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==Rune Basics==
[[File:Runes5New_runes.jpg|left|thumb|115px|The five Runes.]]Runestones come in five typesThe runes changed drastically after the [[Beta Patch 13]], where players were first able to try them out for themselves<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/video-journal-3-new-skill-interface-rune-system New Skill Interface and Rune System] -Diablo.incgamers, 20/2/2012</ref>. Runes are a particular kind component of bonus or the [[skill]] system that allows a player to alter a skill, whether that alteration is typical of eachmajor or minor. For instanceSome runes, such as the [[Crimson RuneBash]] rune [[Unleashed]], won't change the basic functionality of the skill, and offer a bonus such as increased [[resource]] generally adds generation, or increased damage or a fire effect. However , other runes can drastically change the effects that runestones have vary greatly with the skills themselves - way a skill that doesnoperates, such as the [[Witch Doctor]]'t deal damage may s [[Rain of Toads]] rune for [[Plague of Toads]], which instead of having a few frogs hop across the ground in an erratic pattern, the frogs then fall from the sky in a directed assault. The runes, currently, do not gain have individual names, so this makes communication to other players as to rune choice highly muddled and confusing. ===Attaining Runes=== [[File:Rune_ui.jpg|center|thumb|400px|Socketing a damaging effect from rune.]]Runes are automatically unlocked upon a Crimson Runepre-determined level. Each skill will list what levels each rune will unlock at, and after the level requirement is met, the skill can then be altered by the rune. Players are currently not able to choose which runes they would like to receive, nor which skill is getting runed, upon level up. Runes can be changed at any time, but rather changing a rune will trigger a 15-second cooldown, during which time the skill or spell will not be altered in some other wayavailable for use.
===D3 Runestones vs. D2 Runes===
[[Diablo III]]'s Runestones Runes are nothing like the '{{iw|runes runes}}' found in [[Diablo II]]. In D2 there are thirty-three kinds of runes, which are small items that have no use on their own, but can be placed in item sockets to add various bonuses to those items, and in certain combinations produce {{iw|Runeword RuneWords}}, which add powerful, predetermined sets of bonuses, provided that the item has precisely the right number of sockets. Diablo III's runes are "socketed" into [[skills]], not items. See the [[Gem]]s and [[Socket]]s articles for more details about [[item]] socketing in Diablo III.
Entries about previous iterations of the rune system can be seen below. While this information is out of date, it is kept here for archival purposes.
===Runestone Functions===
Runes have no function on their own, other than beautifying your inventory. They are only useful once they're [[socket]]ed into a skill, where they alter the skill's function. All runes improve the base skill effect, and in every known case any rune is better than no rune at all.
Devising and implementing the effects of the Runestones was a tremendous amount of work for Diablo III's developers and artists; there are nearly 120 skills in the game, each with a basic function which is modified in at least four or five totally different ways by each runestone.
===Basics (Old Version)===
Runestones come in five types, and a particular kind of bonus or alteration is typical of each. For instance, the [[Crimson Rune]] generally adds damage or a fire effect. However the effects that runestones have vary greatly with the skills themselves - a skill that doesn't deal damage may not gain a damaging effect from a Crimson Rune, but rather be altered in some other way.
In addition to the five types, Runestones also occur in seven levels of quality, with increasingly potent effects. A Runestone of one level always has a more dramatic effect than a Runestone of a lower level, usually in the sense that it affects a given skill in the same way, but to a greater extent. It is not generally known whether or not it will be possible to combine Runestones of one quality level to generate higher-level Runestones, however all seven quality levels are dropped by [[monsters]]<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/runestone-info-galore/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, January 2011</ref>.
The Runestone naming scheme has changed several times during development. The current iteration was devised in early 2010 and made public in May of that year when [[Bashiok]] <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-skill-rune-names-revealed/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, May 2010</ref> revealed the names to be [[Crimson]], [[Indigo]], [[Obsidian]], [[Golden]] and [[Alabaster]]. This change coincided with considerable changes to their effects. The current effects to all skills can be viewed with the Blizzard [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/ build calculator], released along with the Beta.
===Rune Tool Tips===
[[File:Indigo-rank1-2.jpg|thumb|Nondescript description.]]
The tool tip that displays when a rune is hovered over is not informative. It simply says, "socket in skills for a special bonus." To obtain information about what a rune actually does, players need to click on the rune to pick it up, then hover it over their available skills. The tool tip will then briefly describe what effect the rune will grant that skill.
Since just the word descriptions aren't that informative, most players will want seek out additional information from a wiki or video of the skill in action. Or simply plan on testing out a lot of rune functions before deciding on what they want to use long term.
===Proposed Changes to Rune Functionality===
===Early Functions===
Prior to Blizzcon 2010, the Runestones (which had different names at the time) were generally accepted to do the following:
===Runestone Scarcity===
[[Image:IconRunestones.png|right]]
There are seven Runestone quality levels, roughly distributed so that levels one and two are found as a character progresses through Normal, three and four are found in Nightmare, five and six in Hell, and the final seventh rank is found exclusively in [[Inferno]] (each Runestone's quality can be determined by the number of points around its edge). It's not known how common or rare Runestones will be, or whether or not all five types will be equally difficult to find. The most recent information about the subject came from a forum post by Bashiok in January 2011.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/runestone-info-galore/ Bashiok forum post] - Blue Tracker, January 12, 2011</ref>
It's not known if the Mystic can upgrade the quality of runestones though, as the [[jeweler]] can by combining three [[gems]] of the same type/level to create one of the next higher level.
===Easy Socketing===
[[Image:Runestone_ui.jpg|frame|The [[interface]] for runestone socketing.]]
===Confirmed Runestone Examples===
While one or two rune properties are known (or can be easily guessed) for most skills, Blizzard has only revealed all five runestone effects for a few skills. There may yet be additional changes to these effects, as development continues up to and even after release. With the release of the Beta, Blizzard revealed the [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/ build calculator], which has detailed information on all of the current rune enhancements. See below for some examples (historical and current).
==Runestone Skill Rune Videos==
In May 2011 Blizzard released a set of five videos, one for each of the classes, demonstrating various runestones in a single skill each.
Image:Rune-minor-hydra1.jpg|The since-renamed Hydra Rune.
File:Runestone1.jpg|Crimson rune, August 2010 design.
File:Runes5.jpg|The old rune stones.
File:Rune notification.jpg|Level-up rune unlock notification.
File:Rune_socketed.jpg|A socketed rune.
</gallery>