Credits
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-
NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 international License.
This does not mean we don’t want anyone to be able to use and
build upon this material: if you want to, just contact us and ask.

Writing and Design

David Guyll & Melissa Fisher

Editing
David Guyll & Melissa Fisher

Cover and Interior Art

David Guyll & Melissa Fisher

Special Thanks
Adam Albright, Chris S, Eric Sheldahl, Maria Rivera, Marshall
Brengle, Matthew Everhart, Paul Sheppard

Comments and Questions

When you want to bitch at David, choose one:
• Fire off an email to antiochcow@gmail.com
• Tag him on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+DavidGuyll

When you want to talk to melissa, choose one:

• Send an email to cm.fisherfam@gmail.com
• Hit her up on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+MelissaFisher

If you choose to tag them on G+, they will always respond to you
much more quickly.

2
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Introduction
Given how much flak 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons gets, I’m
surprised that anyone even bothered suggesting the swordmage for
our class vote, and doubly so that it won by quite a bit.
Mind you it’s not the a line-by-line conversion of the class: you
don’t mark anyone (ie, penalize enemies for not attacking you), drag
enemies around with lightning ropes, or make a bunch of teleport-
attacks in rapid succession.
Instead, we took the concept of the swordmage—a fighter/wizard
hybrid that uses magic to enhance their melee skills—and ran with it.
The end result, after like an hour and a half of writing and design, is
a solid class with a whopping twenty-five advanced moves to choose
from.
Some of them will let you do things that the other swordmage
can, like protect your allies, and teleport, while others will let you do
other things, like create tunnels through space, make your weapons
intelligent, and even wield two of them at once.
—David Guyll

3
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 The Swordmage
4
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Warriors stand toe to claw with their enemies, hacking at them with
heavy metal blades and counting on layers of steel to keep them safe.
While it works, they’re still vulnerable to the immaterial forces of
magic.
Wizards are better suited to dealing with that sort of thing,
whether it means unleashing elemental forces upon their foes,
resisting it, or knowing what’s about to happen. Unfortunately
their studies preclude physical activities, so they have to keep a safe
distance, lest their flesh by flayed from their bones.
But why choose just one?
Rather than specialize, you weave both spell and sword into a
deadly new art. You can hold your own against ferocious monsters in
melee, strike from a distance with blasts of fire or bolts of lightning,
and even slice through baleful magics should they be employed
against you.

Names
• male: Aden, Brandt, Deandre, Edan, Fintan, Innes, Keane, Mathias,
Nolan, Ofir, Phelan, Ulick
• Female: Adria, Breda, Calida, Dalinda, Edana, Kaelea, Lashay,
Mathilda, Nyree, Orlagh, Phebe, Rae

Look
Choose one for each:
• Hard Eyes, Glowing Eyes, or Sharp Eyes
• Dark Hood, Styled Hair, or Wild Hair
• Arcane Tattoos, Flawless Skin, or Scarred Skin
• Frail Body, Lithe Body, or Stout Body

5
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Stats
Your maximum HP is 8+Constitution.
Your base damage is d8.

Alignment
Choose your alignment:

Lawful
Succeed through decisive action or a calculated plan.

Good
Use your skills and abilities to help or protect someone.

Chaotic
Act brashly, or cause reckless destruction.

6
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Starting Moves
Choose how you learned your magic and gain the corresponding
move:

College
You attended a swordmage academy. What is it called? Where is it
located? When you spout lore about magic and magical creatures, a
miss counts as a 7-9.

Mentor
You were taught by an instructor. Who was it? Are they still alive?
When you use blade magic, on a miss you take +1 forward to use
blade magic.

Self-Taught
You learned how to mesh the art of sword and spell on your own.
Why? You start with bladedancer.

You start with these moves:

Bladebond
When you have some time, you can form a bond with one weapon.
You can only have a bond with one weapon at a time. While you are
bonded to the weapon, you can call it to your hand so long as it has
a clear path. If the weapon is destroyed, you take -1 ongoing until you
bond yourself to a new weapon.

Sword and Sorcery

When you hack and slash, on a 10+ you take +1 forward to use blade
magic. When you hold magic and hack and slash with a bonded
weapon, you can roll+INT.

