D&D 5E - It's not the size, it's how you use it (Versatile Weapons)

Maybe I watch too many movies or read too much Wheel of Time, but I like the swordmaster archetype who uses a medium-sized blade in both hands. However, it seems under-served in 5e, since versatile weapons are a whole step down from two-handed weapons in terms of damage. I know the point is that they are, well, versatile, but I still wish I could have a duelist-style blademaster with a longsword.

While I am day-dreaming, the swashbuckling archetype seems under-served as well, since no one except rouges should use a rapier in melee without a shield (and even then as a fencing rogue I realized might as well just stick to sniping with my crossbow). Yes, I know that historically duelists used bucklers, and I know that is where the term came from, but I want my Errol Flynn, damnit, and I don't want to leave a bunch of utility or damage on the table to do it. Besides, real duelists often used daggers in the off-hand as well, and we don't get to do that, so the historical accuracy argument won't fly with me.

I almost wish the Duelist feat didn't work if you used a shield, that would solve both problems. But, sometimes I think about making a feat or a combat style to suit my shield-less fantasy.

What do you guys think? Am I missing something? Do you have any ideas or house-rules? Would anyone care to chime in about how they don't use feats or multi-classing, since it seems like we can't let a thread go without a roll-call on that?

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7prrWqKmlnF6kv6h706GpnpmUqHyqwNJmpaisXam1pnnSorGeZZmpwG60zrBksqelYsK0sYyiq2aulafAosDIpZxmr5WWvbC60mdrb29lboJw