swordmage

English

Etymology

From sword +‎ mage. Rarely used before December 2007 (or November: see quotation), when it was included in the first preview of the Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, Wizards Presents: Races and Classes.

Noun

swordmage (plural swordmages)

1. (fantasy) One who is skilled in both swordfighting and magic use.
   • 1998 September 22, Autolycus, “Mages/armour rules”, in rec.games.frp.dnd (Usenet):

     However, IMC, magic is treated as a form of energy that can be shielded or grounded by various metals (e.g. soft iron) before it is converted into another form. That's why elvish swordmages can use elfin chain - it is a 'magical' metal, one which acts as a magical superconductor and an electrical semiconductor. That's also why high concentrations of transition metals in unbroken or closely-arranged arrays will retard the casting of a spell.

   • 2001 March, Troy Denning, The Summoning (Forgotten Realms; Return of the Archwizards, book I), Wizards of the Coast, →ISBN, page 195:

     Nearly two dozen of Evermeet’s swordmages lay writhing on the ground, their palms pressed to their ears in a futile attempt to shut out illithid mind blasts, but Khelben did not pause to hurl any spells into that quarter of combat.

   • 2002 November 21, George, “quest items?”, in microsoft.public.games.zone.asherons_call (Usenet):

     > They are by 3 school Melee/Archers =P / No such thing ; ) / Bowmage / Swordmage / etc.

   • 2006 October 15, Dave Van Domelen, “[ASH] Info: Magic Items - A Menagerie”, in rec.arts.comics.creative (Usenet):

     Some wild talents can take shortcuts, but usually only with specific things, such as a swordmage who can bring out the best in any edged weapon with but a whim.

   • 2007 August, A Gamemaster’s Guide to Talislanta (Talislanta, Fantasy Role Playing Game, fifth edition), →ISBN, page 207:

     A Windship manned by Cymrilian Swordmages (ability level 3) arrived after the battle had commenced. […] If the defenders of Ikarthis can hold out until daybreak, they will be re-enforced by a contingent of 100 Cymrilians (average ability level 3: +3), wearing chain mail (Armor Factor: +2). Half of their number are Swordmages (Magic modifier of +2), and they will be arriving in a windship armed with light ballistae (Weapon Factor: +6).

   • 2007 November 24, fabio.mili...@gmail.com, “QUARTA edizione 4th - razze e classi..... Draconici e avanzamento unico”, in it.hobby.giochi.gdr.dnd (Usenet):

     I was today at my FLGS here in Hungary, and to my big surprise they already had the Races & Classes preview book for sale. […] The classes section had details about five classes: Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, and Warlock. Each of thes^[sic] gets 3-4 pages. Then - as with the classes - there is an "other classes" section with 3-4 paragraphes^[sic] for each class. I remember paladins, rangers, druids, barbarians, swordmages and warlords among those.

   • 2012, Martin F. Hengst, The Last Swordmage: A Magic of Solendrea Novel (The Swordmage Trilogy; volume 1), published 1 November 2013, →ISBN, page 60:

     He was a swordmage, one who could wield a steel blade in one hand and the full power of the sphere in the other. It was a fearsomely powerful concordance of skills, but one that came at a terrible price. The disruption that came to all mages came also to the swordmage, it just came slower. A glacial crawl opposed to a flash freeze.