Rune Smith

Although rune magic was originally created by the dwarves and giants millennia ago, its practice eventually became available to other races. Rune Smiths utilize the advantages of rune magic, such as the seemingly possible nature of being a blend of both divine and arcane magic that could be used in combination with a special alphabet to create runes, which were symbols that possess magical effects that were both powerful and capable of being used multiple times.

Tools of the Trade

3rd-level Rune Smith feature

You gain proficiency with heavy armor. You also gain proficiency with mason’s tools. If you already have this tool proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan’s tools of your choice. You also learn dwarvish and giant if you do not already know it.

Rune Smith Spells

3rd-level Rune Smith feature

You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Rune Smith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don’t count against the number of artificer spells you prepare. 

Rune Smith Spells

Rune Magic

3rd-level Rune Smith feature

You can use magic runes to enhance your gear or store spells. You learn two runes of your choice, from among the runes described below, and each time you gain a level in this class, you can replace one rune you know with a different one from this feature. You also can replace the somatic components of any spells with runes, which are material components.

Whenever you finish a long rest, you can apply a number of runes equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum of one) to items that you touch. To be eligible, an object must be a weapon, a suit of armor, a shield, a piece of jewelry, something else you can wear or hold in a hand, or a solid flat surface. Your rune remains on the object until you finish a long rest. An object can bear only one of your runes at a time, and a creature cannot benefit from two of the same rune. A creature benefits from a rune's magic if the item it is inscribed on is in its possession. Your runes have two charges, which can be used to activate its active effect; additionally some runes provide a passive effect. If the rune you make would produce a spell like effect, you can expend a spell slot to determine the power of the spell effect, the spell slot must be of the same level as the spell being replicated or higher.

If a rune requires a saving throw, your Rune Magic save DC is the same as your artificer spell save DC.

Additionally, when you infuse magic items with your Infuse Items feature, you can choose to inscribe one additional item with a rune instead of creating one of your known infusions.

Fire Rune

This triangular fire opal measures about three inches on each side and is half an inch thick. The ild rune—the rune of fire—shimmers within its core. Grasping this object causes a split second of searing, fiery pain to pass through you. That pain quickly fades, giving way to a warming glow. You can create one of the following effects via this rune: 

• Ignite. As an action, you scribe the ild rune using ash onto a flammable object. That object immediately bursts into flame. While it burns, the fire extends 1 foot out from the rune you scribed as though by the effect of the continual flame spell.
• Fire Tamer. As an action, you touch an open flame and scribe the ild rune within it with a hand motion. This causes the flame to immediately extinguish. For a large blaze, the fire is extinguished in a 10-foot radius around you. You can extend this distance by expending a spell slot when using the ild rune in this manner. The radius extends by 20 feet per level of the expended spell slot.
• Fire’s Friend. While you are attuned to this rune, you have resistance to cold damage.

Frost Rune

This long, slender shard of ice is roughly the size of a dagger. The kalt rune—the rune of ice—glows within the shard. When first grasped, the shard emits a painful cold that leaves your hand and arm numb. That feeling passes after a moment, allowing the shard to be handled normally. You can create one of the following effects via this rune:

• Frigid Touch. As an action, you magically scribe the kalt rune on the surface of any volume of water. The water freezes in a 10-foot radius around the spot where you scribed the rune.
• Frost Friend. While you are attuned to this rune, you have resistance to fire damage.
• Icy Mantle. As an action, you scribe the kalt rune using water onto yourself or another creature. The water instantly freezes into a mantle of protective ice that does not hinder movement or action. This effect function as if it were the armor of agathys spell.

Spell Rune

You can store a prepared spell in the rune by casting it as part of creating the rune. The spell must target a single creature or an area. The spell being stored has no immediate effect when cast in this way. When the rune is triggered, the stored spell is cast. If the spell has a target, it targets the creature that triggered the rune. If the spell affects an area, the area is centered on that creature. If the spell summons hostile creatures or creates harmful objects or traps, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack it. If the spell requires concentration, it lasts until the end of its full duration. When creating the rune you can assign an activation word to instead allow the spell stored with in to activate when the command word is spoken.

Stone Rune

This spherical chunk of granite is about the size of a human fist. The stein rune—the rune of stone— appears on the orb as crystalline veins that play across its surface. When first grasped, the stone feels impossibly heavy, as if even a titan could not lift it. That feeling passes after a moment, allowing you to carry the stone with ease. You can create one of the following effects via this rune:

• Indomitable Stand. As an action, you scribe the stein rune onto the ground at your feet. Until you move, you have advantage on all ability checks and saving throws to resist effects that would force you to move. In addition, any creature that moves within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have its movement immediately end.
• Stone Soul. While you are attuned to this rune, you are immune to the petrified condition.
• Stone’s Secrets. As an action, you scribe this rune onto a stone wall or floor. You learn the location and size of all creatures standing on or touching that surface within 30 feet of you, though only for the moment when the property is used.

