Rune Singer (3.5e Class)
Rune Singer
Rune Singers are individuals who have undergone a runic initiation. This initiation has granted the Rune Singer the ability to "sing" the secret runic names of a limited number of spells. Rune Singers are primarily a combat class that uses runes "spells" to give them an advantage. Rune Singers must be careful in the use of their runes, since once they have used one, they will not have access to that rune until they have a solid nights rest in order to reawaken the expended rune. Typically the weapon of choice for a Rune Singer is the Short Spear.
Making a Rune Singer
Abilities: Wisdom (Determines Spell Casting) and Strength/Dexterity (Damage)
Races: Humans, Dwarfs, and Elves
Alignment: Any non Chaotic
Starting Gold: 6d4x10 (200) gp
Starting Age: As Sorcerer
Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Runes per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Runic Initiation, Galdercraft, Rune Tongue | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Runic Protection | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Runic Discipline (Empowered Immunities) | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Runic Senses | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Runic Empowerment | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Runic Discipline (Poison Immunity) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Runic Discipline (Magic Resistance) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18th | +13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19th | +14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20th | +15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Runic Apotheosis | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) |
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Rune Singers are proficient with all light and martial weapons and with light armor and shields (except tower shields). When in Light Armor, the Rune Singer does not suffer Arcane Spell Chance Failure. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a Rune Singer wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass Rune Singer still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
Ritual Initiation: At 1st level, Rune Singers have undergone either ritualistic or inspirational initiation in which their understanding and perception of magic and runes within the Rune Singer have awoken. The Rune Singer now knows the runic names of a certain handful of spells. A Rune Singer sings out loud in an arcane language that only she and those who possess knowledge of runes can understand. Their effects become runes that are set in place as a rune spell would, until activated. These are counted as arcane spells, which are drawn from the Sorcerer spell list, in addition to any "Cure" spells (such as Cure Light Wounds). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every Rune Singer rune has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music). To learn or cast a spell, a Rune Singer must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Rune Singer’s rune is 10 + the spell level + the Rune Singer’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Rune Singer can cast only a certain number of runes of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Rune Singer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Rune Singer indicates that the Rune Singer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level.
The Rune Singer’s selection of spells is limited. A Rune Singer begins play knowing four 0-level spells of your choice. At most new Rune Singer levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: The Rune Singer. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a Rune Singer knows is not affected by his Wisdom score; the numbers on Table: The Rune Singer are fixed.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third Rune Singer level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a Rune Singer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the Rune Singer "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level Rune Singer spell the Rune Singer can cast. A Rune Singer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
As noted above, a Rune Singer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.
Level | Runes (Spells) Known | |||||||||
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0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | ||||
1st | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
2nd | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
3rd | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
4th | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||
5th | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |||
6th | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |||
7th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
8th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | |||
9th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | |||
10th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | |||
11th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | |||
12th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | |||
13th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | |||
14th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | |||
15th | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | |||
16th | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |||
17th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
18th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||
19th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | |||
20th | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Galdercraft:Runes Singers are able to recite the names of the runes they know in such a way in such a way that they do not need spell components as long as the cost is 100g or less, similar to the feat Eschew Materials.
Rune Tongue: The Rune Singer gains one additional language known as "Runic". This is a secret language, known only to Rune Singers and those with Runic Knowledge. This is also the language they 'sing' in when casting a spell.
Runic Protection (Ex):At level 3, Rune Singers discover a method to make the names of a special rune stay locked within their flesh, granting them a bonus to AC equal to their dexterity modifier when wearing light or no armor and while carrying a light load or less.
Runic DisciplineAt 4th level, focus on the magic of rune singing and its applications through strict discipline has gifted the Rune Singer with abilities that grow as she does. She gains the following at the corresponding levels:
- 4th Level: Empowered Immunities (Ex): The Rune Singer gains immunity to all disease, including supernatural and magical diseases.
- 11th Level: Poison Immunity (Ex): Beginning to understand runes more, the Rune Singer writes them into his skin at various places, granting him immunity to poisons of all kinds.
- 14th level: Magic Resistance (Su): The Rune Singer's connection with magic and rune powers is great enough to also understand how to innately repel it, granting him a spell resistance equal to his Rune Singer levels + 10. With the exception of his own magic, in order to effect the Rune Singer with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20+ caster level) that equals or exceeds the Rune Singer's spell resistance.
Runic Senses (Ex):At level 6, Rune Singers become so in tune with the writings of magic and their true names, that they gain various bonuses involving such things. Their eyes have been infused with rune magic in much the same way as their flesh was for Runic Protection, allowing them to have Darkvision 60ft, cast Read Magic at will as a spell like ability (on themselves only), and gain a bonus to detect creatures under the effects of magical invisibility equal to their wisdom modifier plus half their Rune Singer class levels.
Runic Empowerment (Ex):At level 9, Rune Singers are filled with the power of the runes that they have grown so familiar with singing. The Rune Singer can now add his wisdom bonus as well as his strength/dexterity modifier to his attack and damage rolls.
Runic Apotheosis (Ex): At 20th level, your body is surging with the arcane power of runes, allowing you to add any metamagic feats that you know to your spells without increasing their casting time, thought you must still expend higher level spell slots. Whenever you use a magic item that requires charge, you can instead expend spell slots to power the item.