Rune Magic

[rickayelm]

Under Gards write up in Our World she has sponsored magic runes. But I can't seam to find this anywhere.

[KOFFEYKID]

Thats because her writeup is almost completely speculation, so we (including the game designers) dont really have any info on it. It would be nice to have more detail on it though, if only because it seems like it could be a really cool sponsored magic.

[iago]

I would have liked to get into it more, but Jim has been pretty cagey about the details of how it works. I get the sense that the "sponsor" of the runes -- if that's really the right way to model it -- is

(click to show/hide)

the head of Monoc Securities, given his secret identity.

(Changes spoiler.)

[Sygyrd]

Well, I can't tell you what Jim would say, but as for the employ of runes in Norse and Germanic magic...  The oldest futhark inscriptions were often very much like modern tagging... with a magical twist.  They'd often say something like "I, Thorvald, wrote/made this."  But here's where the archaeology gets interesting for our purposes... sometimes they'd say something tantamount to "I Thorvald made this, and if you destroy it you'll be cursed."  Sometimes the curses were fairly detailed.  This archaeological record meshes very well with the Norse literature left to us from much later times (writ Dark Ages.)  Take the Icelandic sagas which are replete with examples of runes being written upon things to enchant them in one way or another.

So... my son is playing a character with sponsored rune magic in my campaign.  His sponsor is Hel (cool living-dead Elric-like background story there), so basically there's little difference from Unseelie magic as far as the kind/flavor of effects he can achieve.  Every spell has a thaumaturgical element in that he must write, in runes, the effect he wants to achieve upon the thing he wants to use to do it.  So basically he can enchant or even curse items quick and dirty (so long as he keeps Hel appeased.) 

For Einherjar belonging to Freya (she got half of them,) instead of rune magic (if they practice magic) they would probably practice seithr... although it was considered effeminate, even if men did practice it. (Look it up on wikipedia.)  The flavor of the results of her magic would be almost identical to that of Seelie magic.  For Einherjar belonging to Odin, I'd let them choose between rune magic and seithr (Odin practiced both.)  Odin sponsored magic would be a bit more involved.  I'd allow any enchantment of war materiel, things involving leadership, divination, healing and ectomancy (and maybe even necromancy outright.)

Things I consider necessary for any Einherjar (I don't know if Jim has addressed them as I'm only on Dead Beat right now) are: Feeding Dependency (YS 190) as  the Einherjar restored themselves nightly by feasting; Supernatural Recovery (YS 186), the catch being you have to eat to repair yourself (I might even go Mythic Recovery here); and Living Dead (YS 164) because that's what they are after all... I'd have them appear more human-like the less hungry they are and more corpse-like the hungrier they are.

My question, having not read all the books, is... would an Einherjar practitioner of sponsored magic be subject to the White Council's Laws of Magic, since they aren't really human?  I'd think not.

And if Jim does read this, he should know that I found the Dresden Files (and love them) after having learned of it from playing SotC... AND I've bought all of his books since then.  So the DFRPG is helping his books' sales as well as the other way around.

[Nyarlathotep5150]

   There aren't any gamerule write ups for it, but the power itself is illustrated in the short story Heorot Where

(click to show/hide)

Gard keeps a box of small stone chits each with a rune inscribed on it. To use the spell the rune invokes, she must break the Chit (and according to the story she does have a limited number of each). So possibly you'd be looking at a variation of crafting potions. Where you'd have to prepare (or be given) the rune chits in advance.

This is the WoJ effect of it, but in my games I'd go more with the traditional Rune magic approach.
    The user scrawls a mystic rune in his own blood to invoke the effect of that Rune. With limitations such as, cannot be used to break the 4th law (The Norsemen and their gods where very much about freedom and bowing to noone. Norsemen didn't even bow to their gods, insted considering them equals. Even Odin himself could not outright order others around.), Cannot be used to thwart fate (Narrators call on what is or is not fated to happen).
    And such compels as, must kill Giants or trolls, cannot back down from a fight or show cowardice of any kind, must seek revenge for fallen friends and family no matter the cost, etc.

[Peteman]

   Cannot be used to thwart fate (Narrators call on what is or is not fated to happen).
    And such compels as, must kill Giants or trolls, cannot back down from a fight or show cowardice of any kind, must seek revenge for fallen friends and family no matter the cost, etc.

From what I remember, Harry was fated to die in that alleyway when Miss Gard intervened.

[Mal_Luck]

I did a write up for Rune Magic with with some others users (Luminos, KOFFEYKID, and Tsunami) shortly after Even Hand came out.

Rune Magic [-4]: Standard Sponsor Benefits, 12 Rune Item Slots (equivalent of Enchanted Item Slots) if paying at -4 (A -1 cost discount for is given if the player has Thaumaturgy, though it looses two rune item slots due to the reduced cost. There is no discount for Evocation). These slots can be used to emulate any Evocation or Thaumaturgy effect, but may only be used for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes (although Enchanted Item Slots may also to pay for Rune Magic Items or Consumable Runes). A Rune Magic Item works and functions the same as an Enchanted Item (pre-prepared items) and a Consumable Rune works and functions the same as Potions or other Consumables (one-use runes). No channeling (all magical effects are done by using the Rune Item Slots). Others may use Rune Magic Items without using an extra slot to make it usable by others. Refinement may be bought for additional slots.

