Runescarred Berserker

[runescarred]

Hello,

I'm trying to make a barbarian build and I have considered taking the Runescarred Berserker prestige class from UE.
My question is does the Runescarred Berserker get to use his runescars during a rage? I know that a normal barbarian during a rage , would not be able to use magic ,but then again due to the simplistic nature of how the runescars are activated (just by touching them) I'm hoping he can use them.:smallbiggrin:

[Troacctid]

He cannot. Activating a runescar is part of the Scribe Runescar (Sp) ability. Spell-like abilities require Concentration, so they cannot be used during a rage.

[Zaq]

He cannot. Activating a runescar is part of the Scribe Runescar (Sp) ability. Spell-like abilities require Concentration, so they cannot be used during a rage.

This is 100% correct by RAW. That said, many GMs are willing to make a houserule allowing you to use runescars while Raging, since it honestly doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense for the primary ability of a PrC that requires Rage to get in to be unusable during a Rage. The other major "casting Barbarian" PrCs (Rage Mage and Champion of Gwynharwyf) have clauses explicitly allowing (some) casting in (some) Rages, so it's not like the game has no provisions at all for a more magically-inclined Barbarian PrC.

I mean, Runescarred Berserker isn't exactly the only PrC who torpedoes their own abilities (Order of the Bow Initiate can't use Ranged Precision on a full attack despite the prereqs dictating that you can make a minimum of 3 attacks with a full attack, Reaping Mauler is based on grappling but can't be larger than Medium without shenanigans, Blighter exists at all, etc. etc.), but that doesn't make it any less dumb. Again, it's 100% RAW that you can't use runescars while Raging, but I'd be really surprised if that were RAI, so it's certainly worth having the conversation with your GM.

[Troacctid]

You're supposed to activate your scar immediately before raging. The list is basically all self-buffs, except for a couple healing spells, and I think it makes sense that you wouldn't be casting those while raging.