Wind Rune

 This five-foot-long blue pennant is crafted from silk and whips about as if buffeted by a strong breeze. The vind rune—the rune of wind—flickers across its surface like a shimmering cloud. Grasping the pennant causes you to feel a powerful gust of wind wash over you, tearing at your clothes and gear. Anyone watching you sees nothing out of the ordinary, and the sensation passes after a moment. You can create one of the following effects via this rune:

• Comforting Wind. While you are attuned to this rune, you cannot suffocate or drown, and you gain advantage on saving throws against poisonous gases, inhaled poisons, and similar effects.
• Wind Step. As an action, you scribe the vind rune in the air around you and immediately fly 20 feet. If you do not land at the end of this flight, you fall.
• Wind’s Grasp. As a reaction when you fall, you can scribe this rune in the air around you to take no damage from the fall.

Living Rune

5th-level Rune Smith feature

Runes are a part of the living world, and your studies allow you to connect to their magic in increasingly powerful ways. At 4th level, you learn to incorporate rune magic into your identity, allowing you to augment your body and mind. At the end of a long rest, you can inscribe a rune onto or into your skin to grant you the effect of a constant enhance ability no concentration required until you change it at the end of a long rest.

Rune Mastery

9th-level Rune Smith feature

You attain the ability to master an ever-greater range of runic magic. When you attune to a rune, you can choose to have it not count toward your limit of attuned magic items. You can be attuned to only one such rune in this manner at a time. You can use this ability again after you end your attunement to a rune.

Master Runes

15th-level Rune Smith feature

 Your mastery of rune magic has allowed you to create what are known as master runes, allowing for more complex uses of this unique form of magic. You gain the following options for effects you can replicate for each of your known runes:

Fire Rune. 

• Combustion. As an action, you quickly scribe this rune using magic onto a creature within your reach as you expend a spell slot. The creature automatically takes 1d10 fire damage plus 1d10 fire damage per level of the expended spell slot.
• Flame Brand. Over the course of a short rest, you inscribe this rune onto a melee or ranged weapon, or onto up to 20 pieces of ammunition. The weapon or ammunition gains a ghostly aura of yellow flame and functions as if it were under the same effects as the [magic item]flame tongue[/magic item]. These effects last for 24 hours or until you use this property again.
• Flame Stoker. While you are attuned to this rune, your fire attacks are deadlier. Whenever you roll fire damage from an attack or a spell you cast, you can reroll that damage and use the higher result.

Stone Rune. 

• Crushing Brand. Over the course of a short rest, you inscribe this rune onto one weapon that deals bludgeoning damage. The weapon gains a ghostly brown aura, and bludgeoning damage dealt by the weapon ignores resistance and immunity. If you roll the maximum on the weapon’s damage die or dice, the target of your attack is knocked prone if it is a creature.
• Earthen Step. While you are attuned to this rune, you can cast meld into stone spell as a bonus action without expending a spell slot. You regain this ability after a short or long rest.
• Overwhelming Bolt. As an action, you quickly scribe this rune using your magic onto a creature within your reach as you expend a spell slot. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 bludgeoning damage per level of the expended spell slot and is knocked prone. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone.

Wind Rune. 

• Howling Brand. Over the course of a short rest, you inscribe this rune in the air above one ranged weapon. The weapon gains a ghostly blue aura and has its normal and maximum range doubled. The weapon’s attacks do not suffer disadvantage due to range. These effects last for 24 hours or until you use this property again.
• Shrieking Bolt. As an action, you scribe this rune in the air between you and a creature you can see while you expend a spell slot to create a powerful 15-foot cube of swirling wind. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, it takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 bludgeoning damage per level of the expended spell slot, and is pushed in a straight line directly away from you for 10 feet per level of the expended spell slot. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed away from you.
• Wind Walker. While you are attuned to this rune, you can cast levitate spell as a bonus action without expending a spell slot. You regain this ability after a short or long rest.

 Frost Rune.

• Freezing Bolt. As an action, you scribe this rune using your magic onto a creature within your reach as you expend a spell slot. The rune freezes in place, and emits from it the effects of the frost fingers as if cast at that level originating from the rune.
• Ice Brand. Over the course of a short rest, you inscribe this rune onto a melee or ranged weapon, or onto up to 20 pieces of ammunition. The weapon or ammunition gains a ghostly white aura and functions as if it were under the same effects as the [magic item]frost brand[/magic item]. These effects last for 24 hours or until you use this property again.
• Winter’s Howl. While you are attuned to this rune, you can cast ice storm as an action without expending a spell slot. You regain this ability after a short or long rest.