Runes and Formulae
Harnessing a power that can ignore the laws of nature or
produce tremendous surges of awe-inspiring elemental force
is neither a subtle nor an invisible practice. Although their
techniques for shaping magic vary, all casters work through
runes and formulae, and these become visible to those around
them when a spell is cast.
Each rune’s exact shape and color spectrum vary according to the caster’s background and training, although certain fundamental sigils are shared by many groups. For example, all of humanity’s modern arcane orders draw from the same foundation—one based on sigils developed during the early rebellion against the Orgoth. By contrast, untrained sorcerers have less distinct runes and simpler formulae, and they must pour raw power into their sigils to make up for their lack of finesse. Sorcerers’ runes are closely aligned with their origin and have a more limited vocabulary. Some arcanists learn to customize the manifestations of their runes, but this requires considerable practice.
When an arcanist casts a spell, glowing runes depicting a tangible manifestation of formulae appear briefly around the arcanist’s person, their size and scope relative to the power invoked. Less potent spells are prefigured by circles of runes around either the caster’s hand or an item used as a point of focus, such as a weapon; more significant effects result in concentric rings of runes around the caster’s body, typically at waist height, at the shoulders, or around the head. If a spell is affecting someone else nearby, runes briefly manifest around that person as well.
To most people, these glowing runes are indistinct and quickly forgotten manifestations of Magic—nothing more than an ominous sign of gathered supernatural forces. But other arcanists who witness a spell’s runes can anticipate its scope and nature, an aptitude that can provide a tremendous tactical advantage. These runes, though bright, are too brief and focused to be used as a source of light, although they certainly draw attention to a caster in a dark place. To counter this, many casters involved in clandestine activities develop the ability to mask these runic formulae. Runes must manifest in order for this type of magic to function, but a skilled practitioner can suppress their size and intensity to the point that they are all but unnoticeable. Spells specifically designed to augment stealth typically include these techniques as part of their casting.
A character who sees a spell’s runes can attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check against the spellcaster’s spell save DC to determine the nature of the spell being cast.
Each rune’s exact shape and color spectrum vary according to the caster’s background and training, although certain fundamental sigils are shared by many groups. For example, all of humanity’s modern arcane orders draw from the same foundation—one based on sigils developed during the early rebellion against the Orgoth. By contrast, untrained sorcerers have less distinct runes and simpler formulae, and they must pour raw power into their sigils to make up for their lack of finesse. Sorcerers’ runes are closely aligned with their origin and have a more limited vocabulary. Some arcanists learn to customize the manifestations of their runes, but this requires considerable practice.
When an arcanist casts a spell, glowing runes depicting a tangible manifestation of formulae appear briefly around the arcanist’s person, their size and scope relative to the power invoked. Less potent spells are prefigured by circles of runes around either the caster’s hand or an item used as a point of focus, such as a weapon; more significant effects result in concentric rings of runes around the caster’s body, typically at waist height, at the shoulders, or around the head. If a spell is affecting someone else nearby, runes briefly manifest around that person as well.
To most people, these glowing runes are indistinct and quickly forgotten manifestations of Magic—nothing more than an ominous sign of gathered supernatural forces. But other arcanists who witness a spell’s runes can anticipate its scope and nature, an aptitude that can provide a tremendous tactical advantage. These runes, though bright, are too brief and focused to be used as a source of light, although they certainly draw attention to a caster in a dark place. To counter this, many casters involved in clandestine activities develop the ability to mask these runic formulae. Runes must manifest in order for this type of magic to function, but a skilled practitioner can suppress their size and intensity to the point that they are all but unnoticeable. Spells specifically designed to augment stealth typically include these techniques as part of their casting.
RUNIC COMPONENTS (R)
Spell runes manifest as part of the casting of magic. If a spell requires a runic component, the appropriate runes appear in a momentary flash of light. Higher-level spells create more complex arrangements of runes with a greater intensity of light.A character who sees a spell’s runes can attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check against the spellcaster’s spell save DC to determine the nature of the spell being cast.
