Lotsa writing pending

I'm not as good as I'd like at writing fluff for the stuff I make ─especially if I try to imitate the PHB's style─, so this is taking a lot longer than one would want.

I'm trying to use text from Complete Warrior's hexblade, PHB II's duskblade and PF's magus as inspiration.

Quick Build

You can make a spellblade quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Intelligence. (Some spellblades focus on two-handed weapon fighting and make Strength higher than Dexterity.) Second, choose the sage background. Third, choose the prestidigitation, dancing lights and chill touch cantrips.

Class Features

As a spellblade, you gain the following class features.

Hexblade's Curse

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to unleash dark energies upon your foes to mark them as your victims. As a bonus action you can choose a creature within 60 30 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failed save, it is hexed for 1 minute. While the hex lasts, whenever the creature makes an attack roll or a saving throw it must roll 1d4 and substract the number rolled from the roll. and whenever you hit that creature with an attack, you can make the attack deal an extra 1d4 necrotic damage. If the target failed its saving throw, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. Your hex also ends early if dispel magic, remove curse or similar magic is used on the target. or if you use it again on another creature.

Beginning at 14th level, you can succesfully use your Hexblade's Curse twice between rests.

Dark Companion

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast the find familiar spell as a ritual, as per your Magical Affinity trait. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or a special form, the living hex.

Expanded Spell List

As a hexblade you can choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a spellblade spell. The following spells are added to the spellblade spell list for you.

Forced Omens

A foreboding sense of doom travels with the hexblade, as candle lights flicker, fresh food turns green, or the air becomes stale. When you reach 6th level you learn the prestidigitation cantrip and you can cast it without any verbal or somatic components.

Prestidigitation doesn't count against your number of cantrips known, and if you already know the cantrip, you learn a different spellblade cantrip of your choice.

Improved Hexblade's Curse

Beginning at 11th level, you're so attuned to hour hexes that your strikes hit with embodied ill will. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack or when you damage it with a spellblade cantrip, the creature takes an extra 1d6 necrotic damage. If the creature is hexed by your Hexblade's Curse, it takes 1d12 necrotic damage instead.

Aura of Unluck

Once you reach 14th level, you can as a bonus action create a baleful aura of misfortune that lasts one minute. All attacks against you are made as if you were under half-cover. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Beginning at 17th level you can use your Aura of Unluck twice between long rests.

Deadly Hex

At 18th level, you gain the ability to execute the victim of your hex. When you damage a creature hexed by your Hexblade's Curse and bring it below half its total HP, you can have it make a Constitution saving throw against your spellcasting DC. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Arcane Channeling

When you choose this Discipline at 3rd level, you learn how to deliver your spells through your weapon. You know the Elemental Burst technique and two other channeling techniques of your choice, which are detailed in the "Arcane Channeling Techniques" section below. You learn one additional channeling technique of your choice at 6th, 11th, 14th and 18th level. Whenever you learn a new channeling technique, you can also replace one channeling technique you already know with a different technique.

When you take the Attack action, you can expend one spell slot to prepare an channeling technique you know. Until the end of your turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack you can release the channel targeting the creature you just hit; when you do so or your turn ends, the channel ends.

If a channeling technique requires a saving throw, the DC equals your spellblade spell save DC.

Expanded Spell List

As a duskblade you can choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a spellblade spell. The following spells are added to the spellblade spell list for you.

Elemental Burst

On release, the target takes 1d8 acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage (your choice). The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8.

Blinding Flash

On release, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save it takes 1d4 radiant damage and is blinded for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can repeat its saving throw. On a success the effect ends. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4.

Booming Thunder

Prerequisite: know the thunderwave spell

On release, each creature except you within 5 feet of the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d4 thunder damage, is pushed 5 feet away from the target and is knocked prone; the target is pushed away from you instead. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't pushed or prone. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4.

Dispelling Slash

Prerequisite: know the dispel magic spell

On release, choose one spell on the target. The spell ends if its level is the same or less as the level of the spell slot used to activate dispelling slash. Otherwise make an Intelligence (Arcana) check; the DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends.

Elemental Blast

On release, this discharge generates a 15-foot cone originating on and including the target, and facing away from you. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d6 acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage (your choice) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d6.

Foxfire

Prerequisite: know the faerie fire spell

On release, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d4 fire damage and is outlined in ghostly blue, green or violet flames (your choice) until the end of your next turn. For the duration, the target sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius and can't benefit from being invisible, and the next attack roll made against it before the effect ends has advantage. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and isn't covered in flames. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4.

