While any artificer can infuse an item with magical power, swordmages strive to take the process further. They seek to truly awaken their weapons, using a magical sigil to imbue them with life and purpose. Swordmages use their magical blades for both offense and defense, protecting allies from afar or punishing transgressors with devastating surprise attacks.

Weapon Bond

3rd-level Swordmage feature

You have developed a ritual that forms a magical bond between yourself and one weapon. You perform the ritual using a set of artisan’s tools over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be one of the following types: short sword, scimitar, longsword, rapier, greatsword, or double-bladed scimitar*. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond. You can imbue the weapon with one of your infusions during this ritual.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with the weapon.
• If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon the weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.
• If the weapon is infused or otherwise magical, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for its attack and damage rolls.

You can have up to two bonded weapons, but can summon only one at a time with your bonus action. If you attempt to bond with a third weapon, you must break the bond with one of the other two.

*Your DM may add or remove weapons from this list as appropriate to the campaign setting.

Bonded Double-Bladed Scimitar

You perform your weapon bond with a double-bladed scimitar.

Bonded Greatsword

You perform your weapon bond with a greatsword.

Bonded Longsword

You perform your weapon bond with a longsword.

Bonded Rapier

You perform your weapon bond with a rapier.

Bonded Scimitar

You perform your weapon bond with a scimitar.

Bonded Shortsword

You perform your weapon bond with a shortsword.

Swordmage Spells

3rd-level Swordmage feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Swordmage Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.

Swordmage Spells

Artificer Level	Spell
3rd	shield, mage armor
5th	misty step, warding bond
9th	dispel magic, glyph of warding
13th	resilient sphere, dimension door
17th	wall of force, awaken

Swordmage Sigil

3rd-level Swordmage feature

The power of every swordmage’s bonded weapon manifests as a sigil. Whether it be a carved rune, an etched phrase, or a painted face, the sigil you choose determines your swordmage path as well as your weapons' personality and powers. When you bond with a new weapon, the sigil appears somewhere on that weapon. If the bond is broken, the sigil disappears. If you have two bonded weapons at once, your chosen sigil is displayed on both and they share the power of the sigil between them.

When you gain this feature, choose a sigil from the options below. Each sigil grants a cantrip and a unique Reaction ability. You can use this Reaction ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you can gain an additional use by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Sword Sentience. While some swordmages see their bonded weapons as just another tool at their disposal, many choose to awaken their blades when they imbue them with a sigil. If you choose this route, a sword bearing your sigil gains an INT score equal to your own and can speak with you telepathically. It's personality and its name are often influenced by your choice of sigil:

A weapon bearing the sigil of assault may be brash or haughty, seeking retribution for any perceived slight. Example names: Avenger, Breaker, Fury, Judgement, Retribution.

A weapon bearing the sigil of shielding is often protective and selfless, with a strong sense of justice and a desire to defend those too weak to defend themselves. Example names: Bulwark, Deflector, Mercy, Peacekeeper, Silence.

A weapon marked with the sigil of ensnarement favors cunning and guile over brute force, preferring to trap or disable foes rather than striking them down directly. Example names: Binder, Beguiler, Regret, Snare, Woe.

Sigil of Assault

You gain the cantrip green flame blade if you don’t already have it, along with the following Reaction:

When an enemy you can see within 30 feet deals damage to one of your allies, you can use your reaction to teleport to a space adjacent to the target and make one melee weapon attack against that creature.

Starting at 9th level, you can cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action against the target instead of making a melee weapon attack.

If you expended a spell slot to use this ability, the attack deals an extra 1d8 force damage for each level of the slot beyond 1st.

Sigil of Ensnarement

You gain the cantrip lightning lure if you don’t already have it, along with the following Reaction:

When an enemy you can see within 30 feet deals damage to one of your allies, you can use your reaction to teleport the target to an adjacent unoccupied space. The space cannot be imminently dangerous, such as a campfire, off the edge of a cliff, or in a trap. The next attack roll made against the target before the start of its next turn has advantage.

Starting at 9th level, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC or be restrained until the end of its next turn.

If you expended a spell slot greater than 1st level to use this ability, you generate an aura of difficult terrain for enemies only. The radius of the aura equals 5 feet per level of the spell slot, and the effect lasts for one minute.

Sigil of Shielding

You gain the cantrip booming blade if you don’t already have it, along with the following Reaction:

When an enemy deals damage to an ally you can see within 30 feet, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by 1d6. This damage reduction increases to 2d6 at level 5, 3d6 at level 9, and 4d6 at level 15.

