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mayapuppies
Apr 19th, '07, 12:31 PM
Hello all,

I am currently working on a style of magic (detailed below). I can't remember if I've stolen either completely or partially from Killer Shrike, and for some reason what I currently have is starting to confuse me. First here is the Runeschrivjer as written in my files.
Runeschrivjer
Source: Ambient
Methodology: Stored
Structure: Elemental Control

Runeschrivjer was discovered nearly 3500 years ago by Kinet Themel, a Doresti smith and bard of local renown in the town of Ashliret after the fall of the Kingdom of Nelel. Kinet was fond of engraving runes in the swords and armor of his Warlords soldiers. This passion soon led to him inscribing heroic tales from his people’s history.

Overtime a few patrons regaled the smith with stories of how their armor or weapon performed miraculous feats in battle. Kinet enjoyed the stories but initially refused to believe that he had anything to do with it. As more and more customers came back to him with similar tales Kinet found it harder and harder to disbelieve.

Eventually he began to compare the runes he had inscribed into the suspect equipment and through experimentation he finally unlocked the secrets to what he had been doing inadvertently. With help from a priest of Testian, Kinet was able to codify his talents and it wasn’t long before other smiths began asking to learn from the first Runeschrivjer.

A Runeschrivjer is a mage that works “spells” through the medium of magical writing. The specific words themselves are inherently magical but not enough to work on their own. The Runeschrivjer enhances this innate energy through concentration, chanting and placing the runes in a specific order to achieve a specific result.

Runeschrivjer learn Runes, which they can then inscribe upon objects of various Media. They use these Runes to make both powerful Permanent Magic Items and Ephemeral temporary effects. Thus a Runeschrivjer might spend weeks crafting a Magical weapon, or suit of armor, or mystic sigil to be incorporated into a structure that will last for ages, or a few hours inscribing a Rune holding a temporary effect such as a Glyphic Trap instead.

Runes are broken down into several categories. Each of these categories reflects the overall function of the runes. Each category must be bought as a separate Elemental Control.

Bescherming: Rune of Protection
Aanval: Rune of Attack
Fysiek: Rune of Physical Enhancement
Geestelijk: Rune of Mental Enhancement
Betekenissen: Rune of Senses
Heel: Rune of Healing

Runeschrivjers can inscribe simple Runes that are not meant to last forever, but which can be very useful while they last. Ephemeral Magic Items are Magic Items that are built with Non-recoverable Charges and do not cost Character Points to make. All Ephemeral Runes must be built with a specific Trigger.

In order to inscribe an Ephemeral Rune a Runeschrivjer must have the appropriate skill for the Media they wish to add a Rune to as well as the appropriate materials and tools.

Thus if a Runeschrivjer wanted to add a Rune to a garment they need PS: Embroidery, a needle, and sufficient thread but if they wished to inscribe the same Rune in stone they must have PS: Sculpting and have a hammer and chisel. It is left up to the GM's discretion whether a Runeschrivjer has the correct materials in sufficient quantity for a given Rune.

It is assumed that all Elemental Controls are bought as ephemeral and the following Elemental Control is written up with that in mind:

• Elemental Control (Chose specific rune type), 30-point powers, (15 Active Points); all slots Extra Time (1 Hour, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3 1/4), OAF (Object Rune is inscribed upon; -1), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations (Complex; -1/2)

If the Runeschrivjer wishes to make the rune permanent then he or she must purchase separate Elemental Controls to indicate this.

Absoluut Bescherming: Permanent Rune of Protection
Absoluut Aanval: Permanent Rune of Attack
Absoluut Fysiek: Permanent Rune of Physical Enhancement
Absoluut Geestelijk: Permanent Rune of Mental Enhancement
Absoluut Betekenissen: Permanent Rune of Senses
Absoluut Heel: Permanent Rune of Healing

And here is how the permanent Elemental Control is written up:

• Elemental Control (Select Runic Type), 30-point powers, (15 Active Points); all slots Extra Time (1 Month, Character May Take No Other Actions, -5 1/4), OAF (Object Rune is inscribed upon; -1), Incantations (Complex; -1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2)

Items can have multiple runes inscribed onto them and each rune must be written separately and takes the indicated amount of time. The creation of permanent runes must also include the creation of the object that is being inscribed upon and this must be manufactured by the Runeschrivjer himself.

Items enchanted with permanent runes must be paid for with character points by the Runeschrivjer doing the inscribing.

Many Runeschrivjers will find the following skills/abilities rather handy in their careers, particularly if they intend to create permanent runic items.

• Detect Magical Symbols, Runes, Glyphs (no Sense Group), Discriminatory, Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees), Range, Sense (22 Active Points); Sense Affected As Another Sense (Mystic Sense; -1/4); Real Cost: 18 points
• KS: Cloth
• KS: Famous Craftsmen
• KS: Famous Runeschrivjers
• KS: Inks
• KS: Metallurgy
• KS: Paper & Parchment
• KS: Stone Lore
• KS: Wood Lore
• PS: Armor smith
• PS: Blacksmith
• PS: Carpentry
• PS: Create Inks
• PS: Make Paper
• PS: Mason
• PS: Tailor
• PS: Weapon smith

