Inscription Details

Inscriptions can be a very powerful way of tailoring how a specific class or character plays.

Help File

From the in-game help file for both inscriptions and ciphers:

Inscription Details: 

An inscription links a certain aura to an ability. For example,
the 'fireball - ra' inscription would link the 'ra' aura to the
'fireball' spell.

Each inscription provides two benefits: one passive and one
empowered. The passive benefit applies at all times, whenever
the ability is used. The empowered benefit only applies if you
have the matching aura activated through the 'empower' command
(see 'help empower'). For example, consider the following 
fictional inscription:

fireball  -+-  ra
passive benefit: Deals 50 more damage.
empowered benefit: Deals 300 more damage.

Possessing this inscription would grant a 50 damage bonus to
your fireball spell at all times. Whenever you had a 'ra'
aura active, your fireball would deal 300 more damage instead.

You can attach any number of different inscriptions to the
same ability; the benefits will stack.

Cipher details:

Ciphers are not linked to specific abilities or auras. Rather,
they provide unique benefits related to the 'empower' command
and the auras it can raise.

A single cipher can be learned multiple times. When first
obtained, a cipher will be at tier 1; learning the cipher
again will then increase its tier by 1 more each time. 

You may learn a maximum of 2 different ciphers, and each
may be advanced up to a maximum of tier 3.

Once you have learned an inscription or cipher, the only way
to abandon it is through the use of the 'inscriptions clear'
command. Doing so can be quite expensive, so take care in
choosing new inscriptions and ciphers to learn!

For information on the cost of learning new inscriptions and
ciphers, see 'help inscription points'.

For more information on auras, see 'help empower'.