TEXT:  
  A BARBARIAN PATH THAT TAPS INTO  
  THE ANCIENT POWER OF GIANT RUNES  
   
  
   
  CREDIT 
  Writing & Game Design: Micah Muldowney 
  Layout & Graphic Design: Micah Muldowney 
  Art / Illustrations: Used under public domain and 
  Creative Commons  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  CONTENTS  
  RUNE MAGIC…………………….....…..………...... 1 
  LIVING RUNE….……………....….…………........... 6 
  EMPOWERED RUNE…………..……….....…........... 6 
  MASTER ERLAZ………………......……................. 6 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  ON THE COVER 
  The Årstad Stone, the only remaining monument 
  to a long-lost giant city deep in Uthgardt territory 
  abutting the spine of the world. Runecasters have 
  come to study its secrets for centuries. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of 
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  herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.  
   
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, 
  CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. This work contains material that is copyright 
  Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters 
  Guild.  
   
  All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Micah Muldowney and published under the Community Content Agreement for 
  Dungeon Master’s Guild. 
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Starting at the 3rd level you learn the basics of 
  runecasting, allowing you to unlock the power 
  contained within magical symbols and sigils. 
  You  learn 1 runes from the list below, which 
  you keep on your person in the form of a 
  runestone of your own crafting. You can attune 
  to a rune that you know while taking a long 
  rest. While attuned to a rune, you gain the 
  passive benefits of the rune, and may invoke 
  the active effects of the rune as described in the 
  entry for each rune. If an ability related to one 
  of your runes has a saving throw, the  DC is 12. 
  You may only be attuned to a single rune at a 
  time.  
  If you lose a runestone, you may spend 8 hours 
  crafting another one of the same rune.  
   
   
  Blood Rune: This rune’s magic uncovers the 
  unseen touch of kinship. While attuned to this 
  rune, you innately sense if a creature that you 
  meet has a close relationship (family, personal 
  friendship, professional partnership, etc.) with 
  any other creature that you have met in the last 
  week.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  As an action, trace the rune in blood on your 
  forehead to invoke it. Choose a person that you 
  know or have met. Until you the end of your 
  next long rest, you know the direction and 
  distance of the nearest creature that has 
  information on that creature. You do not know 
  their name or appearance or the nature of their 
  relationship, but can always sense how far 
  away they are in what direction. 
   
   
  Cloud Rune: The trickery and deceit of the 
  Cloud Giants lives in this rune. While attuned 
  to this rune you have advantage on deception 
  and slight of hand checks.  
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, creatures must make a perception check 
  against you to make sure you are where they 
  think you are the first time they attack each 
  turn. On a failed roll, they make the attack 
  against another creature of your choice within 
  range, or the attack is wasted if there are no 
  suitable targets. 
   
   
   
   
   In the wild north, many barbarians inhabit lands once 
  ruled by the children of Annam All-Father. Whether it is 
  through distant giantish heritage or the study of the 
  remnants of ancient runes left in the ruins of giant cities, 
  barbarians that follow the path of the runecaster learn to 
  harness the power of magic runes to augment their own 
  prowess and deepen the power of their rage.  
  1 
  
   
   
   
  Death Rune: This rune’s magic hums with 
  quiet menace. While attuned to this rune, you 
  can innately tell how close any creature within 
  10 feet is to death, given in such general terms 
  as full HP, nearly full HP, <75% HP, < 50% HP, 
  or < 25% HP.  
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, whenever you deal damage to a 
  creature, its maximum HP is reduced by the 
  same number, and it cannot regain HP or 
  benefit from temporary HP until the end of 
  your next turn.   
   
   
   
  Dragon Rune: The awe and majesty of 
  dragonkind emanates from this rune. You have 
  advantage on Charisma checks while attuned to 
  this rune. 
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, you have advantage against effects that 
  would frighten or charm you and resistance to 
  one type of damage of your choice that is 
  related to a dragon breathe weapon. 
   
   
   
  Enemy Rune: the magic of this rune increases 
  the enmity of foes. While attuned to this rune, 
  you have advantage on initiative rolls. 
  This rune is invoked by going into a rage. While 
  raging, any time you hit a creature, they must 
  make a wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, 
  they have disadvantage on attack rolls against 
  creatures other than you for one minute, and 
  must make a wisdom saving throw each time it 
  attempts to move to a space that is more than 30 
  feet away from you. On a successful save, this 
  effect ends on them. 
   
