'''Runes''' in [[Diablo 3]] are small items that are socketed into '''active''' [[skill]]s, (not into [[item]]sas they were in Diablo 2). The Diablo 3's skill runes grant special bonuses to the skill. There they are many types of runessocketed into, all found improving the skill's function in various quality levelsways, and they work across skills; each rune will (in theory) work in every skillsuch as adding damage or multiple hits, reducing cost, adding something similar to the skillsetc.
There are five types of runes, each representing a general type of bonus, the names of which have changed repeatedly during game development. The most recent information came from [[Bashiok]] in late May 2010, when he revealed the current rune names as Crimson, Indigo, Obsidian, Golden, Alabaster. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-skill-rune-names-revealed/]
==Runes==[[Image:Rune-minor-hydra1.jpg|frame]]The most recent look spawn at a rune came in a screenshot released on March 30various levels of quality (5 or 6 levels), 2009e. This is a minor hydra rune, with "minor" being a modification of "[[Hydra Rune]]g." All that's known about this one can be seen in the caption, that it "Increases skill quantityMinor Alabaster Runestone." It was previously revealed that the hydra rune was previously known as the "multistrike" rune, and the function appears to be the same, with a bit more evocative a name. Hydras, besides being a [[Sorceress]] skill in [[Diablo II]], are the multi-headed dragons of Greek mythology, creatures capable of regrowing two heads in the place of each head that was chopped off.
Hydra runes are known to add bounces to a [[Witch Doctor]]'s thrown [[Skull of Flame]] spell and to increase the Chain of the Wizard's [[Electrocute]] spell. Since each rune is (as best we know) going to work with every active [[skill]], the hydra rune would presumably add extra hits to all sorts of other skills.
==Every Rune Works in Every Skill Runes were disabled at Blizzcon 2009, and have not been seen ==[[Image:Rune-minor-hydra1.jpg|frame|The since 2008, but -renamed Hydra Rune.]][[Jay Wilson]] assured the fans has stressed that they remain runes must add a major game featureuseful function to multiple types of skills, since every type of rune will be socketable in every action skill. [http://diablo(As far as we know.incgamers) This leads to some odd and creative design decisions, since while it's obvious what most runes will do in most skills, there are some exceptions.comConsider what a rune that adds multiple hits or damage does for a purely defensive/blog/comments/jay-wilson-exclusive-full-transcript/]shielding skill? Or a movement skill like the Wizard's Teleport?
::The [[D3 Team]] wants all the runes to be useful to all [[class]]es, so they did not add runes that just boosted one type of skill, or one character'''''Diiis skills.net: '''They’re still being reworked and you don’t They have any further comment?::'''Jay Wilson: '''They’re to find general function bonuses that worked across the board, which is why there are not being reworkedfifty types of runes. Just five, we had tons though one of skill runes on the Wizard five is basically a wild card rune that does odd and different things in different skills. ==Rune Types and Functions== Jay Wilson briefly described the Barbarian but they were so spotty across the entire class we thought it would be more confusing to show them off than to notfive types of runes during an interview from BlizzCon 2009. So we just disabled them all The following is a quote from Jay, reformatted into bullet points for the BlizzCon buildeasier consumption: [http://pc.ign. But they’re all still there and they work just finecom/articles/101/1017305p1.html]
==D3 Runes vs* One tends to be more damage-oriented. D2 Runes==Runes * One tends to multiply effects, splits projectiles or bigger radiuses, things like that.* One tends to be a very energy-efficient rune, so you cut down cost or in [[Diablo III]] are nothing like some way increases the {{iw|Runes Runes}} found in [[Diablo II]]. In D2 there were 33 kinds benefit of Runesthe skill, which were small items that had no use so you get more for less. * One tends to be more focused on their owndeath effects, but that could be placed in item sockets to add various bonuses to the itemcritical effects. Certain combinations * And one of runes could also be used them we call just... the weird rune, which is our grab bag for anything unusual we want to create {{iw|Runeword RuneWords}}, very powerful items with pre-set statsstick on.
In Diablo III, These five types of function have remained unchanged since Runes are still small objects that must be placed in sockets to take effect, but in D3 the sockets are in [[skills]], not items. (Items may also have sockets, but runes won't be used in them if they do.) Active skills have sockets in the skill tree interface, and when were first revealed as a valid rune is placed into the socketDiablo 3 feature, the skill gains an appropriate bonus, depending on the type and quality of rune used. Bonuses vary greatly, depending on the skill and the type of rune used, and include such things as extra hits, extra damage, increased spell duration, and many more. In addition, Diablo III will although their names have fewer runes, with a final number somewhere around 5 different kindschanged repeatedly.
