PDA

View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Rune warrior, a PrC for when you want to put the magic back in fightan magik (peach)



Jervis
2021-12-28, 09:19 PM
Rune Warrior

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4c/a2/a3/4ca2a318d2d63c5b2509f0739378aaa3.jpg
I don't know what this does, but you're about to find out!

The study of the esoteric and mystical often leads one down a path of discovery to that they never expected. Magic and the way of the sword often seem separate and impossible to merge, but learning the mechanics of magic often allows one to skip the finer details to "cheat" as it were. Bringing secrets denied to most to the forefront.

Requirements

Skills: Use Magic Device +7, Spellcraft +7, Martial Lore +7, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +7
BaB: +4
Martial Maneuvers: Ability to use second level maneuvers including at least 1 stance
Feats: Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
Special: Must be able to use at least one spell like or supernatural ability unrelated to martial maneuvers

Hit Dice: 1d8

Skill Points: 4 + Int per level

Class Skills: All skills you previously had as class skills + use magic device and Spellcraft.





Saves

Spells Per Day
Maneuvers Gained


Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Maneuvers Known
Stances Known


1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
Minor Mysticism, Item Understanding
-
-
-
-
-
1
-


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
Scribe Rune
2
-
-
-
-
-
1


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
Bonus Feat
3
-
-
-
-
1
-


4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
Martial Artifice
4
2
-
-
-
-
1


5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
Bonus Feat
4
3
-
-
-
1
-


6th
+6/+1
+5
+2
+5
Intermediate Mysticism
4
4
2
-
-
-
1


7th
+7/+2
+5
+2
+5
Bonus Feat
4
4
3
-
-
1
-


8th
+8/+3
+6
+2
+6
Martial Metamagic
4
4
4
2
-
-
1


9th
+9/+4
+6
+3
+6
Bonus Feat
4
4
4
3
-
1
-


10th
+10/+5
+7
+3
+7
Major Mysticism
4
4
4
4
2
-
1

[tr]


Maneuvers
At each odd numbered level you gain maneuvers known from any discipline you had access too previously, you must still meet the prerequisites for those maneuvers. Add your full Rune Warrior level to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.

Stances
At each even numbered level you learn a new stance from any discipline you had access too previously. You must still meet the prerequisites for any stances learned.

Spellcasting
A Rune Warrior casts spells spontaneously similar to a sorcerer but does not have spells known. Instead they must craft runes on items (see below). A Rune Warrior counts as knowing any spell scribed as a rune on a item they are wearing or holding. They use Intelligence to determine their spell save DC, maximum level of spell cartable, and bonus spells per day. Their spells are neither truly Arcane or Divine, rather they are a form of magic constructed from magical reactions and physical energy. Treat your initiator level as for caster level for all Rune Warrior spells you cast.

Minor Mysticism(SP)
At 1st level you gain the ability to use a limited number of spell like abilities. You may use Detect Magic, Light, and Mage Hand at will as a spell like ability.

Item Understanding
You gain a insight bonus to all use magic device and spellcraft checks equal to 1/4th of your initiator level. Additionally you can use your intelligence modifier instead of your charisma modifier when making use magic device checks.

Scribe Rune
At 2nd level you gain the ability to create runes that hold the formulas needed to create spells on the fly. You can scribe the formula to any spell of a level you can cast onto a item of at least masterwork quality. You must be wearing or holding a item with a spell runes scribed onto them to cast a spell contained on them. Spell rune scribed items function similarly to magic items in that they follow the same rules as body slots for items. You cannot, for example, wear two spell rune scribed necklaces to add the spells scribed on both to your spells known. However, spell rune scribed items can be enchanted without difficulty. Items can hold a number of spell runes determined by its size and other factors as detailed below. A spell requires a number of spell runes equal to it's spell level.


