You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

Weapon Bond

You learn a ritual that creates a magical bond between yourself and one weapon you are proficient with. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. The weapon must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the weapon and forge the bond.

Once you have bonded a weapon to yourself, you can’t be disarmed of that weapon unless you are incapacitated. If it is on the same plane of existence, you can summon that weapon as a bonus action on your turn, causing it to teleport instantly to your hand.

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.

Aegis

As part of your training, you've learned to use your magic to protect your allies.

As a bonus action, you can grant an aegis to one allied creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The aegis is a dim, grey aura of abjuration magic that protects the target. Any bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage the target takes is reduced by 2 + your swordmage level divided by 4. This effect lasts for 1 minute, until you use it again, or until you are incapacitated.

In addition, when a creature you can see within 60 feet of you hits the protected target with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of the attacker. You can teleport only if you and the attacker are on the same surface. You can then make one melee weapon attack against the attacker. If that attack hits, it deals an extra 1d10 force damage. This extra damage increases to 2d10 at 11th level and 3d10 at 17th level.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, your studies of arcane magic have begun to come to fruition. You have a spellbook containing spells that you have recorded.

Cantrips

At 2nd level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the swordmage spell list. You learn additional swordmage cantrips of your choice at higher levels as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Swordmage table.

Spellbook

At 2nd level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level swordmage spells of your choice.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Swordmage table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of swordmage spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of swordmage spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your swordmage level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level swordmage, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of swordmage spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your swordmage spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw

DC for a swordmage spell you cast and when making an

attack roll with one.