Shockwave rune makes the weapons Strikes deal 1 bludgeoning splash damage per weapon damage die.
How does it work? Is it like a bomb with the splash trait, where it does the same splash damage on all but a critical failure? Or does it work more like a normal Strike, only dealing full splash damage on a hit or double on a crit?
The rune doesn't have the splash trait at all, and it doesn't give any Strikes the splash trait. It just says the Strikes do splash damage.
Is there a differing source?
AoN doesn't have the updated errata for its printing of the Splash trait.
Going off of what was quoted from the GM Core errata, what I see is that the rules are pretty well defined.
Some weapons and effects, such as alchemical bombs, have the splash trait. You don’t add your Strength modifier to the damage roll for any thrown weapon with the splash trait (even if the item doesn’t have the bomb trait). A splash weapon or effect deals any listed splash damage to the target on a failure, success, or critical success, and to all other creatures within 5 feet of the target on a success or critical success. On a critical failure, the weapon or effect misses entirely, dealing no damage. Add splash damage together with the initial damage against the target before applying the target’s resistance or weakness. You don’t multiply splash damage on a critical hit.
So putting a Shockwave rune on a Club would work fine according to the rules for runes. The Shockwave rune requires a bludgeoning melee weapon and the Club is a bludgeoning melee weapon with the Thrown trait.
The updated rules limit the removal of Strength bonus damage to only thrown weapons (the older rules didn't make that distinction and would remove the Strength damage from the club). So when used as a melee weapon, the Strength damage still gets added to the primary damage of the weapon. I don't think it would be added to the splash damage amount, but that isn't entirely specified.
If you use the club as a thrown weapon, then the Shockwave rune would not function because it is on the wrong type of weapon. It requires a melee weapon and the club is a ranged weapon when thrown.
If the GM and table forget that part and have the rune apply anyway, the rule for Strength damage on Thrown weapons with the Splash trait would again take effect because now it is a thrown weapon with the splash trait instead of a melee weapon with the splash trait. So you wouldn't apply your Strength damage to the base weapon damage of the thrown club.
The splash damage follows its own stated general rules for how to modify the damage based on degree of success. Which does differ from how the Strike of the weapon itself modifies damage based on degree of success. On a critical fail, it deals no direct damage or splash damage. On a failure, it only deals its splash damage to the primary target of the attack. And on both success and critical success, it deals its damage to both the primary target and any creatures within 5 feet of that target.
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The rune doesn't have the splash trait at all, and it doesn't give any Strikes the splash trait. It just says the Strikes do splash damage.
I think that is more that the splash damage itself would have the splash trait. Because that makes sense. And because the rules for the rune are rather obviously trying to interact with the rules for the Splash trait (by doing things like making the wielder of the melee weapon immune to the splash damage that they would otherwise be taking ... even though the Shockwave rune itself never says that all creatures within 5 feet are the ones who would take the splash damage).
It is very much like how a Torch doesn't have the fire trait, but does list that you can use it to deal fire damage. I'm still not going to allow you to use it to deal fire damage underwater even though the Aquatic Combat rules are keyed off of the Fire trait, not fire damage.
It appears that Paizo has been inconsistent with their language on property runes that add damage.
The weapon deals an additional 1d6 fire damage on a successful Strike...
When you hit with the weapon, add 1d6 acid damage to the damage dealt...
Strikes made with it gain the holy trait and deal an extra 1d4 spirit damage...
Shockwave's language is most similar to the Holy Rune. This language is also used with the Astral Rune.
I think RAW is unclear, but considering that the Shockwave Rune uses the same format langauge as the Holy Rune, i.e. "Strikes with [this weapon] deals [extra damage]," I think RAI at least means that it only does the splash damage on a hit.
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The rules for splash damage really belong in the damage types sidebar alongside persistent damage and precision damage. Not the splash trait, which isn't even on half the things that deal splash damage.
The rules for splash damage really belong in the damage types sidebar alongside persistent damage and precision damage. Not the splash trait, which isn't even on half the things that deal splash damage.
Yeah. They put Bleed damage on there, and that is just a subtype of the Persistent Damage condition.
It says it does splash damage, so the easiest way to handle it is to run it like splash damage: it happens on a failure, success, or critical success on the relevant action (the strike).
The lack of the splash trait means the rules aren't in the most obvious place to find, but the splash damage rules do work here, and the rune making you immune does make it clear they expect you may be in the splash radius normally.