Runic Magic in Suikoden: An Improer's Guide
by Todd Harper, with assistance from Julie Hoh
4/27/01

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[Overview]
	As any reader of Distant Shores or player of the Suikoden games
(or both) probably knows, the magic of the Suikoden world is based in
Runes. In the game world's mythology, all runes are descended from the 27
True Runes, which are themselves descended from the Sword and Shield who
fought at the universe's beginning.
	In practical terms, a Rune is sort of like a magical tattoo. A
Runemaster, someone who has studied the skill of placing and removing
Runes into people's bodies, can take the raw essence of a Rune Crystal and
imbed that crystal's Rune into a user. The Rune itself provides no
particular power; it is simply a channel for the user's innate magic.
	There are four types of Runes: Spell Runes, Ability Runes,
Effect Runes, and Weapon Runes.
	Spell Runes are the most common type of Rune. The wearer can
channel his/her mental and magical energy through the rune to cast magical
spells along that Rune's line of influence. For example, Lierni's
Lightning Rune lets her call down thunderbolts upon her enemies, while
Alyssa's Water Rune lets her use the healing power of the water element.
Not everybody can use every rune, however. Why this is isn't for sure; as
is discussed later, some people have a particular affinity for a Rune
type, or may just not be talented at magic enough; mastering Spell Runes
takes willpower and force of mind.
	Ability Runes have more in common with Spell Runes than they do
with Effect Runes. An Ability Rune needs to be activated, much like a
Spell Rune. However, the effects are generally less powerful than true
magic. Ability Runes are generally very personal and specific things,
though there are those that exist which a wide variety of people can use.
Traditionally, if a character has an unusual supernatural ability that
doesn't fall under the rubric of a Spell Rune, it's due to an Ability
Rune. Unlike Spell Runes, Ability Runes don't use the same type of power
as a Spell Rune and thus can usually be used indefinitely without
restriction. However, most Ability Runes have some sort of internal
drawback, such as unbalancing the user after the attack, or only being
usable when the wearer's anger is at its peak. At the time of writing, no
one in Distant Shores has displayed an Ability Rune, but examples from
Suikoden 2 are the Great Hawk Rune (which allows bow/arrow users to fire
many shots at once, at lessened damage) and the Angry Dragon Rune (Oulan's
personal rune, which allows her to make an attack at double damage once
per combat, unless she is Berserked, at which point she can use it as long
as she wants).
	Effect Runes don't use up as much of a person's energy as a spell
rune, but still need to be placed in a person's body to be of any use.
Effect Runes cause the user to have some sort of special power or ability
that is always "active", unlike a spell rune, which must be mentally
activated to be of use. An example is the Killer Rune the twins gave to
Reid, which heightens his ability to use a sword effectively (In game
terms, the Killer Rune raises the percentage of critical hits of the
user). Like Spell Runes, not everyone can use every Effect Rune. Some of
these Runes are designed for use only by people using a particular type of
weapon, for example.
	Weapon Runes are basically the same as Effect Runes, but instead
of being placed in a living user, they are forged into a weapon instead.
In all other respects, they act like Effect Runes, giving special powers
to the wielder of the weapon. Unlike most other Runes, however, it is
blacksmiths and not Runemasters who imbed these Runes. Above and beyond
Weapon Runes with specific powers, the five elemental Spell Runes (Fire,
Water, Earth, Lightning, and Wind) can be placed in a weapon, granting a
special effect to the user of the weapon rather than casting spells. No
Weapon Runes have shown up in DS at this time, but examples from Suikoden
2 include the Down Rune (greater chance of knocking the enemy down and
preventing an attack) and Hix's Exertion Rune (attack power increases
every round of combat).

[Imbedding Runes]
	For a Rune to be used, it needs to be imbedded in the user's body,
or into a weapon. The Rune draws on the personal power of the user, be it
magical or otherwise, to create the effect.
	90% of the time, Runes need to be imbedded by a Runemaster. This
is a remarkably rare profession, and it requires years of study. It
doesn't necessarily require a great deal of magical talent, but almost all
Runemasters can use Runes as well as imbed them. Runemasters usually sell
Rune Crystals, though they are difficult to find or create, and thus
command a hefty price. Runemasters also generally charge for the service
of imbedding or removing a Rune from a person's body, though it is
generally a nominal fee. Runemasters will imbed Spell Runes, Ability
Runes, and Effect Runes. They will also remove a Rune that is in someone's
body for a similar fee, returning the Rune to crystal form (so it can then
be reattached to someone else, etc). However, some very personal Runes
cannot be removed. Examples would be Tavia's Victory Rune (the True Rune
has chosen her), and Viki's Blinking Rune.
	There are three places on the body where a Rune can be placed: the
right hand, the left hand, and the forehead. Generally, normal people can
only have a rune placed in one hand. More talented Rune users can have a
second rune imbedded on the other hand as well, though this is far less
common. The ability to have a Rune imbedded on one's forehead is
*incredibly* rare and possessed only by the most talented and dedicated
magicians, or by those with a special affinity for the Runes themselves.
For example, it's likely that someone like Reid can only have a Rune
placed on one hand. Kyrina, who is more talented with Runes, may be able
to have a second Rune placed on the hand opposite her Wind Rune. Lastly,
Luc, Lierni (who are very studied and powerful with magic), or Tavia (who
has an affinity for a True Rune) may be able to have a third rune placed
on their forehead.
	Keep in mind that no matter how many Spell Runes are placed on a
person's body, they all draw from the same internal reserves of strength.
Thus, if Lierni has a Lightning Rune on one hand and a Fire Rune on the
other, and can only manage one very powerful spell a day, she can't cast
it with both Runes; she must pick. Thus, also, it's pointless to have two
copies of the same Rune; since you are using the same power to fuel both
Runes, having the extra Rune of the same type is useless.
	Weapon Runes are a bit different. They are imbedded in weapons by
Blacksmiths rather than Runemasters. In the Suikoden world, a Blacksmith
is someone who has studied weapons (as well as normal smithery, naturally)
and knows how to best draw out their best potential. Thus they are the
ones who can place Runes inside a weapon, or remove a Rune from a weapon,
all for a generally nominal fee. Like some Spell/Ability/Effect Runes,
some weapons may have a particular attachment to the Rune imbedded in
them, and thus removing them isn't possible.

