Weapon Upgrades and Rune Magic

Overview:

In Aelorion, the art of weapon upgrading reached new heights through Armor and Weapon Tags. Beginning at level 7, These mechanics offer players unique opportunities to enhance their weapons and armors with formidable durability and mystical properties. By applying Tags, characters to fortify their weapons and armor, granting them strength and resilience against the perils of battle. Through the combination of Weapon Tags and Rune Magic, characters can imbue weapons with mystical energies, bestowing upon them extraordinary abilities to possibly turn the tide of combat.

History:

Tags and Rune Magic are deeply entwined with the legacy of the Ironbeard clan. Descended from a line of renowned artisans and mystics, the Ironbeards forged their reputation as masters of both craftsmanship and magic.

Centuries ago, amidst the turbulent currents of Sorcerium innovation, two brothers, heirs to the Ironbeard legacy, emerged as pioneers in their respective fields. One brother, renowned for his prowess in blacksmithing, delved deep into the mysteries of metallurgy and alchemy. Through tireless experimentation and unwavering dedication, he perfected the art of tagging armor and weapons, imbuing them with unparalleled durability and strength.

Meanwhile, the other brother, driven by an insatiable thirst for arcane knowledge, embarked on a quest to unravel the secrets of the ancient Giants Rune Magic. Venturing far into mystical realms and beyond, he sought the elusive powers of ancient runes and runestones . Through trials and tribulations, he unlocked the potential of runestones, creating mystical insignias imbued with potent magical energies.

Armor and Weapon Upgrades:

• Upgrades take the form of tags. Tags add new properties to equipment.

• Each tag is unique and can only be applied to a piece of equipment once.

• Upgrading a piece of equipment with a new tag can only be performed by a dedicated craftsperson of the appropriate discipline in a workshop environment.

• Upgrading a piece of equipment with a new tag is a skilled endeavour, taking anywhere from a minimum of 8 hours to more than a week depending on the task.

Upgrading Armor- There are a number of options available to a character to upgrade their armor, from high-cost armor proofing, to useful additions like insulation suitable for cold weather environments. A complete list of these options, as well as cost and any additional requirements, are shown in the Armor Upgrades table. In addition to the basic rules for upgrading, the following rules apply when upgrading a suit of armor or a shield with a new tag: • Any prerequisite conditions must be satisfied to apply a new tag, as shown in the Armor Upgrades table. • Typically, it takes an Artisan a full day of work (minimum 8 hours) to upgrade a suit of armor or a shield with a new tag. • Armor Proofing. The proofing process normally requires a full workweek (5 days) and can only be undertaken by a Master Artisan. •Once added, armor proofing tags can’t be removed from a suit of armor.

Armor Proofing:

The primary method of upgrading armor, proofing is the process of testing and improving a suit of armor’s ability to withstand blows of various types below a certain threshold, being certified as proof against swords, arrows, and warhammers. While all types of armor can be proofed against slashing damage, only medium and heavy armors can be proofed against piercing damage, and only heavy armor can be proofed against bludgeoning attacks.

Other Upgrades:

In addition to proofing, various other upgrades are available to armors meeting the prerequisites for each, as shown in the Armor Upgrades table. Certain upgrades are incompatible, such as the breathable and insulated tags, while others have specific requirements (for example, the Runic Tag can only be applied by a Runesmith.)

Armor Upgrades Table:

