Runescribe#

Rune-singers who work the tiny, quick seams between the threads, the way the draconians of a forgotten age did. A runescribe whispers spells, breathes them like a dragon, and carves runes into blades that hold magic until it's called.

How it plays#

A runescribe’s spells come in three voices that follow their ranks: whispers from level 0, draconian breaths from 50, and the enveloping spells of the paek’oth, which fill a room. Wisdom leads and charisma backs it. Runescribes wear any armor and fight with exotic weapons, so they stand closer to a fight than any other caster.

Runeblading tempers a weapon, makes it a runeblade and inscribes runes on it, and a runescribe forages and harvests the runes themselves. The tzaek’oth at the top work in concepts rather than elements: they scribe their own runes and runewords, and come to an understanding with wyrms, dragons and wyverns.

Runescribes are one of the the weaves classes. Every ability, level by level, is under Abilities.

The road to Tzaek’oth#

A runescribe takes a new title at levels 100, 200, 300 and 400. A title can be declined; Five titles says what that means.

1. Level1
   Rank 1: Runescribe

   Your class's own name. You earned it by doing the work, and nobody has to grant it.

2. Level100
   Rank 2: Draconian

   A draconian may read the carvings in any ruin of the dragon age, and by Jewall's law must tell the Dwarven Shrine what they say.

3. Level200
   Rank 3: Paek'oth

   A paek'oth may claim any rune they find in the ground, whoever owns the land.

4. Level300
   Rank 4: Daek'oth

   Daek'oth may carry a runeblade into any city with its runes awake. Nobody else may.

5. Level400
   Rank 5: Tzaek'oth

   The last title. Only another tzaek'oth may judge one, and there have never been more than three alive at once.

Where they train#

Vharek Stoneglass learned the rune-songs at the Dwarven Shrine, then went looking for where the dwarves had learned them. He found carvings older than Jewall in the walls of Elderfall Canyon, and he’s been reading them aloud ever since. Some of the walls have started answering.

Find Vharek Stoneglass at the carved walls of Elderfall Canyon in Jewall. Any trainer can take your training points, but titles are bestowed here. Where the classes train maps all fourteen.

How it shows#

None of this changes a roll. It’s how the people around you can tell what you are, if you let them.

• Faint lines like scales show on the backs of your hands in firelight.
• When you speak a rune aloud, the nearest stone hums a note back.

How runescribes see magic#

Runescribes see the make-up of nature in finer detail than the common weaves. The draconians among them work the tiny, quick seams between the threads, yet steer them with a mage’s will, with dangerous accuracy. Every tradition, and what the scholars say underneath them.

Races that start closest#

The races whose starting scores sit nearest a runescribe’s wisdom and charisma. Any race can be a runescribe; the class finder and the race finder rank all of them.

Pixie Wisdom 12 leads and charisma 11 backs it. WIS 12 · CHA 11 · AC 5 Sprite Sprites are the pixies' other half: tiny, all men, made by Lythantos in the Age of Peace. WIS 11 · CHA 10 · AC 5 Dwarf Dwarves keep to Jewall in the northern reach and judge a family by what it has built. WIS 11 · CHA 9 · AC 15 Elf Elves live longer than any other race you can play, up to 750 years, and spend most of it away from everyone else. WIS 11 · CHA 9 · AC 8

Rodes that suit#

A rode is the one path of trials a character walks from level 20. These are the ones that do the most for a runescribe; the rode finder ranks all fourteen.

Wisdom Wisdom is a runescribe's primary score, the one every skill it uses adds. The rode takes it past where training stops. Built for it · +1 to +5 WIS Elements A runescribe's whispers and breaths are elemental, and so are its runes. Helps · +2 to +10 elemental damage Influence Charisma backs a runescribe's wisdom. The rode takes it past where training stops. Helps · +1 to +5 CHA Cognition A runescribe's whispers and breaths cost willpower in a long fight. Helps · 1d4 to 1d20+10 willpower

Tradesguilds that suit#

A character belongs to two tradesguilds at most. These are the ones whose work fits a runescribe; the guild finder ranks all eleven.