7
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Blade Magic
When you spend a few moments gathering magical energy into a
weapon you are bonded with, lose all held magic and roll+INT. ✴On
a 10+, hold 3 magic. ✴On a 7-9, hold 2 magic. ✴On a miss, hold 1
magic in addition to whatever the GM says. Spend magic to choose
1:
• Discharge a blast of elemental energy—deal 1d6 damage to a near
target.
• Take +1d4 damage forward to a melee attack.
• Slice through a magical effect—take +1 forward against it.

Arcane Sight
When you discern realities, you can ask the GM what here is
magical, even on a miss.

Gear
Your load is 9+STR. You start with dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight).
Choose your defenses:
• Hellhound hide (1 armor, fire resistance, 1 weight)
• Displacer beast cloak (0 armor, displacement, 1 weight)
Choose your initial bonded weapon:
• A light, elegant longblade (close, precise, +1 damage, 1 weight)
• A heavy, rune-scribed axe (close, +1 damage, messy, 3 weight)
• A black runesword (reach, +1 damage, 1 piercing, two-handed, 2
weight)
• A telescoping halberd (close, reach, +1 damage, two-handed, 3
weight)
Choose 1:
• Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight)
• Bag of books (5 uses, 2 weight)
• Bundle of scrolls (3 uses, slow, 2 weight)

8
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Bonds
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
__________ considers me lazy for my lack of devotion to either spell
or sword.
__________ is an eager student; I will teach them what I can.
__________ shares my curiosity for magic.
__________ thinks I am overconfident.

Advanced Moves
When you gain a level from 2-5, choose from these moves.

Acquired Intelligence
When you bond yourself to a weapon, it acquires a sliver of your own
mind. It gains the intelligent tag and can communicate with anyone
telepathically so long as they touch it. When you or an ally touching
your bonded weapon would be caught by surprise, it warns them of
the impending danger.

Armored Arcanist
You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear. Increase your Load to
12+STR.

Blade Barrier
When you hold magic and defend, you can roll+INT instead of
+CON.

Bladedancer
When you hack and slash, on a 7+ you take +1 to use blade magic.

9
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Dancing Sword
When you hold magic, you can mentally wield your bonded
weapon. It has a range of near. When you will it to attack an enemy,
spend 1 magic and roll+INT. ✴On a 10+, deal your damage. ✴On a
7-9, choose 1:
• Roll twice and take the lower result.
• You must spend an additional 1 magic.

Dimensional Blade
Your weapon can slice through space. While you hold magic, your
bonded weapon gains the 1 piercing tag. You can spend 1 magic to
teleport to a location you can see.

Elemental Blade
When you use blade magic, you can give your bonded weapon one
of the following tags: blazing, forceful, freezing, shocking. When you
spend magic to make a ranged attack, it also gains this tag. Each
time you use blade magic, you can choose a different tag.

Mage Armor
As long as you hold magic, take +1 armor. You can spend 1 magic to
reduce damage you take by 1d4 points.

Magic Weapon
When you spend magic to deal bonus damage, you instead deal
+1d6 damage.

Nova Strike
You can spend 1 magic to deal 1d6 damage to everyone and thing
within arm’s reach.

10
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Resonating Blade
When you use blade magic, on a 12+ you hold 4 magic.

Spell Reflection
When you spend magic to slice through a magical effect, on a 10+
you can instead reflect it back upon whoever cast it.

Tempered in Sweat and Soul

When you use bladebond to call a weapon you have personally
crafted to you, it teleports to your hand. It has a weight of 0, and
when you have time you can transfer the magical properties of
another weapon to it.

When you gain a level from 6-10, choose from these moves or the
level 2-5 moves.

Aegis
Replaces: Mage Armor
When you hold magic, gain +2 armor, and you can spend 1 magic to
reduce the damage you or a near ally takes by 1d6.

Antimagic Field
Requires: Mage Armor
As long as you hold magic, you and everyone you can touch takes
+1 ongoing against harmful magic. When you or anyone within your
reach is targeted by a spell, on a miss you can spend 1 magic to act
as if you rolled a 7-9.

Arcane Catalyst
Requires: Resonating Blade
When you use blade magic, hold +1 magic, even on a miss.

11
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Arcane Evasion
Requires: Dimensional Blade
When you defy danger, on a 10+ you can teleport to a location you
can see.