==Rune Names==
There are five types of runes in Diablo 3. Their names have changed during development, though when he named them in (May 2010), Bashiok said these were fairly set for the final game: [[Crimson rune|Crimson]], [[Indigo rune|Indigo]], [[Obsidian rune|Obsidian]], [[Golden rune|Golden]], [[Alabaster rune|Alabaster]]. These names are all adjectives for colors (red, blue, black, gold, white), but it's not known if the rune names will appear in those colors in the game.
==Rune Function==[[Image:New_Rune_Socket.png|thumb|Rune Socket]]Skill Runes in [[Diablo III]] improve a character's active [[skill]]s in various creative ways. Runes don't just add damage; they modify the skill in some wayThe five known rune names, making it more powerful and fun prior to use, as well as allowing for character customization. Runes can be used very strategically; different runes in the same spell will do things. For examplecolor-themed name change: the [[Wizard]] skill [[Blizzard]] would gain different benefits from different runes. A few hypothetical Blizzard bonuses: more falling projectiles, longer duration, more damage per projectile, longer chill time, better to/hit, better chance of critical hit, and so forth. Also, each of those types of bonuses would be increased in power by the quality of the rune used, allowing for a huge variety of potential bonuses and play styles.
As of the * [[BlizzCon 2008Energy Rune]] demo:* Active Skills had sockets for runes[[Viper Rune]] (named Lethality before)* None of [[Indigo rune]] -- formerly known as the [[Hydra Rune]], which was previously called the Passive skills had sockets"Multistrike" rune).* No skill had more than one socket.[[Force Rune]] (named Power before)* [[Striking Rune]]
It is not known if any of this will remain that way in the final game.
Runes can be removed from sockets at any time and without any penalty. Theoretically, players could juggle their runes around constantly, sticking in a multi-strike rune to deal with big mobs, changing to a power rune to up the single target damage before a boss battle, and so forth. It===Rune Name Evolution===Blizzard's likely that Blizzard will take steps to limit this "Diablo 3 community manager shed some light on the reason for the latest rune juggling", perhaps forcing players to return to town before they can name change the rune socketed in a spell, putting a cool down time on resocketing the same May 2010: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/skill, limiting the number of times a particular rune can be socketed, or even causing -runes -continue-to lose quality when unsocketed.-evolve/]
As of BlizzCast episode 8 (30th of March, 2009) ::[[httpBashiok]]://www.diii.net/blog/comments/blizzcast-8-live-with-diablo-iii-goodies/] Runes and Rune Sockets The runes have become Horizontal Rectangles, as seen really just been renamed to allow us greater flexibility in what they do so we’re not creating a weird detachment from what they’re called and the image on top and in effect they provide. For example what was the image multi-strike rune going to do for ... say, [[Slow Time]]? And does that match what the rightname implies, or what you would assume? Probably not.
A few days later, he elaborated on this issue:
::'''Bashiok:''' ...the purpose of renaming them was... to remove a strict theme. I’m not aware of any rune effects we’ve shown being removed, I think all those still exist just the way they were shown. Just instead of multi-strike/hydra, it’s called Indigo, and while for a lot of skills it still has a very mutli-strike theme, it’s not a rule dictated by the name.
===Function Examples===
The [[D3 Team]] gave several examples of rune functions during a panel at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when Skill Runes were first revealed as a game feature. ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouYP1zGfd0s Watch the demonstration] on YouTube.)
===Rune Quality Levels===
There are five types of runes. Each individual rune, of whatever type, can spawn at various quality levels; Jay Wilson said there would be five or six such levels. As of late 2008, "minor" was said to be the lowest quality, though the modifier names may have changed since that point. As with all items in the game, higher quality runes will be rarer, and only findable from higher level monsters. The functions of a given type of rune will not change as the quality increases; instead the bonuses will be increased.
====Wizard's Mirror Image====* '''The name format is fairly simple, as Bashiok described in May 2010. [[Mirror Image]] Skillhttp:''' This skill, from the [[Conjuring Skill Tree]], creates a duplicate of the [[wizard]], which is capable of moving around and using spells to attack monsters//diablo. (It's not just a decoy or an illusionincgamers.)** '''Hydracom/Multistrike Rune: '''Socketing this rune would increase the number of duplicates. Higher quality levels of the hydrablog/comments/multinew-skill-strike rune would presumably add more duplicates.** '''Force-names-revealed/Power Rune: '''Socketing this rune would increase the hit points of each duplicate, and increase the spell's duration.]
