RUNESTONES

##### a homebrew by mrapplethorn # Runestones A *lone wandering knight wields his ancestral sword passed down from father to son. On its hilt shine three runes in various colors. He whispers an incantation and the sword sheds a bright light. He enters a dark room, 5 pairs of blood-red eyes focus on him. The knight whispers again, now the sword jumps from his hand and flings itself towards the creatures that hide in the shadows. Striking the one in the middle, casting its light on the surrounding monsters - wolves - the knight lets out a yell and the sword jolts back to his hand.* ## Introduction Runestones can be embedded into an item by either an Artificer, a Wizard or a Rock Gnome. To embed a runestone into an item, the item has to have an empty runestone-slot. See 'Adding Runestone-Slots' on page 3 for more information. ## Thorn Runes Thorn runes grant different bonuses depending on the object it is embedded in. It grants a bonus to attack and damage rolls made when used as a weapon, and extra hit points and a bonus to the armor class when embedded in a piece of armor.

*Limited to one Thorn rune per item* - **Lesser Thorn Rune:** +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls or +1 to AC. - **Common Thorn Rune:** +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls or +2 to AC. - **Greater Thorn Rune:** +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls or +3 to AC.

```` ````

## Feoh Runes Feoh runes grant proficiency with an ability or skill, or expertise if the person wielding it already has proficiency.
*When improving runestones or determining how many to give to your party Feoh runes count as Common runes.* - **Feoh Rune of {ability or skill}:** proficiency on {ability or skill} checks and saving throws, grants expertise if already proficient. ## Jera Runes Jera runes grant elemental bonuses, either to increase damage, increase resistance or for specific magical effects.

*Damage types: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant or thunder.* ### Damage *Add this damage when physical contact is made between the item and a target, like an attack. Or when projectiles are fired from it, like with a bow.* - **Lesser {damage type} Jera Rune:** +1D4 {damage type} damage. - **Common {damage type} Jera Rune:** +1D6 {damage type} damage. - **Greater {damage type} Jera Rune:** +1D8 {damage type} damage.

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RUNESTONES

### Advantage *Only in effect when on shields* - **{common or greater} {damage type} Jera Rune:** advantage on saving throws against {damage type}. ### Resistance *Only in effect when on armor* - **Lesser {damage type} Jera Rune:** reduce all {damage type} damage by 1D4. - **Common {damage type} Jera Rune:** resistance to {damage type} damage. - **Greater {damage type} Jera Rune:** immune to {damage type} damage. ### Spells *Only in effect when on an item you can carry or wield on your hands, like: gloves, rings, weapons or musical instruments. Shields excluded.*

*You can only cast the spell that has the same damage type as your rune.* - **Lesser {damage type} Jera Rune:** Cast 'Acid Arrow' (Acid), 'Eldritch Blast' (Force) or 'Guiding Bolt' (Radiant) once a day. - **Common {damage type} Jera Rune:** Cast 'Acid Arrow' (Acid), 'Eldritch Blast' (Force) or 'Guiding Bolt' (Radiant) three times a day. --- Cast 'Blight' (Necrotic), 'Cloudkill' (Poison) or 'Shatter' (Thunder) once a day. - **Greater {damage type} Jera Rune:** Cast 'Acid Arrow' (Acid), 'Eldritch Blast' (Force) or 'Guiding Bolt' (Radiant) five times a day. --- Cast 'Blight' (Necrotic), 'Cloudkill' (Poison) or 'Shatter' (Thunder) three times a day. --- Cast 'Cone of Cold' (Cold), 'Fireball' (Fire), 'Lightning Bolt' (Lightning) or 'Phantasmal Killer' (Psychic) once per day. ### Bonus *Only in effect when on item with another Jera Rune. When improving runestones or determining how many to give to your party. Bonus Jera runes count as Common runes.* - **Jera Rune of {enemy type}'s Bane:** Doubles the effect of other Jera runes on this item, but only against {enemy type}. This rune negates all effects of Jera runes on this item against other enemy types. - **Diurnal Jera Rune** Doubles the effect of other Jera runes on this item, but only during the day. This rune negates all effects of Jera runes on this item during the night. - **Nocturnal Jera Rune** Doubles the effect of other Jera runes on this item, but only during the night. This rune negates all effects of Jera runes on this item during the day. - **Jera Rune of the {terrain type}** Doubles the effect of other Jera runes on this item, but only when used in the {terrain type}. This rune negates all effects of Jera runes on this item when in other terrain types. ```` ```` ## Nyd Runes The list below shows some ideas for runes that you can use in your games, but feel free to make your own. Keep in mind that you don't have to make them from scratch. For example, the various official books by Wizards of the Coast are filled with magic items you can easily rewrite into runestones.
