Rune Domain

Runes represent the oldest and most powerful language in the universe—the language of magic. Although largely a lost art, some deities still promote the use of this ancient form of magic, and your deity is one of them. In your ability to understand runes, you are able to weave especially powerful spells.

Channel Divinity: When you channel divinity, instead of healing or harming creatures, you draw a number of magic runes in the air around you equal to half your channel divinity dice (minimum 1). For each rune drawn, choose one of the following: ability checks, caster level checks, damage rolls, saving throws, or skill checks made with a single skill of your choice. All allies within 30 feet of the square in which you drew these runes gain a +1 divine bonus on the chosen rolls or checks, and all enemies within 30 feet of this square take a –1 penalty on these roles and checks. These bonuses last for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom bonus. The penalties increase to –2 at 9th level and –3 at 17th level. Each round on their turn, affected opponents can attempt a Will save to ignore these penalties for the ability’s duration.

Domain Powers: Clerics with the rune domain gain the following domain powers at the indicated levels.

Blast Rune (Sp): At 5th level, you can create a rune in any square that is adjacent to you that explodes when triggered. Whenever a creature steps into the square that contains your rune, the rune explodes, dealing energy damage to the triggering creature and all creatures in any squares adjacent to the rune. The amount of damage done is equal to an incendiary grenade with an item level no greater than to your cleric level, and the damage dealt is acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage (your choice). A successful Reflex save reduces the damage taken by half. A blast rune is invisible, lasts 1 minute, and costs 1 Resolve Point to create. Blast runes can be discovered using Perception and disarmed using Disable Device (DC 10 + 1-1/2 your cleric level).

Enhance Spell (Su): At 9th level, whenever you cast a cleric spell, you can spend a number of Resolve Points equal to 1/3 the spell’s level (minimum 1) to draw the spell out in the air as a magical rune, amplifying its effects. Casting a spell in this manner increases the spell’s casting time to a full action (if the spell’s casting time is a standard action or less), or by 1 full action if the spell’s casting time is a full action or more. When casting a spell in this manner, you increase its caster level and save DC by 2. At 17th level, these benefits increase by 1.

Spell Rune (Sp): At 13th level, whenever you use the blast rune domain power to create a blast rune, you can increase the Resolve Point cost of the ability to imbue the rune with a cleric spell that you have prepared. Doing so increases the ability’s Resolve Point cost by an amount equal to 1/3 the spell’s level (minimum 1) and requires the expenditure of a spell slot of a level equal to or greater than the spell’s level. Any creature that triggers the blast rune is also affected by the imbued spell. This spell must target one or more creatures, and it only affects the creature that triggers the rune.

Permanent Warding (Su): At 17th level, whenever you cast a “symbol” or “rune” domain spell or use the blast rune domain power, you can spend 4 Resolve Points to make that spell or spell-like ability permanent. You may only have one permanent symbol or rune at a time; making a new effect permanent causes the older effect to immediately end, as if its duration had expired. Once triggered, these spells are dormant for 10 minutes before becoming active again.

Domain Spell List

1st—erase
2ndmagic mouth
3rd—security seal
4thexplosive runes
5th—planar binding (as the 4th-level version)
6thsecret text
7thrune of imprisonment
8thcircle of clarity
9thsymbol of death


The Starfarer's Companion from Rogue Genius Games
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