I haven't seen this question asked here on D&D Beyond, but only on 3rd party sites like reddit and stackexchange, but can a Rune Knight Fighter provide runes to their ally's equipment? I know RAW it says "You can use magic runes to enhance your gear.", but how would that prevent you from claiming it as "your gear" for carving the rune, and then giving it to an ally? I don't see anywhere where it states that you CAN'T give rune carved gear to allies, but it also doesn't specify you can. Only argument that I've seen as to why "no" is the constant use of "you" and "your" instead of "the target" or "the user".
Well, it doesn't say you can't put a rune on your own gear and give it to someone else, but it does say that any and all runes vanish when you do a long rest.
I don't see anywhere where it states that you CAN'T give rune carved gear to allies, but it also doesn't specify you can. Only argument that I've seen as to why "no" is the constant use of "you" and "your" instead of "the target" or "the user".
Nothing prohibits a rune knight from giving a piece of their rune carved gear to somebody else, but I would agree with the argument that the RAW seems to indicate that only the rune knight can benefit from a rune's properties. Each rune and ability indicates that "you" (as the rune knight) can gain certain benefits based on having the rune inscribed on an object. Rune knights know how to access the power of the rune, which another individual doesn't have the power and ability to do so. Additionally, the idea that giving your rune-inscribed item to another party member would in turn make it their item even if temporarily.
Now, a DM can always choose to allow the rune knight to share their inscribed gear with another, such as a artificer sharing their infusions. However, I personally don't believe that was what the intended concept of the Rune Carver ability was meant to be.
It works pretty much the same for any specific piece of gear, but let's take a weapon for example.
A normal weapon, would it be so terrible to let someone else use it? It doesn't seem so to me, but it is kind of iffy, since you're handing out a class feature to someone else.
A magical weapon presents more problems and I probably wouldn't allow it, but let's go ahead and say you can. They still have to satisfy all the prerequisites of the item.
If it doesn't require attunement, it's no worse than a non-magical one.
If you have a weapon that requires attunement, and you want to break attunement, hand it over, and let someone else attune it so they can use your rune carved weapon, you have my blessing, since as soon as you take a long rest, that weapon loses the runes anyway.
There’s two ways to play it. As always. By the rules strictly, following pro-nouns, or however your DM allows, per the spirit of the game.
I agree with Gean on their points, as well I would add…
The big reason I would allow it in a campaign is the “shelf life.” As it resets after a rest, it shouldn’t create to much of an OP scenario. However, a PC who wants to rune carve everything, well, no.
The DM could impose further limitations, rune carving on others takes longer, or only lasts for a few turns for example. This is one way to add some kick to the parties arsenal, should the dungeon be a bit much for them, but not enough to completely unbalance it.
My two cents.
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Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
Another reason that i just thought of is that if giving allies these runes would be "too op", then why give so few options that always reset? If only the fighter who makes them can benefit from them, why have them expire? Why not make it like the infusions where they stick until you carve a new piece of gear that would exceed your limit of how many items you can have inscribed at a time? That's another thing that confused me. Especially when you get to higher levels, you just gonna be using the same few runes that fit your character's play style, so why make them expire?
I'd say they expire because while none of them are overpowered in and of themselves, Bounced Accuracy is all about keeping from having a bunch of different things all contributing to a single end. It's all about game balance there. They could easily put a limit on the number of uses per day or some such, but by leaving it as they have it, you can stack them all up and enjoy all that power, but only for so long.
Another reason that i just thought of is that if giving allies these runes would be "too op", then why give so few options that always reset? If only the fighter who makes them can benefit from them, why have them expire? Why not make it like the infusions where they stick until you carve a new piece of gear that would exceed your limit of how many items you can have inscribed at a time? That's another thing that confused me. Especially when you get to higher levels, you just gonna be using the same few runes that fit your character's play style, so why make them expire?
In our world, 1st edition through 2nd edition, way back in the day, we did about a year long campaign in search of the creators of Rune Magic. Those folks that scribe the runes on every magic item you ever pick up. We created our own rune magic system based on spell points as a sum of a few ability scores and levels etc. (Based on Haplo from the Deathgate Cycle). Our Runes were permanent when inscribed in certain ways, and instant use if “scribed” in the air. You can, at very high levels, string them in an odd “sentence” type structure to create combined effects. I.E. A Blue fireball that deals fire damage and ice shrapnel. Or a Blue fireball that creates the intense damaging heat and chain lightning within its area of effect. < my personal favorite.
Basically, if you are not strictly online, or only using online resources, how your game world develops is up to you and your group.
Homebrew is the best brew of all.
if you want to stick strictly to 5E rules, and use the available online resources, I don’t know how you would modify it. But, if you are on paper, with your DM, you can modify anything, anyway you choose.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
Another reason that i just thought of is that if giving allies these runes would be "too op", then why give so few options that always reset? If only the fighter who makes them can benefit from them, why have them expire? Why not make it like the infusions where they stick until you carve a new piece of gear that would exceed your limit of how many items you can have inscribed at a time? That's another thing that confused me. Especially when you get to higher levels, you just gonna be using the same few runes that fit your character's play style, so why make them expire?
