Runic Scholar

Arcane Tradition

Runic Scholar

Dwarven craftsmen have long been known to craft and create some of the most potent magical items across the lands, both in terms of items built for combat and those for more mundane purposes. Many know the secret to this dominance of the market, but either lack the talent or knowledge to recreate it themselves.

This secret is based around the ancient origin of all written language, the Runic alphabet. Millenia of disuse has left few with the knowledge required to recreate the ancient script, and even fewer possess the arcane prowess to instill these exceptionally receptive symbols with magic. Only a few chosen dwarves are taught and granted the honor, while others practice a lesser form of the art using the modern dwarvish script. But there are very few who truly practice the tradition of the Runic Scholars.

Runic Scholars tend to be dwarves, as the tradition is closely guarded by their elders. However, certain practitioners have begun inducting and teaching wizards of other races the secrets of the Runic language.

Runic Scholar Features

Wizard Level Feature 2nd Bonus Proficiencies, Runic Scribe, Rune Trigger 6th Runic Gifts 10th Runic Concentration, Transferring Script 14th Overcharged Rune

Bonus Proficiencies

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency with the use of Calligrapher’s Tools if you don't already have it. The inks, brushes, and pens that make up these tools are what allow you to write the runes that will contain your magic for other features of this Arcane Tradition. You also learn to read and write the Runic language. There is no spoken version of Runic, as the language is ancient and long forgotten besides its use in the study and practice of magic.

Runic Scribe

At 2nd level, your practice in writing the Runic language begins to bear fruit. When you finish a short or long rest you prepare a number of Runes equal to one half your Wizard level (rounded down) using your Calligrapher’s Tools. These Runes are used to activate the effects of the other features of this Arcane Tradition. Any unused Runes lose their capacity to store magic and become inert when you take a short or long rest. You can regain expended Runes between rests by spending 10 minutes and making a DC 10 Intelligence check with your Calligrapher’s Tools for each Rune you want to create, but you can't have more Runes than this feature would grant at the end of a rest.

Rune Trigger

Starting at 2nd level, you can contain the energy of your spells within Runes to delay their effects until certain conditions trigger their release. As a bonus action on your turn when you cast a spell you can delay the spell's effect, sealing it within a rune at your feet. You then select one of the triggers that will activate the contained spell as described below. You can only seal spells of levels equal to half of your Wizard level (rounded down) and only spells of 5th level or lower. Runes will remain on the field for one hour or until triggered. If a Rune is not triggered it still counts as expended from the pool created by your Runic Scribe feature. If the spell sealed within is a Concentration spell, you can't concentrate on it and its duration lasts only one round.

Command. As a bonus action on a subsequent turn, you speak the Rune's command word and release the spell.

Engagement. When a hostile creature moves within 5 feet of the Rune the spell is released, no action required. You designate what creatures are non-hostile when you seal the spell in the Rune.

Acceptance. When a willing creature moves within 5 feet of the Rune the spell is released, no action required, as long as they accept the effect. You designate what creatures can accept the spell when you seal it in the Rune.

Runic Gifts

At 6th level, you have learned to augment gear with the energy trapped within your Runes. When you finish a short or long rest you can affix one of your Runes to a nonmagical weapon or piece of armor and temporarily grant it a magical bonus by trapping a spell into the Rune. The effect the Rune has depends on the school of the spell trapped inside and if it is put onto a weapon or armor, as detailed below. The effect of the Rune ends when you take a short or long rest, and only one piece of equipment can benefit from this feature per rest.

Weapon Benefits