Alternate Class Feature: Rune Magic
Rune Magic is a alternate class feature to the Spellcasting feature of Wizards. Replace the Spellcasting feature with the following feature.
Rune Magic
You practice an ancient form of chaotic magic known as Rune Magic to cast spells. Rune Magic is similar to traditional wizard magic, but instead of using a book of spells, Rune Mages use runes of power to store their spells. See Chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of theis document for the Rune Mage spell list.
Runes
You have a small pouch containing 6 runes at first level. Your runes are bound to your pouch and when removed, they magically reappear in your bag 1 round later. As you increase in level, you choose more runes to add to your rune pouch, as shown by the Runes Owned table. When you level up, you can also replace one of your current runes with another from the list. Runes are chosen from the following list:
- Corrosion (acid) [Iar, ᛡ]
- Chill (cold) [Isa, ᛁ]
- Flame (fire) [Kenaz, ᚳ]
- Air (lightning) [Eihwaz, ᛇ]
- Nature (piercing) [Uruz, ᚢ]
- Water (bludgeoning) [Laguz, ᛚ]
- Mineral (slashing) [Ingwaz, ᛝ]
- Sun (radiant) [Sowilo, ᛊ]
- Death (necrotic) [Jera, ᛃ]
- Sound (thunder) [Perthro, ᛈ]
- Mind [Mannaz, ᛗ]
- Force [Raido, ᚱ]
- Destruction [Hagalaz, ᚻ]
- Pain [Thurisaz, ᚦ]
- Control [Naurthiz, ᚾ]
- Aid [Ehwaz, ᛖ]
- Protection [Algiz, ᛉ]
Runes that have an element in parentheses are considered elemental, and can be used to cast spells that have the elemental rune requirement. Damaging spells cast with an elemental rune have their damage type changed to the elemental rune's damage type.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your runemage spells, since you learn spells through a deep understand of runes of power. You use your Intellligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a runemage spell you cast and when making an attack roll for one.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier
Rune Casting
When combat starts and again at the end of each of your turns, draw two runes from your rune pouch at random. While you are holding runes, you may replace into your bag in order to cast either a cantrip that matches one of the runes, or a spell of 1st level or higher that matches both. You can cast spells of 1st level or higher a number of times per day as shown on the Spell Slots per Level table. If you draw two runes that you can't use to cast any spells of first level or higher, you can use your action and a spell slot to trigger a wild magic surge.
Utility Spells
Spells marked with the utility tag can be cast without drawing their appropriate rune from the rune bag. To cast a utility spell, simply expend an appropriate spell slot and cast the spell. You can only cast utility spells that you have the appropriate rune for.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use your rune pouch as a spellcasting focus.
Rune Magic
| Level | Runes Owned | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 11th | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 14th | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 15th | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 16th | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 17th | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18th | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 19th | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20th | 17 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
ᛡᛁᚳᛇᚢᛚᛝᛊᛃᛈᛗᚱᚻᚦᚾᛖᛉᛏ
Arcane Tradition
At 2nd level, a wizard gains the Arcane Tradition feature. The following option is available to a wizard using the Rune Magic alternative class feature.
Runemage
Some wizards practice a form of magic that has largely been forgotten to time. This magic, known as rune magic, fell out of favor to traditional magic because of it's unpredictability and dangerous power. When a wizard who follows this arcane tradition casts a spell, they focus their arcane power through runes imbued with primal magic, allowing them to cast spells through the rune's meaning.
Wizards who follow this arcane tradition tend to either hail from a distant land that hasn't adopted traditional magic yet, or simply enjoy the chaos that rune magic brings. Rune mages typically wear traditional wizard garments, but most have runes tattooed onto their bodies.
