*note: I didn't make this class
Stado;5436701 wrote:Rune Knight
"Thank you ever so much, that spell's just what I needed to finish you off."
—Celeste Aerthennar, a human rune knight returning the favor to an enemy wizard
Runes, mystic symbols and/or patterns believed to hold magical importance and often utilized in the casting of various spells. One such runic pattern is the very basis of a breed of anti-mages known as rune knights. Rune knights are oddities among the arcane adept, for they are trained in the use of counter magics, able to turn an enemy's spells against them via the inscription of a single, yet powerful runic symbol upon their weapons and backsides. To supplement their runic powers, each rune knight also undergoes rigorous martial training and are taught to harness a small amount of arcane spells for their own use as a back-up measure.
Knights by trade and oath, runic knights develop the use of their unique brand of runic counter magic within small orders whose underlaying purpose is to train new knights for the mutual protection of the knights themselves, their order, and the knowledge they hold dear. These orders, each upholding their own set of beliefs, ideals and goals, often find themselves in the service of various monarchs and other authority figures who desire their unique talents. On other occasions, they are commissioned or hired by numerous guilds seeking their specialized abilities in the hunting, assassination, or slaying of dangerous criminals, high ranking wizards, rogue mages, and other powerful magical beings and creatures, even dragons.
Runic knights can be distinguished by the type of rune used on their weapon as well as a duplicate rune that is tattooed onto the knight's back in a much larger fashion. This rune, embedded there by arcane magic, cannot be removed by nearly any means but the rune knight's own undoing. Each order tends to have a unique rune, which is to be used by those that work and train under the order, though individual rune knights of high ranking, lone, or rogue status oftentimes replace their rune with one of their own design so as to set them apart and/or hide from those of their order. The inscribing of a rune knight's rune is a process by which all runic knights are educated in early on in their training and is known to very few outside the orders.
Making A Rune Knight
Abilities: Charisma controls many of the rune knight's special powers, including her spellcasting. Strength is important for her because of its role in combat. Dexterity and Constitution both contribute to the rune knight's long-term survival.
Races: Rune knights come in all shapes and sizes, however that shape and size quite regularly finds itself to be the perfect match for the human form. Dwarves rank fairly high in terms of numbers, their affinity for martial battle and rune scripts making them likely candidates. Elves and even half-elves who seek to uphold the virtues of lawful practitioners of the arcane arts also find themselves in good standing to join the orders.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Starting Gold: 6d4x10 gp (150 gp).
Starting Age: As paladin (PH 109).
Class Skills
The rune knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). See Player's Handbook, Chapter 4: Skills for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Hit Dice: d8.Class FeaturesCode: Select all
[B] Base Fort Ref Will —Spells per Day—[br]Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st 2nd 3rd 4th[/B][br] 1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Runic — — — —[br] 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Arcane resistance — — — —[br] 3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Mettle — — — —[br] 4th +4 +4 +1 +4 — 0 — — —[br] 5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Bonus feat 0 — — —[br] 6th +6/+1 +5 +2 +5 Runic strike 1 — — —[br] 7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +5 — 1 — — —[br] 8th +8/+3 +6 +2 +6 Return magic 1 0 — —[br] 9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +6 — 1 0 — —[br]10th +10/+5 +7 +3 +7 Bonus feat 1 1 — —[br]11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +7 — 1 1 0 —[br]12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +8 Runic spellstrike 1 1 1 —[br]13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +8 — 1 1 1 —[br]14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +9 Deflect magic 2 1 1 0[br]15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +9 Bonus feat 2 1 1 1[br]16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +10 — 2 2 1 1[br]17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 — 2 2 2 1[br]18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Runic breach 3 2 2 1[br]19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 — 3 3 3 2[br]20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Bonus feat 3 3 3 3
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A rune knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).
Because the somatic components required for rune knight spells are simple, a rune knight can cast rune knight spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a rune knight wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass rune knight still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells derived from other classes.
Rune: A rune knight's rune is a symbol of herself or her order, and is the instrument by which all runic knights draw their power. Every rune is unique to each order and rune knight that use it and often represents that person's and/or order's beliefs and values. This rune is found on the back of every rune knight as well as their runic weapon. All runic knights begin play with a runic weapon—a one-handed masterwork melee weapon with their rune inscribed on it and with which they are proficient. Inscribing a rune upon a weapon takes 8 hours of meditation and is where the rune knight harmonizes the weapon with her arcane energies. The rune appears upon the weapon at the end of meditation and cannot be erased by any means save but their own undoing, the destruction of the weapon, or a Wish spell. Inscribing a rune upon one's back is a similar process, but takes 24 hours of fasted meditation and can only be performed once a month.
