Path of the Rune Reader

by aeyana

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Path of the Rune Reader

Among warriors, some hold stock to the divinations of runes, and use them in combat to guide their anger.

Runic Rage

At 3rd level when you adopt this path, you gain the ability to infuse your rage with the magic of runes. When you finish a long rest, roll on the Runes table once for each Rage and record the runes rolled. If you get the same rune twice or roll the blank rune, roll again until you have no repeated runes.

Before your next long rest, you can expend one of these runes when you enter a rage or as a bonus action while you are raging, to channel the rune's Runic Rage. When your rage ends, the effects of the rune also ends. You can only use one rune per rage.

Some of your runes require your target to make a saving throw to resist the rune's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Rune Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Another's Omen

At 6th level, you learn to cast runes for your allies and guide them in battle. You can perform a 10 minute ritual with a willing creature in order to impart on them one of your runes. Doing so expends that rune. Until you take a long rest, that creature can activate the rune as a bonus action while you are raging to grant it the rune's Runic Rage effect.

Rune Reading

At 10th level, you gain the ability to cast the runes and consult them about your fate. When you do so, you cast the augury or comprehend languages spell, without using a spell slot or material components. For comprehend languages, you cannot understand the foreign languages spoken. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. After you cast either spell in this way, you can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Rune Power

At 14th level, you learn to focus the runic magic that infuses your rage into a single instant. While you are raging and under the Runic Rage effect of a rune, you can end that effect and invoke its Rune Power. Doing this does not end your rage.

Art from Cristi Balanescu
Runes
d100 Rune Name
01-04 Fehu [Fortune]
05-08 Uruz [Strength]
09-12 Thurisaz [Thorns]
13-16 Ansuz [Insight]
17-20 Raidho [Travel]
21-24 Kenaz [Torches]
25-28 Gebo [Gifts]
29-32 Wunjo [Comfort]
33-36 Hagalaz [Hail]
37-40 Nauthiz [Need]
41-44 Isa [Ice]
45-48 Jera [Plenty]
49-52 Eihwaz [Yew]
53-56 Perthro [Mystery]
57-60 Algiz [Protection]
61-64 Sowilo [Sun]
65-68 Tiwaz [Sky]
69-72 Berkano [Birch]
73-76 Ehwaz [Horses]
77-80 Mannaz [Man]
81-84 Laguz [Water]
85-88 Ingwaz [Earth]
89-92 Dagaz [Dawn]
93-96 Othala [Home]
97-00 Blank Rune

Runes

ᚠ - Fehu

Fehu means fortune, wealth, or luck.

Runic Rage. The rune protects you from ill fortune. When you roll lower than a 3 on an attack roll, ability check, saving throw, or damage roll, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Rune Power. As an action, you can bend luck around you. Each creature within 10 feet of you has disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks until the start of your next turn.

ᚢ - Uruz

Uruz means physical strength.

Runic Rage. The rune bolsters your physical strength. Your Strength score increases by 4.

Rune Power. You cast Tenser's transformation at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᚦ - Thurisaz

Thurisaz means retaliation or thorn.

Runic Rage. Black thorns sprout from your body. Whenever a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee weapon attack, it takes 1d6 piercing damage.

Rune Power. You cast wall of thorns at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᚨ - Ansuz

Ansuz means insight or communication.

Runic Rage. The rune guides you in conversations. While you hold a conversation with another creature, your rage doesn't end, and you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion), Charisma (Deception), and Wisdom (Insight) checks.

Rune Power. You can cast commune at its lowest level. Your rage doesn't end while you are casting this spell.

ᚱ - Raidho

Raidho means travel or transportation.

Runic Rage. The rune imparts quickness to your legs. Your movement speed increases by 20 feet. Additionally, you can take the Dash action as a bonus action. When you are dashing, opportunity attacks targeting you are made at disadvantage.

Rune Power. You cast far step at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᚲ - Kenaz

Kenaz means torch or flame.

Runic Rage. Flames ensnare your weapons. Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage, and your weapons shed bright light in a 20 foot radius, and dim light in a 20 foot radius beyond that.

Rune Power. As a bonus action, you can choose up to 6 creatures you can see within 60 feet. Each creature gains a d8 Inspiration Die, which they can add to any attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws they make before your rage ends.

ᚷ - Gebo

Gebo means gifts.

Runic Rage. You can take the Help action as a bonus action. Additionally, the ally you helped gains the bonus damage from your rage on their first weapon attack.

Rune Power. The rune provides you with a gift. As a bonus action, you can imbue your weapon with a random magical effect. Roll on the table below. If you get an effect that your weapon already has, or a lesser form of the same effect, such as a +1 to an already +2 weapon, reroll. Effects that grant +1, +2, or +3 do not stack. When your rage ends, the effect leaves your weapon, returning it to its previous state.

d10 Property
1 +1
2 +2
3 +3
4 Giant Slayer
5 Dragon Slayer
6 Vicious
7 Wounding
8 Berserk
9 Vengeance
10 Venom
ᚹ - Wunjo

Wunjo means comfort or joy.

Runic Rage. The rune grants you the power to bring comfort to the wounded. You can use a bonus action to restore 1 hit point to an unconscious creature within 5 feet of you.

Rune Power. You can cast mass cure wounds at its lowest level.

