Runethane Question?

[Caliber]

I dunno if this is supposed to go in here or in Rules Questions. If I'm in the wrong area, could some admin just slide me over?

But anyway, what I want to ask is this.

Runethane's get a rune at some level (I forget the level or name of the rune ... no books in front of me) that explodes in a 10d6 blast of energy when touched.

They also get the ability (at later levels) to password their runes so that non-enemies (including themselves) can touch them without getting blown up.

Finally, Runethanes ALSO get the ability to make certain runes permanent, at the expenditure of gold and XP.

When I read over all of their abilities last night though, it seemed to me all of these could work together.

Could I really be swinging a mace en-runed to explode into 10d6 damage per hit, that damage not effecting me? Seems a bit overpowered (well ... duh)

I know I have to be missing something somewhere, but when I looked last night, I couldn't find anything. Anyone want to help me out?

 

[Shokatsuryou]

Runethane's get a rune at some level (I forget the level or name of the rune ... no books in front of me) that explodes in a 10d6 blast of energy when touched.

The only runes that I see in the book that do this are rune of blasting (up to 10d6 elemental damage, 10 foot radius), or rune of devastation(up to 20d6 elemental damage, 20 foot radius).

Note that the password only allows you to touch a rune without triggering it. It does not protect you if you're caught in the blast. (However, you can use other spells to protect yourself, like protection from elements or something).

Could I really be swinging a mace en-runed to explode into 10d6 damage per hit, that damage not effecting me? Seems a bit overpowered (well ... duh)

Permanent touch trigger runes only go off once per round, not once per hit. But yeah, you could blast for 10d6 damage once per round, every round if you wanted to.

Well, that's how I read it anyway.

-Sho

 

[Hardhead]

Permanent touch trigger runes only go off once per round, not once per hit. But yeah, you could blast for 10d6 damage once per round, every round if you wanted to.

Well, that's how I read it anyway.

-Sho

Since it's a radius effect, you'd take the damage too, though.

 

[Caliber]

Ah. I knew there was a catch somewhere. Now to find a way to become immune to a type of energy and then set up a rune of blasting for that type.

Thanks guys!

 

[JEL]

How unbalancing do you guys think it'd be to allow Runethanes to learn new runes outside of leveling up? I mean, basically treating runes more like spells that can be gained from studying books or from coppying runes made by others.

 

[Mistwell]

How unbalancing do you guys think it'd be to allow Runethanes to learn new runes outside of leveling up? I mean, basically treating runes more like spells that can be gained from studying books or from coppying runes made by others.

My impression was that it already works like that. I don't think it would be unbalancing.

 

[Henry]

Ah. I knew there was a catch somewhere. Now to find a way to become immune to a type of energy and then set up a rune of blasting for that type.

Thanks guys!

I'll not comment on the unbalancing nature of this, but it sure would be one heck of a cool scene for a movie.

 

[Khorod]

The balance of the runes lies in their limited versatility. Its okay to gain and research new runes, but only when the level says you gain one should the character figure out that last piece of information that allows a rune to be used.

A house rule that requires XP to research a rune outside of leveling would probably work though.