Arcane Tradition
The arcane rambler
in a dim room a wizard stands, finishing inscribing runes of golden sand inlayed into the cold stone wrapped around a large circle. Infernal, abyssal and celestial runes mixed into a heretical ritual. The wizard mumbles, The aboleth blood grows warm, the circle grows bright. The ritual has begun.
The arcane rambler is a rare school of magic, originaly called "arcane schematics", they have since grown a reputation of being dangerous due to the risk of backlash to their casting. They are however some of the most powerful arcanists there is, sacrificing the specialisation of other arcane traditions for a more chaotic experience both in and out of combat.
Arcane rambler features
Rune knowledge
You gain the ability to craft scrolls and learn a new language and a tool proficiency of your choice (best if linked with your arcane focus).
To craft a scroll the wizard takes a known spell with the same amount of resources and time needed to write it within a spellbook and makes a spell scroll out of it.
Ritual rambling
The main strength of an arcane rambler is their ability to create powerful ritals that lay outside of normal spells. Through these rituals of at least 1 hour and at the cost of gemstones and other resources, (At the DM's discretion depending on how powerful the effect is) the arcane rambler is able to create a magical effect of varying power.
To succeed such a spell the rambler must make an arcana check. on a critical failure the spell will backfire drastically with a potentially permanent effect. The arcane rambler values language not only as a way of communicating but also as a source of strength. The ritual must therefore take from the runes the wizard knows and the effect of the ritual will be in line with them. Each runic language as a specialty that changes what effect a ritual may have.
-
Abyssal: abyssal runes are centered around Demons. Most of them cause fear or madness, but they can also be centered on specific demon lords, making these runes varied in both strength and themes.
-
Gith: gith runes manipulate psionic energy or the mind. they can stun, charm, or create psionic barriers around creatures or objects.
-
Celestial: celestial runes heal or protect. they can give resistances, cause healing or give temporary hp. They often relate to the powers of the divine and radiant energies of the positive planes.
-
Draconic: draconic runes manipulate elements and draconic magic. they can change the spell element or resistance towards a dragon's breath damage or ability (for the metallic breath) they are also based around making a creature get draconic abilities like flight or fear.
-
Infernal: infernal runes manipulate pain, necrotic energy, or the souls of the dead. With these runes you could stun a creature from pain, harvest a soul to make more powerful spells and raise the dead. These are often used for the creation of devilish contracts.
-
Primordial: Primordial runes manipulate elemental magic and ancient primal forces. they can change the element of a spell and manipulate specific elements they can alter the earth, wind, water and fire.
-
Sylvan: Sylvan runes manipulate nature and fey magic. they create illusions, can grant you the ability to speak with animals or plants, or allow you to control minds or trick targets.
-
Netherese: Netherese runes manipulate time or the fabric of reality itself. they can slow down, stop time or make it faster, they can allow to phase through walls or create temporary dimensional pockets.
-
Dwarvish: Dwarvish runes manipulate metal, stone, and craftsmanship. they could allow you to shift materials from one to the other or gain an additional temporary proficiency in a crafting tool. They also take from the resilience of the dwarves, allowing one to gain resistances to poison or a bonus in constitution saves.
-
Druidic: Druidic runes manipulate plant growth, creating thorns under enemies, talking with animals or allow shapeshifting. They are deeply guarded by druidic circles.
-
deep speech : deep speech runes specialize in madness. they can also be focused on specific aberrations, imitating their abilities, like a beholder's eye beam or an illithid's mental connection.
-
Giant : Giant runes specialize on the might of the different giants, adding strength, And overall focusing on their survivability.
Runic metamagic
At 2nd level an Arcane Rambler, has the ability to use runes to enhance your spells. At the end of a long rest you can prepare a number of runes equal to your level. To learn new runes you must either: study an ancient script or a language that you have proficiency in (it is recommended that you work with your DM if you wish to learn or create new runes).
You can use the runes to enhance a spell or give it a different effect.
each rune has a cost and adds to the difficulty to cast the spell. To cast a spell with a rune you need to succeed on a check using your spellcasting modifier to beat a DC equal to 8+spell level+ Rune(s) cost
The effects of a rune depends on the language or script used to create it as seen in the language specialization. You can use multiple runes of the same type and add them to a spell just like you would with a sorcerer's metamagic. If the wizard fails the roll then they will roll on the arcane backlash table. The spell still goes through unless stated otherwise. However the runes are nullified.
