Repository navigation
GM Tools: Upgradable Runic Items
- The Solvarian Runecraft Panel
- Runic Power
- Runic Empowerment
- Runic Legacy
- Combo Runes
- Rarity System
- Rune Presets
- Visual Indicators
- Settings and Access Control
- Tips and Common Questions
- Requirements and Compatibility
The Solvarian Runecraft panel appears in the Details tab of any weapon or armor item sheet. It has three sections:
- Runic Power - sockets for active combat runes (up to 3)
- Runic Empowerment - sockets for ability score boosts (up to 5)
- Runic Legacy - sockets for a feat and a spell
Click any empty socket to open the picker for that slot. Click a filled socket to change it. The panel is read-only when the sheet is not in edit mode, or when the user's role is below the configured minimum in settings.
The rarity badge in the panel header updates automatically and shows the item's current runic tier based on how many slots are filled.
Items must be equipped to activate rune effects. Items requiring attunement must also be attuned.
Each item can hold up to 3 power runes. The available runes depend on the item type: melee weapons, ranged weapons, and armor each have their own pool. No rune can appear twice on the same item.
Effects fire through Foundry's hook system. No macros or manual steps are needed.
A few effects impose disadvantage on attack rolls (Burntrace, Vanguard's Guardian's Rush, and the Crystal Anchor combo). Core dnd5e cannot automate attack-roll disadvantage, so these are applied through a midi-qol flag. With midi-qol installed the disadvantage is enforced automatically; without it, the effect still appears on the target as a reminder for you to apply by hand. See Requirements and Compatibility.
Stonecleft - On a hit, the target makes a DC 13 Strength save or is pushed {die}x5 ft away and has their movement halved for 1 round. On a critical hit, they automatically fail the save.
Mirageward - On a hit, the target loses the ability to make opportunity attacks until the start of your next turn.
Emberbrand - On a critical hit, the target is branded with ember fire. Until the start of your next turn, allies who hit the target deal an extra {die} radiant damage.
Sandgrasp - On a hit, the target makes a DC 15 Strength save or their speed is reduced by {die}x5 ft until the end of their next turn.
Ruinmark - On a hit, the target's AC is reduced by 2 for {die} rounds.
Forgebell - On a hit, one ally within 30 ft may use their reaction to move up to {die}x5 ft toward the target.
Burntrace - On a hit, the target suffers disadvantage on attack rolls for 1 round.
Sandhold - On a hit, the target's movement speed is reduced by {die}x5 ft for 1 round.
Ashcloud - On a hit, a cloud of ash erupts at the impact point. Creatures in the cloud make a DC 14 Constitution save or are poisoned and take {die} poison damage. Only hostile NPC tokens are checked automatically; allied and player tokens in the cloud are left for you to resolve.
Undertow - On a hit, the target is pulled {die}x5 ft toward the impact point.
Scorcheye - On a hit, the target cannot benefit from cover or invisibility until the start of your next turn.
Wasteblight - On a hit, rift corruption spreads through the target. While the target is poisoned, creatures ending their turn adjacent to them make a DC 13 Constitution save or become poisoned and take {die} poison damage.
Emberveil - Grants a passive AC bonus based on runic rarity (see Rarity System). When struck by a melee attack, the attacker is pushed {die}x5 ft directly away and cannot re-enter your space until the start of their next turn.
Stonewarden - When the wearer drops below half HP, the rune flares and restores {die} HP. It also flares if the wearer falls prone while already below half HP. Once per combat.
Vanguard - When an ally is struck by a melee attack, the wearer may use their reaction to move adjacent to that ally. The attacker suffers disadvantage on all attacks until the end of the round.
Wardpulse - When struck by a melee attack, the attacker makes a DC 14 Constitution save or loses their bonus action until the end of their next turn. Once per round.
Forgeshield - When struck by a melee attack, allies within 10 ft of the wearer gain +2 AC for 2 rounds.
