From: "Larry Hunsaker" Dwarven Runecaster Description: For whatever reason, and many scholars have sought it, the dwarves and only the dwarves can manipulate the primordial powers that create runes and invoke power words. Even among dwarves, only a rare few have the "spark", as dwarves term it, to become runecasters. Those who do are taken in by the clan of runecasters for development of their talent to its full potential. Some dwarven societies have no such clans, so often potential runecasters never discover their potential. In this way the runecaster population gets smaller every generation. Only a few pockets of devoted casters seek to maintain the line. If it was not for these few clans, the runecaster would have disappeared long ago. It is believed the art of runecasting was meant to disappear, when the presence of the creating gods left their creation, the Prime Material plane, in the hands of the first races. They are said to be the original teachers of it, and with their departure, the art died out. But, somehow, the dwarven stubborn preservation of tradition has kept this art alive, but just barely. Runes: Runes are special marks, carvings, tattoos, or symbols that act as an anchor for the flow of primordial power. They channel this power into an effect specific to the rune. If the rune is erased, a special ability of runecasters, the rune and its effect disappear. Runes, being made of common physical material, eventually fade or erode under the constant flow of this primordial power. So all runes have a duration, and unlike spells, they don't remain in full strength and then instantly vanish away, runes powers fade slowly as the rune fades/erode. Each rune has a lifetime. This is the amount of time the rune will be able to anchor the power of the primordial flow. After this lifetime expires, the rune begins to fade over a period of time equal to the lifetime again. Thus, a rune with a lifetime of 100 years, would be at only 90% of full strength after 110 years, and 50% after 150 years. (DMs must judge how to apply this power reduction in cases where it is not obvious.) Runes must be drawn with great precision, and some require special materials. For the rune to anchor to the flow, it requires a contact point. This is where the runecaster come into play. After scribing the rune, a long and exacting process, the caster must infuse it with some of his power. This power charge allows the rune to activate and have its effect. Runes are not powered by normal magic, and in fact, normal magic has only limited effect on runes. Rune power is not detectable by normal detect magic spells. Special spells must be created to home in on and detect runes. Magic counterspells, such as anti-magic shell, dispel magic, and even a wish have only limited effect on runes. They have only 50% of their normal effect, thus, they will be able to temporarily weaken a rune, but not remove it. In an anti-magic shell, runes are at 50% of their current power. A dispel magic spell reduces one to 50% power for d4 rounds only. A wish can permanently reduce a rune to 50% power, but that is the best it can do directly. A wish could summon a runecaster who could then remove the rune, however. Runes fall into power levels as do spells. Power levels 1-9 classify runes. Some special runes can be more powerful, but are very costly to use and infuse, like true dweomers in Player's Option: Spells & Magic. Runes that mimic existing spell effects would be classified as a power level equal to the spell's spell level. Thus, a rune of changing, could be of the 9th power level if it mimicked shapechange, or of the 4th power level if it mimicked polymorph self. Power words: These use the same power that flows in runes, but instead of anchoring the flow in a steady direction for an extended duration, they invoke it for an instant effect that, if it does persist, lasts no longer than 1 round/level of the caster. These effects are intense and powerful, so powerful, in fact, that power words allow no saving throw against their effects. The rune takes much time and preparation to create, power words are fast, giving an instant result of short lived duration. A few power words exist as spells, discovered by mages long ago. The existence of these power words prove that once races other than the dwarves knew about the power of this primordial flow. Power words also have power levels, just as runes, power word kill would be of the 9th power level, for example. Power words have a CT of 1 always, and require the speaking of the word with the correct pitch and intonation. There is no material or somatic component needed. Usual ranges are 5 yards/level, but this can be different. The Casting: Runecasters call the use of their art, "The Casting". Runecasters advance as if bards, using the same XP table, HD, THACO, saves, etc. Runecasters are limited to 15th level, modified by high prime requisite cores. They don't use spell points, but use power points. Simply find the number of spell points a bard gets at their level, and this is the number of power points they get. They only get the thieving skills of the bard, all other of the bards special abilities are not gained. The runecaster can use power words in any armor, and even use a shield, but must be unarmored and uninterrupted when casting runes. They suffer normal penalties to thieving skills in armor, however. Runecasters are limited, like mages, to a maximum power level they can use normally. This is 1/2 their level, rounded off. At level 19+(if able to advance that far) they can use the special runes, similar to true dweomers. Thus, a 6th level runecaster can cast up to 3rd power runes or power words. Single classed runecasters can use runes or power words over their power level limit as mages can with spells, with the same penalties. They may not boost their runes/power words, however, as these are precision symbols or words that cannot be altered in any way and still work. Runecasters can understand 2 times their level in runes and their level only in power words. They can keep a record of more than this, but only be able to understand a number up to their limit. If a rune caster wishes to replace a rune/power word he knows with another, he may, but the learning time is doubled. To learn a rune/power word, the runecaster checks his % chance to learn a spell. This takes 2 weeks per power level to study, after which time the check is made. If it succeeds, he knows and can use it. If it fails, he must restudy for the same amount of time again, with a runecaster who knows the rune/power word, to get another chance. This process repeats until he succeeds or gives up. Typically, this study time costs money also, about as much as it would cost to train. Runecasters regain power points as mages do spell points. Power words use up a number of power points equal to the power level. These points can be regained as a mage regains spell points. Runes, on the other hand, work differently. They require a number of points equal to their power level also, but until this rune is erased or fades away naturally, these points are permanently infused in the rune. Thus, runes absorb the power of runecasters, so they have a limit to the number of runes they can have out. Rune Erasure: Only a runecaster can erase a rune. He can automatically erase his own runes, provided he knows the rune at the time(he may have cast the rune, then replaced his knowledge of it with another rune, thus, unable to erase it because he no longer knows it). If a caster tries to erase another's rune, he can do so provided he knows it, and makes his % to learn the rune check. Not knowing a rune, or failure to make your check trying to erase another's rune, means you cannot erase that rune until you learn it afresh, or relearn it(going through the usual study time and passing the % to learn check again). A rune takes 1 hour/power level to erase, and if interrupted, the process start again from the beginning. At the end of this time the runecaster must spend 1 point per power level of the rune and it is then that the % check is made, if necessary. Other: Runes usually have a much longer duration than spells, even if the rune mimics the spell. The shortest runes have lifespans of days, while the longer ones can remain for centuries. They take longer to cast as well, as fast as a few hours to as long as several years, with the caster devoting a good chunk of his life to its casting. Rune castings can only have up to 1 day/level of the caster as the span of interruption between casting sessions or the rune fails. A day is 8 hours casting for runes. Thus, if a rune takes 5 days to cast, an 8th level caster could cast for the first 8 hours(1 day), then rest until next day, a span of 16 hours, cast some more, rest again, etc. until the total casting time was finished(1 day =3D 8 hours), but if a span of over 8 days occurred before the casting was finished, the rune would be ruined. So if that caster went on a trip and returned 9 days later, he could not pick up his casting where he left off, but would need to start again. It is up to the DM to balance their powers. Runes are also impossible to remove or destroy by any means other than erasing or natural fading. If the object on which the rune was placed is ruined, then depending on the rune and its effect, the rune may be unable to continue effecting the object, at which point it quickly fades out and disappears.