Changes

|alabaster= Shoots [[arcaneArcane]] boltsHydra|crimson= Shoots [[coldCold]] bolts & [[freeze]]sHydra

|indigo= Shoots chain [[lightningLightning]]Hydra|obsidian= Shoots acidic [[poisonAcid]] boltsHydra

A revamped [[Jay Wilsonrunes|skill rune]] provided a whole new insight into system was unveiled at [[BlizzCon 2010]]. Full rune effects for three skills were listed in the changes made to [[RunestonesGameplay_Panel_Blizzcon_2010#Specific_Skill_Rune_Examples|Gameplay Panel]]: [[Weapon Throw]] with a short quote from Gamescom, in August 2010Hydra, and [[Plague of Toads]]. [httpThe Hydra rune effects are://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-interview-g4tv/]

::'''Jay Wilson: '''One of my favorites is on the * [[WizardAlabaster rune]]. She has a skill called : Creates an [[HydraArcane]], Hydra which is largely the same as it was in Diablo 2. Fiery (dragon) heads that shoot fireballs. Depending on which rune the Wizard sockets in that skill, the dragon heads change elements, and it’s a major change. Their entire appearance is altered. They can become poison heads, which shoot shoots bolts of poison that leave pools of acid on the groundArcane power. There are lightning heads that shoot * [[Chain LightningCrimson rune]]. : Creates a [[Cold heads ]] Hydra which shoots chilling bolts that shoot damage and [[Frost Boltsfreeze]] that slow enemies. Another * [[Golden rune makes for a bigger fire attack, where ]]: Turns the Hydra into one giant head just breaths a cone of flame. Jay did not list what all five runes did in Hydra, and his explanation left fans confused. Where were the three elemental damage types coming from? Nothing like that seemed to fit with the previous rune functionsbreathes fire walls. This mystery was cleared up a few days later with new info * [[BashiokIndigo rune]] provided to : Creates a [[FluxLightning]], webmaster of fansite Hydra which shoots chain lightning at monsters.* [[Diii.netObsidian rune]]. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-changes-to-runestones/] He explained that the Hydra runes provide: * Extra damage in the form of firewalls.* Multistrike (rapid fire)* And the 3 elemental properties.  Extra damage and multishot are consistent with previously known rune functions. One of the elementals comes from the wildcard rune, and the other comes from what used to be the Energy rune. That rune now functions as a second wildcard in most skills, since changes to the Creates an [[resourcesAcid]] made the mana-saving property obsolete. (Plus it just wasn't cool enough, in most instances.) So Hydra isn't a total outlier; it's just got one rune, (formerly known as Lethality) which shoots poisonous bolts at monsters that usually affects critical bonuses, that's doing something very different (providing an elemental damage change, in Hydra)melts them into piles of goo.

In [[Diablo II]], they were turned into flaming heads, and got the name {{iw|Sorceress_Fire_Spells#Hydra Hydra}}. While not dealing damage to anyone near the flames, the their firebolts are of more use, especially if concentrating the fire on single targets at a time, and alternating skills while waiting for the [[cooldown]].

File:Hydra-arcane-fire.jpg|Arcane and Original and Arcane version comparison.