Ashen Mantle - When the wearer drops to or below half HP for the first time, they gain resistance to all damage types for 1 round and cannot be moved or knocked prone while the resistance is active. Once per rest.
Many rune descriptions reference {die}. This die is determined by the item's runic rarity:
| Rarity | Die |
|---|---|
| Common | 1d4 |
| Uncommon | 1d4 |
| Rare | 1d6 |
| Very Rare | 1d8 |
| Legendary | 1d10 |
Up to 5 empowerment slots can be filled. Each slot boosts one ability score by +1. The same stat can be chosen multiple times:
| Inscriptions of same stat | Total Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | +1 |
| 2 | +2 |
| 3 | +3 |
| 4 | +4 |
| 5 | +5 |
Stat cap: No stat can be pushed above 30. The picker hides any option that would exceed this limit for the actor currently holding the item. This check runs at selection time. Items moved between actors or configured via presets may still produce situations that go over the cap, which the crack indicator flags for user with sufficient right to resolve manually.
Available stats: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA
The empowerment boost is applied as an ActiveEffect on the actor and updates automatically as slots change.
Two legacy slots allow inscribing a feat and a spell from any compendium loaded in the world. On equip (and attunement if required), the feat or spell is granted as an item directly on the actor's sheet, labeled with the source item's name in parentheses for convenience.
The legacy picker searches across all loaded Item compendiums. On first use per session, so if you see a brief "Loading compendium data..." message, it's ""lazy-loading"" the list. This happens once per session, so subsequent opens are instant.
Type to filter. Results show the item's icon, name, and level (for spells). Click to inscribe that option into the slot.
Clearing the legacy slot from the picker removes the granted feat or spell from the actor.
If another equipped runic item on the same actor has already granted the same feat or spell, a crack indicator appears on the legacy section of both items explaining which item already holds the grant. The grant still applies but the conflict is flagged for the user of sufficient rights to resolve.
When all three power slots are filled with a specific trio of runes, a combo activates. A fourth slot appears in the power section with a cool animation. The socket etches itself into existence, then the glyph draws in. The combo slot is non-clickable, display-only, and does not contribute to rarity but it does grant combo abilities/features.
Hover the combo slot to see its name and effect description.
Removing any of the three paired runes dissolves the combo slot and you lose that boon.
Ember Surge - Emberbrand + Ruinmark + Forgebell On an Emberbrand crit, Ruinmark's AC crack applies to all attacks while the target burns and Forgebell calls all nearby allies forward at once.
Rift Break - Stonecleft + Sandgrasp + Mirageward When Stonecleft lands, Sandgrasp triggers with no save and Mirageward shields the entire party from opportunity attacks for the round.
Crystal Anchor - Undertow + Sandhold + Burntrace Undertow's pull triggers Sandhold automatically, dropping speed to zero. Burntrace's disorientation extends to all ability checks.
Blight Field - Wasteblight + Ashcloud + Scorcheye The Ashcloud follows the blighted target as they move. Anyone in the cloud loses cover and invisibility.
Ironwall - Emberveil + Wardpulse + Forgeshield Emberveil's push triggers Wardpulse with no save, and Forgeshield's AC bonus extends to all allies within 20 ft.
Morrain's Resolve - Vanguard + Stonewarden + Ashen Mantle Guardian's Rush becomes a free action - the defender rushes to protect allies without spending their reaction.
Rarity is calculated from the total number of inscribed rune slots:
- Power rune slots count 3 points each (max 9 from 3 slots)
- Empowerment and legacy slots count 1 point each (max 7 from 7 slots)
- Total maximum score: 16
| Rarity | Score Range |
|---|---|
| Common | 0 |
| Uncommon | 1-3 |
| Rare | 4-7 |
| Very Rare | 8-11 |
| Legendary | 12+ |
Armor with Emberveil also gains a passive AC bonus based on rarity: +1 (Uncommon/Rare), +2 (Very Rare), +3 (Legendary).
Presets save and restore complete rune configurations (all power, empowerment, and legacy slots as their respective entries).