Tag	Cost	Prerequisite	Properties
Armor proofing: 1st tier	1,000 gp	Light, medium, or heavy armor	While wearing this armor, if you would take 6 or less nonmagical slashing damage before resistance is applied, you take none of that damage instead.
Armor proofing: 2nd tier	2,000 gp	Medium or heavy armor with the 1st tier armor proofing tag	While wearing this armor, if you would take 7 or less nonmagical slashing or piercing damage before resistance is applied, you take none of that damage instead.
Armor proofing: 3rd tier	3,000 gp	Heavy armor with the 2nd tier armor proofing tag	While wearing this armor, if you would take 8 or less nonmagical slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage before resistance is applied, you take none of that damage instead.
Breathable	100 gp	Light or medium armor. Incompatible with insulated tag.	While wearing this armor, you have advantage on saving throws you make against exhaustion effects due to extreme heat, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Burnished	10 gp	Heavy armor	This armor has been polished to a mirror finish. While wearing it, you may have advantage on Charisma-based skill checks when interacting with certain humanoids, as determined by the DM. This tag is automatically removed after 24 hours of wear or at the end of a combat.
Climbing harness	100 gp	Light, medium, or heavy armor	This armor has been modified with a climbing harness around the midriff, comprising leather straps and quickdraws. While wearing it, you make Strength (Athletics) checks to scale vertical surfaces with advantage when using a rope or similar aid.
Decorated	5 gp	Medium or heavy armor and shields	This armor or shield is adorned with a holy symbol and can be used as a spellcasting focus for cleric and paladin spells.
Insulated	100 gp	Incompatible with breathable tag	This armor counts as cold weather gear in conditions of extreme cold, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Locking joints	150 gp	Half plate or plate armor	This armor is made with hinged joints that can be locked by a quick motion from the wearer. While wearing it, you make Strength (Athletics) checks to oppose attempts to shove you with advantage.
Quick-release clasps	200 gp	Light, medium, or heavy armor	You can doff this armor as an action.
Reinforced	300 gp	Heavy armor	This armor has been reinforced at the joints and other weak points. While wearing it, critical damage you take from nonmagical attacks is reduced by 3.
Runic	400 gp	Armor proofing tag (any tier) or a shield. Can only be applied by a runesmith.*	This armor or shield can be imbued with rune magic.*
Spiked	250 gp	Medium or heavy armor	This armor has been modified with spikes, barbs, or other similar feature, and deals 1d4 piercing damage to creatures attacking with unarmed strikes or natural weapons that aren’t magical.

Upgrading Weapons- Upgading weapons follows a branching path system, with available options split into multiple tiers. At first, a weapon can only be upgraded with a limited selection of 1st tier tags depending on its type, each of which “unlocks” one or more options from the next tier. The following additional rules apply when upgrading a weapon with a new tag: • All prerequisite conditions must be satisfied to apply a new tag, as shown in the Weapon Upgrades table. • 2nd tier upgrades can only be applied by a trained craftsman, with 3rd tier upgrades requiring the skills of a Master Artisan. • Typically, it takes an artisan a full day of work (minimum 8 hours) to upgrade a weapon with a new tag. • Once added, a tag can’t be removed from a weapon. Weapon Upgrade Cost Structure- Upgrading a weapon has a base cost associated with each tier, with subsequent upgrades of that tier costing twice the previous amount for that tier. For example, Erik decides to pay a visit to a local blacksmith in order to have a customized pommel attached to his dagger—adding the balanced tag—for the tier 1 base cost of 100 gp. Later, he returns to have the blade honed—adding the sharpened tag—this time costing 200 gp, with the next 1st tier upgrade costing 400 gp, and so on. Upgrades are grouped by tier for the purposes of this cost scaling: continuing with the above example, if Erik then wishes to have the blade of his dagger partially serrated in order to improve its effectiveness when slicing and cutting—adding the saw-toothed tag—it would cost 1,000 gp (the 2nd tier base cost) provided that the dagger doesn’t already possess any other 2nd tier tags.

Weapon Upgrades Table:

