Runelord

The armored man stands off in the distance, his eyes slowly rising up to meet yours. He lifts his free hand to paint letters in the air above his sword. The sword now glowing with power, rises up to meet the swordsman's new stance. In an instant, he is before you, plunging his glowing sword into your chest.

The Runelord has spent long and arduous hours training in the arcane arts. With this knowledge, he can access basic enhancements to his weapon with runes. In time, the Runelord is able to incorporate the magical powers of his runes into his fighting style.

Runic Discipline

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn runewords that are fueled by runes. You create a specific rune whenever you perform a specific action below.

• Whenever you attack and hit an enemy without advantage, gain a Skill Rune. If you have disadvantage and still hit, generate two.
• Whenever you score a critical hit with a weapon attack, gain a Power Rune.
• Whenever you take the dash action, gain a Speed Rune.
• Whenever you take damage from a hostile creature, gain an Endurance Rune.

You can have a maximum number of a single type of Rune equal to your Intelligence modifier. You lose all Runes during a Long Rest, and lose all but 1 of each type of Rune during a Short Rest.

Runewords: You learn three runewords of your choice. Many runewords enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one runeword per attack. You learn two additional runewords of your choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you learn new runewords, you can also replace one runeword you know with a different one.

Saving Throws. Some of your runewords require your target to make a saving throw to resist the runeword's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Runeword save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence Modifier.

Student of the Arcane

At 3rd level, you become proficient in the Arcana skill.

You have advantage on any Arcana check you make involving runes.

Runewords

 

Bearskin
As a reaction, you can expend one Endurance Rune to gain a +5 bonus to AC, until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack. You may spend a Power Rune to gain resistance to all damage until your next turn.

Bolstering Flames
As a bonus action, you can expend one Endurance Rune and choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier. You may spend a Power Rune to increase this by 1d8 for each Power Rune you spent.

Colossus Swing
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one Skill Rune to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes 1d10 damage. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack. You may spend a Power Rune to increase this by 1d10 for each Power Rune you spent.

Demonic Glare
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Endurance Rune to attempt to frighten the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you. As an action the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. You may spend a Power Rune to increase the DC of this Runeword by 1 for each Power Rune you spent.

Draw of the Serpent
As an action, you may expend one Speed Rune to target a friendly creature. That creature may use their reaction to make a weapon attack and add 1d10 to the damage or a 1d6 to the attack roll. You may spend a Power Rune to have the target choose both.

Flowing Water
During a short rest, you can expend one Endurance Rune to recover a number of hit points equal to 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier. You must spend a long rest before using this Runeword again. You may spend a Power Rune to increase this by 1d10 for each Power Rune you spent. (The Endurance rune can be spent before the effects of the short rest reduces your total runes.)

Gladiator's Retribution
When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to expend one Speed Rune to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, you add 1d10 to the attack's damage roll. You may spend a Power Rune to increase this by 1d10 for each Power Rune you spent.

Magnetic Strike
As an action, you can expend one Skill Rune to target a creature within a clear path up to 15ft feet away. That creature must make a strength saving throw or be pulled up to 10ft towards you. You may then attack that creature as a bonus action. You may spend a Power Rune to also increase the damage of the attack by 1d8 for each Power Rune you spent.

Mystical Jaunt
As a bonus action, you can expend one Speed rune to teleport up to 30 ft away to unoccupied space you can see. You may also spend a Power Rune to make all attacks have disadvantage on you until the start of your next turn.

Oaken Slam
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Skill Rune to attempt to drive the target back. If the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 10 feet away from you. You may spend a Power Rune to have the target make an additional Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. You may spend this Power Rune after you know the result of the Strength saving throw.

Rising Tide
As an action, you can expend one Skill Rune to deal 1d10 bludgeoning damage all enemies in a 15 ft cone. You may spend a Power Rune to increase the damage by 1d10 or increase the range by 5 ft for each Power Rune you spent.

Siren's Call
As an action, you can expend one Skill Rune and choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet. It must make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you until the start of your next turn or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage. You may spend a Power Rune to increase the duration by a number of rounds equal to your intelligence modifier.

Thirstful Edge
When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you may expend one Endurance Rune to add 1d4 necrotic damage and recover 1d4 hit points. You may spend a Power Rune to increase the damage or healing by 1d4 for each Power Rune you spent.

Thought Spike
As a bonus action, you can expend one Speed Rune to choose one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You damage that creature with an attack that deals 2d8 + your Intelligence modifier in psychic damage, but that creature reduces this damage by an amount equal to it's intelligence score. You may spend a Power Rune to increase this by 1d8 for each Power Rune you spent.

Winds of Guidance
When you make a weapon attack roll against a creature, you may expend one Speed rune. If you do, you add your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll. You may spend a Power Rune to further increase the attack roll by 1d6 for each Power Rune you spent.

Scribe Rune

Starting at 7th level, You can cast Glyph of Warding once without expending a spell slot or material components. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

At 14th level, you may use this feature an additional time before a long rest.

Mystical Inscriptions

The Runelord is able to convert a creature's life essence into Runes.

At 10th level, whenever a hostile creature within 30 feet is reduced to 0 hit points, the Runelord may use his reaction to create a rune of his choice. This rune cannot exceed the Runelord's maximum rune limit.

Enchanted Etchings

At 15th level, all attacks you make are treated as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

In addition, as a 10-minute ritual, you can transcribe runes onto a weapon to make it a +3 magic weapon for 8 hours. You can etch only one weapon in this manner at a time. If you attempt to etch a second weapon, you lose the etching on the first weapon.

Magical Prowess

Starting at 18th level, when you use your action surge feature, you can also create two runes of your choice. These runes can be the same or different, but cannot exceed the Runelord's  maximum rune limit.