The Rune Knight Homebrew Class (3.5) PEACH

The Rune Knight

I've had the idea of this class in my head for a while now. This is my first homebrew attempt ever, I'm open to any critiques and I hope this class isn't too over/under powered. Also tell me if I am forgetting any necessary things for class creation.

{table=head]Edit Log

Changed Requirements

-Weapon Specialization UpdtNov-3

+Magical Aptitude UpdtNov-3

Changed Specials

Added Weapon specialization to 1st level special UpdtNov-3

Moved Craft Rune weapon to a 2nd level special UpdtNov-3

Added Runes

Added Isa Rune UpdtNov-3

Added Raidho Rune UpdtNov-3

Added Weapon Grade table UpdtNov-4

Upgraded Hagalaz Rune with Artifact Weapons for better fluff for the class.[/table]

HD: d10

Requirements
Skills: Weapon Focus(Any), Magical Aptitude Feat, Concentration 5 ranks

Class Skills (4+Int modifier per level): Climb, Concentration, Craft(Rune), Decipher Script, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Ride, Swim

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Rune Knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (not including tower shields).

Runes: All runes require time to craft and a DC 15 + Rune Grade check to craft unless otherwise specified. A failed DC check destroys the stone or Ingwaz Rune. All runes take a swift action to activate unless otherwise specified. To use a rune take a DC 15 + Rune grade Concentration check. A failed concentration roll results in the rune being destroyed. All runes are one use items. Only Rune Knights may activate Runes.

Rune Weapons: Rune weapons are treated as a +1 enhancement and have a damage die one grade higher than the weapon it was crafted as. (eg. a Longsword damage die is 1d6, a Rune Longsword is 1d8.) The Rune weapon counts as it's original form in terms of weapon focus and weapon specialization. Any magical enhancements done to the rune weapon costs a grade higher. (eg. Flaming Rune Longsword would cost a +2 enhancement rather than a +1.) The Rune Knight may craft more than one Rune Weapon.

Only a Rune Knight may wield a rune weapon to it's full potential. If any character who does not have any levels in Rune Knight the rune weapon is treated as it's most basic form. (eg. A Flaming Rune Longsword with 2 cold Enchant Weapon specials on it goes from a 1d8 + 1d6 Fire + 2d6 Cold to a Longsword with 1d6 damage)

{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Rune
1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Craft Rune, Weapon Specialization | Rune: Ingwaz
2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Craft Rune Weapon | Rune: Uruz, Isa
3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Enchant Weapon | Rune: Ehwaz
4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | - | Rune: Thurisaz
5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | - | Rune: Hagalaz
6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Enchant Weapon | Rune: Berkana, Raidho
7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +5 | - | Rune: Gebo
8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +6 | - | Rune: Nauthiz
9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Enchant Weapon | Rune: Teiwaz
10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Enchant Weapon: Artifact | Rune: Blank[/table]

Craft Rune: At first level, The Rune Knight is able to enchant runes to increase his abilities for short periods of time. The time to craft depends on the rune he is crafting. The Rune Knight may not carry more than 10 runes at any given time. These runes may be any assortment of runes.

Weapon Specialization: At first level training to be a Rune Knight has devoted him to one weapon and gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon.

Craft Rune Weapon: In order to use any of your runes the Rune Knight will need a medium. The materials needed are equal to the weapon of choice masterwork market price + 1000gp. To create this weapon is a DC 30 Craft(Rune) check the Rune Knight can lower this DC by 2 for every day he spends in ritual silence. The Rune Knight must have Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization with the type of weapon he is crafting.

Enchant Weapon: Through familiarity of his weapon and blessings from the gods. The Rune Knight is able to enhance his weapon with elemental properties. At 3rd level, He may choose to add 1d6 Fire, Cold, Electricity, Thunder or Sonic damage to his attacks. At 6th level, he may add another 1d6 of Fire, Cold, Electricity, Thunder or Sonic damage. Finally at 9th level he is able to choose 1d6 Fire, Cold, Electricity, Thunder or Sonic damage one more time. If he chooses two or three of the same elemental property they stack (Choosing fire at 3rd, 6th and 9th he would receive 1d6, 2d6 and 3d6 fire damage respectively.) Only Rune weapons may be enchanted by this manner and only one weapon may be enchanted at a time. The Rune Knight may remove the Enchantment at any time he is not in combat.