Tag	Prerequisite	Properties
1st Tier (base cost: 100 gp)
Balanced	Any weapon	You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this weapon.
Critical: Sharpened	Melee weapons that deal piercing or slashing damage only	Attacks with this weapon score a critical hit on a roll one lower than normal.
Critical: Sight pin	Bows and crossbows only	Attacks with this weapon score a critical hit on a roll one lower than normal.
Critical: Spiked	Melee weapons that deal bludgeoning damage only	Attacks with this weapon score a critical hit on a roll one lower than normal.
Runic	Can only be applied by a runesmith	This weapon can be imbued with rune magic.
Silvered	Any weapon	Attacks with this weapon count as silvered for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Wounding: Keen	Melee weapons only	You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls made with this weapon.
Wounding: Oiled string	Bows and crossbows only	You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls made with this weapon.
2nd Tier (base cost: 1,000 gp)
Brutal	Sharpened or spiked tag	When you roll the maximum damage for an attack with this weapon, you can roll the weapon damage dice again and add the new roll to the damage of the attack. If you roll the maximum amount again, you can repeat this process until you don’t.
Enchanted	Any 1st tier tag. Can only be applied by an arcane spellcaster. Quarterstaffs only.	You gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls while using this weapon as a spellcasting focus.
Flanged	Spiked tag. Can only be applied to maces and mauls.	When you hit a creature wearing medium or heavy armor with this weapon you sunder its armor, inflicting a noncumulative −1 penalty to its Armor Class until the armor is repaired.
Magical	Silvered tag. Can only be applied by an arcane spellcaster.	Attacks with this weapon count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and features such as the black pudding’s corrosive form.
Saw-toothed	Sharpened tag. Can only be applied to daggers.	Attacks with this weapon deal an extra 1d4 slashing damage. No effect against constructs or undead.
Superior	Balanced, keen, or oiled string tag. Can only be applied to weapons with one damage die.	The damage die of this weapon is increased by one size (for example, 1d6 becomes 1d8, and 1d10 becomes 1d12) to a maximum of 1d12.
3rd Tier (base cost: 10,000 gp)
Arcane	Enchanted tag. Can only be applied by an arcane spellcaster.	You gain a +1 bonus to your spell save DC while using this weapon as a spellcasting focus.
Masterwork	Brutal or superior tag	You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Runestones and Runesmithing:

Runestones are gemstones used as foci for the magic contained within the sigils engraved onto them by runesmiths. The following rules apply to the use of runestones: • In order to use a runestone, it must first be affixed to a piece of equipment with the runic tag. Only equipment with the runic tag can channel the magical properties of runestones. • A creature must be attuned to the item to gain the benefits of an affixed rune. • A maximum of one runestone can be affixed to a piece of equipment at a time. • A runestone can be removed from a piece of equipment, but it is destroyed in the process. • For magical effects created by runestones, your spell attack modifier and spell save DC use the ability modifier of the weapon used for the attack. Identifying Runestones- Runestones are identified in a manner similar to identifying magic items. Simply handling a runestone causes a strong sense of its identity to echo in a character’s mind. For example, touching a runestone engraved with the tempest rune might cause the hair on your neck to stand on end as visions of battle and thunderstorms flash through your mind. As the runes are based on modern Dethek, those able to read Dwarvish can comprehend their general meaning, which may provide clues about the runestone’s nature and properties. The identify spell immediately reveals a runestone’s properties. You can also learn its properties over the course of a short rest while maintaining physical contact with it, or by succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check using a set of Runesmith’s tools.

Runesmithing

Tool Proficiency- A Runesmith uses a special set of tools in order to engrave gemstones with magical sigils. In addition to the information below, use of these tools follows the general guidelines for artisan’s tools found in chapter 2, “Tool Proficiencies”, of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Runesmith’s Tools- Proficiency with Runesmith’s tools allows you to etch magical runes into precious stones, as well as identify aspects of their lore when encountered in the world. A set of runesmith’s tools costs 35 gp and weighs 5 lb. Components: Runesmith’s tools include a hammer, a set of chisels and needle files, a fine-haired brush, a pouch of powdered mithral, and a special alchemical lacquer. Arcana and History: Your expertise lends you additional insights about lore associated with runes and other sigils carved into stone or other surface. Investigation: You can spot clues and make deductions that others might overlook when inspecting items or surfaces carved with runes and other sigils. Activity DC Identify the properties of a runestone 15 Determine the creator of a runestone 20

**Moonlighting** Trading in Runestones outside of authorized channels is strictly forbidden. Every runesmith leaves a unique aura—like a magical fingerprint—on runestones they create, so be careful!

