The 5e rune child is a concept that originated in the 5th edition of the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game. It refers to a character who possesses a special connection to ancient runes, giving them unique abilities and powers. In the game, runes are mystical symbols that hold magical properties. They can be found scattered throughout the world, and those who are able to decipher them can tap into their power. The rune child is one such individual who has been chosen by the runes and granted incredible abilities. The rune child is typically depicted as a young character who discovers their connection to the runes at a young age.

DND 5th Edition

The weave and flow of magic is mysterious and feared by many. Many study the nature of the arcane in hopes of learning to harness it, while sorcerers carry innate talent to sculpt and wield the errant strands of power that shape the world. Some sorcerers occasionally find their body itself becomes a conduit for such energies, their flesh collecting and storing remnants of their magic in the form of natural runes. These anomalies are known in erudite circles as runechildren.

The talents of a runechild are rare indeed, and many are sought after for study by mages and scholars alike, driven by a prevalent belief that the secrets within their body can help understand many mysteries of the arcane. Others seek to enslave them, using their bodies as tortured spell batteries for their own diabolic pursuits. Their subjugation throughout history has driven the few that exist this day into hiding their essence – a task that is not easy, given the revealing nature of their gifts.

Source: Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide

Essence Runes

At 1st level, your body has begun to express your innate magical energies as natural runes that hide beneath your skin. You begin with 1 Essence Rune, and gain an additional rune whenever you gain a level in this class. Runes can manifest anywhere on your body, though the first usually manifests on the forehead. They remain invisible when inert.

At the end of a turn where you spent any number of sorcery points for any of your class features, an equal number of essence runes glow with stored energy, becoming charged runes. If you expend a charged rune to use one of your Runechild features, it returns to being an inert essence rune.

As a bonus action, you may spend any number of sorcery points to convert an equal number of essence runes into charged runes. If you have no sorcery points and no charged runes, you can convert a single essence rune into a charged rune as an action.

If you have 5 or more charged runes, you emit bright light in a 5 foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Any charged runes revert to inert essence runes after you complete a long rest.

Glyphs of Aegis

Beginning at 1st level, you can release the stored arcane power within your runes to absorb or deflect threatening attacks against you. Whenever you take damage from an attack, hazard, or spell, you can use a reaction to expend any number of charged runes, rolling 1d6 per charged rune. You subtract the total rolled from the damage inflicted by the attack, hazard, or spell.

At 6th level, you can use an action to expend a charged rune, temporarily transferring a Glyph of Aegis to a creature you touch. A creature can only hold a single glyph, and it lasts for 1 hour, or until the creature is damaged by an attack, hazard, or spell. The next time that creature takes damage from any of those sources, roll 1d6 and subtract the number rolled from the damage roll. The glyph is then lost.

Sigilic Augmentation

Upon reaching 6th level, you can channel your runes to temporarily bolster your physical capabilities. You can expend a charged rune as a bonus action to enhance either your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, granting you advantage on ability checks with the chosen ability score until the start of your next turn. You can choose to maintain this benefit additional rounds by expending a charged rune at the start of each of your following turns.

Manifest Inscriptions

At 6th level, you can reveal hidden glyphs and enchantments that surround you. As an action, you can expend a charged rune to cause any hidden magical marks, runes, wards, or glyphs within 15 feet of you to reveal themselves with a glow for 1 round. This glow is considered dim light for a 5 foot radius around the mark or glyph.

Runic Torrent

Upon reaching 14th level, you can channel your stored runic energy to instill your spells with overwhelming arcane power, bypassing even the staunchest defenses. Whenever you cast a spell, you can expend a number of charged runes equal to the spell’s level to allow it to ignore any resistance or immunity to the spell’s damage type the targets may have.

Arcane Exemplar Form

Beginning at 18th level, you can use a bonus action and expend 6 or more charged runes to temporarily become a being of pure magical energy. This new form lasts for 3 rounds plus 1 round for each charged rune expended over 6. While you are in your exemplar form, you gain the following benefits:

• You have a flying speed of 40 feet.

• Your spell save DC is increased by 2.

• You have resistance to damage from spells.