Dimensional Tunnel
Requires: Dimensional Blade
When you spend magic to teleport, other creatures can also come
through. The tunnel remains for a few moments, or until you will it
closed.

Elemental Burst
Requires: Elemental Blade
When you hack and slash with a bonded weapon while it has a tag
from elemental blade, on a 12+ choose 1:
• The attack deals +1d6 damage.
• The target is blinded or stunned—you or an ally takes +1 forward
against them.

Matter Over Mind

Requires: Armored Arcanist
When you are wearing armor with the clumsy tag and do not hold
magic, gain +1 armor. Increase your HP to 10+Constitution.

Spellsheathe
Requires: Spell Reflection
When you spend magic to slice through a magical effect, on a 12+
you can instead store the effect in your bonded weapon. Only one
effect can be stored at a time, and you can release it at any time with a
thought.

12
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Spellsword
Requires: Magic Weapon
When you hack and slash with a bonded weapon, you can roll+INT
even if you do not hold magic. When you spend magic to deal
bonus damage, you deal +1d8 instead of +1d6.

Sunder Spell
Requires: Tempered in Sweat and Soul
When you wield a bonded weapon that you personally forged
against magical creatures or objects, on a 12+ the GM chooses 1 (to
be either permanent or temporary):
• Your weapon gains a similar magical property or ability.
• The target loses a magical property or ability.

Sword Sentinel
Requires: Acquired Intelligence
When you take watch, you can roll+INT instead of +WIS. When you
discern realities, you can ask one additional question, and on a miss
you can still ask one.

Twinbond
You can bond yourself with two weapons at once. When you use
blade magic while holding two bonded weapons, hold +1 magic. If
one is destroyed you take -1 ongoing until you bond yourself with a
new one, and if both are destroyed you take -2 ongoing.

13
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Character Options
14
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 This section introduces a few new bits of armor and dungeon gear,
plus a very powerful artifact. They’re suitable for any character, not
just swordmages.

New Tags
Arcane: The item only works for characters capable of using
arcane magic.
Blazing: It is either on fire, or creates fire. Great for making
someone feel the burn, but if you are not careful it can get out of
hand.
Displacement: You gain +1 armor against ranged attacks, and
when you defy danger by getting out of the way, on a 10+ you can
also move to a nearby location.
Fire Resistant: When you take damage from fire, roll twice and
take the lower result.
Freezing: Weapons or abilities with this tag freeze things. Water
is frozen, surfaces might become slippery, and most creatures are at
least slowed.
Shocking: Weapons or abilities with this tag are not stymied
by metallic armor, can affect everything touching a metal surface,
sometimes jump from creature to creature, and can stun targets.

15
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 New Armor
Displacer Beast 0 armor, worn, displacement, 100 coins, 1 weight
Cloak
Hellhound Hide 1 armor, worn, fire resistance, 100 coins, 1 weight

New Dungeon Gear

Bundle of Scrolls slow, 3 uses, 15 coins, 1 weight
When you spout lore and take the time to carefully consult your
scrolls, mark off a use and take +1.
When you rummage through your scrolls looking for a spell,
tell the GM what you’re looking for. If the GM determines that
you might have such a spell, mark of 1 or more uses and roll+uses
used. ✴On a 10+, you find what you’re looking for. ✴On a 7-9,
choose 1. ✴On a miss, choose 2:
• The spell has an unintended side-effect—the GM will tell you
what.
• The spell isn’t as effective as you’d like.
• The spell requires additional preparation or materials.

16
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 New Artifact
Artifacts
Artifact’s have a mind of their own, and mentally urge you into fulfill-
ing their instinct. Each time you fulfill the artifact’s instinct, it marks
XP. Once it has at least 5 XP, when you spend time communing with
it reduce its XP by 5 and choose an improvement.
When you attempt to resist the artifact’s instinct, roll+WIS-EGO.
✴On a 10+, you retain control. ✴On a 7-9, you are able to resist, but it
requires all of your concentration: you take -1 ongoing until you rest
for a while, or give into its desires. ✴On a miss, the item gains control
of you for a while—the GM will tell you what happens.
When you mentally commune with the artifact, it will tell you
what it wants you to do. If you do it, mark XP. If you refuse, then you
are resisting it.

