Rune Magic

The process of casting runes works differently than the standard magic rules. Runecasting is based on the Legend's knowledge of rune magic and their ability level in a Trade skill. Instead of using Word Points to make runes, the Legend uses their percentage in the applicable skill and their Willpower to make the rune. Rune casting uses its own Caster points (spent separately from normal Caster). Legends that begin as runecasters are limited to spending 5 Archetype Points on runecasting, with the base maximum for improvement being 10. It cannot exceed the Legend's Willpower, and racial adjustments may change the maximum.

Runecasters do not get Word points based on the Runecaster Archetype or their Aptitude, but have access to the entire magical vocabulary. A rune is a complete spell, made from Words, and can have Limitations, and is permanent.

To cast a rune, its effect must be decided, and what item it will be cast into. The Player must design the rune as a normal spell. In order to make an item to hold a rune, the final skill roll to craft the item must exceed the WP cost of the rune and a Runecaster check (on 1d10, 10 always fails) must succeed in order to ensure the item's quality. Then the actual casting begins. Each WP in the rune takes one day to be worked into the item. After each Word is completed, a Willpower check must be made to "set" that part of the rune. Words must be done in the normal gramatical order. After the final Word is set, an additional day is spent unifying the magic in the rune and adding limitations (if the rune has no limitations, this day cannot be skipped) and a final Willpower check must be made. Finally, a second Runecaster check must be made.

The WP cost is paid from the Character Point cost of the Legend's Health. A Legend that has a 25 Health has spent 17 points to raise it from 15. Subtract the Runecaster Archetype from the WP cost of the rune, then subtract the result from the Character Point cost of Health. Having an 7 Runecaster would reduce the cost of a 20 WP rune to 13. The 25 Health is then reduced by 13 CP, to 19. If Health is reduced to a point value that results in a partial Health increase, that partial increase is lost. Health returns at a rate of 1 CP per day. All the effects of having a reduced Health apply, as this is a function of the stress required to will the rune into the item.

Runesmithing can only be used with Trade skills that result in the Legend having produced a type of goods (smithing, carpentry, etc). It does not apply to Trade skills where the Legend is processing goods (such as fishing, butchering, or laundering).