Sigildry A sigil is a rune's cousin. A runescribe reads both, and paints the one the other trades can't. A natural fit · hall in New Saellem Jewelcrafting Engraving a ring by hand isn't far from cutting a rune, and a runescribe's hand is already steady. Works well · hall in Crecia

What others say#

The answering wall

One of the carved walls in Elderfall Canyon has started rewriting itself overnight, a line at a time. Vharek can read the old words but not the new ones, and the new ones are getting longer.

Abilities#

A class teaches its abilities in disciplines, a handful of related abilities learned as you level. Most open at level 0 and add one every ten or twenty levels. The heroic disciplines open at level 50 and run to 100.

A cost in willpower or stamina is paid each time you use the ability. A passive works all the time, and a toggled ability stays on until you turn it off. Every ability starts at 0 efficacy and gets better with practice, as Levels explains.

The whisperDraconian breathPaek'oth elementsRunebladingDaek'oth elementsTzaek'oth conceptsAuras

The whisper#

Whispered spells of cold, heat, shock, force and poison, and lilting at 50. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 50

Whisper Of ColdLevel 0 · 10 willpower

Non-aggravated, deals 1d12 elemental damage.

Whisper Of HeatLevel 10 · 10 willpower

Non-aggravated, deals 1d12 elemental damage.

Whisper Of ShockLevel 20 · 10 willpower

Non-aggravated, deals 1d12 elemental damage.

Whisper Of ForceLevel 30 · 10 willpower

Non-aggravated, deals 1d12 elemental damage.

Whisper Of PoisonLevel 40 · 10 willpower

Non-aggravated, deals 1d12 elemental damage.

Whisper Of LiltingLevel 50 · 15 willpower

Non-aggravated, puts target to sleep, for 2 rounds. Any dmg awakens.

Draconian breath#

From level 50, spells breathed like a dragon's: ice, fire, lightning, vibration, poison mist and confusion. 6 abilities, levels 50 to 100

Breath Of IceLevel 50 · 20 willpower

Deals 1d12+CHA mod elemental damage, 1d4 chance to freeze for 2 rounds.

Breath Of FireLevel 60 · 20 willpower

Deals 1d20+CHA mod elemental damage, 1d4 chance to blind.

Breath Of LightningLevel 70 · 20 willpower

1d20+CHA mod elemental damage, 1d4 chance to add shock, dropping weapon.

Breath Of VibrationsLevel 80 · 20 willpower

Deals 1d20+CHA mod elemental damage 1d4 chance to add silence for 1 round.

Breath Of Poison MistLevel 90 · 20 willpower

Deals 1d20+CHA mod elemental damage 1d4 chance to add small 1d4 poison per round.

Breath Of ConfusionLevel 100 · 20 willpower

Stuns people in immediate area for two rounds.

Paek’oth elements#

From level 50, enveloping spells that fill a room: blizzard, inferno, lightning flux, pulse, plague and calm. 6 abilities, levels 50 to 100

Enveloping BlizzardLevel 50 · 40 willpower

Summon a blizzard in the immediate location to deal damage and blind enemies.

Enveloping InfernoLevel 60 · 40 willpower

Summon a blazing inferno in the immediate location to deal damage and catch those enveloped on fire.

Enveloping Lightning FluxLevel 70 · 40 willpower

Envelop the immediate area with a lighting flux that has a chance of stunning enemies and causing them to drop their weapons.

Enveloping PulseLevel 80 · 40 willpower

A deafening pulse explodes in the immediate area causing those affected to slow down for a moment after hitting the ground.

Enveloping PlagueLevel 90 · 40 willpower

A sickening swirl of mist envelopes the immediate area causing, poison and disease.

Enveloping CalmLevel 100 · 40 willpower

A swirling mist enters the immediate area and forces all targets to exit combat and hide amongst the mist for 3 rounds.

