Meanings
plural swordmages
- fantasyOne who is skilled in both swordfighting and magic use.
> They are by 3 school Melee/Archers =P / No such thing ; ) / Bowmage / Swordmage / etc.
2002 November 21, George, “quest items?”, in microsoft.public.games.zone.asherons_call (Usenet)5 more examples
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.
1998 September 22, Autolycus, “Mages/armour rules”, in rec.games.frp.dnd (Usenet)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.
2001 March, Troy Denning, The Summoning (Forgotten Realms; Return of the Archwizards, book I), Wizards of the Coast, →ISBN, page 195Some 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.
2006 October 15, Dave Van Domelen, “[ASH] Info: Magic Items - A Menagerie”, in rec.arts.comics.creative (Usenet)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 August, A Gamemaster’s Guide to Talislanta (Talislanta, Fantasy Role Playing Game, fifth edition), →ISBN, page 207I 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.
2007 November 24, fabio.mili...@gmail.com, “QUARTA edizione 4th - razze e classi..... Draconici e avanzamento unico”, in it.hobby.giochi.gdr.dnd (Usenet)
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
swordmage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swordmage
“swordmage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swordmage. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swordmage,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swordmage.
Source: swordmage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.