==Rune Functions==

Runes have no function on their own, other than beautifying your inventory. They are only useful once they're [[socket]]ed in a skill, where they modify the skill's function, always in a beneficial way. Any rune in a skill is an improvement over the base function of the skill, and since runes are easy to swap in and out of skills, it's always in your best interest to stick a rune into a skill at the first opportunity.

The functions of the runes are not entirely predictable in a given skill. Their bonuses vary widely and wildly, and all rune functions are custom assigned by the devs; none of them are simply +x damage, or +X casting speed. ([[Gems]] provide those sorts of predictable bonuses when socketed into items.) Creating and implementing the rune effects was a tremendous amount of work for the developers and artists; there are nearly 120 skills x 5 runes in each.