Rune Item Slot = Enchanted Item Slot
Rune Magic Item = Enchanted Item
Consumable Runes = Potions/Consumables

I just felt the distinction needed to be made if a magic user took the power, so they can't be wily nily and use the slots for their own magic items.

Effectively, this is Ritual (Rune Crafting) + 2 Refinement and a couple bells and whistles.
It probably needs some work, but it was a good enough that a couple people outside my own group liked it enough to use it.

[Richard_Chilton]

If I recall correctly, Gard talks about certain runes taking days to fashion, and for at least one of them she required an exotic component.

Richard

[Tsunami]

If I recall correctly, Gard talks about certain runes taking days to fashion, and for at least one of them she required an exotic component.

Richard

That was the (Even Hand Spoiler)

(click to show/hide)

Bullet taken from a dead man (dead hero probably), and it was an extremely powerful one. Also, it was not that it took her especially long to inscribe the rune on it, but that she was unconscious for two weeks afterwards.

Anyways, i think it's an extreme example. More common rune magic would be a lot simpler.

[vultur]

All the rune magics we've seen (lightning-bolt in Small Favor,

(click to show/hide)

collapsing roof and 'routine disguise'

in 'Heorot', and

(click to show/hide)

bullet

in 'Even Hand') have instant effects. So I think Rune Magic is (in game terms) a way to pre-prepare evocations and store them as physical runes.

The

(click to show/hide)

two weeks of unconsciousness

is probably some sort of thaumaturgy-style cost (like inflicting consequences on yourself, or taking time...) Gard paid to boost her effective Lore for that rune magic.

I would not actually treat it mechanically like other sponsored magic; it's not something boosting spells you're casting like Hellfire or Soulfire, nor is it cast more-or-less like regular magic like Seelie/Unseelie Magic given to a Knight who's not previously a spellcaster.

Instead, I'd think it'd be something like
Rune Magic [-2???]
You can prepare Runes. Preparing a Rune is mechanically identical to preparing a thaumaturgic spell; the Complexity of the Rune is equal to the number of shifts of effect stored + 2 if it must be actively used, or shifts of effect + 4 if it is set to trigger on a pre-determined condition. The Rune stores a Spirit Evocation of the appropriate number of shifts; a character can incorporate a number of shifts equal to their Conviction with no extra cost - above that, the character takes a Mental Stress hit equal to the number of shifts above their Conviction.

 The type of Evocation (block, attack, maneuver, counterspell) must be decided while the Rune is being crafted. If the Rune is to be set to trigger on a pre-determined conditions, all decisions (number of targets to affect with an attack, whether to use a shield as a block or Armor) must also be set at time of casting; if the Rune will be actively used, this is unnecessary.

The Rune must be inscribed on a physical object. If a Rune is set to trigger on its own, the trigger must be an obvious action performed within line of sight of where the rune is placed. If the Rune is used actively, it does not cost Mental Stress as casting a normal Evocation would. When the Rune is activated, it needs no control roll and (for attacks or maneuvers) uses the rune-maker's Discipline.

A character can have up to (what's an appropriate number?) in runes stored at any one time. Others may use Runes prepared by a character, but they still count against this total until used.
 
Example: Sigrun Gard (Great Lore) seeks to make a Rune that will launch a Weapon:8 magical bolt when anyone opens the locker the Rune is placed in. This is a Complexity 12 Rune, so she must make up 8 points of Complexity. When she has performed the appropriate preparation, her Fair Conviction means she takes a 6-stress Mental hit, requiring her to take a moderate consequence.

Gard attempts to make a Rune that the bearer can activate to provide a 4-shift veil against Awareness; the Complexity is 6. When she has made up 2 points by preparation, her Fair Conviction gives her a 2-stress Mental hit.

[Mal_Luck]

I think mine does more or less everything you just described in a much simpler fashion. 

[Nyarlathotep5150]

From what I remember, Harry was fated to die in that alleyway when Miss Gard intervened.

   That was in Dead Beat and if you'll recall, she intervened with a battle axe, not magic, and even then she said there would be consequences.

[Mal_Luck]

From what I remember, Harry was fated to die in that alleyway when Miss Gard intervened.

This is covered by Gard's Supernatural Senses and probably unrelated to her Rune Magic.

[Sygyrd]

Mal_Luck I really like your system.  I would allow Consumable Runes to be written on the go... this is sponsored magic after all.  Writing down your spell effect in runes on the fly can be a pain in the rear in combat, but given you have a god for a sponsor, it should be possible.

That sponsor thing is still very important.  WHO your sponsor is would greatly effect what kind of spells you were throwing around.  (I see very little fire effects coming from Hel.  Surtr on the other hand well...)  AND I don't see this being done without a sponsor.  Odin payed a very high price for rune magic.  If any mortal went around dabbling in it without a sponsor, I can see Odin squashing him real quick (that is if he just didn't disallow the magic to work in the first place.)

[sinker]

In heorot didn't Gard also have runes inscribed on her axe? Wouldn't that imply that she's also capable of creating actual enchanted items, other than the potion-like effects we predominately see?