Runic (Su): A rune knight uses her runic weapon in conjunction with the rune on her back as a sort of magical lightning rod, focusing a spell's own magic power into her body to cancel it out. Activating runic is a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity and lasts until the rune knight either successfully absorbs a spell or spell-like ability, or makes another action. Free actions do not count against this.
Runic absorbs the first spell cast within 5 ft./rune knight level of the rune knight's presence, be it from friend or foe. At the rune knight's discretion, this distance can be altered to be smaller than her maximum for her level before every use of runic, thus allowing the exclusion of a creature's spells that are cast outside runic. However, spells cast into the set perimeter of her runic ability will also be absorbed.
A rune knight can't absorb a spell of a higher spell level than half her class level, rounded down. To absorb a spell, a rune knight must succeed on a level check (1d20 + rune knight class level) against a DC of 10 + the spell's caster level. Failure indicates that the spell has its normal effect. Success means that the rune knight absorbs the spell, effectively canceling it out. Summoned creatures and/or objects that are already summoned cannot be absorbed by runic.
If a rune knight absorbs another spell before using up the energy from a previously absorbed spell with one of her runic abilities, the newer spell replaces the old one, even if it's a lower level spell.
Arcane Resistance (Su): At 2nd level, a rune knight gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum +1) on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
Mettle (Ex): At 3rd level and higher, a rune knight can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower and fortitude. If she makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), she instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping rune knight does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a rune knight gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from the rune knight spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can.
To learn or cast a spell, a rune knight must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, Cha 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a rune knights's spell is 10 + the spell level + the rune knight's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a rune knight can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. When the table above indicates that the rune knight gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 4th-level rune knight), she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level.
The rune knight's selection of spells in extremely limited. A rune knight begins play knowing no spells, but gains one or more new spells at certain level, as indicated on the table below. (Unlike spells per day, her Charisma score does not affect the number of spells a rune knight knows; the numbers on the table below are fixed.)
Upon reaching 12th level, and at every third rune knight level after that (15th and 18th), a rune knight can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the rune knight "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest level rune knight spell the rune knight can cast. A rune knight may only swap a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.
Though 3rd level, a rune knight has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her rune knight.¹ Provided the rune knight has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.Code: Select all
[B] ———Spells Known————[br]Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th[/B][br] 1st — — — —[br] 2nd — — — —[br] 3rd — — — —[br] 4th 2¹ — — —[br] 5th 2 — — —[br] 6th 3 — — —[br] 7th 3 — — —[br] 8th 4 2¹ — —[br] 9th 4 2 — —[br]10th 4 3 — —[br]11th 4 3 2¹ —[br]12th 4 4 3 —[br]13th 4 4 3 —[br]14th 4 4 4 2¹[br]15th 4 4 4 3[br]16th 4 4 4 3[br]17th 5 4 4 4[br]18th 5 5 4 4[br]19th 5 5 5 4[br]20th 5 5 5 5
Bonus Feat: At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), a rune knight gains a bonus feat, which must either be a Runic feat or selected from the following list: Arcane Strike, Arcane Toughness, Battle Caster, Battlecaster Defense, Battlecaster Offense, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Obtain Familiar, Somatic Weaponry, Vatic Gaze.
Runic Strike (Su): At 6th level, a rune knight can begin to put the magic absorbed through her runic ability to good use. After absorbing a spell with her runic ability, a rune knight can, as a free action, channel the spell's energy into her runic weapon, granting her additional damage on her next successful attack. If the rune knight hits and deals damage, she deals extra damage equal to 1d4 points x the level of the absorbed spell on the attack.
For example, a rune knight who absorbs a 3rd-level spell with her runic ability and channels its energy into her runic weapon as a runic strike deals an 3d4 damage on her next successful attack.
The benefit of this ability only applies when a rune knight wields her runic weapon. She is unable to use this ability when disarmed of or not wielding her runic weapon.
Using a 0-level spell with this ability grants no benefit.
Return Magic (Su): Rather than merely being able to absorb and cancel a spell or spell-like ability through her runic ability, a rune knight can now cast any spell of a harmful nature that affects her back at the caster, free of using a spell slot. However, where runic stops the spell's effects, the rune knight must weather the spell cast and survive in order to react to it. The spell still has its normal effect.
A rune knight can't return a spell of a higher spell level than half her class level, rounded down.
Return magic only works if the spell actually affects the rune knight; a spell absorbed by runic, bounced with deflect magic, resisted, or avoided cannot be returned. Returned spells only affect the original caster, even if it was originally an area spell. If affected by a spell that has more than one target (e.g. magic missile), a rune knight only returns [in the case of magic missile] the number of missiles that actually affected her.
Returned spells use the caster level of the original spellcaster. Summon spells are not affected by return magic. Only the most recent harmful spell to affect the rune knight can be returned. Return magic does not activate if a rune knight is unconscious or sleeping.