::I don’t think quality names have been decided for sure yet (?), but for example it would be something like “Minor Alabaster Runestone”.
====Wizard's Teleport Skill====* '''For example: "[[Teleport]quality] skill:''' This skill, from the [[Arcane Skill Tree]rune type], teleports the Wizard to the targeted location. The spell isn't quite as quick as it was in Diablo or Diablo 2, since the Wizard leaps up into the air before vanishing, and appears in the air, then falls down to earth.Runestone"
* With '''Striking Rune:''' Adds damage to targets near where the Wizard appears, functioning something like the Barbarian's Leap Attack skill.
===Rune Tool Tips===
Hovering over a rune will show a description of what it does. Holding the rune while hovering on a skill will give more information, as Bashiok said in May 2010. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/new-skill-rune-names-revealed/]
[[Image:teleport_striking:Pick up a rune and mousing it over a skill and the tooltip will tell you how it affects the skill. The UI does a good job of informing you how each rune interacts with each skill.jpg|center]]
* With '''Hydra===Rune Crafting/Multistrike Rune:''' Creates a temporary duplicate of the Wizard that will attract enemy fire and will fight and deal damage as well. (This seems to be basically a free way to cast Mirror Image when you Teleport.)Upgrading===
The D3 team has not yet revealed any information about item [[crafting]] in Diablo 3, other than to say that they won't have any {{iw|Horadric_Cube Horadric Cube-style}} converting items.
[[Image:teleport_multistrikeIt's therefore not known if runes will be craftable, or upgradeable, but given the game's focus on items, it's certainly possible.jpg|center]]
====Witch Doctor's Skull of Flame=Rune Storage===* '''At the [[BlizzCon 2008]] demo, runes were stored in an [[Skull of Flameinventory]] grid on the skill tree menu; not in the normal inventory. There were 10 rune slots below the skill:trees. It''' The Witch Doctor lobs a flaming skulls not known if they will still be stored there in the final game, grenade style, which explodes on impactif there will be ways to increase the number of slots, dealing substantial fire damage to nearby targetsor if they can be stored in the inventory instead.
* With '''Hydra===Rune Appearance===[[Image:New_Rune_Socket.png|thumb|Rune Socket]]As of BlizzCast episode 8 (30th of March, 2009) [http://www.diii.net/Multistrike blog/comments/blizzcast-8-live-with-diablo-iii-goodies/] Runes and Rune:''' Socketing this rune causes Sockets changed from squares below a skill to horizontal rectangles, as seen in the flaming skull image to skip along the ground, like a stone over water, bounding and creating multiple explosions. Higher quality runes would allow additional bouncesright.
==Rune Function Examples==Skill Runes in [[Image:skullofflame_multistrike.jpg|centerDiablo III]] improve a character's active [[skill]]s in various creative ways. Runes can be used strategically; different runes in the same spell will do things, and there are multiple quality levels of the same rune type, scaling the increases up.
For example: the [[Wizard]] skill [[Blizzard]] would gain different benefits from different runes. A few hypothetical Blizzard bonuses: more falling projectiles, longer duration, more damage per projectile, longer chill time, better to/hit, better chance of critical hit, and so forth. Also, each of those types of bonuses would be increased in power by the quality of the rune used, allowing for a huge variety of potential bonuses and play styles.
* With When first announced, Blizzard said that runes could be removed from sockets at any time and without any penalty. It'''Force/Power Rune:''' Socketing s not known if this is still the case. If so, players could theoretically juggle their runes for different situations, sticking in a multi-strike rune adds to deal with big mobs, changing to a firefield property power rune to up the Skull single target damage before a boss battle, and so forth. It therefore seems likely that Blizzard will take steps to limit this sort of Flameswitching, creating perhaps forcing players to return to town before they can change the rune socketed in a small patch of flame spell, putting a cool down time on resocketing the ground that persists after same skill, limiting the skull's explosion and damages any monsters that cross over itnumber of times a particular rune can be socketed, or some other hindrances.
==Function Examples==The [[ImageD3 Team]] gave several examples of rune functions during a panel at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when Skill Runes were first revealed as a game feature. ([http:skullofflame_power//www.youtube.jpg|center]com/watch?v=ouYP1zGfd0s Watch the demonstration]on YouTube.) The rune names have all changed since this time, but the functions are said to still be nearly identical, hence the following examples, though outdated, remain illustrative of what we'll see in the final game.
