# Paladin Sacred Oath: Runepriest

A Runepriest is a paladin who explores and utilizes the mystic power granted by the runes, a series of ancient scribes and languages that contain a strain of arcane and divine magic. Both a scholar and a warrior, a typical runepriest seeks to serve the deities by revealing wonders of the runes. #### Restriction: Runes Paladins who chooses to become a runepriest must discover the cryptic runes from ancient ruins, hermetic rites, religous artifacts, or unfathomable ceremonies, and explore and study its magical properties. **Oath of Runic Lineage** serves as the generic name for this archetype if you use it in other campaign settings or to model other paladins. #### Tenets of the Runepriest Paladins who walk the path of the runepriest share the following tenets, although the details may vary slightly. ***Know the Runes.*** Those who has lived and died before me has left what they knew in the form of runes. By studying them, I can ensure that their knowledge and wisdom are never forgotten, but handed down to the future generation. ***Know the World.*** The world is shrouded in many mysterious truths and logics that are still unrevaled to the mortal knowledge. It is my sacred quest to delve into the test presented by the Maker, and explain the unknown in order to fully understand the world I live in. ***Know the Foes.*** In order to defeat the foul and unknown presence, one must research it, avoid its strengths, and exploit its weakness. Even if it means painting my hands with mucks and grimes, this is nonetheless a must to my quest. ***Know Yourself.*** The most cryptic puzzle in this world is, ironically, myself. I must never hesitate to be truthful to myself, and strive to polish myself better. #### Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. | Level | Spell | |:-:|:-| | 3rd | *detect magic* | | 5th | *augury* | | 9th | *glyph of warding* | | 13th | *aura of life* | | 17th | *hallow* | #### Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity option. ***Rune State of Destruction.*** As a bonus action, you can use your Channel Divinity option to enter the rune state for 1 minute. While you are in the rune state, once on each of your turn when you hit a hostile creature with a melee weapon attack, you deal an additional 1d6 damage and gain one rune charge. The damage type for this damage is either cold, fire, lightning, or radiant (your choice). ***Rune State of Protection.*** As a bonus action, you can use your Channel Divinity option to enter the rune state for 1 minute. While you are in the rune state, when a friendly creature within 5 feet of you are targeted by an attack, you can use a reaction to have the attack target you instead of the creature. If you do so, you gain one rune charge immediately after the attack, regardless of whether it hits or misses you. #### Sacred Rune Also starting at 3rd level, you learn and understand the mystic power of runes, and can channel the rune's power to perform a number of miracles. As a bonus action, you can expend one spell slot to gain a number of rune charges. You gain two charges for a 1st-level spell slot, plus one additional charge for each level above the 1st, to a maximum of five charges. The rune charge lasts for 1 hour or until you take a short rest or long rest. You can have up to five rune charges at a time. You know the two rune option of your choice from the list of Sacred Rune options at the bottom of the subclass description. You learn two additional rune options when you reach 7th level, and again when you reach 15th and 20th level. Some Sacred Rune options have a minimum paladin level that you must meet in order to learn it. You use your Sacred Rune options by using one rune charge, which dissipates and is removed from you after you use it. Whenever you learn a new Sacred Rune option, you can also replace one Sacred Rune option that you already know with a different option. Some of your rune options require your target to make a saving throw to resist its effects. The saving throw DC for your rune options equals your paladin spell save DC. #### Aura of Runes At 7th level, when you use your Sacred Rune option that targets only yourself, you can choose one friendly creature within 10 feet of you. The chosen creature also gains the same benefit from your Sacred Rune option. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. #### Runic Resolve Starting at 15th level, when you use your Channel Divinity to enter the rune state, choose one damage type from the following list: bludgeoning, piercing. slashing. While you are in the rune state, you gain resistance to the chosen damage type. #### Runic Paragon At 20th level, you memorize every runes from your oath, and has become the incarnation of runes. You can have an unlimited number of rune charges at a time, and your rune charges last for indefinite time. Any unspended rune charges still disappears when you take a short rest or long rest. Additionally, when you roll for initiatives and have no rune charges left, you gain two rune charges. \page #### Sacred Runes The rune options are presented in alphabetical order. ***Rune of the Astral Winds. (6th Level Required.)*** You can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action. ***Rune of Arrow's Flight (11th Level Required).*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to mark the creature with a guiding rune. The next ranged attack roll against the marked creature gains advantage, if it is made before the start of your next turn. ***Rune of Awakening (16th Level Required).*** When you drop to 0 hit points, you can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you drop to 1 hit point instead. ***Rune of the Cunning Step.*** You can take the Hide action as a bonus action. If you do so, you can hide even when you are only lightly obscured. ***Rune of Daunting Light.*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to mark the creature with a shining rune. Until the start of your next turn, no attack roll has disadvantage against the marked creature, and the marked creature cannot benefit from being invisible. ***Rune of Diminishment (11th Level Required).*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to force the creature to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls until the start of your next turn. ***Rune of the Flanking Wind (6th Level Required).*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to mark the creature with a guiding rune. The next time a creature other than you hits the marked creature with a melee weapon attack before the start of your next turn, the attack deals an extra 2d6 damage, and the rune disappears. ***Rune of Mending.*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to choose yourself or a friendly creature you can see within 10 feet of you. The chosen creature regains 1d8 hit points. ***Rune of the Penultimate Step (16th Level Required).*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to force the target to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target is stunned until the start of your next turn. ***Rune of Resolution (6th Level Required).*** When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use a bonus action to gain 2d8 temporary hit points. You lose all temporary hit points gained this way at the start of your next turn. ***Rune of Skilled Effort.*** As an action, you can touch a creature other than yourself to inscribe a rune that resides on the creature for 1 minute. The next time the creature makes an ability check, it gains advantage on the roll, and the rune disappears after the check. ***Rune of Shielding (11th Level Required).*** As an action, you can draw a rune that resides on you for 1 minute. The next time you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can automatically succeed on the saving throw and take no damage instead. The rune disappears immediately after you do so. ***Rune of the Unyielding Steel (6th Level Required).*** when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you. ***Rune of the Unblinking Eye.*** As an action, you draw a rune that resides on your forehead for 1 minute. While the rune is on your forehead, you gain a +5 bonus to passive Wisdom (Perception) check, and you cannot be blinded. ***Rune of Vengeance (16th Level Required).*** Once on each of your turn when you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, or when you make an opportunity attack, you can treat the target's Armor Class as 10 against that attack, regardless of the target's actual Armor Class. ## Credits All contents are created by Created by [Weirdo Whoever](http://weirdoworkshop.blogspot.com) unless noted otherwise. Special thanks to [D&D Wiki](http://www.dandwiki.com) and [NaturalCrit Homebrewery tool](http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com) for providing the templates for my imaginations. ***Runepriest.*** Converted from 4th edition supplement *Player's Handbook 3.* Originally posted on [*Weirdo Whoever Plays D&D: Homage to the Past.*](http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HkInHMO0Z)

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