Probably an old one, but...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warriors can wield all they need to fight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rangers can weild their bow and arrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So mages should be able to use the "arrow" spot to wield a rune - with an air staff and the appropriate missile rune (Death or Chaos, Mind would be too weedy), then the mage could fight with no inventory spaces taken up, just like the warrior or ranger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While wielding only one type of rune there would still be a little limiting, it ought to be possible without the major upheaval that wielding a full set of runes would need

No good. Since mages already have powerful spells like Binding, Strikes, Curses, Teleport, and Anti-Teleport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is only fair the mage have to carring the runes around without any 'slot'