Runes and Magic

Rune	Name	Pronunciation	Primary Meanings	Associated Deity	Associated Skill
f	Fehu	f	Cattle, Wealth, House, Fruit	Sif
u	Uruz	u	Monster, Evil, Poison	Loki	Intimidation
x	Thurisaz	th	Giant, Storm, Lightning	Thor	Athletics
a	Ansuz	a	God, Goddess, Divine		Religion
r	Raitho	r	Ride, Journey, Progress
k	Kauna	k	Wound, Pain, Death, Destruction	Hel	Medicine
g	Getho	g	Gift, Power, Transition, Change	Idun	Arcana
w	Wunjo	w	Joy, Love, Family		Persuasion
h	Hagalaz	h	Hailstorm, Snow, Fall, Spear		Nature
n	Nauthiz	n	Need, Emergency, Request		Insight
i	Isaz	i	Ice, Winter, Hidden		Stealth
j	Jera	j	Year, Harvest, Wisdom, Story	Balder	Performance
p	Pertho	p	Negation, Secret, Reject, Deny		Deception
y	Aehaz	ae	Tree, Bow, Bird, Flight	Uller	Acrobatics
z	Algiz	z	Moose, Horn, Shield	Heimdall
s	Sowilo	s	Sun, Light, Fire, Sight	Freya	Perception
t	Tiwaz	t	Bear, Warrior, Stone	Tyr
b	Berkana	b	Birch, Moon, Night		Survival
e	Ehwaz	e	Horse, Speed, Wild, Dragon	Skadi	Animal Handling
m	Mannaz	m	Man, Father
l	Laguz	l	Lake, Water, Life	Aegir	Sleight of Hand
q	Ingwaz	ng	Woman, Mother
d	Dagaz	d	Day, Time, Knowledge	Odin	History
o	Othala	o	Property, Sword		Investigation

The runes are the script of arcane magic, and the subject of study for most wizards. Each rune also can be used in normal language, where it has one or more common meanings (usually circled to indicate the rune as meaning and not a letter) and as simple prayers. For example a pendant with the Jera rune might be worn by a farmer to grant good harvests, or a Raitho rune might be etched on the sword of a mounted warrior.

Much more than letters

While each rune is represented by a simple shape and name, their meaning is far deeper than that. Each rune represents a concept, and magic is the science or art (or both, depending on who you ask) of combining these concepts into tangible effects. Much like a painter does not need more than a handful of colors to make a good painting (and in fact might be hindered by too many), a skilled magician can make a few concepts go a long way - in the right context some combinations of runes can be near-synonymous with others.

Good runic magic is like poetry - it sounds obvious but it is very hard to write. All but the most basic magic also contains subtext, implication, metaphor, and even innuendo that less skilled listeners will not understand. It is also not the case that simply repeating the spoken words of a spell is enough to cast it, you need to truly understand the words. Going back to the imperfect analogy of painting, having seen either the paints used to make it or the finished painting is not enough to create that picture - unless you are a skilled painter with the subtle understanding that comes with years of experience.

It is also possible that incantations change with the circumstances. For example, an incantation might take into account the age or gender of the target (or caster), or the time of year, the phase of the moon, or any number of other conditions. Magic is fickle, but the power it grants is immense so the learning curve is still borne by many - and runes is only one of the factors involved. The somatic components to a spell can be just as temperamental, and not everyone has the innate strength of mind to harness the reality-altering effects regardless of its source.

Example runic incantations

k Kauna-Thurisaz 'Pain-Storm' Inflict Wounds cast by a cleric.

aguk Ansuz-Getho-Uruz-Kauna 'God-Gift-Evil-Pain' More powerful Inflict Wounds cast by a cleric.

Pertho-Othala-Kauna 'Negate-Sword-Pain' Cure Wounds cast by a druid on a wound caused by a blade.

Kauna-Isaz-Laguz 'Death-Ice-Water' Power Word Kill (the rune sounds spell 'K-I-L')

Mannaz-Getho-Isaz 'Man-Transition-Hidden' Invisibility cast by a male wizard.

Othala-Getho-Laguz 'Property-Gift-Life' Animate Objects cast by a wizard on property that is rightfully his.

Pertho-Getho-Pertho-Sowilo 'Negation-Power-Negation-Light' Dispel Magic cast to remove a Darkness spell.

Getho-Isaz-Thurisaz-Ingwaz 'Gift-Ice-Steel-Woman' Armor of Agathys cast by a female warlock.

Thurisaz-Getho-Pertho-Ehwaz 'Storm-Transition-Negation-Wild' Control Winds cast to calm heavy winds.

Tiwaz-Ehwaz-Raitho 'Bear-Speed-Journey' Animal Messenger cast by a ranger on a carnivorous animal.

Sowilo-Pertho-Isaz 'Light-Negation-Hidden' Faerie Fire cast by a bard.

nir Nauthiz-Isaz-Raitho 'Request-Hidden-Journey' Pass Without Trace

esz Ehwaz-Sowilo-Algiz 'Wild-Fire-Shield' Wall of Fire

Ansuz-Getho-Jera 'God-Gift-Wisdom' Divination cast by a knowledge cleric.

Laguz-Raitho-Getho-Laguz 'Water-Journey-Transition-Water' Water Breathing

Sowilo-Getho-Ehwaz-Kauna 'Fire-Power-Speed-Wound' Fireball cast by a wizard.

Dagaz-Raitho-Pertho-Isaz-Othala 'Knowledge-Journey-Negation-Hidden-Property' Locate Object cast to find something lost by the caster.

Uruz-Pertho-Getho 'Evil-Negation-Power' Bane cast by a paladin upon a creature they intend to destroy.

Ingwaz-Getho-Tiwaz 'Woman-Transition-Stone' Hold Person cast upon a woman.

Getho-Hagalaz-Algiz 'Transition-Snow-Shield' Investiture of Ice

Getho-Ehwaz-Othala 'Gift-Speed-Sword' Magic Weapon cast on a bladed weapon.

Nauthiz-Ansuz-Getho-Laguz-Nauthiz 'Need-God-Gift-Life-Emergency' Mass Cure Wounds cast in a moment of desperation by a cleric.

Ehwaz-Aehaz 'Bow-Speed' Swift Quiver cast by a ranger.

Pertho-Sowilo-Isaz-Berkana 'Negation-Light-Hidden-Night' Darkness

Othala-Nauthiz-Uruz 'Sword-Reject-Evil' Wrathful Smite cast by a paladin.

Wunjo-Getho-Jera-Fehu 'Family-Gift-Year-House' The final blessing in a wedding Ceremony performed by a cleric of Freya.

Ansuz-Getho-Pertho-Kauna-Nauthiz 'God-Gift-Negation-Death-Emergency' Revivify cast by a cleric on a fallen ally.

Dagaz-Pertho-Algiz 'Knowledge-Negate-Shield' True Strike

Hagalaz-Isaz-Kauna 'Hailstorm-Ice-Wound' Ice Storm

Berkana-Sowilo-Pertho-Getho 'Moon-Light-Negate-Change' Moonbeam

Rune words for the schools of magic

Rune	School	Note/Translation
x or s	Evocation	'Storm' or 'Fire'
p or z	Abjuration	'Negation' or 'Shield'
k or pl	Necromancy	'Death' or 'Transition-Life'
i or pd	Illusion	'Hidden' or 'Deny-Knowledge'
d or gj	Divination	'Knowledge' or 'Gift-Wisdom'
r or n	Enchantment	'Progress' or 'Request'
g or ag	Transmutation	'Change' or 'Divine-Power'
o or f	Conjuration	'Property' or 'Wealth'