Runeblading#

Tempering a weapon and making it a runeblade, reciting and inscribing runes, and foraging and harvesting them. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

Temper WeaponLevel 0 · 20 willpower

Prepares a weapon for runing.

RunebladeLevel 20 · 30 willpower

Forces magical properties of a rune into target weapon.

Recite RuneLevel 40 · 15 willpower

Activate magic of rune.

Inscribe RuneLevel 60 · 50 willpower

Identify the type of rune by inscribing it with power.

Forage RuneLevel 80 · 60 willpower

Locate harvestable rune.

Harvest RuneLevel 100 · 5 willpower

Retrieves rune.

Daek’oth elements#

Vicerations of ice, fire, lightning, pulse and poison, and confidence at 50. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 50

Vicerating IceLevel 0 · 10 willpower

Target becomes -10 resistant to water and takes 1d8 ice damage, stacks 5 times.

Vicerating FireLevel 10 · 10 willpower

Target becomes -10 resistant to fire and takes 1d8 fire damage, stacks 5 times.

Vicerating LightningLevel 20 · 10 willpower

Target becomes -10 resistant to air and takes 1d8 air damage, stacks 5 times.

Vicerating PulseLevel 30 · 10 willpower

Target becomes -10 resistant to earth and takes 1d8 earth damage, stacks 5 times.

Vicerating PoisonLevel 40 · 10 willpower

Target becomes -10 resistant to spirit and takes 1d8 damage, stacks 5 times.

Vicerating ConfidenceLevel 50 · 40 willpower

A decimating attack causes the target to remain in place, not be able to cast spells, possibly drop weapon and lose concentration.

Tzaek’oth concepts#

From level 50: translocating energy, scribing runes and runewords, and the affinities with wyrms, dragons and wyverns. 6 abilities, levels 50 to 100

Translocating EnergyLevel 50 · 30 willpower

Greatly decrease a random elements resistance in a sector and greatly increase a random elements amplitude in a sector for 5 rounds.

Scribe RuneLevel 60 · 30 willpower

Record a rune into ones knowledge so it will be possible to identify and forage that rune in the wild.

Runeword EnhancingLevel 70 · 20 willpower

A rune affect is increased by 20, lasts 1 hr.

Wyrm AffinityLevel 80 · Passive

Unable to attack or be attacked by species and may communicate innately. Any compromisation of truce via party or ally breaks affinity for 10 rounds.

Dragon AffinityLevel 90 · Passive

Unable to attack or be attacked by species and may communicate innately. Any compromisation of truce via party or ally aggression breaks affinity for 10 rounds.

Wyvern AffinityLevel 100 · Passive

Unable to attack or be attacked by species and may communicate innately. Any compromisation of truce via party or ally aggression breaks affinity for 10 rounds.

Auras#

From level 50: auras of pressure, shifting, pulsing, smoothness, the arcane and the elements. 6 abilities, levels 50 to 100

Pressure AuraLevel 50 · Toggled

Decreases nearby targets physical resistance by 10.

Shifting AuraLevel 60 · Toggled

Grants allies phasing affect.

Pulsing AuraLevel 70 · Toggled

Grants allies increased physical damage by 5.

Smooth AuraLevel 80 · Toggled

Grants allies increased willpower regeneration by 5 per round.

Arcane AuraLevel 90 · Toggled

Grants allies increased elemental amplitude by 10.

Elemental AuraLevel 100 · Toggled

Grants allies increased elemental resistance by 20.

Proficiencies#

What the class can wield, wear and speak from the start, and the extra attacks it learns as it levels.

Weapons

Hand to hand and exotic weapons

Armor

All armor

Languages

Common and draconian

Extra attacks

Second attack at level 16, third attack at level 30, fourth attack at level 45 and fifth attack at level 66

Combat puts these to use: weapons and extra attacks under Attacking, armor and parry, shield and dodge under Defending.

Greater Dodging

Dodge blows that would otherwise land, more often the nimbler you are.

Magical Affinity

Grants +10 to lore on magical concepts and mysterium.