Monks of the Way of the Runes are ascetic scholars of the magic runes. They spend hours meditating on their meanings, hoping to find the hidden secrets they hold. They use their insights to grant themselves elemental boosts in combat.

The Carver's Retreat on Kiniden is the largest monastery following this monastic tradition. Initiates there live a secluded lifestyle, but once they reach Adept rank they go out into the world to learn from it. The initiation rituals include finding the perfect piece of wood to craft a personal bo staff, which along with their grey robes and a small food bowl are their only personal possessions until they reach higher ranks. By forsaking material things, their spirit hardens into a weapon to rival any sword. Initiates also take new names, leaving their past at the monastery gates in a symbolic rebirth ceremony.

Rune Strike

3rd-level Way of the Runes feature

You have started your journey to understanding the magic of the runes. During a short or long rest, you can meditate on the meaning of a rune to gain the power of its associated element as a runic focus.

Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a monk weapon or an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point in order to deal damage of the type associated with the rune you focused on. The damage equals one roll of your martial arts die plus your Wisdom modifier (minumum of 1).

You also become proficient in Arcana or History and your choice of Mason's Tools, Woodcarver's Tools or Calligrapher's Supplies

The Runic Focus Table

Rune	Rune Strike damage type	Protective Runes damage type	Runic Meditation effect
s Sowilo	Fire	Fire+Radiant	You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet
i Isaz	Cold	Cold+Force	You gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed
x Thurisaz	Lightning	Thunder+Lightning	The range of your unarmed and Monk Weapon attacks increase by 5 feet and you count as one size larger for carrying, pushing and dragging
u Uruz	Poison	Acid+Poison	Targets you hit with Rune Strike have disadvantage on attacks against you until the start of your next turn
k Kauna	Necrotic	Necrotic+Psychic	Targets you hit with Rune Strike cannot regain hit points until the start of your next turn

Protective Runes

6th-level Way of the Runes feature

Your understanding of the runes have deepened, letting you utilize not only their offensive magic, but also use them for defensive purposes.

When you meditate during a rest, you can choose an additional rune to focus on (can be different or the same as your Rune Strike focus). You gain resistance to the elements indicated in the Rune table.

You can also recall previous insights earned during meditation. As an action, you can switch one or more of your current runic foci. Once you do this, you need to finish a long rest before you can do so again (you can still change your foci during a short rest).

Runic Meditation

11th-level Way of the Runes feature

You have gained deep understanding of the meaning of runes. You gain a third runic focus, which gives you an additional effect depending on which rune you focus on.

Additionally, the damage of Rune Strike increases to two rolls of your Martial Arts die, and when you hit a creature with an attack from your Flurry of Blows feature, you can use Rune Strike without expending a Ki point. You can still only use Rune Strike once per turn.

Master Runecarver

17th-level Way of the Runes feature

The secrets of the runes have been laid bare to you. As a bonus action, you can become an avatar of the runes for one minute. Illusory runes swirl around your body and your eyes glow while it is active.

While in this form, your Rune Strike does not cost ki and deals a total of 5 martial arts dice, one of each runic damage type. You focus on all the defensive runes at once, gaining all the resistances, as well as +2 AC. You also gain all the Runic Meditation effects at the same time.

This effect ends early if you become Incapacitated or die and once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend 10 ki points to do so.