Additionally you gain the knowledge of some basic netherese runes :
-
Amplify: This rune increases the power a spell adding 1 dice to it's overall damage. (DC +2)
-
Control: This rune gives the caster greater control over the spell, allowing them to choose targets or manipulate its effects to make it more difficult to avoid making it's DC heightened by +2. (DC+2)
-
Decay: This rune causes the creatures hit with the spell to contract an illness if it fails a constitution check against your spellcasting DC. This illness causes the creature to loose a D6 in a random ability score every turn for one minute or until saved (DC+3)
-
Entangle: This rune slows a creature hit with the spell by 5ft per Entangle rune added onto it. (DC+1)
-
Pierce: This rune enables a spell to bypass resistances or walls. (DC+2)
-
Scatter: This rune causes a spell to scatter or effect multiple targets, this however, also divides the damage between each instance. adding an additional target for every rune of this type added to the spell. (DC+2)
-
Silent: This rune allows a spell to be cast without vocal components. (DC+4)
-
destructive: this rune allows a spell that isn't specified as destructive to become so, doing twice the amount of rolled damage to terrain and objects. (+4)
Rune scribe
At 6th level, your knowledge of runic metamagic allows you to place runes within crafted scrolls. While making a scroll the arcane rambler may roll a rune casting check adding up to 2 known runes into a scroll. If the check is failed, the arcane backlash is baked into the scroll. Additionally, crafting a scroll costs 25% less than normal.
excessive cantrips
Beginning at 10th level, you can use your runes on any spell, including cantrips. you also learn a cantrip from any class.
Unbound wizard
once you reach 14th level you learn 2 additional spells from any class as well as get the ability to inscribe any spells within your spellbook.
Additionally, once a day, you can push a spell to become much more powerful than it should be. While doing so you can add as many runes as you wish on it without any risks. doing so causes a point of exhaustion
arcane backlash
| D100 | effects |
|---|---|
| 01 | The spell backfires, dealing double damage to the caster |
| 02 | Uncontrolled magical energies surge though the caster, dealing 2d10 force damage and throwing them 10ft back |
| 03 | An explosion occurs centered on the caster, dealing 3d6 fire damage to all creatures within 20ft |
| 04 | The caster is temporarily petrified for 1d4 rounds, a help action or a healing spell will free the caster |
| 05 | The spell drains the caster's life force, dealing 2d8 necrotic damage and adding it onto the spell's effect. |
| 06 | A vortex of arcane energy appears, pulling in all creatures within 30ft 5ft and dealing 4d6 force damage to the caster and those who reach the caster's position |
| 07 | The weave coagulates around the caster, slowing them for 1d6 rounds |
| 08 | Uncontrolled elemental energy erupts, causing lava, acid, poison or cold to cover a 10ft circle around the caster. |
| 09 | the caster loses a random spell slot of 3rd level or higher |
| 10 | An illusory dragon manifests to the caster, attacking them every turn and dealing 4d8+spellcasting modifier psychic damage and lasts 1d4 turns |
| 11 | A maddening curse befalls the caster, causing them to take 1d4 psychic damage every round for 1d6 rounds at the begining of each turn as well as becoming incapable of of holding concentration during the duration. |
| 12 | The spell explodes in the caster's hands and keeps going, dealing the spell's damage to the caster |
| 13 | Uncontrolled shadowy tendrils lash out, dealing 2d6 necrotic damage to 1d4 targets within 30ft |
| 14 | A surge of magic distorts time, aging the caster by 1d10 years (can be healed using greater restoration) |
| 15 | A surge of magic distorts time, making the caster 1d10 years younger (can be healed using greater restoration) |
| 16 | A disorienting shockwave emanates from the caster, dealing 3d6 thunder damage and deafening all within 20ft. |
| 17 | The spell fizzles |
| 18 | The caster is engulfed in flames, taking 2d8 fire damage per turn until an action is taken to quell the fire. |
| 19 | A random limb of the caster turns into stone for 1d6 hours |
| 20 | A vortex of freezing cold appears, dealing 3d6 cold damage to everyone within 15ft everyone affected must roll a DC15 dexterity save or fall prone. |
| 21 | The caster's vision is clouded in darkness, causing them to be blinded for 1 minute or until a successful constitution save against the caster's DC at the end of their turn |
| 22 | Uncontrolled lightning arcs outwards, dealing 2d10 lightning damage to a target within 30ft |
| 23 | The caster is polymorphed into a cave bear Brown bear 1d6 rounds |
| 24 | A surge of wild magic disrupts concentration, causing the caster to loose concentration on an active spell. and casting dancing light on which the spellcaster is now concentration |
| 25 | The spell becomes a conduits for life, connection the caster to the target or a random creature within 20ft for 1d4 turns. any damage taken by either the target or the caster will be taken by both |