• When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to the spell’s level.

When your Arcane Exemplar form ends, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as your body recovers from the transformation. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

DND 5th Edition

The mysterious weave and flow of magic is feared by many folk across Exandria. But while some spellcasters must study the essence and nature of magic in the hope of learning to harness it, sorcerers possess an innate talent to sculpt and wield the errant strands of power that shape the world. For some sorcerers, the body becomes a conduit for this power, which is collected and stored in the form of natural runes — and which sees a sorcerer named as a Runechild.

The talents of a Runechild are rare, and sorcerers with this origin are sought after for study by mages and scholars alike, driven by a prevalent belief that the secrets of their runes can help understand the mysteries of magic. Others sometimes seek to enslave Runechild sorcerers, using their bodies as tortured spell batteries for diabolic pursuits. Runechild sorcerers were subjugated throughout the Age of Arcanum, and many of their contemporaries now search for ways to hide their essence — a task that isn’t easy given the revealing nature of their gifts.

Source: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

Essence Runes

At 1st level, your body begins to express your innate magic as runes traced out across your skin. You start with 1 essence rune, and gain an additional rune whenever you gain a level in this class. These runes can manifest anywhere on your body, though the first usually manifests on the forehead. Your essence runes remain invisible when inert.

At the end of a turn during which you spent one or more sorcery points, a number of your essence runes equal to the number of sorcery points you spent begin to glow with stored energy, becoming charged runes. You use these charged runes to power your Runechild subclass features. Also, as a bonus action, you may spend a sorcery point to convert two essence runes into two charged runes.

If you have 5 or more charged runes, you emit bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.

If you expend a charged rune to use one of your Runechild features, it returns to being an inert essence rune. Any charged runes also revert to inert essence runes after you finish a long rest.

Runic Magic

Beginning at 1st level, you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Runic Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be an abjuration or transmutation spell from the Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard spell list.

Glyphs of Aegis

Starting at 1st level, you can release the stored arcane power within your runes to absorb or deflect threatening attacks. Whenever you take damage, you can expend any number of charged runes as a reaction. Roll a number of d6s equal to the number of runes you expended, and reduce the damage by the total.

When you reach 6th level, you can touch a creature as an action and expend up to 3 charged runes to transfer your protective power to it for up to 1 hour. The next time that creature takes damage within the next hour, it rolls 1d6 per charged rune spent and reduces the damage by the total. You can’t transfer this power to a creature already under the effect of Glyph of Aegis.

Your Glyph of Aegis die becomes a d8 at 14th level.

Sigilic Augmentation

At 6th level, you can channel your runes to temporarily bolster your physical capabilities. When you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution ability check, you can expend a charged rune as a reaction to gain advantage on the roll.

In addition, when you are forced to make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw, you can use your reaction and expend a charged rune to gain advantage on the saving throw. Once you use this feature in this way, you can't use it in this way again until you complete a long rest.

Manifest Inscriptions

Also at 6th level, you can reveal hidden glyphs and enchantments that surround you. As an action, you expend one charged rune to reveal hidden or invisible arcane traps, marks, runes, wards, sensors, or glyphs within 60 feet of you. They glow with dim light in a 5-foot radius for 1 minute.

You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks to discern the nature of any magic revealed in this way for the duration. If the glyphs you reveal mean something in a language you can’t read, you can understand them while they are glowing as if you knew that language.

Runic Torrent

Upon reaching 14th level, you can channel runic energy to overpower even the staunchest defenses. When you cast a spell, you can expend 2 charged runes to cause the spell to deal force damage instead of its usual damage types. Additionally, all creatures targeted by the spell or within the spell’s area must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone or pushed up to 15 feet away from the spell's point of origin (your choice).

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you complete a short or long rest.

Arcane Exemplar

Starting at 18th level, you can use a bonus action and expend a charged rune to become a being of pure magical energy. While in your exemplar form, you gain the following benefits:

• You have a flying speed of 60 feet.
• Creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against your sorcerer spells.
• You have resistance to damage dealt by spells.
• Whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you regain hit points equal to the spell’s level.