Light weapons: 3 spell levels
One handed weapons: 6 levels
Two handed weapons: 12 levels
Light armor: 5 levels
Medium Armor: 7 levels
Heavy & Exotic armor: 12 levels
Rings, Necklaces, and other worn items: 3 levels
Held objects such as staffs and wands: 5 levels
Size larger than medium: +3 per size category over medium
Mythril: +5 spell levels
Magical: +1/3 item caster level spell levels
Cold Iron: -3 spell levels



Scribing a spell rune is a process that takes 50GP worth of materials and 1 day per spell level scribed and requires a spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level). On a failure you are unable to properly mimic the spell and cannot attempt to scribe the spell again until you have gained at least 1 rank of spell craft.

Bonus Feat
At each odd numbered level after 1st you gain a bonus feat, this must be a item creation feat or a metamagic feat.

Martial Artifice
At 4th level you gain the ability to mimic spells for more than just rune scribing. You can attempt to mimic a spell for crafting any item for which you have the item creation feat. You may attempt a Use Magic Device check (DC 10 + caster level) to emulate a spell for the purposes of crafting a item. Treat your caster level as your Initiator level for the purpose of meeting caster level prerequisites for creating items. You must have an initiator level equal to twice a spell's level -1 to attempt to emulate it. If you fail this check you may not try to emulate that spell again until you gain at least 1 level in use magic device.

Intermediate Mysticism
At 6th level you gain the ability to create more magical effects at will. You can use the following spells as spell like abilities at will. Arcane Sight, Unseen Servant, Find Traps

Martial Metamagic
At 8th level you gain the ability to strike while using metamagic effects on your spells. When modifying a spell with a metamagic feat you may initiate a manuver with a initiation time of a standard action as part of the same full round action.

Major Mysticism
At 10th level you gain the following spells as spell like abilities at will. Greater Arcane Sight, Identify

Jervis
2021-12-28, 09:24 PM
Reserved but ill say right now this post will probably be a changelog. Also, please tell me what you like/hate about this class. As stands i should probably reduce the stances known and give a increase to maneuvers readied. I'd also like to hear theoretical builds with this. First thing that jumps to mind is using typical Chameleon tricks to get higher level spell slots then normal. As stands i should probably decrease the spells per day progression but 1st level spells at 5 and 5th at 15 isn't that impressive. That's roughly artificer progression and artificer's do the crafting and spell yoinking much better. So i think of this as one take on a ToB artificer,

Jervis
2021-12-28, 09:26 PM
reserved 2 electric boogaloo

silver spectre
2021-12-29, 06:18 AM
I haven't had a chance to really dig into it yet, but it looks interesting.

What are the class skills, skill points, and HD?

Jervis
2021-12-29, 12:35 PM
I haven't had a chance to really dig into it yet, but it looks interesting.

What are the class skills, skill points, and HD?

Ah dang it I knew I forgot something, this is why I shouldn’t brew at 2 AM. I’ll add those when i’m back at my PC

LecternOfJasper
2021-12-29, 02:02 PM
Looks really cool to me!

It's interesting that they get the ability to use a maneuver when they use a metamagick'd spell, but not a normal one. Is there a particular reason for that?

Also, I feel like it has quite a few prerequisites, but it is very good, so I don't really have a problem with that!

Jervis
2021-12-29, 07:11 PM
Looks really cool to me!

It's interesting that they get the ability to use a maneuver when they use a metamagick'd spell, but not a normal one. Is there a particular reason for that?

Also, I feel like it has quite a few prerequisites, but it is very good, so I don't really have a problem with that!

Thanks! As for the metamagic its mostly a action economy thing. Spontaneous casters have that full round casting time problem so i added something else they can do as part of it. I'm not sure if i'm happy with it but it felt decently useful and combined with +0 metamagics it's actually pretty good.

Oh, also i fixed the no class skill and HD problem from the first publishing. I made it's class skills all previous class skills just because ToB has a decent amount of skill dependency. Doesn't add anything, except stuff you probably added with a feat anyway, but it lets you continue progression on skills you need for maneuvers.

Draconi Redfir
2021-12-29, 10:51 PM
might want to change either the numbers, or the wording in the "Maneuvers" and "Stances" collums.

As it is, it looks like the class gets one maneuver at 1st level, then looses it at 2nd level, and gains one maneuver again at 3rd level, before loosing it at 4th, etc.