| 26 | The caster swaps position with a random creature within 100ft |
| 27 | An explosion of acid occurs, dealing 3d6 acid damage to everyone within 20ft and coating the ground for 1d6 turns |
| 28 | The caster's life force is siphined, reducing their max hitpoints by half until the next long rest |
| 29 | The caster's life force is boosted, doubling their max hitpoints until the next long rest |
| 30 | A dimensional rift opens, pulling the caster and one random target within 20ft into a random plane for 1d4 rounds |
| 31 | The caster and the target are silenced for 1d6 rounds |
| 32 | A surge of chaos transforms the caster into a flumph for 1d4 turns |
| 33 | The spell dissipates into a blinding flash, blinding the caster and the target for 1d4 turns |
| 34 | Uncontrolled flames engulf the caster, dealing 2d8 fire damage. The area the flames appeared in become a bonfire for 2d4 turns |
| 35 | The spell's energy surges dealing double damage |
| 36 | The caster is polymorphed into a harmless sheep for 1d6 rounds or a successful wisdom save against the caster's DC at the begining of his turn |
| 37 | A destructive surge of energy erupts, sending every creature within 30ft,10ft away from the caster. and dealing 1d6 thunder damage to all affected creatures. |
| 38 | The caster is wracked with cramps, causing them to fall prone. And have half movement for 1d4 turns or until healed. |
| 39 | Gravity suddenly becomes stronger around the caster, pulling every projectile that pass through a 30ft radius towards them for 1d6 turns |
| 40 | A surge of magic distorts time, delaying the spell by one turn |
| 41 | Powerful magic distorts time, the timestop spell is cast, giving the caster and their target an additional turn |
| 42 | An angry quasit is summoned for 1d6 turns, it's only goal is to kill the caster who woke it up |
| 43 | The target is petrified until the end of it's next turn |
| 44 | The Caster is transformed into a werewolf for 1d8 turns |
| 45 | The caster cannot cast cantrips until the next short or long rest |
| 46 | The weave locks, for the next 1d4 turns, all the spells keep the same runes and DC |
| 47 | uncontrolled energies erupts sending a chaos bolt on the caster |
| 48 | A splash of Acid is emitted following the trajectory of the spell, dealing 3d6 acid damage to everyone in that trajectory |
| 49 | The spell is upcasted by one level |
| 50 | The spell turns to stone, dealing bludgeoning damage |
| 51 | The spell's damage turns into a random element |
| 52 | The spell syphons 2d6 health from the target and sends it to another creature within 15ft |
| 53 | The Goddess of the weave is displeased. The caster is cut from the weave for 1d4 turns |
| 54 | Casts fireball centered on self |
| 55 | The caster looses 1d8 worth of spell levels |
| 56 | The caster gains 1d8 worth of spell levels |
| 57 | The weave distorts, all spells cast within 100ft are now chaos bolts |
| 58 | The caster is briefly pulled into the far realm and gains a temporary madness |
| 59 | The caster falls asleep |
| 60 | The weave takes the caster's energy away, they take one point of exhaustion |
| 61 | All spells casting within the next hour push a d20 roll. if critical, roll on this table |
| 62 | The weave focuses itself on the caster, they can concentrate on an additional spell for 1d4 turns |
| 63 | The weave whispers to the caster, they cannot concentrate for 1d4 turns |
| 64 | The spell takes shadow-weave and withers the spellcaster, dealing 2d10 necrotic damage to the caster and target and reducing max HP by the same amount until the next long rest |
| 65 | The magic within nature turns the caster into a flower until the end of the caster's next turn |
| 66 | The caster is hasted for 1d4 rounds |
| 67 | Spores take over the area making a 30ft sphere centered on the caster unbreathable for a minute |
| 68 | A random limb of the caster withers and becomes unusable until the next long rest |
| 69 | Fey magic envelops the caster and changes their gender for one hour |
| 70 | The caster becomes vulnerable to a random type of damage until the next long rest |
| 71 | The caster becomes resistant to a random type of damage until the next long rest |
| 72 | A portal opens, summoning a random hostile elemental within 30ft for 1d4 turns |
| 73 | The caster looses all of their hit dice, if they don't have any, they take necrotic damage equal to their level |
| 74 | Wild magic creates a mesmerising show of lights, Hypnotic patterns is cast centered on the caster using their DC |
| 75 | The spell grows unstable, making it bounce to 1d4 creatures within 30ft (including the caster) and spreading the damage between all the targets |
| 76 | The target becomes hasted for 1d4 turns |
| 77 | The caster is inprisoned in a resilient sphere for 1d4 turns |
| 78 | A solar pinhole is summoned at the caster's position, all creatures within 30ft make a constitution save at the begining of their turns or if they enter or end their turn within the range of the pinhole against the caster's DC or take 4d10 radiant damage. The pinhole lasts 2d4 turns |