ᚺ - Hagalaz

Hagalaz means hail or tempest.

Runic Rage. You channel the energy of the rune to create a storm around you. The area within 10 feet of you is difficult terrain. You ignore this difficult terrain.

Rune Power. You cast ice storm at its lowest level.

ᚾ - Nauthiz

Nauthiz means need, delay, or restriction.

Runic Rage. The rune grants you the power to hold your foes in place. Creatures you grapple are restrained in addition to being grappled.

Rune Power. You cast hold monster at lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛁ - Isa

Isa means ice or standstill.

Runic Rage. Frost coats your weapons. Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d6 cold damage, and the target's speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.

Rune Power. You cast cone of cold at its lowest level.

ᛃ - Jera

Jera means harvest or peace.

Runic Rage. The rune wills you to bring conflict to a peaceful resolution. As a bonus action, you can make a force convince a creature who can hear you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, they cease fighting or flee. This effect ends if you or your companions does anything harmful to it.

Rune Power. As a bonus action, you can cast sanctuary on up to 6 creatures you can see within 60 feet. This spell effect ends when your rage ends, but while this effect is active your rage does not end early if you do not attack a creature on your turn.

ᛇ - Eihwaz

Eihwaz means yew tree, reliability, and endurance.

Runic Rage. The rune imparts you with a weapon from the yew tree. You conjure a yew greatbow and twenty arrows in your hand. The greatbow is a martial ranged weapon, weighing 6 pounds, with the ammunition (300/600ft.), heavy, and two-handed properties. It deals 1d10 piercing damage on a hit, and uses your choice of Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls. Attacks with this weapon also gains the bonus damage from your rage.

Rune Power. You condense the power of the rune into a single shot. Make a ranged weapon attack with the greatbow at a creature within range. On a hit, the creature takes 4d10 piercing damage in addition to the weapon's damage. Additionally, the target must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained, as a yew tree sprouts from the arrow. They can repeat the saving throw as an action on each of their turns.

If the target successfully saves against this effect three times, the effect ends. If it fails its saves three times, it is pinned and subjected to the restrained condition until the tree is cut down. The successes and failures don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until the target collects three of a kind.

ᛈ - Perthro

Perthro means mystery, secrets, or occult ability.

Runic Rage. The rune shields you from the occult. You gain resistance to damage from spells, and your weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Rune Power. You cast counterspell at its lowest level.

ᛉ - Algiz

Algiz means elk, shield, or protection.

Runic Rage. The rune grants you protection. A spectral shield floats around you, increasing your AC by 2.

Rune Power. You cast wall of force at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛊ - Sowilo

Sowilo means sun or honor.

Runic Rage. You shed bright light in a 20 foot radius, and dim light in a 20 foot radius beyond that. This light is sunlight. Each creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of you must succeed a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of their next turn.

Rune Power. You cast sunbeam at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

Art from chenbo
ᛏ - Tiwaz

Tiwaz means sky or justice.

Runic Rage. You gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed.

Rune Power. You can cast wind wall at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛒ - Berkano

Berkano means birch tree, birth, or fertility.

Runic Rage. When you kill a hostile creature, a twig blight sprouts from its corpse. Roll initiative for the twig blight. As a bonus action on each of your turns, you can mentally command any creature you created this way if the creature is within 120 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

When your rage ends, the twig blights plant themselves in the ground, becoming birch saplings.

Rune Power. You can cast wrath of nature at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛖ - Ehwaz

Ehwaz means horse or steed.

Runic Rage. The rune finds you a worthy steed. You summon a steed as per the find steed spell. This steed gains the resistances and bonus damage from your rage. When your rage ends, the steed vanishes.

Rune Power. You can transform your steed as per the find greater steed spell as an action. This steed gains the resistances and bonus damage from your rage. When your rage ends, the steed vanishes.

ᛗ - Mannaz

Mannaz means mankind or self.

Runic Rage. When you kill a hostile creature, all hostile creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, they become frightened of you until your rage ends. A hostile creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of their turn if they cannot see you or are more than 60 feet away from you. They have disadvantage on this saving throw if you inflicted damage on them within the past round.

Rune Power. You cast dominate person at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛚ - Laguz

Laguz means water or dreams.

Runic Rage. You can walk on water, breath underwater, and gain a swimming speed equal to your movement speed.

Rune Power. You cast control water at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛜ - Ingwaz

Inguaz means earth or growth.

Runic Rage. The rune causes you to grow in size. Your size doubles in all dimensions, and your weight is multiplied by eight. This growth increases your size by one category. If there isn't enough room for to double your size, you attains the maximum possible size in the space available. Your's weapons also grow to match your new size. While these weapons are enlarged, your's attacks with them deal 1d4 extra damage.

Rune Power. You cast wall of stone at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛞ - Dagaz

Dagaz means dawn or breakthrough.

Runic Rage. The light of the dawn infuses your weapon. Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage. Additionally, when an undead creature of CR 1 or lower takes this radiant damage, it must make a Constitution saving throw or be instantly destroyed.

Rune Power. You cast dawn at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

ᛟ - Othala

Othala means homeland.

Runic Rage. All friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have half cover from ranged attacks.

Rune Power. You cast banishing smite at its lowest level. You can maintain concentration on this spell only while raging.

 

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