Archives of Nethys
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Avenging Runelord
Source Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 72The absolute pursuit of personal power was almost universal among the runelords of ancient Thassilon. In their haste to stave off death, they created personal demiplanes, embraced undeath, fashioned powerful artifacts, and created foreboding strongholds in obscure branches of reality. Using all the magical might at their disposal, they sought to cement their legacies upon future generations, even after death. The spread of generational curses, the carving of visages into mountain peaks, the creation of faux faiths and secret societies that blurred the lines between cult and religion— all of these were pursued by the runelords in their goal of creating an eternal legacy.
To most, the simplest route to a lasting legacy is through family. By passing on a name, trade, or beliefs to descendants, a person’s influence may carry on long after they’re gone. This, of course, wouldn’t do for most runelords. To them, family was a weakness—one that either enemies could exploit or that could lead to betrayal from one’s own blood. Runelords who did have children often endeavored to sequester their offspring’s minds and bodies as repositories for their own souls, while those with no progeny of their own sought magical creations, influence over abductees, and other more twisted methods to prolong their existence.
Such a mindset could only foster souls possessing an everlasting rage against death. And in the aftermath of several tumultuous events—particularly the recent awakenings of the runelords as well as the world-shaking Godsrain—many of these karmic seeds have begun to take root. The minds and souls of new runelords, along with the living descendants of ancient runelords, have been attacked by the souls of their grasping predecessors. Some of these scattered descendants and new adherents overcame the intrusions and lived their lives of their own, unaware of the supernatural doom hanging over their heads. For others, however, the supernatural incursions proved far more difficult to resist. This was not a true reincarnation. The bitter souls of these long-dead wizards haven’t been reborn into new bodies—the reward of a judged soul sent back to life.
Rather, those invaded by an avenging runelord’s soul must constantly fight for control of their fate. Over time, they may experience flashbacks and déjà vu, uncovering the hidden identity within their bodies. As this influence grows, so to do bitter memories of rivalries with the Runelord Xanderghul or those like him.
Runelord Magic
The runelord archetype appears on pages 114-119 of Lost Omens Rival Academies. While a PC doesn’t need to be a wizard with this archetype to select the avenging runelord mythic destiny, it’s certainly a thematically appropriate choice. Even if a PC isn’t a wizard, though, various features in this destiny build off the school of Thassilonian rune magic and the seven sins, so having access to Lost Omens Rival Academies may significantly help when creating your avenging runelord. Note that if you do have the runelord archetype, you don’t have to choose the same sin you chose for that archetype as you do for the avenging runelord destiny!A Previous Life
As an avenging runelord, a character isn’t actually a reincarnated runelord (a PC seeking to play a reincarnated character should instead consider the heroic scion destiny). They remain their own person, yet their memories and dreams are influenced by the long-dead soul with whom their destiny has become entangled. They might claim to be the reincarnated runelord, or they might deny this influence or even not truly know whose soul has infected their own. When a PC chooses this mythic destiny, they should work with the GM to determine which of the dozens of previous runelords have infected them, choosing from those many runelords who have died and do not live on as undead to this very day. The GM can suggest a runelord whose legacy might be encountered at some point in this Adventure Path as a risen runelord or might leave the identity secret and encourage the player to lean into themes of envy, gluttony, greed, sloth, or wrath (noting that no runelord of lust or pride has yet died, and as such, cannot be used to create avenging runelords).Avenging Runelord Dedication Feat 12
This Feat may contain spoilers from the Revenge of the Runelords Adventure Path
Rare Destiny MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 72
Archetype Avenging Runelord
The call of a long dead runelord has infected your soul and transformed your fate. Choose one of the following sins: envy, gluttony, greed, sloth, or wrath. You become trained in Arcana. If you are already trained in Arcana, you become trained in the skill of your choice. At 14th level, you gain expert proficiency in Arcana. At 16th level, if you gain master proficiency in Arcana.
You have familiarity with common weapons in the polearm and spear weapon groups—for the purposes of proficiency, you treat any of these that are martial weapons as common weapons. When your proficiency for simple weapons and any that are advanced weapons as martial weapons. You learn the Thassilonian language.
You gain the ability to cast an arcane spell as an innate spell. This spell must be chosen from the following list: darkvision, mystic armor, runic body, runic weapon, see the unseen, sending, or truesight; alternatively, you can choose any spell of 6th rank or lower from the sin spells listed for your chosen sin (see School of Thassilonian Rune Magic). You can cast this spell as an arcane innate spell once per day. The spell is automatically heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. Use mythic proficiency to determine any attack rolls or spell DCs. Your obsession with revenge allows you to reflexively lash out at those who harm you with blasts of arcane magic. You gain the Runelord's Response reaction.