   
   
  Fire Rune: The magic of this rune embodies the 
  fierce purifying power of flames. While attuned 
  to this rune, you gain resistance to fire damage. 
  This rune is invoked by taking action. For 1 
  minute, you glow like an ember with fervent 
  heat, emitting dim light to a distance 10 feet. 
  While in this state, your touch becomes 
  incendiary, allowing you to light small 
  flammable objects (like a torch) on fire, and 
  dealing 1d10 damage to any creature that 
  touches or hits you with a melee attack. The fire 
  magic within you is also purifying. When you 
  touch a creature, you can remove a curse or one 
  of the following conditions they suffer from as 
  an act ion: possessed, charmed, frightened, 
  stunned, unconscious, and petrified. You can 
  only use this ability once per target creature. 
  After you have invoked this rune, you cannot 
  do so again until after a short or long rest. 
   
   
   
   Friend Rune: Amity and goodwill emanate 
  from this rune. While attuned to it, you can use 
  the help action as a bonus action or reaction as 
  well as an action. 
  2 
  
   
  You can invoke this rune while taking the help 
  action. The beneficiary is then charmed by you 
  for the next 10 minutes, unless it is damaged or 
  otherwise harmed by you or your allies. You 
  may not use this ability again until the end of 
  your next short or long rest.  
   
    
  Frost Rune: This rune’s magic is imbued with 
  the hardiness of the north. While you are 
  attuned to this rune, you have advantage on 
  survival checks and resistance to fire damage.  
  You may invoke this rune using an action. For 
  one minute, the ground up to a range of 30 feet 
  around you is covered in slick ice. Creatures 
  that move more than 10 feet within the area in a 
  turn must make a dexterity check, falling prone 
  and take 2d8 cold damage on a failed save and 
  sliding 5 feet in a random direction on a 
  successful one. If they collide with another 
  creature as they slide, both must make or repeat 
  the dexterity check, experiencing the same 
  effects. 
   
   
   
  Hill Rune: The magic of this rune shares in the 
  enduring nature of the hills. While attuned to 
  this rune, you have advantage on constitution 
  saving rolls.  
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, you automatically succeed in single 
  kind of saving throw of your choice.  
   
   
   
   
  Journey Rune: The magic of this Rune evokes 
  the romance of the road. While attuned to this 
  rune, you have an additional 10 feet of 
  movement.  
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, you may use Misty Step as a bonus 
  action on each turn. Otherwise, you can activate 
  it outside of a rage once to use misty step, and 
  cannot use it again until after the end of your 
  next short or long rest. 
   
   
   
  King Rune: This rune is wreathed in an aura of 
  power and authority. While attuned to this 
  rune you gain an air of command that demands 
  deference. You have advantage on persuasion 
  and intimidation checks.  
  This rune is invoked by using an action to lay 
  the Geas spell on a creature.. You choose 
  between the following penalties for violating 
  the geas: 5d10 psychic damage, losing the 
  ability to speak or see for 24 hours, 
  automatically failing a specific type of save for 
  24 hours, losing a memory of your choice, 
  losing the skill of your choice for a week, a form 
  of temporary madness per the madness chart in 
  the DMG or another appropriate effect allowed 
  by your DM. You may not use this ability again 
  until after you have finished a long rest. 
   
   
  3 
  
   
   
   
   
  Light Rune: The magic of this rune embodies 
  the hope and joy brought only by light. While 
  you are attuned to this rune, you have 
  darkvision out to 120 feet and are resistant to 
  radiant damage. 
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging magical darkness does not impede your 
  sight. You radiate an aura of bright light for 10 
  feet. This light causes several effects: 
   Creatures with darkvision must make a 
  constitution save or become blinded until 
  they leave area of effect.   
   The light clings to creatures, even after they 
  leave its glow. Invisible creatures are visible 
  within the area and until the end of your next 
  turn after they leave it. 
   Creatures that are not in their true form make 
  a Constitution saving throw when they enter 
  the area or any time they start their turn 
  there. On a failed save, they revert to their 
  true form and cannot assume another form 
  until they leave the area of the light. 
   
   
   
  Life Rune: This rune’s magic fills those around 
  it with a sense of peace and optimism. While 
  you are attuned to this rune, you are immune to 
  disease and poison.  
  You may invoke this rune as an action. You 
  touch a willing creature, which can include 
  yourself. That creature may do one of the 
  following: 
   Roll any number of hit die they have 
  remaining to regain HP. 
   Remove one disease or condition afflicting it. 
  The condition can be blinded, deafened, 
  paralyzed, or poisoned. 
   Give them advantage on constitution saves 
  and checks for 1 minute. 
  You may invoke this ability once per short rest. 
   
