Becoming a Runelord

[The Inheritor]

Theoretically if things go sideways in this adventure path, Where would I look incase my players decide to become runelords. Are there mechanics anywhere for this to happen?

[magnuskn]

Yes. You call yourself a Runelord and then you are capable of kicking anyone's ass who disagrees with your bold assertion.

[Phntm888]

I'd say magnuskn summed up the process of becoming a Runelord pretty well. Of course, if, say, the Runelord of Lust is still around, she may not take kindly to someone trying to usurp her title, and teach the upstart a thing or two.

There is the question of the Runelords' weapons of rule and the Seven Swords of Sin. I believe they are only willing to serve a Wizard who is specialized in the school of magic they are associated with and acknowledge as the true Runelord of X. Otherwise, they refuse to use their powers to benefit their wielder.

I think Runelord is otherwise purely an RP title. After all, nothing stops a random townsperson from claiming they are the Runelord of X. They'd just better be able to back that claim up, or they're probably gonna get murdered.

[CorvusMask]

Interesting thing is though that if you in anyway give up the title, you lose the claim to Runelord title from Alara'quin point of view even if practicality wise you are still the runelord. That is what is noted in destruction text in final book for Sorshen's weapon of rule.

[Cori Marie]

magnuskn wrote:

Yes. You call yourself a Runelord and then you are capable of kicking anyone's ass who disagrees with your bold assertion.

This is essentially what happened in my Rise game years ago. Gordo the Gnome Wizard got affected by a spell and it made him truly believe he was the true Karzoug and that this upstart was claiming his rightful throne. At the end of the campaign he had "re" established his rule of Xin-Shalast. It would certainly make a Return campaign with those characters interesting. Sadly I moved away.

[Pnakotus Detsujin]

To me, become a Runelord requires some kind of investiture from an outside source or recognition. It also requires some temporal power.

To be a Runelord is to an "great wizard" of a certain aspect of sin magic and possess hegemony over one of the seven provinces of Thassilon.

This requires legitimation from at least 2 sources:
1) the church of Lissala (which was formally the principal religion of thassilon and the main inspiration for sin magic)
2) the recognition from the Alara'qin of their respective school, which should be automatically be gained if the former runelord is bested by the claimer using the appropriate sin magic.

The first could be acquired by a ceremony done inside the great temple of Lissala, which is currently submerged under the sea near the coasts of Varisia, possibly by calling an herald of Lissala to recognize such power transfer.

The second needs to win the recognition of the Alara'qin by either besting it's precedent owner or propose a plan to better the conditions of the respective province.

After that, you need to actually settle down and, throught diplomacy, cunning or power be recognized as a the governor of a certain province of Thassilon, which will require to enforce your authority over territories which are now either abandoned or part of other nations or kingdoms.

The good part is that, if you are got the first to steps of this plan, all those hidden tresaures which and magical trinkets which are coded to be used by a Runelord of Thassilon will synch with you, and maybe even start calling to you. So, it's actually a lucrative solution to become a Runelord.