Rune Magic Variants?

[Sado]

There are a number of third party books that have sections on Rune Magic-Spells and Magic (Bastion), Viking Age (Avalanche), Magic (AEG), and Arcana Unearthed (Malhavoc), to name a few, along with several independent house rule systems out there.

I am interested in incorporating this kind of magic system in a fuure game. Has anyone used these (or any other) rune magic systems? If so, how did it go? Which ones work and which ones don't?

 

[Krieg]

I've picked up just about ever supplement with variant Rune magic I could get my hands on.

To be honest the one that has worked the best for me so far is from the Midnight supplement Sorcery & Shadow. It is very similar to the rune magic rules from the FRCS in that runes are essentially a way of turning magic into a magic item. Creating a rune costs XP with the cost modified by the type of effect desired (single use to permanent etc).

Mongoose has a very interesting variant in their Signs & Portents house magazine. It is essentially very similar to how Ars Magica represents magic, in that you build spells from a list root effects. It is VERY flexible.

Frost & Fur presents rune magic from a quasi Scandinavian standpoint. The runes are unique spell lists, but the names are derived from the actual FUTHARK alphabet.

 

[Voadam]

There are a number of third party books that have sections on Rune Magic-Spells and Magic (Bastion), Viking Age (Avalanche), Magic (AEG), and Arcana Unearthed (Malhavoc), to name a few, along with several independent house rule systems out there.

I am interested in incorporating this kind of magic system in a fuure game. Has anyone used these (or any other) rune magic systems? If so, how did it go? Which ones work and which ones don't?

Avalanche's Ragnarok! has a rune system that is flavorful but very weak with a +2 stat buff about the top of the high powered list. Normally it is restricted to Norse Gods but I would allow it easily with a simple feat, I don't think anybody would really bother though.

Spells and magic has a prestige class rune caster that is interesting because you can trade in levels of sorcerer or druid casting ability like a paladin blackguard. It uses pretty much domain only spellcasting lists with some powers. It also has an option to turn it into a core class, but the top levels then are empty of any class powers besides spellcasting meaning it would be a simple power choice to decide to prestige class out of it. Good for making a different powered druid or as an alternative limited spell list caster core class.

SSS burok torn has a rune mage prestige class that you can get into at I think second level. Runes are pretty much scrolls there as they are in the FRCS, requiring a feat. In BT they can be arcane while in FRCS they are divine only.

AU has an interesting set of rune magics core class but I haven't fully read through that class. It looks very promising though.

The book of Eldritch Might I and the Complete Book of Eldritch Might has a rune mage prestige class, the graven ones. They get rune powers, are covered in rune tattoos, and spellcasting every other level. I've used them as npcs in a module and they are a prc option for the pcs in the game.

There are also a bunch of tattoo magic options that are very similar to runes.

I don't have frost and fur or Magic so I can't comment on their variations.

In one of the games I play in my viking wizard's spell book is written in runes, that is how we've incorporated runes flavor wise.

 

[Sado]

To be honest the one that has worked the best for me so far is from the Midnight supplement Sorcery & Shadow.

Didn't know they had this. I've been looking at the Midnight setting anyway, I'll look into that.

Mongoose has a very interesting variant in their Signs & Portents house magazine. It is essentially very similar to how Ars Magica represents magic, in that you build spells from a list root effects. It is VERY flexible.

This sounds the most like what I'm looking for. I kind of had in mind something like the magic system in the Ultima CRPGs, where each rune was a syllable/magic word, and by combining runes in different combinations you got different spells. Is that sort of how it works? That's S&P #10, right?

Spells and magic has a prestige class rune caster that is interesting because you can trade in levels of sorcerer or druid casting ability like a paladin blackguard. It uses pretty much domain only spellcasting lists with some powers.

This one also interested me. If I understand correctly, it's sort of a tiered effect. Each rune gives you access to a spell (or spells?) of each level, and the higher up you get in level, each rune lets you cast more (and more powerful) spells. Do I have that right?

 

[Krieg]

Didn't know they had this. I've been looking at the Midnight setting anyway, I'll look into that.

If you have the rules for runes in FRCS you will find it very similar.

This sounds the most like what I'm looking for. I kind of had in mind something like the magic system in the Ultima CRPGs, where each rune was a syllable/magic word, and by combining runes in different combinations you got different spells. Is that sort of how it works? That's S&P #10, right?

Yes & yes.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Avalanche's Ragnarok! has a rune system that is flavorful but very weak with a +2 stat buff about the top of the high powered list. Normally it is restricted to Norse Gods but I would allow it easily with a simple feat, I don't think anybody would really bother though.

Avalanche's Viking Age is hit or miss as far as rules crunch goes. Flavorwise, it is very top notch as long as you are looking for something that mimics the historical context of the Futhark runes. It duplicates much of the Rune effects from Ragnarok, but Viking Age goes much further. In addition to the runecasting, there is a Runecraft skill [Trained only], which allows characters with ranks in it to attempt something of omen reading.

Importantly in the Viking Age runecasting system, there is a 20-level class that is dedicated to Runecasting. Called a "Vitki", this viking runecaster is even more burly than the cleric; cleric BAB, d8 hit dice, 4+Int skill points, 15 class skills, proficient in simple and martial weapons, proficient in light armor and shields. So with the Vitki being the only class capable of runecasting with the Futhark runes, the reduced power of effect of this runesystem is appropriate.

There is also a flavorful blending of the core sorcerer and wizard in Viking Age, with the magician class. This classes inscribes runes, by woodburning, in to his staff. The magician class then casts spells without having to prepare them. Unfortunately, lose the staff and the magician class loses ability to cast spell higher than 0-level. There is also the threat that destroying the staff results in an arcane explosive release, this alone is probably enough for few PC magician characters. Otherwise, the spell selection is chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, with the wizard spells per day, and bonus metamagic feats at 10th, 15th and 20th levels. The magician is limited to inscribing 3 new spells per class level. Period.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[Sado]

If you have the rules for runes in FRCS you will find it very similar.

Are you talking about this? I used to have it, but got rid of it a while ago. Don't remember anything about rune magic, but then again I wasn't really interested in spellcasting back then so I probably wouldn't have noticed.

 

[Krieg]

A couple of other alt.runes rules:

Rune Magic by Peter Signewald (scroll down to #18. there is also a runecraft skill at #8):
http://www.community3e.com/rules.html

Rune Warden by Steve Peterson of Second World Simulations (the Rune Warden can be found in the files section of the Yahoo group SecondWorldSims):
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecondWorldSims/?yguid=43385869

Troll Lord Games also has Rune magic rules in their Winter Runes adventure/sourcebook. There is a new core class the Runemark & a unique spell list to go along with it.

Are you talking about this? I used to have it, but got rid of it a while ago. Don't remember anything about rune magic, but then again I wasn't really interested in spellcasting back then so I probably wouldn't have noticed.

Yep. There is an "Inscribe Rune" feat and a 10lvl PrC class, the "Runecaster" which revolves around enhancing said feat. Both only work with Divine spells.

Runes essentially act as scrolls that can be set for with external triggers.

 

[Voadam]

This one also interested me. If I understand correctly, it's sort of a tiered effect. Each rune gives you access to a spell (or spells?) of each level, and the higher up you get in level, each rune lets you cast more (and more powerful) spells. Do I have that right?

Yep, each rune gives you a list of spells (one per spell level). The class has its own casting progression so these are separate from the prereq base class' spellcasting.