Crafting Requirements-

In order to engage in Runesmithing a character must be proficient with and have access to a set of Runesmith’s tools, with proficiency representing the base level of competency needed to wield the tools effectively. In addition to a set of Runesmith’s tools, a gemstone is required onto which the runes are engraved to fashion a Runestone. The minimum required quality of the gemstone (as denoted by its value) depends on the strength of the Runestone being created (as denoted by its rarity), as shown in the Runesmithing table: Runestone Rarity Gemstone Value DC Common At least 15 gp 10 Uncommon At least 50 gp 15 Rare At least 500 gp 20 Very Rare At least 1,000 gp 25 Legendary At least 5,000gp 28 Once all requirements are met, the process of creating a Runestone is performed over a period of four hours, which can be split into shorter sessions such as during a short rest. At the end of the period, make a craft check using your Runesmith’s tools. When you make this check, you don’t benefit from any bonuses (such as Bardic Inspiration) except your own ability score and proficiency bonus. **Runesmith’s tools modifier = Your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier (your choice)** On a success, the gemstone is engraved successfully and becomes a Runestone, otherwise the gemstone is destroyed. The DC depends on the rarity of the Runestone, as shown in the Runesmithing table.

The Ironbeard Runesmith’s Guild:

The Ironbeard Runesmith’s Guild is the official guild for the study and practice of Runesmithing and rune magic. Founded by the Ironbeard brothers in the Old Age, today the Guild is headquartered in the city of Sorcerium with a presence in a few major settlements throughout Aelorion. Joining the Guild- Any character proficient with a set of runesmith’s tools can become an apprentice of the Runesmith’s Guild by registering with a guild union representative and paying a registration fee of 15 gp. You must pass exams in order to increase your standing within the guild. For each exam, candidates are tasked with crafting the test item specified in the Guild Exams table. Exams are scheduled at the end of every month. Guild Exams Table Rank Test Item Journeyman Warrior runestone Craftsman Bound weapon runestone Artisan Chalice runestone Master Overshield runestone Grandmaster Volant runestone To be eligibile to sit an exam, a character must have paid for that term’s tuition. Tuition time and cost varies depending on the level of instruction, as shown in the Guild Tuition table. Tuition is undertaken for the next level of guild advancement. For example, a craftsman will receive tuition at the artisan level in order to prepare for advancement to that rank. Guild Tuition Table Instuction Level Tuition Term Tuition Journeyman 1 workweek 10 gp Craftsman 2 workweek 20 gp Artisan 4 workweek 75 gp Master 6 workweek 250 gp Grandmaster 10 workweek 650 gp Candidates sitting an exam must supply their own gemstone, or they can purchase one from guild stocks. Exams are invigilated by a Master or Grandmaster and last for two hours, during which time all forms of magic and magical effects are suppressed as if by an antimagic field spell. At the end of the period, make a craft check using your runesmith’s tools, following the normal rules for crafting a runestone. You make this check with advantage if you have attended a full tuition term (taken as a downtime activity). On a success, you pass the exam and your new rank is recognized. Runestones created during exams are withheld by the guild to pay taxes levied by the Grand Arcane Council, often by supplying the local garrison. Rank Benefits The following benefits are immediately conferred to members on attaining a new rank. All rank benefits are cumulative. Journeyman: You have demonstrated the basic care and competencies expected of a runesmith. As a result of your studies, you gain a +1 bonus to checks you make to craft runestones of common rarity. Craftsman: You are recognized as a full member of the guild You gain a +1 bonus to checks you make to craft runestones of uncommon rarity. Full members are able to perform guild work during downtime (see below). Artisan: You have demonstrated the capabilities of a veteran of the guild. You gain a +1 bonus to checks you make to craft rare runestones. Guild artisans are eligible for the Runesmithing Adept feat (see next page). Master: Through diligent study, you have achieved the status of a master runesmith. You gain a +1 bonus to checks you make to craft very rare runestones. Grandmaster: You have ascended to the rank of grandmaster. You gain a +1 bonus to checks you make to craft legendary runestones. Gransmasters are invited to attend meetings of the council, and often head local chapters.

Runestones: