Swordmage Swordmages are powerful arcane spellcasters who blend martial combat with magic , often but not always elemental in nature . Ancient traditions of swordmages are common throughout Abeir and parts of Toril , such as Netheril or Evermeet , and are particularly common amongst eladrin , genasi , or githyanki . Wielding swords enchanted with spell s , swordmages are powerful foes to cross , hardened through years of training in the melding of spell and blade . Geran Hulmaster is the best known example of a swordmage . Culture . The culture of the swordmage varies from place to place and person to person but many archetypes exist . Most swordmages favor gods of magic such as Corellon or Selûne . Others of a good alignment might follow Torm or Tymora . Evil swordmages or those from Netheril are drawn to the worship of Shar , however , and have a more secretive bent in their traditions . Genasi , with their elemental abilities and wild hearts , make excellent swordmages and are among the most common assault swordmages . Human and eladrin swordmages are also common , though more frequently they are shielding swordmages . Githyanki arcanists are frequently swordmages , having their own traditions similar to those of the shielding swordmage . Abilities . Much like fighters or paladin s , swordmages are typically defensive in combat , serving to guard allies or distract enemies . Spells in which swordmages are specialized often reflect this to some extent , such as the swordmage ' s " warding " ability , which enables them to perpetually , while conscious and wielding a blade , maintain a field of magical force around them , making them harder to hit . Some swordmages extend this into the " aegis of shielding " spell , which allows a swordmage to magically deflect an enemy ' s blows against an ally . An alternative spell is " aegis of assault " , which enables the swordmage to teleport immediately to the location of an enemy that has attacked an ally . All swordmages maintain a close bond with their chosen blade , formed through one hour of meditation . This arcane bond allows a swordmage to call his or her blade to them from a small distance or magically repair it through their arcane link over a one hour period of meditation . In cases where the blade is broken , lost , or otherwise displaced a swordmage can replace it with a similar period of meditation , though this causes the old bond to dissolve . Swordmage styles . As mages who specialize in melding arcane magic with melee combat , swordmages ' characteristics differ greatly based upon the loosely tied traditions and fighting styles any one of them chooses to employ . Most swordmages are practitioners of one of the following fighting styles . Assault swordmage . Assault swordmages hold the philosophy that the best defense is a strong offense and protect their friends and allies through aggressive and flashy attacks . The traditions of the assault swordmage originated in Abeir , though since the Spellplague they have spread far and wide throughout Toril through the anarchs of Shyr . Putting an extremely high value on intelligence , assault swordmages consider physical strength of utmost importance as well , using their strength of body and mind as one to enhance the potency of their attack spells . Typically , assault swordmages prefer the use of heavy blade s such as falchion s , though as a consequence they tend to put a smaller emphasis on their own defense . Typically , assault swordmages learn " aegis of assault " . Goliath swordmages often chose the assault style . Shielding swordmage . Where assault swordmages prefer brute force , shielding swordmages prefer the use of magic as a shield against harm . The traditions of the shielding swordmage style originated initially with the Coronal Guard , ancient eladrin protectors of Myth Drannor , and the tradition was passed on over millennia to other races . Like all swordmages , shielding swordmages are often extremely cunning foes , but they also are quite often immensely durable , a quality they use to enhance some of their spells while also allowing them to take blows that their allies would otherwise suffer . However , shielding swordmages do not solely rely on their constitution to preserve them and in all things they prefer a strong defense . As a result , shielding swordmages not only typically learn the " aegis of shielding " spell but also generally prefer one - handed blade s such as longsword s , allowing them to parry their foes more easily than a larger weapon would easily allow . Primordial paths . Several traditions of swordmages exist in both Abeir and Toril , though Abeir seems to have had more such arcanists . Many swordmages of these traditions from the primordial dominated twin of Toril follow paths of arcane power that emulate the elemental fury wielded by primordials and dragon s as well as the elemental s from whom genasi are sired . Three paths dominate , known as the raging storm , the burning blizzard , and the astral fire . Swordmages of the raging storm use astrapomancy as the basis for their powers . Swordmages of the burning blizzard , on the other hand , specialize in nephomancy . The last of the common primordial paths is that of the astral fire and the swordmages who follow it use pyromancy as their primary weapon in battle .