Martial Archetype - Rune Sage

by IntraVenusaur

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Rune Sage

Runic magic and lexicons

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you learn the essence of runic magic and its four runes.

  • Dez - Defense
  • Egoth - Self
  • Shim - Offense
  • Fal - Hidden

At 3rd level you gain access to a Lexicon. A Lexicon is a book of magical secrets that allows you to wield the powers of runic magic. You must be holding an open Lexicon to cast runes. Casting a rune requires expending a bonus action or an action to cast two runes. Casting runes also requires expending one Mana per rune cast. A cast rune will stay in effect until the end of your next turn or until another rune is cast that completes a runic combination.

You have a reserve of Mana equal to two times your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended Mana at the end of a short or long rest.

You have a Runic Magic DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Runic Combinations

Runes in of themselves do not have much power, in fact a single rune is useless. However, when specific runes are cast in certain orders the effects can be quite powerful. Starting at 3rd level you gain the ability to perform runic combinations.

  • Runic Protection - Dez + Egoth: For the next minute, all damage you take is reduced by your proficiency bonus + half your Intelligence modifier (rounded up, minimum of 1) as tiny glowing runes float around your body in a protective aura.
  • Runic Blade - Shim + Egoth: A purple spectral blade of pure runic magic appears in your hands. This blade is a melee weapon that has the finesse and light properties and deals 2d4 force damage on a hit. The blade vanishes after 10 minutes or if it leaves your grasp. You may only have one blade summoned at a time. The blade gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls at 5th level that increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 17th level.
  • Runic Lantern - Fal + Dez: A fist-sized ball of blue light appears 1 foot above your head and floats there, following you, for 1 hour. The lantern sheds bright blue light in a range of 30ft. and dim light for an additional 30ft.
  • Runic Trap - Shim + Fal: A red glowing X 5ft. across appears below your feet then fades from view. When you form this runic combination you may declare any number of creatures that will not set off the trap. A creature sets off the trap when they come into contact with it. A creature may notice the trap if they make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your Runic Magic DC. When a trap is set off all creatures within 10ft. of it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Runic Magic DC taking 5d6 force damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save. The trap disappears after 8 hours.

Runic Scribe

At 7th level, your extensive time spent reading runes has changed you. You gain the ability to read and write, but not speak, two languages of your choice as studying Runic Magic has given you an innate understanding of linguistics. You also gain proficiency in the Arcana skill, or if you already have proficiency then you may add your proficiency bonus twice to Arcana skill checks.

Arcane Syntax

Starting at 10th level you gain access to more advanced runic combinations. These combinations build off of and require a prior basic combination.

  • Runic Heal - Runic Protection + Egoth + Dez: Upon completing this runic combination your Runic Protection aura ends as the magic is absorbed into you to heal your wounds. You regain hit points equal to your Fighter level.
  • Great Runic Blade - Runic Blade + Shim + Egoth: Upon completing this runic combination your Runic Blade expands as you draw more power into it. Your blade loses the light property and gains the two-handed property. The damage dealt by it increases to 4d4 force damage. A Great Runic Blade also functions as a Lexicon as its increased strength allows you to channel Runic Magic through it.
  • Runic Lightning - Runic Lantern + Fal + Shim: Your Runic Lantern crackles with electrical energy as a ball of lightning shoots from it. Choose a point within 90ft. of you that has an uninterrupted flight path from your lantern. All creatures within 15ft. of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Runic Magic DC as lightning erupts in an explosion, creatures take 7d6 lightning damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful save.
  • Runic Detonation - Runic Trap + Shim + Shim: Completing this combination causes your Runic Trap to detonate early. The extra magic that is used to detonate the trap also increases its destructive capabilities, the explosive radius of your trap doubles and the damage done increases to 8d6 force damage.

Runic Specialization

At 15th level you have become a fully realized Rune Sage and have discovered a way to enhance your Runic Magic. Choose one of the options below:

  • Internalized Lexicon: You have discovered the means with which to cast runes without needing to wield your Lexicon. You must still have your Lexicon on your person in able to channel your Runic Magic but do not need to wield it in one of your hands. In addition, you may now cast up to two runes as a bonus action and up to four runes as an action as you have fully incorporated the magic of your Lexicon into your body and do not need to refer to it during casting anymore.

  • Runic Prefix: You have learned how to enhance the efficacy of your Runic Magic.

    • Runic Protection: Your Runic Protection aura increases so that you use your entire Intelligence modifier in calculating your damage reduction.
    • Runic Blade and Great Runic Blade: Your Runic Blade now sheds bright light for 5ft. and dim light for an additional 5ft as electricity arcs along its surface. Also, your blade deals an additional 1 lightning damage on hit.
    • Runic Lantern: Your Runic Lantern lasts for an additional hour before expiring and sheds 5ft. of extra light in both categories.
    • Runic Trap and Runic Detonation: Creatures that fail the Dexterity saving throw against your Runic Trap are now considered under the effects of a Faerie Fire spell. This effect lasts for one minute and does not require concentration.
    • Runic Heal: You now also regain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus at the end of your next two turns.
    • Runic Lightning: Your Runic Lightning now has lasting effects to those that are hit by it. A creature that fails its Dexterity saving throw against the effects of your Runic Lightning has its movement speed reduced to half until the end of its next turn as the electricity violently contracts their muscles.

Runic Mastery

At 18th level your Runic Magic has reached its height. Select two of the Runes available to you, casting these Runes no longer requires Mana.

Credit where credit is due

All content in this homebrew document is copied from and/or inspired by the video game Outward developed by Nine Dots Studio and published by Deep Silver. The artwork for the four runes comes from The Outward Wiki and is owned by Nine Dots Studio. I am not attempting to state or imply that I own any of the intellectual property referenced in the creation of this document or in the document itself. I just made this for fun because I think the game is really cool.

Changelog

4/15/19 - Clarified Runic Blade (thanks to KingKleb).
4/17/19 - Changed Great Runic Blade to act like a Lexicon. General grammar and clarification changes.
4/21/19 - Removed immediate +1 bonus to Runic Blade and changed the scaling of it (thanks to Thysten).
5/24/21 - Changed Runic Mastery, makes more sense and is a better capstone now.

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