[Spell Rune affinities and backfiring]
	For most people, using basic Spell Runes is something anybody can
do. Granted, the more training and talent you have the easier it is, but
generally anyone can have a rune imbedded and use at least the simplest of
magics with it.
	This is not always the case, however. For whatever reason, there
are certain Runes that are incompatible with certain people. On the flip
side of that, there are some people who have exceptional talent with a
particular Rune.
	An affinity or an incompatibility is not something a character
knows on the level of knowledge, nor is it something that can be "read"
by a Runemaster (with the exception of Cannot Use, which is too obvious
not to be noticed). However, in terms of affinities, it is usually the
case that people mentally gravitate toward use of Runes with which they
have an affinity; Luc uses the Wind Rune, for example, for which he has a
strong affinity. In terms of Backfire, it's a chance of not knowing until
it's too late, as Viki often demonstrates.
	An affinity for a Spell Rune means that the person using it has a
higher than average level of power with the Rune. It doesn't necessarily
mean that they are more efficient at using their power, but rather that
they are able to put more oomph into casting a particular spell. In
general, most people have affinities with only one or two types of Rune,
though exceptional magic users like Luc have affinities with many Runes.
The basics of an affinity is that the effect of the spell is heightened
when used by that person. For example, if Luc were to use a Wind Rune
spell, he would do so much more effectively than someone of equal power
who doesn't have an affinity for the Wind Rune.
	In my personal observation, people with particular personalities
tend to be good at using Runes which match those personalities. For
examples from Suikoden 2, Tuta the healer has a kind and giving
personality; thus he has an affintiy for the Water Rune. Passionate,
aggressive Nina has an affinity for the Fire Rune. Sierra the vampire has
a focused, imperious, and direct personality; thus she has natural talent
for the Lightning Rune. This is just speculation, mind you, but something
to think about.
	There are three levels of incompatibility: Weak, Cannot Use, and 
Backfire.
	Weak means that while the person can use a particular rune, its
effectiveness is not as great in their hands as it would be in a more
capable person's. Spells can still be used and they don't have a Backfire
chance, but the spell is much weaker than it would be being used by
someone else with more training or talent. Generally, this is where the
majority of people fall for most Runes.
	Cannot Use is pretty much as it says: the energy of the Rune and
the energy of the person are too incompatible, or the person is so
unskilled in the use of magic at all that using a Spell Rune isn't even an
option. For example, in Suikoden 2, Bolgan cannot use Spell Runes at all;
his talents never develop far enough for him to gain a second rune slot
beyond the Fire Breath Rune he has. Georg Prime *does* get a rune slot
open; however, he can only use the Earth Rune, and even that is Weak for
him. He's just not capable of using other runes.
	As with affinities, a personal theory I have is that people with
particular personalities tend to be better or worse with particular runes.
For example, Miklotov of Suikoden 2 has a very aggressive, fiery
personality. He's talented with the use of Fire Runes, but can't use the
Water Rune at all. Likewise, Chaco (who has a vibrant, lively personality)
is adept at using the Resurrection Rune, but cannot use the Darkness Rune.
Things to consider.
	Backfire is another story entirely. Backfire doesn't necessarily
mean that the person in question cannot use the rune, or that they aren't
any good at it; quite the opposite, in fact. Usually someone who has the
Backfire status with a particular Rune can use it fairly well, better than
a normal person. However, the problem with this is that a Backfire status
means the user is not that great at *controlling* said power, which often
leads to mistakes. Viki is the poster child for the Backfire status; she
is very talented with runes, but for every last one of them she has
Backfire. What this means is, when she uses a rune, there are
occasional... mishaps. In Suikoden 2 this meant attacking yourself or your 
own party with the power of the rune, but there's no reason that much
more interesting things could happen in a format like Distant Shores. It
doesn't happen *all* the time, but it does happen.

[Conclusion]
	I hope this is helpful to DS authors. It's not intended to be a
canon bible that people are expected to follow, but it is a way of getting
a lot of canon-related information out there, should you choose to use it.
	If you need lists of Runes that already exist in the Suikoden
universe, I suggest http://www.souleater.org and their Suikoden 2 section,
which has a comprehensive list of the Runes available in that game (which
was a refinement of the Suikoden 1 system).