Runelord's Response [reaction]
Source Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 73Trigger A creature deals damage to you with a spell
You gain a measure of revenge immediately by twisting the magic used by the triggering creature. Spend a Mythic Point. The triggering creature takes 6d8 force damage, with a basic Will saving throw against either your class DC or spell DC using mythic proficiency, whichever is higher. At 14th level, and every 2 levels thereafter, this damage increases by 1d8.
Expanded Runelord Magic Feat 14
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 73
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Your ability to use magic associated with your chosen sin grows. You gain the ability to cast one more arcane spell as an innate spell. This spell must be chosen from those listed in Avenging Runelord Dedication above, as well as contingency, spell riposte, or any 7th-rank spell from your chosen sin’s school. You can cast this spell as an arcane innate spell once per day. The spell is automatically heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. Use mythic proficiency to determine any attack rolls or spell DCs.
Reliable Magic Feat 14
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 73
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Magic stored in written form or within wands is more reliable in your capable hands. Whenever you overcharge a wand, reduce the DC of the flat check to avoid destroying the wand by 4. It still gains the broken condition on a success.
When you Cast a Spell from a scroll you can spend a Mythic Point as a free action. The spell is cast at mythic proficiency. Once you cast the spell using this ability, attempt a DC 11 flat check. If this check is successful, the scroll is not destroyed, and instead glows with light equivalent to that of a candle for 10 minutes. You can Cast a Spell from this scroll again, but if you do so you cannot enhance it in any way (such as by using this feat), and the scroll is destroyed. If not used before the end of the 10 minutes, the scroll is destroyed.
Shining Runes Feat 14
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 73
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Whenever you Cast a Spell that requires more than one action to cast, the signature Thassilonian runes you trace in the air flicker with light and command attention. They may blaze brightly, leave lingering fog, create discordant noise, or fill the air with an overwhelming scent, such that their presence obfuscates you from onlookers. You gain concealment from enemy creatures until the beginning of your next turn. The DC to identify your spells as you cast them is 2 higher than normal.
Willing Runes Feat 14
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 73
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Magical markings of every kind seem eager to aid your endeavors. Whenever you read text, be it mundane or magical, the writing itself seems to almost to leap into your thoughts. You gain a +2 status bonus to checks to Decipher Writing, Identify Magic, Learn a Spell, or any Research check or Recall Knowledge check involving reading.
You gain a +2 status bonus to saving throws and to your AC against effects from hazards that involve reading, such as those created by a rune trap ritual. If you were the one who triggered the hazard by reading the triggering runes, the status bonus increases to +4.
If you prepare spells from a spellbook, you gain the following activity.
Draw From the Pages [three-actions]
Source Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 74Frequency once per day
Requirements you are holding your spellbook
Spend a Mythic Point, and then Cast a Spell directly from your spellbook. The spell you cast must be one that takes one or two actions to cast, and it’s automatically heightened to a rank equal to half your level. Use mythic proficiency to determine any attack rolls or spell DCs.
Writhing Runelord Weapon Feat 14
Arcane Flourish MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 74
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Requirements You are wielding a polearm or spear.
Your prowess with long-hafted weapons catches your opponents by surprise, as it bends or elongates in an obviously supernatural manner. Spend a Mythic Point. Your weapon gains the reach trait until the end of your turn, if it doesn’t have it already. You can Stride and Strike twice, in any order. The movement from your Stride doesn’t provoke reactions. Your Strikes are made at mythic proficiency and gain the critical specialization effect of the weapon. Apply your multiple attack penalty to your Strikes as normal, but the target of your second Strike is off-guard to it.
Autonomous Arms Feat 16
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 74
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication; expert proficiency in a spear or polearm
A portion of the ancient grasping spirit that infuses your being spills over into a spear or polearm you carry. When you perform your daily preparations, choose one spear or polearm you own. This weapon becomes infused with arcane magic and fragments of thought—it doesn’t become fully intelligent, but it instinctually recognizes you as its wielder and denies its abilities to any other wielder while you live. If your weapon doesn’t possess it already, it gains the effects of the animated property rune. This does not count against the maximum number of property runes your weapon can have at one time. You also gain the following action.
Call to Hand [one-action]
Source Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 74With a simple flourish of your hand, you cause your autonomous spear or polearm to teleport into your grip, provided you’re on the same plane as your weapon. If you’re level 20, you can call to hand your weapon regardless of where it’s located. If your weapon is wielded by a mythic creature that’s higher level than you, you must spend a Mythic Point to Call to Hand the weapon, otherwise this action fails—you know why it failed, but you don’t learn who has control of your weapon.
