Runemaster (5e Class)

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Runemaster

A fierce warrior which uses the essence of magic to empower themselves and their allies, runes.

A Rare Path

In isolated villages or barbarian clans, for most, the only option was being an enraged warrior that used its anger as a weapon against enemies, but a few children didn't fit this profile, maybe because they were not as strong as a barbarian, resistant or most likely not enraged as one, these children were taught from the shamans the art of the runes.

The runemasters are mostly marcial combatants and a bit spellcasters, they will most likely be like a fighter with a bit less fighting dexterity, mixed with barbarian with no raging and a small portion of a cleric.

Creating a Runemaster

By Cerberok

Quick Build

You can make a Runemaster quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, or Dexterity if you plan to use finesse weapons, followed by Wisdom, and then Constitution. Second, choose the Outlander background. Third, choose a scalemail armor, a mace and a shield.

Class Features

As a Runemaster you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per class level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor and shields.
Weapons: Simple weapons and melee marcial weapons.
Tools: Painter's supplies, runebooks and runes in general.
Saving Throws: Strenght, Wisdom.
Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival, Intimidation.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) scail male armor or (b) leather armor, a simple ranged weapon, and 20 ammunition.
• (a) a simple weapon and a shield, (b) two simple weapons or (c) a melee martial weapon
• An explorer's pack, a runebook and painter's supplies.
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 2d4 × 10 gp in funds.

Table: The Runemaster

	Proficiency			—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
Level	Bonus	Features	Runes Known	1st	2nd	3rd
1st	+2	Runecasting	1	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Fighting Style	2	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Runemaster Style	2	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Advanced Runecasting	3	2	—	—
5th	+3	—	3	2	—	—
6th	+3	Extra attack	3	2	—	—
7th	+3	Runemaster Style Feature	3	2	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	3	—	—
9th	+4	—	3	3	—	—
10th	+4	Runemaster Style Feature	3	3	1	—
11th	+4	Brutal Critical	3	3	1	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	3	4	2	—
13th	+5	—	3	4	2	—
14th	+5	Runemaster Style Feature	4	4	2	—
15th	+5	Extra attack(2)	4	4	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	—
17th	+6	—	4	4	3	—
18th	+6	Major Rune	4	4	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	4	3	1
20th	+6	Arcane Nirvana	4	4	3	2

Runecasting

Basic Runes

At 1st level, you have one rune written in your runebook, this rune acts as a cantrip of your choice from the cleric, druid or paladin spell list. You learn additional runes of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Runes Known column of the Runemaster table. Your Basic Runes are written in your Runebook and you can't cast cantrips without your Runebook, unless your Runemaster style says it otherwise.

Runebook

At 1st level, you have a runebook containing one cleric, druid or paladin cantrip of your choice. Your runebook is the repository of all your current and future cleric, druid or paladin spells you know.

Kontinuer casting

Your runes are deeply connected to you, for that reason, any cantrip that has a duration longer than Instantaneous can be casted as a Kontinuer spell. Being casted in this way, the spell will have its duration altered to "Until Dispelled" while you are concentrating on it.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your cleric, druid or paladin spells. The power of your spells comes from your knowledge about runes. You use your Wisdom whenever a cleric, druid or paladin spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a cleric spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

  Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
  
  Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can change your fighting style at 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th level.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Runemaster Style

At 3rd level, you can choose how you use your runes, the options are the Scribe, the Tatooist or the Bastion.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Advanced Runecasting

Runebook upgrade

At 4th level, your runebook, skin or armor is able to contain four 1st-level cleric, druid or paladin spells of your choice.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Runemaster table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your cleric, druid or paladin spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of cleric, druid or paladin spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of cleric, druid or paladin spells from your spellbook equal to your Wisdom modifier + your Runemaster level divided by 2, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you’re a 10th-level Runemaster, you have three 1st-level and one 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include eight spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your runebook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell earth tremor, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Runemaster spells requires time spent studying your runebook and memorizing the thoughts you must have and the words you must say to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher

At levels 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 20, you can add two additional cleric, druid or paladin spells of your choice to your runebook for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Runemaster table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your runebook.

  YOUR RUNEBOOK
  
  The runes that you add to your runebook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other runes during your adventures. You could discover a rune recorded on a scroll in an evil shaman’s chest, for example, or in a dusty stone in an ancient cave.
  
  Copying a rune into the runebook. When you find a spell-rune of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your runebook if it is of a rune level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
  Copying that rune into your runebook involves reproducing the basic form of the rune, then deciphering the unique "font" that it was written in. You must practice the spell until you understand the thoughts or words required, then transcribe it into your runebook using your own font.
  For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the rune to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
  
  Replacing the Book. You can copy a rune from your own runebook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your runebook. This is just like copying a new rune into your runebook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own font and already know how to cast the rune. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.
  If you lose your runebook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the runes that you have prepared into a new runebook. Filling out the remainder of your runebook requires you to find new runes to do so, as normal. For this reason, many runemasters keep backup runebooks in a safe place.
  
  The Book’s Appearance. Your runebook is a unique compilation of runes, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap, but it needs to be a book unless said otherwise by your runemaster style. 