Your exemplar form lasts until the end of your turn. However, you can expend a charged rune at the end of your turn (no action required) to extend the duration until the end of your next turn. When your exemplar form ends, you are stunned until the end of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.

Runechild 5E | Sorcerer Subclass from Critical Role

The Tal’dorei Campaign Setting Reborn is one of the closest 3rd party Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition books to being “legitimate” in the eyes of many players. Tal’dorei is close to the heart of 5E, thanks to the impact of Critical Role. Because of that, it is important to look at the classes involved within this book to see if there are any classes worth talking about! The Runechild is an interesting specimen. Insanely potent magical batteries, the Runechildren are Sorcerers who store their magic in runes that dance along their bodies. This makes them obvious targets to those who wish them harm, but offer incredible boons in return. Interested? We can tell you what this class does in our Tal’dorei Runechild Origin 5E guide. Homebrew Content: This subclass is not official WOTC material.

The rune child is typically depicted as a young character who discovers their connection to the runes at a young age. They may have been born with a rune mark on their body, or they may have stumbled upon a hidden rune that unlocked their potential. Regardless of how they obtained their powers, the rune child is destined for greatness.

The Body’s Story: Runechild Sorcerer 5E

The Runechild is a potent utility Sorcerer. It has great access to support spells, able to grab buff spells from Wizards and Warlocks. Its main mechanic, the Charged Rune system, allows them to problem solve quite well. They gain access to defensive, utility, and even pure offensive magical abilities if they are willing to spend their Runes. This is a potent all-rounder with lower-than-average damage for a Sorcerer, but makes up for it with pure utility.

As a character class, the rune child is often associated with spellcasting abilities and magical prowess. They can harness the power of the runes to cast powerful spells or enhance their physical abilities. They may also have the ability to communicate with the runes, gaining insight and knowledge from these ancient symbols. The rune child is a versatile class that can be customized to fit different playstyles. They can be a formidable spellcaster, specializing in offensive or defensive magic. Alternatively, they can focus on enhancing their physical abilities, becoming skilled warriors or rogues. The runes provide a wide range of possibilities for the character's abilities and playstyle. In terms of lore and backstory, the rune child is often portrayed as a chosen one or a prophesized hero. Their connection to the runes sets them apart from ordinary individuals, and they are often sought after by various factions and organizations who want to exploit their powers. The rune child may have to navigate a complex web of politics and intrigue as they uncover the true extent of their abilities and the role they are destined to play in the world. Overall, the 5e rune child is an intriguing character concept that allows players to explore the mysteries of ancient runes and harness their power. With their unique abilities and connection to the magical symbols, the rune child offers an exciting and versatile playstyle for those looking for a unique and powerful character in the game..

Reviews for "Harnessing the Runes: A Guide to the 5e Rune Child Class"

1. John - 2/5 - I was really excited to read "5e Rune Child" based on all the positive reviews, but I have to say I was quite disappointed. The story seemed disjointed and confusing, with too many characters and plotlines to keep track of. The pacing was also very slow, and I found myself losing interest halfway through the book. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend it.

2. Sarah - 1/5 - "5e Rune Child" was a complete letdown for me. The writing style was unengaging and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters or care about their journey. Furthermore, the world-building felt underdeveloped, leaving me with more questions than answers. I found myself skimming over large portions of the book just to get through it. I regret picking up this novel and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an engrossing fantasy read.

3. Emma - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "5e Rune Child" after seeing it advertised as a captivating and unique fantasy novel. However, I found the story to be filled with clichés and predictable plot twists. The characters lacked depth and felt one-dimensional, making it hard for me to invest in their journey. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, hindering the overall reading experience. Sadly, this book did not live up to the hype for me.

4. Michael - 2/5 - "5e Rune Child" started off with a promising premise, but it quickly fell flat for me. The pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of nothing happening followed by rushed and unsatisfying resolutions. The author seemed to rely heavily on deus ex machina moments to move the plot forward, which felt lazy and unoriginal. The potential for an exciting and unique story was there, but it wasn't executed well enough for me to enjoy it.

Mastering the Art of Rune Magic with the 5e Rune Child Class