Runemage Features
| Wizard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Rune of Power |
| 6th | Runic Attunement |
| 10th | Predictable Rune |
| 14th | Primal Casting |
Rune of Power ᛏ
Beginning at 2nd level, you gain a new special rune to put into your bag. This rune is a rune of raw magical power that augments any spell cast using it. Add a rune to your rune pouch. When you draw this rune, you draw an extra rune. While holding the rune of power, you can put it back into your bag in order to roll twice the amount of dice for a damaging spell, taking only half the dice which have the highest results. If you cast a non-damaging spell while holding the rune of power, its save DC is increased by 2. At 6th, 10th, 14th and 20th level, add another rune of power to your bag. You cannot attune to the rune of power using runic attunement, and you cannot use predictable rune to choose a rune of power.
Runic Attunement
Starting at 6th level, your body becomes inscribed with a shifting, magical rune that empowers spells cast with that rune. After you finish a long rest, choose one of the runes in your rune pouch. Spells of 1st level or higher cast with this rune have their damage die increased by one step, and their save DC is increased by an amount equal to half of your proficiency bonus. These benefits last until you change which rune you are attuned to. At 10th level, you can attune to two runes at a time, and at 14th level, you can attune to three.
Predictable Rune
Starting at 10th level, you begin to have more influence over the chaotic magic of your rune pouch. When you have runes out of your pouch, you may choose look through your pouch and swap one of your held runes for one in the pouch. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it until you finish a short or long rest.
Primal Casting
At 14th level, you can choose to cast a primal spell when you hold a Rune of Power. Casting a primal spell expends both the Rune of Power and the rune associated with the primal spell. Primal spells are detailed at the end of the Rune Magic spell list. Casting a primal spell doesn't use a spell slot. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short rest. You can't use multiple runes of power to boost a primal spell.
† denotes a new spell described in this document
cantrips (0 level)
- poison spray (corrosion)
- acid splash (corrosion)
- primal savagery (corrosion)
- ray of frost (chill)
- frostbite (chill)
- produce flame (flame)
- fire bolt (flame)
- control flames (Utility, flame)
- green-flame blade (flame)
- shocking grasp (air)
- lightning lure (air)
- gust (Utility, air)
- shillelagh (Utility, nature)
- thorn whip (nature)
- infestation (nature)
- shape water (Utility, water)
- †water burst (water)
- magic stone (mineral)
- mold earth (Utility, mineral)
- dancing lights (sun)
- sacred flame (sun)
- word of radiance (sun)
- light (Utility, sun)
- chill touch (death)
- toll the dead (death)
- minor illusion (mind)
- †psionic spike (mind)
- friends (Utility, mind)
- message (Utility, sound)
- vicious mockery (sound)
- thunderclap (sound)
- mage hand (Utility, force)
- sword burst (force)
- †repulse (force)
- create bonfire (destruction)
- †break object (destruction)
- eldritch blast (pain)
- booming blade (pain)
- †sensory overload (control)
- †terrify (control)
- spare the dying (Utility, aid)
- †called strike (aid)
- guidance (aid)
- resistance (protection)
- blade ward (protection)
1st level
- beast bond (mind, nature, control)
- earth tremor (mineral, destruction, force)
- ice knife (chill, pain, water)
- snare (Utility, control)
- ceremony (Utility, sun)
- zephyr strike (air, movement, pain)
- chaos bolt (pain, element)
- catapult (force, destruction, mineral)
- cause fear (death, control, mind)
- animal friendship (nature, control, mind)
- bane (death, control, pain)
- charm person (control, mind, aid)
- comprehend languages (Utility, mind)
- cure wounds (aid, sun, death)
- detect magic (Utility, all)
- dissonant whispers (mind, sound, pain)
- faerie fire (sun, nature, flame)
- feather fall (Utility, air)
- healing word (sound, protection, aid)
- heroism (mind, aid, protection)
- identify (Utility, mineral)
- longstrider (force, aid, nature)
