The Runemage, a 7e class for T&T

[zanshin]

The blood of the Runemage sings with the power of the earth. Runemages are rare and readily recognisable. Their skin is covered in the healed scars of many bloodlettings, and inked with tattoos that hold magical significance.

The blood of a Runemage is so strong that they cannot absorb and redirect the magic of the universe in the way that a Wizard or a Rogue can. Instead they use their own power to reshape the universe and bend it to their will.

Runemages are rarely schooled. Instead they learn their powers when another Runemage finds them, and teaches them the art of the spell tattoo. They are usually clever, strong and tough, but also lacking in natural kremm.

To be a Runemage your ST and CON must be at least 15, your IQ
10 (to understand spells of level 1) and your Wizardry must be 9 or less. These are after racial modifiers. Runemages are rare, but most often humans or dwarves. Some rare intelligent Urooks and Hobgoblins have become Runemages. Few other kin have ever
been found to have this power.

[zanshin]

The Runemage has the ability to learn any spell they have the intelligence and dexterity for, but in order for them to cast it they must create a spell tattoo. They inscribe the rune for the spell on themselves in a ritual that inflicts 1 point of CON Damage/level of the spell and takes 1 hour/spell level. They can be taught a spell in the same way a Rogue can, but once they comprehend it they must make it into a tattoo before they can use it.

The Runemage reshapes the Universe using his own power. Therefore, when he casts a spell he expends strength and not wizardry to do so. Strength recovers with rest in the same way that Wiz does. They must make an SR on IQ to cast the spell in exactly the same way as other spell casters.

The Runemage can also use his own blood to make a spell more effective. His blood is so magical that it reduces the effort to cast a spell. The Runemage is adept at cutting himself and tracing the rune. This reduces the ST cost of the spell by 1 for each level the Runemage has, but the Runemage takes 1 damage as a result.
They cannot reduce the ST cost below 1 in this way.

Any spell they cast purely on themselves (not artifacts they are holding or wearing or any other people) benefits from the cost reduction without the need for bloodletting.

Runemages cannot use a magical focus.

The Runemage is trained in the Blood Way of magic. They resist spells with the best of their St, Con or Wiz. They overcome others resistance with their St opposed to the enemies Wiz.

The Runemage will be taught 1 spell only by their teacher, and then left to find their own way to magic. The Runes they use to cast spells may differ from Runemage to Runemage, but all are imbued with power.

[zanshin]

Runemages are able to use normal weapons and armour , but do not have the specialist training of a warrior or paragon.

They invariably have a easily wieldable small sharp knife for when their stocks of strength are depleted.
They cannot wear a full suit of armour as it covers their runes and stops blood letting. They will normally wear armour covering no more than 3 areas of the body (the areas being Head, Torso, 2 arms, 2 legs) and any armour for their head will leave their face exposed. For each additional location beyond 3 on which armour is worn, the SR level to cast a spell is increased by 1.

Level Stats are ST, CON, IQ, DEX

(PS comments on this appreciated. The idea is to balance the lack of Roguery with blood ways and blood letting, because apart from that they are basically a rogue that casts using Str. )

(PPS may turn into a TrollsZine article, so comments at this stage welcomed)

[cartomancer]

I really like it Dan. I've been looking at playing the Runebound / Fantasy Flight / Descent world in a TnT context (as it is a very rich world) and, they actually have Runewitch's. I get the feeling you just filled out the profile for me! :0).

P.s, *Exalt* ;0).

[mahrundl]

One point: tracing a rune in blood is going to be rather difficult if you're in a suit of armour.

Other than that, the idea seems workable on the surface. Have you play-tested the class at all?

[zanshin]

Thanks for the exalt cartomancer, glad you like it

Good point mahrundl I will address the armour issue. That may create some design space for balance.

Which i used; armour penalties introduced, bonus spell cost reduction for spells on self.

No I havent playtested it. Just some thoughts that occured to me. Probably worth running through a solo or two at least.

However many people playtested st as a casting stat before

[ProfGremlin]

Interesting ideas, Zanshin. Kinda reminds me of the Physical Adept from Shadowrun. I was brainstorming on something tangentially related to your bloodmagic over in the Magepunk thread.

[zanshin]

Thanks Prof Gremlin. Interesting thread, thanks for the link.

i wasn't thinking particularly about the Adept from Shadowrun - wow that takes me back. I just started thinking about why you would use Strength to cast spells in a magic rich world, then about Dwarf blood (and magic resistance) and the ideas started to connect from there.

[Hogscape]

The name 'Bloodmage' seems more appropriate?

[zanshin]

Yes, that would work.

[mahrundl]

That armour restriction seems workable, for blood tracing.

[zanshin]

Thanks Mahrundl, i feel it is a bit clunky now. I'll give it more thought. Suggestions welcomed.

[quoghmyre]

Have you seen the TnTspecialists it's got some good ideas on presentation.

[zanshin]

Yes, I have Quogmyre, i liked it. I am a big fan of chrome added to simple core rules

I will work on the concept further and see if it can be summarised on a sheet of A4.

[mahrundl]

Another possibility is no armour at all if rune tracing. Since the runemage is taking damage as well, that might be excessive. Perhaps you have to specify where the runes are, and that area can't be armoured (or covered at all, I suppose).