These runes are the most powerful protective magic known to the Dwarfs. They are inscribed only on armour. Any Dwarf character may be given up to three armour runes.
Once this rune has been forged, it binds metals together making them more resilient. Armour with this rune never rusts through weathering or age.
Attacks against the bearer of this rune with a Strength greater than 5 are treated as Strength 5.
It is rumoured amongst those Dwarfs who have worn armour with this rune that it becomes sentient. Whilst no Runesmith has ever confirmed this rumour, they make no attempts to deny it either.
This rune gives its bearer +1 Wound.
First forged on armour as a gift for the flamboyant Dwarf Prince Gudii Twoboots, the armour was subsequently stolen by a lone bandit who stalked the Undgrim preying on small parties of travellers.
This rune adds +1 to the Toughness of the character.
A small amount of pure gromril is the most important element used when inscribing this rune. If the sample is even slightly flawed, the rune will not work.
Confers a 1+ Armour Save that cannot be improved in any way.
First used on the armour of the Thane of Karak Azgal by Gorgi Strongbeard, this rune is thought to have been lost amongst the ruined stronghold. Fortunately, the Runesmith survived to replicate it.
Multiples of this rune have no further effect. This rune allows the character to re-roll any failed Armour Saving throws.
This rune was created during the War of Vengeance as a protection against the missile fire of the High Elves.
Multiples of this rune have no further effect. The character has a 2+ Ward Save against shooting attacks and spells defined as Magic Missiles.
When iron is saturated with magic, it is known as lodestone. This rune focuses the magnetic properties of lodestone to create magical armour.
This rune confers a 6+ Ward Save. Two of these runes confer a 5+ Ward Save, but three cannot be taken, because only the Master Rune of Spite can bind such huge power.
When Prince Valkan Firehand was decapitated by Wight Blade at the Battle of Hunger Wood, many Runesmiths and armourers were alarmed at an apparent weakness in Dwarf armour. Their answer was to use rune magic to add extra protection to those parts of the armour that could not be made any thicker.
Multiples of this rune have no further effect. This rune confers immunity to the Killing Blow and Poisoned Attacks rules. Attacks aimed at this model are resolved as if the attacker did not have either ability.
Dwarf tradition tells tat the ancients were created from the rock of the first mountains, so the Rune of Stone is the first rune an apprentice learns.
Multiples of this rune have no further effect. This rune adds +1 to the character's Armour Save. The Rune of Stone is an exception to the normal Rule of Pride that forbids the same combination of runes to be used on several items, so a single Rune of Stone may be inscribed onto any character's armour.