Rune Casting — The Teleporting Trap-Maker Wizard Arcane Tradition Wizard for D&D

August 26, 2019

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The Mis-Adventurers: An (Almost) Epic Tale is a new adult comedic fantasy adventure novel that hits a lot of the beats of a D&D campaign and the lovely disasters that can ensue. As the author, I very consciously designed the story this way, because some of the best stories I’ve ever experienced have been around the game table.

A large part of what makes D&D work so well as a storytelling avenue is its codified rules. These define things like how magic works, what weapons can do, and even resolving complex maneuvers. As an author trying to capture the proverbial magic of a TTRPG story, I knew that I’d have to codify many of the book’s events in terms of game mechanics. As such, I devised a unique new D&D subclass for each character.

This subclass was inspired by the lizard wizard himself, G’naark. Rune Casting is a very mobile sort of subclass, something wizards have never really had before. The Rune Casting wizard can also lay magical traps to ensnare others. Frankly, I’m not really sure where my brain was when designing this, and out of all the subclasses I wrote for The Mis-Adventurers, this was probably the most heavily inspired by what I wanted a single character to be able to do.

In The Mis-Adventurers: An (Almost) Epic Tale, Thomas Edward Overdale (aka Tom), of Farshire, is an eager halfling bard determined to set out on his own, so that he can write an epic tale of legend.

Arcane Tradition — Rune Casting

A new subclass for D&D wizards

Rune Casting is all about the ebb and flow of the Aether. Rune casters learn to travel along ley lines in an instant by transmuting their own bodies and synchronizing it with the rhythm of the energy around them. They hone their craft by melding principles from the schools of conjuration, evocation, and transmutation. For more free new D&D content, navigate using the Mis-Adventurers link above the title.

Runic Sight

Beginning when you choose this tradition at 2nd level, you can read all writing.

Runic Circle

At 2nd level, you learn to spend a minute inscribing a 10-foot radius Runic Circle on the ground. For the next hour, you can cast spells from your current location or from any 5-foot cube within your Runic Circle’s area as if you occupied that space. You can only have one Runic Circle at a time.

When a creature enters your Runic Circle’s area, choose from acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, or thunder. You can use your reaction to inflict damage of the chosen type to the creature equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), as long as you are within 120 feet of your Runic Circle.

Alternatively, you can use a bonus action on your turn to force a creature occupying your Runic Circle’s area to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes damage, as mentioned above.

Your Runic Circle can only be dispelled by you or by a dispel magic spell. The casting level for your Runic Circle equals your highest spell slot level.

Runestone

Beginning at 6th level, you can create a number of Runestones equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Each Runestone takes 1 minute to make. You can cast spells, speak, and listen through any of your Runestones as if you occupied their space. Your Runestone remains functional as long as you are on the same plane of existence as it.

Trademark Symbol

Also at 6th level, you learn to tattoo a rune onto your body, which allows you to cast one cantrip you know as a bonus action.

Sigil Swap

Beginning when you reach 10th level, you can use a bonus action to teleport, swapping places with one of your Runestones, as long as you are within 120 feet of it. If the Runestone occupies an area that is too small for you to fit, you take 2d10 force damage and appear in the nearest unoccupied space.

Runic Prison

Starting at 14th level, when a creature takes damage from your Runic Circle feature, its speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn.

Runestone Circle

Also beginning at 14th level, you can use your action to break one of your Runestones within 120 feet of you. When you do, a Runic Circle appears, centered on your Runestone’s location.

As part of the action used to break your Runestone, you can immediately teleport to any space within your new Runic Circle.