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How do certain runes work?
Tue, 08/20/2019 - 9:08pm | 
lowyhong
So I finally managed to get a campaign to a point where almost everyone has at least one skill at level 6. This brings me to my question: how do permanent runes work with certain spells?
Specifically, I'm asking about spells with unlimited usage, like Offensive Strike. Since runes in general don't need a skill check, how will such permanent ones like Offensive Strike work? It seems that at Level 6, a pure Enchanter might well be the most powerful type of character if he/she can use a rune without a roll. What houserule would you guys use?
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Just did a search on Google. I see this has been hotly debated before heheh
http://dwdstudios.com/node/3699
Hi lowyhong,
Great to hear your campaign is progressing well. Yes, there is quite a bit of ambiguity in the rules for high level play. A testament to how much more high level test feedback will help the development of 2nd edition.
Regarding permanent spells - Yes, such a character is vastly powerful. He likely enters any dangerous situation with a number of runes on his staves, stones dangling from leather around his neck, the hem of his cloak, etc. Many of those are permanent and can be used without any kind of action check. So let's compare that to a normal spellcaster:
An equal-level spellcaster can make permanent spells too. He also can decide the special effect of the spell at the time of casting, he doesn't have to have forethought when making the runes what effects he will need. He is high enough level to have very little chance of failing casting his spell, and nearly no chance of critical failure on his roll, though he still has to roll and therefore likely has a very high chance of critical success. Additionally, his spells, permanent or cast, are not bound to an object of any sort and therefore cannot be removed from him, damaged, disarmed, stolen, or rendered unusable once the trigger is known.
So there are plusses and minuses. Both types of spellcaster are insanely powerful at high level when compared to equal level non-magical characters, though, and I think there's a very valid discussion to be had there. But for the comparison between enchanters and spellcasters I think they're roughly on track with one another in power. My 2 cents anyway.
-Bill Logan
Hey Bill, thanks for chiming in. I've decided to use the houserule of assigning the Enchanter's score to the rune. For the rune to be activated, the user must roll under the Enchanter's score (whether he/she was the original Enchanter who created the rune or not). Otherwise, there's barely any reason for the Enchanter to ever roll his/her dice, since most of the time the Enchanter just has to prep runes before entering a dungeon (and even while the party is in a dungeon, the Enchanter can always take a coffee break to write more runes once the existing ones have been expended). This also puts the Enchanter on a more level playing field with the Spellcaster.
Speaking of playtest feedback, is there an official channel for me to submit it? I have one campaign with the players coming up to Rank 5 and another one where they're almost Rank 4, so I think I'm ready to share my thoughts.
No official channel, no. Please openly discuss in forums :-D
Got it, thanks!