Click the bookmark icon in the Solvarian Runecraft panel header. A dialog asks for a name. After confirming, the bookmark icon briefly flashes with a checkmark to confirm the save.
Click the folder icon in the Solvarian Runecraft panel header. The picker shows only presets compatible with the current item's type (melee, ranged, or armor). Each entry in the list displays miniature power sockets with the actual rune glyphs and a rarity badge. Click an entry to apply it to the item.
Open Module Settings -> Rune Presets and click the management button. The preset manager dialog lists all saved presets grouped by Melee, Ranged, and Armor, each with a delete button and a confirmation prompt. Once deleted and confirmed, it's gone.
Updates automatically in the panel header as slots are filled.
Appears with a cool animation when all three power runes form a recognized trio. Dissolves when any of the three runes is removed.
A colored crack appears over the relevant section's slot row when something requires the user's attention:
- Empowerment crack - appears in the color(s) of the offending stat(s) when the current empowerment configuration would push any stat on the attached actor above 30. The message lists which stats are over cap.
- Legacy crack - appears in feat (gold) and/or spell (blue) when a legacy UUID can no longer be found in any loaded compendium, or when another equipped runic item has already granted the same feat or spell.
The crack disappears automatically when the issue is resolved. No page reload needed.
Minimum Role to Edit Runes - Controls which users can open rune pickers and change inscriptions. Setting it to Trusted grants access to Trusted Player, Assistant GM, and Game Master. Players below the threshold see the Solvarian Runecraft panel in read-only mode.
Compendium Cache - The legacy picker loads feat and spell compendiums on first use each session. Use Clear Cache to empty it or Refresh Cache to rebuild from currently loaded compendiums without reloading the world.
Do runes work on unequipped items? No. The item must be equipped. Attunement required items must also be attuned.
Can players see the Solvarian Runecraft panel? Yes, but in read-only mode if their role is below the minimum set in settings. They can see what runes are inscribed but cannot change them.
Can the same rune appear on multiple items? Yes. Each item has its own independent rune configuration. Two weapons can both have Stonecleft.
What happens if I install a new compendium mid-session? Click Refresh Cache in module settings to rebuild the legacy picker index without reloading the world.
Can empowerment boosts exceed 30? The picker blocks selections that would push a stat over 30. Each inscription adds +1, so the maximum boost to any single stat is +5 (all 5 slots). Items moved between actors or configured through presets may still produce situations that go over the cap. The crack indicator flags this for someone with sufficient rights to fix it.
Do legacy grants stack if two items have the same feat? Both grants exist on the actor, but the crack indicator appears on both items to flag the conflict. The GM or user with sufficient rights should resolve it by changing one of the legacy slots.
Do combo slots count toward rarity? No. Combo slots are derived and display-only (in relation to rarity). Only the three power runes that form the combo count toward the score.
| Requirement | Version |
|---|---|
| Foundry VTT | 12 - 14 |
| D&D 5e System | 4.0.0 - 5.x |
Verified against Foundry v14 and dnd5e 5.3.3.
midi-qol (optional) - Attack-roll disadvantage from Burntrace, Vanguard's Guardian's Rush, and the Crystal Anchor combo is applied through a midi-qol flag. With midi-qol installed it is enforced automatically; without it the effect still appears on the target as a reminder to apply by hand. The ability-check disadvantage added by Crystal Anchor is automated in core dnd5e 4.1+.
Automation scope - Ashcloud (and the cloud spawned by the Blight Field combo) only rolls saves and applies poison damage for hostile NPC tokens. Allied and player tokens in the cloud are left for you to resolve. Wasteblight's adjacent-creature spread, by contrast, checks every adjacent creature.
Token movement - Effects that push, pull, or reposition tokens (Stonecleft, Undertow, Emberveil, Forgebell, Guardian's Rush) act on the scene grid and need tokens placed on the canvas. Guardian's Rush also requires an active combat encounter.