Mageknight - My first Homebrew

**Tahliat** · 2019-05-15, 05:07 AM (ISO 8601)

Hi, this is my first attempt at a pet peeve class of mine: the gish, I would love to hear your feedback on it.

Mageknight

Class Features
As a mageknight, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per mageknight level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per mageknight level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None

Saving Throws:
Constitution, Intelligence

Skills:
Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation and Medicine

Equipment: You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) chain mail or (b) leather, longbow, and 20 arrows
(a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) two handaxes
(a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack

Cantrips
You learn two cantrips: Blade Ward and another cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 4th and 10th level.

Blade Bond
Over the course of 1 hour short rest, you can bond a weapon to you. Once bonded, you cannot be disarmed unless you are incapacitated and if the weapon is on the same plane of existence, you can summon it to your hand as a bonus action. You can also use your bonded weapon as an arcane focus for your mageknight spells

Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty, Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defence: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon,
Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Spellcasting
When you reach 2nd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the wizard spelllist.

Spell Slots
The Mageknight Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st level spell shield and have a 1st level and a 2nd level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot. Spells Known of 1st-level and Higher. You know two 1st level wizard spells of your choice.

Spells Known
The Spells Known column of the Mageknight Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wizard spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spelllist. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through study and memorization. You use your intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell Combat
Beginning at 2nd level, when you use your action to attack you can cast a spell as a bonus action. You can only use spells with a range of touch, targeting yourself or a spell with a range of self, that targets only you (no cone, radius, line).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your continuing efforts to blend blade and spell. Choose Duskblade, Bladeguardian, or Swordsage, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th and 15th level.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Combat Casting
Beginning at 6th level, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged spell attack rolls.

Arcane Charge
At 6th level, the extra movement you gain by taking the Dash Action is a teleport. You teleport to an unoccupied space you can see.

Arcane steps
Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to teleport as part of your movement up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
This is in addition to your normal movement.

Channel Energy
By 11th level, you can channel part of the arcane energies you wield through your weapon strikes. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage. The damage type must match the damage type dealt by one of your cantrips. You can change the damage type as an action by channeling energy through your weapon.

Spell Combat Expert
At 14th level, you can use cantrips which use a melee spell attack or a ranged spell attack with spell combat.

Spell Combat Master
At 18th level, you can use Spell Combat to cast any spell with a cast time of 1 action.

Channel Spell
At 20th level, instead of making a melee or ranged spell attack while casting a spell, you can channel the spell through your weapon and substitute the spell attack with a weapon attack, doing damage with your weapon as normal. You can use this ability only once per turn.

Archetypes

Duskblade

Heavy Armor
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Enchant Arms
Starting at 7th level, your bonded weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Enchanted Armor
Starting 15th level, at the end of a long rest, touch one suit of armor. Until the end of your next long rest, While you're wearing said armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Blade Guardian

Arcane Deflection
Starting at 3rd level, when a creature that you can see hits you with an attack (weapon or spell), you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing it to miss you.

Project Deflection
Starting at 7th level, when a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to its AC for that attack, potentially causing it to miss it.

Spell Deflection
Starting at 15th level you can deflect spells with your arcane deflection. When a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you casts a spell,
you can use your reaction to bestow advantage on the saving throw and resistance against the spell being cast.

Swordsage

Expand Knowledge
At 3rd level, you learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list.

Spellbook
At 3rd level, you gain a spellbook where you can write your spells and two 1st level wizard spells. These are in addition to the spells gained from your mageknight class. You can add spells to your spellbook in the same way as a wizard. Every level thereafter you gain an extra wizard spell to scribe in your spellbook. You memorize spells as a wizard does. When you do so, choose a number of wizard spells equal to half your mageknight level, rounded down. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. This is in addition to the spells you known as a mageknight.

Ritual Casting
At 7th level, you can cast a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

Quick Study
At 15th level, you can change your memorization during a short rest.

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Cantrips, Blade Bond	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	+2	Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Spell Combat	2	2	2	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	Archetype Feature	2	3	3	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	3	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	Extra Attack	3	4	4	2	-	-	-
6th	+3	Combat Casting, Arcane Charge	3	4	4	2	-	-	-
7th	+3	Archetype Feature	3	5	4	3	-	-	-
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	5	4	3	-	-	-
9th	+4	-	3	6	4	3	2	-	-
10th	+4	Arcane steps	4	6	4	3	2	-	-
11th	+4	Channel Energy	4	7	4	3	3	-	-
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	7	4	3	3	-	-
13th	+5	-	4	8	4	3	3	1	-
14th	+5	Spell Combat Expert	4	8	4	3	3	1	-
15th	+5	Archetype Feature	4	9	4	3	3	2	-
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	9	4	3	3	2	-
17th	+6	-	4	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Spell Combat Master	4	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Channel Spells	4	11	4	3	3	3	2

*Edited to incorporate changes from feedback

**Zhorn** · 2019-05-15, 07:25 AM (ISO 8601)

So my first thought is the base class is too similar to Eldritch Knight. Is 'too similar' a thing? I just mean that the class identity feels more like a clone of a pre-existing setup. Nothing saying you can't do that, but some more variance into the base class would be a good move. Some things to give it a more unique presence that could not just be achieved by simply multiclassing existing classes.
Core difference I do see is it's a 1/2 caster instead of a 1/3 caster, and it has access to the full wizard spell list instead of just two schools.

