If it’s not obvious why someone would want to make everday objects move around by painstakingly carving symbols on them, this is not the craft for you.
[ ] Animate Runed Servant – You know an alphabet of magic runes, and have the learning to know which ones to invoke and how. By carving the right runes into the surface of an object, you can bring it to life. The runes must cover at least a third of the object's surface area, and a given object will require 3d6 unique runes carved into it. This makes animating very small objects difficult, as the precision to carve the runes is tricky, and animating very large objects tedious, as covering the required surface area takes time. Once brought to life, the object will be capable of independent motion, but will possess no particular drives to act upon. If the runes are sufficiently damaged, it will cease to animate.
[ ][ ][ ] Auditor Runes – When you animate an object with runes, you can add a series of runes that allow it to interpret human language and obey orders given to it. At first level, tailoring these runes to the object and adding them takes 10 minutes. At second level, it takes 1 minute. At third level, it takes d6 rounds. You may add a more complex arrangement that specifies which voices it will listen to and obey. If you do, double the amount of time it takes.
[ ][ ][ ][ ] Morphic Pattern – As a student of runic animation, you endeavour to learn how runes can shape your subjects, literally. When you animate a Runed Servant, you can use a Morphic Pattern to cause it to twist into a certain shape upon animating, influenced by the existing material and shape of the object. For each level of Morphic Pattern, you have access to one of the following:
Humanoid: The object will grow two (or perhaps three, depending on its balance) legs and two arms. The arms may split at their ends into fingers. It will endeavor to remain upright.
Beast: The object will grow four or six legs, arranging the main mass of its body horizontally to the ground. It may also develop a tail for balance and some apparatus at its “head” such as jaws or spikes to attack with.
Winged: The object will grow a number of wings and attempt to shift its main body to be aerodynamic. Very few objects are capable of genuine, bird-like flight just because they have been granted this configuration, but many can at least glide or hover.
Wyrm: The object will narrow and stretch, becoming long and suited to moving as a serpent does. One or both ends will terminate in some means of attack, such as jaws, a stinger, a claw, etc. Fins are also possible.
[ ][ | ][ | ] Runecommands – During or after the animation of a Runed Servant, you can carve runes into it that define its behavior. At first level, you can apply the commands in a general manner, with reference to directions or simple, immediate conditions (i.e. Go north, or Go forward when it is dark). At second level, you can impose multiple conditions on a command and include less simple designations (i.e. Go forward when it is dark, and if there are no hostile creatures). At third level, you can specify ends and destinations, and can use conditions as precisely as you wish(i.e. go to a specific place, attack a specific enemy, etc.). The commands available to you are Go, Wait, Hold, Attack, Use, and Dance.