| 79 | The weave poisons the caster for 1 hour or until healed |
| 80 | The caster takes 6d8 cold damage and everywhere they walk is considered difficult terrain as if walking on ice for 1d8 turns |
| 81 | The spell creates a cloud of necrotic energy at it's destination dealing 4d8 necrotic damage to all creatures entering or ending their turn within a 20ft radius. The cloud dissipates after 1d4 turns |
| 82 | An illusory dragon manifests at the target location, causing fear in anyone that sees it and fails a wisdom saving throw using the caster's DC within 60ft. The save is repeated at the start of each turn or ends after a minute |
| 83 | The spell's energy dissipates into harmless sparks |
| 84 | The caster cannot cast spells unless they are modified with runes until the next long rest |
| 85 | The caster gains a prepared spell |
| 86 | The spell does half damage |
| 87 | The caster angers a Marut and takes their level in unavoidable damage |
| 88 | Cast stinking cloud on self |
| 89 | The spell creates a blast, sending the caster 60ft in the opposite direction |
| 90 | Hundreds of magic missiles are summoned, all creatures, including the caster, within a 100ft and in line of sight rolls a D6, this is the number of missiles that hits them |
| 91 | lightning is brought down from the sky changing the weather into a thunderstorm for one hour |
| 92 | The spell misses and hits a random target within 60ft |
| 93 | The weave tastes like wine, the caster is drunk until the next short rest |
| 94 | The weave rejects the runes, the runes used in this spell become unusable until the next long rest |
| 95 | The caster looses attunement in one random item |
| 96 | The spell targets the caster |
| 97 | A fey creature makes the spell do the funniest thing that could happen |
| 98 | The spell becomes unprepared after being cast |
| 99 | The spell fizzles and locks the caster and a hostile summoned CR6 mage made of pure weave. They cannot be damaged or damage anyone else. The effect ends after 1d6 turns |
| 00 | summons a sphere of annihilation for 1d6 turns within 30ft of the caster, it moves 10ft towards the caster after each turn |
aditional runes
The following are runes i have given to my players you may use these or create more for your players. To create a rune is simple You need a language or theme, an ability and a cost to the DC.
- Consume : if used with absorb element, shield, counterspell or any other spell that counters magical effects, it gives the caster temp hp equal to 1d6+spell level. (DC+2) deep speech
- Fire : switches the damage type to fire and sets any creature hit by the spell on fire, dealing 1D6 fire damage at the end of their turn until they use an action to remove the fire. (DC+2) primordial
- deceit : creates an additional illusory projectile, changing the save to wisdom. (DC+2) fey
- delay : spell effect happens a turn after it is cast. (DC+1 per turn delayed) netherese
- Constitution : gives a +2 to constitution saves to the target on a buff spell (DC+3) Giant
- Element : strengthen elemental damage by 2d6 (DC+2) draconic
- Freeze : delay a spell after being cast from happening as long as the caster keeps concentration. (DC+3) netherese
- reclaim : If a spell or an item with this rune is used to kill a creature, reclaim it’s soul/life essence to gain a permanent necrotic barrier (it is invisible and has 5hp per soul absorbed. It’s health recovers each dawn) It will take damage first.(DC+4) infernal
- Efficient : allows a wizard to use spell levels like mana instead of spell slots (one level 2+ one level 1 makes a level 3 spell) (DC+2) netherese
End notes and tips for DMs
How to award runes
Runes aren't that easy to balance and i invite you to balance those i offer in the document if you so wish. Changing the cost of these runes is the best way of doing so. If you don't want to use languages as a base for the creation of these runes you can use themes or do away with runes all together when it comes to flavour.
I personally award runes with ancient tomes or broken spell circles. If you don't know what spell scroll to offer to a player at the end of a dungeon, runes are a perfect replacement.
About rituals
Arcane rituals and spell circles were the main inspiration for this subclass. I wanted to have something similar to the wizards we often see in fiction or what hags can do with covens.
These are dependent on what you want to do and allow your players to make. The price of the materials and power of the ritual is entirely dependent on the choice of the DM, same with the potential backlash of a failed arcana check to make such a ritual. From blocking scrying, to redirecting or creating a trap, these can be as powerful as you allow them to be. so it is recommended that this subclass is given to a trusted player.
Epic spells
This subclass could also allow a player to reach higher than simple level 9 spells. Having a PC or NPC trying to cast or create a powerful spell could create interesting story situations.
Credits
- writer and DM : Kiotw
- Tester : Purora