Hi everyone, I tried to google this but didn't find an answer.

We play a custom setting of Genesys and wanted to implement the runes magic as found in Realms of Terrinoth.

Now we can't quite settle on this in the group, if the character has the runes skill he can use the enhanced effects of the runes but can he also cast any other spell (like an arcanist) as long as he has any rune?

So for example the character has the ARCANE BOLT RUNE and uses his runes skill to cast a barrier with it.

Would that be possible? Can he "missuse" the Arcane bolt rune to channel any spell but if he would cast an attack spell he would gain the boni?
Or would he have to use a Rune that has a barrier effect on it to achieve this?

Runebound Shards are still Magic Implements (albeit they're also Magic Items), and the only exception made with regard to the magic system is that a Runecaster cannot cast spells without a Runic Implement. You can use an Arcane Bolt Rune to cast Barrier, or any other spell except for Conjure, Dispel, and Heal.

From Realms of Terrinoth , pg. 118.

Quote

A runebound shard can be used in either of two ways. Any character can activate a runebound shard to cause the effect described in the Activation section of the entry for that shard. If a character has Runes as a career skill and at least one rank in the Runes skill, they can also use a runebound shard as an implement and gain the benefits listed in the Implement section of the entry.

A runebound shard functions as an implement only for a character using the Runes skill. A character attempting a check using any other magic skill cannot use a runebound shard as an implement.

Additionally, Runebound shards offer a boon which using them as an implement when using the Runes magic skill.

This, from page 115, directly addresses your question and how your group should resolve it:

”Although any runebound shard can be used with a wide vari- ety of spells, GMs and players should keep the nature of the runebound shard in mind when narrating spells. An Immolation Rune and a Stasis Rune can both manifest a magic barrier, but the narrative effect is sure to be very different! In this case, the Immolation Rune might manifest a sphere of protective flames around the target, while the latter could slow down arrows and blades to the point that the target can easily evade them”

Thank you all, the quote from page 118 was not absolutely clear for us (english is our second langauge 😃 )

aaaaand somehow if didn't read or remembered that statement on 115 -.- that would have cleared it up.