Runes

How runes are used

A rune does two jobs. On its own, socketed into an item, it gives that item a fixed bonus — the same bonus every time, with no roll. Inserted in a set order with other runes, into a base with exactly the right number of sockets, it forms a runeword.

High runes

Vex, Ohm, Lo, Sur, Ber, Jah, Cham and Zod are the scarce end of the table. They are what most end-game runewords are waiting on: Enigma needs Jah and Ber, Infinity needs two Bers, Last Wish needs three Jahs.

Ladder and Non-Ladder

A rune on one realm cannot be traded to a character on the other, so buy for the realm your character plays on. Prices differ between the two because the economies are separate.

Common questions

Does it matter which rune I buy first? If you are building a runeword, the scarce rune is the one that decides when you can make it; the rest are usually easy to trade for.

Can I put a rune in any item? It has to have a free socket, and the rune's effect depends on what it is socketed into — a weapon, a helm or body armour, or a shield. Each rune's page lists all three.

Do runes expire at the end of a ladder season? No, but ladder characters and their items move to Non-Ladder when a season ends.

What a rune can make

The runeword recipe index lists every verified recipe and can be filtered by rune, so you can see what the runes you already hold are worth building towards.