Runic Body Questions

[ColonelRoosevelt]

Could this spell apply to an inventor's prototype construct? It's a willing creature. While it says they can only benefit from speed item bonuses they can be modified to take weapon bonuses to unarmed attacks so could temporary unarmed attack bonus apply?

[Finoan]

I would say yes, you can cast the spell on the Construct Companion. Though it may not do exactly what you want.

As you noted, the item bonus to attack rolls wouldn't apply because of the restriction on item bonuses that Construct Companions have.

And it would set the number of damage dice to the value listed - not increase it by one (or two or three at higher rank castings). Which means that it wouldn't stack with the damage dice count values from Advanced Construct Companions and Paragon Construct Companions (which set the dice count to 2 and 3 respectively).

Casting a 1st rank Runic Body on an Advanced Construct Companion would still leave it dealing two dice of damage for its attacks. Similarly, casting a 6th rank Runic Body on a Paragon Construct Companion would leave it dealing three dice of damage.

Same as if you cast Runic Weapon on a weapon that already has Striking Runes on it.

Also, I am not sure what you mean by "they can be modified to take weapon bonuses to unarmed attacks". Which ability are you talking about?

[ColonelRoosevelt]

I’m referring to runic keystone. It’s an innovation to allow permanent rune effects so I’m wondering if a temporary one would have full effect.

Runic Keystone: You've incorporated a device similar to a runestone into your innovation, allowing it to hold a property rune, even though it isn't a weapon or suit of armor. An armor property rune affects your innovation itself if it would affect the wearer of the armor. A weapon property rune grants whatever properties it would normally grant to a weapon to your innovation's unarmed attacks, following all the requirements as normal (for instance, a vorpal rune would only apply to slashing melee unarmed attacks); if the rune affects only ranged attacks, it has no effect unless your innovation has a built-in ranged attack (from the projectile launcher initial modification, for example). If the rune would affect the physical shape or appearance of the weapon or armor itself, like glamered, the rune has no effect when etched into your construct.

[Finoan]

Ah. It specifically allows property runes (such as a Flaming rune). But not fundamental runes (the potency and striking runes).

It looks like the rules writers are very carefully preventing those +1 item bonuses from runes from working.