Rune Magic system

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

Fair enough. Can runes be done onto flexible materials, like cloth or paper? What amount of natural deterioration counts as breaking the circle (is it broken by a chip in clay grooves, or does it have to be nearly illegible?)

Any breaking at all ruins it--drawing a chalk line across the edge of a diagram will do it--but it has to be deliberate, so just having a few cracks appear in a stone wall won't destroy the working unless chunks of the diagram actually start falling off or being worn away to nothingness.

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

I've added most of the answers to the questions I've received to the OP, and added information on descriptive runes under the Constructing a Working section.  I decided I wanted to keep the exact parameters of a given working fairly simple, so a player can simply define what he wants the working to do and that's inscribed on the working with the exact definitions abstracted for ease of use, so I won't be doing something like the last sample diagram I worked up.

If anyone has any more critiques or questions to help refine this, I'd be happy to hear them.

[LD]

It is nice to see that you took size into account, but if there is a lower size to the channeling of power and an upper size and an optimal size- then wouldn't there be some relation of size to efficacy? So a 1/2 rune should not be be as effective as a 2 inch rune? If that is not the case (and it does not seem to be the face) then I don't see why a 1/4th size rune works at full power, but a 1/8th suddenly does not work?

Vessels covered with runes... is it okay to write one on the outside and one on the inside? That would seem to add more runes per square feet.

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

It is nice to see that you took size into account, but if there is a lower size to the channeling of power and an upper size and an optimal size- then wouldn't there be some relation of size to efficacy? So a 1/2 rune should not be be as effective as a 2 inch rune? If that is not the case (and it does not seem to be the face) then I don't see why a 1/4th size rune works at full power, but a 1/8th suddenly does not work?

particular[/i] working on a particular substance doesn't function well if it's less than 6 inches in diameter, but it is possible to get workings in general down to 2 inches.

EDIT: Actually, if the size boundaries arise from a metagame problem, let's make a metagame solution.  Instead of correlating power to size, I'll make the skill check harder, so the only difference is in the area covered (and a large area is benefit enough in itself).

Vessels covered with runes... is it okay to write one on the outside and one on the inside? That would seem to add more runes per square feet.

Nope, the working only cares that it's on a particular part of a vessel, not which side of the surface it's on.  I'll clarify that.

[Stargate525]

Personally, I think I would rename the 'method' location to 'delivery.' Currently, I keep thinking that that position determines how the effect works (causing injury by sucking out liquid, or similar), not how the working delivers its effect.

Can you have an augment only affect one of the aspects instead of two, and can there be more than five? If so, where do the sixth and greater ones go?

Could I make a suggestion on the additional runes? Instead of putting them in the triangles, why not make them the pentagram lines themselves? That way, reading the effect is as simple as following the outline. Starting from the Essence, you then have 'A working that does X [essense], delivered in Y form [delivery], which will occupy the following area [Expanse], with these specific variations [Intent], and will be activated by doing Z [trigger].'

Can a rune be 'unbroken' by removing the breaking object? For instance, the chalk line over the working carving. Can you wash down the carving and thereby restore the working?

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

Personally, I think I would rename the 'method' location to 'delivery.' Currently, I keep thinking that that position determines how the effect works (causing injury by sucking out liquid, or similar), not how the working delivers its effect.

Can you have an augment only affect one of the aspects instead of two, and can there be more than five? If so, where do the sixth and greater ones go?[/quote]maximum[/i] effect the rune can have, so you can simply choose to use less than that for one of the runes.  If that's not clear in the OP, I'll modify it.

2) More than 5 what?  If you mean aspects, not in one working; you need to make several workings and link them together for that.  If you mean augments, yes; you can have 1 per 2 HD by default (and possibly more if I decide to add feats or something else to increase that), so it all depends on the runecrafter.

Could I make a suggestion on the additional runes? Instead of putting them in the triangles, why not make them the pentagram lines themselves? That way, reading the effect is as simple as following the outline. Starting from the Essence, you then have 'A working that does X [essense], delivered in Y form [delivery], which will occupy the following area [Expanse], with these specific variations [Intent], and will be activated by doing Z [trigger].'

Can a rune be 'unbroken' by removing the breaking object? For instance, the chalk line over the working carving. Can you wash down the carving and thereby restore the working?[/quote]
The working is still physically drawn on the surface, you'd just have to make the checks again to repower it...though looking at the skill checks again, I should probably put down what exactly you need to do to fix an existing working.  Will do.


Thanks for all the feedback, the lines-of-the-pentagram one in particular.  This is really coming together as a usable system.

[Lmns Crn]

I used "trigger" because it's really the only work I could think of that fit.  Can you think of another term that conveys the same thing while sounding in line with the others?

"Catalyst"?

Oh, also: very nice work here. It's fascinating.

[Stargate525]

I can change the names around, though I didn't name it that originally because things like "delivery" and "payload" and such were too...modern-sounding; I used "trigger" because it's really the only work I could think of that fit.  Can you think of another term that conveys the same thing while sounding in line with the others?

Hmm. It's not like deliveries are modern things, but I can see what you mean. Perhaps 'Conveyance' or 'Transmission?'

As for trigger, perhaps 'Prompt?'

2) More than 5 what?  If you mean aspects, not in one working; you need to make several workings and link them together for that.  If you mean augments, yes; you can have 1 per 2 HD by default (and possibly more if I decide to add feats or something else to increase that), so it all depends on the runecrafter.

But where does the sixth one go? Do you just start doubling up on the runes in the triangles?

Thanks for all the feedback, the lines-of-the-pentagram one in particular.  This is really coming together as a usable system.

Considering I have every intention of stealing the heck out of this, it's nothing but selfish self-interest. ;)

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

Hmm. It's not like deliveries are modern things, but I can see what you mean. Perhaps 'Conveyance' or 'Transmission?'

As for trigger, perhaps 'Prompt?'

Oh, also: very nice work here. It's fascinating.[/quote]Considering I have every intention of stealing the heck out of this, it's nothing but selfish self-interest. ;)[/quote]
I'm honestly surprised that people like this so much, but hey, better than the alternative. :D

[Stargate525]

You can fit as many augment runes in the diagram as you want by making the diagram bigger or the augment runes smaller; the diagrams here are just suffering from the limitations of my graphical/artistic ability. ;)

I see. So those five areas are just general locations; they don't have to be placed exactly in the middle or anything.

[Pair o' Dice Lost]

I see. So those five areas are just general locations; they don't have to be placed exactly in the middle or anything.

Right.  The farther you go along the active -> passive -> augment -> descriptive progression, the less stringent it gets, so you go from "Thou shalt place the active runes in the exact center of each circle" to "Stick the augment runes in this triangle."