Enchant Weapon: Artifact: Through great weathering the Rune Knight has lived by sword and rune alone He takes part of his soul and body and puts it into the weapon. He may make one of his Rune Weapons into an artifact in doing so will double the threat range. (eg. making a 19-20 weapon a 17-20 weapon.) The weapon retains all special and magical enhancements. He may only do this once in his entire life, if he loses the weapon or it is destroyed he cannot craft another Rune weapon, artifact or not. While using his Artifact Rune Weapon all Concentration checks to use a rune automatically pass. This weapon follows all rules for Artifact items.

Weapon Grade Increases

Refer to this table for quick damage reference for Rune Weapon grade increases and attacks using the Hagalaz Rune.

Weapon Type is the Weapons most basic damage die. When selecting your Rune Weapon match the Basic Weapons damage die to the one on this table.
Rune Weapon This is the damage die for Rune Weapons.
3 Grades is used for Non-Rune Weapon Hagalaz Attacks
5 Grades is used for Rune Weapon Hagalaz Attacks
10 Grades is used for Artifact Rune Weapon Hagalaz Attacks
{table=head]Weapon type | Rune Weapon | 3 Grades | 5 Grades | 10 Grades
1 | 1d2 | 2d2 | 3d2 | 6d2
1d2 | 1d3 | 2d3 | 3d3 | 6d3
1d3 | 1d4 | 2d4 | 3d6 | 6d4
1d4 | 1d6 | 2d6 | 3d8 | 6d6
1d6 | 1d8 | 2d8 | 3d10 | 6d8
1d8 | 1d10 | 2d10 | 3d12 | 6d10
1d10 | 1d12 | 2d12 | 7d6 | 6d12
1d12 | 3d6 | 5d6 | 6d8 | 9d8
2d4 | 2d6 | 6d4 | 4d10 | 10d6
2d6 | 2d10 | 3d10 | 9d6 | 13d6[/table]

Runes

Grade 1 Rune
Ingwaz Rune: Your Basic rune, you will need to make this rune in order to make any other rune.

Requires a DC 5 Craft (Rune), a small rounded skipping stone and 2 minutes to craft.

Grade 2 Rune
Uruz Rune: This rune enhances the muscles of the Rune Knight, Making them stronger and less likely to get fatigued. Gives the Rune Knight a +6 temporary bonus to STR for 10 minutes.

Requires a DC 17 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune and 5 minutes to craft.

Isa Rune: Upon using this rune several streams of light burst out and strike an intended foe. This rune deals 1d4+1 force damage per Rune Knight level, to a max of 5d4+5. This is a Magic Missle type attack and follows the spell rules as follows.

Components: Rune
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Requires a DC 17 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune and 2 minutes to craft.

Grade 3 Rune
Ehwaz Rune: The Rune Knights legs are powered to move faster even under heavy encumberance. The Rune Knight ignores any armor penalties and speed reduction and gains a speed bonus of +20ft for 30 minutes.

Requires a DC 18 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 1gp of material and 5 minutes to craft.

Grade 4 Rune
Thurisaz Rune: Using this rune lets the Rune Knight see just moments into the future. The Rune Knight receives a +4 Insight Bonus to Attack rolls and a +2 Insight bonus to AC. This effect lasts for 5 minutes.

Requires a DC 19 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz rune, 1gp of material and 5 minutes to craft.

Grade 5 Rune
Hagalaz Rune: This rune forces the Rune Knight to drain all of his energy into his next hit. Because of the nature of this attack you may only have 1 attack this round even if spells or base attack bonus would give you extra attacks otherwise. You may use this rune even if you are not using it on a rune weapon.

The next time you hit a target raise the damage die for the weapon by 3 grades. Apply your full strength bonus to this damage roll, double your strength bonus if it is a two handed weapon. The weapon used for this attack is instantly destroyed after the damage has been done.

If the weapon used is a Rune Weapon, the damage die raises by 5 grades. Apply strength bonus' as you would if this was a basic weapon with a Hagalaz Rune. The rune weapon is destroyed after damage has been done.

Using this rune with an Artifact Rune Weapon is absolutely devastating and possibly leaving record of this occurrence for eons to come. If the attack hits raise the damage die by 10 grades adding your STR modifier x 5(x 10 for two handed) and add 60d6 Force Damage.

Both the Rune Knight and target rolls a DC 35 Willpower check.

On a Saved roll for the Rune Knight he loses 1d10 permanent levels and the Artifact weapon is destroyed permanently and dissolves into a fine absolutely useless dust. Damage from the attack is still applied. If the target succeeds he does not suffer any loss of levels. Although if the damage done by the attack is enough to slay the target, the target automatically fails the save.

If either the Rune Knight or target fails this save they enter a temporal stasis with no save allowed., this stasis is an extraordinary effect and cannot be removed by anything less than divine intervention.

If the Rune Knight survives the Rune Knight loses all abilities for the Rune Knight Class and can never regain them.