Black Blade reach, +1 damage, EGO 4, 3 weight

This huge, black sword is covered with strange runes carved deep
into its blade. It is actually a type of demon that assumes the shape
of a sword, and endlessly hungers for souls. Against creatures with a
soul it gains the ignore armor tag.
Instinct: To consume souls

Black Blade Improvements

• The black blade’s EGO is reduced by 1.
• When you wound a creature with a soul, roll your damage twice
and take the highest result.
• As long as you carry the black blade, gain +4 HP.
• As long as you carry the black blade, increase your Load by 4
and your attacks gain the forceful tag.
• You are immune to the weak, shaky, and sick debilities.
Once you have taken all of the previous improvements, you can
choose the following improvements:
• As long as you carry the black blade, your Strength is increased
by 1, up to a maximum of 18.
• As long as you carry the black blade, your Constitution is
increased by 1, up to a maximum of 18.

17
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 This section goes into additional depth about the swordmage class,
namely certain moves that might cause confusion or benefit from
additional clarification.

Questions
For the GM and players.
• Does each race have their own form of blade magic? (Like elves and
swords, dwarves and axes, etc.)
• Why did you focus on offensive magic?
• How does it feel to bond yourself to a weapon? When you wield it?
When it is destroyed?
• What do magical energies look like? to you? (When you’re using
arcane sight.)

Starting Moves

Arcane Sight
On a miss, the GM can still hit you with a soft or hard move, you just
get to ask the question anyway.

Bladebond
When you call the weapon to you, it will take the shortest path
available. Assume that it has equivalent force as someone normally
wielding it, which might be enough to knock over or slice through
certain obstacles. If the weapon has the intelligent tag (from either
acquired intelligence, or perhaps transferred using tempered in
sweat and soul), then it can take alternative paths.

Director’s Cut
18
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Advanced Moves

Acquired Intelligence
Your weapon can communicate with anyone that touches is. This
means, for example, that if everyone touches the blade you can
all convey your thoughts to the blade, which can then relay it to
someone else, allowing for completely silent communication.
It cannot invade anyone’s thoughts, so cannot learn anything that
the person touching it does not want them to. It knows anything you
want it to when constructed.

Dancing Sword
You have fairly fine control over your weapon while mentally
wielding it, enough to slowly saw through a rope, trip a lever, knock
something over, or prod a surface in case there’s a pressure plate.
When you need something done quickly, that’s when you gotta spend
magic.

Elemental Blade
Your blade can only have one elemental tag at a time, and when you
no longer hold magic it loses that tag.

19
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Mage Armor & Aegis
The damage reduced by both of these moves is not considered armor,
and so still applies to attacks that have the pierce and ignore armor
tags.

Spellsheathe
I see no reason why a friendly spellcaster couldn’t just cast a spell on
your weapon with the intent to store it.

Sunder Spell
This move could also allow the swordmage to try and slice through
magical barriers and illusions: in this case the GM could come up
with a custom move, or make you defy danger.

Twinbond
If you have elemental blade, you can give both weapons a different
tag. If you have spellsheathe, each bonded weapon can store a spell.
You take -1 ongoing when one bonded weapon is destroyed, and
-2 while both are destroyed. So, if both weapons are destroyed and
you bond yourself with one weapon, you still have -1 ongoing: you
need to rebind yourself to two weapons in order to fully alleviate the
penalty.

20
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)
 Extra Moves
Matthew Everhart requested conversion of a certain swordmage
spell, so here it is as a level 6-10 move:

Dimensional Vortex
Requires: Dimensional Blade
When you defy danger, on a 10+ you can teleport the attacker to a
near location. On a 12+, you can also have their attack affect an object
or creature near where they appear.

If you don’t want your players running around with lots of magic,
you can swap out twinbond with this variant:

Twinbond
When you deal damage while wielding two bonded weapons, roll
twice and take the better result.

When you gain a level from 6-10, choose from these moves or the
level 2-5 moves.

Reactive Armor
Requires: Mage Armor
When you defy danger, on a 10+ you can spend 1 magic to deal
your damage to your attacker.

Vorpal Edge
When you hold magic, your bonded weapon gains the ignore armor
and messy tags.

21
Layth Taylor (Order #35852726)