Path of the Runescarred

They are lorekeepers, wise-men, runesmiths. They are exiled scholars, outcast apprentices. They are mad warriors who half-remember the secrets of their long-lost druids, bandits who pillage a caravan full of spellbooks. They have a little knowledge, and it is a dangerous thing.

The Path of the Runescarred is walked by those barbarians who harness magic, yet do not fully understand it. Rather than remembering spells, they engrave symbols of power and burn them into their skin. Their mind is free to abandon itself to the rage, for the magic is now in their flesh, free to be unleashed almost of its own will.

Runescarred barbarians are not always clever, but they are oft wise. They know they meddle with dangerous things, and learn how to mitigate and harness powers far older than them. In some regions they are highly-esteemed, an order of warriors above the common rabble; in others they are outcasts desperately looking for any edge to survive.

Some become the leaders of roving bands that are half-bandits, half-cult, with them as their god-chief. They are perhaps most common among orcs and humans, who learned the secrets of the runes from dwarves and giants. Runescarred dwarves are more rare, but do exist, although they are often seen as putting a sacred art to a crude use.

Runecasting

A runescarred barbarian learns the ancient glyphs of old, used by giants and dwarves and people of the north to imbue magic into their craft. But hardier than these people, they carve these runes into themselves, their bodies first wracked by pain but soon overflowing with magic. Such spells originate in themselves, and focus their energy within, largely providing benefits to the warrior rather than smiting their enemies or aiding their ally.

When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for general spell list. The runescarred uses a specific spell-list, provided thereafter. If a runescarred spell has a range of "Touch" or longer, you must include yourself as part of the casting. You may only affect other characters if the spell allows you to affect several targets. Your own scars can be used as an arcane focus as long as you are not wearing armor.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the runescarred spell list. You learn an additional runescarred cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Runescarred Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your 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. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level runescarred spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Runescarred Spellcasting table shows when you learn more runescarred spells of 1st level or higher.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the runescarred spell you know with another spell of your choice from the runescarred spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your runescarred spells, since your magic stems from mastering the ancient magical language of the world and opening yourself to the transformative power of magic. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a runescarred spell you cast, or should you ever make an attack roll with one.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Runescarred Spellcasting –Spell Slots per Spell Level– Barbarian

Level Cantrips

Known Spells

Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 2 3 2 — — — 4th 2 4 3 — — — 5th 2 4 3 — — — 6th 2 4 3 — — — 7th 2 5 4 2 — — 8th 2 6 4 2 — — 9th 2 6 4 2 — — 10th 3 7 4 3 — — 11th 3 8 4 3 — — 12th 3 8 4 3 — — 13th 3 9 4 3 2 — 14th 3 10 4 3 2 — 15th 3 10 4 3 2 — 16th 3 11 4 3 3 — 17th 3 11 4 3 3 — 18th 3 11 4 3 3 — 19th 3 12 4 3 3 1 20th 3 13 4 3 3 1

Runes of Anger

Starting when you take this path at 3rd level, you can cast runescarred spells while raging. While raging, you may perform the somatic components of runescarred spells even if you have weapons or a shield in both hands, as long as you are not wearing armor, and have advantage on Consitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.

Armor of Scars

The runes you have carved into your skin imbue it with magic, making it tougher even as they make your limbs more stiff. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, while you are not wearing any armor, you can choose to have your Armor Class be 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your Constitution modifier, rather than the Armor Class granted by your Unarmored Defense class feature. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Additionally, beginning at 6th level, when you cast a runescarred spell you gain temporary hit points equal to (spell level x 2 + your Wisdom modifier). If the spell would grant you temporary hit points, these explicitly stack.