Pathfinder 2e introduces a new system for enhancing weapons: weapon runes. These runes allow players to customize their weapons and add powerful enchantments to them, granting additional abilities or increasing their effectiveness in combat. There are two main types of weapon runes: fundamental and property runes. Fundamental runes are the basic enchantments that can be applied to any weapon, while property runes are specific to certain types of weapons and provide unique enhancements. Fundamental runes come in four categories: potency, striking, disrupting, and resilient. The potency rune increases the weapon's attack and damage rolls, making it more effective in combat.

Pathfinder 2E ideas for caster runes (homebrew)

Updated! So, I reckon there is room for improving casters in PF2 (at least at single-digit levels).

Here's an idea: wand runes and staff runes, partly to give casters a bit of a boost, but mostly to give casters too something really significant to look forward to buying or looting.

Note: In both cases, the rune effects apply both when the caster is casting a spell from the wand or staff itself, and when the caster is merely wielding the wand or staff while casting that spell normally (using a spell slot). Wielding a wand or staff adds a somatic component to the casting, if not present already.

Wand runes are duplicates of weapon runes, except they are etched onto magic wands, and give their effects to spells with a spell attack roll only. The GM is free to say a particular weapon rune don't exist as a wand rune.

Example: you could now find or buy a +1 striking corrosive wand of acid arrow. The potency rune would give you +1 on your spell attack rolls (whether you cast acid arrow or another spell with a spell attack roll). The striking rune would add one damage die (so one +1d8 acid for acid arrow or +1d4 negative for chill touch etc). Finally the corrosive rune would add +1d6 acid damage (and more on a critical) exactly as the corresponding weapon rune.

Staff runes are special (new) runes that are etched onto magic staves. They give their bonus only to castings of the specific spells of the staff (whether you use a staff charge or your own spell slot doesn't matter). Here are three such runes:

Staff Focus rune: gives its bonus to your spell DC.
I'm gonna use the armor resiliency rune as my template, seeing this is kind of its opposite.
Staff Focus (+1) Item 8 340 gp
Staff Focus (+2) Item 14 3440 gp
Staff Focus (+3) Item 20 49,440 gp

Staff Area Striking rune: Adds dice to spell damage if the staff's spell has a burst, cone, emanation, or line.
Positioning this half-way between single-target (wand) striking and the above focus rune (since damage is less unbalancing than higher DC).
Staff Area Striking (+1 dice) Item 6 275 gp
Staff Area Striking (+2 dice) Item 13 3,475 gp
Staff Area Striking (+3 dice) Item 19 44,475 gp

Staff Recapacitation rune:
Updated! Yep, this is what you've been fearing - a rune to void the Incapacitation trait from a single casting of a single spell with a spell DC. A recapacitation rune has one charge, recharged daily. The rune tells you the maximum DC the rune can "recapacitate" for you (meaning that if you're wielding a staff with the DC 28 recapacitation rune, even if your spell save DC is 30, the target only needs to save against DC 28).
Staff Recapacitation (DC 17) Item 3 65 gp
Staff Recapacitation (DC 24) Item 7 380 gp
Staff Recapacitation (DC 28) Item 11 1,550 gp
Staff Recapacitation (DC 34) Item 15 8,000 gp
Staff Recapacitation (DC 42) Item 19 45,000 gp

Thread: Add Runes

Ok, I looked around and can't seem to find an easy answer. How do I add runes to items. I am trying to make a +2 striking Greataxe and I just can't figure it out or is there a supplement I can buy with it already made up in.

See the "Properties" section for adding striking and the "Weapon +X potency rune" for adding the +2.

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Be aware that the bonus field doesn't count as an item bonus so you need to be careful with what actually stacks.

Be aware that the bonus field doesn't count as an item bonus so you need to be careful with what actually stacks.

Ultimate License Owner since 2011 and FG GM since 2008
Game Systems: 5E, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu, RoleMaster, C&C, Pathfinder 2 , Old School Essentials

Home Page: ShadeRaven Sorceries (Blog, Fantasy & Campaign Stories, Cat Tales, and more)

When I first started designing the ruleset the philosophy was that most entries would have what is basically an untyped modifier field to allow for fine tuning of numerical totals. And the original code used the weapon "bonus" field for magical weapons, which is untyped.

I've logged this issue as RS2.110.

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Thread: Golem Antimagic versus "magical" weapons and runes

Instead of starting a discussion in the ruleset development thread or old generically named "resistance issues" thread, I prefer to start a new discussion on how Golem immunities and weapon runes are to be handled. Here is my take:

"Fundamental" weapon runes do not cause "magic" damage, they are "magical" runes that turn a weapon into a "magical" weapon, but still cause physical damage (or rather the original weapon type) without adding a special "magical" damage trait. These runes enhance/affect the weapon itself. So golems' resistance against physical attacks affect mundane and magical weapons the same.