Requires a DC 20 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz rune, 75gp of material and 45 minutes to craft.

Grade 6 Rune
Berkana Rune: The Rune Knights skin hardens and is near impossible to cut or pierce. The Rune Knight gains DR10/Adamantine for 5 minutes. this rune requires a standard action to use.

Requires a DC 21 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 50gp of Material and 25 minutes to craft.

Raidho Rune: The Rune Knight swings his weapon with such vigor, that the force of the blow can be felt miles away. For a single attack the Rune Knight may treat his weapon as a ranged weapon with range of 10 feet + 5 per Rune Knight Level. The Rune Knight still uses a melee attack roll for this attack. The damage dealt from this attack is force damage.

Requires a DC 21 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 5gp of material and 10 minutes to craft.

Grade 7 Rune
Gebo Rune: Harmony runs through the Rune Knights body, allowing him to keep a rhythmic balance of his metabolism and quickens the rate his wounds heal. The Rune Knight gains Fast Healing 5 for 5 minutes.

Requires a DC 22 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 50gp of material and 30 minutes to craft.

Grade 8 Rune
Nauthiz Rune: The Rune Knights body shuts down and reboots itself, renewing his body to new heights. The Rune Knight cures all temporary ability damage, and it restores all points permanently drained from a single ability score (your choice if more than one is drained). It also eliminates any fatigue or exhaustion suffered by the Rune Knight. This rune requires a full action to use and if you are in the threat range of any opposition they gain an attack of opportunity.

Requires a DC 23 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 100gp of material and 30 minutes to craft.

Grade 9 Rune
Teiwaz Rune: The weight of the world has been lifted off of the Rune Knight. He is able to attack as if he and his weapon were weightless, giving him infinite grace. For one round, roll all your attacks against all enemies in melee range. The duration of this rune cannot be lengthened by any means. You may only have one Teiwaz rune crafted at any time.

Requires a DC 24 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune, 100gp of Material and 30 minutes to craft.

Grade 10 Rune
Blank Rune: This rune at a glance seems to have no effect on the Rune Knight or anyone else. Although if you craft this rune with any other rune, the Rune Knight is able to cast the runes ability on another person. To use you must be able to touch the person you wish to bestow a rune upon. Any runes combined with a blank rune is considered a Grade 10 rune.

The Blank rune cannot be combined with Isa Rune, Hagalaz Rune, Raidho Rune and Teiwaz rune.

Requires a DC 25 Craft (Rune), an Ingwaz Rune to create the Blank rune

To combine with another rune requires a DC 25 Concentration, the blank rune, the rune you wish to combine with, crushed gems worth at least 200gp and an hour to craft.

Reminds of the Death Knight from WoW lore. Rune fluff and all.

Add a bunch of other runes, and you have a solid class.

Not particularly high-powered, but then again, melee is rarely high-powered. But still, solid enough.

Not terribly world shattered. I'd drop the weapon specialization requirement and instead give it as a bonus feat for the class. It's a terrible feat but it's reflective of the nature of the class you're trying to come off with. Perhaps make them take a difference penance feat instead, like Magical Aptitude or something. Removing weapon specialization allows for more than just 4+ level fighters from entering it.

-X

Edwin
I had no clue that Death knights ran off of runes. Makes me sad a little that WoW already had this idea.

As for more runes, I'm thinking about some runes with ranged attack properties. Or maybe some status ailment properties.

ErrantX
I like the idea, and the PrC might be more viable if it was open to more than just fighters.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ekindu

Edwin
I had no clue that Death knights ran off of runes. Makes me sad a little that WoW already had this idea.

As for more runes, I'm thinking about some runes with ranged attack properties. Or maybe some status ailment properties.

ErrantX
I like the idea, and the PrC might be more viable if it was open to more than just fighters.

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Their runes are VERY different though. Don't fret over it.

-X

I'm just trying to think of an ability for a second grade 10 rune.

From what I have, I have 5 Utility Runes, 4 Offensive Runes and 3 Defensive runes. This makes me want to make this second grade 10 rune a Defensive ability.

To be honest, I don't know what kind of defensive abilities would be useful around 15th level (I assume this prestige be taken at level 4-5, and from that I've been doing all my comparisons and scaling for power) Maybe a large source of temporary hit points that protect from elemental attacks? (Cold, Fire, Electricity, Acid, Sonic, Force, Thunder)

Also maybe I should have more runes? Maybe get to about 2 runes per level for 2-10 making a total of 19 runes?

As for the Weapon Grade Table. Are there any grade tables like this made already? and hopefully I make a fairly good curve for all the different types of weapons.