What sort of Patrons fit the Rune them?

[Lanathar]

As per the title. I am struggling to conceptualise what patrons would fit the Rune theme.

Perhaps Nethys but you'd expect Nethys to only really grant magic to someone who worked for it or prayed for it...

I have a player making a Witch and trying to give them a choice of themes (they specifically asked for guidance / me to pick)

Some really don't fit with what I think works for the campaign and what I have been told about parts of the character idea and so I have ruled them out (Winter, Wild, Curse, Night and Baba Yaga).

But I don't really understand Rune based on the one line description...

[Dubious Scholar]

Oof. Winter and Curse are probably the strongest hex cantrips.

Rune is basically going to align well with:
-Gods of knowledge. Nethys might do it to encourage or reward a scholar. Irori and Gruhastra here as well.
-Some ancient and powerful wizard. Old Mage Jatembe would probably qualify, though he'd be just as likely to give Primal magic I suespect.

A twist on Rune could be someone like Abadar or Asmodeus, focusing more on laws perhaps.

[Lanathar]

I don’t know if I agree on winter. But either way the game (and character) are based in The Shackles so there is utterly no reason for Winter

Your second bullet point is useful and could align with part of the planned background / story. Thanks

[shroudb]

i dont think you need to limit yourself in a "deity" for a patron.

The spirit of an ancient diviner, as an example, strong enough to transend mortality (so something like mythic tiers) but not strong enough to actually attain divinity.

another option would be a non-descript "watcher" entity, overseeing the world while not directly interfearing or bothering with gods and such.

if you want to go with gods, you can always go with different personals of gods. So, while Nethys is the god of magic and yadda yadda yadda, the part of him that's the god of knowledge as well (and that part alone) can be viewed as an entity that becomes a patron, but since it's only part of the whole, it doesnt actually care about worship or the rest of the portfolio.

and etc

[MindFl*yer98]

look at any god or demigod which gave the rune domain in Pathifinder 1e and you will find plenty of inspiration: Abraxas, Valmallos, Braismois, Imot and Irez look particurarly good to me, and they cover a wide variety of alignments.

[Albatoonoe]

Something from the Akashic record, if not the record itself.

[Kyrone]

A few...

Abraxas and Barbatos: secret knowledge would be totally their thing.

Irez: Runes and stuff.

Sivanah: Deity if illusion magic and super mysterious

Non deity ones

A powerful Dragon or Genie: Maybe in human form and gave you the familiar and the power.

A Lich or Ravener: They pursued forbidden Arcane arts after all.

And so on.

[Ventnor]

One of the Magic Warriors of the Magaambya might teach some arcane Witches.

[Perpdepog]

There's also Lissala, the Azlanti goddess of runes, if you still want a deity to provide the lessons.

[Captain Morgan]

https://2e.aonprd.com/Domains.aspx?ID=46

[breithauptclan]

Dubious Scholar wrote:

Oof. Winter and Curse are probably the strongest hex cantrips.

Discern Secrets is a more subtle choice than the raw damage potential of Clinging Ice or overall usefulness of Evil Eye. It is still one of my top picks.

Especially good because you can use it on your allies. Whoever is best at Recall Knowledge for whatever we are fighting, now gets to be better at it and gets one free Recall Knowledge action.

Since the boost is to the general Recall Knowledge action, it also works for Lore skills too, so it is nice to have out of combat for that.

The seek boost is also really useful when fighting enemies that like to hide or are invisible.

[breithauptclan]

Finally, the Hex cantrip is not the most powerful part of the Witch. Better to pick an appropriate patron with the correct tradition regardless of which Hex cantrip it has.

[Paradozen]

Nethys as a patron isn't antithetical to someone working for their magic. The witch still has to find the familiar and coax the magical lessons out of it, and then learn from those to make their own progress. Hastur and Nyarlathotep both might use rune patrons as a means of manipulating witch cults with the lure of forbidden knowledge. The angel Tabris or his magical tomes are sources of power through words which might instill power in a familiar. Ydajisk, the protean lord of language evolution, is another fun choice.

[The Raven Black]

Amaznen, Azlanti god of secret knowledge is interesting. He is dead (or rather disappeared), but since when has this stopped a Witch's Patron ?

Or Starfinder's Eloritu.

Or maybe the Collective Mind of the alghollthus (aka Aboleths) has intruded on the PC's mind for their own private reasons.

If you like the concept of Patrons not as the source of the power but as the focus of the Witch's study that grants them insight and power, the Pathfinder Society could be such a Patron. Or if it seems too impersonal, a famous dead Pathfinder like Durvin Gest, or even a still living one such as Eando Kline.