Runeschrivjer Package Deal

15 Points worth of specific runes
Burly: +2 STR
Choose two of the following Professional Skills
Notes: PS: Calligraphy, PS: Carving, PS: Embroidery, PS: Engraving, PS: Sculpting, and PS: Tattooing
Determined: +2 EGO
Distinctive Features: Runeschrivjer (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses; Not Distinctive In Some Cultures)
Elemental Control (Chose specific rune type), 30-point powers, (15 Active Points); all slots Extra Time (1 Hour, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3 1/4), Requires A Runeschrivjer Roll (-1/2), OAF (Object Rune is inscribed upon; -1), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations (Complex; -1/2)
Knowledgeable: +2 INT
KS: Runeschrivjer 11-
Money: Well Off (5 Active Points); Only For Purposes Of Determining Starting Equipment (-2)
Power Skill: Runeschrivjer (EGO)
Robust: +1 CON
Status: Runeschrivjer
Now, the problem I am having is with the actual "runes" and how they operate in game. This actually leads to my inability to process the difference between a spell with an "instant effect" (i.e. Fireball) and those that create another object (i.e. Making a potion).

Let's say I have a character that I'm writing up that is going to be a Runeschrivjer. I decide to develop the Heel Rune elemental control. This represents his knowledge of the base rune. I then select a "spell" to place inside the EC, representing a specific incarnation of the base rune. so it looks like this:
Heel Rune: Elemental Control, 10-point powers, (5 Active Points); all slots Extra Time (1 Hour, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3 1/4), OAF (Object Rune is inscribed upon; -1), Requires A Runeschrivjer Roll (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations (Complex; -1/2)

De minderjarige heelt: Healing BODY 1d6 (10 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, Character May Take No Other Actions, -3 1/4), 1 Charge (-2), OAF (Object Rune is inscribed upon; -1), Requires A Runeschrivjer Roll (-1/2), Concentration (0 DCV; -1/2), Incantations (Complex; -1/2)
So now I am trying to figure out how this looks in game. Does this "spell" create the Rune or is it the actual Rune? How is it activated? Is there anything that dictates whether or not this Rune can be inscribed on another persons equipment?

What I'm trying to do, is match the descriptive text above to the actual mechanics. Allowing the Runeschrivjer to write runes onto various materials that are generally temporary but can be utilized by anyone (until their charges are expended). Do I have this written correctly?

Killer Shrike
Apr 19th, '07, 12:54 PM
Everything except the Elemental Controls sounds pretty similar to my Runecrafting (http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/runecrafting.aspx) Magic System.

My system uses Familiarities for Runes, but requires character points to be paid for Permanent Runes.


My main concern with your version is that Elemental Controls for each type of Rune could be rather rough to fund, and maybe I missed it (im on a conference call and multitasking), but it doesnt seem to account for making magic items for others.

mayapuppies
Apr 19th, '07, 01:07 PM
Everything except the Elemental Controls sounds pretty similar to my Runecrafting (http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/runecrafting.aspx) Magic System.

My system uses Familiarities for Runes, but requires character points to be paid for Permanent Runes.
Yeah, I knew most if not all came from there. Because it just wouldn't be my systems without cribbing at least some of yours.:D
My main concern with your version is that Elemental Controls for each type of Rune could be rather rough to fund, and maybe I missed it (im on a conference call and multitasking), but it doesnt seem to account for making magic items for others.
And this is what I am trying to figure out. :confused:

mayapuppies
Apr 20th, '07, 08:39 AM
So any suggestions as to how I can make this work like the description? Is it as simple as adding UBO and a possible Trigger?

Killer Shrike
Apr 20th, '07, 08:54 AM
I guess my answer would be, why are you determined to use Elemental Controls for this rather than just use the method I've described to accomplish the task? The methods for creating Runic items that I describe overcome the issues you are struggling with. Is there something specific about my approach that you don't like that motivates you to do it differently?

mayapuppies
Apr 20th, '07, 09:23 AM
Hmm, I remember the first time I went over it, I wasn't fond of what I perceived to be very inexpensive "spells", since it was based on 1pt. FAM's. I just glanced over it again and your system is making more sense to me, particularly now that I have more experience (such as it is).

I'm going to read it thoroughly one more time and see what I think after that. Considering my current track record of cribbing your stuff, odds are this will continue with runecrafting. :D

Killer Shrike
Apr 20th, '07, 11:50 AM
The real cost of Runecrafting is:

The cost of Media Skills in character points
The cost of Permanent Runes in character points
The inability to "fast cast" -- all Runes take out of combat time to create

Or as the GM Notes say:

This system has:

* Volume & Frequency Control due to the time it takes to inscribe Runes
* Stiff Opportunity Cost Controls due to the Real Cost expenditures in Experience Points for Permanent Items
* Applicability Control due to having no direct combat implementation
* Acquisition Control due to the skill model and time required to learn and make new Runes

mayapuppies
Apr 20th, '07, 12:26 PM
Ok, I've read through it and made a few subtle changes, but otherwise I'm using it whole-cloth.

Killer Shrike
Apr 20th, '07, 12:37 PM
I'd be interested in the changes...if its distinct enough it could be made into a variant.


Also, you might want to check out the Package Deals (http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Content/PackageDeals/professionPackage.aspx?profession=Runecrafter) for Runecrafting; I put some interesting packages together around the concept.

mayapuppies
Apr 20th, '07, 12:59 PM
The "changes" are really just disallowing some of the options and mandating others. Now that I understand the concepts behind your write-up (whereas I didn't in my prior reading) it makes much more sense.

You can see the write-up I made here: http://www.fatkatgames.com/downloads.htm in the Book of Magic doc.