Item
Elemental Runes
Fire, acid, lightning, and cold engraved into the edge
Four common runes engraved by every smith who knows the art: fire, acid, lightning, and cold. They do not change how the weapon is wielded; they give its bite a nature not originally its own.
An elemental rune adds half the fundamental bonus of its level to the weapon's damage as damage of its element.
| Rune Level | Added Elemental Damage |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | +2 |
| 3–4 | +4 |
| 5–6 | +8 |
| 7–8 | +16 |
| 9 | +32 |
| 10 | +64 |
They therefore grant less than a Rune of Power of the same level, by design. Their damage must overcome resistances, and a creature that lives in fire does not fear a flaming blade. Against a creature vulnerable to the element, however, the GM may double the damage.
Armor or a shield may bear the same rune, granting this value as DR against the engraved element and nothing else.