There are some rare creatures that have "Resistance: physical X (except magical)". These creatures' resistances are negated by the fact that the weapon/damage source is magical, but the damage is still physical with no extra "magical" trait. And there are "incorporeal" creatures whose resistances are doubled against "non-magical damage", but there still is no "magical" damage trait. The latter is unfortunately somewhat badly worded by Paizo, but I understand why they did not want to add a special "magical" damage trait to the game just for these very few exceptions on how to handle physical damage.

Furthermore golems do not have "immunity: magic", they have "immunity: magic (see below)", with "see below" pointing to their "Golem Antimagic" abilities. This "Golem Antimagic" usually pertains to creatures using "spells and innate magical abilities other than its own" (its own = the golem's). Unfortunately Paizo botched to deliver concise wording again, so the "creatures'" part is less than clear and can be disputed.

Said possible dispute is about "Property runes", because these runes are worded as adding "special abilities" to weapons, which of course are "magical". Damn you Paizo editor. Since there still is no "magical" damage trait you have a situation where a "flaming" property rune adds extra "fire" damage to a weapon. You can still perfectly well argue that the rune affects/enhanced the weapon, not the target. And frankly, this would be the easiest and most sane way of handling things in FG. Of course you would also have to argue that property runes to not trigger the "Harmed by" vulnerability then. It's all or nothing.

On the other hand, if you count property runes as "magical abilities" that Golems are immune against, then the "Harmed by" part is also triggered (like a flaming rune against a flesh golem). This is considerably more complex to automate in FG, though, because again: there is no "magical" damage trait.

Wands, scrolls and staves are clearly a form of spell-casting, so I see no conflicts there. These work the same as otherwise casted spells do.

Last but not least, alchemical bombs are not magical and thus trigger neither the "Golem antimagic" immunities nor the "Harmed by" weaknesses. So no, your 1 point acid "splash" damage does not crumble the iron golem to dust. :P

Pathfinder 2e weapon runes

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October 16th, 2021, 05:36 AM

Is there an option for this? Would like to add a potency rune to changeling hags claws.

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October 16th, 2021, 07:05 PM

Sounds like you want Handwraps of Mighty Blows.

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The potency rune increases the weapon's attack and damage rolls, making it more effective in combat. The striking rune enables the weapon to bypass some of the target's resistances, allowing for more damage to be dealt. The disrupting rune grants the weapon the ability to disrupt magical effects and creatures, making it a valuable tool against spellcasters.

Finally, the resilient rune provides the weapon with additional hardness and hit points, making it more durable. Property runes, on the other hand, can only be applied to specific types of weapons. For example, there are runes that grant additional damage or effects to weapons with the slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning traits. Other runes may enhance weapons with the thrown or ranged traits, providing increased range or additional damage. There are also specialized runes for certain weapon groups, such as axes, bows, or swords, which provide unique benefits tailored to those weapons. Weapon runes can be found or purchased throughout the course of the game, allowing players to continually upgrade and improve their weapons. Additionally, runes can be upgraded to higher levels, providing even greater bonuses and effects. Players can add multiple runes to a single weapon, but must carefully consider their choices as some runes may conflict with others. In conclusion, Pathfinder 2e weapon runes offer players a versatile and customizable system for enhancing their weapons. Whether through fundamental runes that boost overall performance or property runes that provide unique benefits for specific weapon types, these enchantments allow players to tailor their weapons to their preferred playstyle and tackle a variety of challenges on their adventures..

Reviews for "Pathfinder 2e Weapon Runes: A Beginner's Guide"

1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with the weapon runes in Pathfinder 2e. They felt unnecessarily complicated and added little to the overall gameplay experience. I found myself constantly referring back to the rulebook just to understand how they worked, and it really slowed down the flow of combat. Additionally, I didn't feel like the different runes offered enough variety or customization options. The bonuses they provided seemed fairly generic and uninspiring. Overall, I think the system could have been simplified and streamlined to make it more user-friendly and impactful.

2. Sarah - 3/5 - While I didn't hate the weapon runes in Pathfinder 2e, I didn't find them particularly exciting or unique either. They seemed to lack the creativity that I was hoping for. The names and effects of the runes were rather generic, and I was expecting more interesting and imaginative options. I also felt that the cost and effort required to obtain and apply these runes didn't always feel worth it. I wished there was more depth and variety to the system to make it more engaging and rewarding for players.

3. Mark - 2/5 - The weapon runes in Pathfinder 2e felt like an unnecessary addition that complicated the game without adding much value. I found myself constantly forgetting to apply their effects during combat, and it became frustrating to spend so much time managing them instead of focusing on the actual gameplay. The rules surrounding the runes were convoluted and poorly explained, leading to confusion and mistakes. Overall, I think the system was poorly implemented and could have been better integrated into the gameplay mechanics to make it more enjoyable and intuitive.

The Perfect Fit: Matching Pathfinder 2e Weapon Runes to Your Playstyle