Diablo 2 Resurrected: Runewords - rules and features Diablo 2 Resurrected guide, tips

This page of the Diablo 2 Resurrected guide contains the list of all available runewords for weapons and armor as well as basic information on creating runic words.

Runewords is a subject that you'd better be familiar with if you plan to spend significant amount of time playing Diablo 2 Resurrected. Words grant you and your allies huge bonuses, even special skills or auras. Many builds have dedicated items that should be used to maximize the features of a particular character. However, finding runes for this purpose is not easy. The higher the level of difficulty and that of the hero, the easier it will be for you to find rare runes.

Runewords rules:

1. To put a runic word in an object, this object cannot be: magic, rare, set (green), crafted or unique.
2. The item can be of exceptional or poor quality, even etheral. Such (socketed) objects can be recognized by their color (grey). Socketed weapons can often be found on racks in some of the dungeons.
3. The item must be of a suitable type; if a given word is dedicated to a one-handed sword, it cannot be a mace.
4. The item must have the right number of sockets (some runewords consist of two or even five words). However, you can not have more sockets than that (if you want to make a word using two runes, you cannot have three sockets).
5. Creating a runeword involves moving runes to the free item fields; however, the runes must be arranged in a correct order.
6. The game features 78 Runic words, most of which are meant for high-level characters.

A weapon with 4 sockets

Some runewords have unusual features; the most problematic of them have been described below:

1. Skill level increase / new skills (Oskills) - affects either all skills (unless otherwise specified) or only a specific skill class and/or a group. This doesn't mean that you will acquire the skill of another hero by playing a different class. However, there are exceptions. In some cases, you may get bonuses of other classes, such as receiving auras or the Teleport spell in the Enigma armor. The chance to cast a random spell (including the ones with charges) applies to each character. The skills that can be used by anyone wearing the particular item appear as available for everyone in the item descriptions.
2. Open Wounds - you get a percentage chance to deal an enemy an open wound: this will make them bleed for 8 seconds. The amount of Health lost by the enemy depends on your level and the monster themselves. At Level 50, the enemy can lose about 100 health points per second. Note that the effect is twice weaker on stronger enemys (bosses/unique enemies) and when it is inflicted with a ranged weapon.
3. Crushing Blow - a very powerful skill that takes 25% of the opponent's current health. The chance of triggering this skill is random and is expressed in a percentage. Stronger monsters and bosses receive half the damage (or 12.5% of their current health). Ranged attacks also inflict half of the damage.
4. Deadly Strike - a weapon's feature that will allow each hero to lead the attack with a percentage chance of inflicting double damage.
5. Rest in Peace - this feature means that defeated opponents can't be revived anymore and their bodies cannot be used for other skills of heroes and enemies. That's undesirable for a Necromancer or a Barbarian, searching the body.
6. Cannot be Frozen - does not allow the enemy to freeze you. Of course, you will still receive cold damage if the enemy uses it.
7. Charge - some items offer spells to be cast by anyone who possesses the item. In this case, they are available like a normal skill, but are often subject to a limit of use known as charges. You can check them by hovering over the item and checking the number next to the skill name.
8. Life/Mana Steal - your attacks will steal additional health and mana from the enemy and pass them to you.
9. Light Radius - indicates how much area around the hero is highlighted. This feature is practically ignored.
10. Bash - an additional weapon feature that allows you to throw an enemy away after landing a hit from a few meters distance. This feature is not always wanted.
11. -x% Requirements - reduces the requirements for the use of items by a specified percentage. This allows you to save some attributepoints and be able to pass them to another attribute or use the item before you reach the specified attribute level.
12. Indestructible - the object does not lose its durability: it is indestructible.