Requirements

Skills: Craft (Drawing or Calligraphy) 3 ranks, Knowledge (Runes): 10 ranks

Special: Must be able to create advanced runes

Summary

Runelord is very clearly the prestige built for runethanes as you have to use advanced runes so really there's but a single path into this class, and you get more special rune abilities and spells as you progress.

Role: Spell Utility

Characteristics: A caster and master of rune magic

Source: Arcana Evolved

Game Rule Information

The Runelord has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence for Casting and Runes, Dexterity for avoiding danger, Constitution for extra bulk

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Runelord's class skills are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Runelord.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Runelord is proficient with simple weapons and light armor

Spells per Day: When rune lords gain their first level, and at every level after that, they gain new spells per day as if they had also gained a level in the spellcasting class they belonged to before adding the prestige class. They do not, however, receive any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, class abilities, and so on). This essentially means that the character adds the new rune lord level to the level of the previous spellcasting class, then determines spell slots and spells readied accordingly. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a rune lord, the player must decide which class receives the rune lord level. If a spellcasting character takes a level in a spellcasting prestige class, the levels stack for the purpose of determining caster level. Thus, a 10th-level runethane who takes a level of rune lord has a caster level of 11th.

Rune CapacitySu: Runelord levels stack with runethane levels to determine how many runes one can have in existence at once. Rune lords who are not runethanes gain nothing from this ability.

Personal MarkSp: A 1st-level and higher rune lord can create a permanent magical symbol of glowing light up to once a day per rune lord level. This symbol represents the rune lord, and anyone touching the personal mark knows the rune lord’s name (but not truename). Personal marks cannot be faked, although they can be dispelled.

Additional RuneSu: At 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 9th level, the rune lord gains an additional power. A rune lord who is a runethane learns a new rune of any accessible type (lesser, advanced, and so on). Characters who cannot learn greater runes can, at 6th level, choose a greater rune if desired. At 9th level, those who cannot learn runes of power can choose a rune of power as their additional rune. At these same levels, rune lords who are also runechildren gain either a permanent +3 inherent bonus to one skill, a general feat as a bonus feat, or a +1 inherent bonus to an ability score. The rune lord chooses which of these three powers to gain, but cannot choose the same power twice until he or she has chosen all three. So a rune lord who decides to add a +1 bonus to Strength at 2nd level must choose either a +3 skill bonus or a general feat at 4th level. This new power manifests itself as a new rune somewhere on the rune lord’s body. Rune lords who are both runethanes and runechildren can choose either benefit but not both.

Immunity to RunesSu: A 3rd-level or higher rune lord who makes a successful Knowledge (runes) check to identify a touchtrigger rune can touch the rune without triggering it, if desired.

Spell RuneSp: The 5th-level rune lord and beyond gains the ability to create a special rune, not unlike a runethane’s ultimate rune (but much less powerful). It takes one minute to create a spell rune. This touch-trigger rune, once trigged, can replicate the effects of any simple spell of 4th level or below, with the same duration, area, range, and so forth. The rune lord can have only one spell rune in existence at a time, but it does not count against his runethane rune capacity. The rune lord cannot create more than one spell rune per rune lord level in a given day, and never more than one per hour. The spell rune cannot be invested, but it can be inscribed and carry a password.

Permanent EnruningSp: Starting at 7th level, a rune lord can create a permanent magic item by etching a rune into the surface of the item. The item must be a constant item or magical arms or armor. The rune lord need not meet the prerequisites to create the item, or even know the proper feats, but must pay in both gold pieces and experience points as though making the item normally. Further, engraving the item with mystical runes requires additional time, so it takes the rune lord twice as long as normal to create a magic item. The rune lord must have an item of at least masterwork quality to enrune.

Personal SigilSp: An 8th-level or higher rune lord can place a rune upon an item and gain a special connection to that item. The rune is permanent, and henceforth the rune lord always knows the item’s location and the name and race of any creature currently touching it (the creature can attempt a Will saving throw, DC 10 + rune lord’s class level + rune lord’s Charisma modifier to resist). The rune lord can have as many personal sigils in effect as he has class levels. Placing a personal sigil is a full-round action.

Rewrite RuneSp: At 10th level, the rune lord can change any touched rune into another rune of a similar type and power. For example, the character could transform a lesser rune created by a runethane into any other lesser rune. The rune lord could alter a runechild’s personal rune, changing that character’s rune powers to any others of equivalent level. Or the rune lord could change the function of a magical item created by permanent enruning to that of any other item (of the same type) with the same value or less. To succeed at rewriting a rune, the rune lord must make a level check (d20 + class level) with a DC of either 10 + the rune creator’s level (or the runechild’s), or DC 25, whichever is higher. The action takes 3 rounds. One may accept the rewriting voluntarily.

Table 1-1: Runelord Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Rune capacity, personal mark	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+1	+0	+3	Additional rune	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Immunity to runes	+1 level of existing class
4th	+2	+2	+1	+4	Additional rune	+1 level of existing class
5th	+2	+2	+1	+4	Spell rune	+1 level of existing class
6th	+3	+3	+2	+5	Additional rune	+1 level of existing class
7th	+3	+3	+2	+5	Permanent enruning	+1 level of existing class
8th	+4	+3	+2	+6	Personal sigil	+1 level of existing class
9th	+4	+4	+3	+6	Additional rune	+1 level of existing class
10th	+5	+4	+3	+7	Rewrite rune	+1 level of existing class