Runic Spellstrike (Su): At 13th level, a rune knight learns another technique in which to use the magic absorbed through her runic ability. After absorbing a spell with her runic ability, a rune knight can, as a free action, channel the spell's energy into her runic weapon, allowing her to destroy her target's spell slots on her next successful attack. If the rune knight hits and deals damage, she destroys a number of spell slots in spell levels equal to the level of the absorbed spell on the attack.
For example, a rune knight who absorbs a 6th-level spell with her runic ability and channels its energy into her runic weapon as a runic spellstrike can destroy a single 6th-level spell slot, six 1st-level spell slots, or any combination of spell slots that equal six in spell levels on her next successful attack. A rune knight cannot, however, destroy 0-level spell slots with this ability.
The effect of this ability only applies when a rune knight wields her runic weapon. She is unable to use this ability when disarmed of or not wielding her runic weapon.
Using a 0-level spell with this ability grants no benefit.
Deflect Magic (Su): A rune knight can now deflect a spell or spell-like ability of a harmful nature aimed at her. Deflecting a spell uses up the rune knight's attack of opportunity for that round, and thus she cannot deflect a spell if she has already made her attack of opportunity that round or if she is flat-footed.
A rune knight can't deflect a spell of a higher spell level than half her class level, rounded down. To deflect a spell, a rune knight must succeed on a level check (1d20 + rune knight class level) against a DC of 10 + the spell's caster level.
A deflected spell can be sent at a selected creature in a straight line from the rune knight with a successful Concentration check with a DC of 25, failure indicates the spell goes off in a randomly determined direction adjacent to the rune knight.
This abilty applies only to spells and spell-like abilities that require an attack roll. Other spells and spell-like abilities that affect a target aren't subject to deflection.
Deflect magic can be used in combination with the Combat Reflexes feat to deflect more spells per round and to do so even while flat-footed.
For every five ranks a rune knight has in Spellcraft (not including her Intelligence bonus), she gains a +1 bonus on level checks made to deflect spells and spell-like abilities.
Runic Breach (Su): At 18th level, a rune knight is able to utilize her final runic craft, allowing her to use the magic absorbed through her runic ability to bypass and lower an enemy's spell resistance. As a standard action, a rune knight gathers the spell energy absorbed through runic into her runic weapon and thrusts it out a creature within 60 feet as a ranged touch attack, forcing the creature to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ rune knight class level + the rune knight's Charisma modifier) if the touch attack hits. Success indicates that the energy of the absorbed spell is used up with no effect. Failure indicates that the creature's spell resistance is lowered by 2 x the level of the absorbed spell for a number of rounds equal to the rune knight's Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
For example, a rune knight with a Charisma score of 16 who absorbs a 9th-level spell with her runic ability and channels its energy into her runic weapon as a runic breach effect can lower a creature's spell resistance by 18 for three rounds if she hits true with the ranged touch attack and the creature fails its Fortitude save.
The effect of this ability can only be applied when a rune knight wields her runic weapon. She is unable to use this ability when disarmed of or not wielding her runic weapon.
Using a 0-level spell with this ability grants no benefit.
Rune Knight Spell List
1st Level: alarm, arcane mark, critical strike, detect magic, detect secret doors, endure elements, erase, expeditious retreat, feather fall, hold portal, identify, lesser orb of cold, lesser orb of electricity, magic missile, magic weapon, mount, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, read magic, shield, shocking grasp, true strike, undetectable alignment.
2nd Level: arcane lock, battering ram, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, daze monster, detect thoughts, dissonant chant, eagle's splendor, guest of wind, ice knife, knock, melf's acid arrow, misdirection, obscure object, portal alarm, resist energy, see invisibility, sleet storm, tongues, weapon shift, web, whirling blade.
3rd Level: arcane sight, bands of steel, deep slumber, discern shapechanger, dispel magic, explosive runes, greater magic weapon, haste, keen edge, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, mass resist energy, nondetection, protection from energy, remove curse, secret page, sepia snake sigil, sign of sealing, slow, spell vulnerability, wind wall, wraithstrike.
4th Level: anticipate teleportation, arcane eye, break enchantment, defenestrating sphere, detect scrying, dimension door, dimensional anchor, lesser globe of invulnerability, lightning bolt, locate creature, orb of cold, orb of electricity, otiluke's resilient sphere, scrying, sending, stoneskin, symbol of sleep, wall of ice.
Author's Notes
Spells or spell-like abilities that qualify as being of a harmful nature are to be defined by the DM and thus are liable to differ based on the discretion of each DM. You may ask me, as the creator and author of this class, how I might judge certain spells, but even if my opinion differs from that of your own or your DMs', it doesn't make anyone wrong. So please, do not call a person out on the matter, especially myself.
Here is the link to the class at the Wizard's forums
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.p ... 718[br][br]