They expire because they refresh. Having them refresh on rests would be strange if they didn't also expire on rests. At the very least it would be kinda confusing, and if it was worded poorly then it would be busted, allowing you to just accumulate more and more runes if you have time. So, it's because they refresh.
Why do they refresh? They refresh because you can spend them. Each one has a one-time effect you can use at the cost of expiring it early.
I don't personally feel that it makes a lot of sense to represent rune carving as a temporary thing at all, but the subclass is admittedly pretty cool so I'll let it slide.
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I haven't seen this question asked here on D&D Beyond, but only on 3rd party sites like reddit and stackexchange, but can a Rune Knight Fighter provide runes to their ally's equipment? I know RAW it says "You can use magic runes to enhance your gear.", but how would that prevent you from claiming it as "your gear" for carving the rune, and then giving it to an ally? I don't see anywhere where it states that you CAN'T give rune carved gear to allies, but it also doesn't specify you can. Only argument that I've seen as to why "no" is the constant use of "you" and "your" instead of "the target" or "the user".
Well, it doesn't say you can't put a rune on your own gear and give it to someone else, but it does say that any and all runes vanish when you do a long rest.
<Insert clever signature here>
Nothing prohibits a rune knight from giving a piece of their rune carved gear to somebody else, but I would agree with the argument that the RAW seems to indicate that only the rune knight can benefit from a rune's properties. Each rune and ability indicates that "you" (as the rune knight) can gain certain benefits based on having the rune inscribed on an object. Rune knights know how to access the power of the rune, which another individual doesn't have the power and ability to do so. Additionally, the idea that giving your rune-inscribed item to another party member would in turn make it their item even if temporarily.
Now, a DM can always choose to allow the rune knight to share their inscribed gear with another, such as a artificer sharing their infusions. However, I personally don't believe that was what the intended concept of the Rune Carver ability was meant to be.
It works pretty much the same for any specific piece of gear, but let's take a weapon for example.
<Insert clever signature here>
There’s two ways to play it. As always. By the rules strictly, following pro-nouns, or however your DM allows, per the spirit of the game.
I agree with Gean on their points, as well I would add…
The big reason I would allow it in a campaign is the “shelf life.” As it resets after a rest, it shouldn’t create to much of an OP scenario. However, a PC who wants to rune carve everything, well, no.
The DM could impose further limitations, rune carving on others takes longer, or only lasts for a few turns for example. This is one way to add some kick to the parties arsenal, should the dungeon be a bit much for them, but not enough to completely unbalance it.
My two cents.
Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
Another reason that i just thought of is that if giving allies these runes would be "too op", then why give so few options that always reset? If only the fighter who makes them can benefit from them, why have them expire? Why not make it like the infusions where they stick until you carve a new piece of gear that would exceed your limit of how many items you can have inscribed at a time? That's another thing that confused me. Especially when you get to higher levels, you just gonna be using the same few runes that fit your character's play style, so why make them expire?
I'd say they expire because while none of them are overpowered in and of themselves, Bounced Accuracy is all about keeping from having a bunch of different things all contributing to a single end. It's all about game balance there. They could easily put a limit on the number of uses per day or some such, but by leaving it as they have it, you can stack them all up and enjoy all that power, but only for so long.
<Insert clever signature here>
In our world, 1st edition through 2nd edition, way back in the day, we did about a year long campaign in search of the creators of Rune Magic. Those folks that scribe the runes on every magic item you ever pick up. We created our own rune magic system based on spell points as a sum of a few ability scores and levels etc. (Based on Haplo from the Deathgate Cycle). Our Runes were permanent when inscribed in certain ways, and instant use if “scribed” in the air. You can, at very high levels, string them in an odd “sentence” type structure to create combined effects. I.E. A Blue fireball that deals fire damage and ice shrapnel. Or a Blue fireball that creates the intense damaging heat and chain lightning within its area of effect. < my personal favorite.
Basically, if you are not strictly online, or only using online resources, how your game world develops is up to you and your group.
Homebrew is the best brew of all.
if you want to stick strictly to 5E rules, and use the available online resources, I don’t know how you would modify it. But, if you are on paper, with your DM, you can modify anything, anyway you choose.
Known in other realms as Ranxaeroth.
“Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and good with bar-b-que sauce.” ~Cheshire Dragon
”You can fool most of the people most of the time, but a Sphinx….never.” ~Torwyn Vantalion.
“When the DM smiles, its already to late.” ~many a player.
They expire because they refresh. Having them refresh on rests would be strange if they didn't also expire on rests. At the very least it would be kinda confusing, and if it was worded poorly then it would be busted, allowing you to just accumulate more and more runes if you have time. So, it's because they refresh.
Why do they refresh? They refresh because you can spend them. Each one has a one-time effect you can use at the cost of expiring it early.
I don't personally feel that it makes a lot of sense to represent rune carving as a temporary thing at all, but the subclass is admittedly pretty cool so I'll let it slide.