Warmage: a Wizard/Eldritch Knight half caster gestalt

[ZenBear]

Warmage

D10 Hit Die
Armor: All armors, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Investigation, Stealth

1: Weapon Bond/Conjure Arms*, Cantrips
2: Spellcasting, Arcane Tradition
3: Fighting Style
4: Ability Score Improvement
5: -
6: Arcane Tradition Feature
7: Warmage Aegis
8: Ability Score Improvement
9: -
10. Eldritch Strike, Arcane Tradition Feature
11: War Magic
12: Ability Score Improvement
13: -
14: Arcane Tradition Feature
15: Arcane Charge
16: Ability Score Improvement
17: -
18: Improved War Magic
19: Ability Score Improvement, Spell Mastery
20: Signature Spells

*Weapon Bond as per the Eldritch Knight, or a homebrew feature called Conjure Arms** that allows you to bond to two weapons or armors, banishing them to a pocket dimension or summoning them equipped to your person as a bonus action. This would allow a Warmage to bond with their armor, allowing them to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice, or a shield.
**Armaments

Spellcasting is identical to Wizards, along with the spellbook. I could be persuaded to limit the number of spells known in similar fashion to the Eldritch Knight, but you are not limited to ABJ/EVO.

Arcane Tradition is identical to the Wizard subclasses. It works quite well except for Necromancy and Transmutation because these subclasses grant spells of a higher level than the Warmage would have slots for. So swapping the 6th and 10th level features of the School of Necromancy solves that issue and perhaps doing the same for the 10th and 14th level features of the School of Transmutation, though Master Transmuter is really strong even at 14. I need help with this one.

Warmage Aegis: identical to Paladin’s Aura of Protection, but using INT instead of CHA.

I don’t like having holes at levels 3 and 5, but I can’t think of what to put in there. I originally thought of having Action Surge and Extra Attack, but AS seems like it should stay Fighter exclusive and this class is strong enough without it. Extra Attack makes the Attack Action better than casting cantrips from levels 5-10, which isn’t what I want for the class since it’s supposed to be focused on using the SCAG cantrips and my homebrew cantrip Arcane Arrow:

Arcane Arrow:
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 ft.
Components: V, M (a weapon)
Duration: Instantaneous

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell’s range regardless of the range of the weapon*, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, but the damage type is force instead of the weapon’s normal damage type.
This spell’s damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d8 force damage to the target. This damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level and 3d8 at 17th level.

*Could this be abused by making ranged attack with melee weapons (think greatsword) and summoning back to your hand with a bonus action via Weapon Bond/Conjur Arms? Should it be allowed for rule of cool regardless? Should the spell be limited to the weapon’s range instead?

Should there be an additional rider, or is changing the damage type to the least commonly resisted damage type enough? I think being ranged makes it good enough compared to BB/GFB, and the addition of DEX mod damage and War Magic at least levels it with Firebolt.

I know this is probably OP, but I've looking at the Paladin as my power ceiling and Paladins are pretty OP themselves IMO.

EDIT: Made changes as per BulletMagnet's suggestions.

[BulletMagnet]

I agree with filling in all of the holes - the nice thing with 5e is that you get something at every level, even if its something small. You have combined two very strong classes, so the progression should be a bit more dispersed in my opinion.

Here are some ideas/feedback:

Delay Fighting Style to level 3
Level 5 & 9, 13 & 17 being blank are okay cause you pickup a new spell level
You forgot ASI around level 19 (if I recall most classes correctly)


If you really want something at level 5 - do something not combat oriented to give more utility - maybe language, or social related....or something with slight/neutral combat impact - like sacrifice a spell slot to get second wind once per short rest?

[ZenBear]

I agree with filling in all of the holes - the nice thing with 5e is that you get something at every level, even if its something small. You have combined two very strong classes, so the progression should be a bit more dispersed in my opinion.

Here are some ideas/feedback:

Delay Fighting Style to level 3
Level 5 & 9, 13 & 17 being blank are okay cause you pickup a new spell level
You forgot ASI around level 19 (if I recall most classes correctly)


If you really want something at level 5 - do something not combat oriented to give more utility - maybe language, or social related....or something with slight/neutral combat impact - like sacrifice a spell slot to get second wind once per short rest?

Thanks for the feedback, bud. I pushed FS to 3 as you suggested; it feels a little off TBH because no other class gets FS so late, but w/e no harm in it.

I'm hoping for more commentary on this. Still need a fix for the Necromancer/Transmuter issue, and overall opinions on the balance.