I'm guessing the design goal is an EK with a bit more wizard and a bit less fighter?

Originally Posted by Tahliat

Channel Spell
At 18th level, you can substitute a melee or ranged spell attack with a weapon attack channeling your spell through your weapon, doing damage with your weapon as normal. You can use this ability only once per turn.

I like this one, has a nice flavor if a weapon wreathed in the spell. Gives a good gishy identity.

Originally Posted by Tahliat

Improved Spell Combat
At 11th level, you can use cantrips which use a melee spell attack or a ranged spell attack (No Greenflame Blade or Booming Blade) with spell combat.

Specifically calling spells out by name I think should be reworded. Intent is understood and I agree with why you're doing that. But would be better worded around the category that those types of spells would fall under rather than the specific spells. If more spells are added in different source books, or a whole lot of homebrew spells are used at a table, a more general wording will make the ability robust and better suited to handle such changes.

**Tahliat** · 2019-05-15, 10:11 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Zhorn

I'm guessing the design goal is an EK with a bit more wizard and a bit less fighter?

That is exactly what I am aiming for, a fighter/wizard gish without the hassle of multi-classing. The class features revolve around casting in melee and buffing up even while in combat and supplementing your damage with spells. It feels a bit bland to be honest because you have the full wizard spell list at your disposal.

Originally Posted by Zhorn

Specifically calling spells out by name I think should be reworded. Intent is understood and I agree with why you're doing that. But would be better worded around the category that those types of spells would fall under rather than the specific spells. If more spells are added in different source books, or a whole lot of homebrew spells are used at a table, a more general wording will make the ability robust and better suited to handle such changes.

I think the wording (melee spell attack or a ranged spell attack) already excludes the two aforementioned spells (they require a melee attack with a weapon), I just added them for clarity. You are right to point out that it shouldn't be in the description.

Thanks for your feedback, how do you think the class stands in relation to the parent classes in terms of power?

**Zhorn** · 2019-05-15, 11:06 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Tahliat

Thanks for your feedback, how do you think the class stands in relation to the parent classes in terms of power?

Still on the fence, will need some time to think it over (should be sleeping instead of forum lurking

)

Some other thoughts though.

Spell casting:
Probably just switch the spells known/prepared entirely to the spellbook model, or drop it completely. Not sure why, but I'm not feeling right about having a leveling progression INTO using the spellbook in combination with a spells memorised format. Should be one or the other, not both.

Fighting Styles:
Drop it and lean more into the weapon bond. Might be a good way to separating the identity from a fighter would be to make the fighting style more magic orientated rather than martial prowess. Enchanted weapons attacks, arcane smites, etc. Channel Spell is a good flavor for the class, perhaps a lighter version of that in a similar fashion to how EK's go from war magic to improved war magic.

**JNAProductions** · 2019-05-15, 11:08 AM (ISO 8601)

Everything from start through equipment looks fine.

Cantrips... Why Blade Ward? Why? It's not a good spell, in most cases. If you REALLY want to force Blade Ward, give them at least two other ones.

Blade Bond looks fine.

Fighting Style is fine.

Should probably give more spells known.

Ah, you gave Blade Ward because of Spell Combat. That's... Pretty OP, early on. For reference, Barbarians get 2 rages per long rest. That gives them one minute of resistance to physical damage. You get one round of that, as a bonus action, but at absolutely no cost other than action economy. It lowers in effectiveness as time goes on, to a point, but early on that is WAY TOO GOOD.

ASIs are fine.

Extra Attack is fine.

Combat Casting, fine.

Arcane Steps should specify if it consumes 10' of movement, or is in addition to. Either way, looks fine.

Improved Spell Combat is OP. You get 2 attacks and a 3dX cantrip. That's an average of, assuming a basic Shocking Grasp (for a nice rider) and a Longsword with Dueling...
Somewhere around 32-36 damage. A Paladin, with Improved Divine Smite, does 28 without resources. And has no rider.

Eldritch Strike is probably too good on anything other than a third caster.

Channel Spell needs more explanations.

Spell Combat Master might be okay. It is a capstone, after all.

Duskblade

Heavy Armor is fine.

Enchant Arms and Armor is NOT. Letting your weapons count as magic is fine, but letting them gain a +1 is not.

Duskblade spells is a 7th level feature that doesn't do anything till level 11.

Enchanted Armor is fine, for its level.

Blade Guardian

Arcane Deflection is fine.

Project is fine.

Spell Deflection needs clarity, but I think it's fine.

Swordsage

Expand Knowledge is fine.

Spellbook is fine.

Ritual Casting is fine.

Lesser Spell mastery is NOT FINE. Three levels before the Wizard, you get Shield at-will, on a class with much better armor.

**Tahliat** · 2019-05-15, 11:29 AM (ISO 8601)