Starting at 9th level, the targeted ally gains your current Aegis bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws, potentially causing the attack to miss or the saving throw to succeed. This bonus lasts until the start of the ally's next turn.

If you expended a spell slot to use this ability, you can further reduce the damage by 1d6 for each level of the slot beyond 1st. Starting at 9th level, you can increase the bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws by 1 for each level of the slot beyond 1st.

Swordmage Aegis

5th-level Swordmage feature

You learn to use your sword to project a barrier of force around yourself. This aegis is generated whenever you are wielding your bonded weapon. The greater your freedom of movement, the more protection your aegis provides. Select the aegis benefit that corresponds with your equipped weapons and armor.

Full Aegis

Your aegis provides a +3 bonus to armor class and dexterity saving throws.

Select this option if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You are wearing light or no armor.
• You are wielding your bonded weapon in one hand and your other hand is empty.

If you are benefitting from this enhanced bonus and you use both hands to attack with your bonded weapon or end your turn without an empty hand, the bonus is reduced to +1 until the end of your next turn.

No Aegis

Your aegis does not provide a defensive benefit.

Select this option if you meet any of the following criteria:

• You are wearing heavy armor
• You have a shield equipped
• You are not wielding your bonded weapon

Partial Aegis

Your aegis provides a +1 bonus to armor class and dexterity saving throws.

Select this option if you do not meet the criteria for the other two options.

This option is typically chosen when you have a two-handed weapon, are dual wielding, or wish to wear medium armor.

Improved Weapon Bond

5th-level Swordmage feature

Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack using your bonded weapon, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 force damage to the target. When you reach 15th level, the damage increases to 2d8.

Additionally, your bonded weapons can bear two infusions at once, and they qualify as shields, wands, and weapons for the purposes of infusion. At level 15 they can bear three infusions at once. At any given time, only one of the infusions on a bonded weapon may be a type that requires attunement.

Greater Sigil

9th-level Swordmage feature

The power of your bonded weapon grows, enhancing the ability it grants you based on your choice of sigil.

Sigil of Assault

When you use your Sigil of Assault reaction, after you teleport you can cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action against the target instead of making a melee weapon attack.

Sigil of Ensnarement

When you use your Sigil of Ensnarement reaction, you can force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC once it is teleported to you. On a failure, the target is restrained until the end of its next turn.

Sigil of Shielding

When you use your Sigil of Shielding reaction, the targeted ally gains your Aegis bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws, potentially causing the attack to miss or the saving throw to succeed. This bonus lasts until the start of the ally's next turn.

Spell-Storing Sword

15th-level Swordmage feature

When you apply your Spell-Storing Item feature to your bonded weapon, you can use a bonus action rather than an action to produce any spell effect stored within, and you can store Artificer spells that require a bonus action to cast.

Additionally, your bonded weapons can now bear up to three infusions at once, but only one of them may be of a type that requires attunement.

Author's Note

Making it work in DnD Beyond

Due to the limitations of the homebrew content creator, there are a few things you may need to do in order for the Swordmage features to display properly on the DnD Beyond Character Sheet.

1. You will need to manually add the cantrip granted by your choice of Swordmage Sigil. These spells are included in both products that offer the Artificer class, so you likely have access to them. One way to do this is to grant yourself the Magic Initiate (Wizard) feat for free on the Features & Traits section of the Character Sheet, selecting the appropriate cantrip, and leaving the other selections blank. Alternately, you could create a private homebrew magic item or feat that grants the spell.

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2. The DnD Beyond Character Sheet doesn't support multiple infusions on one item or wand/shield infusions on a sword. You will need to add a separate item of the appropriate type to infuse and attune to it if needed, then just make a note that you are not actually wielding that item. In the case of a shield, you will need to manually override your AC (clicking on your AC and then choosing 'Customize') to remove the +2 shield bonus (but you gain any additional AC bonuses and effects provided by the infusion).

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3. Your Swordmage Aegis will not change automatically when you equip items that would change its value. You will need to change the selection by editing the character and choosing the appropriate class feature option in order to have the new value reflected on your character sheet.

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4. There were other spells considered for the Swordmage spell list, but most are not freely available to everyone. If you have access to them and your DM is okay with it, you may replace your granted spell with one of the following provided they are the same spell level: (1st) Armor of Agathys, (2nd) Vortex Warp, (3rd) Thunder Step, (4th) Staggering Smite, (5th) Steel Wind Strike. The easiest way to make this replacement is to simply edit the spell name on your Character Sheet and look it up separately when you need to see the text. Otherwise you will need to create a private homebrew magic item or feat to grant you access to the spell.