Rune Knight (5e Class)

Quick Build

You can make a Rune Knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom and Strength.

Class Features

As a Rune Knight you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d10 per Rune Knight level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Rune Knight level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools:
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Persuasion, Deception, or Athletics

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

The Rune Knight is unable to wield equipment not made of its own self. You may equip rings, capes, clothes, but armors and shields must be forged from your shards (Excess to Excalibur).

You are incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.

At 1st level you gain a set of armor that is bound to you by magical runes. This armor is light and flexible, and works almost like a second skin to yuo.

You can don or doff this armor as an action on your turn. When you don this armor, your AC with it equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier. When you doff this armor, it spreads into multiple metal shards that can be easily stored into a bag or backpack, or any similar way of containment.

Your armor is like a living organism, always growing and replacing itself, leaving excess armor shards. You can transmute this excess into a special kind of weapon.

At 1st, you can take this shard of armor and, using a bonus action, morph it into a melee weapon of your choice. This weapon is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances to nonmagical damage, and it deals 1d8 slashing damage, regardless of the chosen shape. In addition, this weapon has the following properties: Versatile (1d10) and Thrown (20/60).

You cannot be disarmed of this weapon unless you are incapacitated. Whenever a creature other than you holds this weapon, you can use your action to cause spikes to grow from the shard weapon, causing 2d4 slashing damage to the target on a failed Dexterity save against a DC equal to your weapon attack bonus, immediately dropping the weapon to the ground. As long as it is on the same plane as you, you also know its precise location at all times.

You can choose to remove another shard to forge another weapon at the cost of reducing your AC in 1 point for each additional shard used to create a weapon. When you complete a long rest, these weapons vanish and your armor is restored to the original amount of AC.

As a frontline spellcaster, you realize that it's not the smartest idea to cast ranged spells up close all the time. Knowing as much, you’ve inscribed runes in your gauntlets to aid your close-range aim.

At 2nd level, you no longer suffer disadvantage when casting a ranged spell at close range. In addition, if you can lay your hands on the target, you may cast single target ranged spells as a touch spell.

The Rune Knight casts spells from the wizard spell list, using Intelligence as their spell casting modifier. Spell DCs are 8 + Proficiency + Intelligence modifier.

At 2nd level, the Rune Knight starts with 2 Cantrips, and 6 1st level spells. When leveling up, the Rune Knight may inscribe one new spell in its armor. It may only learn spell levels as high as its highest known slot.

The Armor is the Rune Knight's focus, and each spell it knows is inscribed into runes on the inside of the armor. Thus, spells, once learned, cannot be forgotten or overwritten.

At 3rd level, the Rune Knight may choose between two different archetypes in which to develop its power- Titanium Sage or Adamantine Titan, which are detailed at the bottom of the page. These subclasses grant ablities at 3rd, 7th, 13th, and 18th levels.

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Your armor is continuously evolving, in response to your ever-growing hostile environment.

Starting at 5th level, you gain an additional +1 to AC. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th, and +3 at 17th level. In addition, whenever you use your Excess to Armament feature, you can choose to remove this bonus from your armor to add it to one weapon you create.

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

You've experimented with your excess armor, and have learned to apply its runic energy to magic.

At 6th, you may use a bonus action to spend up to 3 AC to restore one spell slot. The level of the spell slot regained in that manner equals the AC reduction. For example, you must reduce your AC in 2 points to regain a 2nd-level spell slot. You may restore up to 3rd-level spell slots this way. You regain any AC point spent in that manner after finishing a long rest.

The maximum amount of AC reduction you can have equals your Constitution modifier.

After much practice, you learn to master your excess shards and the shapes they may take. At 6th, you gain +1 to all attacks and damage rolls made with your Excess to Armament weapons.

Starting at 11th level, you gain 2 additional points to your constitution, up to a new maximum of 22.

At 20th, you gain additional 2 points to your Constitution, up to a new maximum of 24.

You've discovered some ancient runes that bestow magical resistance into the metal it's inscribed on. At 10th, you gain resistance to one of the following damage types: Fire,Acid,Cold,Force,physic,Poison,lighting,Thunder,Necrotic,and Radiant.

You may choose another damage type resistance at 15th.

The armor isn't just adapting physically anymore. It's learning.

At 14th level, you gain proficiency with wisdom saving throws, and you may spend 2 AC to forcefully succeed on Wisdom saving throws. You also have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, or being controlled.

At 20th, you've unlocked the secrets of the spell casting magic imbued in your runes. You inscribe one final spell into your armor. This does not replace the spells you've learned upon reaching 20th. Your choices are not limited to the wizard spell list, but are still limited by your maximum spell level.

In addition, choose one signature spell of 3rd level or lower. You may cast this spell at its lowest level without expending spell slots. Casting this spell at higher spell levels still expends slots as normal.(You cannot chose animate dead as the signature spell)

As a Titanium Sage, you view your armor more as a resource for your magic, rather than protection.

Glyph of Pain

At 3rd level, for all offensive damage spells, you may add your proficiency modifier to the damage rolls.

Runic Empowerment

You've chosen to focus on your magical aspects other than your physical aspects.

At 7th lvl, you no longer receive one free use of Excess to Armaments per rest. All weapons made will cost 1 AC. You now use the full spellcaster (spell slot) table. You may also inscribe three new 3 spells into your armor. And now every level henceforth, you may inscribe two spells into your armor instead of one.

Mana-based Armor

At 13th, you may spend 2 AC to recover one spell slot up to 5th-level. You may spend 3 AC to recover one spell slot up to 7th-level. You may also restore 2 3rd level or lower spell slots for 1 AC. You may not restore more spell slots than the maximum per level as defined by the "full" spellcasting table.

Overwhelming spell

At 18th, if an enemy would have succeeded on a spell DC check or save, you may spend 1 AC force them to fail(legendary resistance can negate this). You may use this ability three times per short rest.

You like being untouchable. You want to be even more so. Magic is nice, but survival is priority.

Excess to Aegis

At 3rd level, you may use Excess to Excalibur to form a shield as well. The shield's AC can not be used for Metal to Mana.

Sunken In

When you decide to settle into a defensive stance, there aren’t many who can break past it. At 7th level, if you do not use your movement on your turn you go into a defensive stance. Meaning that all attacks made against you are done with disadvantage. In addition, if a creature tries to leave your attack range and you manage to hit them with an opportunity attack, you reduce their movement to 0. If you take the Sentinel feat, you not only reduce their speed to 0, but also make them fall prone. Furthermore, any attack or effect that knocks you prone that you make a save for, you make the save with advantage.

In order to use this ability, you must not move on your turn.

You must be wielding a shield to use this ability.

Hostile Barrier

You might not be the heaviest hitter, but ignoring you isn’t a wise decision. At 13th level whenever an enemy steps into your Attack range, you may force them to make a strength saving throw or shove them with your shield. If they fail then their movement speed is reduced to 0 and they cannot move past you, if they succeed their movement is halved. If you additionally have the Sentinel feat, they are then knocked prone.

You must be wielding a shield to use this ability.

Anti-Magic Master

All your experience with magic has taught you just how to deal with it to minimize its effects. At 18th level, you have advantage on all spell-caused saving throws.

You must be wielding a shield to use this ability.

In order to multiclass as a Rune Knight, you must transfer your consciousness to a magical set of armor. Good luck with that.

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