# Runic Scholar ## Arcane Tradition ### Runic Scholar Dwarven craftsmen have long been known to craft and create some of the most potent magical items across the lands, both in terms of items built for combat and those for more mundane purposes. Many know the secret to this dominance of the market, but either lack the talent or knowledge to recreate it themselves. This secret is based around the ancient origin of all written language, the Runic alphabet. Millenia of disuse has left few with the knowledge required to recreate the ancient script, and even fewer possess the arcane prowess to instill these exceptionally receptive symbols with magic. Only a few chosen dwarves are taught and granted the honor, while others practice a lesser form of the art using the modern dwarvish script. But there are very few who truly practice the tradition of the Runic Scholars. Runic Scholars tend to be dwarves, as the tradition is closely guarded by their elders. However, certain practitioners have begun inducting and teaching wizards of other races the secrets of the Runic language. ##### Runic Scholar Features | Wizard Level | Feature | |:----:|:-------------| | 2nd | Bonus Proficiencies, Runic Scribe, Rune Trigger | | 6th | Runic Gifts | | 10th | Runic Concentration, Transferring Script | | 14th | Overcharged Rune | #### Bonus Proficiencies At 2nd level, you gain proficiency with the use of Calligrapher’s Tools if you don't already have it. The inks, brushes, and pens that make up these tools are what allow you to write the runes that will contain your magic for other features of this Arcane Tradition. You also learn to read and write the Runic language. There is no spoken version of Runic, as the language is ancient and long forgotten besides its use in the study and practice of magic. #### Runic Scribe At 2nd level, your practice in writing the Runic language begins to bear fruit. When you finish a short or long rest you prepare a number of Runes equal to one half your Wizard level (rounded down) using your Calligrapher’s Tools. These Runes are used to activate the effects of the other features of this Arcane Tradition. Any unused Runes lose their capacity to store magic and become inert when you take a short or long rest. \columnbreak #### Rune Trigger Starting at 2nd level, you can contain the energy of your spells within Runes to delay their effects until certain conditions trigger their release. As a bonus action on your turn when you cast a spell that uses a spell slot, you can delay the spell's effect, sealing it within a rune at your feet. You then select one of the triggers that will activate the contained spell as described below. You can only seal spells whose level is equal to or less than half of your Wizard level (rounded down) and only spells 5th level and lower can be sealed. Runes will remain on the field for one hour, or until triggered. If a Rune is not triggered it still counts as expended from the pool created by your Runic Scribe feature. If the spell sealed within is a Concentration spell, you can't concentrate on it and its duration lasts only one round. - ***Command.*** As a bonus action on a subsequent turn, you speak the Rune's command word and release the spell. - ***Engagement.*** When a hostile creature moves within 5 feet of the Rune the spell is released, no action required. You designate what creatures are not hostile when you seal the spell in the Rune. - ***Acceptance.*** When a willing creature moves within 5 feet of the Rune the spell is released, no action required, as long as they accept the effect. You designate what creatures can accept the spell when you seal it in the Rune. #### Runic Gifts At 6th level, you have learned to augment gear with the energy trapped within your Runes. When you finish a short or long rest you can affix one of your Runes to a nonmagical weapon or piece of armor and temporarily grant it a magical bonus by trapping a spell into the Rune as you would with your Rune Trigger feature. The school of magic of the chosen spell determines if it will benefit a weapon or armor, as well as the effects it gives the item. The effect of the Rune ends when you take a short or long rest, and only one piece of equipment can benefit from this feature per rest. ##### Weapon Enhancements - ***Divination.*** The weapon has a +1 bonus to attack rolls made as it plays out predetermined patterns that enhance its wielder's abilities. - ***Evocation.*** The weapon deals an additional 1d6 damage as the spell's energy overflows from it. The bonus damage can be acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder damage. - ***Necromancy.*** The weapon drains vitality from its victims, granting its wielder half of the damage dealt as temporary hit points when they land a critical hit or kill their target. - ***Transmutation.*** The weapon's material becomes malleable and flexible, increasing its reach by 5ft. If the weapon is already a ranged weapon or has the thrown property, it's range increases by 20ft. \pagebreakNum ##### Armor Enhancements - ***Abjuration.*** The armor grants a +1 to AC as the magic sealed within form protective barriers to repel attacks. - ***Conjuration.*** The armor's bearer can use their action to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space they can see. After doing so, they cannot teleport with this feature again for 1 hour. - ***Enchantment.*** The armor's bearer can use a bonus action on their turn to strike fear into their target. All creatures within 30 feet of the bearer must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC, or be frightened of the bearer until the end of the bearer's next turn. Once a creature succeeds this saving throw or the fear ends, they are immune to the effect for 24 hours. - ***Illusion.