   
   
  Mountain Rune: The magic of this rune seethes 
  with the strength and majesty of the mountains. 
  While you are attuned to it, you have 
  advantage on strength checks and count as one 
  size larger than you are for all effects.  
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging,  critical hits against creatures stun them 
  until the end of your next turn, and once per 
  turn you can force a creature to make a strength 
  saving throw when they are hit by you. On a 
  failed save they are knocked prone. 
   
   
   
  Sacred Rune: The protection of the All-Father 
  flows from this rune. While attuned to this 
  rune, you cannot be frightened, charmed, or 
  possessed by celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, 
  or undead. 
  This rune is invoked by entering a rage. While 
  raging, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and 
  4 
  
   
  undead attack you with disadvantage. Further, 
  once per turn you may attempt to banish a 
  creature of one of those types that you hit with 
  an attack to its home plane. The creature must 
  make a Wisdom save or be sent back to its 
  plane of origin.  
   
   
   
  Shield Rune: This rune emanates a magical 
  sense of security. While attuned to this Rune, 
  you are immune to the frightened condition. 
  You invoke this rune when you enter a rage. 
  While raging, you can receive no more than 10 
  damage from any single attack, spell, or other 
  damaging event. You may use your bonus 
  action to grant this ability to a creature within 
  30 feet. If you do so, you lose it until the 
  beginning of your next turn.  
   
   
   
  Stone Rune: This rune embodies the strength 
  and constancy of stone. While you are attuned 
  to it, you have advantage on any save against 
  actions or effects that would move you against 
  your will and the stonecunning trait. 
  You invoke this rune when you enter a rage. 
  While raging, if you jump as part of your 
  movement, you send a shock wave coursing 
  through the ground for 20 feet. That area 
  becomes difficult terrain until the end of your 
  next turn. Each creature in the area that is 
  concentrating other than you must succeed on a 
  Constitution saving throw or their 
  concentration is broken, and you know there 
  size and location as long as they are in contact 
  with the ground. 
   
   
   
  Storm Rune: The wisdom and foresight of the 
  storm giants flows from the magic of this rune. 
  While you are attuned to this rune, you cannot 
  be su rprised while you are conscious and gain 
  the insight and perception skills if you do not 
  have them already. 
  You invoke this rune when you enter a rage. 
  While raging, any time you or a creature within 
  15 feet of you rolls a d20, you can use your 
  reaction to have them roll a second d20. You 
  choose which roll is used. 
   
   
   
  War Rune: The fury or war rages within this 
  rune. When you are attuned to it, you have one 
  additional use of rage per long rest.  
  You invoke this rune when you enter a rage. 
  While raging, you may use your bonus action 
  to make an attack a number of times equal to 
  your strength modifier.  
   
   
   
  Wind Rune: The blessing of the wind is infused 
  in the magic of this rune. While attuned to it, 
  you take no damage from falling. 
  5 
  
   
  You invoke this rune when you enter a rage. 
  While raging, you gain a flying speed equal to 
  your walking speed and can take the dash 
  action as a bonus action. If you don't land at the 
  end of your turn, you fall unless you have 
  another means of staying aloft. Ranged weapon 
  attacks against you are made with 
  disadvantage. 
   
  Your runic practice weaves the magic of your 
  runes into your very being. Starting at the 6th 
  level, you learn a new rune. Whenever you 
  learn a new rune you may also replace one rune 
  you already know with another rune.  
  Whenever you are attuned to a rune, you can 
  choose to increase one ability score of your 
  choice by 2 or increase two ability scores of 
  your choice by 1. Whenever you attune to a 
  different rune, you can alter this choice, 
  reducing the scores you previously increased 
  and improving different scores. 
   
  Starting at the 10th level your long practice 
  increases the raw power of your runecasting. 
  You learn a new rune, and the DC for your rune 
  abilities increases to 15.    
   
  Starting at the 14th level you become a master of 
  the art of runecasting. You learn an additional 
  rune, and you are now able to attune to two 
  runes at once, enjoying the passive benefits of 
  both. You may still only envoke one rune at a 
  time.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  1 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Micah Muldowney/Path of the Runecaster.pdf