Ghoul Slash

Prerequisite: 9th level, know the hold person spell

On release, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage. If channeled as 2nd 3rd level or higher the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of your next turn.

Mind Fever

Prerequisite: 9th level

On release, the target takes 1d8 psychic damage. If channeled as 3rd level or higher the target must also make an Intelligence saving throw or have disadvantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma checks and all spell attacks for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make an Intelligence saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.

Stunning Slash

Prerequisite: 5th level

On release, the target must make a Constitution saving throw and takes 1d4 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4. If channeled as 3rd 2nd level or higher, on a failed save the target is also stunned until the end of your next turn.

Vampiric Sword

On release, the target must make a Charisma saving throw. It takes 1d4 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one, and you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. The damage increases by 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4.

Weakening Touch

Prerequisite: know the ray of sickness spell

On release, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn. If channeled as 2nd level or higher the target is poisoned for 1 minute instead. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success the effect ends.

Swordmage Expanded Spells

Aegis of Assault

When a creature marked by your Aegis hits a creature other than you with an attack, if the marked creature is within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of it and make a melee weapon attack against it. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Aegis of Ensnaring

When a creature marked by your Aegis hits a creature other than you with an attack, if the marked creature is within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to teleport the creature to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. Until the end of the target's next turn its speed is halved, and the next attack roll made against it during that time has advantage. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Aegis of Shielding

When a creature marked by your Aegis hits a creature other than you with an attack, if the target of the attack is within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of it, and the damage the target takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier + your spellblade level. You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Starting at 14th level you can use your Aegis' special ability twice per short rest.

Hexblade (early 3e)

Avg fighter, weak caster, but quite flavourful. Can use medium armour and shields, specialized in debuffing one foe at a time. Debuff and utility spells. Defining feature is hexblade's curse (debuff everything a little).

Duskblade (3e)

Slightly weak-ish fighter, avg caster. Can use medium armour but IIRC no shields, deals touch spells on weapon attacks. Little to no flavour. Damage spells and some utility. Defining feature is arcane channel (add spell to weapon hit).

Swordmage (4e)

Lightly armoured tank. Can't use medium armour, doesn't need shields, specialized in self-buffing and mobility. Defining feature is swordmage aegis (react to attacks on allies).

Magus (3e PF)

Avg fighter, avg caster. Can enchant own weapon or gain extra spell slots, can "dual-wield" weapons and spells, Skyrim-style. Crapload of Invocation-like options. Has so many different features that no one stands out as defining.

Arcane Archer (3e)

Fighter (or whichever base class) with trick arrows. Can place AoE spells on arrows. Duskblade could fill up for this role if we allow for ranged weapon channeling.

"Spellblade"

I'm not sure I really like this name for the class, but none of the other ideas is quite better either. I also consider Magus (unclear name, only considered because Pathfinder) and Magic Knight (descriptive, but too many words for a class name).

Magical Affinity

ALL half-casters should have cantrips!! There, I said it. Now that I've got it out of my sistem, I'm not sure if adding detect magic too.

Spellcasting

I have tried not to give this class a very big list; I thought the combat-oriented spells would be mostly utility with small amounts of self-buffs and AoE damage. The subclasses' expanded lists add emphasis on some thing or another (single-target debuffs for the Hexblade, elemental damage for Duskblade, protection and mobility for the Swordmage).

Additionally, I'm very, very tempted to give the class Prepared spells and a spellbook à la wizard. It would be able to prepare Int mod + half level spells, like a paladin, and learn one free spell per level, like half a wizard.

Fighting Style

Archery is there mostly to support Duskblades being built as arcane archers. Now that AA's been oficially adapted (unlike the Hexblade, which has been replaced by an entirely different thing), it isn't as necessary.

A Duskblade would still be a better arcane archer than the Arcane Archer. It's not my fault that WotC's AA sucks.

Swift Spell

I kind of feel like this feature, much like the eldritch knight's War Magic, marks the Spellblade as a true warrior-mage hybrid by letting you mix smashing and casting together.

Mettle

Instead of a weirder version of rogue's Evasion, a weaker version of paladin's Aura of Protection (weaker as in "not AoE") gained four levels later. This would have the boon of being useful for Concentration saves. I'm considering swapping it for an extra ASI though, but it'd be duller.