- silent image (mind, control, air)
- sleep (control, nature, death)
- speak with animals (Utility, nature)
- tasha's hideous laughter (control, death, sound)
- thunderwave (air, sound, destruction)
- unseen servant (Utility, force)
- bless (aid, protection, sun)
- command (control, sound, mind)
- create or destroy water (Utility, water)
- detect poison and disease (Utility, corrosion)
- guiding bolt (sun, aid, pain)
- inflict wounds (pain, element)
- shield of faith (protection, sun, mineral)
- searing smite (flame, pain, force)
- thunderous smite (sound, pain, force)
- wrathful smite (pain, control, force)
- ensnaring strike (nature, force, mineral)
- entangle (nature, mineral, water)
- goodberry (nature, aid, sun)
- fog cloud (nature, air, water)
- jump (air, force, aid)
- burning hands (destruction, flame, element)
- chromatic orb (element, element)
- color spray (mind, element)
- expeditious retreat (aid, air, mineral)
- false life (aid, element)
- mage armor (Utility, protection)
- magic missile (force, element)
- ray of sickness (death, nature, cold, corrosion)
- witch bolt (chill, electricity, corrosion, death)
- armor of agathys (chill, protection, death)
- arms of hadar (destruction, mind, force)
- hex (pain, death, element)
- find familiar (Utility; nature, sun, or death)
- grease (control, corrosion, water)
2nd level
- Animal Messenger (Utility, nature)
- Blindness/Deafness (control, pain, sun)
- Calm Emotions (mind, control, aid)
- Cloud of Daggers (mineral, destruction, force)
- Crown of Madness (pain, mind, control)
- Heat Metal (flame, chill, mineral)
- Hold Person (control, force, air)
- Invisibility (air, death, aid)
- Knock (Utility, force)
- Lesser Restoration (Utility, aid)
- Phantasmal Force (pain, mind, force)
- Shatter (sound, destruction, air)
- Silence (sound, control, death)
- Suggestion (mind, control, sound)
- Aid (aid, pain, sun)
- Prayer of Healing (Utility, aid)
- Warding Bond (protection, aid, pain)
- Darkvision (Utility, sun)
- Flame Blade (mineral, force, flame)
2nd level (cont.)
- Flaming Sphere (flame, destruction, element)
- Gust of Wind (air, sun, control)
- Moonbeam (sun, death, nature)
- Spike Growth (nature, destruction, control)
- Barkskin (protection, aid, nature)
- Blur (mind, aid, protection)
- Crown of Madness (mind, control, pain)
- Detect Thoughts (Utility, mind)
- Enlarge/Reduce (aid, sun, nature
- Levitate (air, force, sun)
- Mirror Image (mind, protection, aid)
- Misty Step (control, water, air)
- Scorching Ray (flame, element)
- Web (nature, corrosion, control)
- Ray of Enfeeblement (chill, death, corrosion)
- Melf's Acid Arrow (corrosion, element)
- Aganazzar's Scorcher (flame, destruction)
- Dragon's Breath (element, element)
- Dust Devil (air, mineral, destruction)
- Earthbind (destruction, control, mineral)
- Maximillian's Earthen Grasp (mineral, control, force)
- Mind Spike (mind, pain, destruction)
- Pyrotechnics (flame, mineral, sun)
- Shadow Blade (death, pain, mineral)
- Skywrite (Utility, air)
- Snilloc's Snowball Swarm (destruction, chill, air)
- Warding Wind (air, aid, protection)
- Healing Spirit (aid, nature, protection)
3rd level
4th level
5th level
6th level
7th level
8th level
9th level
Primal
- Storm (Elemental)
- Dominate (Mind)
- Crush (Force)
- Calamity (Destruction)
- Agony (Pain)
- Imprison (Control)
- Restore (Aid)
- Ward (Protection)
New Cantrips
Water Burst
Conjuration Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a container of water)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You point your finger, and a geyser of water erupts underneath a target. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 bludgeoning damage and fall prone if it's medium or smaller.
This spell's damage increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.
Psionic Spike
Enchantment Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, M (a thorn)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You wrench a creature's mind, causing a splitting headache. The target must make an intelligence saving throw or take 1d8 damage and become dazed until the end of your next turn.
This spell's damage increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level.
