EnchantersRunes are a fairly small set of basic runes with variations, used almost excusively for the enchanting of objects.  Each rune is an IQ/VH skill, and no rune skill can be higher than your threadweaving talent (possibly your threadsmithing or elementalist talents).

Each skill represents a class of runes, all variations on a basic figure.  Any given spell should probably require 5ish runes, more interesting spells require more, and compoinging enchantments could require more than a dozen.  Threadsmithing also probably doubles as the "activate runes" spell, and you'd have to spend energy (in terms of karma, blood, strain, true elements, or mana) to activate them.

It is probably the case that either EnchantersRunes are somewhat three-dimentional (requiring them to be inscribed, a somewhat lengthy process), or that there are many variations on each rune to fit the grammar of the spell, so that carrying a set of tokens with you is next to worthless, but not both...either having a set of rune-tiles, or attempting to inscribe runes on the fly, should be possible (unless, of course, you decide that that is not to be.)

The [Temporary Imbuement] talent I was thinking of for weaponsmiths at higher circle might work on this principle..."inscribe" glowing letters of karma upon the item, which dissipate after their energy has worn off.

I actually have some ideas for these, but they're on the other computer.  I'll put them up eventually.

--zebediah.


Limiting them to the TW talent makes generalists the rule, and specialists effectively impossible.  These sound like they'll hit the same territory as the PhysicalMatrix mechanic.  Could they be claimed to be the color and style which Smiths use for making PhysicalMatrices?  --bts

Yes, they certainly could.  I'd just been playing with them becuase enchanting things with runes struck me as cool, and because, well, having to learn every spell you want to enchant something with (spending points on it as well) when you're not going to be doing any casting seems to sort of suck.  I put in being limited by TW because runes in GURPS magic were limited by the Rune Lore skill.--zebediah.