Runesmith
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Class Name: Runesmith
Strengths: Carries the same strengths and weaknesses as the original race. The runesmith themselves are not enhanced, at an absolute personal level, unless they are of one of the arguably insane few that use their own living tissue as materials one which to place their runes. Beyond that, the incredibly large array of runes, their combinations, and utilization leave a user a great number of options in which to engage in combat with foes. As well, there are endless mundane practical uses that can be flipped between aggressive ones. Much in the ways of how a healer can use their craft to harm, it often takes but a mere increase in certain outputs to turn the handy into the deadly.
Weaknesses: This, again, depends on the race of the runesmith in question. However, as skillset, the largest drawback of runeology, of any sort, is the time it takes to prepare. Unlike spell casting, a rune can not be made on the fly, save in certain circumstances. Such circumstances take a master of the craft, extreme memorization, and a very selective choosing of what tools to utilize. That said, the craft is extremely precise. Angles, curves, and even the depth of the carvings can have an impact in the potency and type of rune. The runes themselves are a weakpoint as well, for those same reasons. Wiping out sections of one will reduce its effect, though the more advanced runes and the like utilize redundancy to ensure against common vandalism. And, finally, as in all other magical crafts, there must be a fuel source. Mana from the rune maker (often injected into the rune itself, as seen in wards placed defensively in houses and the like), an outside source such as a mana battery (or catchers, siphons, taps, to illustrate a few other options) or a magical device to entrap energy abound are all examples of potential sources.
Races that can be this class: Any race with the intelligence to memorize the structure of the runes is able to become this class. Races that lack magic could, as well, but would be subject to severe limitations in how and what runes could be used.
Description: Whereas Flectomancers breath life into metal and the like by the force of magic, and artificers enchant that which already exists, the runesmith takes a third option and combines a few schools. Some sort of crafting knowledge must be held, in order to evaluate and alter materials to what purposes they need. Generally, due to its wide array of strengths, commonality, and the choices, the material most used is metal, though bone and wood are common as well.
The process of crafting a rune is akin to writing. Contrary to popular belief, each rune is not wholly individual, as it would produce a sheerly ludicrous amount of combinations that nothing short of the gods themselves could comprehend. Instead, combinations of shapes or symbols working in conjunction produce the desired effects, much in the ways how the alphabet can be combined in any number of ways to produce a word. Runes need not be any particular shape. As a matter of fact, like in life, form often follows function.
There are two types of runes, generally. Arcane and physical. A third, runes of immaterial make or ones that exist in the mind to be projected, are referred to as evocation. The rules, and use of which, are somewhat different from runes transcribed onto the physical world.
Arcane runes tend to be the more traditionally understood and much romanticized runes. They tend towards simplistic effects, working in tandem to achieve often awe inspiring results. Elemental effects, bindings and seals, wards and shieldings, and immunities of a directly absorptive sort all fall under this. As a general rule of thumb, if there is a spell to cast it, it's an arcane rune as well. An understanding of the magic spell equivalent is not necessary to craft and use arcane runes, though it is vastly helpful. Understanding the use and limitations of a spell transfers to the same in the rune form, and vice versa. As these are direct magical effects, their energy consumption tends to be something fierce.
The physical rune class is a more subtle type. There is little in the ways of flash, but they are nonetheless as useful, if not more, in different ways. Physical runes push and pull the physical world in varying ways. Where magic, and the arcane, often rewrite physical laws in a local area to grant the desired effect, physical runes harness, bend, and work with them. Storage of physical energies, such as kinetic, transfer of them, absorption, charging, dampening and more are all common uses. An example would be a medallion that was linked to another that was deposited into a heat source. The heat would be transferred from the source to the other medallion, to be emitted at the tolerances written onto the receiving end.
Physical runes tend to require knowledge and mastery of a different sort then arcane. A grasp and understanding of how physical laws work, the way a material will behave under certain circumstances, and any number of variables on the behavior of the runes. But, when put together correctly and with the skill and know how, great effects can be achieved that even arcane runes can't quite emulate. A sword that stores ambient heat from the air to deliver superheated strikes. A simple freezerbox. A complex working of runes pushing and pulling to create constructs able to move. The possibilities are quite endless.
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