====Wizard's Electrocute=Mirror Image===* '''[[ElectrocuteMirror Image]] skillSkill:''' This skill, from the [[Storm Conjuring Skill Tree]] , creates a strand duplicate of lightning that locks onto an enemy like a beam weaponthe [[wizard]], dealing steady lightning damagewhich is capable of moving around and using spells to attack monsters. (It will chain to 's not just a second enemy if one is in rangedecoy or an illusion.)** '''Hydra/Multistrike Rune: '''Socketing this rune would increase the number of duplicates. Higher quality levels of the hydra/multi-strike rune would presumably add more duplicates.** '''Force/Power Rune: '''Socketing this rune would increase the hit points of each duplicate, dealing damage to bothand increase the spell's duration.
* With '''Hydra/Multistrike Rune:''' Socketing this rune allows the lightning to chain to multiple targets.
===Wizard's Teleport Skill===
'''[[Teleport]] skill:''' This skill, from the [[Arcane Skill Tree]], teleports the Wizard to the targeted location. The spell isn't quite as quick as it was in Diablo or Diablo 2, since the Wizard leaps up into the air before vanishing, and appears in the air, then falls down to earth.
* '''Striking Rune:''' Adds damage to targets near where the Wizard appears, functioning something like the Barbarian's Leap Attack skill.[[Image:electrocute_multistriketeleport_striking.jpg|center|frame|Striking rune adds damage to the Wizard's teleport.]]
* With '''ViperHydra/Lethality Multistrike Rune:''' Socketing this rune causes some Creates a temporary duplicate of the monsters killed by Electrocute Wizard that will attract enemy fire and will fight and deal damage as well. (This seems to explode in be basically a nova, dealing damage free way to other nearby enemiescast Mirror Image when you Teleport.)[[Image:teleport_multistrike.jpg|center|frame|Multistrike creates multiple wizards with Teleport.]]
===Witch Doctor's Skull of Flame==='''[[ImageSkull of Flame]] skill:electrocute_lethality''' The Witch Doctor lobs a flaming skull, grenade style, which explodes on impact, dealing substantial fire damage to nearby targets. Different runes affect this skill in different ways. Here are a couple of examples as presented during a BlizzCon 2008 panel discussion.jpg|center]]
* '''Hydra/Multistrike Rune:''' Socketing this rune causes the flaming skull to skip along the ground, like a stone over water, bounding and creating multiple explosions. Higher quality runes would allow additional bounces.
[[Image:skullofflame_multistrike.jpg|center|frame|A multi-strike rune adds multiple hits.]]
==Rune Types==
Skill Runes will be found in a variety of types. Known runes:
* [[Energy Rune]]* [[Viper Rune]] (named Lethality before)* [[Hydra Rune]] (named Multistrike before)* [[With '''Force /Power Rune]] (named Power before):''' Socketing this rune adds a firefield property to the Skull of Flame, creating a small patch of flame on the ground that persists after the skull's explosion and damages any monsters that cross over it.* [[Striking RuneImage:skullofflame_power.jpg|center|frame|A force rune adds duration to the flames.]]
(Players have spent a lot of time ===Wizard's Electrocute==='''[[httpElectrocute]] skill://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?p=6871952 thinking up other types ''' This skill, from the [[Storm Skill Tree]] creates a strand of runes]lightning that locks onto an enemy like a beam weapon, and discussing their potential benefitsdealing steady lightning damage.)
More runes will almost certainly be added during development as * '''Hydra/Multistrike Rune:''' Socketing this rune allows the team thinks of useful types lightning to include in the game. The team won't be adding a lot of odd types of runes, though; D3 Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]] has stressed that runes must add a useful function chain to multiple types of skillstargets. The [[D3 Team]] wants all the runes to be useful to all [[class]]es, so they won't add runes that just boost one type of skill, or one character's skillsImage:electrocute_multistrike. They have to think up rune bonus properties that work across the board, so there jpg|center|frame|Multiple targets are probably not going to be 50 types of runes. (Utility doesn't equal equality, since not every skill can receive exactly hit with the same level of improvement from every Hydra rune.)]]
* With '''Viper/Lethality Rune:''' Socketing this rune causes some of the monsters killed by Electrocute to explode in a nova, dealing damage to other nearby enemies.
[[Image:electrocute_lethality.jpg|center|frame|Lethality rune adds AoE damage to enemy deaths.]]
==Rune Quality Levels==
It's been stated that runes will have various levels of quality, in a fashion somewhat akin to the different quality levels of {{iw|Gem gems}} in Diablo II. At [[BlizzCon 2008]], [[Jay Wilson]] said there were 5 or 6 quality levels of runes (Minor being the lowest quality), but that the number could go up or down during development. Higher qualities of runes will (of course) be dropped by higher level monsters, and the higher qualities will be much rarer. The function of each type of rune will not change at higher quality; instead the bonuses will be increased.