Subjugation [two-actions] Feat 16
Complex Concentrate Incapacitation Mental MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 74
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
You have managed to gain a degree of control over the runelord’s ancient soul within your mind, enough that you can project this invasive influence into the minds of others. Spend a Mythic Point. You attempt to send your runelord’s influence into the mind of a creature you can sense within 30 feet. The creature attempts a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. Giants take a –2 status penalty to this saving throw. Regardless of the result, the target is temporarily immune to this ability for 24 hours once the Subjugation ends.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is slowed 1 as it fights off your runelord’s influence. You gain awareness of its abilities and weaknesses as if you achieved a critical success on a Recall Knowledge check to identify the creature.
Failure The creature relinquishes control of its faculties and abilities. You gain awareness of its abilities and weaknesses as success. You control the creature until the end of its next turn.
Critical Failure As failure, but you control the creature for 1 minute.
Vindictive Thoughts [reaction] Feat 16
Arcane Mental MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 75
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Trigger You attempt a saving throw against a spell
Those who seek to do you personal harm with magic must suffer the same misfortune. Before you attempt your saving throw, spend a Mythic Point. You make this saving throw at mythic proficiency. On any result but a critical failure, the spell’s caster takes 10d6 mental damage (basic Will save against your class DC or spell DC using mythic proficiency, whichever is higher). At 18th level, the mental damage increases to 11d6, and at 20th level, the mental damage increases to 12d6.
Advanced Runelord Magic Feat 18
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 75
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Expanded Runelord Magic
Your ability to use magic associated with your chosen sin grows. You gain the ability to cast one more arcane spell as an innate spell. This spell must be chosen from those available with Expanded Runelord Magic, in addition to foresight, unrelenting observation, or any spell from your chosen sin’s school. You can cast this spell as an arcane innate spell once per day. The spell is automatically heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. Use mythic proficiency to determine any attack rolls or spell DCs.
Apocalyptic Visions [two-actions] Feat 18
Arcane Mental MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 75
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Frequency Once per day
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Your runelord may not have lived long enough to need to retreat into hiding in the face of Earthfall, but the apocalyptic echoes of this event nevertheless reached their soul all the way in the Boneyard. You’ve learned to endure the invasive thoughts of this empire-ending event, but now you can project that despair into the minds of others. Spend a Mythic Point and target up to 10 creatures within 60 feet that you can sense. You force images into their minds of Earthfall, forcing them to endure a vision of the end of the world and all they hold dear. The creatures must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC using mythic proficiency, whichever is higher.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is so distracted by the visions that they are slowed 1 for 1 round.
Failure The creature is slowed 1 and stupefied 1 for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The creature is slowed 2 and stupefied 2 for 1 minute. In addition, the creature suffers the effects of the spell nightmare the next time it rests. If the creature fails or critically fails against this effect, the effect repeats each time the creature attempts to sleep until it succeeds on its save or 6 days have passed. You do not need to know the creature’s name or remain on the same planet for the creature to experience these nightmares.
Craft Runewell Feat 20
MythicSource Pathfinder Adventure Path #219: Lord of the Trinity Star pg. 75
Archetype Avenging Runelord
Prerequisites Avenging Runelord Dedication
Even if the runelord whose soul influences you never did so themselves, you know how to create your own runewell—an artifact that grants you a measure of immortality. You learn the create demiplane ritual. To create your runewell, you must cast create demiplane heightened to 10th-rank. When you do so, you also create an anima focus (an immobile object like a statue or fortification with an appearance you design) at the location you cast the ritual, connecting your other-worldly home to this location. Once you create your runewell, you cannot create another unless the current one is destroyed.
While you are located on the same plane that your anima focus is located on, or while you are within your runewell, any doomed value you gain stops at doomed 3. The only way an adversary can destroy your anima focus or runewell is to reduce you to 0 Hit Points and doomed 3 and then reduce your anima focus to 0 Hit Points using arcane magic (or an agent affected by arcane magic) from one of the schools in opposition to your specialized sin chosen when you took Avenging Runelord Dedication. Your anima focus has Hardness equal to twice your level and Hit Points equal to your own. Your anima focus has fast healing equal to twice your Intelligence modifier.
Your anima focus is associated with the same sin as your chosen avenging runelord sin. As long as at least one sizable settlement in which this sin is prevalent (subject to the GM’s discretion) is within a hundred miles of it, your anima focus absorbs energy from these sins. As long as it does so and you are on the same plane as the anima focus, you do not age and are immune to effects that rob you of your mental abilities (such as the never mind spell or the confused and stupefied conditions).
Other creatures cannot enter your runewell unless they possess a planar key you created and gave to them, or unless they’re adjacent to your anima focus. Your runewell has an exit that allows adjacent creatures within to activate with an Interact action; when they do so, they exit the runewell and appear adjacent to your anima focus. You gain the following activity.
Enter Runewell 10 minutes (concentrate, manipulate, teleportation) You and up to 6 willing creatures you’re touching are instantly transported into your runewell, regardless of any distance between you and your anima focus.
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