Break Object
Evocation Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a broken toy)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You destabilize an object's structure, causing it to break. Make an attack roll against an object or construct. If this object is unattended and inanimate, this attack automatically hits. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 bludgeoning damage and becomes vulnerable to the next bludgeoning damage that it takes before the end of your next turn.
This spell's damage increases to 2d12 at 5th level, 3d12 at 11th level, and 4d12 at 17th level.
Repulse
Evocation Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You move your hand forward and a target gets pushed back with telekinetic force. The target must make a strength saving throw or take 1d4 damage and be pushed 10 feet away from you. If pushed into a wall or other object, the target takes damage equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
This spell's damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level.
Sensory Overload
Illusion Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You look into a creature's eyes and overload its vision and hearing with illusory stimuli. The target must make a constitution saving throw or be blinded and deafened until the end of your next turn.
Terrify
Illusion Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
With a primal yell, you appear to grow large and frightening to a creature. The target must make a wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Called Strike
Divination Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, M (a toy soldier)
- Duration: Instantaneous
You look into the near future and shout combat advice to an ally. The target gains advantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.
Primal Spells
Storm
Primal Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
After drawing an rune in the air, you create an explosion of raw elemental power. Each creature within range, including yourself, must make a constitution saving throw. Roll a number of d10 equal to half of your runemage level. A creature that fails the save takes that much damage of the appropriate elemental damage type. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw takes half damage.
Dominate
Primal Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: up to 1 minute, see below
After drawing a rune in the air, you reach into the mind of a creature, fully dominating it. The target must make a wisdom saving throw or be charmed. While charmed in this way, you control the target during its turn, and the target cannot take reactions. At the end of each of its turns, the target may make another saving throw. On a success, the creature is no longer charmed. While you have a creature charmed this way, you are unconcious. You may end control over the creature at any time.
Crush
Primal Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 5 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
After drawing a rune in the air, you use primal force to crush a nearby enemy, knocking it down and crippling it. The target must make a dexterity saving throw or take force damage. Roll a number of 8 sided dice equal to half your runemage level. The target takes that much damage and is also knocked prone and has its movement speed halved. On a successful save, the target takes half damage and is not knocked prone and does not have its movement speed reduced. The movement speed reduction lasts until the creature recieves magical healing.
Calamity
Primal Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
After drawing a rune in the air, you create an earthquake centered on a point up to 60 feet away from you. Each creature and unattended object in a 15 foot radius around the target must make a dexterity save or take bludgeoning damage. Unattended objects automatically fail this saving throw. Roll a number of 8 sided dice equal to half your runemage level. Creatures that succeed the saving throw take half damage. Additionally, the spell's area of effect becomes difficult terrain. This spell does a lot of structural damage, and may cause cave-ins if used underground.
Agony
Primal Necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You reach out and place you hand on a creature, branding it with a rune of agony. Make a spell attack roll against a target creature. On a hit, roll a number of d6 equal to your runemage level. The target takes that much necrotic damage. Creatures damaged by this spell become permanently hostile to you, and likely prioritize attacking you over other threats. A creature killed by this spell is raised as a revenant at the next dawn, with the goal "kill the wizard who killed me."
Imprison
Primal Conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You draw a rune in the air, imprisoning a single target creature of size larger or smaller. The target is imprisoned in a clear box of force that has dimensions equal to the space it occupies. The box is unbreakable, but can be attacked. It has an armor class of 18 plus your spellcasting ability modifier. You take half of the damage dealt to the force box as psychic damage that cannot be prevented or resisted.
Restore
Primal Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
After drawing a rune in the air, a wave of healing energy washes over every creature within 30 feet of you. Roll 8 sided dice equal to half your runemage level. You and every living creature within range regain hit points equal to the result. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
Ward
Primal Abjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: 1 minute
After drawing a rune in the air, you create defensive bubbles around up to six willing creatures of your choice. Each affected creature gains temporary hit points equal to your runemage level. While these bubbles are active, the affected creatures cannot be affected by beneficial spells.