The ==D3 team hasn't yet revealed much information about how item Runes vs. D2 Runes==Runes in [[craftingDiablo III]] will work in D3, other than to say that they won't have any are nothing like the {{iw|Horadric_Cube Horadric Cube-styleRunes Runes}} converting found in [[Diablo II]]. In D2 there were 33 kinds of Runes, which were small itemsthat had no use on their own, but that could be placed in item sockets to add various bonuses to the item. We therefore know nothing about the potential for Certain combinations of runes could also be used to be upgraded by typecreate {{iw|Runeword RuneWords}}, though it's certainly possible that something along those lines could be implementedvery powerful items with pre-set stats.
==BlizzCon 2009==
[[Image:Rune Explanation.png|thumb|400px|If any of the first six steps are changed, (and they will be) then the outcome will be fully scrapped.]]
During the Skill Runes were not enabled at BlizzCon 2009 Diablo 3 panel on August 21st, for reasons Jay Wilson "The Mad Overseer" talked about skills runes, why aren't they in the GamesCom demo or in the demo at BlizzCon?, where are they now? and elaborated on during an interview after the process of creating a rune.show:
They stated that while ::'''''Diii.net: '''They’re still being reworked and you don’t have any further comment?::'''Jay Wilson: '''They’re not being reworked, we had tons of skill runes are a very important system on the Wizard and the Barbarian but they were so spotty across the entire class we thought it would be more confusing to show them and that they are a key element in their customizing goals, they have off than to not. So we just disabled them from demo builds because not all skills can be customized with skill runes, causing confusion to for the playersBlizzCon build. They want players to experience the rune customizing system "in its entirety"But they’re all still there and they work just fine.
Then they During another interview, Jay Wilson explained the creation creative process of making a rune, and how making any changes at all to the first steps will scrap the end results entirely, as can be seen in the image on the right. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p1.html]
::'''Jay Wilson: '''Well, the system is similar for every class. What we did is we broke down five basic runes. Each rune has a general type of effective pluses. One tends to be more damage-oriented. One tends to multiply effects, splits projectiles or bigger radiuses, things like that. One tends to be a very energy-efficient rune, so you cut down cost or in some way increases the benefit of the skill, so you get more for less. One tends to be more focused on death effects, critical effects. And one of them we call just... the weird rune, which is our grab bag for anything unusual we want to stick on.
::Every active skill -- we define an active skill as a skill that you have to click to activate -- can have all five runes affect it. Each rune will change the function of the skill. Some of the changes are minor, there are some cases where there's not much appreciable effect. And then some cases are much more drastic, where for example with [[Ice Storm]] or [[Blizzard]], one of the things we're playing around with, this halo of frost whips around her and anyone that moves through it takes damage. That adds on to the effects that Ice Storm already does. So there's a whole bunch of different... the basic idea is to capture that dream of, I'm gonna customize my skills. Even though you and I have the exact same skills, we don't play the same because our skills are different. And then throughout the game, the runes will upgrade in power. So that will just increase and amplify the effect that they have.
==Rune Storage==
At the [[BlizzCon 2008]] demo, runes were stored in an [[inventory]] grid on the skill tree menu; not in the normal inventory. There were 10 rune slots below the skill trees. It's not known if they will still be stored there in the final game, if there will be ways to increase the number of slots, or if they can be stored in the inventory instead.
=== Diablo I Runes ===
The Diablo I expansion, [[Diablo I: Hellfire|Hellfire]] had added "runes, and you can read " as a trap-like type of item. Read more about that on them in the {{iw|D1_Hellfire_Runes Diablo I Runes}} article.
What do you really know about runes? The ones from our world come from the ancient Vikings, and their "futhark" (equivalence of our 'Alpha Bet(a)') (which again come from the even more ancient Tibetan Yantras). They allegedly hold magic powers, and the magicks of the 'runa' are still practised today. These practices, called "Seden", are of course done mostly as a pastime, but some forms of the old runes were used in proper form as late as early 20th century in the 'Dalarna' area of Sweden...
[[Image:Runes.jpg|center|frame|Diablo 2 Runes]]
In [[Sanctuary]], however, runes are magically inscribed symbols. Though their use has changed slightly in the last 20 years, they used to grant (sufficiently prepared) [[items]] magical properties. For sages of these runes, magical {{iw|Runeword RuneWords}} would be created to remake a mundane item into a Runic Item, with powers competing with magical artifacts.