*** As a reaction the armor's bearer can create an illusory duplicate of themselves. This duplicate functions similarly to the *Mirror Image* spell (PHB p.260). Roll a d20. If the roll is an 11 or higher, the attack instead hits the duplicate. Hit or miss, the duplicate fades after the attack and cannot be created again for 1 minute. #### Runic Concentration Starting at 10th level, your control over the magic sealed within your Runes has grown, allowing you to feed them energy and prolong their duration. When you seal a Concentration spell using your Rune Trigger feature, you can now concentrate on the spell when its triggered, provided you are not already concentrating on another spell or other feature that requires concentration. #### Transferring Script Also at 10th level, you gain the ability to move your Runes across the currents of magic to reposition them. When you place a Rune with your Runic Trigger feature, you can set it in any unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of you. Additionally, as an action, you can move the location of a Rune created by your Rune Trigger feature up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see or transfer the benefit of a Rune created by your Runic Gifts feature to another weapon or piece of armor. You can't change the spell sealed within them or what feature they were activated by. \columnbreak #### Overcharged Rune At 14th level, you have mastered the intricacies of the Runic language and have learned how to push the magic sealed within your Runes to the absolute limit. As an action, you can spend a spell slot of 6th level or higher and overcharge one of your Runes created by your Runic Scribe feature. This Rune takes a physical form, hovering in the air where it is placed and emitting dim light for 10 feet. This Rune can only be triggered by the *Command* trigger of your Rune Trigger feature. Once triggered, the Rune releases the contained energy explosively, dealing force damage in a sphere around its location. Creatures caught in the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking half as much damage on a success. The radius of the sphere and the damage dealt is determined by the table below. Additionally, the overflowing magic from the detonation of this Rune clings to creatures caught in the affected area. Attack rolls for spells are made with advantage and saving throws against spells are made with disadvantage as long as the spells target creatures that were caught in the detonation of the Rune. This effect lasts for one minute after detonating the Rune. ##### Overcharged Rune Effect | Spell Slot Level | Radius | Damage | |:----:|:----:|:----:| | 6 | 20 ft. | 10d8 | | 7 | 30 ft. | 12d8 | | 8 | 40 ft. | 14d8 | | 9 | 50 ft. | 16d8 | \pagebreakNum ## Changelog **V 1.1** - Changes to Runic Gifts. - Necromancy Weapon Benefit. - Only activates on a crit or kill. - Enchantment Armor Benefit. - ~~Only activates once per combat.~~ - Changes to Overcharged Rune. - Only consumes a single spell slot of level 6-9 instead of multiple. - Changed damage from d10's to flat multiplier of spell slot level. - Increased maximum potential radius of effect. - Limited use to once per long rest. **V 1.2** - Moved to GM Binder - Changes to Rune Trigger - Minor rewording. - Specified only spells that use spell slots can be used. No cantrips. - Changes to Runic Gifts. - Enchantment Armor Benefit. - Completely reworked. - Bonus Action Fear effect on creatures within 30 feet of bearer. - Immunity for 24 hours after successful save or fear ends. **V 1.3** *The "Final" Draft* - Changes to Runic Gifts. - Necromancy Armor Benefit. - Now grants temporary hit points based on wizard levels, not armor's AC. - General wording changes to clarify effects. - Typo hunting. **V 1.4** *The "For Real, Final" Draft* - Changes to Runic Gifts. - Effects are now temporary - Conjuration Weapon Benefit. - Reworded to clarify: deals damage to additional target, is not an extra attack. - Changed additional damage to equal your Intelligence modifier. \columnbreak **V 1.5** *The "I'm Not Saying This Is Final Anymore" Draft* - Changes to Runic Scribe. - Removed feature to create extra runes between rests. - Deemed unnecessary with short rest recharge. - Changes to Runic Gifts. - A nearly complete rework. - Cut half of the benefits. - Split Weapon/Armor benefits further by limiting which schools work with them. - Divination Weapon Benefit. - Reduced bonus to +1. - Only benefits attack rolls, not damage. - Evocation Weapon Benefit. - Added choice to pick which elemental damage type is applied. - Transmutation Weapon Benefit. - Reworked from damage type change to reach/range increase. - Abjuration Armor Benefit. - Reduced bonus to +1. - Illusion Armor Benefit. - Reworked from AC bonus to reaction activation with an effect similar to *Mirror Image*. **V 1.6** *The "Reworking Overcharged Rune" Draft* - Changes to Transferring Script. - Added ability to place new Runes within 30 feet. - Changes to Overcharged Rune. - Adjusted damage down. - No longer flat multiplier of spell level. - 10d8 6th level, +2d8 each level higher. - Adjusted radius scaling - 7th and 8th level now different radius. - 20 ft. at 6th level, +10 ft. each level higher. **V 1.7** *The "Probably Actually Final" Draft* - Changes to Overcharged Rune. - Added Spell Buff effect - Adv on spell attack rolls, disadvantage on saves vs spells if caught in area. **Homebrew by Glacirus**