Runemaster (Character Kit)

Runemaster 
Description: Both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian legends speak of the wisdom of rune-lore. Woden of the AngloSaxons (the god of magic) and Odin of the Scandinavians both suffered greatly to learn the power of runes and pass this learning on to their people. Runemasters are the mortal receivers of this lore. 
Unlike standard AD&D Wizards, Runemasters do not cast all spells directly. Instead, they prepare items by carving or otherwise marking a rune or series of runes that temporarily empower the item with the desired spell or spells. Instead of rolling balls of sulphur, incanting strange words, and waving their arms around to produce a fireball spell, for example, a Runemaster may prepare a staff or wand with the specific combination of runes required to later produce the effect. This means that, generally, a 
Rune master is weaker than a standard AD&D Wizard if caught short-footed but more powerful if given the time to prepare. The exception to this practice is their use of Divination spells. All spells of the Divination school require only a full set of special runestones (flat stones, each inscribed with a single character of the runic alphabet). In place of verbal, material, and somatic spell components, the runemaster casts these runestones in a manner particular to the spell in question, and then reads them to determine the result of his divination. For detection spells, such as detect invisibility , the Runemaster places the correct runestone onto his forehead, holding it in place with a single finger, while the spell is in effect. Preferred Schools: Abjuration, Divination, Enchantment/Charm 
Barred Schools: None 
Role: The Runemaster is a respected, if feared, member of the community in both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian cultures. Although very rare (even the mighty bretwaldas can boast only a single Runemaster of power, with a handful of lesser pupils), they are nonetheless mighty figures. 
Although, like all people, Runemasters are subject to their king, they can boast a certain amount of independence. This is mainly due to the respect they gain from even those of higher social rank. This leaves them with the ability to come and go as they please, performing whatever personal schemes they might plot. Secondary Skills: Although Runemasters are generally above the mundane crafts practiced by their people, they must still possess skills that enable them to create the items upon which they etch their runes. The most relevant secondary skills are Mason and Woodworker/Carpenter, although a few may also be skilled Weaponsmiths. Weapon Proficiency: It is rare to see a Runemaster without his staff, upon which he often scribes several runes to ensure the times he is caught unprepared are few and far between. 
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Bonus: Ancient Language, runes. The most common runic alphabet in use by Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians of the Dark Ages is the Futhark, but regional variations of this exist. 
Required: Artistic Ability (rune scribing).
* Recommended: Carpentry, Spellcraft, Stonemasonry, Weaponsmi thing. 
Equipment: Other than his staff, his runes, and the lore books from which he draws his magical knowledge, the Runemaster feels the need for little in the way of equipment. A newly created Runemaster begins play with a full set of prepared runes (of which there are usually twenty five individual stones or the equivalent), and a single volume describing the combinations of runic enchantments required to perform the spells he knows. 
Rune Magic: Runemasters enjoy the same spell progression as standard AD&D Wizards, even though they cast the spells differently and in advance of the spell's actual use. All Divination school spells must be memorized normally before they are used. 
To prepare runes on an item, the Runemaster must first memorize the spells he wishes to cast onto the item. The item must then be prepared with a scribe rune spell (described above), after which the desired spells are cast (using standard casting times) as the runes are etched onto the object. 
There are two different types of rune: bonus runes and spell runes. Bonus runes require no further spells beyond the scribe rune spell, but each rune requires a separate casting of that spell. Spell runes require a single casting of the scribe rune spell, for which the Runemaster may etch any number of spell runes onto an item by "casting" the relevant spell. All spells to be cast onto the rune must be cast within a single hour of the initial scribe rune spell. Either type of rune remains active for a number of days equal to the Runecaster's number of additional languages for Intelligence (see Table 4 in the Player's Handbook). After this time, the power of the rune fades completely. When one rune on an item fades, there is a 10% chance that each of any other runes on the same item spontaneously fades, even if its duration has not expired. 
Example: A Runecaster with an Intelligence of 16 places a bonus rune on his dagger. Two days later, he places a sleep spell rune on the same dagger. On the sixth day after he cast the bonus rune, that one fades, and there is a 10% chance that the spell rune fades too , even though it would normally last three more days. 
A bonus rune bestows certain bonuses to the item in question or the wielder of the item. Possible bonus runes include: +1 to hit, +1 damage, +1 to a specific category of saving throw, or +1 bonus to 
Armor Class. For example, a Runemaster could enrune a short sword to provide a +2 to hit bonus and a +1 damage bonus, by casting three separate scribe rune spells within the space of one hour—two attack bonus runes and one damage bonus rune. Being magical spells in nature, bonus runes are subject to magic resistance, dispel magic , and similar effects. Dispel magic effectively removes the runes from the item. In such cases, each bonus rune must be dispelled (or resisted against) individually. Bonus to hit runes can provide a weapon with the magical bonus required to hit certain creatures. True magical items that confer a bonus (such as a properly enchanted short szoord +2) are not open to runic scribing their magical nature prevents the runes from being etched upon them. 
Spell runes provide a single casting of the spell so enruned. A 5th-level Runemaster could, for example, enrune a single fireball spell upon his staff. When the spell is cast from the rune, the rune vanishes. Of course, a Runemaster may place multiple runes of the same type (two fireball runes, for example) on the same object provided there is enough room. Only one spell rune may be released ("cast") in a single round, but the initiative modifier of a rune is always 
1. Spell runes may only be released by 
the Runemaster who scribed them (with the exception of accidental release see below), and their effects are determined by the casting level of the Runemaster when he originally scribed them. As with bonus runes, spell runes cannot be etched onto true magical items. The number of runes that may be scribed onto a specific item depends on the size of the item. As a rule of thumb, a dagger-sized item may hold up to two runes, a short sword four, a staff eight, and a medium shield up to ten. No item may hold more than ten runes, regardless of its size. 
Both types of rune are subject to accidentally release. Any time an enruned item is subject to violence (this includes hitting an opponent with an enruned weapon), and any time the item needs to make a saving throw, there is a flat 10% chance for bonus runes (rolled separately for each rune) and a 10% chance per spell level for spell runes that a rune is released. Bonus runes are rendered ineffective. Spell runes release their spells, centered on the item to which they are attached. 
Wealth Options: Runemasters receive standard initial funds, equal to (1d4+l) x 10 gp. Races: Only Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, dwarves, alfen, and dockalfen may be Runemasters.
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