Jervis
2021-12-29, 11:52 PM
might want to change either the numbers, or the wording in the "Maneuvers" and "Stances" collums.

As it is, it looks like the class gets one maneuver at 1st level, then looses it at 2nd level, and gains one maneuver again at 3rd level, before loosing it at 4th, etc.
Yeah I should clean that up. Other than that, can you tell me what you think of the class over all?

Draconi Redfir
2021-12-29, 11:58 PM
Yeah I should clean that up. Other than that, can you tell me what you think of the class over all?

like the flavor for sure. unfortunately i don't have much more input beyond that sorry. Telling what is / isn't balanced is not my forte, and my brain has been cloudy all day.

LecternOfJasper
2021-12-30, 12:40 PM
Thanks! As for the metamagic its mostly a action economy thing. Spontaneous casters have that full round casting time problem so i added something else they can do as part of it. I'm not sure if i'm happy with it but it felt decently useful and combined with +0 metamagics it's actually pretty good.


Ah, right. Yeah, it would definitely be useful in that case! I was thinking of +0 metamagics too, just forgot about the whole spontaneous-full round action terror! Gives some solid tradeoffs, I like it!

Kategeeper
2021-12-31, 06:28 AM
[CENTER]
[B]Spellcasting
A Rune Warrior casts spells spontaneously similar to a sorcerer but does not have spells known. Instead they must craft runes on items (see below). A Rune Warrior counts as knowing any spell scribed as a rune on a item they are wearing or holding. They use Intelligence to determine their spell save DC, maximum level of spell cartable, and bonus spells per day. Their spells are neither truly Arcane or Divine, rather they are a form of magic constructed from magical reactions and physical energy. Treat your initiator level as for caster level for all Rune Warrior spells you cast.
Scribe Rune
At 2nd level you gain the ability to create runes that hold the formulas needed to create spells on the fly. You can scribe the formula to any spell of a level you can cast onto a item of at least masterwork quality. You must be wearing or holding a item with a spell runes scribed onto them to cast a spell contained on them. Spell rune scribed items function similarly to magic items in that they follow the same rules as body slots for items. You cannot, for example, wear two spell rune scribed necklaces to add the spells scribed on both to your spells known. However, spell rune scribed items can be enchanted without difficulty. Items can hold a number of spell runes determined by its size and other factors as detailed below. A spell requires a number of spell runes equal to it's spell level.

Alright. This is the main problem I have with the class. Namely, the downtime and gold costs when all other spellcasters get spells for free. That makes it fairly useless in an action packed campaign without much downtime. So hereÂ’s my fixed Rune Warrior Spellcasting system.

First of all get rid of the supernatural ability required. That way, it sells the point that runes really are the fundamentals, and with enough effort anyone smart enough can grasp them

At 2nd level: Rune scribing
After intensive study of runes, rune warriors have gained the ability to manipulate nature with them in a manner similar to wizards. At 2nd level and each level thereafter, they learn the formula for a rune. These formulas are limited to the equivalent wizard spells from the evocation and abjuration schools. Their runes count as arcane magic but do not suffer from arcane spell failure chance. Scribing a rune takes one minute worth of time, and consumes a spell slot of the runeÂ’s level. The rune remains active for a day, becoming inert after that (though its duration can be prolonged by usage of a permanency spell by another spellcaster). Using a rune costs one action and consumes the rune, producing the effect of the equivalent wizard spell. Runes can be scribed on any piece of equipment.

Design notes
they learn new runes: if runes really are cheating, then they should be able to “come up with new cheats” like many cheaters do nowadays. It’s better for campaigns where downtime isn’t as accessible

Runes arw Arcane: runes are effectively another way of manipulating natural magic, and they are just as valid as arcane muttering. Therefore imo, they should be considered as arcane. DoesnÂ’t really make sense to call on the power of gods with some scribbles

Very limited rune list: runes are typically elemental in nature or warding related, so I figured abjuration and evocation fit. Also, they are a PrC that gets spells, maneuvers and stances, so imo itÂ’s only fair to limit their spells known.

Kategeeper
2021-12-31, 06:33 AM
Also, you could give them an ability at later levels that allows them to use lower level runes as swift actions