How To Create & Use Runewords in Diablo 4

In Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion, there's a new way to power up your character and create unique builds, even utilizing some powers of other classes in the process. I am, of course, talking about the new Runewords system in Diablo 4, and it might seem a bit confusing to some gamers.

Don't worry, Nepahlem, we are here to help you fight your way through the new region of Nahantu, increasing your power with Runewords as you fight against the Lord of Hatred himself, so let's leap in!

How Runewords Work in Diablo 4 Explained

To create a Runeword in Diablo 4, you must have an item with two open gem slots, and then you must add one Ritual Rune and one Invocation Rune to combine them into a Runeword.

Ritual Runes requires the player to meet a specific requirement or when a specific condition is met to generate an "Offering" resource. For example, the Cem sees the player generate 75 Offerings whenever Evade is used, and Yax generates 200 Offerings when a Healing Potion is consumed. 

Invocation Runes have effects that trigger once a specific Offering amount is reached. For example, the Ton Rune casts the Sorcerer's Meteorites every 20 offerings, with the Rune version of the skill having a 216% damage increase. Another example is Ceh, which summons a Spirit Wolf to attack enemies for eight (8) seconds at 100 Offering.

The image above is an example of a Runeword combination, GemTom, which allows the player to generate 75 Offerings per evade and cast Metiorites every 20 Offerings. Further, Invocation Runes also have an Overflow mechanic, which is triggered when you generate more Offering than what is required to activate your Invocation Rune effect. Using the example above, the Overflow for GemTom would be casting more Metiorites around the character, with a cooldown limit of one cast per second.

There are over a dozen Ritual and over two dozen Invocation Runes in Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred at launch. Furthermore, there are three rarity levels for Runes in Diablo 4, namely Magic, Rare, and Legendary. The effect of Runes varies depending on the rarity, both in terms of the triggering Invocation Rune and Offering generation of the Ritual Runes. 

How To Get Runewords in Diablo 4

You must have the Vessel of Hatred expansion installed to gain access to Runewords. The feature is unlocked during the Vessel of Hatred campaign, so those with only the base Diablo 4 game cannot collect or use Runes in any way. 

Read More: How To Unlock Diablo 4 Torment Difficulties & Curses Detailed

Once unlocked, you can get Runes to drop from a variety of endgame activities, from Nightmare Dungeons to Wispers, the Citadel, The Pit, and maybe even seasonal-specific events if you are on the Seasonal Realm. We suggest doing Kurast Undercity to earn a lot of Runes early on. You can also craft Runes or trade them with other players.

Diablo 4 Runeword Limitations & Caveats

Runewords are super-powerful, so there are some limitations that players need to be aware of. First of all, they can be equipped in just certain armor/weapon types, including Chest, Pants, Two-Handed Weapons and later on, Helms.

Next up, Runewords replaces Gems, and Gems + Runewords cannot be added to the same item at all! You can only equip two Runewords at the same time, and you cannot equip two of the same Runewords on your character.

Read More: How To Earn All Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Twitch Drops

While you are pondering over the Runewords system, check out the spin-chilling Vessel of Hatred live-action launch trailer below.

So there you have it, all the details on how Runewords work in Diablo 4, and their limitations at the start of the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

For more Diablo 4, be sure to check out our dedicated section or some of our Guides & Tutorials just below:

Our section keeps growing, so check for new guides daily! Don't forget to pick up one of the Diablo 4 Editions and join the fight to save Sanctuary soon.