Runes, in Diablo 2, are socketable items that, when socketed into gear, can grant a variety of magical bonuses. This blog will look into what the runes do and where in the game world you can find them.
Runes can be extremely important to your progress in Diablo 2. The abilities they offer are significant bonuses to your starting gear and the abilities that you possess. So, how reliable are these runes for your game, and where can you find them? Both will be explored in this post.
What Do Runes in Diablo 2 Resurrected Do?
Diablo 2 Resurrected Runes, as per the game world lore, are small objects, similar to gems and jewels that have no function on their own. However, their properties can be used once they are socketed into any other Diablo Resurrected items.
Here are some of the types of runes available on Diablo 2 Resurrected and their properties:
| Rune | Properties when socketed | Level (clvl) Required |
| El | Weapon: +50 AR, +1 Light Radius Armor/Shield/Helm: +15 Defense, +1 Light Radius | 11 |
| Eld | Weapon: +50 AR vs. Undead, +75% Damage vs. Undead Armor/Helm: Stamina Drain Lowered by 15% Shield: +7% Damage Mitigation | 11 |
| Tir | Weapon: +2 Mana on Kill Armor/Shield/Helm: +2 Mana on Kill | 13 |
| Nef | Weapon: Knockback Armor/Shield/Helm: +30 Defense vs. Missile | 13 |
| Eth | Weapon: -25% Enemy Defense Armor/Shield/Helm: +15% Mana Regeneration | 15 |
| Ith | Weapon: +9 Max Damage Armor/Shield/Helm: 15% Damage Converted to Mana Points | 15 |
| Tal | Weapon: +75 Poison Proc for 5 seconds Armor/Shield/Helm: +35% Poison Resistance | 17 |
| Ral | Weapon: +5-30 Fire Damage Armor/Shield/Helm: +35% Fire Resistance | 19 |
| Ort | Weapon: +1-50 Lightning Damage Armor/Shield/Helm: +35% Lightning Resistance | 21 |
| Thul | Weapon: +3-14 Cold Damage Armor/Shield/Helm: +35% Cold Resistance | 25 |
Table 1: The First 10 Runes in Diablo 2 Resurrected
The above list has discussed the 10 primary Diablo 2 Resurrected runes. There are higher-level runes that are available in the game as well. Jah, Cham and Zod, are three runes that are available when you are in higher levels such as Level 65-69.
The Best Runes in Diablo 2 Resurrected
When discussing what runes in D2R do, it is essentially incomplete without discussing what the players consider to be the best runes in the game. Some of the runes that are most sought after by the players include:
- Ber
- Jah
- Lo
- Ohm
- Vex
- Gul
- Ist
- Mal
And these Diablo 2 Resurrected Runes can be extremely valuable in the crafting of items as well as in specific builds or Runewords. So, what are Runewords? This next section will explore the concept.
Runewords in Diablo 2 Resurrected
Runewords are indispensable in Diablo 2 Resurrected, especially in terms of specific builds that you might need to help you strengthen your character.
To make a runeword, you need to socket runes in a Diablo Resurrected item (weapon or armor) in the correct type and order. When you have accomplished the right requirements, your item will gain a Golden name similar to a regular unique weapon or armor. It will also have specific abilities and stats that will supplement your build.
Examples of some notable runewords are:
Grief: It is a powerful melee character that requires runes such as Lo, Mal, Eth, Ral, and Tir.
Fortitude: It is a strong runeword for armor, which is commonly used alongside Lo. It requires the El, Eld, Sol, and Dol runes.
Call to Arms: It is a vital runeword that is critical for increasing the skills and stats of a character. It is made from Amn, Mal, Ral, Ist, and Ohm.
Where to Find Runes in Diablo 2 Resurrected
In Diablo 2 Resurrected, there are different ways to obtain monster drops, chest, and container drops, and from using the Horadric Cube. And to understand where to find runes in D2R, here is a breakdown of places that maximize rune drops:
- Monster Drops: All monsters can drop runes as optional drops. Meanwhile, bosses and unique monsters have a higher chance of dropping runes of higher ranks.
- Chests and Containers: Super Chests in the game, which are available near campfires, offer higher chances of rune drops.
- Horadric Cube: The Horadric Cube will help you upgrade low-level runes into higher-level runes (higher rarity rank).
Chests are great for farming runes. It is especially effective in the Hell difficulty where different runes have a higher chance of being dropped in specific Acts. Here’s a chart showing max rune drop chances from chests in D2R:
| Location (Acts) | Max Rune Drops |
| Act 1 Hell | Vex/Gul |
| Act 2 Hell | Lo/Ohm |
| Act 3 Hell | Ber/Sur |
| Act 4 Hell | Cham/Zod |
| Act 5 Hell | Zod |
Table 2: Max Rune Drops From Hell Rank Chests
Rune Farming Locations
Finally, to end the discussion on how to find more runes in Diablo 2 Resurrected, here’s a list of locations that are ideal for rune farming:
- Arcane Sanctuary: Approx 318 solo runs for optimal farming.
- Chaos Sanctuary: 378 runs (22 hours) for optimal farming on a 1-player run.
- Travincal: Around 713 runs for ideal rune farming in a single player experience.
- Lower Kurast: 513 runs (7-8 hours).
So, for a serious rune farm, you can consider diving into these locations and opt for optimal runs to earn high-level runes such as Cham or Zod.
Wrapping Up
So, runes are important items that you cannot miss out on when playing Diablo 2 Resurrected. These can have a major impact on your builds as well as influence your overall gameplay experience. They are also widely available all over the game world, including chests, loot drops, quest rewards, and so on.
Start a Rune Farm Today!
Want to get on a Rune farm and max out your build stats on D2R? Or do you want the same but you do not have the time or the patience for a rune farm? Why not find a vendor online selling Diablo 2 items? Farming can be time-consuming. But that should not stop you from enjoying your favorite Action RPG!