*When improving runestones or determining how many to give to your party Nyd runes count as either Common or Greater runes.* - **Boomerang Nyd Rune:** As a bonus action, you can call this item back to your hand within 30ft. - **Bright Nyd Rune** The affected item permanently sheds bright white light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. Completely covering the object with something opaque blocks the light. *(alternatively you can only make this item shed light when there are enemies nearby)* - **Teleport Nyd Rune** As a bonus action, if the item is throwable, you can throw it anywhere to instantly teleport to its location. - **Incorporeal Nyd Rune** The affected item passes through cloth and skin leaving no visible wounds. All damage dealt with this item is internal. - **Runic Creature Nyd Rune** As an action, when you touch the rune, roll a D6. The item connected to the rune morphs into one of the creatures on the list below for 1 hour. The creature has a personality determined by the DM, but it stays consistent across multiple uses. The rune also morphs into the new shape and cannot be accessed until the effect wears off *(alternatively you can make this item only change into one of the creatures on this list)*: 1. a Riding Horse 2. a fair maiden of the same race as the item's wielder (Noble) 3. a Blood Hawk 4. a Mouse 5. a Gelatinous Cube 6. a Young Brass Dragon - **Dancing Nyd Rune** You can use a Bonus Action to speak the Command Word. When you do so, the item begins to hover, flies up to 30 feet, and attacks one creature of your choice within 5 feet of it. The item uses your Attack roll and ability score modifier to Damage Rolls. While the item hovers, you can use a Bonus Action to cause it to fly up to 30 feet to another spot within 30 feet of you. As part of the same Bonus Action, you can cause the item to Attack one creature within 5 feet of it. After the hovering item attacks for the fourth time, it flies up to 30 feet and tries to return to your hand. If you have no hand free, it falls to the ground at your feet. If the item has no unobstructed path to you, it moves as close to you as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if you grasp it or move more than 30 feet away from it. - **Invisibility Nyd Rune** Once per day the wielder of this item will randomly go invisible for one minute exactly. The DM or a dice will determine when this will happen. - **Twin Nyd Rune** The creatures that hold the items attached to these two runes share all damage received between them. \page

RUNESTONES : MODIFICATION

# Modification ## Adding Runestones While adding a runestone to an item with a runestone-slot available is fairly easy, it's plug-and-play. Removing a runestone requires a bit more thought; the integrity of an item is lost after the rune is removed and it crumbles into dust. All runestones remain intact and can be used on other items. ## Adding Runestone-Slots Normally a non-magic item has no runestone-slots. But if you are an Artificer, Wizard or Rock Gnome you can add one in your downtime. This process lasts for 14 days and costs 10 gp per day. After you spend the required amount of time and money, your item will have gained a Runestone-slot. Alternatively you can find an Artificer, Wizard or Rock Gnome willing to do this process for you. The DM determines how much more gold it will cost per day, and if it will be finished in the same amount of time. Every item has a maximum number of Runestone-Slots, which you can see in the list below. ##### Amount of Runestone-Slots | Item | Max. Amount of Runestone-Slots | |:-|-:| |Simple Melee Weapon|3| |Martial Melee Weapon|4| |Ranged Weapon|2| |Improvised Weapon|1| |Light Armor|2| |Medium Armor|3| |Heavy Armor|4| |Clothing|1| |Jewelry|1| |Shield|3| ```` ```` ## Improving Runestones Thorn and Jera runes have varying tiers of strength: Lesser, Common and Greater. By combining 2 runes of the same strength you can create one with a higher tier. You have to choose which rune to upgrade. For example: if you have a Lesser Thorn Rune and a Lesser Radiant Jera Rune, you can either make a Common Thorn Rune or a Common Radiant Jera Rune. The other rune is then destroyed in the process. ## Awarding Runestones Wizards of the Coast has made a section on Awarding Magic Items (XGtE p.135) to your party. The following table tries to give you the same amount of clarity but for the amount of runestones your party deserves at what level.
*Keep in mind that players can combine same-tiered runestones to create more powerful runes (page 2, Improving Runestones). This table therefore does not represent the amount of runestones the party will possess eventually, but just how many they are awarded by playing the game.* ##### Runestones Awarded | Level/CR | Lesser | Common | Greater | |:-|-:|-:|-:| |1-4|4|0|0| |5-10|10|3|0| |11-16|2|6|12| |17+|0|3|24| |**Total**|**16**|**12**|**36**|

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RUNESTONES : BONUS CONTENT

# Bonus Content ##### ideas for magic items
### Iron Man Armor + Blasters ___ - **Item:** Plate (Heavy Armor) - **Rune(s):** Feoh Rune of Strength, Greater Radiant Jera Rune, Dancing Nyd Rune ### Mjolnir ___ - **Item:** Light Hammer - **Rune(s):** Greater Thunder Jera Rune, Boomerang Nyd Rune ### "Light" Sword ___ - **Item:** Longsword - **Rune(s):** Feoh Rune of Acrobatics, Lesser Radiant Jera Rune, Boomerang Nyd Rune, Bright Nyd Rune

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