Lore about Wands and Runes?

[Whiskeyjack8044]

Is there anything out there about the crafting of wand and how they work? I don't think you have to be magical yourself to use a wand, even though they are an arcane focus.

Also, are magical runes a thing in D&D? If so how do they work and who can make them?

Is there anything in the DMG on these subjects?

[Unoriginal]

Is there anything out there about the crafting of wand and how they work? I don't think you have to be magical yourself to use a wand, even though they are an arcane focus.

Crafting wands, like all magic items, require either proficiency in the relevant tool (in the case of wands, carpenter's tools or smith's tools seem the most likely to be of use) or into Arcane, the relevant individual magic item formula, and some ingredients that require an encounter of a CR depending on the magic item's rarity.

There is no real "how they work". They're magic items, they pluck the Weave to make a spell get cast or to produce a specific magical effect, and they usually have a number of charges that recharge in variable quantity every 24h.



Also, are magical runes a thing in D&D? If so how do they work and who can make them?

Yes, they are a thing. Giants have ancient runes that are inscribed on powerful magic items, with powers linked to the meaning of the rune. Dwarves often inscribes runes on the magic items they craft, although it's not the rune itself empowering it.

There also the Elder Runes, which written with the Symbol spell, and each of them can create a special beneficial or detrimental effect linked to their meaning.




Is there anything in the DMG on these subjects?

In a way. There is info on specific magic items.

[KorvinStarmast]

Is there anything out there about the crafting of wand and how they work? I don't think you have to be magical yourself to use a wand, even though they are an arcane focus.

Also, are magical runes a thing in D&D? If so how do they work and who can make them?

Is there anything in the DMG on these subjects? There is an Unearthed Arcana article with some play test rune magic and runes in it.

You may or may not find it to your taste (https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA_Rune_Magic_Prestige_Class.pdf)

IMO, it could be a great fit as a multiclass with Arcane Trickster ... but only trying it on will work.

[JackPhoenix]

There is an Unearthed Arcana article with some play test rune magic and runes in it.

You may or may not find it to your taste (https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA_Rune_Magic_Prestige_Class.pdf)

IMO, it could be a great fit as a multiclass with Arcane Trickster ... but only trying it on will work.

Those runes were featured as magic items in Storm King's Thunder, while the prestige class was scrapped. Just for information.

[Whiskeyjack8044]

The reason I ask is because I want my Artificer's "Wand" to basicly be a Musket Pistol. The idea is that you pull a trigger and the Hammer, inscribed with the "Fire" rune, will hit the "cap" inscribed with the "Bolt" rune. Then the Firebolt cantrip would fire out of the barrel. The Runes would replace the Verbal components and the trigger pulling/hammer striking would replace the Somantic components.

Why wouldn't you just cast it normally? Because you are an Artificer and like to find new ways to cast magic, and so you can sell these "wands" to none spellcasters.

How does this jive with the Lore? I know it's just fluff but I want it to fit with establish lore and flavor.

[Unoriginal]

The reason I ask is because I want my Artificer's "Wand" to basicly be a Musket Pistol. The idea is that you pull a trigger and the Hammer, inscribed with the "Fire" rune, will hit the "cap" inscribed with the "Bolt" rune. Then the Firebolt cantrip would fire out of the barrel. The Runes would replace the Verbal components and the trigger pulling/hammer striking would replace the Somantic components.

Why wouldn't you just cast it normally? Because you are an Artificer and like to find new ways to cast magic, and so you can sell these "wands" to none spellcasters.

How does this jive with the Lore? I know it's just fluff but I want it to fit with establish lore and flavor.

A rune wouldn't replace the verbal components (could work for material components), and selling those "wands" to non-spellcasters (or to spellcasters, for that matter) wouldn't work if the power comes from the Artificier. You could have the verbal components replaced by the sounds of the weapon.

Runes don't work by mixing "Fire" and "Bolt" to produce firebolt, either. An actual rune of fire would be a mighty thing to have in hand, too.

By this I mean you could have the parts with those words written on it, but it wouldn't be the written words that'd actually give it power.

If you can create permanent magic items , then sure, those would just be slightly odd wands that you can sell.

I suppose you're playing in Eberron?

[Whiskeyjack8044]

No, this is all just theory craft for a character concept. The "Fire" "Bolt" runes were just examples to explain the concept, the "actual" runes would be made up fluff. The idea being that the sound those Runes made when they come into contact, would be the V components.

Do spells from wands require VSM components? If so then why do most have charges? Not wands from the Artillerist class features, but actual crafted wands?

[JackPhoenix]

Do spells from wands require VSM components? If so then why do most have charges? Not wands from the Artillerist class features, but actual crafted wands?

Yes, they do, and they have charges for the same reason why normal spells have VSM components and require spell slots. The component is the trigger, but the energy still has to come from somewhere.

[Whiskeyjack8044]

Yes, they do, and they have charges for the same reason why normal spells have VSM components and require spell slots. The component is the trigger, but the energy still has to come from somewhere.

This makes total sense. Could a non-spell caster use a wand that cast cantrips?

[Unoriginal]

This makes total sense. Could a non-spell caster use a wand that cast cantrips?

If they had one and the wand had enough charges, yes.

[JackPhoenix]

This makes total sense. Could a non-spell caster use a wand that cast cantrips?

Depends on the wand. There's no general rule what requirement does a wand have. Some can be used by anyone, some require attunement, some require attunement by spellcaster to use. There are no wands with cantrips, though.

And, actually, I was wrong before. Unless the item specifically says so, spells cast from item do not require components. My apologies, I was going from memory without checking the book. But charges are still comparable to spell slots.

[KorvinStarmast]

Those runes were featured as magic items in Storm King's Thunder, while the prestige class was scrapped. Just for information. I am aware of how old that is, Jack, but since the question was not "I need an AL legal thing" I figured I'd toss that out in case their table is open to that kind of thing.

[Unoriginal]

Fun fact is, both the Giants and the Dwarves claim they were the first to use the runes. And while the Dwarves have an extreme taboo against claiming someone else's work as your own, the Giants' civilisation and technical mastery is presented as far older than the Dwarves' and the other humanoids'.

That, plus the similarities between Dwarves and Giants (shared love for metalsmithing with the Fire Giants, shared tendency to get lost in their work as the Stone Giants, shared interest for beauty with the Cloud Giants, etc) made me have the half-serious hypothesis that Moradin was originaly from the Giant Pantheon.

[Chronos]

Of the wands in the book, most require attunement by a spellcaster. But that's not as big a restriction as you might think, because lots of folks are spellcasters: Of the twelve base classes, six are full casters, two more are casters as soon as they hit 2nd level, eldritch knights and arcane tricksters are spellcasters (and thieves can use magic items even without being spellcasters), totem barbarians are spellcasters, both elements and shadow monks, two of the three elf subraces, one of the two gnome subraces, tieflings, and anyone with the Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster feat. In real-world play, out of the 16 characters that have seen play at my table, all but two of them (an assassin and a battlemaster) have been spellcasters.