Advanced Kontinuer casting

Your runes are even more connected to you, for that reason, any spell that has a duration longer than 1 round can be casted as a Kontinuer spell. Being casted in this way, the spell will have its duration altered to "Until Dispelled" while you are concentrating on it and you will have to use another spellslot of its level or higher every time the spell has been active for the double of its standard time, for an example, you will have to use another spellslot every 2 minutes if you have casted a 1 minute spell, you will have to use another spellslot every 20 minutes if you have casted a 10 minute spell and so on.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 15th level in this class.

Brutal Critical

Beginning at 11th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.

Extra Attack Upgrade

Beginning at 15th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Major Rune

At 18th level, you learn to use all your known runes in sync at the same time to cast your strongest spell. Choose one 4th-level spell from the druid, cleric or paladin spell list, that is from the school of magic you have the most spells, this spell is your major rune.

You can cast your major rune spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Arcane Nirvana

At 20th level, once every hour, when you make a melee weapon attack, you can cast a spell with the casting time of "Action" as a Free-action.

Additionaly, if you already used this feature in less than an hour, you can use another spellslot of the spell's level to use this feature.

The Runemaster Styles

The Scribe Style

The Scribes are the most intelectuals of all Runemasters, the ones which study the logic of runes and their connection to the weave, typically begginer Runemasters and Runemasters of other styles have only the runes written somewhere and they memorize how to use them and their effects.

Runebook Expert

At 3rd level, you can change the damage type of any cantrip to one of these: cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, psychic, thunder, acid and poison.

Additionaly, you gain the ability to use your runebook as a spellcasting focus for your Runemaster spells.

Knowledge Holder

At 7th level, you can learn 2 new Basic Runes, cantrips of the Cleric, Druid or Paladin spell list.

Potent Cantrips

At 10th level, you now can add your spellcasting ability modifier to the damage you deal with any cantrip.

Rune Specialist

At 14th level, when anyone casts a leveled spell of 4th-level or lower and the spell has a vocal component or you are seeing the rune of the spell, you can use your reaction and expend a spellslot of the spell's level so you have advantage on the saving-throw against or the caster has disadvantage on the attack roll against you, if any.

Additionaly, copying runes into your runebook requires only one hour and 25 gp per level of the spell.

The Tatooist Style

After long hours of training your body and mind, some Runemasters choose to concentrate all their potential in themselves alone, writing their runes in their own body, bound to them for ever. Using your runes this way, a Runemaster can have a more direct contact between thenself and their runes.

Life-long marks

At 3rd level, the first time you take a long rest, you can now spend an hour to write your runes from your spell book on your own skin and now you have advantage at rolls to mantain your concentration on a spell by taking damage.

If someone cuts off or burns severely a part of your skin, you suffer the same effect as losing a page of your Runebook before, you can still have a book with your runes for you to draw them on your skin once it heals.

Unarmored Defense

At 7th level, while you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Triggered Spell

At 10th level, every time you suffer of a critical hit, you can cast a cantrip or a 1st-level spell as a reaction.

Weave Overload

At 14th level, when you cast a spell of 2nd-level or higher you can enter Weave Overload for a minute.

While in the Overload, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing medium or heavy armor:

• When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a bonus equal to the spell's level to the damage roll.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Your Overload lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if you expend all your spellslots. You can also end your Overload on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have Overloaded a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus, you must finish a long rest before you can Overload again.

The Bastion Style

The more knight-like of all Runemasters, these ones typically treat their armor as an extension of their body and soul, taking care of it and caring for it deeply, because their armor takes care of them too.

Armored Magician

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor, the first time you take a long rest, you can now spend an hour to write your runes from your spell book on your armor.

Every three critical hits you suffer, your runes on your armor get damage, you suffer the same effect as losing your Runebook before, every hour spent fixing your armor with a smithing kit reduces one critical hit, you can still have a book with your runes for you to draw them on your armor once you fix it.

Combat Maneuver

At 7th level, you learn a maneuver that is fueled by a d8, this feature can be used twice, after that you need to take a short rest to be able to use this feature again.

• Quick Toss

As a bonus action, you can make a ranged attack with a weapon that has the thrown property. You can draw the weapon as part of making this attack. If you hit, add the d8 to the weapon's damage

• Riposte

When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add a d8 to the attack's damage roll.

• Parry

When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by the number you roll on a d8 + your Dexterity modifier.

• Bait and Switch

When you're within 5 feet of a creature on your turn, you can switch places with that creature, provided you spend at least 5 feet of movement and the creature is willing and isn't incapacitated. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Roll a d8. Until the start of your next turn, you or the other creature (your choice) gains a bonus to AC equal to the number rolled.

• Brace

When a creature you can see moves into the reach you have with the melee weapon you're wielding, you can use your reaction to make one attack against the creature, using that weapon. If the attack hits, add a d8 to the weapon's damage roll.

Mystical Might

At 10th level, as a free-action, you can fuel a use of your Combat Manuever with a spellslot of 2nd-level or higher

Unchangeable Form

At 14th level, your armor and the runes on it can't get damaged anymore, but every time you suffer a critical hit, the attacker receives half the damage they caused on you and they are thrown 25 ft away from you.

Additionaly, if you are wearing heavy armor you gain +2 to your AC and have resistance against slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage from non-magical attacks.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Runemaster class, you must meet these prerequisites: Wisdom 13 or more and Strength 13 or more or Constitution 13 or more.

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Runemaster class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, painter's supplies, runebooks and runes in general.

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