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Fortress: Runelore

Runelore is a combat ability, exacted by the creatures themselves. A rune comes in the form of a statistic-booster, and they have different effects and durations, just like spells. Unlike spells however, they are applied only by Fortress creatures directly on themselves. Also dissimilar to spells, using a rune does not detract from the creature's ATB value, and hence a creature will use a rune and attack in the same turn.

Instead of using the hero's Mana in order to be cast, runes consume the realm's resources (wood, ore, mercury, crystal, gems and sulfur — no gold). For a full list of rune costs and effects, see the Runic Magic section. As detailed in the Runelore Modifiers below, certain hero abilities allow runes to sometimes be cast without using up resources at all.

Runes are learnt by the hero, when visiting a Fortress town where a runic shrine is built. Much like a Magic Guild, the Runic Shrine comes in 3 levels, each offering more and more powerful runes, and corresponding to the 3 levels of the Runelore skill needed to learn these runes. For a full list of costs and descriptions, see the Fortress Buildings section. Fortress creatures in the hero's army can use the runes known to the hero once per combat (per creature). This limitation can be relaxed by hero's abilities.

Learning Runic Magic does not prevent you from learning normal magic, either, the only variation from other towns being precious resources are in higher demand (especially gems and sulfur) meaning you'll have to prioritise. As their name suggests, Runemages are good spellcasters, that can be particularly efficient in Destructive Magic. However, Knowledge and Spellpower do not change the Runic Magic effectiveness. The only change in rune effects are via abilities (see Runelore Modifiers below), and even then, the actual effect of the rune does not change, only its side-effects and costs do.

Runelore Modifiers

Runelore Levels
	Basic Runelore Ability to cast runes: Level 1-2 Runes supplied by: Runic Shrine level 1 (1 rune of level 1 + 1 rune of level 2)
	Advanced Runelore Ability to cast runes: Level 3-4 Runes supplied by: Runic Shrine level 2 (1 rune of level 3 + 1 rune of level 4) Requires: Basic Runelore
	Expert Runelore Ability to cast runes: Level 5 Runes supplied by: Runic Shrine level 3 (1 rune of level 5) Requires: Advanced Runelore
	Ultimate Runelore Effect: Allows magical runes to be placed without wasting wood and ore. Requires: Expert Runelore
Runelore Boosters
	Fine Rune Effect: There is a 50% chance of not using up resources on rune activation. Requires: Basic Runelore
	Greater Rune Effect: Allows the same rune to be activated for the second time for triple resource cost. Requires: Basic Runelore
	Refresh Rune Effect: Allows a previously placed rune (random if many) to be refreshed on selected creature. The creature will be able to use it again at the normal cost. Requires: Basic Runelore
	Tap Runes (Enlightenment) Effect: Regains 0.5*Knowledge Mana each time any rune is used. Requires: Arcane Intuition (Enlightenment)
	Runic Attunement (Leadership) Effect: Increases creature morale by +2 for one turn after rune casting. Requires: Diplomacy (Leadership)
	Blazing Anvil (Grail Structure) Effect: Allows defending heroes to use runes wasting no resources. Requires: Tear of Asha

The Runelore skill

	Basic Runelore Allows magical runes of 1-2 circles to be placed on own creatures in combat, temporarily giving them new battle abilities and characteristics.
	Advanced Runelore Allows magical runes of 3-4 circles to be placed on own creatures in combat, temporarily giving them new battle abilities and characteristics.
	Expert Runelore Allows magical runes of 5 circles to be placed on own creatures in combat, temporarily giving them new battle abilities and characteristics.
	Ultimate Runelore Allows magical runes to be placed without wasting wood and ore.

Associated abilities

	Fine Rune There is a 50% chance of not using up resources on rune activation.
	Greater Rune Allows the same rune to be activated for the second time for triple resource cost.
	Refresh Rune Allows a previously placed rune (random if many) to be refreshed on selected creature. The creature will be able to use it again at the normal cost.
	Absolute Protection Normal attacks against hero's creatures are always unlucky. Lucky attacks are turned to normal. If enemy has Absolute Luck perk, effects of both perks are nullified.

Strategies

Unlike most other racial skills, Runelore requires the hero to learn up to Expert Runelore to enable every Rune level. Ultimate Runelore is made somewhat obsolete by Fine Rune, which is able to conserve the much rarer, precious resources, too. Greater Rune is only a viable option if going for Absolute Protection or resources are plentiful, while Refresh Rune is a possibility against slower enemies or very long fights.

Among the best Rune modifiers is Runic Attunement, despite its short duration, it may allow for a quick attack on behalf of your units. Depending on your Runemage's dependence on spells, Tap Runes can also be useful. In any case, if going for the Ultimate Ability, one of Runic Attunement and Tap Runes will have to be forgone.

Absolute Protection

Absolute Protection is the pendant of Sylvan's Nature's Luck: it forces any attack against the hero army to be unlucky, and thus inflict only 50% damage. When facing each other, Absolute Protection and Nature's Luck are both nullified.

While having nothing to do with Runelore, Absolute Protection is somewhat accessible due to the beneficial skills required such as War Machines and Destructive Magic. Runic Machines and Ignite are particularly beneficial abilities, specific to the Runemages. Snatch, a Logistics ability, can also be of great help, especially on maps with a lot of boat loading and boarding.

You can discuss Heroes V racial skills with the Heroes Community.

Thanks to ThE_HyDrA for creating and looking after the Heroes 5 section of Age of Heroes!